Why do/did GNR feel they need to put on 2.5-3.5 hour shows

[bigcountry]

Since the UYI days GNR have been regularly doing 2.5-3.5 hour shows. When you think about it that is at time double what most headliners do and did back in the UYI days.

I wonder what made the band to decide to do this in 91? Does anyone know?

Now it seems the shows are more in the 2.5 hour range but that is still alot more than most bands do but if GNR played a show for 2 hours or less people would say it was a short setlist.

I know solos and all add to this time just as they did back in 91.

I remeber seeing them in 92 and they played around 3 hours and 10 mins with a one min. Slash and other solos and after the show we got in the car and a GNR song was playing on the radio and we turned the channel, I didn't listen to GNR for a few weeks because GNR just kicked our asses for over 3 hours and we where in GNR overload which is a good thing. To be honest that is the only concert I have ever been to that I was just overwelmed by the show.

[slavetothegrind]

I would rather a show that's about 1 hour and 45 minutes than one that's 3 hours, I went to see Bon Jovi a couple of years ago (I didn't want to go, they were free tickets and I got dragged to it), but they played for like 3 hours and around 2 hours into it I started to get bored and started to check the time every 5 minutes. I watched the GNR 2011 show from The LA Forum last night and I skipped all of the solo's and most of the covers, the show runs a lot smoother that way because they kill a lot of the momentum they have.

[betterman]

..but Axl needs those breaks!

[PerthGNR]

Quantity over quality in the eyes of Axl it seems.

[Axl_morris]

Shows were increased and so were prices. In 06 shows were about 2hrs 10mins at £37.50. In 2010 onwards they have been an average of 3hours at £50 a ticket.

Also alot of it is to do with the band members solo spots..etc

Quantity over quality in the eyes of Axl it seems.

Where is the lack of quality in the 3 hour performance?

Edited February 28, 2014 by Axl_morris

[kanudo19]

I enjoy the 3hour shows and the solos but understand if the casual concert goer feels bored/tired

[Bobbo]

Shows were increased and so were prices. In 06 shows were about 2hrs 10mins at £37.50. In 2010 onwards they have been an average of 3hours at £50 a ticket.

Also alot of it is to do with the band members solo spots..etc

Quantity over quality in the eyes of Axl it seems.

Where is the lack of quality in the 3 hour performance?

Axl's voice for starters

[stumbleine]

the lack of quality is Axl going through the motions emotionless.

it's the guitar solos and soon that Ferrer will probably play a drum solo a la

Saga in transit to pass the time so they can say "look at GNR.they really give it all with 3 hour shows".

IMO it's all just an act and bs and conning his last remaining fans for money.

i will probably stay posting here now and again but rock n roll can apparently die.

at least Axl has killed it for GNR fans.

[GUNNER PT]

rock n roll can apparently die.

at least Axl has killed it for GNR fans.

[Coma16]

Quantity over quality in the eyes of Axl it seems.

Indeed. It's nothing new either (happened in the illusions days).

[jmapelian]

I'd prefer a streamlined set of about 2 hours if it meant no band jams, covers, or solo spots

[there is no dana only zool]

I don't know what true die-hard would take issue with that long of a show. If I had it my way, they'd be done Manowar-style and clock in at around a 6-hour mark haha. I think the reason the shows are long as hell are further proof that GN'R (yes, I'm obviously including this incarnation) are truly one of the last remaining legitimate, classic rock bands of our time. From what I understand, this is how concerts were way back in the 60s & 70s a lot of the time (decades some would argue were the "golden era" of rock music): drawn out with various jam sessions and solo spots, maximizing the spirit of their rock & roll in an attempt to make it an experience and become one with the audience. Think about it: on a small level, don't you think you "connect" with a band way more that spends a long time on stage with rants, jokes, various conversation and instrument playing + all their songs, rather than your standard 1hr & 30/45 min set and then "Thank you!! Goodnight!" where the bands rush through songs and have virtually no communication with the audience other than the obligatory, "So how ya feelin tonight Chicago!!!!?" I mean, maybe it's how things are now; people with lower attention spans due to a changing of the times/technology, all that. But I guess I'm being biased because GN'R are my favorite band on earth and every minute they spend on stage is sacred to me, so I'll take as many as I can get.

[D-GenerationX]

Since the UYI days GNR have been regularly doing 2.5-3.5 hour shows. When you think about it that is at time double what most headliners do and did back in the UYI days.

I wonder what made the band to decide to do this in 91? Does anyone know?

Now it seems the shows are more in the 2.5 hour range but that is still alot more than most bands do but if GNR played a show for 2 hours or less people would say it was a short setlist.

I know solos and all add to this time just as they did back in 91.

I remeber seeing them in 92 and they played around 3 hours and 10 mins with a one min. Slash and other solos and after the show we got in the car and a GNR song was playing on the radio and we turned the channel, I didn't listen to GNR for a few weeks because GNR just kicked our asses for over 3 hours and we where in GNR overload which is a good thing. To be honest that is the only concert I have ever been to that I was just overwelmed by the show.

You don't have a lot of bootlegs, I'm guessing.

Because the average show on the UYI tour is about 2 hours. The concert lengths you are describing happened on the regular for exactly one leg of the tour (Dec 1991 - April 1992). And if you actually count the number of shows in that time frame, its a small number.

[PerthGNR]

Shows were increased and so were prices. In 06 shows were about 2hrs 10mins at £37.50. In 2010 onwards they have been an average of 3hours at £50 a ticket.

Also alot of it is to do with the band members solo spots..etc

Quantity over quality in the eyes of Axl it seems.

Where is the lack of quality in the 3 hour performance?

Kidding right?

[BangoSkank]

I actually think every headliner should do around that much, especially as ticket prices rise. For $65 and a mediocre seat, it's a ripoff to get something the same length as a movie.

After seeing Springsteen (and GNR) many, many times, I usually leave a 90 minute act thinking "okay, they gave me half a show."

[volcano62]

Too many good songs that need to be played

[SoNobodyToldYaBaby]

How can people complain that the show is to long? When you're there it absolutely flies through and at the end of paradise city i was craving for more.

[gmsugaree]

I go to a show ready to fucking rage, and rage for a long time if the musicians are ready. The Webster Hall show was over 3 hours and I was in a state of euphoria the whole time. Let the lightweights leave early!

[BangoSkank]

How can people complain that the show is to long? When you're there it absolutely flies through and at the end of paradise city i was craving for more.

Word. "The rock and roll show was too long!" is the world's lamest complaint.

[IncitingChaos]

I posted this video the other day bc it's the last song of a 3 hour set and Axl sounds amazing! The reason the show was 3 hours is bc almost all of Chinese Democracy was played.

Now that less Chinese Democracy is being played the shows have been getting shorter. I think it's Axl trying to play the CD songs, and also the fan favorites that make the show 2 and half hours long.

He always plays november rain, KOHD, estranged since 2011, and paradise city which together make up nearly 40 minutes of the show with just 4 songs. GNR has longer songs which make the concerts last longer. Idk why anyone would complain about their favorite band playing long sets beside being concerned for Axl's vocals.

[stumbleine]

one of the biggest "problems"for me with current GNR's long shows are the

solo spots.

that shit kills momentum every time and who really cares about ballad of death when they

could have played a TIGHT show with let's say Locomotive or another deep cut/fan favorite.

[gmsugaree]

The solo slots are awesome, psychedelic, LOVE it... they really get into cool jams... I think smoking a little herb might help you appreciate that more!

[dalsh327]

In 1991 they had a new album and a lot of material to work with, and a lot of people who had never seen GNR in the clubs. They were an arena level headlining act and wanted to put on the best show possible. It was usually the ones Axl ran late where he pushed himself to his limits.

When Rush started doing "evening with" tours, people were more than happy for them to do 3 hour shows.

A band like The Ramones could do a one hour show and the audience would be satisfied because they went pretty fast and furious the entire time, but they were club shows. Ray Charles and David Allen Coe would do 1 hour shows and piss the audience off. Stevie Wonder did a 2 hour show, no encores, but he was on the entire 2 hours with no break. It all depends on how the artist delivers the show.

Maybe GNR can do a 2 hour balls to the wall show and the audience would be happy as long as they got to hear their favorite songs.

The shows were over 2 hours but the videos cut out the in between time, most videotapes were 2 hours long, and they're lucky they even got the tapes into the arena, let alone the camera.

[Apollo]

A few things come to mind.

Age. At 18 years old, I think we all want the concert to be as long as possible. All day rock festivals were a day of heaven. But once you get older, standing in an arena from 7 to 1 AM, and then an hour drive to pick your kids up, and you finally get home and pass out at 3 AM - just to wake up five hours later......no thanks. At 18 you can do that, get three hours of sleep, and be 100% the next day.

Importance. Again, at 18 years old every concert I went to was an EVENT. Even down to keeping ticket stubs as mementos. But at 40 - a GnR concert is just a fun night out. It's one part of a vacation. Ticket stubs go in the trash.

Quality vs Quantity. If GnR plays 30 songs......you are getting their "30th" best song. After standing on my feet for 5 hours, do I really want to hear a Dizzy Reed solo?

Solos, Jams. I go to a GnR show to hear GnR music. To see Axl perform. I don't go to see DJ Ashba solos, Dizzy Reed Solos or songs sung by other band members. There should be a rule - if 2,500 people wouldn't attend your solo show, then you don't get a solo spot at a GnR show. How many people would attend a Dizzy Reed show? 50? A DJ solo show? A Tommy solo show? A Frank show? If the number isn't over 2,500 - you don't get a solo spot. If Axl really needs a break, then let there be one solo spot per show. The band can figure out a rotation system.

My "age" comments shouldn't be taken as an insult to old people or young people. The majority of Axl's fans are older people. Guys that started following his career 26 years ago. The normal 40 year old doesn't have the same stamina and passion for rock music that the average 20 year does. (And yes, I know there are exceptions and some 40 year old will respond "no way dude, I can party for 3 days straight without getting tired. And that's great. But I'm talking about the average).

I love that GnR plays for three hours. But, you can't deny that the crowd at GnR shows typically dwindles down by the end of the show. The last show I attended I'd estimate half the crowd had left by the time PC came on.

I'd personally prefer they reduced the solo spots and jams, stopped with all the covers, and just gave a powerhouse 2.5 hours of GnR music.

[Nosaj Thing]

Too many covers and solos. It would be nice if they stopped the cover nonsense and start playing new old songs. Nobody should ever complain about a band performing "too" long.