Team Governor's Ball Respond About GN'R

[Rustycage]

Oh look, the petition's up to 328 signatures! The occupy GnR movement is taking the internet by storm! The masses have spoken! Whatever will GnR do?! That petition is so epic!

If the petition had no other purpose than to make you frantic with your panties in a bunch, it succeeded.

[Black Sabbath]

With 66 acts on the bill, we have so much to choose from and people can skip acts if they don't dig them.

This.

The only reason I would stand through half of the other shit on that bill is to wait for Gn'R to come on.

[saber_]

Oh look, the petition's up to 328 signatures! The occupy GnR movement is taking the internet by storm! The masses have spoken! Whatever will GnR do?! That petition is so epic!

If the petition had no other purpose than to make you frantic with your panties in a bunch, it succeeded.

Whatever you say, mister healthy liver. :wink wink:

On topic:

Still at 328 signatures. Ohhhhh, such a bummer . Don't worry, I'm sure all the millions of concerned "real" GnR fans will show up any minute. Any minute now! Any minute!

Edited February 12, 2013 by brainsaber

[Dirty Harry]

Millions? Why the fuck would anyone not going bother to sign this? In fact, petitions of any kind rarely have any impact whatsoever.Perhaps ticket sales would be a more likely barometer for any dissatisfaction. That's assuming they went on sale after the announcement.

[Powerage5]

With 66 acts on the bill, we have so much to choose from and people can skip acts if they don't dig them.

This.

The only reason I would will stand through half of the other shit on that bill is to wait for Gn'R to come on.

FTFY

Millions? Why the fuck would anyone not going bother to sign this? In fact, petitions of any kind rarely have any impact whatsoever.Perhaps ticket sales would be a more likely barometer for any dissatisfaction. That's assuming they went on sale after the announcement.

Which they didn't.

[tr420]

Oh look, the petition's up to 328 signatures! The occupy GnR movement is taking the internet by storm! The masses have spoken! Whatever will GnR do?! That petition is so epic!

And 200 of those people are probably Steven Adler.

[T.wa.T]

Nice job with that. They gave a good response to your question. The show is still very expensive, I think that will put some people off.

Since there's been so much controversy about GN'R playing at the Governor's Ball, I decided to write the organizers and ask the following question:

Why was Guns N' Roses chosen to headline the Governor's Ball this year?

This was their response:

We explored a myriad of options for our third headliner and we decided that GNR was a move that was different, unexpected, and unique. So few people have seen them live before, yet their music has been so popular and influential for so long. In addition, reviews of their recent shows have been very, very positive. We also pride ourselves on booking a festival lineup that features music of all genres, and we think this booking adds a throwback/classic vibe to the mix. With 66 acts on the bill, we have so much to choose from and people can skip acts if they don't dig them. We worked so hard to program a lineup of some of today's best and we hope that the other bands on the lineup keep you excited for this year's event.

Team Gov Ball

[bt88]

I got into a battle with some people on the Governer's ball facebook page. I wasnt a jerk I was simply just countering the old stale arguments. Its not GNR, a link to a few bad performances, yada yada yada. Its a 3 day festival and somehow people act like theyre being forced to see GNR. Just dont go

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

[downzy]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

No kidding. I gave that up years ago. Always felt as though if the band wasn't willing or able to do what was necessary to support and defend itself, then why should I waste my time.

[Freddie Mercury's Ghost]

This booking has two things working against it:

-New York City has a curfew

-It's on a Sunday night and people will want to leave early since they have to work the next morning

And they picked Axl Rose of all people to close the festival on Sunday night.

lol

[Ali]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

No kidding. I gave that up years ago. Always felt as though if the band wasn't willing or able to do what was necessary to support and defend itself, then why should I waste my time.

I agree with 1 and 3, but 2 is not necessarily true. There is a lot of other possible outcomes other than Rio 4. And, as much as some people on these boards may disagree, there were a fair number of positive reviews of Axl's voice during the 2011 and 2012 US tours. And that's being conservative.

Ali

[Coma16]

This booking has two things working against it:

-New York City has a curfew

-It's on a Sunday night and people will want to leave early since they have to work the next morning

And they picked Axl Rose of all people to close the festival on Sunday night.

lol

I thought GNR had the Saturday night slot?

[IndiannaRose]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

No kidding. I gave that up years ago. Always felt as though if the band wasn't willing or able to do what was necessary to support and defend itself, then why should I waste my time.

Number 1 is the most crucial in this case. Axl's voice is decent enough that its current weakness will not really carryover through the PA and be noticed by casual concert goers.

[Powerage5]

This booking has two things working against it:

-New York City has a curfew

-It's on a Sunday night and people will want to leave early since they have to work the next morning

And they picked Axl Rose of all people to close the festival on Sunday night.

lol

I thought GNR had the Saturday night slot?

They do, at least according to their website...

[Cosmo]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Nice post. IMO, they should make a compact setlist like Rock Am Ring. Drop some of the solos, jams, covers. Keep it GnR. Make it intense. Have Better, Maddy and SOD present CD. Drop TIL and Sorry. Cut down on the covers. Keep it short and intense. It's a festival. People will be tired before GnR gets on.

[Powerage5]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Nice post. IMO, they should make a compact setlist like Rock Am Ring. Drop some of the solos, jams, covers. Keep it GnR. Make it intense. Have Better, Maddy and SOD present CD. Drop TIL and Sorry. Cut down on the covers. Keep it short and intense. It's a festival. People will be tired before GnR gets on.

Shacklers and CITR now that it's being consistently played, or bust.

Also, there was no shortage of solos/jams at the RAR gig in '06, they just weren't televised. Also 3-ish songs cut from the broadcast. It was a normal length GN'R gig

[Cosmo]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Nice post. IMO, they should make a compact setlist like Rock Am Ring. Drop some of the solos, jams, covers. Keep it GnR. Make it intense. Have Better, Maddy and SOD present CD. Drop TIL and Sorry. Cut down on the covers. Keep it short and intense. It's a festival. People will be tired before GnR gets on.

Shacklers and CITR now that it's being consistently played, or bust.

Also, there was no shortage of solos/jams at the RAR gig in '06, they just weren't televised. Also 3-ish songs cut from the broadcast. It was a normal length GN'R gig

Really? shit.. thought Axl was on fire that night LOL

[downzy]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

No kidding. I gave that up years ago. Always felt as though if the band wasn't willing or able to do what was necessary to support and defend itself, then why should I waste my time.

I agree with 1 and 3, but 2 is not necessarily true. There is a lot of other possible outcomes other than Rio 4. And, as much as some people on these boards may disagree, there were a fair number of positive reviews of Axl's voice during the 2011 and 2012 US tours. And that's being conservative.

Ali

Sure, he could get sick again and sound like he did at the Neil Young benefit gig. Or he could sound similar to the UCAP show in Philly, which would probably be enough to win over those who want to argue their point. My point being that a return to excellence by Axl would go a long way in winning over what may be a skeptical crowd. When Axl's on his game, you can disagree with his music, attitude or on-stage personality, but there's little room for debate on whether he can sing. Axl sounding like he did in 2010 can make most people forget that Slash no longer plays with the band.

[downzy]

Nice post. IMO, they should make a compact setlist like Rock Am Ring. Drop some of the solos, jams, covers. Keep it GnR. Make it intense. Have Better, Maddy and SOD present CD. Drop TIL and Sorry. Cut down on the covers. Keep it short and intense. It's a festival. People will be tired before GnR gets on.

If they're going to cut Sorry and TIL, then they should probably drop SOD as well. Like TIL, SOD is a fairly bloated song that's better fit for a broadway stage than a hipster-filled music festival. Keep it to uptempo, melody driven stuff like Better, TWAT and maybe Catcher. Then again, if they dropped SOD all together I wouldn't complain either way. Don't know what people see in that song.

[novemberparadise23]

As a new yorker i cant wait for this show! Fuck these assholes and their petition!

[Tyler Drama]

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Are you referring to Chinese Democracy songs as "new"?

[Ali]

The success of this show, much like most shows, will be determined by these factors:

1. How long crowd waits for GNR to come onstage.

If GNR can take the normal amount of time to get on stage after the previous act, this will go along way to win over an already skeptical audience. A 90 minute or more wait will likely seal the performance's fate.

2. Axl's Voice

If Axl can get his voice back into shape, like he did in 2010, he should win over a lot of skeptics and critics. If he sounds like Rio IV, gives critics reasons to say "told you so."

3. Song selection

Heavy on the hits, low on the new stuff. As much as this goes against what people on this forum wants, the truth is that festival audiences really only want to hear hits. Open with Jungle, not Chinese Democracy. Play some of the Illusions stuff that people have fond memories of (Civil War, Don't Cry, Estranged, etc.). Stop trying to sell people on Chinese Democracy, that album will be almost five years old at that point. People have either heard it or don't care to hear it at this point. Play one, maybe two, songs off of Chinese Democracy (and the songs most casual fans seem to like, i.e. Better, Madagascar, TWAT). If they're going to add covers, do songs that they do well (the Seeker comes to mind).

Then after posting I said to myself "why the fuck am I defending this band? What reason have they given me to do so?" So I was conflicted to say the least

No kidding. I gave that up years ago. Always felt as though if the band wasn't willing or able to do what was necessary to support and defend itself, then why should I waste my time.

I agree with 1 and 3, but 2 is not necessarily true. There is a lot of other possible outcomes other than Rio 4. And, as much as some people on these boards may disagree, there were a fair number of positive reviews of Axl's voice during the 2011 and 2012 US tours. And that's being conservative.

Ali

Sure, he could get sick again and sound like he did at the Neil Young benefit gig. Or he could sound similar to the UCAP show in Philly, which would probably be enough to win over those who want to argue their point. My point being that a return to excellence by Axl would go a long way in winning over what may be a skeptical crowd. When Axl's on his game, you can disagree with his music, attitude or on-stage personality, but there's little room for debate on whether he can sing. Axl sounding like he did in 2010 can make most people forget that Slash no longer plays with the band.

My point being a return to excellence is subjective and as such does not necessarily have to follow the path and outcome you prescribe.

Ali

[BBA]

The reason for the skepticism is largely in part due to GNR being outside the norm of the type of band that an event like this would typically attract. Axl's track record of taking the stage late and being the only original member only adds fuel to the fire. I'm reasonably confident once the attendees see the band live much of this skepticism will quickly disappear.

I strongly disagree with those who insist that they need to limit the Chinese Democracy material. While I agree that playing most of the hits/classics will be well received, I believe we'll see a similar number of CD songs showcased that we've been seeing over the past few years - and I'm more than good with that. I know many disagree and/or bitch about the fact that the touring has continued with similar setlists, but the reality is Axl isn't finished promoting Chinese yet. And his efforts have paid off more than most fans bother to realize or give him credit for. Plus, the stalemate with the record company has made it all but impossible to move forward with recording or releasing the songs that Axl already has finished.

[tr420]

The only people that will be there when GnR take the stage are GnR fans.

Its the last band on a Sunday night right? It's on Randalls Island. It's actually the worst time slot you can have. Guns N Roses can play CD from start to finish if they want. They can play a 45 minute version of TIL. The only people that will see it are the 5 to 6000 GnR fans that will be there if even with those concert prices.

Edited February 12, 2013 by tr420

[Cruel Intentions]

Everybody is going to be so wasted by the time Guns comes on nobody will even be able to remember what the hell Axl sounded like by the time they wake up in the morning.

I'm gonna try and go. My friend runs a catering company that works festivals and stuff, so I'm gonna ask to see if he's working this one.