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Posts posted by BillBailey78
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My review of the show ... First of all, this was a very special trip for me. When I was around 12 years old I fell in love with Guns N' Roses. That enthusiasm was shared by my cousin Justin. I remember vividly the day GNR released the Use Your Illusion albums and Justin and I sat in his parents' basement and listened to them over and over again as we played Super Mario Brothers 3 on his Super Nintendo. I remember dissecting every inch of the CD inserts, all the way down to the "Thank you's." You see, Guns N' Roses was my very first favorite band. There was a time when I was living with my dad that I had a collage of Guns N' Roses pictures that I had made out of things I had found in magazines. The collage was at least five feet tall and five feet wide. I recall stressing about taking it off the wall when my dad and I moved to a new apartment. I didn't want a single picture to get bent or ripped. Through the years I have become a fan of many different types of music. Most notably I have a love for Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, and The Allman Brothers. But my love for GNR has never subsided. When it was announced that Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan would be reuniting for the first time in 23 years, a trip with Justin to Las Vegas to see their first show wasn't just a no brainer, it was necessary. It was a chance to revisit the happiest and most innocent times of my life with the person I experienced them with and the band that was the soundtrack to those times. Back when everything in my life seemed perfect. Sometimes Justin and I go months without being in communication. But when we see or talk to each other it always seems like we are still the best friends we were when we were 12. Wednesday morning Justin picked me up bright and early to make a trip to Pittsburgh to catch our flight to Vegas. The first conversation we had in the car was about the fact the one song we wanted to hear above all others at the concert was "Estranged." I didn't have high hopes that it would actually be played. It was a rarity in Axl's "new" GNR lineup he had toured with for several years. When we arrived at the arena on Friday for the show I was more excited than I ever remember being for a concert in my life. Justin and I were first in line at the door to the arena. When the gates finally opened for the show (over an hour after the stated time on the ticket) I was beyond thrilled. Axl Rose has a history of inciting riots after all. News had come down earlier in the week that he had broken his foot. I was hoping he hadn't decided at the last minute to cancel this historic show. Alice In Chains opened the concert. I couldn't have cared less. I wasn't there to see them and was ecstatic when their set was over. Jerry Cantrell threw a guitar pick that I caught. If anyone wants it let me know. 90 minutes after Alice in Chains was finished the lights went down and shadowy figures started walking onstage as the Looney Toons theme blared over the loud speaker. Then a synth pad vibrated the arena as anticipation was building. Out of the corner of my eye I could faintly make out Slash standing to my right. The stage was still in darkness though. Then, a group of four men began pushing a gigantic throne onto the stage. Seated on the throne was King Axl himself. The lights went up and Guns N' Roses ripped into "It's So Easy." The energy was something that can't be explained to anyone who wasn't there. I was jumping and fist pumping like I never had before. A lot has been said about Axl Rose over the years but let me tell you this ... He sounded and looked excellent. It was obvious he wanted out of the chair and the cast but he was giving this performance everything he had and then some. Two moments will forever be etched in my mind from this show. The first was when they launched into "Estranged." I put my hands on Justin's shoulders and squeezed. No words needed to be spoken. We were in heaven. As the song played I thought back to my youth. I'm not ashamed to admit that by the end of the song I had tears streaming down my face. There was no place on Earth I would have rather been at that moment than where I was. And there was no one else I would have rather experienced this show with. The second thing that stood out to me happened during Slash's solo on the song "This I Love." This is a song that Axl recorded for the Chinese Democracy album. The album Slash isn't on. As Slash played the most beautiful solo I may have ever heard I looked at Axl. He had his eyes closed. Completely entranced in the moment. It was as if he too was reminiscing fondly about his past. You could see in his face that he was realizing the magic that only comes from him and Slash together. When he opened his eyes he looked at Slash and smiled from ear to ear. This wasn't a dream. This was real life. And damn if life wasn't perfect again.
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1 minute ago, Tyler Drama said:
Slash's This I Love solo was the absolute highlight of the night. Fucking BONE-CHILLING.
This
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Hands down the best concert I've ever been to. Estranged and This I Love were the highlights for me. Slash sounded absolutely amazing on TIL. Blew me away! I was standing about four rows back right in front. Watching Axl watch Slash was awesome. At times it was like he was completely in a trance watching Slash play. Then he would bust out in a big smile. It was extremely special to witness. Also, I don't know what people were hearing on the video but Axl sounded amazing from where I was. Lastly, Frank gets a bad rap. Dude was solid all night long. There was a minor hiccup on You Could Be Mine, but it seemed to be because Slash missed a cue. I also noticed that Axl started November Rain a little fast, but Frank brought it back into the proper tempo when he came in. All in all it was an incredible experience and I am beyond thrilled to have been there.
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On April 6, 2016 at 7:13 AM, FallenRoses said:
Anyone want to upgrade their seat to VIP early entry Pit on Friday. My dad is going with me but can't stand long enough to use the pit ticket. Seat plus cash preferable.
I'm interested. I'm in section 7
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According to a manager at Luxor its not going to be there. The only thing I accomplished by going there was losing $200 in a slot machine.
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Estranged would be my choice. It was a song that bonded me and my cousin. It spoke to both of us and became a talking point between my cousin and myself. This song was directly responsible for us becoming friends as well as family.
PITTSBURGH
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Interesting that the original Vegas promos where they said something along the lines of Vegas being the first time you could see the band have been edited to remove that part.
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I'll be there on the 8th.
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lennon is by far the best far and above everyone
then jim morrison/robby krieger
then robert plant
then maybe axl
Bob Dylan's songs make all of the people's songs look juvenile.
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I always thought this song would have benefited from Axl using his lower vocal register during the verses. I think it would have given the song a proper climax during the chorus.
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That top pic is obviously photoshopped. -
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Steven Adler has remained quiet with all the reunion rumors circulating. I think that is very telling.
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04/08/2016 - Las Vegas - T-Mobile Arena
in 2016 Tour Dates
Posted
Yes. We are going to the Pittsburgh show.