June 6th, 2013 - Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Bowl

[77Jesters]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta66Z8tuNsM

Edited June 7, 2013 by 77Jesters

[Rustycage]

It's great that this $150 show for the hardcore fan didn't just turn out to be a shorter, shittier version of the UCAP tour with the songs mixed up. Way to go Team Brazil. Great job at not running this fine band into the ground. I think I could fit about 5 people into my basement after the band sets up. Maybe I should contact them so they can show their appreciation for their top 5 fans. Free doughnuts for Axl if they accept.

FFS! They played less songs as Axl got sick. They didn't have an intention to do so. It's hard to perform when you don't know whether you're gonna shit your pants or throw up the next moment.

FFS, I'm going to start blaming illness for every time I fuck up too. It seems to work for Axl. Maybe he should be tested for HIV.

Maybe he just saw that there were mygnr members very close and shit himself. Thanks a lot mygnr representatives. You made Axl shit himself and end the show early.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Rustycage

[SoulMonster]

FFS, I'm going to start blaming illness for every time I fuck up too. It seems to work for Axl. Maybe he should be tested for HIV.

Yes! It's been like two times now in 700+ concerts!! GRRRRRRR!

[jmapelian]

Holy shit, are people seriously still complaining about the ticket price?

Look, here is the bottom line. This is NYC. Shit is expensive.

...and that is declaring that $150 is 'a lot' of money, which I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $150 is NYC is nothing. Less than nothing. Gum on the bottom of your shoe nothing but nothing.

I hate to sound holier than thou to the mid-westerners or whoever it is that is complaining, but it is the truth,

this may be true, but considering I've seen Slash 3x's in NYC for <$50 and got Halestorm tix for <$30 in NYC - both of which put on a way better show than GnR, I'm happy I passed

[volcano62]

Holy shit, are people seriously still complaining about the ticket price?

Look, here is the bottom line. This is NYC. Shit is expensive.

...and that is declaring that $150 is 'a lot' of money, which I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $150 is NYC is nothing. Less than nothing. Gum on the bottom of your shoe nothing but nothing.

I hate to sound holier than thou to the mid-westerners or whoever it is that is complaining, but it is the truth,

this may be true, but considering I've seen Slash 3x's in NYC for <$50 and got Halestorm tix for <$30 in NYC - both of which put on a way better show than GnR, I'm happy I passed

Those bands are shit compared to GNR and there is no demand for them.

[magisme]

Random Tidbits:

Fortus' solo spot was one of the best parts of the show. I mean that as a compliment to Fortus.

At one point, a girl got on her boyfriend's shoulders and flashed the stage, full 80's style.

DJ really can't play fucking anything. He sounded awful the entire night. Particularly cringeworthy were his solo, the opening of SCOM, TIL solo, and KOHD FFS. It's obvious to me that he cares much more about mugging for the crowd than playing his instrument well. I can't take a band that has DJ Ashba in it seriously.

I don't know when Axl started feeling ill. Like I said, his voice was very good for about the first 6 songs.

If he got ill during the show, I guess he just fucked up You're Crazy. Voice was good, but he sang the "Hey, boy, where you coming from" verse twice. He was also singing about carrying "the cross of genocide" during Civil War, and he came in at the end of Better too early during the na-na-na's and had to start the final verse over once he realized his mistake. All of these were early on in the show.

Before he mentioned anything about not feeling well, he said something like, "This is not the type of show I was expecting when I showed up today, but that's alright." He didn't explain what he meant by that.

There are plenty of cool shows to see in NYC all the time for much less than $100. To say otherwise is ridiculous.

Do I feel ripped off? I don't know. It's not like I expected new songs or a variation of the set list, although a track or two that they don't usually play would have been nice and, IMO, not asking too much of Axl. But this is a nostalgia act through and through, and if you decide to spend money on them, you need to understand that. So as a fan, I'm disappointed by the same old fucking songs again, but as a consumer, how could I have expected anything else for my money from these guys?

No Catcher was unfortunate. I was expecting to hear it.

Do I completely believe Axl's sickness story? I don't know. He's like the fucking boy who cried wolf to me at this point. It's always like, "OK, Axl, what's preventing you from doing your job well today?" But he did look like he was struggling, especially toward the end. But why the fucked up lyrics early in the show? And would it have been any better if he weren't such a fat fuck? And how do I know he wasn't just up drinking late, not taking care of himself as usual?

Questlove was good pre-show. Didn't stick around for Pitman.

BBF is a good guitarist but has no stage presence.

Tommy looks old as fuck.

Axl wore the disguise all night.

Edited June 7, 2013 by magisme

[Powerage5]

I don't see why everyone is bitching. Fortus wasn't feeling great either, so if two of them are sick then I don't see what the problem is. Shit happens (no pun intended). It's not like they planned to cut the show that short; there were a few times when they made a last second decision to skip something - Fortus actually starting leading into YCBM with the feedback he does before they decided to skip it.

Let me put it like this: I could've seen the Stones again last night or I could've seen GN'R in Brooklyn. I don't feel like I made a poor choice. It was still such a unique show even if it was short and the setlist was bland.

[classicrawker]

Holy shit, are people seriously still complaining about the ticket price?

Look, here is the bottom line. This is NYC. Shit is expensive.

...and that is declaring that $150 is 'a lot' of money, which I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $150 is NYC is nothing. Less than nothing. Gum on the bottom of your shoe nothing but nothing.

I hate to sound holier than thou to the mid-westerners or whoever it is that is complaining, but it is the truth,

this may be true, but considering I've seen Slash 3x's in NYC for <$50 and got Halestorm tix for <$30 in NYC - both of which put on a way better show than GnR, I'm happy I passed

Those bands are shit compared to GNR and there is no demand for them.

It is your opinion that they are shit bands which their fans will not agree with and as far as there being no demand that is not true. I don't know about Halestorm but in Slash's case he sells out 2K venues on a regular basis...He may not have the draw of the GnR brand name like Axl does but there is demand for his shows as evidenced by their attendance.

[highvoltage]

Interesting review magisme. Thanks. Whether the excuse was true or not, an off-night is disappointing.

[volcano62]

Holy shit, are people seriously still complaining about the ticket price?

Look, here is the bottom line. This is NYC. Shit is expensive.

...and that is declaring that $150 is 'a lot' of money, which I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $150 is NYC is nothing. Less than nothing. Gum on the bottom of your shoe nothing but nothing.

I hate to sound holier than thou to the mid-westerners or whoever it is that is complaining, but it is the truth,

this may be true, but considering I've seen Slash 3x's in NYC for <$50 and got Halestorm tix for <$30 in NYC - both of which put on a way better show than GnR, I'm happy I passed

Those bands are shit compared to GNR and there is no demand for them.

It is your opinion that they are shit bands which their fans will not agree with and as far as there being no demand that is not true. I don't know about Halestorm but in Slash's case he sells out 2K venues on a regular basis...He may not have the draw of the GnR brand name like Axl does but there is demand for his shows as evidenced by their attendance.

Tickets are dirt cheap of course he will sell out

Random Tidbits:

Fortus' solo spot was one of the best parts of the show. I mean that as a compliment to Fortus.

At one point, a girl got on her boyfriend's shoulders and flashed the stage, full 80's style.

DJ really can't play fucking anything. He sounded awful the entire night. Particularly cringeworthy were his solo, the opening of SCOM, TIL solo, and KOHD FFS. It's obvious to me that he cares much more about mugging for the crowd than playing his instrument well. I can't take a band that has DJ Ashba in it seriously.

I don't know when Axl started feeling ill. Like I said, his voice was very good for about the first 6 songs.

If he got ill during the show, I guess he just fucked up You're Crazy. Voice was good, but he sang the "Hey, boy, where you coming from" verse twice. He was also singing about carrying "the cross of genocide" during Civil War, and he came in at the end of Better too early during the na-na-na's and had to start the final verse over once he realized his mistake. All of these were early on in the show.

Before he mentioned anything about not feeling well, he said something like, "This is not the type of show I was expecting when I showed up today, but that's alright." He didn't explain what he meant by that.

There are plenty of cool shows to see in NYC all the time for much less than $100. To say otherwise is ridiculous.

Do I feel ripped off? I don't know. It's not like I expected new songs or a variation of the set list, although a track or two that they don't usually play would have been nice and, IMO, not asking too much of Axl. But this is a nostalgia act through and through, and if you decide to spend money on them, you need to understand that. So as a fan, I'm disappointed by the same old fucking songs again, but as a consumer, how could I have expected anything else for my money from these guys?

No Catcher was unfortunate. I was expecting to hear it.

Do I completely believe Axl's sickness story? I don't know. He's like the fucking boy who cried wolf to me at this point. It's always like, "OK, Axl, what's preventing you from doing your job well today?" But he did look like he was struggling, especially toward the end. But why the fucked up lyrics early in the show? And would it have been any better if he weren't such a fat fuck? And how do I know he wasn't just up drinking late, not taking care of himself as usual?

Questlove was good pre-show. Didn't stick around for Pitman.

BBF is a good guitarist but has no stage presence.

Tommy looks old as fuck.

Axl wore the disguise all night.

I was expecting much worse from you

Hope you still had fun considering the circumstances

[Coma16]

DJ really can't play fucking anything. He sounded awful the entire night. Particularly cringeworthy were his solo, the opening of SCOM, TIL solo, and KOHD FFS. It's obvious to me that he cares much more about mugging for the crowd than playing his instrument well. I can't take a band that has DJ Ashba in it seriously.

How did the crowd generall respond to DJ throughout the show. Was he being boo'd for the most part?

[classicrawker]

Tickets are dirt cheap of course he will sell out

Weak response Volcano...your back pedaling now as you claimed there was no demand which I proved wrong..........

But to answer your latest criticism, tickets for Slash are still usually $50+ so I would not call that dirt cheap and if he sucked and did not put on great shows it would not matter how cheap they were people would stop going to the shows....

Your need to defend any criticism of Axl and hatred of Slash just makes it impossible for you to be objective.........

Edited June 7, 2013 by classicrawker

[magisme]

I was expecting much worse from you

Hope you still had fun considering the circumstances

That's cuz your world makes more sense if you can just write me off as a cupcake. All things considered, I did have fun. Not the same thing as saying it was a good show, though.

How did the crowd generall respond to DJ throughout the show. Was he being boo'd for the most part?

No. The crowd was very positive, I thought. The atmosphere mellowed as Axl mellowed, but no one was heckling as far as I could see or hear. One guy yelled, "We want Slash!" but no one reacted and that was it. People pretty much applauded every time DJ shamelessly begged for applause.

[Coma16]

I was expecting much worse from you

Hope you still had fun considering the circumstances

That's cuz your world makes more sense if you can just write me off as a cupcake. All things considered, I did have fun. Not the same thing as saying it was a good show, though.

How did the crowd generall respond to DJ throughout the show. Was he being boo'd for the most part?

No. The crowd was very positive, I thought. The atmosphere mellowed as Axl mellowed, but no one was heckling as far as I could see or hear. One guy yelled, "We want Slash!" but no one reacted and that was it. People pretty much applauded every time DJ shamelessly begged for applause.

So outside of mygnr people seem to like and welcome DJ. Interesting...

I enjoyed reading your review (it seemed like it was a good, but not great experience).

[Saltzy]

...it was a good, but not great experience.

That is very accurate.

I just wish we could have seen what what the show would have been if Axl didn't have the shits...

[Powerage5]

Forgot to mention, I think Axl was saying the buffalo wings last night were giving him the shits. Not positive, but I heard something about Buffalo, then something about his ass

Got a fuckton of picks last night; McBob gave both my mom and I like 5 BBF picks at the end, Tommy gave my mom one, then Fortus gave us each one. Mid-show my mom asked Richard if he was feeling okay, and he just slipped a pick into her hand and shook his head no. He was pretty out of it for most of the show.

My mom and I both feel like shit today, we woke up with the worst fucking headaches. Probably just exhaustion kicking in from the last 2 days.

Of course, pics will be posted once we're home from Governor's Ball

[Redhead74]

People pretty much applauded every time DJ shamelessly begged for applause.

[Powerage5]

...it was a good, but not great experience.

That is very accurate.

I just wish we could have seen what what the show would have been if Axl didn't have the shits...

I would say it was a great experience, just not because it was a great show. Seeing them in a place that small was fucking cool. I mean, there wasn't even a barrier - Fortus was literally on top of me when he was on the boxes over the monitors.

It's just a shame that the performance itself could've, and probably should've been a lot more interesting.

[Saltzy]

...it was a good, but not great experience.

That is very accurate.

I just wish we could have seen what what the show would have been if Axl didn't have the shits...

I would say it was a great experience, just not because it was a great show. Seeing them in a place that small was fucking cool. I mean, there wasn't even a barrier - Fortus was literally on top of me when he was on the boxes over the monitors.

It's just a shame that the performance itself could've, and probably should've been a lot more interesting.

Sorry man. Seeing the 4th Hammerstein show in 2006 when Kid Rock, Sabastian Bach and Izzy all played with the band was a "great experience".

This was more of a 'one off' experience for me. Different? Cool? Sure.

Great? Sorry, I can't go there.

[Tabitha27]

It's great that this $150 show for the hardcore fan didn't just turn out to be a shorter, shittier version of the UCAP tour with the songs mixed up. Way to go Team Brazil. Great job at not running this fine band into the ground. I think I could fit about 5 people into my basement after the band sets up. Maybe I should contact them so they can show their appreciation for their top 5 fans. Free doughnuts for Axl if they accept.

FFS! They played less songs as Axl got sick. They didn't have an intention to do so. It's hard to perform when you don't know whether you're gonna shit your pants or throw up the next moment.

FFS, I'm going to start blaming illness for every time I fuck up too. It seems to work for Axl. Maybe he should be tested for HIV.

Maybe he just saw that there were mygnr members very close and shit himself. Thanks a lot mygnr representatives. You made Axl shit himself and end the show early.

Hahaha best post ever Rustycage

Edited June 7, 2013 by Tabitha27

[SoulMonster]

Guns N' Roses Blow Through Brooklyn Bowling Alley
Axl Rose and Co. play an intimate Brooklyn gig ahead of Governors' Ball headlining slot.
By James Montgomery (@positivnegativ)

Guns N' Roses played a bowling alley in Brooklyn last night.

That sentence says all you need to know. Was the Gunners' pre-Governors' Ball gig at Brooklyn Bowl particularly revelatory? No. Were there moments when the throngs of diehards who shelled out $150 to witness the spectacle looked bored? Absolutely (mostly during the Chinese Democracy songs). Did Axl Rose — who wore a fedora that made him look like Van Helsing, and didn't take his sunglasses off once — seem to care? Have you been paying attention for the past two decades?

So, yes, GNR tore through Brooklyn on Thursday, shutting down the lanes for the night (bowling is not permitted when Axl is doing his thing) and powering their way through a set meant for stages far larger that this one. The hits came fast and furious — "Welcome to the Jungle" was the second song they played, and they made sure to do "Mr. Brownstone," "Sweet Child O' Mine," and "Paradise City" too — and there were showcase solos for all three of the guitarists (former Replacements man Tommy Stinson even got to do a couple of tunes). But the most fascinating thing about their set was how resolute Axl was. Simply put, he wasn't going to let a tiny room stand in the way of delivering an arena-sized set.

That's not exactly surprising. But once the initial thrill of seeing a band so huge in a venue so small wore off, well, there wasn't much left to get excited about. Every instrument on the stage — and there were a lot of them; GNR now rolls 8 dudes deep was cranked to soccer-stadium volumes, which not only made for a muddy mix, but almost totally drowned out Rose's famed pipes. And rather than just delight fans with an off-the-cuff, one-night-only set, GNR made sure to play songs from Democracy ("Better," "This I Love"), which sent masses to the bathroom or the bar. This was a Guns show, circa 2013, for better or worse.

It bears mention that Rose was in pretty decent form; sure he disappeared for long stretches of the set, and his serpentine wasn't on display, but on songs like "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" he wailed, and, for a second, you were transported back to the Sunset Strip. And anyone hoping for one of the mercurial frontman's patented tantrums went home disappointed; aside from a few comments ("I'm having a good time, but it's taking a lot of focus,") Axl was punching the clock, ready and somewhat willing to rock. Shoot, he was even punctual; Guns were supposed to take the stage at 11 p.m., and by 11:15 they were midway through "Jungle."

This was, in short, a professional rock show. Did it feel like Guns N' Roses were going through the motions? Sure. There were long stretches — a three-song run of "Civil War," "Better" and "Estranged," for instance — where you couldn't help but check your phone, but that was probably to be expected. If the past 20 years have proven anything, it's that Axl only does things his way, and regardless if he was paying Brazil or Brooklyn, you were going to get the same thing: a long-running, somewhat befuddling set, super-sized with all the trappings and none of the sentiment. Guns N' Roses played a bowling alley last night; and they did it on their own terms. That's all you need to know.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708643/guns-n-roses-brooklyn-bowl-show.jhtml

Axl Tries Not to Barf at Intimate Guns N' Roses Brooklyn Bowling Alley Show
June 7 2013, 11:36 AM ET
by Christopher R. Weingarten

"Truck stop revenge" meant a relatively tame Governors Ball warm up show

Last night, the beloved mess that is Guns N' Roses invaded Brooklyn Bowl, a 600-capacity venue/restaurant/bowl-a-rama, for an intimate warm-up gig to anticipate Saturday night's Governors Ball Music Festival, which they are co-headlining with Kings of Leon and Kanye West. For lucky fans quick enough on the draw — and willing to pay $150 — this was a unique chance to catch the one-time Biggest Band in the World play a room that's about to host Toad the Wet Sprocket. But anyone hoping to see the scrappy, gloriously sloppy, alcohol-fueled dervish that shimmied its way across the Sunset Strip club scene in the late '80s would be disappointed.

Dealing with a case of what he deemed "truck stop revenge," frontman Axl Rose apologized — sincerely, for what it's worth — to the crowd for his lack of energy. "I'm just trying not to throw up," he said. "It's literally the most fucked time I've ever had on stage." He skulked the stage like a rapper (probably not a coincidence from the dude who used to wear an N.W.A hat on stage), wearing three or four chains. Some dark sunglasses, a studded Diceman-style jacket, and an Indiana Jones hat never left his person for the nearly two-hour duration of the show, giving him the feel of a screaming shadow that wandered on and off stage during guitar solos.

The current eight-member incarnation of the band (including Use Your Illusion keyboardist Dizzy Reed, Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, stunt guitarist Bumblefoot, and some other guys) was as professional as a Beyoncé show, showing the dependability of a band that just did a 12-date Vegas residency. (It's an odd feeling to be relieved and disappointed that the notoriously tardy band was ready to play a mere 20 minutes after their scheduled showtime). They are more Vegas sleaze than L.A. sleaze these days: You can see it in their neatly trimmed beards and neck tattoos, in guitarist DJ Ashba's post-Navarro steez. I wouldn't be surprised if the leather in their coats was from some other animal besides "cow." At one point, Ashba had a change of hat. Adding to the Vegas vibes, the crowd (we're wagering old and responsible enough to pay Brooklyn rent and still have $150 to blow on concert tickets) was receptive but polite, barely even hoisting camera phones. But did they ever sing along. Loudly. They shouted back "Mr. Brownstone," "Estranged," and "Live and Let Die" and were, naturally, loudest for "Sweet Child O' Mine." Stinson at least was a good throughway to their sloppy roots, leaning into "Used to Love Her" (which is basically a Misfits song anyway), and taking the lead on his own "Motivation" (which was the only time this sounded like a band you would hear at a Brooklyn club).

But fuck all that, because no matter what happens, Axl Rose was still Axl Rose. He sleazily fingered the microphone stand, mumbled something about not even having a drink, did that trademark sway even if it was muted. He added extra screams in "Live and Let Die" that sounded well rehearsed, well harnessed, well controlled — but they were still that Axl scream. Of all the massive hits they played on that stage, the most important Rose moment was during the comparatively quiet Chinese Democracy deep cut "This I Love." Without the bluster of his band, you could hear the voice of Axl Rose, 26 years past its breakthrough moment, almost unadorned. You could hear the cracks and faults of time, you could hear the moments of sheer perfection that never left, you could hear the Joplin-meets-alleycat mewl that it's hard to believe was somehow the voice of rock radio and MTV next to honey-dripped stuff like White Lion and INXS. You could hear Axl Rose, a guy who could headline a music festival if he was backed by a Discman and a sparkler. We overheard one dude saying, "Worth every penny."

Source: http://www.spin.com/articles/guns-n-roses-surprise-brooklyn-bowl-governors-ball/

[alfierose]

Forgot to mention, I think Axl was saying the buffalo wings last night were giving him the shits. Not positive, but I heard something about Buffalo, then something about his ass

Got a fuckton of picks last night; McBob gave both my mom and I like 5 BBF picks at the end, Tommy gave my mom one, then Fortus gave us each one. Mid-show my mom asked Richard if he was feeling okay, and he just slipped a pick into her hand and shook his head no. He was pretty out of it for most of the show.

My mom and I both feel like shit today, we woke up with the worst fucking headaches. Probably just exhaustion kicking in from the last 2 days.

Of course, pics will be posted once we're home from Governor's Ball

Was Fortus ill too? Thinking about it DJ tweeted something about finding some chicken wings the day before. It's clearly part of his conquertheworld plan, trying to wipeout his fellow bandmates *evil dictator laugh*

[Saltzy]

Guns N' Roses Blow Through Brooklyn Bowling Alley

Axl Rose and Co. play an intimate Brooklyn gig ahead of Governors' Ball headlining slot.

By James Montgomery (@positivnegativ)

Guns N' Roses played a bowling alley in Brooklyn last night.

That sentence says all you need to know. Was the Gunners' pre-Governors' Ball gig at Brooklyn Bowl particularly revelatory? No. Were there moments when the throngs of diehards who shelled out $150 to witness the spectacle looked bored? Absolutely (mostly during the Chinese Democracy songs). Did Axl Rose — who wore a fedora that made him look like Van Helsing, and didn't take his sunglasses off once — seem to care? Have you been paying attention for the past two decades?

So, yes, GNR tore through Brooklyn on Thursday, shutting down the lanes for the night (bowling is not permitted when Axl is doing his thing) and powering their way through a set meant for stages far larger that this one. The hits came fast and furious — "Welcome to the Jungle" was the second song they played, and they made sure to do "Mr. Brownstone," "Sweet Child O' Mine," and "Paradise City" too — and there were showcase solos for all three of the guitarists (former Replacements man Tommy Stinson even got to do a couple of tunes). But the most fascinating thing about their set was how resolute Axl was. Simply put, he wasn't going to let a tiny room stand in the way of delivering an arena-sized set.

That's not exactly surprising. But once the initial thrill of seeing a band so huge in a venue so small wore off, well, there wasn't much left to get excited about. Every instrument on the stage — and there were a lot of them; GNR now rolls 8 dudes deep was cranked to soccer-stadium volumes, which not only made for a muddy mix, but almost totally drowned out Rose's famed pipes. And rather than just delight fans with an off-the-cuff, one-night-only set, GNR made sure to play songs from Democracy ("Better," "This I Love"), which sent masses to the bathroom or the bar. This was a Guns show, circa 2013, for better or worse.

It bears mention that Rose was in pretty decent form; sure he disappeared for long stretches of the set, and his serpentine wasn't on display, but on songs like "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" he wailed, and, for a second, you were transported back to the Sunset Strip. And anyone hoping for one of the mercurial frontman's patented tantrums went home disappointed; aside from a few comments ("I'm having a good time, but it's taking a lot of focus,") Axl was punching the clock, ready and somewhat willing to rock. Shoot, he was even punctual; Guns were supposed to take the stage at 11 p.m., and by 11:15 they were midway through "Jungle."

This was, in short, a professional rock show. Did it feel like Guns N' Roses were going through the motions? Sure. There were long stretches — a three-song run of "Civil War," "Better" and "Estranged," for instance — where you couldn't help but check your phone, but that was probably to be expected. If the past 20 years have proven anything, it's that Axl only does things his way, and regardless if he was paying Brazil or Brooklyn, you were going to get the same thing: a long-running, somewhat befuddling set, super-sized with all the trappings and none of the sentiment. Guns N' Roses played a bowling alley last night; and they did it on their own terms. That's all you need to know.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708643/guns-n-roses-brooklyn-bowl-show.jhtml

Axl Tries Not to Barf at Intimate Guns N' Roses Brooklyn Bowling Alley Show

June 7 2013, 11:36 AM ET

by Christopher R. Weingarten

"Truck stop revenge" meant a relatively tame Governors Ball warm up show

Last night, the beloved mess that is Guns N' Roses invaded Brooklyn Bowl, a 600-capacity venue/restaurant/bowl-a-rama, for an intimate warm-up gig to anticipate Saturday night's Governors Ball Music Festival, which they are co-headlining with Kings of Leon and Kanye West. For lucky fans quick enough on the draw — and willing to pay $150 — this was a unique chance to catch the one-time Biggest Band in the World play a room that's about to host Toad the Wet Sprocket. But anyone hoping to see the scrappy, gloriously sloppy, alcohol-fueled dervish that shimmied its way across the Sunset Strip club scene in the late '80s would be disappointed.

Dealing with a case of what he deemed "truck stop revenge," frontman Axl Rose apologized — sincerely, for what it's worth — to the crowd for his lack of energy. "I'm just trying not to throw up," he said. "It's literally the most fucked time I've ever had on stage." He skulked the stage like a rapper (probably not a coincidence from the dude who used to wear an N.W.A hat on stage), wearing three or four chains. Some dark sunglasses, a studded Diceman-style jacket, and an Indiana Jones hat never left his person for the nearly two-hour duration of the show, giving him the feel of a screaming shadow that wandered on and off stage during guitar solos.

The current eight-member incarnation of the band (including Use Your Illusion keyboardist Dizzy Reed, Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, stunt guitarist Bumblefoot, and some other guys) was as professional as a Beyoncé show, showing the dependability of a band that just did a 12-date Vegas residency. (It's an odd feeling to be relieved and disappointed that the notoriously tardy band was ready to play a mere 20 minutes after their scheduled showtime). They are more Vegas sleaze than L.A. sleaze these days: You can see it in their neatly trimmed beards and neck tattoos, in guitarist DJ Ashba's post-Navarro steez. I wouldn't be surprised if the leather in their coats was from some other animal besides "cow." At one point, Ashba had a change of hat. Adding to the Vegas vibes, the crowd (we're wagering old and responsible enough to pay Brooklyn rent and still have $150 to blow on concert tickets) was receptive but polite, barely even hoisting camera phones. But did they ever sing along. Loudly. They shouted back "Mr. Brownstone," "Estranged," and "Live and Let Die" and were, naturally, loudest for "Sweet Child O' Mine." Stinson at least was a good throughway to their sloppy roots, leaning into "Used to Love Her" (which is basically a Misfits song anyway), and taking the lead on his own "Motivation" (which was the only time this sounded like a band you would hear at a Brooklyn club).

But fuck all that, because no matter what happens, Axl Rose was still Axl Rose. He sleazily fingered the microphone stand, mumbled something about not even having a drink, did that trademark sway even if it was muted. He added extra screams in "Live and Let Die" that sounded well rehearsed, well harnessed, well controlled — but they were still that Axl scream. Of all the massive hits they played on that stage, the most important Rose moment was during the comparatively quiet Chinese Democracy deep cut "This I Love." Without the bluster of his band, you could hear the voice of Axl Rose, 26 years past its breakthrough moment, almost unadorned. You could hear the cracks and faults of time, you could hear the moments of sheer perfection that never left, you could hear the Joplin-meets-alleycat mewl that it's hard to believe was somehow the voice of rock radio and MTV next to honey-dripped stuff like White Lion and INXS. You could hear Axl Rose, a guy who could headline a music festival if he was backed by a Discman and a sparkler. We overheard one dude saying, "Worth every penny."

Source: http://www.spin.com/articles/guns-n-roses-surprise-brooklyn-bowl-governors-ball/

I fully endorse this review...

[Powerage5]

Forgot to mention, I think Axl was saying the buffalo wings last night were giving him the shits. Not positive, but I heard something about Buffalo, then something about his ass

Got a fuckton of picks last night; McBob gave both my mom and I like 5 BBF picks at the end, Tommy gave my mom one, then Fortus gave us each one. Mid-show my mom asked Richard if he was feeling okay, and he just slipped a pick into her hand and shook his head no. He was pretty out of it for most of the show.

My mom and I both feel like shit today, we woke up with the worst fucking headaches. Probably just exhaustion kicking in from the last 2 days.

Of course, pics will be posted once we're home from Governor's Ball

Was Fortus ill too? Thinking about it DJ tweeted something about finding some chicken wings the day before. It's clearly part of his conquertheworld plan, trying to wipeout his fellow bandmates *evil dictator laugh*

Fortus was definitely sick. A few songs in he just went back by his tech, he took his guitar off and literally dragged it across the stage, then stood back there for a good minute just pacing back and forth. Dont know exactly what was up but he definitely wasn't all there.

[Guest cbgnr666]

Gnr is becoming a real media darling.Bout time.