07/01/16 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field

[bumblecool]

In AC/DC he played to thousands of people jumping and enjoying, not people dancing in front of their pit's seat

[RussTCB]

2 minutes ago, bumblecool said:

In AC/DC he played to thousands of people jumping and enjoying, not people dancing in front of their pit's seat

There are no seats in the pit, the seats are all behind the pit. 

Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with AC/DC or GN'R. It's a thing that happens at all US stadium shows no matter what band it is.

[tsinindy]

1 minute ago, RussTCB said:

There are no seats in the pit, the seats are all behind the pit. 

Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with AC/DC or GN'R. It's a thing that happens at all US stadium shows no matter what band it is.

It's like a FAQ would be good for this topic...but then it would have to be read  

[RussTCB]

Just now, tsinindy said:

It's like a FAQ would be good for this topic...but then it would have to be read  

Honest to God, I feel like pinning a new topic called "YES, THERE ARE SEATS ON THE FLOOR AT US STADIUM SHOWS - PLEASE BITCH ABOUT IT HERE" 

[OutTaGetMesomeNightrain]

I should not have posted this during the end of the show....bad time to ask questions when we are all hyped!!!  So I'm doing it again!

 

Thanks everyone for posting awesome information.  I'm just sitting here getting pump AF for Sunday.

Can anyone who went to the show last night answer a few questions?

What entry gate do you go to, to wait in line for GA PIT entry? 

Doors at 6:30?  Would 2:00 PM be early enough to get there and get a decent rail spot you think?  Judging by the pics of when AIC started, I don't know how that wouldn't be early enough. 

Do they let you bring in closed bottles of water?

Thanks!

Edited July 2, 2016 by OutTaGetMesomeNightrain

[koldweather]

41 minutes ago, KiernanProud said:

I respect your opinion and all, but Axl's singing is strong this tour. If you wanna see an example of the voice you're referring to, watch the Golden Gods performance from 2 years ago. I remember Axl leaning on Bumblefoot and skipping entire verses of songs to catch his breath. His singing is improved, and theres rasp where it needs to be. If he's not using it when he should be, it's because he's physically unable due to 30+ years of screaming. But that's rarely the case. I'll cut him some slack. AC/DC songs are virtually all in the same range, where Axl is at his best, and if you compare it to the GNR shows, I'm sure Axl is singing the same when that range is present. 

Yeah, Nightrain and Out to get me are two songs that fall nicely into the ACDC range, as does chunks of Jungle/Live and let die. Its no wonder he sounds his best during those songs.

[nonok]

Seriously, please filter that abomination of a word (you know the one) from this forum. Or leave it for the Civil War section, at least. M****y was nowhere to be found tonight.

The first time the Trinity have played in Chicago together since that monumental perfection of a gig in '92, the best show so far (maybe on par with the Mexico shows at most) and people still bitch about...what? I didn't attend the show, but judging by what I've seen, it was phenomenal, and it will keep getting better. I was worried in the beginning that Axl wasn't going to give as much of himself as in the AC/DC shows, and I was right - he's giving more than I've seen him give since 1988. I would give him (or anyone in the band) crap for all the small details if he wasn't, but the man is 54 and he's putting out more energy every night than 90% of his fans could in a year's worth of exercise. Seriously, I'd love to know how many of you can run and dance non-stop for 2+ hours per day. How the fuck can you expect him to have that vocal cord-destroying '92 rasp on every single song, especially those that were sung clean in the studio?

The band is literally complying with every single one of our whims - Slash and Duff are back, they're playing together, Coma is a staple, Axl's voice is the best it can be, he is rapidly losing the weight that turned him into a meme, they're running around, dancing and jumping like they're in their 30s, there's chemistry and interaction between them, they're working on new music, they probably asked Izzy and Steven to join but who knows how that went, and it keeps getting better. They're people for Christ's sake, not faultless robots, let them breathe.

Really, the only thing we can sorta bitch about is the setlist, but I'm sure that's going to start changing up in a few more shows.

Edited July 2, 2016 by nonok

[onurbayrak03]

The "problem" is not because using less rasp, its bcuz his clean voice is gone... So it sounds mickey to us, he shouldnt be singinng scom with rasp. It has to be clean but he cant sing clean 

[Nosaj Thing]

Great show.  Looking forward to seeing how things change for night 2!

[Nicklord]

14 hours ago, Weapons N Flowers said:

It's amazing how excited people get to find out that they're going to die.

This guy deserves more likes. I almost died of laughter 

Edited July 2, 2016 by Nicklord

[Andy14]

Awesome! Just watched all the videos from yesterday. Waiting for a good clip of Rocket Queen, from what I saw on Periscop it sounded fantastic. Fanholyfuckingshittastic!!! And I must admit that This I Love is really growing on me. Good job guys, keep on rockin'.

P.S. Great to see Axl and Slash running on stage again 

(just a couple of pictures I found and really like)

[SoulMonster]

3 hours ago, GNRfanMILO said:

No, the "ACDC is easier to sing" excuse is complete bullshit. This is Axl fucking Rose we're talking about.

I don't think there is any doubt that AC/DC is easier for Axl to sing. It comes more natural to his current voice. The alternative is that he is deliberately not doing his best with GN'R

[pugachev]

Massive crowd. What an incredible show , I can say that even just watching Periscopes. Absolutely stoked for New Orleans. 

[Gordon Comstock]

 

[GNR3312]

I thought the singing was off when I saw the periscope feeds but live is a whole different animal. The band sounds amazing.  To all of you complaining, trust your instincts and go to the show. You won't regret it. 

[Nosaj Thing]

Slash saves Guns N' Roses at Soldier Field

Here’s a capsule rundown of what happened Friday night at Soldier Field: Axl Rose took a bunch of breathers to change hats and T-shirts, and Slash played a lot of virtuosic guitar solos.

After the smoke from the last battery of fireworks cleared, this much was apparent in the first of two weekend concerts: Guns N' Roses may be Rose's band, but it was Slash's night. The guitarist with the cascading ringlets of hair and stove-pipe hat is easily the most compelling musician in the septet, and he salvaged what was otherwise a competent but rarely inspired performance by his newly reconstituted band.

Back in their '80s and early '90s heyday, the scruffs in Guns N' Roses looked like a gang that started dumpster fires in convenience-store parking lots. The outlaw image bled into reality, and the band became as notorious for starting riots, overindulging in drugs and scuffling with police and security guards as it did for its music.

For a generation of teen and preteen suburban kids, that music became a rite of passage, and Rose's volatile persona and snake-hipped stage presence struck a chord that translated into multimillions of album sales. He was the dead-end, small-town kid from the Midwest who went to the Sunset Strip to chase his dreams, and burned bridges everywhere he went. It all imploded in the early '90s, with Rose holding on to the Guns N’ Roses name but not much else as he fired everyone in the band but himself. In the subsequent two decades, he was able to release only one GNR album, the bloated “Chinese Democracy” in 2008.

On Friday, the band delivered a show that tried to pick up where the band left off in 1993, the last year that core members Rose, Slash and Duff McKagen were onstage together. Those three are back, minus two other key contributors to GNR’s best music: songwriter and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and drummer Steven Adler, whose loose sense of swing has never been equaled by a string of successors.

The current seven-piece incarnation of the band delivered high-end spectacle on a four-tiered stage with three massive video screens. It loaded up on arena-rock cliches: pyro, fireworks, strobes. All that was missing were the lasers and smoke machines. The 2 1/2-hour set was heavy on '70s tropes, including a bevy of covers merging classic rock (Wings' “Live and Let Die,” Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”) and punk (the Damned’s “New Rose”). There were double-neck guitars; leather vests, fringe jackets and cowboy hats; silver bracelets, rings and chains; and guitar solos — lots of guitar solos.

Though the band surveyed its career, including three mostly forgettable songs from “Chinese Democracy,” the music that resonated the loudest was from the band’s ill-tempered 1987 debut, “Appetite for Destruction.” Slash's clarion riff for “Sweet Child O' Mine” was greeted with roars and sighs, and the locomotive roar of “Nightrain” and rumbling “Welcome to the Jungle” still punched dents in sternums. McKagen’s bass in particular sounded terrorizing as it sent waves of subterranean vibrations through the audience.

But the band’s subsequent music, ostensibly more sophisticated, has not aged as well: The overwrought “November Rain” and three-part “Coma” came off as the work of a more earnest (and far less compelling) band. And several extended instrumental passages began to feel like padding as the concert was stretched out with rote interpretations of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and Derek and the Dominos' “Layla.”

Rose, whose wicked shriek once was the band's signature instrument, has lost much of his cutting upper-register edge, and he often sounded winded, necessitating frequent breaks. So it was up to Slash to reignite GNR’s torch, and he delivered, from a sly Jimi Hendrix quote in “Civil War” to a sensual reading of Nino Rota's “Love Theme from The Godfather.” His ferocious rhythm-lead playing on “Out Ta Get Me” and “Double Talkin’ Jive” split the difference between punk ferocity and thrash metal velocity.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-guns-n-roses-soldier-field-review-kot-20160701-column.html

[Blackstar]

 

[useyourillusion89]

The show was incredible. That is all. ????

[lassie]

3 hours ago, GNRfanMILO said:

So mature! Replying with a picture. Why don't you try to convince me im wrong instead?

Because, it's a perfect crime, and the years go by so fast

Love Axl GNR 93

[Slashmatt98]

Guns N’ Roses 6/1/16 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Review

 

So to start off let me tell you I’m only 18 and haven’t been to too many concerts (this being the largest one).

I attended the show with my girlfriend and had seats in section 314 row 3, which really wasn’t a bad place to be.

The overall experience was fantastic I must say. I have been such a big Guns N’ Roses fan for years and this moment was the highlight of it (maybe even my life so far!). To start off we got to the show around an hour before Alice in Chains came on. I picked up my silver bullet t-shirt I ordered and it was all good. We met up with some friends before AIC and chatted about everything going on at the stadium. We got back and at exactly 8:00 AIC came on. They played a 43 minute set and by the end they really made a good impression on me. The guys seem really cool and they sounded great. But now on to the part we all want to hear about.. 

The changeover for GNR was fast, and all the animations started about 15 min before i thought it would’ve! Then when the looney toons music came on I knew it was starting. 

 

It’s So Easy:

I personally think this is a great opening song and the crowd went nuts when the band came on. Slash nailed the solo and Axl had full on rasp for the outro (these will be common themes for the show).

 

Mr Brownstone:

Nothing too special, one of GNR’s best songs imo, Whole band sounded great on this one.

 

Chinese Democracy:

I actually am really digging the CD era stuff with Slash and Duff. Slash’s sound completely changes the tone of the songs and makes it a lot darker and just better imo. I really like the riff for this song and Slash plays it much better. The crowd didn’t seem too into it, but since it was the beginning of the show, people still were standing.

 

Welcome To The Jungle:

Axl brought his A game here. The crowd was going crazy on this song! But Axl really had a great sound on this song, and it was great to hear.

 

Double Talkin Jive:

Slash owned this song. Axl did do the “homefuck” at the end of the second chorus. But Slash completely killed the solo and had myself and the people around me in awe. 

 

Estranged:

Slash’s guitar tone stood out here. The melodies ringing through the stadium was magical, along with Axl again singing incredibly. There was a moment after Axl sang the “To find ourselves so far apart” line, it looked like he put his arm around Slash for a second. I don’t know if anyone else saw it, but I thought it was cool.

 

Live and Let Die:

This was one of the crowd favorites. This song roared! Axl’s bone chilling screams ignited the crowd and brought so much energy to the show.

 

Rocket Queen:

Axl sounded pretty good on the beginning of RQ, and Slash performed a great talk box solo. But the end of RQ made it great. Very cool moment with how hyped the audience was for the outro of RQ. Axl’s voice was incredible paired with Slash’s solo. The crowd absolutely loved it.

 

You Could Be Mine: 

Now this song is what rock is about. The amount of power in this song is so much more evadable in person. The guitars and Axl really sounded great and just so strong!

 

You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory/New Rose:

Unfortunately, a lot of people used this time to go get a beer or whatever. But I stayed standing (as I did the whole time since the animations came on). But I was a fan of this, and Duff really did a great job.

 

This I Love:

While I don’t think the crowd got into this, I thought this was Axl’s best performance of TIL. He sounded fantastic the whole song. I was amazed at how much rasp he put into the verses and I thought it was great. Slash’s solo was magical and he adds such a great aspect to the song. 

 

Civil War:

This song just flat out rocked. This is rising to the top of my favorite songs GNR is playing live right now. The amount of power and energy in this song was amazing. Axl was hitting every note and Slash’s guitar rang throughout the stadium. Really a great performance and at the end, Axl said something about how he found the lyrics “as popular war advances, peace is closer” in a newspaper he got at a 7/11.

 

Coma:

Axl said how this will be the second time in 24 years they’ve played this song in Chicago. I though that was really cool that he brought up when they played here in 1992. Song sounded great, and Axl again nailed the ending.

 

Band Intros/Godfather theme:

Axl introduced Slash the same way he did at the Ritz in 1988, which was one of the coolest moments for me. But then Slash was fantastic on the Godfather. He did miss a couple timings, but really I’m not gonna get on him about that. 

 

Sweet Child O’ Mine: 

The crowd was so loud I honestly had a hard time hearing Axl clearly the whole song because everyone was singing along. But from what I could make out, it was his clean voice (not mickey!) mixed with rasp. But in all honestly, Slash stole the song. His solo sent chills throughout the audience and really was fantastic.

 

Better:

A lot of people around me sat down for this song. But I thought the band killed it and Axl really brought the rasp on this song. Melissa also had a nice presence on this song. 

 

Out Ta Get Me:

One of the most energetic songs of the night. Axl sounded incredible on this song. This is becoming one of if not Axl’s strongest song on this tour. 

 

Wish You Were Here/Layla:

Richard and Slash both were great on WYWH, Slash played some really sweet licks on this one, as did Fortus. Layla was good as well. 

 

November Rain:

I really think Axl didn’t sound bad at all on this song. He had his rasp for the last couple lines as he usually does. But again Slash really energized the song. I thought all the pyro for the outro solo was cool and added a nice visual effect (I wish Slash would get on the piano though!!)

 

Knockin’ On Heavens Door:

This song was definitely better to experience live than over a periscope stream. I thought Axl sounded alright on this one.

 

Nightrain:

The band roared through this song. This is one of my favorites as Axl sounds great on this song. His rasp is always strong and Slash also goes off during the outro for this one.

 

Encore:

 

Don’t Cry:

Great performance by the whole band, Axl hit all the notes and it sounded really nice. It was a cool moment when they played this.

 

The Seeker:

While I was hoping for a deep cut or Slither, the band burst into The Seeker. But I am a fan of this song, and hearing it live only made me like it more. The whole band really seems to get into it, which makes it 100x better.

 

Paradise City:

Fireworks were everywhere on this song. But this is truly a great closing song to a set. Again, it was harder to get a full reading on Axl’s voice but from what I could hear, it was his clean voice with a little rasp at moments. But this song put an end to a great night and now Ill talk about each member individually then my closing thoughts.

 

 

Axl:

He truly sounded great the whole show. He was interacting with the crowd, running all over the stage, changing outfits left and right, it was awesome. He really had a great show and the power of his voice was evident to me for the first time since I have never seen them live. Now let me say this, before people start criticizing Axl for his clean or “mickey voice”, please go to a show on the NITL tour. I personally thought that when Axl did use that voice, it sounded good. He was hitting the notes and it really is much different in person than on periscope or youtube videos. But Axl was truly incredible. 

 

Slash: 

Slash being back in the band brings them to such a new level. As a guitarist myself, I have always been in awe of Slash’s guitar tone. Specifically from the UYI tour. Seeing him live last night was such an incredible experience. Hearing his tone in person is such a different feeling. His tones on Estranged and SCOM to the roar of his guitar of the opening chord of Nightrain were that more spectacular in person. 

Slash did have a few little mess ups here and there but he’s human so I really won’t get on him. But what was evident tonight was how much Slash has improved over the last few years. Slash was a great guitarist back in the 80s and 90s, even when he was loaded. But ever since he sobered up, he has taken his playing level to a whole new level. He can do things now that I just don’t believe he could do back in GNR’s old days, and maybe even in Velvet Revolver. Slash was the man last night and the whole vibe in the stadium seemed to be in awe of Slash.

 

Duff:

Duff is so underrated. His backing vocals and great, along with his lead. And his bass has such a great beat to it that sets the tone for the band to play off of. Not to mention but Duff looks great for his age. My girlfriend was shocked when I told her how old these guys were, specifically Duff. Congrats to Duff, he’s truly a great guy.

 

Richard:

His playing style is definitely more NuGNR feeling. But I don’t really mind Richard. He’s been in Guns a long time and has Axl’s trust. I’d prefer Izzy, but Fortus isn’t a bad guy by any means.

 

Frank:

I’ve really come along to like Frank. He has for sure improved since this bands first show back in April. The only time I didn’t like what he was doing was in the verse for SCOM. He was playing too loudly it just made it awkward. But other than that, I thought he was alright. I think he’s a cool guy, and he’s only improved so I respect that.

 

Dizzy: 

Absolutely nailed the Estranged solo!!!!!! other than that…. Wheres Dizzy?? Haha but no disrespect to Dizzy, I think he fits in alright. 

 

Melissa: 

I like Melissa. She doesn’t do a whole lot that we know of, but she adds some great backing vocals, and she isn’t bad looking. I support Axl’s decision to have her in the band, she’s a nice piece and all the guys seem to like her.

 

The Crowd:

Wow is all I can say. That stadium was packed the whole show. And it was loud. That whole stadium was filled. The fans were going nuts for Guns almost the whole show. The only times where they weren’t as intense imo was the CD songs. But the crowd was cheering and singing along that it even made it hard to hear the band clearly! But the crowd was great and really made the experience a hell of a lot better. Props to everyone who came out to support GNR!

 

My closing thoughts:

This night was one I’ll never forget in all honesty. This has been a lifelong dream of mine and it finally came true. The band was on point all night and the crowd was going crazy. I had the experience of my life. Seeing Slash and Axl play songs like Estranged and Coma was a lifelong dream, something I never thought I would see in this lifetime.

 

Edited July 2, 2016 by Slashmatt98

[JY2016]

On 1 juli 2016 at 2:47 AM, JY2016 said:

It's 9:45am at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, 7 hours ahead of Chicago. Someone gave me AFD in September 1993 for my 15th birthday. Until that moment I preferred dance music over rock music. That changed that day...

 

Over the past 23 years, to see Axl, Slash and Duff together again onstage was something that I still hoped for, but seemed to be less and less likely. Not that there haven't been sufficient GNR related events; my first concert was a Bon Jovi concert in 1995 because Slash's Snakepit was the support act, I have been to NuGNR, Slash's Blues Ball, VR, SMKC, Adler's Appetite and Gilby Clarke gigs. I have met Slash and Duff several times and Steven and Gilby as well. All really nice in person! I saw Axl/DC this summer. I am also a very proud owner of a black Epiphone Les Paul that Slash signed for me after an SMKC gig three years ago! So I consider myself a lucky guy to have experienced all these things...

 

I was doubting whether I should wait for Europe 2017, but last week I thought, fuck it and bought a last minute ticket to Chicago and single tickets for both shows!

 

My flight departs within less than three hours. It is gonna be a long day with 7 hours time difference, but I will not complain about that, set lists, small fuck-ups or musicians that are not there. Now 37, I feel as excited as if I were 15 again and I am going to enjoy Chicago every single minute, it's gonna be a blast!!!

 

See you all tonight!!!

Last time that I am going to reply to my own message. First of all, it was really amazing yesterday, the adrenaline beat my 7 hour jet lag (today is a different story though) and definitely looking forward to tomorrow's show with better (i.e. GA PIT) tickets.

 

Just met Richard somewhere on the Magnificent Mile while I was doing some shopping and walking. Thanked him for the good show yesterday, and when I answered to his question where I was coming from and that I was only in Chicago for the two GNR shows, he and his wife were genuinely surprised that some people do things like that. Took a picture and with a "we'll definitely be in Europe next year", we shook hands and said goodbye... Saw Frank shortly thereafter and spoke briefly as well. Both really nice guys!

[OutTaGetMesomeNightrain]

34 minutes ago, JY2016 said:

Last time that I am going to reply to my own message. First of all, it was really amazing yesterday, the adrenaline beat my 7 hour jet lag (today is a different story though) and definitely looking forward to tomorrow's show with better (i.e. GA PIT) tickets.

 

Just met Richard somewhere on the Magnificent Mile while I was doing some shopping and walking. Thanked him for the good show yesterday, and when I answered to his question where I was coming from and that I was only in Chicago for the two GNR shows, he and his wife were genuinely surprised that some people do things like that. Took a picture and with a "we'll definitely be in Europe next year", we shook hands and said goodbye... Saw Frank shortly thereafter and spoke briefly as well. Both really nice guys!

Did they say where they were going to tonight?!!!??  I'm up for stalking....  ;-)

[cubsfan77]

I'm a huge fan, and I rarely post. That show last night was absolutely incredible. I saw some of the videos of prior shows and didn't know what to expect. I can honestly say it was one of the best shows I've ever seen and the band killed it. It's been a long time since a crowd that big were treated to a rock n' roll spectacle like that. They nailed it. 

 

[JY2016]

2 minutes ago, OutTaGetMesomeNightrain said:

Did they say where they were going to tonight?!!!??  I'm up for stalking....  ;-)

I didn't ask, I am not up for that ;-)

[itsprettytiedup]

First night at Soldier Field!