DEF LEPPARD's PHIL COLLEN Calls GUNS N' ROSES' Original Split 'Lame'

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has told U.K.'s The Telegraph that he is not impressed by the notion of bands reuniting after years apart for the promise of millions of dollars, like the recently reformed GUNS N' ROSES, who will play a number of shows in the U.S. later this year.

"We obviously think it's really fucking lame," he said. "I love GUNS N' ROSES, I think they're really cool, I'd love to see Slash and Axl and Duff play together, that's great. But I think it's fucking lame considering we've been hardcore. Our integrity's still intact, we've never split up. We've gone through if someone had a little sniffle or something, we soldier on."

He continued: "Someone dies, someone loses an arm, someone gets cancer, we soldier on. [With GUNS N' ROSES] if someone has a little barney backstage, they can't deal with each other. I know it's difficult, but I do think it's pretty lame when you compare anyone else to us."

DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott recently said that he would love to see a full reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup, with both Steven Adler and Matt Sorum sitting behind the drum kit during the band's live shows.

GUNS N' ROSES' headlining slots on April 16 and April 23 at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California were confirmed last month after widespread speculation that the band would appear at the festival.

The band's lineup will feature original members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan — performing together for the first time since 1993 — although the rest of the group roster has yet to be confirmed.

During an appearance on a recent edition of Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM satellite radio show, "Eddie Trunk Live", Elliott said: "I think the only way it would really work [is] they'd have to go with two drummers; they would have to take StevenandMatt. Obviously, Steven, having never played on the '[Use Your] Illusion' stuff, they would trade drummers out. I mean, it may be a little cabaret."

He added: "I'd love to see all seven of them involved, if you know what I mean — which would be Axl, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Gilby Clarke, Matt Sorum and Steven Adler. I would like to see that lineup. None of this Bumble thing, Buckethead, none of that crowd. Even [Richard] Fortus, who's a very good friend of mine; I love him to death. But if the original seven, if you like — the five plus their, kind of… the early replacements, which would be Matt Sorum and Gilby. If they were the guys that played on those records and they weren't gonna be playing anything off 'Chinese Democracy', that would be the thing for me — to bring them in and out as needed. For me, I would buy that ticket; I would love to buy that ticket."

GUNS N' ROSES will play two shows before its appearance at Coachella, with the band now scheduled to perform at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 8 and April 9, just days after the venue opens for business on April 6.

GN'R is reportedly negotiating with promoters to play as many as 25 stadiums in North America this summer. The band is said to be asking as much as $3 million per show, with tickets topping out in the $250 to $275 range.