"That Axl Rose, tha famous leading man of GNR, has a brazilian mother is already known, but his connection to Brazil goes far beyond. His best friend is Fernando, 22, the youngest son of Beta, buddy and all time friend and a sure presence in the studio. You can read bellow the best parts of the interview:

Q:Which year did you go the the US?

F: In 93 or 94.

Q:Did you already know GNR?

F: I knew it, but wans't a fan, didn't know its work deeply.

Q: How was the first time you see Axl?

F:The first time I met him I was 13, and was in my cousin Stephanie's house (Beta was married to the model's uncle), I was washing the car when he stopped, grabbed my hand and spitted the water inside his mouth over me. Since then, he has always joked with me. He sees in me someone close to what he'd like to have being when he was a child.

Q:Do you go out together?

F:Well, we're always working, but he likes to go out by night, go to the movies, have dinner, and we come back home around 3, 4 am.

Q: How did your mom start to work for Axl?

F:My mom worked for Stephanie, when she was fired she went to North California and Axl called up the next day saying he had liked her and our family. Three or four days after, she started to work for him. So, I began to listen to his songs.

Q:What do you think about Stephanie?

F:I hate her. She's synonim of trouble. Fake, not trustable, doens't know what is love or to be fond of someone without second intentions. Her mother is already like this.

Q:What kind of woman is Axl looking for right now?

F: He's not going after women. His attentions are turned to the CD, he doens't want any distractions. He sometimes looks for, but he's not running after women.

Q:What's the reason for the CD delay?

F:It's like every time he tryies to do something, anything always goes wrong. As if everything was going well, but suddenly the guy who's responsible for some technical detail makes a mistake, for example. I can say it cause I was with him in the studio and it's unbelievable, it's like something tries to bring him away from this project. I listened to the new CD, and I can say that all the songs are beautiful, not even one track is there just to fill in space. The CD might have 16 or 17 tracks and they're all very strong. I don't say this because I work for him, or because I'm his friend, my friends, for example, when they listen to some track, they always pay compliments. Catcher in the Rye, That's called the Blues, Chinese Democracy, they are all very beautiful.

Q: What is the creation process?

F:First, Axl works on the rythm with the band. The lyrics, he's already got them ready in his mind. He's working very hard to see what kind of word fits exactly to the word he's already got in mind and to the sound he's listening to. He's one of the brightest persons I've ever known.

Q:The Rolling Stone published an article saying Axl throws Halloween parties every year? Is it true?

F:I think it started in 95. But RS published this article saying people were there only for obligation, which was a lie. He throws two kind of parties: the first one is during daytime, for children, friend's kids and poor kids, abused by his parents, blind ... About a hundred kids attend and when they arrive at the house, they become amazed, he builds a kinda amusement park with toys and everything else. The other one is for adults, and RS said people was hating the party, that we're serving Jose Cuervo when in fact we're serving the best tequila, we serve the best one can buy. We even rented a tequila fountain, but RS omitted this. People who went were the same of every year, they always call a few days after asking for the party. This is one of the few parties Axl gives, people use to think his house is surrounded by booze and loud music, but that's not true. He only drinks tequila and never becomes drunk or mad, he's the most tender person I know. Always kind with my friends, and each time some trouble becomes eminent, he turns his back and walks away.

Q:And about Internet?

F: He likes to surf, he could spend hours,but when he reads lies about him and can't do anything, he gets upset. The fans read the public chats and the stories are repeteated so many times that they start to believe.

Q: What do you know about Xoxi and Renato?

F:I can't remember, but there is people specialized in spreading lies or posting private phone numbers and personal addresses. They must be one of these.

Q: And about Karen Mcneil?

F:She's a person who needs help. Once, she followed the maid and got into the house. She's scaring, she thinks Axl communicates with her by letters and, go figure, she thinks he has some love relationship with my mom, which doens't exist. But she thinks that, wans't for my mom, Axl would marry her.

Q:What's the relationship between Axl and Slash?

F:They haven't talked to each other for years. But it's a relationship in which people see Axl as the vilan. If something went wrong, whose fault is it? If Slash does something, nobody even gets to know, like Snakepit, and what's so special about this album? It's not in any MTV charts, nobody buys it, but Slash is the "key" of GNR, GNR is Slash while Axl ... He was a good guitarist, but it's not that much, Axl doesn't need to be blamed for everything. Slash uses drugs and has been in the hospital due to an overdose, but that's nothing, while if it was Axl ... For example, one of these days I was home when I saw someone running in the garden, Axl's room is above mine, so I thought the person might have jumped through Axl's window and ran. I went to his room and knocked but nobody opened, cause Axl was in the shower and didn't listen, but I called the police. When they arrived, the para-medics came along and said they were here to help an overdose victim. I never said overdose, they supposed that, because it was Axl's house, the emergency was an overdose. Slash wanted to end with Guns, took the band to bars. Axl said to him it wasn't possible, they couldn't play for a thousand public when they attracted a public of 2000000. However, if Axl had agreed with Slash, people would blame him for the failure of the idea.

Q:So, this is Axl's version for Slash's firing?

F:Everybody talks about Axl's version and Slash's version. There is no Axl's version, cause what he says is the truth. Axl doesn't lie, he only speaks the truth. But Slash wanted the Snakepit's songs in the Guns album, and Axl didn't want it, so he started to turn things difficult. He wouldn't accept other songs besides his owns.

Q: And what about Duff's departure?

F: He quit because he wanted a family, his daughter was borned and he wanted time for his family. That's what I've heard, I don't know anything about the legal process. They're friends, but it's been years since they don't call each other.

Q: Which is your personal opinion about Slash ?

F:I knew him when I was still a child. He has a voice ... different. I'm not friends with him, he knows me, he knows I'm Beta's son...

Q:Duff ?

F: I think I saw him 3 or 4 times, but we never talked more deeply. He seems to be a cool guy.

Q:Matt?

F:I don't like him. He thinks he's best than he is in reality.

Q:Buckehead?

F:He's very cool, looks like a child, he's the tenderest and kindest person I know, besides Axl. We're very good friends.

Q:Brain?

F: Great, more than cool.

Q:Fink ?

F:He was criticised for playing Sossego, but do you know any other person who would do that? He learned that song one day before the show ... Axl ... Guns loves Brazil, they feel a connection with the fans, they love it really, without any falsity. Robin noticed that and saw Brazil in the same way. He learned to play and sing by himself.

Q: Does Axl speak portuguese?

F: No, just a few dirty words.

Q:How is he as a boss?

F: Everybody loves him, he's always willing to hear what you have to say. He pays very well, and always wants to know what's happening, but don't lie to him, if you do it he says: 'Well, if you're gonna lie to me, better do it in another place'. Much more if the lie has something to do with Guns.

Q: Are the rumors that Sabrina is his girlfriend true?

F: No, he trusts Sabrina, she's a great friend.

Q: What about Suellen?

F: Who?

Q: Is he pro Napster?

F: If it's to research, to see if you like, he's pro. But if it's only to pick up songs for free, he's against.

Now, Im going to ask you a few things. You say if it's true or false.

Q:Did Axl pay millions in an exorcism?

F: (laughs) Lie.

Q:Did he dress as a prince to ask Stephanie to marry him? Whose idea was it?

F:He used a white horse ... I think so. I don't know whose idea it was.

Q:There's a brazilian, Cuca, that states Axl flirted with her, but she didn't want him cause he was short, stinky and ugly. Do you know anything about it?

F: Never heard about it, but he's not short, his heigh is about 1m75cm, and I can affirm he takes about two baths everyday, and ugly ... I don't think so. But this is personal. I didn't know this story.

Q:Which are your musical tastes?

F:I'm not radical. I listen to everything that can offer something new, everything that has a flavour, I like rock, country, pagode, brazilian funk, opera, I don't have prejudices. Except for heavy metal, I don't like it.

Q: What did you miss more when you left Brazil?

F:I was so worried about moving and not knowing anybody, only my mom and my brother ... I missed my family and my friends.

Q: Which is your favorite Guns song?

F:That's called the Blues and Patience.

Q: Is he happy?

F:Yes! He gets angry when people feel pity for him, thinking he might be sad. He's happy!"

Thanks to Newcomer980 at 2TI for translation, and Ana at AMB,