Reinventing Guns N' Roses

I have always wanted to be Axl Rose.

This may not be news to old friends of mine. But to assume that this is some ironic, kitsch sentiment is to not understand me.

When you are young and you have those wet dreams about how cool it would be to be a "rockstar", I feel like you have your own version of what that would mean. And, more pointedly, which rockstar mold you'd like to be cut from. Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Bono Vox, Kurt Cobain, Trent Reznor, Justin Bieber...

For me, without hesitation: W. Axl Rose.

Before I get too verbose, a clip from a well-known CBGB's gig from 1988. The original lineup of GNR... a very early rendition of "Patience"...

AXL: "I've sang this song once, we've played it together twice... We'll try this."


Young Axl was the textbook definition of a rockstar. Wiry. Mercurial. Girlish good looks. Violent. Hypersensitive. Said the wrong things most of the time. The "homophobic" tag sullied his name years before Eminem walked on the scene. (Funny how both of them did duets with Sir Elton John, Queer Royalty.)

Older Axl...?

Reclusive. Mercurial. Hypersensitive. Litigious. Perfectionist. The popular perception seems to be that he's a cautionary tale for what you don't want to become as an aging rockstar.

Much has been made of the fact that there are no originating members of the outfit that he currently calls "Guns N' Roses", but I feel like he's excelled at these smaller, secret NYC club shows. Look at the footage from this gig at the Rose Bar in 2010 and you see a band that seems to genuinely enjoy playing together.


He's an all-too-easy target of ridicule, but that just makes him more endearing to me.

Flawed. Disrespected. Under-appreciated.

The Man Who Had His Glory and Blew It.

But nothing is keeping the guy from partying...


I like that he's not just an amber-encased figure of what he was. I like that he's aged, that his rhythm and movement is older. He's not wearing kilts and catcher's masks anymore. His style has evolved and he's grown more comfortable in his skin.

Now, if he could just emerge from the underground party scene, he could get back to owning the world.