My 3 City GN'R Experience

Guns N' Roses: the topic of a lot of discussion and debate. Axl Rose has a very well deserved "love or hate" relationship with music fans. In the years since their major label debut Appetite For Destruction, I do not believe I've ever encountered a music fan who doesn't have strong feelings one way or the other on Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses. As I've made clear in prior posts, I fall into the category of die hard GN'R fan. I was very excited to hear that they were finally returning to the US for a full blown tour for the first time since 2006 and in turn, the first since the worldwide, long awaited 2008 release of Chinese Democracy.

As soon as the dates nearest to me were announced, I set out on a plan to see the most shows I could withing driving distance. My thinking is this; you just never know with GN'R/Axl Rose how long the silence is going to last in between tours. So if they're coming near me a few times, why not ensure I see as many shows as I can? My original plan was to see the show on November 15th at the Allstate Arena in Chicago followed by the December 1st show at The Palace of Auburn Hills, north of Detroit. However, the plan was happily changed to include a 3rd and final show at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio on December 7th. One of our follow bloggers (Mike Downing) lives near the Allstate Arena in Chicago so he offered us a place to stay as well as experiencing the concert with us.

Stacey and myself made our way to the Chicago area early on the 15th, met up with Mike and began our day of music appreciation. As the day was drawing to a close, we made our way to the Allstate Arena. We witnessed only a few moments of opening act Adelita's Way as they did not hold our interest for long. Guns N' Roses made their way to the stage at 11pm, far earlier than years prior and far earlier than most people at the show will want to recall years from now. After the lights went out, the theme from Dexter (the hit Showtime series) blared over the PA. At the finish, all screen went red and the ominous intro to Chinese Democracy's title cut took over. New(est) guitarist DJ Ashba made his way to the top center of the stage and let loose with the opening riff, after which the band kicked in and exploded on stage.

Mike took some excellent pictures throughout the night and I'll only use a couple here in the event that Mike gets to writing his own review one day (where's it at Mike??) and wants to use his own pics. The picture on the right is that of DJ Ashba knocking out the chords to Chinese Democracy just prior to some large fireworks going off and the appearance of the rest of the band. GN'R opening with show with the title cut from Chinese Democracy says a lot to me. The album wasn't considered a "hit" by any means at least in the US so to open with the title cut speaks to the level of confidence the band and Axl have in the material they worked on for so long. It's a bold move, one which I applaud heavily.

Next up was arguably one of their biggest hits; Welcome To The Jungle during which Axl Rose gave a direct answer to anyone with the question "Can he still sing?" If you watch the YouTube video above, you'll get your answer; a definite "YES". Axl Rose is 49 years old and has somehow found a way to sound consistently better than he did when he was first trying to bring GN'R back on the Video Music Awards at the age of 38 in 2002. I'm not sure how it's possible but it's definitely inarguable as evidenced by this video (In the interest of full disclosure, this YouTube video was shot by another concert goer, not myself)

Another rumor dismissed early in the performance was the media's recent need to pass around stories that Axl Rose was considerably over weight. As pictured here with guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, one can easily see that there's no truth whatsoever to the rumor/media hype. Axl and the rest of Guns N' Roses were in excellent form both musically and physically. One thing that I found of interest and particularly surprising given my own prior concert experiences with Guns N' Roses; Axl was in a GREAT mood throughout the entire show. He was joking with band mates, the crowd and stage personal throughout the entire show. Pointing out crowd members, smiling at their home made shirts or signs, telling stories from the road, etc. This was a much happier guy than I'd ever seen on stage with Guns N' Roses.

GN'R played for just short of 3 hours, trying to work in as many hits and fan favorites as possible, also giving each member a chance to shine on their own during the course of the show. The set list for November 15th at the Allstate Arena is as follows:

Intro (Dexter Theme)
Chinese Democracy
Welcome To The Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Riff Raff (AC/DC Cover)
Estranged
Better
Richard Fortus Guitar Solo (James Bond Theme)
Live and Let Die (Wings Cover)
This I Love
Rocket Queen
My Generation (featuring Tommy Stinson on vocals)
Dizzy Reed Piano Solo (Baba O'Riley)
Street of Dreams
You Could Be Mine
DJ Ashba Guitar Solo (Mi Amor)
Sweet Child O' Mine
Axl Rose Piano Solo (Another Brick In The Wall / Someone Saved My Life Tonight)
November Rain
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal Guitar Solo (Pink Panther Theme)
Don't Cry
Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC Cover)
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan Cover)
Nightrain

Encore:
Madagascar
Shackler's Revenge
Patience
Band Jam "Happy Birthday Chris Pitman"
Paradise City
After the show, we were afforded the opportunity to meet some of the band. We spoke with Dizzy Reed (the bands long time keyboard player) and their drummer Frank Ferrer along with catching quick glimpses of a few other members as they passed in and out of the room. Several members seemed in a hurry or occupied with something/someone else so we chose not to bother anyone who didn't seem to have a free moment. Even though Dizzy had quite a few family members waiting for him, he still took a few moments to chat with us and take pictures which was very nice of him.

As seen here, I was also able to get a picture with Frank Ferrer. Frank is Guns N' Roses drummer and possibly one of the nicest people I've ever met in music. It's apparent from the way he plays the GN'R classics as well as the newer material that he appreciates and adores all of it. He seems to play from a stand point of "What would I want to hear?". Some parts of the GN'R classics are played note for note to the original album versions while other parts have Franks on feeling thrown in. Each thing he changes doesn't seem to be done from a "look what I can do better!" stand point. The changes he makes are only there to enhance or add to the song and that's exactly what he accomplishes. Frank allowed me a few moments to discuss a few of the things he plays differently and he appreciated the fact that it was noticed. Frank came off to me as a fan of music trying to make sure that people were getting their money's worth and you just can't ask for more than that in my opinion.

We left the Allstate Arena shortly after 5am, dropped Mike off back at home and headed back from Detroit knowing that in a few short weeks, we'd be doing the whole thing all over again in our own home town. For the December 1st show at The Palace of Auburn Hills, I'd been able to round up quite a few folks to come along. Some long time friends who'd never seen Guns N' Roses live opted in for an afternoon of music, cocktails and preparation for the show.The show was once again stellar and truth be told, the best of the 3 that I saw in person on this tour. Friends that attended with me were blown away not only by Axl's voice but also the work, dedication and showmanship on the part of the entire band. Several friends remarked that Richard Fortus stood out from the guitarist as their favorite. His effortless playing of almost every guitar style in the book and tireless dedication to putting on a show was very much appreciated by those who had never seen Guns N' Roses live prior.

The set list same songs were played in Detroit as in Chicago but in a slightly different order finding the song Better (a highlight from Chinese Democracy) played near the end of the night to the delight of many concert goers hoping to hear the song live. The set list was as follows:

Intro (Dexter Theme)
Chinese Democracy
Welcome To The Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Shackler's Revenge
Estranged
Rocket Queen
Richard Fortus Guitar Solo (James Bond Theme)
Live And Let Die
This I Love
Sonic Reducer (featuring Tommy Stinson on vocals)
Band Introductions
Dizzy Reed Piano Solo (Baba O'Riley)
Street Of Dreams
You Could Be Mine
DJ Ashba Guitar Solo (Mi Amor)
Sweet Child O' Mine
Jam (Another Brick In The Wall: Part 2)
Axl Piano Solo (Someone Saved My Life Tonight/Yellow Brick Road)
November Rain
Bumblefoot Guitar Solo (Pink Panther Theme)
Don't Cry
Whole Lotta Rosie
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Jam
Nightrain

Encore:
Jam
Madagascar
Better
Riff Raff
Jam
Patience
Jam
Paradise City


The YouTube video below (again, not one I took myself) is one of their biggest hits: Sweet Child O' Mine, performed once again about half way through the show.

After the show, we were again afforded the opportunity to meet up with several band members. This time we met and spent time with Ron Thal as well as DJ Ashba along with quick conversations once again with Dizzy Reed and Frank Ferrer.

 The attached pictures are of Stacey with DJ Ashba as well as myself with him followed by myself and Ron Thal. Every member we talked with was a pleasure and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Not something you'd expect from members of a high profile rock group, certainly not one where they'd just worked extremely hard to put on a 3 hour show and most certainly not the experience I've had many times in the past with members of other large rock outfits.These guys know that they have something to prove and they're out to do it. DJ Ashba in particular has mentioned in several recent interviews that he is well aware of the past shadows he's playing under and he views it as a labor or love to work out from behind them.

After we parted ways with the band, we again found ourselves leaving the venue between 4 and 5am to hit the road home. At this point, I was under the impression that my GN'R experience was over for 2011 and I was extremely happy with all aspects of it.

A few days later in Nashville, GN'R fans got quite a pleasant surprise when the band added Civil War to it's set for the first time since 1993 and the for the first time with any member of this line up save for Dizzy Reed who played on the original track as well as the accompanying Use Your Illusion Tour and each tour since. I checked the tour dates after hearing Civil War had been added to see if Stacey and I could possible fit in one more trip to see the show that now included one of my all time favorites. I saw that within a few days, the band would be in Youngstown Ohio and set up a plan to make it to that show. We were able to arrange our schedules so that we made it to Youngstown and into the venue just a few moments before opening act Black Label Society went on stage. Being a big Zakk Wylde fan, having his band open for GN'R was a great added bonus.

As we'd seen at the previous two shows, a short change over occurred after BLS finished their set and around 10:50pm the lights went out followed by the Dexter theme and Chinese Democracy for the opening number. The set list was very similar to Detroit, except that Civil War was played once again, for only the second time in 18 years. I was also happy to see/hear that the second AC/DC cover, Riff Raff was dropped from the set for this show. I assume the choice was made to make room for Civil War which takes up a lengthy 7+ minutes in the set. The set list for Youngstown was as follows:

Intro (Dexter Theme)
Chinese Democracy
Welcome To The Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Shackler's Revenge
Estranged
Rocket Queen
Richard Fortus Guitar Solo (007 Theme)
Live And Let Die
This I Love
Civil War
Sonic Reducer (Tommy on Lead Vocal)
Dizzy Reed Piano Solo (Baba O'Riley)
Street Of Dreams
You Could Be Mine
DJ Ashba Guitar Solo (Ballad Of Death)
Sweet Child O' Mine
Jam (The Lemon Song/Another Brick In The Wall: Part 2)
Axl Rose Piano Solo (Gran Torino/Someone Saved My Life Tonight/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
November Rain
Bumblefoot Guitar Solo (Pink Panther)
Don't Cry
Whole Lotta Rosie
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Nightrain

Encore:
Madagascar
Better
Patience
Paradise City


No matter what the reason, I was glad to hear them leave only the one, more crowd friendly AC/DC cover in the set and play one of their own biggest hits in lieu of the other cover.The addition of Civil War made this show very unique but as I mentioned, the overall performance of the entire band was best in Detroit. Axl's singing was one notch better in both Chicago and Detroit with Detroit being the best. The overall vibe between the band and the crowd seemed a little better in Detroit than either Chicago or Youngstown in my opinion as well. Here's a YouTube video (once more, not shot be me) of that evening's performance of Civil War:

After the show, we made the most of our final opportunity to meet with the band. This time we were able to meet with Richard Fortus as well as get pictures with him. We also spoke with DJ Ashba for a few moments ending the night by hanging with Ron Thal once again. It was very cool getting to meet Richard Fortus since I'd seen him live with Guns N' Roses for almost a decade now. I was able to pass on the compliments from my Detroit friends to him and he seemed very appreciative of their thoughts For a guy who really puts a ton of energy into the show and his performance, he almost seemed shy and timid during time with him backstage.

As mentioned previously, we wrapped up our evening/morning by conversing with Ron Thal for a few moments longer before letting him go so he could make his way around to everyone else. I can't stress enough how nice all of these guys were to us and it's compounded even further when you think about the 3+ hours they just worked prior to meeting with fans. The show is of course the end game of days of travel prior, sound checks, all sorts of business related GN'R affairs and everything else they get thrown their way. So to have an encounter with many different members in 3 different cities and have each of them make time for us, take pictures and have great discussions with us amazed us.

If you're reading this in an area that GN'R hasn't been to yet, I can't stress enough that you should see this show. You can go to www.bumblefoot.com for the most accurate, complete listing of the remaining dates on the tour. They'll be winding through the western US up until New Year's week when they'll play two dates at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. For those interested, I have complete audio recordings of all 3 shows we went to, 2 of which I recorded myself. They give you an accurate document of the show and include more than a few moments that will make you a believer in what the Guns N' Roses of 2011 is capable of.

It's been an amazing few weeks for this music fan. To be able to catch the last of the great front men, giving some of the best performances he ever has 3 times in the matter of a few weeks was incredible. To get to witness the current Guns N' Roses line up, which in my opinion is the best over all line up to ever tour under the name, tearing through 3 blistering shows clocking in at just under 3 hours each, was something I'm still in disbelief about. This is all before you consider the rare experience we were afforded not once but three times to meet and speak with the band. To the persons responsible for affording myself and friends that experience, I cannot thank you enough. It's rare when you find an artist or band of any stature who really looks to connect with their fans and I can tell you that the current line up of Guns N' Roses has more than a few members who are constantly looking to do so and follow through big time. So once again, I say THANK YOU to those who made it all possible.

If you'd like to share your own opinions on Guns N' Roses, feel free to visit a fantastic fan forum at:

www.gnrevolution.com

All opinions are welcome as are discussions on all eras of Guns N' Roses.

If you're interested in audio recordings of Chicago, Detroit, Youngstown or all three, please do not hesitate to contact me at russtcb@hotmail.com . Concert recordings are meant to be shared for free and with anyone interested and I'm more than happy to help in that area. Any questions, comments or generally banter about these shows, our experience or GN'R in general is welcomed in the comments section below.

Guns N' Roses- Live at the Allstate Arena, November 15, 2011:
4.5 out of 5 stars

Guns N' Roses- Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills, December 1, 2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Guns N' Roses- Live at the Covelli Centre, December 7, 2011:
4 out of 5 stars