Editing Axl Rose (section)

=== 2001–2011: touring in support of ''Chinese Democracy'' ===
[[Image:AxlRose cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Rose at the [[Download Festival]] in Donington Park, England, in June 2006]]

After a warmup show in Las Vegas a few weeks earlier, Rose resurfaced with Guns N' Roses at [[Rock in Rio 3]] on January 14, 2001, to commence the decade-long [[Chinese Democracy Tour]], though the majority of its scheduled concerts over the next two years did not take place. A surprise appearance at the [[2002 MTV Video Music Awards]] was followed by an incident in November when a riot erupted at Vancouver's [[General Motors Place]] after Rose failed to show up for a scheduled concert. When venue staff announced the cancellation, a riot broke out, resulting in an estimated $100,000 in damages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1457257/guns-n-roses-cap-night-of-spectacles-from-diddy-eminem-timberlake/|title=Guns N' Roses cap night of spectacles from Diddy, Eminem, Timberlake|first=Jon|last=Wiederhorn|date=August 29, 2002|work=MTV News|access-date=April 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802050634/http://www.mtv.com/news/1457257/guns-n-roses-cap-night-of-spectacles-from-diddy-eminem-timberlake/|archive-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name="ClassicRock03"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=John|title=Singer Blames Venue for Roses Riot|publisher=BBC|date=November 11, 2002|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2444663.stm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620144243/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2444663.stm|archive-date=June 20, 2011}}</ref> As the band's lineup continued to evolve, his constant bandmates were guitarist [[Richard Fortus]], bassist [[Tommy Stinson]], and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and [[Chris Pitman]].

After the tour was canceled by the promoter, Rose again withdrew from the public view. During this time, he joined Slash and Duff McKagan in a lawsuit against Geffen Records in an unsuccessful attempt to block the release of the ''[[Greatest Hits (Guns N' Roses album)|Greatest Hits]]'' compilation album,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|title=Axl Rose Sued By Ex-Guns N' Roses Bandmates|publisher=MTV|date=May 4, 2004|access-date=June 11, 2011|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486792/axl-rose-sued-by-exguns-n-roses-bandmates.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120074606/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486792/axl-rose-sued-by-exguns-n-roses-bandmates.jhtml|archive-date=January 20, 2011}}</ref> and lent his voice to the 2004 video game ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'', as the DJ for the radio station, K-DST.<ref>{{cite web|last=D'Angelo|first=Joe|title=Axl Rose, Game, Charlie Murphy Lend Voices To 'San Andreas'|publisher=MTV|date=October 26, 2004|access-date=June 11, 2011|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493045/axl-rose-game-lend-voices-san-andreas.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107095829/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493045/axl-rose-game-lend-voices-san-andreas.jhtml|archive-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> In a rare interview in January 2006, Rose said "people will hear music this year."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bliss|first=Karen|title=Axl Rose Breaks His Silence on 'Chinese Democracy'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=January 18, 2006|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/axl-rose-breaks-his-silence-on-chinese-democracy-20060118|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202170144/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/axl-rose-breaks-his-silence-on-chinese-democracy-20060118|archive-date=February 2, 2013}}</ref> While Guns N' Roses toured extensively throughout 2006 and 2007, with several guest appearances by Izzy Stradlin, ''Chinese Democracy'' again failed to materialize.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Axl Rose Sets 'Chinese Democracy' Release Date, Apologizes for Delay|publisher=MTV|date=December 15, 2006|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1548109/axl-sets-chinese-democracy-date.jhtml?rsspartner=rssyahoo|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107095847/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1548109/axl-sets-chinese-democracy-date.jhtml?rsspartner=rssyahoo|archive-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> Rose did collaborate with his friend [[Sebastian Bach]] on his album ''[[Angel Down]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Angel Down Review|publisher=[[Ultimate Guitar Archive]]|date=November 20, 2007|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/sebastian_bach/angel_down/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009095156/http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/sebastian_bach/angel_down/index.html|archive-date=October 9, 2011}}</ref>

Fifteen years after its last album, in November 2008, Guns N' Roses released ''Chinese Democracy'' exclusively via the electronics retailer [[Best Buy]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Michaels|first=Sean|title=Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy Release Date Set|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 10, 2008|access-date=June 5, 2011|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/10/chinese-democracy-release-date-set|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024154511/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/10/chinese-democracy-release-date-set|archive-date=October 24, 2014}}</ref> Rose did not contribute to the album's promotion; by December, he had reportedly been missing for at least two months and had not returned phone calls or other requests from his record label.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bingham|first=John|title=Axl Rose absence blamed for failure of Chinese Democracy to hit top spot|newspaper=[[Daily Telegraph]]|date=December 2, 2008|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3541076/Axl-Rose-absence-blamed-for-failure-of-Chinese-Democracy-to-hit-top-spot.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707105332/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3541076/Axl-Rose-absence-blamed-for-failure-of-Chinese-Democracy-to-hit-top-spot.html|archive-date=July 7, 2014}}</ref> In a subsequent interview, Rose said he felt he had not received the necessary support from [[Interscope Records]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|title=Axl Rose Speaks|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=February 6, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/axl-speaks/interview.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623084212/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/axl-speaks/interview.shtml|archive-date=June 23, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> A year after the album's release, in December 2009, Guns N' Roses embarked on another two-and-a-half years of touring, including a headlining performance at [[Rock in Rio#Rock in Rio 4|Rock in Rio 4]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Montgomery|first=James|title=Guns N' Roses to Launch First U.S. Tour in Five Years|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671133/guns-n-roses-us-tour.jhtml|publisher=MTV.com|date=September 21, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924184311/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671133/guns-n-roses-us-tour.jhtml|archive-date=September 24, 2011}}</ref>