Azoff, Gould Make Run For Roses

Irving Azoff and Andy Gould have signed on to manage Axl Rose and Guns N’ Roses, according to the band’s Web site and confirmed to Pollstar by sources knowledgeable of the agreement.

"I am very pleased to announce that Guns N’Roses and I are now represented by the management team of Irving Azoff and Andy Gould," Rose posted to the Web site March 27th. "We are very excited and look forward to working with them and hope our relationship proves beneficial for everyone, especially the fans."

The announcement comes on the heels of the unveiling of a marketing campaign by Dr. Pepper, which told told Pollstar through a corporate spokeswoman that it is  working with GNR. The company offers a can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in America (save for ex-Gunners Slash and Buckethead) if Chinese Democracy is released in 2008.

Front Line rarely comments on past, current or future clients but this time Azoff and Gould released a statement:

“Axl Rose and Guns N Roses is and will always be one of the most important recording and touring artists of our time, and one of the great rock n roll voices for his generation.  We are honored that Axl has placed his trust in us.”

The emergence of both Azoff and a simultaneous marketing campaign around Rose and GNR could signal that the album, which Rose first began recording in 1994, might finally see the light of day, with a tour potentially to follow.

GNR was previously managed by Sanctuary’s Merck Mercuriades, until Rose announced a split in 2006 over Chinese Democracy.