at 18:31 on May 12, 2006, EST.
By SANDY COHEN

LOS ANGELES (AP) - With concerts scheduled throughout Europe this summer and its 10-years-in-the-making album slated for release this fall, Guns N' Roses appears ready to make its rock 'n' roll comeback.

Does anyone care?

Some clearly do: tickets for the band's four New York shows, starting Friday at the Hammerstein Ballroom, sold out in a snap. (Exactly which band members would be performing was still unannounced Friday.) Tracks from its long-anticipated album Chinese Democracy leaked onto the Internet and caused a frenzy. A surprise radio appearance by GNR frontman Axl Rose stirred up a swirl of online chatter.

Still, rockers at classic haunts along L.A.'s Sunset Strip mostly greeted word of a Guns N' Roses comeback with a yawn. Or worse.

Gina Penney, a talent booker at the Strip's Whisky a-Go-Go, where the band played its earliest shows in the '80s, said Rose is old news.

"He really lost it for himself," she said. "The other guys were taking other projects and keeping themselves visible in the industry, where Axl just became a recluse. I think a lot of people just feel that he's kind of a joke."

A return to the group's glory days will take a lot more than Rose, said David Boivin, wearing a top hat and shades as he dined with friends at the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill.

"It's just Axl, not Guns N' Roses," he said of the reunion. "I don't care at all because it's not really the band."

Formed in Los Angeles, Guns N' Roses rose to multiplatinum prominence with its debut record, 1987's Appetite for Destruction. The group was one of the loudest forces in rock when it disbanded in the mid-1990s.

While Rose faded into obscurity, his former bandmates - guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum - joined with Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland to create Velvet Revolver.

Rose staged something of a Guns N' Roses comeback effort in 2002, though only he and keyboardist Dizzy Reed remained from the band's original lineup. The group ran into problems during the North American leg of its tour, when Rose failed to show up for a performance in Philadelphia.

Fans haven't forgotten that, said Rainbow regular Amanda Pelisek.

"Axl's got a lot of making up to do," she said. "There was a stadium in Philly filled with fans who were ready to give the new Guns N' Roses a chance and Axl screwed them."

Rose declined to be interviewed for this story. His manager, Merck Mercuriadis, agreed through his secretary to talk about the band, then failed to respond to numerous messages left at his office.

Rose's return to the spotlight has been gradual. It started in January when he showed up at a Hollywood party wearing long cornrows, a reddish-blond goatee and a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. Soon after, the singer rang in his 44th birthday by bopping around New York City nightclubs.

Three Chinese Democracy tracks found their way onto the Web in February, then the band's scheduled European tour dates emerged.

Last week, Rose made a surprise appearance on the Eddie Trunk syndicated radio show and declared that Guns N' Roses' new album "will be out this year."

On Friday, the band's latest incarnation takes the stage in New York.

"They announced those shows and they sold out in three minutes. That tells you how much people want to see Guns N' Roses," said Dessica Depompeis, a bartender at the Cat Club on the Sunset Strip. "They're a straight-ahead American rock 'n' roll band. If they pull themselves together, they could make a major comeback."

It all comes down to the sound, said Tracy Barnes, founder of Hard Radio, an Internet-based station dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock.

"It's just going to hinge on the quality of the music," he said. "Fans are still interested. We'd love to see another Guns N' Roses record come out and just blow everybody apart."


©The Canadian Press, 2006

my son does..... i hope slash will be going along for the ride

They only go because they think Axl will end up doing something stupid.

Rose reportedly blew over 10 million dollars of front money trying to get this album recorded.

Guns N Roses have been back for years. They call themselves Velvet Revolver.

GNR and Axl Rose are not the same thing.

Axl has pissed off too many people both in and outside the industry to make it happen again.

A charismatic front man is essential to a great rock and roll band, but the band isn't just the front man...There has to be some musical meat between the bones.

How do you just walk out on your fans in midset, show up late for hours at a time, cancel dates on a whim, and STILL expect fans to come to your shows?

Alasseon said:

First of all, I'm not a fan of GNR or Axel but I respect what the did in their heyday. That said, isn't calling this band GNR in 2006 a bit disrespectful when the only member from that era present is Axel? Seems like it should be a whole new band name or an Axel solo thing.

Bfunkthe1 said:

Sure its disrespectful but AXEL owns the name Guns & Roses, he forced all the former band mates to sign over the rights in the early 90's. So he replace everyone in the original line up, but legally it's always Guns and Roses.

Is it the same band musically? not a chance...
what makes a good band, is dependence on each member
what made Gnr great was EVERYONE in the band contribute a great part
Whether it was axel lyrically and vocaly or Slash and his melodic riffs
Axel was consumed in himself,
His Ego is Today's Guns N Roses...

Tommy Stinson playing bass in GNR is a joke.

Stax said:

i totally care hopefully this will shift todays popular music to more of a rock orientation

Mazerati said:

That's cool with me. but Tommy Stinson in GNR? that's just not right.

Frankly, everytime I have a whiff of pity for the dude, I just remember this lovely little Axl contribution.

"Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran
Or spread some fucking disease"

He can rot in KFC-buckethead hell, for all I care.
[Edited 5/13/06 8:51am]

Slash IS Gun’s N Roses. Without him there no one cares about it. Axl is, has, and always will be the clown to watch because he never could sing, play, or really do anything but act like a joke on stage.

Buckethead leaving GNR in 2004 is a no brainer. That guy is way beyond anything that GNR is about, he is a guitar alien. You saw him ditch out on the whole Gun’s N Roses tour in 2004, but then showed up at C2B3Live with Les Claypool. He recognized where he fit the best, and like anyone else he did what was best for him. Les Claypool is a perfect fit for Buckethead, they are both insane musicians.

As far as GNR going on tour, no thank you on that. I think Jimmy Buffet even has an edge on that one. At least we can all rely on that actually happening, and Buffet can out sing Axl!

There are insane amounts of people that indeed do care.

Read that the show last night in NYC was sold out and and it was amazing. Axl's new guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal is an amzing guitarist and can shred (like Buckethead) and jam with some penatonic feel (like Slash). He lives right in the next town to me. Cool dude too.

allstatenorthside said:

when the GNR album comes out u can see how over 800.000 the 1st week will care

The amount of views this tread is getting pretty much tells me that no one cares.

Alasseon said:

Yeah! Who in the hell does he think he is...Prince?

SexyBeautifulOne said:

Say what you will about the little bastard; when he puts on a show, I've never seen him half-ass it...120%, all the time... Late for shows...ummm, well, how about those Yankees?

allstatenorthside said:

Axl is not aiming for this demographic anyway

I like GNR. Should be interesting to hear what Axl comes up with.

Mazerati said:

Dream on! GNR were great, but they and this album are a joke. 800K in one week? I don't think so.

'Guns N' Roses seems ready to make a comeback - does anyone care?'

This band isn't Guns n Roses.If it was I should think a lot more people would be intersted.I would even go to see them.Axl's band is a bit of an embarrassment to the name.

Early bootlegs of the NYC shows are awesome! Axl proves all his doubters wrong and sings better than ever.

can't sya that i do. they were brillaint for a minute back that's long gone. i doubt they could puill it off. and slash has said he won;t have anything to do with axel. they certainly wouldn't be GNR w/out slash.

I care! I'm going to buy this infamous Chinese Democracy album if and when it ever sees the light of day. Axl is the man!

There are enough rednecks and white trash living in trailer parks, dressed up in tight jeans and t-shirts that endorse some beer company, that will always care about the Guns N'Roses.

To me, GNR is Axl's vocals...the sound of the band was great but Axl has (had?)
a GREAT voice for rock n roll.

I'll have to hear some songs before I buy this next one however.

Baseballbat said:

boy is that a racist comment thats like saying all the people that listen to rap music are....nevermind i wont go into it

Me and my mate for many years have joked about this album ever coming out.


"get in the ring" is still a killer song, as are many others.