Shut up about the setlist! Axl is singing for the majority of his fans

[Nick85]

A Dr. Pepper campaign is needed.

Haha, indeed. Does anyone other than us even know, let alone care, that Axl's holding the next album hostage from the fans? Where's the friggin 'facepalm' emoticon when I need it?

[batman007]

Here's what Axl says about people who bitch about setlists:

Perfect! I have been to a several shows and have never bitched or cried about the setlist. Why? They are my fav band and I love the music they play, and they dont owe me anything.

[ThinkAboutYou]

why would they tell me to please those that laugh in my face

[EhEh]

Doesn't make any sense, Axl in the mid 90's onwards was all about moving the band in a new direction and wanted to seperate himself from any reunion tours and plans. Best way to do that? Release new music with your new band/s and tour this music, seperating yourself from the band from the late 80's. But in the last 15 years he has released one album and only plays a handful of songs on it which get lost in a setlist full of UYI and AFD which he was trying to move on from. The only possible explanation is he knows its the best way to make money and get larger crowds to play in front of.

Edited February 14, 2012 by EhEh

[Aussiegun]

Do casual fans really care about songs like Brownstone, ISE, Rocket Queen, KOHD, LALD?

If you took them out, and still kept all the other old songs (including Estranged and Civil War as staples), thats still a shit load of old songs to keep everyone happy, and even then they can add other old songs that havent been played in a while (or 19 years)

[Kill Devil Hill]

The only people that complain about the setlists are the losers that don't go to the shows and base their opinions on reading things on the internet and youtube.

And you when someone takes away your Chinese Democracy.

[Brodie]

I'm glad they dropped "This I Love". I dig the song but it where it was in the setlist didn't really make sense.

"Sorry" is awesome though. I'd love to have it back in.

[Chris 55]

I don't want a reunion, always hated Slash! Hate is such a strong word, dislike is better

Man, you must hate the work that made GNR famous.

[wasted]

At this point this is the set list they have to play.

CD

Better

SOD

Sorry

Madagascar

TIL

These all seem like solid songs to play live.

[kingsize]

it would be cool if they did a different set each night for the NYC shows!!!I'm hoping for a surprise acoustic acoustic show!!!

[Apollo]

Nobody wanted Chinese D to become a success more than me and while I love the songs, very few of them get any reaction from a live crowd. For fucks sake, look around you when you're at a live show and Sorry is sung, or This I Love. Nobody knows them, nobody sings along. Sure a couple of us hardcore fans do, but for the most part, the place is silent and the energy leaves the room. At Roseland, the fucking song of the night was Civil War for sure. The crowd went ape shit. I'd rather see that live than hear TWAT and see only 10 fanboys out of 3000 singing along. Most people go see guns to hear the hits. The current set list has a good mix of everything now. Shit I remember when everyone was bitching that no illusion material was played. He added the big ones and still, more bitching about the lack of Chinese d material. That album was a gift to the hardcore fans, so fucking appreciate it. The live shows are gifts to the all fans, but have to tailored to the mainstream fan base or else nobody would go to the shows. If I were whispering in Fernando's ear, I would suggest doing one hardcore night for fans. Once a year. Message board lottery system invite, 20 songs, fans get to pick which ones. Even just one show for the fanatics would get them to shut up.

Finally, and I mean this with all do respect because I know what it means to be a guns fanatic. Some of you need to let go a little bit and find more important things to be upset about. Getting all riled up about a gnr setlist? Really? With all that's going on in this world, I would find a more productive place to lay your concerns. Just be happy Axl is alive and well, in good spirits, and up there at all. If he doesn't sing prostitute, don't cry. Go sleep with a prostitute and feel better, better. Keep the passion, but lose the bitching...

Kaneda

You make some great points. But I really think it is because of the song choices.

FIrst off, when you have a three hour show, the more mellow songs you throw out there, the more chance the crowd is going to fade a bit. THROW in all the "jams" and solos - and there you go.

When I heard Riff Raff was added, I was dissapointed. THEN when I went to a show and heard it live, I changed my opinion 100%. That songs brings mass ENERGY to the show.

Sorry........great song.

Madagascar........great song.

Heaven's Door.......great song.

But in the middle of a three hour show......tied in with other slow songs, like Nov Rain, Patience, Don't Cry.......... it is just mellow overload. Especially with how long Estranged is, how long November Rain is. And Heaven's Door is 10 minutes long sometimes.

At my last show, during Heaven's Door, I was praying "Please don't do the audience singing part, just end the song."

Shackler's was one of the highlights of the show I went to. Because it has so much energy.

I think the casual fan would like the new material more live, if they played IRS, Shackler's and Riad over Madagascar and Sorry.

If I was in charge, these are the CD songs I would play:

Better

Shacklers

Catcher

TWAT

IRS

Rhiad

TIL

[axlsalinger]

The only people that complain about the setlists are the losers that don't go to the shows and base their opinions on reading things on the internet and youtube.

And you when someone takes away your Chinese Democracy.

Heh.

[Chloe]

Nobody wanted Chinese D to become a success more than me and while I love the songs, very few of them get any reaction from a live crowd. For fucks sake, look around you when you're at a live show and Sorry is sung, or This I Love. Nobody knows them, nobody sings along. Sure a couple of us hardcore fans do, but for the most part, the place is silent and the energy leaves the room. At Roseland, the fucking song of the night was Civil War for sure. The crowd went ape shit. I'd rather see that live than hear TWAT and see only 10 fanboys out of 3000 singing along. Most people go see guns to hear the hits. The current set list has a good mix of everything now. Shit I remember when everyone was bitching that no illusion material was played. He added the big ones and still, more bitching about the lack of Chinese d material. That album was a gift to the hardcore fans, so fucking appreciate it. The live shows are gifts to the all fans, but have to tailored to the mainstream fan base or else nobody would go to the shows. If I were whispering in Fernando's ear, I would suggest doing one hardcore night for fans. Once a year. Message board lottery system invite, 20 songs, fans get to pick which ones. Even just one show for the fanatics would get them to shut up.

Finally, and I mean this with all do respect because I know what it means to be a guns fanatic. Some of you need to let go a little bit and find more important things to be upset about. Getting all riled up about a gnr setlist? Really? With all that's going on in this world, I would find a more productive place to lay your concerns. Just be happy Axl is alive and well, in good spirits, and up there at all. If he doesn't sing prostitute, don't cry. Go sleep with a prostitute and feel better, better. Keep the passion, but lose the bitching...

Kaneda

This.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[axlsalinger]

look around you when you're at a live show and Sorry is sung, or This I Love. Nobody knows them, nobody sings along. Sure a couple of us hardcore fans do, but for the most part, the place is silent and the energy leaves the room. At Roseland, the fucking song of the night was Civil War for sure. The crowd went ape shit.

Can you then please explain why Civil War was the one song taken out at the next fucking show?

But in the middle of a three hour show......tied in with other slow songs, like Nov Rain, Patience, Don't Cry.......... it is just mellow overload. Especially with how long Estranged is, how long November Rain is. And Heaven's Door is 10 minutes long sometimes.

At my last show, during Heaven's Door, I was praying "Please don't do the audience singing part, just end the song."

Shackler's was one of the highlights of the show I went to. Because it has so much energy.

I think the casual fan would like the new material more live, if they played IRS, Shackler's and Riad over Madagascar and Sorry.

If I was in charge, these are the CD songs I would play:

Better

Shacklers

Catcher

TWAT

IRS

Rhiad

TIL

Two things I completely disagree with here. I love KOHD live, and the sing-along part works so well at a GNR show, it gets everyone singing along and "part of" the performance itself. It's a rock cliche, but it still works.

As for the CD songs, obviously we all have our opinions, and I understand and agree with your point about having a lot of mellow moments slowing down the momentum a bit, but out of all the new songs, Madagascar is the best performed song at live shows. I don't see how you can suggest taking that one out, just so you can hear a muddled version of Riad? Come on now. If I had to pick 6 to hear live from Chinese, it would be Better - Shacklers - Madagascar - TWAT - Catcher - CD. (But it's tough, because I do love Sorry and SOD).

Edited February 14, 2012 by axlsalinger

[batman007]

look around you when you're at a live show and Sorry is sung, or This I Love. Nobody knows them, nobody sings along. Sure a couple of us hardcore fans do, but for the most part, the place is silent and the energy leaves the room. At Roseland, the fucking song of the night was Civil War for sure. The crowd went ape shit.

Can you then please explain why Civil War was the one song taken out at the next fucking show?

But in the middle of a three hour show......tied in with other slow songs, like Nov Rain, Patience, Don't Cry.......... it is just mellow overload. Especially with how long Estranged is, how long November Rain is. And Heaven's Door is 10 minutes long sometimes.

At my last show, during Heaven's Door, I was praying "Please don't do the audience singing part, just end the song."

Shackler's was one of the highlights of the show I went to. Because it has so much energy.

I think the casual fan would like the new material more live, if they played IRS, Shackler's and Riad over Madagascar and Sorry.

If I was in charge, these are the CD songs I would play:

Better

Shacklers

Catcher

TWAT

IRS

Rhiad

TIL

Two things I completely disagree with here. I love KOHD live, and the sing-along part works so well at a GNR show, it gets everyone singing along and "part of" the performance itself. It's a rock cliche, but it still works.

As for the CD songs, obviously we all have our opinions, and I understand and agree with your point about having a lot of mellow moments slowing down the momentum a bit, but out of all the new songs, Madagascar is the best performed song at live shows. I don't see how you can suggest taking that one out, just so you can hear a muddled version of Riad? Come on now. If I had to pick 6 to hear live from Chinese, it would be Better - Shacklers - Madagascar - TWAT - Catcher - CD. (But it's tough, because I do love Sorry and SOD).

6 is hard, I would just like to hear the whole CD album.

[Powerage5]

Last night we got an almost identical setlist to 2011, both in song choice and order of the set. Didn't detract from the gig at all, even having seen 2 nearly identical shows last year. Not to say I don't have my small gripes; no Civil War last night being the big one. But it's not like Guns are the only band that play their classics live. When I go see Maiden, I am absolutely sick to death of hearing a few of the classics, namely Fear Of The Dark, Wrathchild, and Number Of The Beast. It doesn't make the show any worse to me though, I still go to see them because IMO, they're quite simply the best live band ever. I've got the same philosophy about GN'R.

[bran]

i would like to see some changes with the setlist i would love to hear oh my god, twat,prostitute, yesterday, 14 years etc.

but im also happy gnr is active and touring so im not going to bitch too much

[axlsalinger]

Regarding setlists, at one end of the spectrum are bands like the Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Phish. They mix and match songs like crazy - if you go see one of these bands in back-to-back shows, you'll get quite a bit of variation in the order, as well as the songs played. I think this is damn cool. At the other end of the spectrum, are groups like AC/DC, Poison, a lot of pop bands, etc, where the setlist is basically exactly the same at every show. Same order, same songs. I think this is pretty lame.

Somewhere in the middle, you'll find bands like GNR and Bruce Springsteen. Haven't really looked that closely at U2 setlists, but I think they're in this range as well. Many of the songs are the same, but they mix and match to some extent, move things around to keep things fresh, etc. Personally, I think this is the best approach. Bands come to learn which songs open and close the show best (Jungle and CD, Paradise City, etc.) I think a lot of bands like to play the same 3 or 4 songs at the start so that the sound guys and musicians can get their bearings, since every venue is different. Certain songs are played at certain times for a variety of reasons (pyro, separating the ones that are hard to sing and play, etc.)

Guns used to be a lot more spontaneous in the old days, the setlist has become more simplified in recent years. I really don't have a major issue with this. I'd like to see them mix things up a little more, but at the end of the day it's really not that big a deal.

[batman007]

Last night we got an almost identical setlist to 2011, both in song choice and order of the set. Didn't detract from the gig at all, even having seen 2 nearly identical shows last year. Not to say I don't have my small gripes; no Civil War last night being the big one. But it's not like Guns are the only band that play their classics live. When I go see Maiden, I am absolutely sick to death of hearing a few of the classics, namely Fear Of The Dark, Wrathchild, and Number Of The Beast. It doesn't make the show any worse to me though, I still go to see them because IMO, they're quite simply the best live band ever. I've got the same philosophy about GN'R.

This x a million. I totally agree with what you are saying. I have gone to seven GNR shows and the setlists have been almost the same. A couple of songs added here and there. It does not bother me at all. I could hear the whole catalogue in my car over and over. So why not live? Most of the people who cry are the ones who dont go to the shows. I have spent lots of dough traveling to see GNR, and have no complaints.

[ThinkAboutYou]

Last night we got an almost identical setlist to 2011, both in song choice and order of the set. Didn't detract from the gig at all, even having seen 2 nearly identical shows last year. Not to say I don't have my small gripes; no Civil War last night being the big one. But it's not like Guns are the only band that play their classics live. When I go see Maiden, I am absolutely sick to death of hearing a few of the classics, namely Fear Of The Dark, Wrathchild, and Number Of The Beast. It doesn't make the show any worse to me though, I still go to see them because IMO, they're quite simply the best live band ever. I've got the same philosophy about GN'R.

This x a million. I totally agree with what you are saying. I have gone to seven GNR shows and the setlists have been almost the same. A couple of songs added here and there. It does not bother me at all. I could hear the whole catalogue in my car over and over. So why not live? Most of the people who cry are the ones who dont go to the shows. I have spent lots of dough traveling to see GNR, and have no complaints.

I don't know why people always say the complainers don't goto shows. To join a forum you usually have to have a strong interest in a band and I would say most forum members do goto Guns N Roses shows.

[batman007]

Last night we got an almost identical setlist to 2011, both in song choice and order of the set. Didn't detract from the gig at all, even having seen 2 nearly identical shows last year. Not to say I don't have my small gripes; no Civil War last night being the big one. But it's not like Guns are the only band that play their classics live. When I go see Maiden, I am absolutely sick to death of hearing a few of the classics, namely Fear Of The Dark, Wrathchild, and Number Of The Beast. It doesn't make the show any worse to me though, I still go to see them because IMO, they're quite simply the best live band ever. I've got the same philosophy about GN'R.

This x a million. I totally agree with what you are saying. I have gone to seven GNR shows and the setlists have been almost the same. A couple of songs added here and there. It does not bother me at all. I could hear the whole catalogue in my car over and over. So why not live? Most of the people who cry are the ones who dont go to the shows. I have spent lots of dough traveling to see GNR, and have no complaints.

I don't know why people always say the complainers don't goto shows. To join a forum you usually have to have a strong interest in a band and I would say most forum members do goto Guns N Roses shows.

That is why I used the word most and not everyone. I know alot of forum users that havent gone to a show, yet. I know there is also forum members who have gone and still complain. This is true. I guess I am very annoyed of the crying, but what can I do? Nothing really, just keep supporting my fav band.

[axlsalinger]

So what would you say if you heard that some posters on a U2 board really, really wanted to hear a couple of particular songs on a tour, other than who the fuck cares? Is this the only band message board where people express opinions on songs they want to hear live?

[batman007]

So what would you say if you heard that some posters on a U2 board really, really wanted to hear a couple of particular songs on a tour, other than who the fuck cares? Is this the only band message board where people express opinions on songs they want to hear live?

Opinions are opinions that is fine. I respect that. I dont repect the fact some some users insult the band because of the setlists. When that happens, being that this is a discussion board, and GNr is my fav band. I step in, and throw in my two cents.

[axlsalinger]

Fair point. My main issue is the people that whine constantly, or keep making the same point over and over. Yes, we get it already, lol. But in general, discussing setlists is kind of fun. I mean seriously, what else is there to do? We don't have anything else GNR-related to talk about right now, other than the live shows.

[batman007]

Fair point. My main issue is the people that whine constantly, or keep making the same point over and over. Yes, we get it already, lol. But in general, discussing setlists is kind of fun. I mean seriously, what else is there to do? We don't have anything else GNR-related to talk about right now, other than the live shows.

True dat, I hope we will have something new to talk about. What is another word, for soon?