Guns N’ Roses have again canceled their tour of Europe, but unlike other artists rethinking their overseas trips, Axl Rose doesn’t seem to be afraid of traveling – he’s afraid of not being able to work on the band’s never-ending new album.
Earlier this year GN’R canceled a 14-city European jaunt scheduled for June, citing an unspecified stomach ailment suffered by guitarist Buckethead, and then rebooked the dates for December.
But on Thursday (November 8), the band’s European agent issued a statement in which GN’R manager Doug Goldstein appears to take personal blame for the tour’s demise.
“Following the euphoria of [the band’s appearance at the] Rock in Rio [concert], I jumped the gun and arranged a European tour as our plan was to have the new album out this year,” Goldstein is quoted as saying in the release. “Unfortunately, Buckethead’s illness not only stopped the tour, but it slowed down our progress on Chinese Democracy.
“I am very sorry to disappoint our fans, but I can assure them that this is not what Axl wanted, nor is it ‘Another page from the Howard Hughes of rock,’ as some media will no doubt portray it. I made a plan, and unfortunately it did not work out.”
The statement also said that Goldstein and the band will be meeting with the label to schedule a release date for the album and that the dates will be rescheduled at that time. He added that Rose has spent “every waking minute of every day during the last five years writing, recording and producing the record.”
Chinese Democracy will be Guns N’ Roses’ first album of original material since 1991.
Calls to Goldstein’s office at Sanctuary Management were not returned.
