iodon

GnR is not holding tickets back to thwart scalpers. In fact, I'm sure they don't mind scalpers selling the tickets. It's money in their pockets and then the scalpers assume the risk for moving the tickets. As I see it, there are two possibilities for the tickets.

1. They wanted to say it was a "Sold Out Show" to build excitement and hopefully ticket sales for the other shows. So they help back the last couple hundred seats. With a few days left, they released them knowing that if they didn't sell, they wouldn't take too much of a hit financially.

2. These seats were reserved by the band. GnR has roots in NY (Fortus, Bumble, Axl as of late) perhaps they thought their friends and families would want seats so they those tickets aside. When they found out that they didn't need them, they were released to the public. This happens with professional athletes all the time.

It will be a packed house on Friday night. I don't see why everyone is so worried about the shows selling out. Fewer people means shorter beer and bathroom lines. I'm sure the band will get by financially.

So now it's the crowds fault? Maybe the band and/or the setlist had something to do with it? I donno. Just thinking outloud. Seems like there is always an excuse.

I don't think the average fan cares about the setlist. Blame should be place on the Band/producer for starting Bach at almost 9pm on a Sunday night. With three acts, the show almosts has to run until 2 am. I didn't think the wait time between Papa Roach and GnR was that excessive. I just think they should have started the whole thing at 7pm.

Ideally

Bach 7pm to 7:40

Roach 8pm to 9pm

Guns 10pm till Midnight.

I don't think the crowd would have been so lifeless with that schedule and GnR could have given us our customary 1 hour wait between acts.

Here's a mini review.

Got there about 9:30ish during Bach's set. He was good, but he's from jersey so he was definitely giving it his all. Papa Roach was what you would expect.

Now to the good stuff. At the beginning of GnR's set the bottom was basically full the top was half full. It looks like the didn't sell any seats in the top half of the 200's (upper level). The band came on about 11:40, which wasn't that late considering PR left the stage at 10:45. The show was pretty good. Not the best I've seen by Guns, but a good time. Technical problems plagued the mic again. I wonder why they can't figure this out after this many shows. Axl was in a really good mood. He warned the crowd once about throwing shit, but otherwise he was gratious and happy the whole night. I won't cover the set list because I'm sure it on here already.

Here was the problem last night. The crowd blew. It was a bad idea to play on a Sunday night. Plain and simple. Anyone who can afford a $100 concert ticket has to work in the morning and is probably tired from the weekend already. Compound that with a late start time and there was no energy to be found. A lot of people left early and I don't think it was a reflection on the band, but on the fact that it was fucking late and peoplke had to work in the morning. I tend to think that anyone who says that "Axl was going through the motions" only says that because it's pretty much the same show from hammerstein. Axl had a lot of energy and if it was your first time seeing him, it would have lived up to the hype. I took my brother in law (15) to his first Guns show and he loved it. If this show was on a Saturday night, the crowd would have been much more into it. Bad scheduling, not a bad show.

As long as he didn't hit a woman, I think this whole thing is great. I like rock stars to be a little crazy. Secretly all of you do as well. otherwise, we'd all be on the Bon Jovi message board. Axl can afford whatever the fine is going to be.

I can't believe it took five pages for someone to mention the solo was “You are Beautiful”. I thought it was fucking strange. It takes a lot of balls to play a pop princess song at a rock show. I thought the show last night was much much better than Friday. The production was much better. I thought the crowd was louder, but much less rowdy. On Friday I could feel the floor shaking, but not on Sunday. I thought the "new" songs were much better received last night. But it was probably because the mic levels were so bad on Friday. I am curious to see what happens with the video that is being shot at these shows. Axl was so interactive with the crowd last night that I have a feeling that it will be released at some point. Finck was great last night. He really played the shit out of the songs. I'm also happy to see that every one has more of a rock look about them compared to the village people routine from 2002. A kick ass show in all regards.

Slash? he wanted to see them at a 2001 gig but Axl didn't let him in, maybe this time he is there?

No, I think it was Doug Goldstein who didn´t allow Slash to see the gig to avoid to piss Axl off, but I´m not very sure.

I've been to a few shows at Hammerstein and if celebrities show they are in the first balcony level close to the stage on either side. I saw Black Crowes there last year and there were a few celebs there. There are always people in town in NYC that may not even be that into GnR, but they want to go to the biggest event in town on any given night.

I have one floor ticket for the 14th. Face value. Email me if interested.

winquigley@hotmail.com

I am a newbie here but an old member of htgth. (same name there)

I dunno...but I'm REALLY hoping for a special Hammerstein shirt!

Somebody...please report back to us on the merch situation on Friday!

Well maybe they can spell the venue's name correctly this time. That would be nice.

(referring to the Madsion Square Gardens shirts)

I think the song has very little to do with the book and more to do with the book's place in society. This thread is valid in a larger sense in regards to the comparison's between Axl and Salinger himself. One more person to bring into this discussion would be Bobby Fischer.

Axl, Salinger, Fischer were on the top of the world, and widely considered amound the best at their respective crafts. They all disappeared from the public eye, only releasing periodic statements, or were reported on with news of bizarre behavior. They all continued to work, without ever releasing material to the public. Salinger reportedly writes many short stories, Fischer created a new type of chess, Axl supposedly has dozen's of tracks. They all suffer from some sort of paranoia. The general public has a continued facaination with all three. They have been ingrained with popular culture due to the rejection of fame in an age when most people sell their souls for their fifteen minutes. All three have turned down millions of dollars in endorsements for their own reasons.

I am not glamorizing Axl, or the others, but they are compelling figures in American history over the last 40 years. Other people that could be added to this list are Brian Wilson and Bill Watterson.

This reclusive attitude given in the book was sort of lived out by Salinger in real life. Seen Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner. He goes to meet an author who is very Salinger-like.

You make interesting points, but I figured I would clarify one thing for anyone really interested in this discussion. In the novel "Shoeless Joe" written by W.P. Kinsella (the basis for Field of Dreams), the author specifically includes Salinger by name. There is a charactor in "Catcher in the Rye" with the last name Kinsella, and hence the connection mentioned in the movie. "Shoeless Joe" gives Salinger a fictional voice (and opinions) that Salinger did not authorize, and thus the character was changed in the movie to a generic '60's writer.

I'm going to the show on the fourteenth...and staying in new jersey

sorry madison - i never double bolt my doors...i triple bolt them and get a guard dog to rip out the balls of anyone that comes 10 feet within the radius of my house.

they have a field day on halloween

Other than Newark/Patterson/Harrison/Camden, New Jersey is very nice. Just keep in mind that the Path train runs all night (going to newark, Hoboken) and point in between), but the Jersey transit trains stop running at around 2am. SO if it's going to be a late night for you, and let's face it, it will be... bite the bullet and stay in the city.

One more thing for the people debating where to fly into. It's a fixed price $50 cab ride from Laguardia to Manhattan. If you fly into Newark, you can take the train for a lot less.

And as far as bars go, you can't go wrong with the Blarney Stone.

just a small note for those who feel security will be a joke.

1 axl in the past will NOT perform if security is not a+++ ( i belive at times he ha hired his own security)

2 a performer was recently killed in a small venue (forget who)

st louis

peace out

I was at the first Vegas show and the security was hard ass. I was at the hard rock vegas shows and the security was light. I think it's more dependent on the venue than Axl's wishes. The security at this place pretty much lets anything in.

Just my two cents from someone who works in NYC everyday.

1. Don't stay at Hotel Penn. It's a shithole. Don't stay in times square either. It just makes you look like a gullible tourist.

2. If you are driving in, park at port authority ($20) and take a cab or walk. I would tell you to take the path train, but parking can sometimes be a pain in the ass.

3. Before the show there is an irish bar on 41st (right across from Madison Square Garden/Penn Station) on the left side. This place was packed before the last GnR show at MSG. And MSG is a stones throw from Hammerstein, so I would think this is going to be fun again. They played all GnR that night, and the drinks are reasonably priced, unlike any other place near by.

4. If you don't have a ticket, just wait. Once the first chords are played, you can get a seat at half price. Just negotiate.

5. Don't worry about taking a camera in, the security there is a joke.