Report: Guns N’ Roses announcing reunion, classic lineup to tour
These days, it’s difficult to conceive how truly enormous Guns N’ Roses was in their prime. Roaring out of Los Angeles in the late ’80s, they sold millions of albums, released one hit after another, burned bright and then flamed out. Much to the dismay of their fans, Axl Rose and Slash haven’t shared a stage since 1993.
Now, after decades of accusations and in-fighting, the impossible is happening: According to reports, Guns N’ Roses are reuniting.
The evidence seems to have begun mounting two weeks ago, when a Portuguese news outlet said that the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup had been contracted to play a two-hour show. Sometime after that, the band’s official Twitter feed posted some mysterious messages that could be interpreted as reunion buzz. “Whatever happened to no news is good news?” the account wrote on Monday (Nov. 9), before adding: “Of course today everyone is a journalist … If only they could read lips … Surely they’ll read between the lines.” Even Duff McKagan’s wife’s friend is being quoted as saying that there is an imminent return to Paradise City.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, rocker Scott Weiland — formerly of Stone Temple Pilots and Slash’s band Velvet Revolver — gave an interview to Alternative Nation where he said: “I think that Guns N’ Roses are getting back together.”
“It was probably way overdue,” he added. “But it’s very cool at this point. You know, let some of that, sort of, negative … dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long.”
Now, the site Dish Nation is reporting that Guns N’ Roses are “days away” from announcing a worldwide reunion tour. “Slash has confirmed that he and lead singer Axl Rose have reconciled after almost a decade of arguments,” reads the article. “And now Los Angeles music insiders close to the band say they have tentatively agreed to perform together again in 2016.”
The timing of the tour would coincide with the band’s 30th anniversary — although technically, GN’R took twenty-two of those years off. Quoting “a music insider,” Dish says: “Promoters are quietly working away to land opportunities. Details of the reunion are expected to leak out in the next few days. Everyone is expecting huge demand for tickets.”
If the report is true, that would likely be the result. Although grunge was signaling the end for metal circa 1993, Guns N’ Roses are one of the few bands who truly did dissolve at the top of the music heap. Their last proper albums, 1991’s “Use Your Illusion” I and II, debuted in the top two spots on the Billboard charts and each were certified 7 times platinum.
The mercurial Rose, however, soon dissolved the band and has spent the last several decades going into hiding, replacing band members and working obsessively on the long-in-development, poorly-received “Chinese Democracy” album. If he were to finally reunite with guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagen and drummer Steven Adler, the tickets would seem to sell themselves — and social media is responding to the swelling rumors as such.