Hey ID,
There was more than Slash who didn't want Paul there. here are some quotes from the band about his role in GNR.
Slash was not alone in his distaste for Paul...

Matt:
"Then Paul Huge walked into the studio and made a bad comment about Slash. I said, "You don't say that when I'm in the room." Then Axl laid in, I argued with him and it was over. Huge followed me out into the parking lot and said, Come back. I said, I can't come back, he's fired me. Do you feel good about breaking up one of the greatest bands that ever lived? [...] Paul Huge is the Yoko Ono of GN'R [Q Magazine, May 2001]

Duff:
[Axl] had hired his best friend for the band. I couldn't play with him. Paul Huge, that was the guy! He's a friend of Axl, he's a 'yes man.' [...] Man, you can't be in Guns N' Roses just like that. That was a real band. [...] Well, imagine you and I grow up together and you're my best friend. OK, I'm in Guns N' Roses and I tell the rest you're going to join the band. "OK, Slash, Axl, Matt, guys, this guy is in the band". "Duff, you got a minute?" "No, he's in the band" "Well, no. Everyone in the band has to vote it, Duff, so no way!" "Fuck you, this guy is in the band! I'm not doing anything unless this guy is in the band" "OK, you know what? We'll try and play with him, since you're that much interested in it. Hey Duff, the guy can't play" "I don't care" "Well that's not very reasonable." "I don't care". At that point, what would you do? I came to a point where I couldn't even look at [Paul Huge]. If I were in such a situation, if I were the friend joining the band, I'd say "Hey guys, you've done very good yourselves alone, I'm not going any further. Hey, Duff, thanks for the offer, but I'm breaking your band." But he didn't say it [Popular 1, July 2000]

Slash
Axl then [after firing Gilby in 1994] insisted on hiring Paul Huge, this guy he knew from Indiana who, for whatever reason, also calls himself Paul Tobias. They had history: the two of them cowrote 'Back Off Bitch' among other songs. I was open to the idea...until Paul showed up: he had no personality whatsoever and no particular guitar style or sound that I could identify with. He was, without doubt, the least interesting , most bland guy holding a guitar that I'd ever met. I tried my best to work with him, but it went nowhere. It was even more awkward then it sounds because our stilted interaction took place at rehearsal with everyone else watching us (...). No, it was useless; the guy was irredeemable. It was like talking to a wall, a wall with a bad attitude. He was totally arrogant and gave off the vibe that he was Axl's boy, that he was in, and that everyone else had to deal with it [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, p.377-378]

So in summary, I would say there was no chance that this was going to work. I think Axl needed to accept the will of the majority here but he was too pleased with "the power rewards of my vision" to listen to his team.

First time seeing Slash???
Man, I remember seeing the original band in 1991 in Germany and when they were on I just stared at each man in turn thinking "you are so fucking cool".

FF,
Hope you enjoyed the gig, hearing Slash live is an experience...such an instantly recognisable style

I am more concerned for GNR now than I ever was.
On ths surface life seems grand; Axl is beaming like fucking Garfield when he's out, his hangers on are bedded comfortably into his life fully and he's ok with that, he seems to like his band as people and he shows up for all of his concerts.
YET
He looks fucking terrible, he has every appearance of a man boozing heavily, he's dialling in a lot of his carbon copy live performances but doesn't seem troubled by that.
And...what's the fucking story with the tunes????

What I don't understand is why, as an artist he doesn't have a huge desire to get songs like "The General" out there. Those that have heard these songs say they are great so... what's the problem?
If you don't want to write and release music and you are obviously coasting though the whole live thing, never seeming to be interested in even looking at the fun and excitment of playing deep cuts that you wrote for your fans.., it begs the question..why are you here? Is it JUST for the money?

What I would love to know is just what exactly Axl's sense of himself and GNR as two important pieces of entertainment history is...

Axl fans always bagged on Slash because Axl said he  "didn't want to work that hard"... I think time has proven that Slash always worked hard, he just didn't want to spend years chasing the phantom of the perfect album with Axl. I think both men have come out of this with less as a result but I cannot blame Slash for not wanting to be a part of today's set up. Imagine being Slash in today's GNR...taking orders off a cleaner and her arrogant son?...PFFT..

My 5c worth.

The STP musicians have had enough of Scott's years of bad behaviour and they want to continue to make money and keep their profile without hanging on Scotts behaviour and whims.
They tried before with talk Show and Army of Anyone but couldn't get anywhere without the name "STP".

You may be critical of them keeping the name, but that name keeps mortgages paid and children in private schools so its no surprise that all sides want a piece of it. As you get older you look to secure your family and that drive for souless money may be hard for some of you younger members to understand just yet. Try having a kid though and you'll be amazed how your focus changes and hardens and it becomes about securing your family's future and fuck anyone who stops that happening.

The DeLeo brothers built the STP name just as much as Scott, Scott just had a more high profile role as the face of the band but the brothers are the engine that runs it (and the musicians that created the STP sound).  Both sides & the fans should respect the other for their role to date.

Scott has been on a big decline of late (read reviews of his solo shows here: http://reviews.ticketmaster.com/7171/77 … views.htm).
Scott's BS is tired and belongs in a band of twenty somethings. There's enough info out there to show that Scott is impossible to work with at times, irratic and undependable.
The band have stuck this for 25 years, if they look full of malice its probably because they are. STP should be where Pearl Jam are now.

This suit will end up costing both sides. My guess is that the current STP guys will have to pay Scott a dividend and visa versa from here on out. No winners.

Richard Patrick from Filter talks about Scott's issues here; http://www.noisecreep.com/2013/06/04/fi … tt-weilan/

What I think they were politely saying here Monkey is that his throat is fried from being a massive alcoholic and he was too incapasitated to hit the big notes.
He's not fit enough anymore to do the big tunes. Look at him these days, a slightly bloated, slurring mess. Singers need to stay very fit to continue after their 20's. Axls singing is very patchy these days but his drinking has been stellar. The link is undeniable.

In fact, you could look at it that the guys wanted to do the 20th anniversary tour but their lead man is too liquered up to do anything challenging. They were probably trying to work out how to get this tour over the line but ensure Scott could deliver.

Scott Weiland is a man that has burned through every chance he was given and he's had many. As I said, the STP band probably felt they had no choice but to endure with Scott... until Chester came along and their lawyer could prove that they could go on as STP without Scott.

Find me one musician who is not working for Scott who says the man is a dream to work with. You won't and that's sad 'cause I'm a fan, saw Scott in Dublin with STP and he knocked it out of the park.

I just hope the man finally realises that his future is better mapped out as a sober man.