Las Vegas Weekly

August 25, 2009 · 12:07 PM

Vince Neil slams Axl Rose for failure of GNR’s Chinese Democracy

By Robin Leach

Motley Crue at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabik.com

On the eve of the re-release of Motley Crue’s 20-year-old Dr. Feelgood album, lead singer and hometown rocker Vince Neil finds himself on the front line of a war of words. In an interview with a British tabloid, Vince allegedly blasts Guns ’n’ Roses frontman Axl Rose over the failure of GNR’s 15-year-awaited Chinese Democracy album that reportedly cost more than $13 million to produce and featured none of his original band mates.

Vince, who is a neighbor of mine here, said that Axl let Guns fans down with Chinese Democracy and added that fans “have just gotten sick of Rose and his antics.” Vince even claimed that Axl canceled a tour in support of the record.

He said: “For (Chinese Democracy) to fail was pretty crazy after so many years of being recorded. Then the tour got canceled. A buddy of mine went to go play guitar for him. They rehearsed for three months, and Axl never once turned up. … He’s been doing that for many years. Finally, I think the fans just went, ‘F*ck it -- can’t do this anymore.’ You can’t be a fan when you can’t see the band.”

Chinese Democracy was released as a Best Buy exclusive last November but failed to even come close to the sales of previous GNR efforts. Vince said, “I heard one track, and then it just disappeared off the radio. It was never talked about again.” Axl is said to have done only two interviews to promote the album, along with an online Q&A with fans. A video for the single “Better” never surfaced, and to date the group hasn’t played a show in support of the CD.

Meantime, Motley Crue will re-release Dr. Feelgood on Sept. 21, 20 years after its original release on Sept. 1, 1989. It hit No. 1 on Billboard and sold more than 7 million worldwide. The album garnered two Grammy Award nominations (Best Hard Rock Performance: “Dr Feelgood” in 1989 and “Kickstart My Heart” in 1990), and they are on tour in support of their new CD Saints of Los Angeles.

The re-release will be a deluxe version with two CDs. The original version of Dr. Feelgood will be on one CD. Four original demos from the Dr. Feelgood sessions, four tracks recorded live when the band played in Russia and a remix of “Get It for Free” will be on the second disc.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

Share This