Battles of the Bands
It's a heady world of emotions, is rock'n'roll. Sometimes they run riot and lead people to say or do things they maybe shouldn't. But in the end, rock is bigger than us all, and we all like to see a happy ending. Especially when a great band that makes great music stops the infighting and gets back to making more great music.
So it's good to see Def Leppard and Poison have put their slanging matches behind them, and have announced plans to tour together later in the year.
Lep's Joe Elliott says: "There wasn't a fight at all. It was taken out of context. I've spoken to Bret Michaels and he totally gets it. We don't have a problem with the guys."
Well, yes and no. Things were said – but as long as we're all back partying, who cares?
Meanwhile, if there was bad feeling left between Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and his former band, Metallica, it's gone now. Twenty years ago you'd have sworn they'd never talk again – Mustaine was thrown out of the band he helped start, and Megadeth seemed to be nothing more than a musical act of revenge against James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.
But with Metallica's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, everyone's buddies now. Mustaine explains: "With much respect, I say congratulations! I had the nice surprise of hearing they invited me to the pre-ceremony party, and the actual ceremony. Unfortunately I'll be on tour with Judas Priest, so I will be unable to attend. I'd like to say to Lars and James - I am so very proud of all you have accomplished. Thank you for thinking of me."
Awww.
But let's go back to the nasties and catch up with how Axl Rose and Slash are getting on. They're not, basically. Slash has been pretty quiet in recent times; but Rose - finally getting round to speaking to the press to promote Guns n'Roses long long long-awaited Chinese Democracy - says Slash is a cancer. His most recent rant goes: "There's zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush. And that wouldn't be pretty. He should either not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after Lies."
Velvet Revolver and Guns fans don't want to hear this stuff. But Rose is warming to Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan, so you never know what could be.
Further down the slope there's all-out war in the LA Guns camp. Well, two camps actually. The band is currently on the road as two different acts – and neither is happy with the other.
Tracii Guns, who named the outfit, says singer Phil Lewis and drummer Steve Riley should stop using the title right effing now: "I hired them for my band," he says. "If you get hired as a manager at McDonald's you don't take over the McDonald's."
Fair point. However, Lewis also has a fair point when he says: "People want to hear the songs sung by the original lead singer."
Of course, it's not really about the songs, sadly. If it was, there can't be many fans who'd prefer La Guns I supported by LA Guns II (whichever way round) over just the one, proper, LA Guns back together playing their songs.
But this isn't any old industry - it's rock'n'roll, where dreams become reality then suddenly nightmares. All we can do as fans is dream on and remember you're never too old to grow up.
Poll: Will classic Guns ever reform? Select your answer on the right.
