Bridge School Benefit Show and Webcast Oct. 20, 2012

[wadernation]

I agree with bumble in that this show was more about the charity then how axl sounds or what songs they played. I agree it wasn't axl's "best" vocal performance but i honestly did like patience a lot and if he did have strep throat (which he probably did) then its pretty silly to say anything because we all know people would be bitchin much worse if axl canceled because of his throat. Also the band, axl and the kids seemed to be having a really good time on stage which is allways great to see.

I say we wait until the vegas shows to judge the band and axl's performances and setlist.

[username]

Bumblefoot wrote:

Yes, Axl *did* perform with strep throat, not easy to do. And there are 2 months of shows coming up to consider, you can't push and risk damage for the rest of the touring. Kudos for him pulling it off

Rather than judging, let's remember the whole point of this, which is to support those kids. It was about the smiles on their faces, and they had fun In my world this was the most meaningful and successful show we've done. Anyone who wants to join me in that world is welcome to, room for all `

I doubt bumble would lie about it.

I love BBF and he's always been great. I admire his attitude and positivity. But it's just horribly tiring that with GnR it's ALWAYS something. Every high profile event. Is this the most jinxed band in history or something? This just blows...

[Guest RonMexico82]

Maybe all the bad luck is karma's revenge for all the people that Axl has burnt over the years. You reap what you sow.

[Kira]

What an amazing show yesterday, even with strep throat, Axl killed it. So awesome to watch Eddie Vedder perform! Great how it went down, as we were walking to stage, Neil's people asked to see if Eddie could perform a few songs; Axl's like, "For sure!"... what a great show, hats off to one of the best weekends I have had.

by fernando.

Where did you see this? This is a comical story if it is a direct quote. The real story probably sounds like this: "Neil's people frantically approached Eddie on the side of the stage, who was watching the show with his wife and two young daughters, and asked him if he could fill 10 minutes to give Axl time to go on-stage. Eddie was nice about it, although he had only planned on taking the stage with the collective group of musicians for the finale. He avoided all contact with Axl after Guns N' Roses' performance. Rose, embarrassed and unwilling to associate with the other artists, retreated to his hotel immediately following the show."

Bingo! What an embarrassment. How can you be late to a children's charity performance and be so unprepared for something that is going to be live steamed? Especially when you are trying to sell concert tickets right now? You've got nothing else to do but prepare, it's your job. A pro like Vedder takes the stage without warning and kills it, because he prepares.

Whatever mental issues Axl has the Lebeis's certainly aren't helping. This is sad.

[SoulMonster]

Eddie Vedder Joins Guns N' Roses and Jack White at Bridge School Benefit

By Daniel Kreps

October 21, 2012 1:44 PM ET

At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, a member of the Shoreline Amphitheatre security detail radioed his co-workers to inform them that Guns N' Roses' tour bus had arrived at the venue. Now, Axl Rose isn't exactly known to be punctual, so for him to arrive at a venue with the sun still out, there must be a good reason. And there was: GNR, along with Jack White, the Flaming Lips and Ray LaMontagne, up-and-comers like Gary Clark Jr. and Foster the People, and songstresses k.d. lang, Sarah McLachlan, and Lucinda Williams were all scheduled to perform at the Mountain View venue for the first night of Neil Young's annual Bridge School benefit concert, now in its 26th year of raising money for children with speech and physical impairments.

If Rose did arrive at 4 p.m., he made it in time to see Young himself open the festivities by performing "Sugar Mountain" to the Bridge School students and their families, who sat in the rafters immediately behind the stage for the entirety of the nearly nine-hour show. Young then invited his wife Pegi to join him on a poignant, gorgeous rendition of "Comes a Time." Eight hours and a dozen acts later, Young, this time joined by Crazy Horse, would return to the stage.

Gary Clark Jr. had the unenviable role of following Young and playing for the masses of concertgoers finding their seats or spots on the lawn after the mile-long walk from the parking lot. After setting the tone for the night with spirited performances of "When My Train Pulls In" and "Don't Owe You a Thang," Clark's set was unfortunately cut short after three songs due to the tight scheduling. Foster the People likely encountered the same situation when their turn arrived later on: They performed a handful of tracks, including the hit "Don't Stop (Color the Walls)," but "Pumped Up Kicks" didn't make the cut.

After four hours of music – including an irresistable and funny set by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – it was time for the Flaming Lips, who would perhaps be the most handcuffed by the Bridge School's all-acoustic doctrine. No matter, Wayne Coyne had a secret weapon: Comedian and human beat box Reggie Watts, who replicated every deep bass, 808, and spacey sound effect on "Fight Test," "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," and "It's Summertime." To close out their set, the Lips stunned the crowd with a cover of the Beatles' epic "A Day in the Life," featuring Coyne and Watts sharing vocal duties (with the comedian blatantly reading the lyrics off his cell phone).

Next up was Jack White and his all-female backing band, who helped make the Blunderbuss-heavy material sound as though it was being interpreted by the Rolling Thunder Revue. White wrapped up his 30-minute set with a pair of White Stripes classics: A rollicking, country-fried version of "Hotel Yorba" and the tender "We're Going to Be Friends."

After White's set, there was a longer-than-usual break before the next scheduled act, Guns N' Roses. The crowd, already uneasy from the chilly weather, was growing restless. Some audience members audibly wondered whether Axl was about to sabotage the Bridge School benefit with his now-infamous antics. However, the delay was due to what ended up being the night's biggest surprise: an unexpected performance by Pearl Jam frontman and Neil Young acolyte Eddie Vedder.

The audience immediately burst into revelry. "This is the last place I thought I'd be when I woke up today . . . opening for Guns N' Roses," Vedder joked before launching into "Last Kiss," which he said was a favorite of one of the Bridge School students. He followed that up with "Elderly Woman," and with the crowd now in hysterics from his surprise performance, he quickly exited to let GNR take the stage.

If an all-acoustic concert seems like the perfect setting for GNR to focus on the back half of their EP Lies, that same notion didn't escape Axl: Three of the seven songs GNR performed were culled from that disc: Set opener "You're Crazy" (with Axl dropping the F-bomb in front of an audience of children no less than five times), "Used to Love Her," and "Patience." The remainder of the set was rounded out by exhilarating, fresh takes on Appetite for Destruction's three biggest singles, "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City." Credit also has to go to GNR's army of guitarists – especially DJ Ashba and Bumblefoot – for involving the Bridge School kids in the performance.

Finally, it was time for the Godfather of Grunge, Neil Young. Like the majority of shows on this current Young trek, the Bridge School set list focused on material from his upcoming Psychedelic Pill, albeit in acoustic form, from the autobiographical "Born in Ontario" to the Dylan/Grateful Dead tribute "Twisted Road" and a tight, truncated rendition of the mammoth "Ramada Inn." Alongside old favorites like "Powderfinger" and "The Needle and the Damage Done," Neil did throw some curve balls: The unreleased "Singer Without a Song," featuring Young on piano, resurfaced once again, and Crazy Horse busted out "Like a Hurricane," which hadn’t been played at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for nearly a decade.

That track set the stage for the evening's final performance, the traditional all-star jam. Vedder, White, Coyne, Watts, Foster the People, everybody – except Axl – joined Young for a rousing rendition of "Rockin' in the Free World," its mantra echoing in the heads of thousands of satisfied music fans as they journeyed back toward the parking lots, eager to experience the whole event again on Sunday.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eddie-vedder-joins-guns-n-roses-and-jack-white-at-bridge-school-benefit-20121021#ixzz29xwEb4nn

I did not see Jack White during "Rockin' in the Free World"...

Edited October 21, 2012 by SoulMonster

[Mysteron]

Genuinely, jumping up and down on a Guns performance at a charity gig has to be a new low for some posters here.

I watch the performance and the audience at the show, then read some of the posts here and just shake my head at how God's dice rolls sometimes.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Mysteron

[The Black]

Now, if I was Axl and I did actually have a strep throat, then I would have done the following:

"Hi, it's an honor to be here to perform for such a good cause. Now for the bad news, I'm sorry to say that I've come down with strep throat, so please bare with my voice guys. Let's do this!" 1.. 2.. 3.. *start song

And everybody would have been forgiving. Now it's just damage control because he doesn't have strep throat, he's just come to the conclusion that his performance sucked and needed another excuse.

[Ali]

Bumblefoot wrote:

Yes, Axl *did* perform with strep throat, not easy to do. And there are 2 months of shows coming up to consider, you can't push and risk damage for the rest of the touring. Kudos for him pulling it off

If Axl was professional he would have pulled out of this show and tonights but instead he did the opposite of what Bumble is claiming and put the whole Vegas thing in danger by going onstage and croaking through the show like a drunk bum.

That is of course if you believe this strep throat bull.

But then he would've been criticized for pulling out of a charity show, disappointing the fans who went to see him and the Bridge School itself. It would be no win.

Ali

[Purely Magnetic]

It is obvious he was sick. Bumblefoot even came on gunsnroses.com and confirmed it and gave him props for even doing the show. His voice was cutting out at many parts where it never would before and I am not talking back in the 90s or early 2000s, his voice would have never cut out like that at any of the shows earlier this year. He sounded amazing when I saw him in February on the UCAP tour. I am very sorry he was sick and sorry for the luck of these streamed shows always getting the sick voice, I remember back in 2011 him having bronchitis as well possibly near the RIR show. Axl always says himself back luck follows him around, so this could be just one of those things. Being a singer and one that travels around to different climates and being cooped in hotels much of the time it is not a surprise that he acquires these upper respiratory illnesses.

This is not the end of the world or the end of GNR by any means, he was sick, period. I thought Patience sounded pretty good. Just the songs that require the growl and scream were out of reach with strep throat. Think how frustrating it must be for him. I'm glad he did the show despite the illness and did not cause another no-show headline right before the Vegas shows.

I wish him a speedy recovery and can't wait to follow the Vegas shows and see the second to last one myself on the 23rd! Let's move on and look forward to a little sit down with him on Kimmel.

So glad though that GNR were able to take part in this great benefit and it did look like they all enjoyed themselves, as you most of you would have as well if you were there at the actual show yourselves.

[wadernation]

Genuinely, jumping up and down on a Guns performance at a charity gig has to be a new low for some posters here.

I watch the performance and the audience at the show, then read some of the posts here and just shake my head at how God's dice rolls sometimes.

[Stro]

Axl has had strep and/or bronchitis for a full year now, apparently. Dude's voice is shot. No need for excuses. It happens to a LOT of rock singers, especially ones with the kind of singing style Axl has. Did you hear Robert Plant trying to sing Zepplin songs at that reunion show? It's not something to be ashamed about or make excuses over. It happens, it is highly common, and it is probably a massive kick in the ass when you can't do something you've done your whole life for a living anymore.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Stro

[GNR123GNR456]

It is obvious he was sick. Bumblefoot even came on gunsnroses.com and confirmed it and gave him props for even doing the show. His voice was cutting out at many parts where it never would before and I am not talking back in the 90s or early 2000s, his voice would have never cut out like that at any of the shows earlier this year. He sounded amazing when I saw him in February on the UCAP tour. I am very sorry he was sick and sorry for the luck of these streamed shows always getting the sick voice, I remember back in 2011 him having bronchitis as well possibly near the RIR show. Axl always says himself back luck follows him around, so this could be just one of those things. Being a singer and one that travels around to different climates and being cooped in hotels much of the time it is not a surprise that he acquires these upper respiratory illnesses.

This is not the end of the world or the end of GNR by any means, he was sick, period. I thought Patience sounded pretty good. Just the songs that require the growl and scream were out of reach with strep throat. Think how frustrating it must be for him. I'm glad he did the show despite the illness and did not cause another no-show headline right before the Vegas shows.

I wish him a speedy recovery and can't wait to follow the Vegas shows and see the second to last one myself on the 23rd! Let's move on and look forward to a little sit down with him on Kimmel.

So glad though that GNR were able to take part in this great benefit and it did look like they all enjoyed themselves, as you most of you would have as well if you were there at the actual show yourselves.

I'm not entirely sure if he had strep throat or it's just an excuse, but you are right about one thing. It is one show, it's not the end of the world or the end of GN'R.

I just with though that Axl would consider rehearsing more before the shows than using the tour to warm up.

[Kira]

"Awesome to see GN'R do this show. Great cause.

Axl did the show with a strep throat.

I don't know how he does it!

/jarmo"

I don't know how jarmo spins like this and lives with himself. Fuck him.

[The Black]

It is obvious he was sick. Bumblefoot even came on gunsnroses.com and confirmed it and gave him props for even doing the show. His voice was cutting out at many parts where it never would before and I am not talking back in the 90s or early 2000s, his voice would have never cut out like that at any of the shows earlier this year. He sounded amazing when I saw him in February on the UCAP tour. I am very sorry he was sick and sorry for the luck of these streamed shows always getting the sick voice, I remember back in 2011 him having bronchitis as well possibly near the RIR show. Axl always says himself back luck follows him around, so this could be just one of those things. Being a singer and one that travels around to different climates and being cooped in hotels much of the time it is not a surprise that he acquires these upper respiratory illnesses.

This is not the end of the world or the end of GNR by any means, he was sick, period. I thought Patience sounded pretty good. Just the songs that require the growl and scream were out of reach with strep throat. Think how frustrating it must be for him. I'm glad he did the show despite the illness and did not cause another no-show headline right before the Vegas shows.

You literally have so many professional singers in the world, that also travel and age, and yet this only happens to Axl Rose. Yes, that sounds like a way of explaining things correctly...

[SoulMonster]

By the way - what contrast here. BBF is being honest with a positive twist. But Fernando is just plain delusional. What a douche.

Hehe, yes, but that's sort of a manager's job, too.

[username]

Bumblefoot wrote:

Yes, Axl *did* perform with strep throat, not easy to do. And there are 2 months of shows coming up to consider, you can't push and risk damage for the rest of the touring. Kudos for him pulling it off

Rather than judging, let's remember the whole point of this, which is to support those kids. It was about the smiles on their faces, and they had fun In my world this was the most meaningful and successful show we've done. Anyone who wants to join me in that world is welcome to, room for all `

I doubt bumble would lie about it.

What an amazing show yesterday, even with strep throat, Axl killed it. So awesome to watch Eddie Vedder perform! Great how it went down, as we were walking to stage, Neil's people asked to see if Eddie could perform a few songs; Axl's like, "For sure!"... what a great show, hats off to one of the best weekends I have had.

by fernando.

By the way - what contrast here. BBF is being honest with a positive twist. But Fernando is just plain delusional. What a douche.

[Mysteron]

"Awesome to see GN'R do this show. Great cause.

Axl did the show with a strep throat.

I don't know how he does it!

/jarmo"

I don't know how jarmo spins like this and lives with himself. Fuck him.

At a charity gig of this nature, you have to show strength over adversity. It is what it is all about.

Strep throat and similar conditions can exist for years, and for a vocalist can represent a major challenge.

As a 2005 member, one would expect slightly more depth?

[MEXzilla]

Eddie Vedder Joins Guns N' Roses and Jack White at Bridge School Benefit

By Daniel Kreps

October 21, 2012 1:44 PM ET

At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, a member of the Shoreline Amphitheatre security detail radioed his co-workers to inform them that Guns N' Roses' tour bus had arrived at the venue. Now, Axl Rose isn't exactly known to be punctual, so for him to arrive at a venue with the sun still out, there must be a good reason. And there was: GNR, along with Jack White, the Flaming Lips and Ray LaMontagne, up-and-comers like Gary Clark Jr. and Foster the People, and songstresses k.d. lang, Sarah McLachlan, and Lucinda Williams were all scheduled to perform at the Mountain View venue for the first night of Neil Young's annual Bridge School benefit concert, now in its 26th year of raising money for children with speech and physical impairments.

If Rose did arrive at 4 p.m., he made it in time to see Young himself open the festivities by performing "Sugar Mountain" to the Bridge School students and their families, who sat in the rafters immediately behind the stage for the entirety of the nearly nine-hour show. Young then invited his wife Pegi to join him on a poignant, gorgeous rendition of "Comes a Time." Eight hours and a dozen acts later, Young, this time joined by Crazy Horse, would return to the stage.

Gary Clark Jr. had the unenviable role of following Young and playing for the masses of concertgoers finding their seats or spots on the lawn after the mile-long walk from the parking lot. After setting the tone for the night with spirited performances of "When My Train Pulls In" and "Don't Owe You a Thang," Clark's set was unfortunately cut short after three songs due to the tight scheduling. Foster the People likely encountered the same situation when their turn arrived later on: They performed a handful of tracks, including the hit "Don't Stop (Color the Walls)," but "Pumped Up Kicks" didn't make the cut.

After four hours of music – including an irresistable and funny set by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – it was time for the Flaming Lips, who would perhaps be the most handcuffed by the Bridge School's all-acoustic doctrine. No matter, Wayne Coyne had a secret weapon: Comedian and human beat box Reggie Watts, who replicated every deep bass, 808, and spacey sound effect on "Fight Test," "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," and "It's Summertime." To close out their set, the Lips stunned the crowd with a cover of the Beatles' epic "A Day in the Life," featuring Coyne and Watts sharing vocal duties (with the comedian blatantly reading the lyrics off his cell phone).

Next up was Jack White and his all-female backing band, who helped make the Blunderbuss-heavy material sound as though it was being interpreted by the Rolling Thunder Revue. White wrapped up his 30-minute set with a pair of White Stripes classics: A rollicking, country-fried version of "Hotel Yorba" and the tender "We're Going to Be Friends."

After White's set, there was a longer-than-usual break before the next scheduled act, Guns N' Roses. The crowd, already uneasy from the chilly weather, was growing restless. Some audience members audibly wondered whether Axl was about to sabotage the Bridge School benefit with his now-infamous antics. However, the delay was due to what ended up being the night's biggest surprise: an unexpected performance by Pearl Jam frontman and Neil Young acolyte Eddie Vedder.

The audience immediately burst into revelry. "This is the last place I thought I'd be when I woke up today . . . opening for Guns N' Roses," Vedder joked before launching into "Last Kiss," which he said was a favorite of one of the Bridge School students. He followed that up with "Elderly Woman," and with the crowd now in hysterics from his surprise performance, he quickly exited to let GNR take the stage.

If an all-acoustic concert seems like the perfect setting for GNR to focus on the back half of their EP Lies, that same notion didn't escape Axl: Three of the seven songs GNR performed were culled from that disc: Set opener "You're Crazy" (with Axl dropping the F-bomb in front of an audience of children no less than five times), "Used to Love Her," and "Patience." The remainder of the set was rounded out by exhilarating, fresh takes on Appetite for Destruction's three biggest singles, "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City." Credit also has to go to GNR's army of guitarists – especially DJ Ashba and Bumblefoot – for involving the Bridge School kids in the performance.

Finally, it was time for the Godfather of Grunge, Neil Young. Like the majority of shows on this current Young trek, the Bridge School set list focused on material from his upcoming Psychedelic Pill, albeit in acoustic form, from the autobiographical "Born in Ontario" to the Dylan/Grateful Dead tribute "Twisted Road" and a tight, truncated rendition of the mammoth "Ramada Inn." Alongside old favorites like "Powderfinger" and "The Needle and the Damage Done," Neil did throw some curve balls: The unreleased "Singer Without a Song," featuring Young on piano, resurfaced once again, and Crazy Horse busted out "Like a Hurricane," which hadn’t been played at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for nearly a decade.

That track set the stage for the evening's final performance, the traditional all-star jam. Vedder, White, Coyne, Watts, Foster the People, everybody – except Axl – joined Young for a rousing rendition of "Rockin' in the Free World," its mantra echoing in the heads of thousands of satisfied music fans as they journeyed back toward the parking lots, eager to experience the whole event again on Sunday.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eddie-vedder-joins-guns-n-roses-and-jack-white-at-bridge-school-benefit-20121021#ixzz29xwEb4nn

I did not see Jack White during "Rockin' in the Free World"...

Everyone sucking up to Neil Young lmao I love that Axl the legend left hehehe

[SoulMonster]

Everyone sucking up to Neil Young lmao I love that Axl the legend left hehehe

He was probably backstage jamming and writing new songs with Jack White

[The Black]

Axl has had strep and/or bronchitis for a full year now, apparently. Dude's voice is shot. No need for excuses. It happens to a LOT of rock singers, especially ones with the kind of singing style Axl has. Did you hear Robert Plant trying to sing Zepplin songs at that reunion show? It's not something to be ashamed about or make excuses over. It happens, it is highly common, and it is probably a massive kick in the ass when you can't do something you've done your whole life for a living anymore.

I bet those lousy doctors and their lousy medicine are out to get him! Nothing works apparently!

Robert Plant's voice was fine from where I was sitting at the O2 Arena show, Axl's was TERRIBLE from where I was sitting at his O2 Arena show.

Let's talk about Steven Tyler, a man that takes care of his voice, works out in the gym and also is coming out with a new album. The guy sounded phenominal when I saw him in 2010!

[cbgnr]

Good cause,but yeah not great at all in the vocal department.To bad, this one hurts a little.If he was sick I can understand,it's to bad. Do any of you think a performer should cancel if they are not able to give their best?

Edited October 21, 2012 by cbgnr

[finck6]

if axl really has strep throat as jarmo and fernando say...axl should postpone tonight, jimmy kimmel, and vegas residency. because strep throat is a serious throat condition. you don't get rid of strep throat over night. i bet axl's strep won't be gone by the time he's supposed to take the stage again tonight. axl's need to postpone everything. take the time off. and rest his vocal cords. or else axl will be at risk permanently damaging his voice. especially if axl chooses to sing tonight and then sing a whole bunch of nights for a vegas residency

Edited October 21, 2012 by finck6

[username]

By the way - what contrast here. BBF is being honest with a positive twist. But Fernando is just plain delusional. What a douche.

Hehe, yes, but that's sort of a manager's job, too.

To lie?

[WhazUp]

"Awesome to see GN'R do this show. Great cause.

Axl did the show with a strep throat.

I don't know how he does it!

/jarmo"

I don't know how jarmo spins like this and lives with himself. Fuck him.

When I saw the "I don't know how he does it" part I started laughing. This guy is incredible

[Mysteron]

if axl really has strep throat as jarmo and fernando say...axl should postpone tonight

No, the audience represent sectors of society who have been presented with huge challenges, it would not look good for Axl to cancel.

Are you genuinely that daft?