SilverMachine

If there's one thing I don't like about band forums and communities is that we as fans often treat concerts like football matches, rating band members on the night as if ranking player performances (passing accuracy = jokes on stage: 9/10).

Guns fans are far from alone in this it has to be said - if you've been following a band for a long time it's hard not to. My issue with this is that you end up losing sight of the fact that you're at a rock n roll show and all that should entail.

With that all said, I'm going to be a hypocrite and hone in on something I've noticed during recent gigs.

I thought the band were ace when I saw them in Dublin. As many have said Axl sounded great.

Yet, there was something that jarred that night and has been when I've seen clips on this tour, and I wondered if anyone else has picked up on it.

Timing. 

Not flubbed lines, but more band members coming in slightly too early or too late.

Here's an example from the other night in Austria at 0.58 where Axl come in early: https://www.veed.io/view/5ad1f40d-f764-47f2-9957-3f03f4ed6de1

The way it seems to be an issue with all band members - Slash, Duff, Frank and Richard all seem prone to it as much as Axl - leads me to think that its an in-ear monitor issue. Maybe some sort of sync issue. Folk on here have suggested they're no longer using click tracks like they did on earlier legs, but this suggests to me that they may still be doing so.

Anyways, just an observation and apologies for the essay, but it was something that continues to bug me when watching clips.

I don't mind if they drip feed songs in this way.

While I accept that it does point towards creative bankruptcy within the group as a unit, those old "unused" songs deserve to be heard and they've done genuinely interesting things when repurposing Absurd and HS (although I personally prefer the Freese-era version of HardSkool).  People will disagree, but I don't think either song tars the bands legacy.

To my mind this release when-they're-ready approach is to some degree fan service that should be welcomed - it says to me that they've kind of accepted the fact that maybe releasing an album won't have the cultural impact Axl may once have wished for - but they're at least still willing to put out stuff to keep the fans happy - heritage bands are increasingly not bothering anymore.

That said, I'd be surprised if we hear any "new" CD era songs until much later this year - my guess is that if we do hear anything from the vaults all the emphasis will be on the Use You Illusion reissue stuff in the run up to the summer European shows.

People putting up fake track names and album track lists is the epitome of cringe. 

The fact that Glastonbury goes out live on the BBC and they have full rebroadcast rights for some time afterwards probably puts paid to GNR playing - that and the fact that they don't pay big fees.

Would open them up to a huge audience though and its a right of passage for any band looking to ensure classic act status - Macca, Springsteen, U2, Radiohead, The Who, Neil Young, Dylan et all have all done it - very few top tier acts have not - Prince, Stone Roses, Nirvana are notable exceptions but all had been due to play at one point. Slash has played it solo though.

I got told once by the Stereophonics' manager that they got to headline Glastonbury in 2002 because Guns pulled out  - they were all but confirmed (and were also due to do Jools Holland at the same time apparently), but got cold feet and opted to do Leeds (but weirdly not Reading) later that year.

I think the issue for me is less about who is drumming and their style, but that the finished version has a noticeably chopped and fabricated drum track.

It no longer sounds cohesive and sounds a bit jarring to me - it's a real pity as the original Freese drums are really, really good.

I think the issue distills my problem with Chinese Democracy - those early demos actually have a bit of a groove to them - they sound band-like and organic, whereas the final versions sound patchwork and jerky.

I think a bit of the energy of the Village sessions versions isn't there because the drums have been redone - its missing some of Josh's rolls that really helped drive the track.

Still think it sounds great though and this does feel like a huge positive step for the band.

1 minute ago, Hidin´Stradlin said:

State of Grace is next

Perhaps...

* New bass intro with school bell

* Fairly modern sounding mix

* More prominent sounding organ throughout

* Drums and obviously the guitars are completely redone but main vocal lines appear to be from the Village session

* Guitar lines during the soundcheck recordings are pretty faithful to this recording

* There's cowbell in the first part of the solo!

* There's some weird Axl vocals under the layers plus a hard-flanged vocal into the final chorus.

* Modern punk false drum stop before the final chorus.

It's going to go down a storm, and no fan is likely to be disappointed, but I do prefer Josh Freese's original drums and the original solo breakdown.

Chuffed to bits its finally out there though.

Just now, Gunsdrummer63 said:

Where are you all listening to this?

I'm in Ireland but VPN'ing to New Zealand.

Sounds great with some nice touches (the person who though they heard a school bell in the intro from the sound check was right), and sounds about as traditional GNR as you're ever likely to get.

I do have a hankering for the original Village sessions version though...

11 minutes ago, Top-Hatted One said:

I know a lot of people of all ages who had COVID. None them have long term effects 

I know seven people who all have long covid - all under the age of 35, all but one were in prime health. One of them is six years old.

If you're inferring that long covid doesn't exist, I can assure you it absolutely does and its fucking grim.

28 minutes ago, tsinindy said:

Here's what I don't understand...if you are vaccinated...what are you concerned about?   I mean if you don't want to get coronavirus and are vaccinated, then don't go.  What does other people being vaccinated have to do with you?  It's already been proven vaccinated individuals can infect other individuals as can non-vaxxed.  The vaccine is to prevent you from getting serious symptoms....you're vaccinated you are protected.  Quit worrying about what others do.

And there's the rub - its not me I'm concerned about - I'm vaxed - its about other people who aren't. Kids, people who can't for medical reasons, or older folk where the vaccine can only do so much.

I say this as someone that knows a previously healthy six year old who now has long covid four months on and can't walk to the other end of their garden without getting out of breath.

14 minutes ago, whatashame said:

Besides , all yous vaccinated ones, what are you so damn scared of? You afraid of being at the same venue as I am? Why? after all, you are vaccinated, lol

I don't want to bring it home to my kids who can't get vaccinated.

14 minutes ago, Coma16 said:

This directly contradicts that UK reported that 54% for Delta deaths were fully vaccinated. But carry on...

Where is that stat from?

It's GNR's Free As A Bird, except no one has died.

2 minutes ago, Sosso said:

Source? 

It's on the BMI and PRS database in the UK. Also now showing up on a few sites like Genius:
https://genius.com/Guns-n-roses-absud-lyrics

The confirmed writing credits are  Axl Rose, Chris Pitman and Dizzy Reed (in that order).

A penny for Pitman/Finck/Buckethead/Bumblefoot's thoughts right now.

Maybe Brain is regarded as still being in the band but not in a live capacity - wasn't that what was inferred when Frank took over full time?

Really intrigued as to what the full writing credits are for this.

19 minutes ago, jamillos said:

How would this guy know what the band may have been rehearsing in the privacy of their studio, provided they've been rehearsing at all? 

That's how they'd been told to promote it.

When the Dublin show originally got announced I spoke to a friend of a friend working in PR for either Live Nation or MCD (can't remember which). 

He'd been told that the tour was going to coincide with the reissue of the Use Your Illusion albums and that the setlist would draw more heavily from those albums.

I don't think there's a new album, and I think the best you can hope for are "lost tracks" from the UYI sessions that would inevitably appear on the reissue like Ain't Going Down.

Hardschool could theoretically fall into that category, which could also explain why it was rehearsed.

Some pretty iconic bits and pieces up for grabs:

https://www.musicradar.com/news/slashs-sanchez-custom-s-style-plus-amps-and-guitars-owned-and-played-by-gilby-clarke-and-richard-fortus-are-up-for-sale-at-denmark-street-guitars