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R&P:
Why are you here? It is a
surprise for us that you are in our city.
Axl:
I wanted to play here, I
wanted to play here and in Chile but it didn't work out. Since I was
in Brazil, I still wanted to come to Argentina, keeping in mind that
so much time had passed since we were here. I simply wanted to come
to feel Argentina.
R&P:
How do you feel about
coming to Argentina? Is it different from the last time that you
were here?
Axl:
The area where we were
has changed. I've had a great time and the people have been very
nice to me. I hope to be able to bring the new band here in the
fall, probably in November.
R&P:
We saw your show in Rio
and you spoke a lot with the audience. How did you feel after the
show?
Axl:
The whole show was very
special. The public was very warm and receptive. The sound and the
musical side didn't come out very well for the band, but it was very
exciting for us to know that we could make such a big show that was
very new for all. It was something very important for the new band.
R&P:
It was a big decision to
choose to play similar show with the new band. Was there something
that made you make that decision or did you simply decide to play?
Axl:
South America has always
occupied a special place in my heart. The first time that I came
here was very emotional for people and it stops myself. Our
management proposed us to come and play in Rio. It was a honor to
play there. I mean, there were new songs, people didn't know the
band, it is not the old band... And at any rate they came. That was
very special and the show united the band.
R&P:
For every year that you
were outside the scene did you think of returning as Axl Rose, a
solo project, instead of Guns N' Roses?
Axl:
Sometimes, but it is more
important to make it as Guns N' Roses. Guns N' Roses takes a very
important place in the hearts of many fans and personally I wanted
to be able to revive that for them. Fortunately, I had people that
helped me with that.
R&P:
How was it for you to
teach the new band the old songs that you used to play?
Axl:
Good, at the beginning
they didn't want to play them [laughs]. They didn't want to play the
old songs that much, because they are musicians in themselves. They
had a punk attitude like the old Guns N' Roses. But later it became
fun for them, they began to appreciate the songs and enjoy playing
them. The bassist, Tommy Stinson, worked very well taking the band
through the rehearsals for Las Vegas and Rock In Rio.
R&P:
We know that Chinese
Democracy will be released in June, but we wanted to know what the
reasons are for taking so long before releasing the album?
Axl:
We hadn't written songs
or recorded for many years. There were band changes and there were
many changes in the record company. People in the record company had
many opinions and they wanted to make the best possible record.
Every time that we thought that we had the correct songs, then
somebody thought that we could make it better. We started over, we
continued adding songs, continued recording and recording. I think
that when we release the album, it's gonna be something that I'm
gonna be proud of and confident in. Then, we will also have an extra
heap of songs. This band has played only been together for six weeks
before Rio. So it is still very new for them to play together as
band, with Robin (Finck) and Buckethead. That was a surprise.
Obviously, that was the correct decision to make, but it was not
originally planned to have three guitarists.
R&P:
Is your new material more
industrial? We hear that it is not very similar to that of your old
band.
Axl:
It is not industrial, the
closest thing to that was perhaps Oh My God, but there are some
songs that won't be on the album that were this way. There will be
all kinds of styles, many influences as blues, mixed in the songs.
But not so much inspiration of Aerosmith or AC/DC that was used on
Appetite. Buckethead, his first influence and the reason why he
grabbed a guitar for the first time was Angus Young of AC/DC.
Several of the boys love to play AC/DC. It is only we will play
other styles. When we tried writing songs in the old style of Guns
N' Roses, they sounded too old, they didn't sound so alive. We could
not make that. And I think that that also passed with the old Guns
N' Roses. The songs composed by the boys for another album many
years ago, everything sounded old. Then we tried to explore to
maintain the band alive.
R&P:
Did you know that some of
the audience in Rio thought that Buckethead was a disguised Slash?
Axl:
A lot of people on the
Internet thought that Slash was in the band, still before they knew
Buckethead. People thought that Buckethead was Slash for the hair.
R&P:
We know that you are
enjoying a short vacation in Buenos Aires for that reason we want to
make this interview the shortest thing possible. We wanted to ask
you how you see yourself as an artist today compared to earlier
years. Are you different? Is something new?
Axl:
Mmmm, good, Las Vegas and
Rio were very important for us. We wanted to play in Buenos Aires
and Chile but we won't really be on tour until in five months,
because this is very new for us. It is important for us to have the
energy and the enthusiasm to make the shows. To make this again was
very difficult, emotionally and mentally. To play the old songs for
the experiences of the difficult times that I had in the past with
the old band. But the new guys made it exciting. It is good to
leave, but what we will make a bigger and a more prepared show. I
think that it was well in Rio and it was very fun, but we want to be
more prepared when we make the real tour.
R&P:
Hopefully you enjoy your
vacation in Buenos Aires and we really hope to see your shows when
you return. Do you want to leave some message for your fans in
Argentina?
Axl:
All that I want is to
thank you for all the love and support that I feel when I am here. I
am very grateful and I appreciate it. I cannot wait to return here
and to play. It is very good to be here and I thank them a lot.
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