Axl Rose, in the UK next week for a set at the Leeds Festival and a date at the London Arena, has posted a long message on his website talking about his band, his critics and his forthcoming album.
On the departure of Slash from the band he says: "Slash chose not to be here over control issues. Now people can say 'Well Axl, you're after control of the band, too.' You're damn skippy. That's right. I am the one held responsible since day one. When it comes to Guns N' Roses, I may not always get everything right, but I do have a good idea about getting things from point A to point B and knowing what the job is that we have to do. Within those parameters, I give everyone as much freedom to do what they want - something Slash has verified in several interviews. Had Slash stepped up and written what we captured glimpses of, it would have created an environment that was beyond Slash's ability to control."
On the band’s critics he said: "To the ones who are negative and want to see either myself or the new band fall on their faces, personally, I can't pass up an opportunity to upset so many of them in one quick swoop. I get misty-eyed just thinking about it. I feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside!”
Although the Chinese Democracy has already begun the album by the same name is not yet complete. "I gave into a lot of pressure on Illusions - both internally in Guns and externally in the press - and those albums suffered as a consequence,” Axl reports. “There are a lot of new songs that were just done in the last year that we feel that, 'Okay, well that bumps a lot of stuff off the previous list’. But it's time to stop that now and wrap up the baby. We've sorted it down to what songs are on the record. What the sequence of the songs is. The album cover art is ready.” But he warns fans: “If you're waiting ... don't. Live your life. That's your responsibility, not mine. If it were not to happen, you won't have missed a thing. If in fact it does, you might get something that works for you -- in the end you could win on this either way. But if you're really into waiting, try holding your breath for Jesus cause I hear the payoff may be that much greater."