Axl Rose goes AWOL during promotion

Axl Rose has gone AWOL during the promotion of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy LP, say reports.

The rock band's first album in 15 years charted at number two on the UK album chart on Sunday, but Rose's label is disappointed that the frontman didn't help with any PR for the record.

"Everyone knows Axl is a bit of a maverick genius and won't do anything he doesn't want to do," a source told The Sun.

"The label is really glad to have him back. But it is frustrating because the album would have had a much better chance of going to No.1 if he had only been prepared to show his face.

"People have been trying to contact him for two months and he's been completely AWOL. You would have thought after spending 15 years on an album you might do a few weeks' promotion."

Chinese Democracy's first week sales in America are estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000.

> Click here for our review of the album