"Better" no longer a setlist staple

[ITW 2012]

It's a shame that Better, ITW, Prostitute and TWAT aren't played live every night. I understand they are demanding vocally, but if they are really trying to promote the album they should figure out a way to play the best songs from it every night.

Edited September 5, 2010 by ITW 2012

[realpoti]

Better live sucks.

have you seen it live??

Yes. Axl can't do it anymore. They played after Sorry in Sao Paulo. I'd rather hear more Shackler's and Don't Cry. IRS is strong too.

Axl's voice as at it's absolute worst in Sao Paulo. Look at a "Better" from Canada or the Asia tour.

No it wasn't. I was impressed considering his health (he was sick that week). But Better is very hard to sing, one of the worst for Axl. He should do IRS and Shackler's instead. I loved the set for Sao Paulo, 20 songs if I'm not mistaken, incluind Shackler's, IRS and others that aren't being played in Europe.

Edited September 5, 2010 by marlon_brando15

[bacardimayne]

Better live sucks.

have you seen it live??

Yes. Axl can't do it anymore. They played after Sorry in Sao Paulo. I'd rather hear more Shackler's and Don't Cry. IRS is strong too.

Axl's voice as at it's absolute worst in Sao Paulo. Look at a "Better" from Canada or the Asia tour.

No it wasn't. I was impressed considering his health (he was sick that week). But Better is very hard to sing, one of the worst for Axl. He should do IRS and Shackler's instead. I loved the set for Sao Paulo, 20 songs if I'm not mistaken, incluind Shackler's, IRS and others that aren't being played in Europe.

The setlist was great, but his voice was terrible. I commend him for actually showing up while sick and playing a full set, but his voice WAS bad.

Worst respective performances of each song on YouTube. In Shackler's he relies almost completely on the backing tracks.

[realpoti]

Give him a break. If The World sucks anyway. I pretty much prefer WTTJ from Sao Paulo than Reading or any other show in Europe.

[rockerman]

Yes. Axl can't do it anymore.

He "can" do it, he just chooses not to by refusing to get himself in the type of physical condition needed to let him pull off the more vocally challenging songs without sounding gassed.

Well whenyour napping all day what do you expect??

[bacardimayne]

1. Chinese Democracy

2. Welcome to the Jungle

3. It's So Easy

4. Mr. Brownstone

5. Sorry

-Fortus Solo

6. Live and Let Die

7. If the World

8. This I Love

9. Rocket Queen

-Dizzy Solo

10. Street of Dreams

11. You Could Be Mine

-Ashba Solo

12. Sweet Child o' Mine

-Axl Solo

13. November Rain

14. Better

15. Knockin' on Heaven's Door

-Ron Solo

16. Nightrain

Encore

17. Madagascar/There Was a Time/Catcher/Prostitute (Rotation)

18. Shackler's Revenge/Scraped/I.R.S./Whole Lotta Rosie (Rotation)

19. Paradise City

Setlist porn.

Edited September 5, 2010 by bacardimayne

[Axl Knows]

To pull off some of the vocally demanding CD songs properly I think Axl would have to be more stationary throughout the concert. I actually wouldn't mind this but alot of people probably would.

[RocketKing99]

<insert Axl's rant here about people who complain about setlists>

[rockerman]

one word: YAY!!!!

[Naupis]

To pull off some of the vocally demanding CD songs properly I think Axl would have to be more stationary throughout the concert.

Or he could try putting in some time on this silly little thing called a treadmill to increase his cardio. I know putting in any more effort than the bare minimum is not his thing, but it would certainly help matters instead of fans being subjected to Axl sounding gassed for half the show.

[Axl Knows]

I agree he could work on his conditioning, but the problem is though that people think "oh because Jagger and Tyler have been doing it, Axl should be able to" when that is pure nonsense. Axl is first of all much more animated as a frontman and second of all Guns N' Roses songs are 100 times more demanding vocally than some lame ass Aerosmith or Rolling Stones shit. It's impressive that he can hit the right notes at all considering how much effort he puts into the performance aspect.

[jekylhyde]

Better is awesome live! I've seen seen/heard it live. It was THE song I was waiting to hear last june. It's great! My favorite song from CD.

They should play Better at every show! Even the people who didn't like the other new songs went nuts during Better. I shit you not.

[Gods Favourite]

<insert Axl's rant here about people who complain about setlists>

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showtopic=167563&view=findpost&p=2735368

[star]

Probably a good thing. Axl can't sing the song live. Or should I say, the song don't work well live.

Also, as with This I Love, the Robin Finck solo is the best part of the song. Without the solo as it should be played, there's no point in playing it.

That's why they don't play Estanged, as the song is total Slash. Another greart GN'R song Double Takin Jive, is also total Slash. They don't play that either.

I'd love Slash to play Double Talkin Jive again, as it;s stomping - should have been a single.

Edited September 5, 2010 by star

[axldavies]

To be fair, if they played it in Dublin and Belfast, and were presumably going to play it in Reading and Leeds. That'd make one show it's been left off yeah?

Bit early to be predicting it's demise.

Edited September 5, 2010 by axldavies

[Conor]

It was great live, and one of the better songs from Chinese Democracy. It'd be a shame to drop it.

[Conor]

He sings the "I Never Wanted You To Be..." section differently in this video, it sounds cool.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GIGaFAN82#p/u

[Use Your Delusion 1]

Better, with promotion could have been a top 10/15 single IMO it rocks hard.

[Nick83]

You guys are wrong. Axl can sing Better and all the other CD songs. They aren't playing those songs because he can't deliver vocally.

There's something else going on I think. They should be promoting CD by playing CD songs, but they're sticking to old school set lists, and why is that? I don't know, but it's a mistake.

[Bumble's Bridge Pickup]

He sings the "I Never Wanted You To Be..." section differently in this video, it sounds cool.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GIGaFAN82#p/u

He's done that since S. America. I think he can't do the high scream each night anymore.

[Conor]

He sings the "I Never Wanted You To Be..." section differently in this video, it sounds cool.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GIGaFAN82#p/u

He's done that since S. America. I think he can't do the high scream each night anymore.

Really? Ha, I never even noticed.

[wasted]

I doubt they'll drop it for long. SOD has some staying power. At this point if they are still playing them they must go over pretty well live.

[dalsh327]

He sings the "I Never Wanted You To Be..." section differently in this video, it sounds cool.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GIGaFAN82#p/u

He's done that since S. America. I think he can't do the high scream each night anymore.

I don't know about anymore, but maybe from time to time, he's just not in the mood to do certain songs. Maybe he knows certain songs might blow out his voice and if he's not feeling up to it, might affect the next few shows he has to do. Why drop the new ones and not the old ones, I don't know.

[SLCPUNK]

I think Axl struggles with it live, which is why many of the CD songs aren't played, TWAT and Prostitue for example

.

Agreed, he seems to struggle with the new material live, while the old stuff is fine. Which to me, shows he really pushed himself for CD. Hard to replicate that live every night if that makes sense.

[GeorgeGlass]

I think Axl struggles with it live, which is why many of the CD songs aren't played, TWAT and Prostitue for example

.

I got TWAT in Hamilton youre right its a challenge live

It means this

Just wondering but were you there?

It's a challenge live because it's too complicated. All the guitarists and other junk needs to be stripped out and it should be played by 5 guys in a band, not 10. This is the fundamental problem with Chinese Democracy, it had a lot of potential but was cluttered and muddied by too many instruments and digital interference. There's something to be said about a simple rock album - unfortunately, CD is the exact opposite, almost as if Axl's trying too hard.