LesPaul_Player_91

Some people will have made up their minds beforehand. 2010 looks way better than 02 in terms of the show

Really? I haven't seen this version of the band yet live (seeing them in October) but judging by yesterday I'd say Axl sounded a lot better in 06. Was this just an off night for him? Admittedly in some parts he sounded awesome but overall thought he was weak and shaky.

I'd agree vocals wise he was better in '06 but the band as a whole is a lot better now. I think that's in part due to DJ replacing Finck. Now don't get me wrong I'm a huge Finck fan I loved the stuff he did on CD and played a major part in shaping how good it sounded. But, DJ has huge stage presence and can play the old GN'R stuff a lot better. I think someone said on another thread that Finck would be awsome if they played mainly new material with a couple of the old songs but the point is they don't. I agree with this and I'll take Ashba over Finck live any day. Also Ashba gels will the whole band. Putting Ashba in the band was the spark this band needed.

I doubt it.

The main problem here was the curfews and city councils. It was more than just the promoter turning off the power it was the councils saying the power has to go off now or else. And I think I read the police were at Leeds. You can't really go against that. Festivals have huge restrictions arenas don't. Rightly or wrongly. Personally, I don't see why they couldn't have just done the two songs at Reading, it was ridiculous but that's English local government for you! At the end of the day if it was just the promoter imposing the curfew Axl would have paid the late fees and the band would have had a full set.

I mean at arenas Axl is fined if he's late but paying up doesn't seem to bother him. He just pays up and plays as late as he wants, the show goes ahead as planned. Because at arena/indoor shows the councils don't usually get involved. This festival won't change Axl or promoters of other non festival shows at all.

Whether or not Guns will do Reading/Leeds again who knows? Although I'm doubting that in eight years we'll get another Reading/Leeds show.

The intro has started in Leeds....

/jarmo

They should still get a full set then as they were half hour over curfew on Friday before the plug was pulled. I should have gone to Leeds!

After 9:30 this is gonna get messy if they don't show up.

They may go on stage at half nine but I'm thinking more like 10. It wouldn't surprise me if they're going to pull the same stunt as Reading.

@clash_music on twitter said they will be providing live run down of the setlist

Awesome

:D :D

Guns N' Roses Please feel free to share retweet, etc.: The show tonight at #leedsfestival is ON!

Awsome news for everyone who's going!

I think this will be a GN'R show for the history books. I mean Reading was epic.

Come on stage play Better and Paradise City. Then dim the lights and play Chinese and then cue Axl rant.

this has just been posted by an NME editor

'Last day of Leeds 2010. Haven't seen Axl on site yet. Still told they're playing though despite rumours of UK indie rock replacements'

Interesting, I'm guessing that they've got a contingency planned if Axl is a no show. Aren't the rest of the band in Leeds now though?

Reading was my first festival last year and it seriously put me off going to another festival again. the crowd are shit and people don't go for the music at all

+1

I only went to Reading because it looked for a long time as this would be the only GN'R show (other than Leeds obviously). Bring on the October tour with real GN'R fans and a full set!

Added: I notice on the Reading forum some halfwit posted that that thought Lostprophets' diabolical excuse of a version of Sweet Child was 'better than the original' again proving these people know nothing about music.

I was in attendance at Reading Festival last summer. Having never been I was excited to see what the English crowd was like in comparison to brilliant crowds in Scotland (who are undoubtedly the world's best and I wont hear anything against that).

On the friday night the Kings of Leon put on a brilliant show... yet I couldn't believe how static the crowd were around me. They were booing inbetween songs and standing still. The same thing took place the following night for the Arctic Monkeys. So when I read that Axl wasn't exactly welcomed by the crowd I was anything but surprised. What you've called one of the world's most respected festivals to me seemed like it was populated with pompous-know-it-all's who were so wrapped up in their self-importance that they forgot what a festival was all about: having fun.

Leeds are further north, the people are better and more fun. Plus there will be a larger Scottish contingency. If Axl wanted to come and win over Britain all he had to do was play T in the Park. Because at the very least the fans would have given him a chance.

Fuck Reading.

Have to say I agree, a lot of the crowd throughout the day were annoying, the vibe was very different to Download which I went to earlier this year which was a whole lot better (although GN'R had problems with the crowd at Download a few years back). Partly its because Reading has become very mainstream and basically whoever is flavour of the month in NME plays and the crowd reflects this. It's not what I'd call a proper rock festival anymore whereas Download and Sonisphere are. GN'R and QOTSA are the only proper rock bands playing the festival. Which annoyed me when the other bands on the bill were slagging off GN'R when they are nowhere near as good. Only slag off a band if you are better than them.

Bring on the October arena tour. Hopefully the crowd in Birmingham will be better. [And I get to hear Better properly as the plug won't be pulled ]

I was at the show and it was totally amazing. The whole band were on fire. The negative reviews make me laugh. What happened at the end was insane and the whole place was buzzing because of it! The people who booed at the start were still there and now chanting for more and the atmosphere was electric and not like anything I've ever experienced at a live gig. GNR are really the most amazing band around and Axl is a true true rock star. Don't be fooled by the media. That gig was fucking awesome!!!!!!! On a side note qotsa suck balls and were the worst live band i've ever seen. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Highlights for me were CD, This I love and Rocket Queen.

You obviously didn't see the bands on before QOTA

Is this being shown on red button or BBC Three tonight?

If they didn't show Reading I highly doubt they'll show Leeds.

So it's okay for Axl to short-change the fans, because it gives the message boards something to talk about???

Riiiiight....

In future they could operate a policy where a percentage of the ticket price is refunded,

based on the percentage of time the band spend performing anything other than music.

Arriving late on stage = Refund of 50%

You think that the money aspect of lateness bothers the guy? Doesn't he usually pay huge fines for starting the arena shows late?

I'm in Leeds just now... turned 20 a couple of hours ago. I really hope GNR make this the best birthday weekend ever, but I've never been more scared about a gig in my entire life, there's genuine risk it's just not gonna happen... come on guys, you're so much better than all the controversy. Do yourselves and the fans proud.

Hope all goes well, I think the band should be in Leeds now, didn't Tommy tweet he was on his way to Leeds or something?

If GN'R want to have a go a the promoter the way to do it is to go on stage and have a rant about the last night not by cancelling this show.

I thought they weren't going to be playing? Have I missed something?

Anyway, if they do play I imagine they'll be late again to force the issue. A big fuck you to the promoters to say "yeah we know you're gonna do it, but we're still gonna go on when we want to". I'll imagine they'll be on around 1hr-1hr 15 mins after the scheduled slot.

Of course that really achieves nothing. It'll be excellent if he just turned the fuck up on time , had a big rant and told the promoters to shove it. Apologise to the fans at Reading for not getting a full set but wants to make it up tonight at Leeds. They then proceed to play a 2 and a half hour set after refusing to go off til they promoters pulled the plug just to give the fans the maximum possible.

GNR receive glowing reviews and Axl shows himself to not be so much of a cunt.

I really hope that happens, but I'm very doubtful that that it would. It seems very likely that Axl will do the same as he did at Reading.

Which will then just completely bury GNR's ability to ever headline a festival in the UK again. The press will also have completely give up on this band (if they haven't already)

I think the press already have, they gave a truly great show terrible reviews.

Leeds is going to be more epic than Reading I feel. They'll be ready and more prepared if and when they pull the plug.

Here's my "Live And Let Die" recording from last night:

Thanks, LALD was the highlight of the evening I thought and I'm not the hugest fan of that song so that says a lot!

Axl Rose was late? Yes, he was, but why so much drama, this is not news, this is not news at all! This stuff happens since the Illusions tours, why is everyone shocked?

I don't wanna pose like Axl's ass kisser, but some people who were in the crowd said that what happened was the same problem of Rock N' Rev, the GNR gear, Axl was there hours before their concert.

Now regarding the band refusing to go off stage, I think that was very cool. What matters to a band it's their fanbase, and I didn't see ANY booing in the ending of the concert, people were amazed with what was happening, they even chanted FUCK YOU READING, LET THEM PLAY, WE WILL ROCK YOU and signed Paradise City. Well if their attitude at the end of the concert doesn't show some respect for the fans... They even wanted to bring some fans to the stage! They tried to give the fans what they wanted, the music, and the crowd appreciated that! Why others stage had the music going on untill 2 AM and GNR had to go off at midnight? OK, they were indeed late (for some uknwown reason till now), and the Reading boss did warn them, but that was unfair. It was their last song. So he cares mor about the money than the fans? I bet he loved the FUCK YOU READING chant. Well, as long he got the money, fans couldn't chant whatever they wanted, right?

Now back to what matters, the band performance. The media seems to have disliked, but people who went are being very positive and the videos on YouTube show they were very tight. That was an amazing Guns N' Roses, in every term. Rock on!

Actually there was some booing which was directed at the organisers before anyone wants to make out they were booing the band.

The media will always say shit about GN'R that's how it will always be unless there is a reunion and the way the current band is there really is no need for one.

And he really wasn't that late. Coming on at 11:30 at a festival really isn't that bad especially as at a festival most of the audience don't have work the next day or need to get home. The promoter wanted to prove a point and he did although GN'R got one over as even without electricity they still kept on rocking. I see this show as a high point for the band not a low point by any means. The band were united together yesterday on the stage and the music was insanely good whatever the press would tell you. And even non GN'R fans were won over.

It amazes me that some people think this promoter should risk his license just for Axl Rose.

The festival brings a shitload of money to Reading, they wouldn't close it down.

Exactly right mate. And even if they had been on time, they wouldnt have gone on as the stage crew were still fucking around bringing monitors out at about 21:50. They all looked a little lost really. Im not sayin they were right to come on late. All im saying is if other acts can carry on past midnight and all the little dicks in the campsite can run around shouting their mouths off and starting fires til the small hours, surely GnR could have been allowed 15 more minutes or so to end the show properly. Nevermind anyway, it was still an awesome performance and one of the best nights of my life!

Yeah, same here, definitely THE best show I've ever seen and I've seen AC/DC, The Stones, The Who, Aerosmith, KISS etc.. In fact last night I thought only Zeppelin in their prime could rival GN'R 2010. In fact what made me laugh is the frontmen of the (crappy IMO bar QOTSA) bands earlier on who are in their 20s and 30s are nowhere near as good a frontman as Axl is and the guy's almost 50! Give me a late GN'R over an on time Lostprophets any day. Also, Lostprophets did a small cover of Sweet Child O' Mine. It was painful to listen to.

There did seem to be some technical hiccups and I don't think it was 100% Axl's fault but it was a bad move by the promoter to almost challenge Axl to break the curfew a few days ago and if you're worried about curfew times, GN'R is THE band you don't book. Sure Axl's been early before but you can't tell.

It amazes me that some people think this promoter should risk his license just for Axl Rose.

The festival brings a shitload of money to Reading, they wouldn't close it down.

To be fair to Reading, they gave the band an extra 30mins to perform.

They should have taken that on board, and dropped some songs so as to end on Paradise City.

Obviously they wanted to create some controversy.

An extra 30 minutes was good of them but why not make it an hour when theres still music coming from the other tents for an hour after the plug was pulled on GnR?

+1

Cutting the sound was a show of power by the promoter, nothing more.

NOW... We don't know why they came on at the time they came on so how the fuck can people start coming on here bashing Axl?! Based on what?

I highly doubt it was the band's fault, Ron was talking to crew on stage and even at one point during the wait was going to address the crowd as he stepped up to the mic stand although I think the mic was switched off. Also, the video screens were a bit screwed up which may have been the problem, the big one on the stage had a section which was fuzzy and the other ones weren't completely okay. Axl is a guy that can come on two hours late, one hour is nothing. Also, if it was another case of Axl being Axl would Bumble and Ashba have been so supportive of him? I think not. Especially as Ron hates leaving fans waiting. He was so annoyed at Sturgis and that wasn't Axl's fault. It was a beautiful moment at the end with them all on stage together. You really thought "these guys are a band."

Also, Guns got the last laugh, they went half an hour over the curfew and they still stayed on stage with the crowd singing Paradise City so loud it was insane and pretty much all the crowd stayed for the 'acoustic set' They didn't come offstage until they would have wanted to anyway.

No problem guys.

Like I said - this was from where I was standing right at the front. If there was booing during the set / or poor reaction it was further back so I wouldn't know. People definitely left before they came on because of the wait - but come on? 10:30, at a festival?!! I suppose everyone has different expectations.....

:-)

I was pretty near the front and I could hear some booing during the wait but once they started everyone was into it, there may have been one or two people saying shit but that was it and everybody was getting annoyed with those people and not joining in.

At the end of the day I think people just thought Axl was up to his usual tricks and didn't even think that there could be a problem with the equipment or anything.

All in all I'd say it was a triumph whatever the press said. If they were earlier the press could have been more positive but hey screw the press. When literally EVERYBODY was singing Paradise City it was awsome.

Great show last night! Shame it has to be overshadowed by admittedly self inflicted press and BS!

Baring in mind the festival crowd was very skeptical from the outset due to the inevitable ill informed word of mouth (i.e. its just Axl and session players, they always come on really late etc etc) guns actually won the majority of the crowd over very quickly. Where I was standing there were a group of youngish people who certainly weren’t guns fans, but who were looking forward to seeing someone who is clearly regarded as a legend, either for the right or wrong reasons.

As 9:30 approached the scepticism grew around me, however the general booing was totally tongue in cheek as it was only prompted each time someone came on stage that wasn’t a band member, so when the crew members strolled on the stage to adjust something then the sarcastic boos would ring. Although they were hardly meant in a hostile way it’s all too easy for the press to put their own spin on it.

There were chants of ‘we want Slash’ too, but again more tongue in cheek than hostile.

Once Guns came on stage the crowd went wild as they launched in to CD, which got a surprisingly good reception where I was, baring in mind most of the people directly around me didn’t even know the song. Once WTTJ started up that was it, everyone was loving it and that’s pretty much how the whole set continued, every little thing that happed on stage was applauded by the non believers around me, including Dizzy’s piano solo which could have been considered a little over indulgent to people not familiar with the band.

The most notable thing for me though was how the people who had be shouting that its only Axl and his ‘session players’ shut up as soon as Richard did his Bond solo. From that point on it was clear that its not just Axl who takes centre stage, and 3 guitarist, especially DJ were adored by the end of the night.

When the plug pulling fiasco happened at the end, the crowd was shouting ‘we want more’ and generally abusing Reading organizers when it became clear that Axl was trying to continue. It’s a real shame, as rather than the show ending on a high it was ended with a rather bizarre flatness as people (and the band) accepted the show was over and headed off for the night. The band should have just left after Night Train and everyone would have walked of wanting more and saying how good it was, rather than discussing the bizarre ending which was embarrassing for both Reading and Guns.

So, a great show but a wasted opportunity as the band had arrived in the UK on the back of some positive press, only to throw it all away by coming on late and not being able to finish there own set. Had they come on at 9:30, or even 10pm they would have conquered a notoriously difficult crowd, and more importantly NOT given the press so much ammunition to slate them - but then that’s not the GnR way is it.

+1

Glad somebody else enjoyed it as much as I did. Whatever the press says I'd say 90% of people were loving it.

My information at the time of writing was QOTSA finished 21:35. If they indeed finished 20:45, the picture is a bit different, I agree. However, we still don't know what was the concrete reason for the band not getting on stage despite being there and being seen waiting.

Again: remember Sturgis a few weeks ago. Everybody was blaming Axl as usual. Yet it turned out is was not his fault at all. Everybody is blaming Axl now, too, despite facts indicating the opposite.

It may not have been Axl's fault but I think it was a case of the boy who cried wolf last night. Because Axl is known to start shows late many of the crowd just assumed he was up to his old tricks again. There may have been a viable reason for the lateness last night and if the band including Axl were seen at the side of the stage at 21:30 (I only saw Bumblefoot when he actually came onstage but I couldn't see the sides that well) then it appears there may have been an issue.

Also, during the wait Bumble actually stepped up to the mic and said something but the mic wasn't on. Either that or he decided against saying anything.