AXL ROSE Speaks To United Arab Emirates Newspaper

The online version of the United Arab Emirates-based newspaper GulfNews.com conducted an interview with legendary GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose prior to the band's December 16 performance in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. The concert was organized by Flash Entertainment as part of a slew of events around the Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On playing Abu Dhabi:

Axl Rose: "I played in the Middle East once before. It was for about 50,000. It was insane. We've been trying to come play again since so tonight is gonna be wow. A lot of rockets and bombs. We're excited we try to go all out."

On the current version of GUNS N' ROSES:

Axl Rose: "For me one of the really cool things is I don't have to get on at everybody in the band. 'Hey, do this, do that,' you know. Because they're excited. Everybody takes a certain amount of pride in what they do. Plus they all get on at each other about it anyway. Everybody goes out there and tries to give everything they can. And we stay out there a couple hours more, you know, until we feel the crowd is happy. Or until we feel like we've done a good job. It's kinda like going to the gym or something, you know, you don't leave until you feel like you're supposed to."

On the diversity of the GUNS N' ROSES fans:

Axl Rose: "I think it's a lot to do with the material from the past and a hell of a lot to do with the heart that was put into it then. But if we weren't putting the heart into it now, if I wasn't putting my heart into it, the fans, they're not gonna let me get away with it. We have to live up to something, have to work a bit harder because you're living up to the legend or a myth or whatever. It's more pressure when you're playing to live up to myth. . . The diverse crowd aspect is actually the most interesting part for me because I think that pretty much sums up why the GUNS catalogue has stood the test of time. It crosses genres, it crosses religious lines, you know. It's music that people can relate to. That there is such a diverse crowd out there, it makes it a lot of fun. We've crossed a few lines for certain. And we'll continue that."

On GUNS N' ROSES' early years when things were very different when it came to restrictions regarding performances:

Axl Rose: "In the club days, like '88 and '89, you could fall off stage and that was OK. Then it turned into I can't dive off but other bands can. I'd be doing everything I can not to fall off. I always see the tape on stage. The glow-in-the-dark tape on the edge. I remember when they didn't have it at the L.A. Coliseum when we opened for THE [ROLLING] STONES. When the lights went down, I went down."

Read more from GulfNews.com.