Download boss Andy Copping says he’d “love” to have Guns N’ Roses on next year’s bill.
It was recently revealed that the band are the bookies’ favourites to headline Download 2017 – and the festival organiser says that Axl Rose and co are “more than welcome” to take the top spot at Donington next summer.
He tells exclusively TeamRock: “It’s the big anniversary of two big rock albums next year. One is Def Leppard’s Hysteria, the other one is Appetite For Destruction by Guns N’ Roses. It was a big year in 1987.
“I’d love to have the reformed Guns N’ Roses here, who knows? I’m certainly not giving any clues and I’ve not booked them, but that would be an amazing thing.”
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Copping also praises Rose’s “unbelievable” work fronting AC/DC on their Rock Or Bust tour after seeing them perform at London’s Olympic Stadium earlier this month.
He adds: “I think all the stick that he’d taken for joining AC/DC is hardly his fault. He did an incredible job. I thought he was amazing.
“The fact that he’s got the key members back together again and starting work in 2016 and singing with AC/DC – what an incredible year for Axl Rose.
“He’s obviously running the two at the moment, but then he’ll get into full-time mode with Guns N’ Roses within the next few weeks. I’ll guess we’ll see.
“I don’t know what the plans are for them for 2017, but we’re here. Axl, Slash, Duff – you’re more than welcome.”
Guns N’ Roses will tour North America later this month on their Not In This Lifetime tour.
Guns N’ Roses Not In This Lifetime Tour 2016
Jun 23: Detroit Ford Field, MI
Jun 26: Landover FedExField, MD
Jun 29: Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium, MO
Jul 01: Chicago Soldier Field, IL
Jul 03: Chicago Soldier Field, IL
Jul 06: Cincinnati Paul Brown Stadium, OH
Jul 09: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN
Jul 12: Pittsburgh Heinz Field, PA
Jul 14: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA
Jul 16: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON
Jul 19: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA
Jul 20: Boston Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA
Jul 23: East Rutherford MetLife Stadium, NY
Jul 24: New York East Rutherford MetLife Stadium, NY
Jul 27: Atlanta Georgia Dome, GA
Jul 29: Orlando Citrus Bowl, FL
Jul 31: New Orleans Mercedez Benz Superdome, LA
Aug 03: Arlington AT&T Stadium, TX
Aug 05: Houston NRG Park, TX
Aug 09: San Francisco AT&T Park, CA
Aug 12: Seattle CenturyLink Field, WA
Aug 15: Glendale University Of Phoenix Stadium, AZ
Aug 18: Los Angeles Dodger Stadium, CA
Aug 22: San Diego Qualcomm Stadium, CA
