Once there was this rock n' roll band rollin' on the streets
Time went by and it became a joke
We just needed more and more fulfilling
Time went by and it all went up in smoke
-- Guns N' Roses, Pretty Tied Up
Time has passed the genre by. Most of the faces have changed. But I'm here to tell you that Axl Rose still rocks.
Recently, I went to a Guns N' Roses concert. Since we got to the coliseum about thirty minutes early, I spent a good twenty minutes people-watching on the concourse. There was a huge variety of people there. People in their 50s (and possibly 60s). Rednecks that were there the first time around. Teenagers who probably weren't even born the first time around. Parents my age or slightly older with their children in tow (loved this part; even saw one five-year-old at the show).
Sebastian Bach, the former lead singer of Skid Row, was the first opening act. Sebastian Bach can still sing, people. He's got major pipes. He performed all his major and minor hits during his sixty-minute set. The only problem during his set was his mic kept fading out. You could see him bitching to the tech during the entire show. At one point, Bach became so frustrated he slammed the mic to the ground, breaking it. Then he went over to his guitarist's mic, didn't get the volume he wanted, and slammed it to the ground as well.
Of course, it might've all had something to do with the fact that he swings his mic over his head during every single song when he's not singing. But what do I know? Later in his set he made some half-assed analogy that the troops were in Iraq so we can rawk out in the States. Or something like that.
I think maybe he's hit himself in the head one too many times with that damn swinging microphone.
After a brief intermission, Papa Roach hit the stage. I knew the band by name but couldn't name a single one of their songs. However, by the time their set was over, I counted at least five songs I was aware of. They really put on a great show. The lead singer was very energetic and really fed off of the crowd's energy.
Papa Roach left the stage at about 10:20 PM. I figured Axl would hit the stage around 11 or so. We waited.
A fight broke out. About ten minutes later, another fight broke out on the floor right in front of us. A guy was thoroughly getting his assed kicked when his girlfriend jumped in. Then the other guy's girlfriend jumped in and started pulling out the first girl's hair. There were clumps of hair lying on the floor.
Rock N' Roll + Rednecks + Alcohol = Fun For The Whole Family
Around 11:00 PM, people were starting to become restless. Around 11:20 PM, people were starting to get angry. Every once in awhile, people would start chanting "Guns N' Roses," hoping to lure Axl out onto the stage.
I had seen them enough to know that Axl would come out when he was good and ready. It might be eleven, it might be midnight. It's just part of his show.
Finally, at 11:45 PM, the lights went down and the opening riffs of Welcome To The Jungle filled the coliseum. A thin, cornrowed Axl strutted out on stage. "Do you know where you are?" he bellowed.
The 6,000 (couldn't believe the numbers were that low) in attendance screamed. Axl was joined onstage with three guitarists, Robin Finck (formerly of Nine Inch Nails), Richard Fortus (formerly of Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love), and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, bassist Tommy Stinson (yes, the same Tommy Stinson of the Replacements), keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman, and drummer Brian Mantia. While they weren't Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven Adler, they did more than a serviceable job. Let's face it, Guns N' Roses is and was Axl Rose.
They ended up playing ten of the twelve songs from Appetite For Destruction (the only omissions were Think About You and Anything Goes), Patience from Lies, five songs from the Use Your Illusion discs, and five from the upcoming (???) Chinese Democracy disc.
For the most part, Axl sounded incredible. Axl has never had the greatest "live" singing voice, and there were times when his voice sounded a little weak, but sounded amazing every time he screamed. The band was tight. I couldn't have asked for a better selection of songs (they even played Rocket Queen). Sebastian Bach even joined Axl onstage for a rousing rendition of My Michelle. It seemed like mere moments had passed when the lights came on for good shortly after 2:00 AM.
Of the new songs, Better was by the far the best. I was already familiar with IRS and The Blues, but had never heard Madagascar or Chinese Democracy (which sounded like classic GNR). These songs only made me long for the new disc even more.
The show was absolutely unreal. Axl never bitched at the crowd or threw a tantrum. He smiled often. Hell, after they played Paradise City, the eight of them came back onstage, arm-in-arm, and took a bow. A kinder, gentler Axl Rose? Go figure.
In closing, if you have the means (ticket prices were very pricey in my opinion, but I'm also pretty cheap) and the desire, I would definitely recommend checking out Guns N' Roses on this tour. Before they implode.
In case you're interested, here's the entire setlist:
Welcome To The Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Live And Let Die
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Better
Finck Guitar Solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
You Could Be Mine
Dizzy Reed Piano Solo
The Blues
Fortus Guitar Solo (which segued into an instrumental version of Christina Aguilera's Beautiful with Finck)
Out Ta Get Me
IRS
Axl Piano Solo
November Rain
Bumblefoot Solo (which sequed into an instrumental version of Don't Cry)
Rocket Queen
Madagascar
My Michelle (Axl was joined on the mic with Sebastian Bach)
You're Crazy
Patience
Nightrain
Encore
Chinese Democracy
Paradise City
Proof I'll Never Have A Career As A Rock Journalist
