Guns N' Roses GNR Stage - H 2011
Getty ImagesOnly a bunch of punks would take the job of inducting Guns N’ Roses into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, right?
The merry lads of Green Day – Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool — have been tapped to enshrine the metal gawds April 14 in Cleveland, Rolling Stone reported Tuesday. But exactly which members of the multiplatinum Guns will be there to accept the honor remains cloudy.
Slash has said he’ll show, as have bassist Duff McKagan, original Guns drummer Steven Adler and his replacement, Matt Sorum. But Sorum is on record saying guitarist and co-founder Izzy Stradlin is skipping the affair.
Among the classic GnR lineup, that leaves the erstwhile Bill Bailey of Lafayette, Ind.
To no one’s real surprise, singer Axl Rose’s plans for the induction ceremony are a stone mystery. He and the current iteration of Guns N’ Roses have a busy lineup of European tour dates planned – but nothing until mid-May. If he shows, the atmosphere would be electric. But if he pooh-poohs the event, don’t expect the reunion gig that has had fans salivating for months, maybe even decades.
Stradlin and McKagan have played with the reloaded Guns here and there, but Rose and Slash haven’t shared a stage in nearly 20 years. And the latter recently told Rolling Stone that Rose “hates my guts.”
Summary: Don’t hold your breath. But expect it to be taken away if a true reunion of Guns N’ Roses somehow materializes.
This year’s other inductees are Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donovan, The Small Faces/Faces, Freddie King, Laura Nyro, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd, Glyn Johns and backing bands The Furious Flames, The Crickets, The Comets, The Midnighters and The Blue Caps. Their presenters were announced March 20.
