Metallica/GnR Tour: Did GnR blow it?

[Fitha_whiskey]

41 minutes ago, Kira said:

I wouldn't say Metallica destroyed them.  Just two headliners (there was an opening act too wasn't there?) is too much for one evening.  I mean sitting there for six hours or longer plus the late times was not conducive to a good atmosphere.  The tour was a bad idea to begin with.

I agree with this 100%. I saw the Orchard Park NY show with FNM, Metallica, then GnR. I was 21 at the time, and went with 5 other buddies from my hometown. It was certainly not our first rodeo. Most of us had been going to see all the metal & hair bands of the era since we were 13. We couldn't believe this tour was happening, since Metallica and GnR were so absolutely huge at the time.

The whole fuckin huge stadium was GA. Huge huge crowd. Me & another guy made it to the rail before FNM started. We were like "fuck yeah- staying up here all night"! That lasted exactly 2 songs. It was so fuckin nasty down there, we retreated about 50 rows. Then before Metallica we grabbed some seats in the lower bowl. The mosh pit was fuckin huge and nasty. We had a great view of it. Saw many bloody & battered dudes coming out of there.

I don't remember there being a real long wait for GnR. Maybe an hour. But I remember the spectacle of the stage with the huge UYI banners on each side, and GnR just playing a massive set.

I don't remember who was "better" that day. Metallica was mostly about aggression and moshing. GnR was about variety, performance, awesome overall rock show.

Getting back to your point, even for some young rock n rollers like us, getting a little fucked up on a hot summer day, after FNM and Metallica, there was almost nothing left in the tank for GnR. Basically a rock n roll overdose...

[paranoyd androyd]

there's no doubt Axl felt a ton of jealousy and anger during/after the Metallica tour. also, Slash was a huge Metallica fan back then so who knows if that might've bothered Axl as well.

Edited June 5, 2016 by paranoyd androyd

[tsinindy]

1 hour ago, Kira said:

I wouldn't say Metallica destroyed them.  Just two headliners (there was an opening act too wasn't there?) is too much for one evening.  I mean sitting there for six hours or longer plus the late times was not conducive to a good atmosphere.  The tour was a bad idea to begin with.

This is a fairly good point.  The tour itself was a great idea.  What didn't work out so much is Metallica coming out and playing balls to the wall during their entire set and then everyone sitting around waiting on GnR to take the stage for an extremely extended period of time.  GnR needed to get their ass on that stage immediately, but by the time they rolled out there two hours later, everyone was like fuck....I'm drunk and high and kinda ready to just go home.

[Sprite]

1 hour ago, paranoyd androyd said:

100% accurate statement and i was a much bigger GNR fan than Metallica. there's no doubt Axl felt a ton of jealousy and anger during/after the Metallica tour. also, Slash was a huge Metallica fan back then so who knows if that might've bothered Axl as well.

Every comic book story has a bad guy.

[DieselDaisy]

I no longer listen to heavy metal much - and find much of it crap now - but back when I liked this form of music I saw Metallica in 1996 and they were excellent, every bit the well-oiled professional arena machine. Guns of course are chaos, possibly the most badly ran band in the music industry. In 1992 Axl was in full-on diva mode. Metallica in those days had this beer slugging, ''say no to fake bullshitters'', policy; I do not believe you saw them turn up at venues in limos for instance - or host Roman parties! Little surprise the two clashed.

[Mr. Dude]

22 hours ago, EvanG said:

Well, Axl was (is still?) a huge diva, and the guys in Metallica seemed to be much more down to earth and no whiny bitches, so of course James would be making fun of Axl... who wouldn't? He was asking for it with his prima donna behaviour.

History has reversed the perception of that dynamic-Some Kind of Monster, Napster, and LuLu as prime examples.

[Mr. Dude]

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

I no longer listen to heavy metal much - and find much of it crap now - but back when I liked this form of music I saw Metallica in 1996 and they were excellent, every bit the well-oiled professional arena machine. Guns of course are chaos, possibly the most badly ran band in the music industry. In 1992 Axl was in full-on diva mode. Metallica in those days had this beer slugging, ''say no to fake bullshitters'', policy; I do not believe you saw them turn up at venues in limos for instance - or host Roman parties! Little surprise the two clashed.

Yeah, yeah-well-oiled professionals, eh? ZZZZZ.........Guns has been more interesting and more rock n roll than Metallica since the day they first hit the scene. Axl is enigmatic, mercurial, nuclear. Metallica are workmanlike. Axl alone is a higher stature than every member of Metallica combined.

[DR DOOM]

I've always been more of a GNR fan but by even their own (Guns N Roses members) accounts Metallica embarrassed them on that tour.

GNR were bloated and off the rails, Metallica workmanlike and professional.

Case closed.

[Mr. Dude]

2 minutes ago, DR DOOM said:

I've always been more of a GNR fan but by even their own (Guns N Roses members) accounts Metallica embarrassed them on that tour.

GNR were bloated and off the rails, Metallica workmanlike and professional.

Case closed.

Mercurial-bloated though. Mainly Duff and Slash were bloated though. Axl was in excellent condition for that tour.

[DieselDaisy]

7 minutes ago, Mr. Dude said:

Yeah, yeah-well-oiled professionals, eh? ZZZZZ.........Guns has been more interesting and more rock n roll than Metallica since the day they first hit the scene. Axl is enigmatic, mercurial, nuclear. Metallica are workmanlike. Axl alone is a higher stature than every member of Metallica combined.

There is a difference between rock n' roll volatility and a prima donna. In 1992 Axl was definitely more the latter and less the former.

[DR DOOM]

7 minutes ago, Mr. Dude said:

Mercurial-bloated though. Mainly Duff and Slash were bloated though. Axl was in excellent condition for that tour.

He was a headcase and consistently hours late to take the stage.

That's a funny definition of " excellent condition" you have there.

[EvanG]

1 hour ago, Mr. Dude said:

History has reversed the perception of that dynamic-Some Kind of Monster, Napster, and LuLu as prime examples.

Maybe for some, but most people will still give Metallica a lot more respect than Axl Rose. And even though most won't agree with the Lars-Napster thing, they at least understand the principle that was at stake.

[HorusRa]

I'll just leave this here. 

At their prime, Metallica was untouchable live

[Fitha_whiskey]

12 minutes ago, HorusRa said:

I'll just leave this here. 

At their prime, Metallica was untouchable live

A very tough act to follow, no doubt.

Its a testament to how huge Guns were at the time as well, to even be crazy enough to try...

[RichardNixon]

1. Jim Breuer  sucks.

2. As bloated as GNR was at the time, or how either band was recieved, GNR imploded, regardless  of this tour. If GNR had made a  album in 1995, 1996, they would have been in the same boat as AC/DC, Van Halen and Aerosmith. They would have weathered the grunge era and no one would have cared about the Metallica tour.

[moreblack]

18 hours ago, Kira said:

Hetfield can never mock any one again after Some Kind of Monster. 

There's a very good chance Axl and Slash needed similar professional help to work together again. 

[dontdamnmeuyi2015]

This was a long time ago. Who cares? I know the fans were disappointed by GNR pulling out at the last minute, but it was a reason to act like savages. Shit happens.

Maybe it freaked Axl out and he wasn't prepared to perform yet. Who knows? Back then Axl was young and hot headed and wanted things done his way. This upset his plans and he acted like a ten year old. Most men do.

I say we move on.

[moreblack]

8 hours ago, HorusRa said:

I'll just leave this here. 

At their prime, Metallica was untouchable live

Made 90s UYI Guns sound very sloppy by comparisson.

This is even more epic. 

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by moreblack

[Silverburst80]

On 03/06/2016 at 9:09 PM, tsinindy said:

Uh no....not if 87/88 Metallica showed up as well.

An AFD-Puppets tour, oh my.

[Silverburst80]

The answer is yes they did, Axl was out of control and the band weren't the snarling beast they were 3 years earlier and falling apart at the seams so hardly a fair fight though if Hetfield wants to claim some sort of victory. Ironically only a few years later Metallica were making complete dicks of themselves on the regular and just as bloated and ridiculous.

[bigpoop]

12 hours ago, Mr. Dude said:

Mercurial-bloated though. Mainly Duff and Slash were bloated though. Axl was in excellent condition for that tour.

They were bloated with back up chicks and keyboard dudes. Metallica was just four guys kicking ass.

[tsinindy]

2 hours ago, Silverburst80 said:

The answer is yes they did, Axl was out of control and the band weren't the snarling beast they were 3 years earlier and falling apart at the seams so hardly a fair fight though if Hetfield wants to claim some sort of victory. Ironically only a few years later Metallica were making complete dicks of themselves on the regular and just as bloated and ridiculous.

That's not wholey true, but your point should be well-taken.

[Silverburst80]

4 minutes ago, tsinindy said:

That's not wholey true, but your point should be well-taken.

It should have been a special tour, i truly believe it was GNR and Metallica with the one-two punch of Puppets (that album got them out of the underground) and Appetite that killed hair metal, well mortally wounded it anyway Grunge finished the job.

[tsinindy]

1 minute ago, Silverburst80 said:

It should have been a special tour, i truly believe it was GNR and Metallica with the one-two punch of Puppets (that album got them out of the underground) and Appetite that killed hair metal, well mortally wounded it anyway Grunge finished the job.

Appetite killed metal, Metallica had nothing to do with that.  

EDIT:  Specifically Appetite killed Hair Metal.

Edited June 5, 2016 by tsinindy

[Silverburst80]

1 minute ago, tsinindy said:

Appetite killed metal, Metallica had nothing to do with that.  

I don't know i think Metallica played their part and to a lesser extent the other 3 in the "big 4". Gnr were brothers in arms with those bands in the beginning and well respected in the thrash scene which was starting to be a more popular scene.