GUNS N' ROSES Bassist On AXL's Concert Tardiness: 'He Does His Best To Get Out There On Time'

Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Boston Globe: Is there any way to sit down with Axl [Rose] and say there's no reason that fans should have to wait up to three hours between the opening act and GUNS N' ROSES?

Stinson: There is no reason ever for that to be.

The Boston Globe: So why does it happen? What is happening during the time that people are waiting?

Stinson: You know what? I don't even know. I just know that some days my boy gets [expletive] derailed. I know he does his best to get out there on time. He doesn't want to make people wait and bum out on him but, again, he can't play before he's ready either.

The Boston Globe: Maybe he should start getting ready earlier then, because he must be paying all kinds of overtime and fines at these arenas which must be eating into the tour profits.

Stinson: You've got a good point there. You know, that's never been something he's ever given a [expletive] about. When he's ready to put on his best show, that's when he's going to put it on, and if it's on the late side, so be it. He'll gladly pay the extra money.

The Boston Globe: What's happening during the breaks for you? Napping? Warming up?

Stinson: I'm usually sitting on the bus playing my guitar trying to remember my own songs. (Laughs)

The Boston Globe: It's been three years since "Chinese Democracy"; is GN'R working on a new record?

Stinson: I've been hearing about us going into "writing mode" after this run, so if that's the case, I look forward to it.

The Boston Globe: After all this time, do you feel insulated from the whole "It's not GUNS N' ROSES" complaint? Does it bother you that some fans don't consider it a "real" band?

Stinson: I couldn't really give a [expletive]. I've always just played and done my bit, whatever that is, playing in the "[THE REPLACEMENTS] or GUNS or SOUL ASYLUM. I just show up and have a good time, that's my role. . . . The whole idea of joining this band was a [expletive] crapshoot to begin with. And you know what? It was a good idea then, it's a good idea now. I have fun with him. We have a blast playing together.

The Boston Globe: Since Axl does press so infrequently, people must ask you all the time how he is. Sometimes when people are reclusive, their fans assume they're unhappy or worse.

Stinson: I think his silence has worked for him. I think that over all the years you've had [former band members] going on about Axl this and Axl that, and he's kept his mouth shut and is waiting for when he's ready to spill the beans, according to him. That day is coming I think. I think he's feeling more comfortable with the idea of talking publicly about some of this [stuff] and setting the record straight from his point of view.

Read the entire interview from The Boston Globe.