Guns N’ Roses reunion may be inching closer

In years to come, Thanksgiving, 2015, may be regarded as the day Guns N’ Roses wordlessly confirmed the reunion of the hard-rocking band’s original, long estranged lineup. At least, it will if the bottom line is indeed the bottom line.

On Thursday, the Guns N’ Roses website quietly began selling items featuring t-shirts, pillows, blankets and other merchandise featuring either the band’s iconic logo or the images of its five original members — singer W. Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler.

This is a development of key significance, since Rose and the other four members have long been estranged, leaving Rose as the only original member in the band. In early 1997, Rose bought the rights to the name “Guns N’ Roses.”

That move that enabled the infamously temperamental singer to assume full control, not only of the band’s name, but its lineup, new recordings (of which there has been just one since he took command), tours and any other related activities over the past 18 years.

Rose’s control of the band’s merchandise is so complete that, to cite one example, the now discounted 2015/2016 Guns N’ Roses calendar being sold on the band’s website features a photo for each month of just one band member: him.

When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, all of its original members were on hand, except Rose and Stradlin. (Rose’s full letter explaining why he boycotted the induction appears below.)

In 2013, a judge dismissed Rose’s lawsuit against Activision Blizzard Inc., which Rose charged had violated an agreement not to feature Slash in a Guitar Hero video game. Rose and Slash have previously battled over an array of issues related to the trademarks of the band’s logos, which is why the Thanksgiving day appearance of new/old Guns N’ Roses’ merchandise is notable.

So is the fact that Rose and Slash met this summer, after years of not talking to each other, and buried the hatchet (and not, for once, in each others backs).

The meeting between the two came shortly after one of Slash’s replacements, guitarist DJ Ashba, announced in June that Guns N’ Roses was going on hiatus and shelving plans for a new album and tour. Richard Fortus, another now-on-hiatus Guns N’ Roses guitarist, subsequently told Talking Metal Digital that Rose was driven by a desire to create “art,” not bolster his bank account.

“I’ve worked with a lot of people in this business, and I’ve never seen, or met, anybody that was motivated purely by that, by the desire to make art,” Fotus said. “And you can say whatever you want about it, because he (Rose) is not gonna defend himself, but he is that (an artist), and that’s for sure. Otherwise, there would have been a reunion, because the offers for money have been outrageous. But he would never do a reunion unless it was for something besides money.”

Perhaps not.

But a reunion tour by the original lineup would rank among the most lucrative in rock history, with or without a performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio. (Speculation has been mounting for years that Coachella is eager to host the reunited band.) And while Rose may not need the money, that may hold less true for Adler and Stradlin. McKagan has thrived heading a fund management company whose primary clientele is comprised of rock stars.

Slash, whose drug and alcohol abuse required him to have a cardio-defibrillator implanted in his heart, has been the most musically active former member of the band. The now-sober guitarist’s most recent San Diego area performance was Oct. 24 at Pechanga.

Perhaps coincidentally, after doing phone interviews with the Union-Tribune over the past several decades, Slash now will only do interviews via email, a possible indication that he wants to filter out questions about a possible Guns N’ Roses reunion. (The Union-Tribune declined the email interview option.)

For now, Guns N’ Roses fans eager for a reunion, can continue to do what they’ve been doing for years: hope and wait.

Of, if they have a little free time while they digest their Thanksgiving day feats, they can re-read Rose’s 2012 letter telling the Rock and Roll Hall of fame to take a hike...

To: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Guns N’ Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern,

When the nominations for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were first announced I had mixed emotions but, in an effort to be positive, wanting to make the most of things for the fans and with their enthusiasm, I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing. Of course I realized as things stood, if Guns N’ Roses were to be inducted it’d be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation.

Since then we’ve listened to fans, talked with members of the board of the Hall Of Fame, communicated with and read various public comments and jabs from former members of Guns N’ Roses, had discussions with the president of the Hall Of Fame, read various press (some legit, some contrived) and read other artists’ comments weighing in publicly on Guns and the Hall with their thoughts.

Under the circumstances I feel we’ve been polite, courteous, and open to an amicable solution in our efforts to work something out. Taking into consideration the history of Guns N’ Roses, those who plan to attend along with those the Hall for reasons of their own, have chosen to include in “our” induction (that for the record are decisions I don’t agree with, support or feel the Hall has any right to make), and how (albeit no easy task) those involved with the Hall have handled things... no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn’t appear to be somewhere I’m actually wanted or respected.

For the record, I would not begrudge anyone from Guns their accomplishments or recognition for such. Neither I or anyone in my camp has made any requests or demands of the Hall Of Fame. It’s their show not mine.

That said, I won’t be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N’ Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of “Guns N’ Roses”.

This decision is personal. This letter is to help clarify things from my and my camp’s perspective. Neither is meant to offend, attack or condemn. Though unfortunately I’m sure there will be those who take offense (God knows how long I’ll have to contend with the fallout), I certainly don’t intend to disappoint anyone, especially the fans, with this decision. Since the announcement of the nomination we’ve actively sought out a solution to what, with all things considered, appears to be a no win, at least for me, “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” scenario all the way around.

In regard to a reunion of any kind of either the Appetite or Illusion lineups, I’ve publicly made myself more than clear. Nothing’s changed.

The only reason, at this point, under the circumstances, in my opinion whether under the guise of “for the fans” or whatever justification of the moment, for anyone to continue to ask, suggest or demand a reunion are misguided attempts to distract from our efforts with our current lineup of myself, Dizzy Reed, Tommy Stinson, Frank Ferrer, Richard Fortus, Chris Pitman, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and DJ Ashba.

Izzy came out with us a few times back in ’06 and I invited him to join us at our LA Forum show last year. Steven was at our show at the Hard Rock, later in ’06 in Las Vegas, where I invited him to our after-party and was rewarded with his subsequent interviews filled with reunion lies. Lesson learned. Duff joined us in 2010 and again in ’11 along with his band, Loaded, opening in Seattle and Vancouver. For me, with the exception of Izzy or Duff joining us on stage if they were so inclined somewhere in the future for a song or two, that’s enough.

There’s a seemingly endless amount of revisionism and fantasies out there for the sake of self-promotion and business opportunities masking the actual realities. Until every single one of those generating from or originating with the earlier lineups has been brought out in the light, there isn’t room to consider a conversation let alone a reunion.

Maybe if it were you it’d be different. Maybe you’d do it for this reason or that. Peace, whatever. I love our band now. We’re there for each other when the going get’s rough. We love our fans and work to give them every ounce of energy and heart we can.

So let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn’t owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another’s, or in this case several others’, expense.

But hey if ya gotta then maybe we can get the “no show, grandstanding, publicity stunt, disrespectful, he doesn’t care about the fans” crap out of the way as quickly as we can and let’s move on. No one’s taking the ball and going home. Don’t get it twisted. For more than a decade and a half we’ve endured the double standards, the greed of this industry and the ever present seemingly limitless supply of wannabes and unscrupulous, irresponsible media types. Not to imply anything in this particular circumstance, but from my perspective in regard to both the Hall and a reunion, the ball’s never been in our court.

In closing, regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I’d like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns’ induction. More importantly I’d like to thank the fans for being there over the years, making any success we’ve had possible and for enjoying and supporting Guns N’ Roses music.

I wish the Hall a great show, congratulations to all the other artists being inducted and to our fans we look forward to seeing you on tour!!

Sincerely,

Axl Rose

P.S. RIP Armand, Long Live ABC III