Dr Democracy
Dr Pepper offers GNR incentive
Cooper Opalinski
Issue date: 5/19/08 Section: Entertainment
Dr Pepper has announced that every American citizen, with the exception of former Guns N' Roses (GNR) guitarists Slash and Buckethead, will receive a free can of Dr Pepper if the new Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" is released within 2008.
The recent announcement is merely another plot point in the 17-year development cycle of "Chinese Democracy." This epic tale includes multiple leaked songs, member changes, delayed released dates and reports of the recording sessions costing over $13 million.
It has become clear that at least a couple people over at Dr Pepper are among the impatient fans hungry for some new material from Axl Rose and company. Although Rose has stated he is pleased to have Dr Pepper as a supporter, he has claimed the announcement was a surprise to him and denied any knowledge of any deal.
Guns N' Roses began recording for "Chinese Democracy" in 1994. Nothing came to fruition for two years, and three members of the original line-up left the band, citing Rose's leadership as the catalyst for the breakup.
In 1998, Geffen Records gave Rose a $1 million bonus and told him another $1 million would be his if "Democracy" was completed by Mar. 1, 1999.
The deadline came and went, and no new ground had been covered.
After an appearance at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, GNR went on their first North American tour since 1993. This tour was quickly cancelled after GNR failed to perform at two shows in Vancouver and Philadelphia, which both resulted in riots causing over $400,000 in damages.
The band planned another North American tour in 2006. This tour went a lot smoother, but the final four dates were cancelled when Rose announced the band needed the time to finish recording "Chinese Democracy."
On Feb. 22, 2007, Del James, manager of GNR, announced that all the recording of the album had been finished and the band had entered the mixing stages.
The most recent news regarding the album came in January 2008. Rumors had been spreading that the album had been given to Geffen, but the label had not released it because they did not know how to market it.
The undisputable fact is that the hype has finally reached a boiling point after so many highs and lows for Guns N' Roses and their fans.
The recent announcement is merely another plot point in the 17-year development cycle of "Chinese Democracy." This epic tale includes multiple leaked songs, member changes, delayed released dates and reports of the recording sessions costing over $13 million.
It has become clear that at least a couple people over at Dr Pepper are among the impatient fans hungry for some new material from Axl Rose and company. Although Rose has stated he is pleased to have Dr Pepper as a supporter, he has claimed the announcement was a surprise to him and denied any knowledge of any deal.
Guns N' Roses began recording for "Chinese Democracy" in 1994. Nothing came to fruition for two years, and three members of the original line-up left the band, citing Rose's leadership as the catalyst for the breakup.
In 1998, Geffen Records gave Rose a $1 million bonus and told him another $1 million would be his if "Democracy" was completed by Mar. 1, 1999.
The deadline came and went, and no new ground had been covered.
After an appearance at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, GNR went on their first North American tour since 1993. This tour was quickly cancelled after GNR failed to perform at two shows in Vancouver and Philadelphia, which both resulted in riots causing over $400,000 in damages.
The band planned another North American tour in 2006. This tour went a lot smoother, but the final four dates were cancelled when Rose announced the band needed the time to finish recording "Chinese Democracy."
On Feb. 22, 2007, Del James, manager of GNR, announced that all the recording of the album had been finished and the band had entered the mixing stages.
The most recent news regarding the album came in January 2008. Rumors had been spreading that the album had been given to Geffen, but the label had not released it because they did not know how to market it.
The undisputable fact is that the hype has finally reached a boiling point after so many highs and lows for Guns N' Roses and their fans.