GUNS N' ROSES Keyboardist DIZZY REED: AXL ROSE 'Could Fire Me Tomorrow'

GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who's not a founding member but has been part of the band for 27 years, says that he tries to give Axl Rose his "best, [his] all, all the time" because the GN'R frontman is "the one that presented [him] with this gig."

In his first interview since a partial reunion of the so-called classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup, Dizzy admitted that while the constantly revolving door of musicians does take its toll on him, "it's just drama in the workplace," he told LA Weekly. "No matter who is playing in the band, we work really, really hard to make it work. When [Rose] picks up the microphone, it becomes what it is: GUNS N' ROSES. If you don't believe that, you don't have to be there."

Reed also spoke about what has kept him involved with the group for so long even after several of his bandmates have come and gone. "There are so many fans over the years that have expressed their appreciation for me sticking with the band," he said. "That always makes me feel really good about what I'm doing. And now, I'm at a point where I can't do anything else. What am I going to do? Start over?"

Reed added that he doesn't take his position for granted and insisted that he will always support Axl, regardless of the criticism that is sometimes leveled at the reclusive singer by fans and former associates alike.

"If there's ever any rift, I'm going to take his side," Reed said. "It's not even a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. You can formulate all this stuff in your head and get worked up, but I know if I ask him about anything that doesn't make sense, when he explains it, it sets everything straight.

"Axl's the one that presented me with this gig," he added. "It was his idea. He gave me this opportunity. He could fire me tomorrow. I try and give him my best, my all, all the time."

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour features classic lineup members Slash (guitar),Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Back in 2014, Reed told Glide Magazine that the most difficult thing about jumping into a band like GUNS N' ROSES that was already so enormously popular "was just trying to gain acceptance. First, by the band, because Axl really wanted me in the band and he said that was the way it was going to be. You know, we had been talking about it for a few years before that, before they became big, actually, and I think the other guys weren't really as keen on the idea of having a sixth guy in the band. When I joined, it was still all five original guys. But I think over time they started to realize that I could contribute to the music and I wasn't that bad of a guy to be around. [Laughs] And they realized I wasn't going anywhere, basically, and so slowly I started gaining acceptance by them. But then it took a long time for a lot of the fans to really accept the fact that I was in the band. Quite a few years, actually."