#this is incoherent rambling but im incapable of being normal about guns n roses sorry

[venus-haze]

interesting to me that you’re into axl because i get the vibe you’d be more into izzy since he’s got that cool kinda aloof vampire type aesthetic yk?

I definitely get that, and I do love Izzy a lot🖤 I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for everything he did for GNR, and I admire him getting sober when he did and deciding to throw in the towel on the band when he did. That couldn't have been easy, and I know in Duff's autobiography he mentions that everyone could tell that after Izzy got sober, he'd leave the band because he wasn't happy with how things were going between how the crew was being treated and generally pissing off fans. Also unrelated, but Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds are so fucking good.

I think Axl and Izzy are so similar, and not just because they grew up together. Even though Axl is more outspoken, Izzy has such a strong personality too, it's just under a lot of layers. The fact that they're the only members of the band who haven't written autobiographies is so interesting because I feel like their perspectives are the ones everyone wants to get: Axl being the controversial and temperamental lead singer vs Izzy being more reserved and "mysterious" and the first member to voluntarily leave the band. I understand why they kicked Steven out (and forgive me because the early 90s were a mess for GNR) but as far as I remember, Izzy was most outspokenly upset about it, even though he himself was sober or in the process of getting sober.

I don't want to be like "oh Axl's my uwu baby who's never done anything wrong." A lot of people don't like him, which is their prerogative. I'm not going to argue people into liking Axl the way I do. Maybe I'm willing to give him more leeway which may be undeserved, but that's just how I've felt about him for a long time. I relate a lot to his struggles with mental health and his negative experiences with fundamentalist Christianity. It seems like he's doing a lot better now, and I'm so happy for that! Not to mention, his voice has held up a lot better than some of his peers. I mean, I'd still see GNR in concert if Axl couldn't carry a tune, but from videos I've seen, he's done a good job of keeping up his voice and adjusting songs for his present register.

Don't get me wrong, I love Izzy so much and I'm hoping he (and Steven) will be at my GNR show in August! I don't think he's a bad person for not getting in on the reunion, whatever his reasons may be. It's his life.

🦇 Battie