Axl Rose Visits Message Board Again

Axl Rose still isn't leaving his house to promote Guns N' Roses' long-awaited Chinese Democracy — and the way its sales are falling, it may already be too late to help — but at least he's talking. OK, typing is more like it.

The reclusive frontman posted a very lengthy message on the MyGNR.com message board on Sunday that addressed a lot of questions that fans had asked.

The post first deals with Rose's legal right to use the Guns N' Roses name.

"Media and others ignorantly, wrongly and falsely harped on about it at mine and the fans expense for years and Slash has hoped to use all that to continually sue and have some sort of legal nonsense going on behind the scenes in an effort to reverse things," wrote Rose. "He wouldn't have been able to get the support and action on the part of his various team members over the years to do so if the truth were out there especially when the statute of limitations had run out years ago.

"Why keep the name? I'm literally the last man standing. Not bragging, not proud. It's been a fucking nightmare but I didn't leave Guns and I didn't drive others out. With Slash it's been nothing more than pure strategy and saving face while manipulating the public like he used to me. I earned the right to protect my efforts and to be able to take advantage of our contract I'd worked hard for where Slash's exact words were that he didn't care. I get that some like a different version or lineup the same way some like a specific team line up or a particular year of a specific car but because you and I are getting played I'm supposed to throw the baby out with the bath water?"

Rose insists that Chinese Democracy wasn't a solo record, and says it would have been "completely different" and "probably much more instrumental" if it was.

"I made a Guns record with the right people who were the only people who really wanted to help me try, were qualified and capable while enduring the public abuse for years. The songs were chosen by everyone involved."

Rose says he enjoys touring more with his current bandmates than with the original GN'R lineup.

"The beginning was fun but it started going bad our first gig opening for the Cult in Halifax between Slash and I. That's when the ok I put up with all Axl's and Izzy's crap now I'm gonna be the man trip started with him runnin' right out front on the ego ramp for the whole show. It was pretty funny."

In an earlier visit to the Here Today... Gone To Hell message board, Rose said he had nothing to do with the potential legal dispute with Dr. Pepper over the company's promise to give everyone in the U.S. a free soda if Chinese Democracy came out in 2008.

The soft drink company made a downloadable coupon available on its website, but so many people tried to access it that it crashed the site and people were unable to claim their pop. Rose's lawyer, Alan Gutman, demanded an apology from Dr. Pepper.

"The actions taken so far had nothing to do with me and I was taken off guard as I had specifically told our team who fucking cares rt now we have a record to deal with," wrote Rose.

"My feelings are after their public response. It was cute. Maybe the guy who got it rolling originally meant well but it turned out sour and maybe it's just me but he seems like maybe he wants a bit too much attention."

Meanwhile, Kevin Cogill pleaded guilty on Monday to copyright violation for illegally posting tracks from Chinese Democracy on antiquiet.com months before its Nov. 23 release. The 28-year-old Los Angeles man could be imprisoned for up to a year and fined $100,000 after he's sentenced in March. He's free on bail until then.