Apparently Guns n’Roses are planning a reunion. As of three years ago, the relationship between Guns N’ Roses’ founding lineup was so sour Axl Rose chose to sit out of the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, though, Rose has let bygones be bygones, and, in 2016, he’ll give fans the reunion they have long desired. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the band’s plans, Guns N’ Roses will reunite to headline Coachella 2016. Meanwhile, Billboard reports that the band also plans to embark on a stadium tour spanning as many as 25 dates.
The band’s reunion lineup is unclear, though Axl, Slash, and Duff McKagan are all involved, and sources tell Matt Sorum is believed to be behind the kit in place of original drummer Steven Adler. An official announcement is imminent. Guns N’ Roses’ founding lineup last performed together in July 1993. The band has had several chances to reunite since then, though it seems this latest opportunity was too big and rich to pass up. GNR are reportedly being paid between $3 and $8 million per show. Along with Guns N’ Roses, LCD Soundsystem will reunite to headline Coachella’s 2016 edition. A full lineup announcement is expected in early January. The reunited band is also negotiating with promoters to play as many as 25 football stadiums in North America in the summer of 2016, and is scheduled to be one of the first acts to play the new Las Vegas Arena, set to open April 6.
The last show Axl Rose and Slash played together was on July 17, 1993 at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. Guns N’ Roses’ most recent tour, which only included Axl Rose from the original lineup, took place primarily in South America and The Joint in Las Vegas, grossing $15.2 million. The band’s first album, Appetite for Destruction, is the biggest-selling debut in U.S. history, with 18 million sold. It spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and launched the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” They have sold 44.5 million albums total in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America.