It's over now. CD leftovers was the last juice in the carton. We should have gotten that 1996 album.

Even the titles get worse over time. Boston Third Stage should have been a lesson to all these bands.

This stage in the band's career feels so anemic compared to 20 or 10 years ago. They got old, the culture changed, the world passed by. It's like when they ask Frank Sheeran "who are you protecting? everybody is dead". Leaks at this point simply doesn't matter anymore. A handful of fans still care, but even they don't care all that much. It's depressing but that's the way of things.

I feel the same applies to fans in general. There is no life to it anymore. Just an old memory you can't quite let go, but you know it is simply over and never coming back.

The circus factor of the 2002 band could have worked. It clearly separated old from new. In contrast the 2012 band just looked like a pale version of the old band.

But Axl going for a new look was a mistake. He should have concentrated on looking like he did in the 90s, to create a strong impression of continuity. On the other hand I don't want to be too harsh because the record company really made things difficult for him when they refused to release the album. He spent years building GNR back up from scratch and put a lot of soul and heart into it then he just gets cock blocked by the suits at Interscope. Must have been embarrassing.

He made a last push for it in 2006, then after CD was released he just gave up. No more ambitions. Just a nostalgia band, and that's when the reunion started looking like a better deal.