Axl Rose Vs. Guitar Hero

12/18/08 1:57pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Axl Rose isn't pleased that the Guitar Hero franchise has used some of Guns N' Roses' songs.

The group's leader expressed his displeasure with the franchise in a recent open letter he wrote to fans on the MyGNR.com website on Sunday.

Rose says Guitar Hero's use of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle," from 1989's Appetite For Destruction, is "unauthorised." While Rose says he has no problem with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash appearing in Guitar Hero, he's unhappy that GN'R's music is being used in Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock. Rose hints at some legal action in the letter.

"[Slash] being in Guitar Hero's fine but not when Activision in using Jungle... claims no involvement with Slash, his or anyone's image or VR or anyone or anyone's music in either camp in promotion or commercials etc. I wasn't broadsided. I read about it as it moved along but Activision continually denied it right up to the release. That's some low life chicanery on all their parts.

"Yes Slash was in Guns and on Jungle (and the whole I came to him for his riff is as much crap as him saying he brought Locomotive and Coma in as complete songs) and he has rights to perform it but not to be represented in this context in association with Guns. And since they weren't granted the license it'll take some sorting."

We told you earlier how Rose discussed his use of Guns N' Roses' name on the band's long-awaited Chinese Democracy and touring with his current bandmates.

Rose took to the MyGNR.com and Here Today... Gone To Hell websites on Dec. 11 to talk to his fans about GN'R's upcoming recording plans, Kanye West, Chinese Democracy's disappointing sales and other topics.