Nice boys don't play rock and roll.

I miss Guns n Roses. Classic Guns n Roses. Axl, Duff, Steven, Slash, and Izzy. I mean, I love Axl Rose. I also love Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Slash, and Izzy Stradlin. The musical chemistry between those guys was undeniable. All b.s. aside, I wonder what it would sound like if those dudes got together today.
Think the Appetite for Destruction era, not this Chinese Democracy thing. Axl's one of the most talented singers to ever live, and the fact that he's the only founding member still in the band doesn't change that. Guns n Roses still plays shows - they don't, like, tour worldwide like Slash does with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. But they still play shows, and people still buy tickets. I don't know how they sound live - because I live in St. Louis and St. Louis and Axl Rose don't mix. haha - so I can't write a review comparing classic GnR to current GnR. I can say with certainty that Slash is amazing live (The Pageant gig last summer - best night of my life) but that's beside the point.
People selling out the venues Guns n Roses play today, I think, are the same people that were selling out venues to see them play twenty, twenty-five years ago. Everything about Axl Rose just screams "rock star." Even if you think he's an asshole, you can't deny his talent.

That's another thing I can't confirm or deny... whether or not he's as much of a psycho as people say he is... because the most I know is in books and interviews, told from the points of view of people who've worked with him over the years. So, "Is Axl psychotic?" Short answer, "Yes, if..." Long answer, "No, but..."
There's a lot of speculation over why he is the way he is. I'm not a psychologist (yet), but I think there is no genius without a little insanity.