[benditlikepeter]

gd99, on Nov 16 2006, 12:57 PM, said:

I really hate to say this, but my buddy and I went last night, and sat in section 321. We where totally impressed by the band...the piano solo was amazing....but, axl sucked big time...half the time we couldn't hear him at all....

we actually left the concert half way thru because it did not get any better...and, we where not the only ones to leave...I saw about 50 people leave at the same time, and a lot of them that we talked to felt the same as us. They where all saying how much Axl's voice sucked.

Now, I know what you're going to say, but I was very suprised by this. I saw them four years ago in London, and was very keen on last night. This was my buddy's first time seeing them...we where both very disapointed.

So, on my drive in this morning, all the dj's where saying how amazing he sounded.....is it possible that the sound was off in our section?

Ok this misleading as hell. People weren't leaving half way through the set because "axl's voice sucked" and I doubt you were able to talk to more than a handful of people.

People were leaving because the SUBWAY/TRANSIT/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CLOSES IN THE 1AM TIME RANGE. Lots of people take the subway to the event because it is TORONTO. People were leaving because THEY WORK. If you leave the show at 1AM, you'll probably be home an hour later. The crowd was mostly older people who aren't willing to get 4 hours of sleep before work. It had nothing to do with Axl's performance. It had to do with the show ending near 2AM.

[chesire78]

drugs and power issues also had a lot to do with the break up of gnr and i think they have all grown a bit since then

[gd99]

benditlikepeter, on Nov 16 2006, 03:17 PM, said:

gd99, on Nov 16 2006, 12:57 PM, said:

I really hate to say this, but my buddy and I went last night, and sat in section 321. We where totally impressed by the band...the piano solo was amazing....but, axl sucked big time...half the time we couldn't hear him at all....

we actually left the concert half way thru because it did not get any better...and, we where not the only ones to leave...I saw about 50 people leave at the same time, and a lot of them that we talked to felt the same as us. They where all saying how much Axl's voice sucked.

Now, I know what you're going to say, but I was very suprised by this. I saw them four years ago in London, and was very keen on last night. This was my buddy's first time seeing them...we where both very disapointed.

So, on my drive in this morning, all the dj's where saying how amazing he sounded.....is it possible that the sound was off in our section?

Ok this misleading as hell. People weren't leaving half way through the set because "axl's voice sucked" and I doubt you were able to talk to more than a handful of people.

People were leaving because the SUBWAY/TRANSIT/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CLOSES IN THE 1AM TIME RANGE. Lots of people take the subway to the event because it is TORONTO. People were leaving because THEY WORK. If you leave the show at 1AM, you'll probably be home an hour later. The crowd was mostly older people who aren't willing to get 4 hours of sleep before work. It had nothing to do with Axl's performance. It had to do with the show ending near 2AM.

ya, you're right...I made the whole thing up, all the conversations I had...all the people around me saying it...made it up....you got me...you must have been right beside me...

I agree, it was late, I'm not denying that...I just know what I heard people say...

I did say, maybe it was the sound in my area..did you read that part of my comment?...I don't know...I just know that for me, and others that I talked to, that it was one of the worst concerts that I have been to.

from where I was, the sound was terrible...but right..you where right there...

I am allowed to have my opinion of the concert, just like you...

[zint61]

ok...well...I'd like to share my thoughts on the show

First of all I'd like to say I'm glad to hear some of you had an amazing time at the show (and for those of you who were seeing GnR for the first time,hope it was a memorable night for you).

I thought the concert was good,but it wasn't mind blowing.

That's my 4th time seeing Guns in Toronto and that was easily the worst crowd reaction I've seen yet...hell even London 02 was crazier than that.Hamilton 93 was far more intense than that as well.
That was my 9th Guns show...4th with the newer line up(s)...and hands down that was my least favourite of all nine shows.

I got there just as Bach was starting,man that was a GREAT set!Sebastian really worked the crowd,the place roared after each song...arms in the air,people just having a great time.The Trailer Park Boys coming out got a huge reaction and was cool to see (it was a bit old hat for me though,I saw them walk out during a Rush concert in Montreal in 05).The surprise was Bubbles singing a song though,which Baz wanted everyone to sing along to but most people didn't know it.Bach connected with the crowd and really had a great mood in the air.He mentioned the first gig he ever played was in Toronto at Larry's Hideaway and he said "all the old people in the crowd will remember that place"...(yep,went there many times ).
Sebastian can't quite hold the notes as long as he used to...but he can still belt out a fucking song I'll tell ya.His band was good...it had the kind of vibe to it like,Baz walked into a bar and started jamming with the house band on stage.Not as intense as when I saw Skid Row open for Guns twice in '91...but it was still cool.
Bach was the perfect opening band for this kind of gig,in fact...he reminded me of how cool a rock show can be...perhaps it was a bit retro,but he had the crowd whipped into the perfect frenzy for Guns.It was the perfect lead in.

For the record...I keep hearing the opening band was kinda ok and the Suicide Girls are a complete joke...so..meh,whatever.

There was good energy in the air,when I got to the arena the first thing I saw was some guy getting literally THROWN out the doors by security! (always a good sign...lol)
There's always an edge in the air at a Guns gig...and the cops and security were not in the mood to screw around...some heavy shit went down here and there...it was a take no prisoners attitude with these guys last night.

It seems with each passing gig I attend Guns are coming on later and later...last night it was 20 minutes to midnight.Not that I'm complaining though..(I only had to attend a meeting at 8:15 am that was potentially worth 15 - 20 grand for me...no big whoop...lol).

So...the lights go out and the place erupts.Robin does he teaser lead in and the song kicks in.A great start as always and everyone's totally into it!By the second and third song I'm starting to notice Axl...he's cakewalking...he's phoning in his performance.I couldn't put my finger on it but he wasn't quite giving it his all.And I noticed with each passing song the crowd reaction grew just a little fainter.
It wasn't until KOHD that,in my opinion,the concert really kicked in.
In fact...during the sing along part of the song Axl said "I've been holding back a bit tonight,and so have you"....and it was then that he kicked us all in the head with a gutteral astonishing vocal line...it was truly amazing!!It was at this point that the crowd really surged with enthusiasm.Things improved from that point on...

..for awhile.

I couldn't figure out why Axl wasn't giving that extra spark to his performance.It was around this time that I noticed him walk to the drum riser,grab a Kleenex and blow his nose....and after that,I noticed him blow his nose several times.I think he was feeling under the weather and doing his best to still give a great performance.Kudos to him for being a trooper!
And I'm not saying he sucked or anything...but of all the Guns gigs I've seen this was the most subdued I've seen him (but he was still putting on a great show).I have to disagree with those who think his vocals were spot on all night...they weren't.He struggled at times,he held back at times...and he carefully chose the moments to kick us in the head with an astounding burst of vocal energy...all before heading back to blow his nose again (I was sitting near the front on an angle that allowed me to see him do this with his back to the audience).

Apart from that...the band worked their ass off...hard!I'm one of these people who really enjoys Robin's guitar work,I like the direction he goes in and the vibe he brings to the songs,it works for me.
In fact...I was blown away by his solo.I hadn't heard of this being discussed so I was caught completely unaware...he worked up a blues jam with Frank and Dizzy.It was fucking cool and at times it took on a live Zep improv jam vibe...ala Since I've Been Loving You!!
VERY very tastey!The crowd responded enthusiastically!

Dizzy worked up another BRILLIANT solo...perhaps as a nod to Canada and the great Neil Young?He did a stirring rendition of Like A Hurricane.It was a pleasure to listen to and worthy of a spot in the show.

And now...I'm going to say it...the rest of the solos are killing the energy!
The Fortus/Fink duet on Beautiful fell flat...I looked around the crowd and saw a sea of zombie faces.
I enjoyed it at Hammerstein,perhaps due to the intimate nature of the venue??
In a hockey arena it's lacklustre and smothering the momentum.
I found it boring quite honestly.

Bumblefoot...I've had no beef with him joining the band,at times I find he adds a unique sound into the mix.
But last night at times I found myself thinking of the discussions here where people question if he is really necessary...and I had to ask myself...well,is he?
Regardless,he's in the band and it's a question that will ultimately remain unresolved.
I'm going to be blunt and honest though...his solo bored the shit out of me.I physically cringed as he butchered Oh Canada...it was a cool gesture on his part (and it got a great round of applause) but I found it horrendous.I'm NOT a big fan of Steve Vai "I've had too many guitar lessons" noodling up and down the fret board...doodleooddleOODLEOODLEnoodle up and down,up and down...sorry...yawn.
(but that doesn't mean he's not good at doing it!!)...that's just personal taste.
And his Don't Cry solo seemed to go on forever...and I base that on the faces of all the people around me sitting down with blank stares.It was kinda cool when he jumped off the stage and walked along the barrier and let people smash away on the strings!If you couldn't see what was happening though...it sounded a right mess!

Tommy worked his ass off as always,the dude gives 110% consistantly...I think he wants to see this band succeed more than anyone else!
Richard was good as well...I was really impressed with him at Hammerstein...at this show he was just...there.
But again...working his ass off...I just don't have anything else duly notable to mention.
Frank's an adequate drummer...I hope Brain's coming back (I'll leave it at that).

And Chris Pittman...a bit of bad news for the Silkworms posse..I know what big fans you are!!When Axl introduced him,I think approx. 137 people out of 18,600 applauded.Sorry guys...didn't mean to disappoint you!

A fun highlight of the gig was Bubbles coming out to introduce Baz...Axl was clearly amused by this.Bubbles looked at Axl and said "it's really fuckin' him!!"...it was funny as hell!
After it was over Axl said with a big grin on his face "I'd like to thank Bubbles"...(and said the guys real name...can't think of it)...then he said "that was fuckin cool".

This is getting long...but I want to adrress a few observations.
People have been commenting that many people in the audience stared blankly when the new material was played.This is true...but I noticed a hell of a lot of people DID know the new songs...in the stands and on the floor.And Better got a great reaction...moreso than the other new ones.All new material was greeting by decent applause.But I gotta say...at this particular gig...those same blank stares were on the same faces when they were playing "the hits".I've never been to a Guns gig where everyone around me just stood or sat there with blank stares like that.I do know one thing...there was a LOT of tired people,and the later it got the lower the energy level dropped and the more lacklustre the crowd reaction got.
I found myself among those people standing there with a blank stare on my face.Apart from having a wicked head cold and trying to get over a bout of bronchitis I found myself wondering what the flaw was.
These are my thoughts on it..

The Appetite era of Guns was fuelled by a gang of high octane street punks full of piss and vinegar and nothing to lose.Attitude,swagger and a fuck you mentality...it was the backbone of those songs.Axl Rose was an unpredictable entity on stage,you NEVER knew what he was going to do next and that was part of the beauty and chaos of a Guns show back in the day.THAT Axl Rose is gone,it's all part of rock and roll history...never again will you see a madman take a 20 foot leap off a drum riser spinning a mic stand before almost decapitataing a roady with it then leaping into the crowd to punch some fucker in the head that was pissing him off.It's over.We now have a seasoned more mature Axl Rose who's grown beyond that type of behaviour (perhaps only for physical/health reasons...who knows?).
And with that in mind,I looked around the arena as song after song from Appetite was being played.The younger fans smashed together on the floor were in total awe...rightfully so...but everywhere else I looked,I saw faces that weren't buying it.Jungle and Sweet Child and Paradise...fine,but let it go at that.
This band is relying too heavily on the reckless years and many people are calling the bluff.
Axl himself unwittingly acknowledged it when he introduced Ron "don't play to loud,this side is trying to take a nap".Well I was on that side...and I was stuck in a throng of glum faces.Disappointed fathers who wanted to show their 10 year old kids the greatest rock band on the planet...the kids sound asleep on their mother's shoulder.(I saw at least 3 of those)The people behind me fucking talked ALL NIGHT (they are lucky they're still alive!!).People sitting there like they were at a funeral.Perhaps to some of them they were.
Axl SHOULDN'T be in a situation where a comment like that is even possible.

For me...the highlight of the concert was the new songs.I thought they worked very well and fit THIS particular band and Axl perfectly.These guys aren't street walking cheetahs anymore and this new material is shining proof of that fact.It was the most fun I had all night.And therein I think lies the problem.No one is being allowed the opportunity to indentify with this band on its own merit.This band truly shines when playing songs they were responsible for creating...it's the lifeblood that is going to save them.Because I'll tell you,relying on the glory days is a sinking ship,and I'll bet you half the people who were there last night have no intention of seeing this band again...UNLESS the new album comes out and it is amazing.Things are critical mass now unfortunately and it's the first time I've admitted it.This band has to carve out its own identity and it can't happen soon enough.I thought I understood the strategy of going on the road before CD drops.Get the band in the public eye,get tongues wagging and most importantly...get the wheels greased on this line up and have them note perfect and flawless when CD blows this band through the roof.
But I could only observe that it is backfiring...more than I thought.
However many new young fans they are attracting,they are driving others away in droves.I watched it last night...people all around me leaving throughout the show...for whatever reason.
And if it's because they have to catch the last train or whatever,then there's a problem there that needs to be addressed.I have no problem with gigs starting late...midnight's pushing it though!
The fact is...the venue started to empty out early...yeah the majority stayed...standing there numb,dreading the next morning.

With Paradise City...(Axl blew his nose DURING the song)...they managed to get the crowd to a fever pitch,it bordered on pandemonium...it was the most intense part of the concert.Well...a Guns concert used to be like that from the first note to the very last note 2 1/2 hours later!
Far from the case last night..

Hammerstein in May was stunning,I had high hopes of good things to come...still do...I'm sure of it.
But they've got to let go of Appetite and move into their own element.
I fully believe this band can rise to the top again,but it's GOT to be their own material that propels them there.All I can say is this cd better be coming out soon...real soon!

I'll close with this scenario from last night...it's been a ritual since '91 for a group of my friends to go to Guns concerts together.I watched their faces drop as the night went on...Axl making comments about people napping,vocals that can be barely heard,a setlist drenched in songs from the street urchin days...crap acoustics....the time pushing towards two in the morning.
Based on comments made,it looks like the next time around I'll most likely be attending without them...unless things radically change.
On the way out one friend grunted in disgust as he noticed they sold him a keychain from the UK/Europe 2006 tour...unloading old merchandise over here...nice touch.
As we neared the exit,he threw the keychain in the garbage and said 'this fuckin' album better be a fucking masterpiece".
And I think that sentiment holds true on a large scale...unfortunately.
As we stepped outside into a torrential downpour!!

It's hard to hold a candle in the cold November Rain.

..indeed


But to recap...I did have a great time...it was a fun night out.If I was being generous I'd give that gig a 7 out of 10...at best, (based on other Guns shows I've been to).
Definitely number 9 out of 9 Guns shows I've attended from 91 to 06.

Get the cd out...soon.

This post has been edited by zint61: 16 November 2006 - 07:48 PM

[hudder]

Holy, I am way too tired from last nights show to read all that blather. Some good points, too much negativity, I had the time of my life last night because I found the band reallyl jived together, the solos were crazy, and if people were staring blankly its was because they were tired or stoned or both. I had a buzz and I didn't even smoke.

What a show! Axl is truly back in form and the new GNR is a great band. People, we can only be nostalgic for so long and then we get on with it. Truthfully those guys were having a blast on stage together, and should by some miracle Slash Duff Izzy (but probably not Steve) had made it up on the stage together, the freshness and friendship would not have been there.

It was a blast, take it or leave it. I am happy

This post has been edited by hudder: 16 November 2006 - 06:06 PM

[zepsun]

saw GNR in 2002 in the stands, and last night got to be front row, almost-centre. (5 people from the centre)
2002 I had the same issue with hearing Axl's vocals. I think the throw on the vocals is not as powerful in the mix like the rest of the music. Being up front and centre you're closer to Axl's monitor mix..I probably only noticed 2 times during the night where the vocals were too low.

As for the band, they are talented guys and perform well. I noticed they've been practising the old songs. Robin doesn't fuck them up as much.


Ron Thai, who I respect as a guitar player..was kinda fucking up the ending of Nov Rain. His notes were slightly off key for someone who is so 'technical.' I also wondered if the band really needed him, half of the time he was only making noise anyway, and the other half he was really low in the mix.

I noticed in the second Nov Rain solo, Axl was watching Robin very close because Robin was improving on the ending of the solo..and it seemed as tho Axl was thinking "stick to the notes"...

Axl's voice is just about as good as it was in the 90s..he can dish out some power now, unlike the 2002 tour.

I agree that the band shines on the new songs. Better, CD, The Blues and IRS were awesome live.

The lustre of the show wore off on me towards Patience. The ACC is a fuckin dump. They should have water vendors at the front of hte stage..hardcore fans lined up since noon were passing out from thirst/dehydration..i give it my all at a concert..jumping etc...and i was dying for a bottle of water..so finally after nightrain I relinquished my position at the baricade, and went to get something to drink and watched the encore from the back.

ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY TO HAVE 3 OPENING BANDS...that was rediculous. Die Manequinn..WAS USELESS...someone should tell that girl that Courtney Love already exists,actually did heroin and didn't have to pretend she was on it. Their whole set was noise noise noise...crap.

Suicide Girls...why would anyone go to a concert to see 6 stupid bitches haul their tops off only to reveal taped up nipples from 30 feet away...honestly...there are strip bars for that sort of thing..I couldn't help but think...do these girls feel like huge sluts at all?...The best part about it was Wolfmother and Zeppelin was played for them to strip to.

Seb..FUCKING AWESOME...he knew how to work the crowd, he was into it, the crowd was into it. 10/10
His voice was perfect..even his higher notes were notes..not brash screaming.

No need for a 4 band night..unless their either all fantastic..or you're at a festival and they have hoses and water up front.

I'm undecided if I will go to another GNR show of the same lineup...depends on the album and future bootlegs....and the number of opening bands.
GNR performed well though. I'm tired of the nostalgia gigs and want to hear the new stuff....

Cheers.

Not sure if anyone posted the set list but..here it is in no particular order:
Jungle, ISE, Brownstone, OTGM, Paradise, My Michelle, SCOM, Patience, UTLH, LALD, Nov Rain, KOHD, YCBM, Blues, CD, IRS, Better

This post has been edited by zepsun: 16 November 2006 - 08:59 PM

[Buck-it-Head]

I would say that Baz had an awesome set. He really got the crowd into it. He had a great band behind him too, much better players then in Skid Row.

As far as GNR goes...........there best line-up was with Buckethead, not just because of his playing but because of his showmanship. There was no "show" last night, nothing entertaining about it. Don't get me wrong, Axl was great and the songs sounded solid but since Axl isn't talking to the crowd anymore and trying to get the crowd into it there is nothing left to look at. He doesn't even do costume changes anymore. And if your going to let everyone do a solo, which I have no prob. with at all since I myself am a musician, make sure the guy can play.......which leads me
to the guitar players...........I'm sorry but Robin needs to go.......he sucks ass........I've never heard such aweful use of pentatonic and blues scales, and his guitar tone is horrible......why is he doing so many f@#king leads.........he's the hairiest ball of crap ever. If you think he's good it's not your fault, you're prob. not a guitar player.....and if you are a guitar player and think he's good you might want to think about learning a new instrument.
Richard, he shocked the shit out of me.....his tone was awesome and his finger work in both hands was unique which gave himself a unique sound. You can tell he has good knowledge of the fret board, just a wicked player.
Ron, what can I say, couldn't ask for a better player to take over for BH. The guy is awesome, same qualities of playing as BH. He's the type of guitar player that I'd pay to see as a solo act.
Everyone else was solid and did a great job, overall I was excited to see them again and loved the new tunes live.......the crowd didn't help the cause at all either.....they were pretty dead, some even asleep. Take this critique however you like.

[Xtreme Schemes]

I'm too lazy to really type up most of my thoughts on the show. It was my first Guns show, and I can honestly say that I was impressed with it. I left with a giant smile on my face and a total lack of voice (which I still haven't gained back btw). I was up in section 120, and I happened to notice Axl go over and blow his nose once, so I figured he was a little under the weather. I found that while his vocals were there when he wanted them to be, he had a bit of a problem in the first few songs actually singing into the mic. Either he had the mic a bit too far from his mouth, or too close. Personally, being 20 years old, the fact that the concert went on until just before 2 didn't bother me that much, but as a guy who used to be in a band and loves seeing a crowd mad pumped, I would have prefered that it go on earlier so that everyone could be more into it. My three favourite songs by GNR were Patience, Better and November Rain. I'd heard that Axl had been struggling recently in November Rain to hit those high notes, so I was surprised when he was more or less dead on. I got there at the end of Die Mannequin's set. From what I heard, they really weren't all that bad. Suicide Girls were pointless, but got a decent reaction from teh guys on teh floor. Baz was absolutely amazing, though I noticed most of the crowd there didn't know most of his old Skid Row songs.

Speaking of Baz, there was a slower song that he dedicated to his Dad and step mom. I was too stoned to remember what it was called. Can anyone help me out? Cuz I thought it was mind blowing.

[corinthian]

kyrie, on Nov 16 2006, 02:19 PM, said:

Suicide Girls were soooooooooooooooooooo much better than Mix Master Mike, and they put on a very decent show actually, especially the Resevoir Dogs bit ("Why do I have to be Mr. Pink/Because you're a fucking faggot").

Anything would be better than mixmaster mike. That was awful.

"WHAT'S UP TORONTO!"
(silence)
"PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER TORONTO!"
(silence)
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!"
(silence)

[RJ88]

corinthian, on Nov 17 2006, 04:42 PM, said:

kyrie, on Nov 16 2006, 02:19 PM, said:

Suicide Girls were soooooooooooooooooooo much better than Mix Master Mike, and they put on a very decent show actually, especially the Resevoir Dogs bit ("Why do I have to be Mr. Pink/Because you're a fucking faggot").

Anything would be better than mixmaster mike. That was awful.

"WHAT'S UP TORONTO!"
(silence)
"PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER TORONTO!"
(silence)
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!"
(silence)

nothing beat his "Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men!!!!!" that he had on stage

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mLRtle9DjFE

[adnan]

See, zint hit it dead on and I haven't even seen the band live yet.

Relying on the AFD stuff is great for the younger kids, but I spoke to a teacher from my school who's in his 40's now and a huge Guns fan, and he said that he liked what they did in the 2002 tour but it was a failure and that he was psyched to see the New Chinese Democracy Guns N' Roses playing their new stuff and a few classics.

I didn't have the heart to tell him it was the other way around.