Instantly dousing speculation as to whether Axl Rose would bring Lana Del Rey as his date to the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame—and, in a slightly more frivolous question, deign to play or even be in the same room with his estranged former bandmates—Rose has posted an open letter not only declaring that he won’t attend the ceremony, but that he absolutely rejects his induction as part of Guns N' Roses. In order to prevent the sort of awkwardness perhaps not seen since Blondie’s own cringe-worthy reunion, Rose says he just doesn’t see any other way, issuing this slightly garbled explanation:
Taking into consideration the history of Guns N' Roses, those who plan to attend along with those the Hall for reasons of their own, have chosen to include in ‘our’ induction (that for the record are decisions I don't agree with, support or feel the Hall has any right to make), and how (albeit no easy task) those involved with the Hall have handled things… no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected.
So… that's all cleared up then.
Rose continued to display his appetite for dependent clauses in shooting down, again, any notion of a reunion with his former bandmates: “The only reason, at this point, under the circumstances, in my opinion whether under the guise of ‘for the fans’ or whatever justification of the moment, for anyone to continue to ask, suggest or demand a reunion are misguided attempts to distract from our efforts with our current lineup.” (Indeed, this campaign of distraction has gone on for far too long!)
And because Rose prefers to “let sleeping dogs lie”—and with the acknowledgment that “there will be those who take offense (God knows how long I'll have to contend with the fallout)”—he say he's simply choosing not to take part in a situation that “all things considered, appears to be a no win, at least for me, ‘damned if I do, damned if I don't’ scenario all the way around.” And that even goes for getting himself into the Hall Of Fame:
I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of “Guns N' Roses".
In closing, Rose declares to fans still somehow hoping to see a reunion despite years of rants just like this one, “Life doesn't owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another's, or in this case several others', expense,” before inviting everyone to “get the ‘no show, grandstanding, publicity stunt, disrespectful, he doesn't care about the fans’ crap out of the way as quickly as we can.” So go ahead and do that, we guess.