What I'd tell any kid in high school is, 'Take business classes.' I don't care what else you're gonna do; if you're gonna do art or anything, take business classes. You can say, 'Well, I don't want to get commercial,' but if you do anything to make any money, you're doing something commercial.
— Axl Rose
Queen has always been my favorite band. Freddie is the greatest singer, ever, is the way I look at it. The other thing about Queen for me is they embraced so many different styles.
A lot of the 'Back In Black' stuff is really challenging.
Mick Jagger is one of the greatest athletes who ever lived, just for how much he puts into it onstage.
In general, I usually don't really go by or live my life by a clock, and outside of touring, I don't really ask anyone else to. It's not out of lack of respect for anyone or intentional.
There was a much more self-destructive nature in 'Appetite.' It was a going-for-it-at-all-cost thing that worked then.
I try to be respectful about getting an honor or recognition, but I don't really know what the Rock Hall actually is. In my experience with the people who run it, I don't see it having to do with anything other than them making money.
I write the vocals last, because I wanted to invent the music first and push the music to the level that I had to compete against it.
Sometimes your friends are your lovers, or have been at one time.
'Chinese Democracy' wasn't trying to tell China to have a democracy or anything like that. I don't have an opinion on what kind of government they should have. My thing is, I went to stay there for about three months, and everywhere I went, the people are so shielded from what's going on in the world.
The Guns N' Roses reunion didn't happen by chance or whatever. It was always looked at as a possibility, but it never seemed right or felt right.
I wasn't looking at it like, 'I'm singing for AC/DC.' I was looking at it like, 'Y'know, if I can, and if they think I'm able to do it.'
I sing in five or six different voices that are all part of me. It's not contrived.
Regarding social media, I really don't understand what appears to be the general population's lack of concern over privacy issues in publicizing their entire lives on the Internet for others to see to such an extent... but hey it's them, not me, so whatever.
I could beat my mike stand into the stage, but I was still in pain. Maybe fans liked it, but sometimes people forget you're a person and they're more into the entertainment value. It's taken a long time to turn that around and give a strong show without it being a kamikaze show.
'Appetite for Destruction' was the only thing written with lyrics and melody fitting the guitar parts at the same time. After that, I got a barrage of guitar songs that I was supposed to put words to, and I don't know if that was the best thing for Guns.
I like Nine Inch Nails, and I like hip-hop.
I mainly listen to the music that's playing during movies. It can be the theme to 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' 'The Equalizer,' stuff like that. I like the blend of orchestra with modern instrumentation. It's something that I've wanted to do.
I don't really know what to say about Izzy. It's like you could have a conversation and think it's one way, and the next day, it's another way. And I'm not trying to take any shots at Izzy. It's just his thing is kind of his thing, whatever that is.
Slash and I hadn't talked in 19 years, and when we did talk, I was like, 'You wrote a lot of stuff that didn't even happen. It's not real.'
I'm in California, and that usually leans Democratic, and that's usually where I lean anyway... I would lean Democrat; I would lean Obama.
We have a saying in Guns N' Roses: 'When somebody's gonna get yelled at, they're gonna get the corn.'
I go to movies, go out with friends, go to car shows. I have a zoo.
I like to be real private; you don't always want everyone around you - even when they like you.
I really liked the Seattle movement.
