Guns N' Roses clarify video delay for Better

Denials, delays, misquotes, clarifications - everything except sales
Denials, delays, misquotes, clarifications - everything except sales

Another day, another Guns N' Roses denial/clarification/statement. This time it involves the video for the song Better - Guns N' Roses is denying that the clip is delayed because of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.

Several days ago, a story was posted on Blabbermouth.com reporting that Fernando Lebeis, son of Beta Lebeis - Axl Rose's personal assistant, and probably soon-to-be ex-personal assistant - wrote on a GN'R message board that the video to the band's song Better was being help up by Ulrich, who appears briefly in the clip.

"Tell Lars to OK the vid and it's done," the younger Lebeis wrote on MYGNRforum.com. "That's all that is pending...We are pending his release form to be signed." The post was soon removed from the site.

"Lars isn't holding anything up with our video. Our apologies to anyone who may have been confused. We hope to have our video out shortly" Guns N' Roses statement

Later, Lebeis had a bizarre take on his post, that it was "a fun comment and not an attack on Lars."

OK...We'll play along.

Guns N' Roses issue a statement

Immediately following Lebeis' second comment, Guns N' Roses announced that "Lars isn't holding anything up with our video. Our message board comments were meant casually, in fun and amongst friends. Unfortunately, someone with Blabbermouth may have taken things a bit out of context and made them into a bit more than they are in reality. Our apologies to anyone who may have been confused. We hope to have our video out shortly."

With Chinese Democracy sliding quickly down the charts, it had better be one hell of a video. We suggest lots of good old-fashioned subliminal messages, things like "Buy this record." "Free beer with every purchase." "Chinese Democracy makes you irrisistible to the opposite sex." You know - stuff like that.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.