10/22/17 - Boston, MA - TD Garden

[CokeAddict]

Hi Everyone.  I have been regularly lurking here for the past year and a half and finally feel up to posting, so here is my review!

I saw GNR back in '93.  Saw Snakepit a couple times, GNR in 02, 06, and then both Foxboro shows last year.  I thoroughly enjoyed last night.  When the reunion kicked off, I was over the moon excited.  I wasted many hours on this forum for any tidbit of news, watched all the videos, knew the setlist, etc.  This year as the novelty wore off I just check in occasionally, so I had a vague sense of what to expect last night, but didn't know exactly what was coming next.  Not counting the 02/06 shows (which I enjoyed but of course they were different) this was my first time seeing them up close in an arena.  That alone is more thrilling for me.  From where I was, the crowd was amped up, dancing, singing, on their feet the whole night. Energy was great.  No one around me seemed to dislike CD songs.  I thought the band was tight and played great.  Slash seemed really amped up, moving around and dancing more than I remember last summer.   3.5 hours is a long time, but went by really fast for me!

I thought Axl was very solid.  He didn't blow me away or make the hair on my neck stand up as he has before in the past, but he sounded fine and always appears to give his best.  Still love to watch him as a frontman.  Love watching him interact with the crowd and he stills seems so into it.  I think i would be bored doing the same thing all over the world over and over again, but if Axl is, I couldn't tell. There were times when he was great. Just love seeing him have a good time and seeming confident again.  I can't really explain and maybe I am projecting, but with this band, Axl seems like a like a happier, older version of the old Axl, as you would expect him to age.  In 02 and 06, maybe the cornrows and outfits distracted me, but it was harder to recognize him and he disappeared a lot when he wasn't singing.  He is more recognizable to me again.  I enjoyed him in all the Appetite songs, and love love love him on Patience, Wichita Lineman, Don't Cry.

I have to say Slash's solo spot was amazing.  It really caught me, the whole thing, from start to finish. Probably the highlight of the night for me.  I don't know, it feels like sometimes he is playing at the moment just how I would choose to play at that moment if I could actually play guitar and express myself emotionally like that.  I think the ending of Sweet Child gets overblown, but everything else in that whole section was a highlight.  Estranged was also great last night. Well he was on fire the whole night.

I gotta run, but the whole band felt very cohesive.  I kind of moved on from GNR after 06.  I mean, I alway buy Slash's solo stuff immediately and bought Chinese Democracy the day it came out.  But I stopped expecting anything from them.  So this whole last 18 months has just been icing on the cake for me.  It is hard to not start to want more, like a new song/album.  But I am not expecting it.  If it happens I will just be thrilled, but I am just so grateful that I got to see Axl and Slash and Duff again 3 "bonus" times.  And they seem to genuinely enjoy each other, so I am happy for them.  I do hope the original 5 play together since it is a miracle they are all still alive, but this current band is great and maybe there is a chance they will create something new together.

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

@CokeAddict Thanks for your review, really detailed and balanced.  And welcome!  Hope you don't back to lurking,  join in the discussions. ^^

Am loving all the reviews and opinions tonight, certainly giving me something to think about. 

[Ratam]

48 minutes ago, CokeAddict said:

Hi Everyone.  I have been regularly lurking here for the past year and a half and finally feel up to posting, so here is my review!

I saw GNR back in '93.  Saw Snakepit a couple times, GNR in 02, 06, and then both Foxboro shows last year.  I thoroughly enjoyed last night.  When the reunion kicked off, I was over the moon excited.  I wasted many hours on this forum for any tidbit of news, watched all the videos, knew the setlist, etc.  This year as the novelty wore off I just check in occasionally, so I had a vague sense of what to expect last night, but didn't know exactly what was coming next.  Not counting the 02/06 shows (which I enjoyed but of course they were different) this was my first time seeing them up close in an arena.  That alone is more thrilling for me.  From where I was, the crowd was amped up, dancing, singing, on their feet the whole night. Energy was great.  No one around me seemed to dislike CD songs.  I thought the band was tight and played great.  Slash seemed really amped up, moving around and dancing more than I remember last summer.   3.5 hours is a long time, but went by really fast for me!

I thought Axl was very solid.  He didn't blow me away or make the hair on my neck stand up as he has before in the past, but he sounded fine and always appears to give his best.  Still love to watch him as a frontman.  Love watching him interact with the crowd and he stills seems so into it.  I think i would be bored doing the same thing all over the world over and over again, but if Axl is, I couldn't tell. There were times when he was great. Just love seeing him have a good time and seeming confident again.  I can't really explain and maybe I am projecting, but with this band, Axl seems like a like a happier, older version of the old Axl, as you would expect him to age.  In 02 and 06, maybe the cornrows and outfits distracted me, but it was harder to recognize him and he disappeared a lot when he wasn't singing.  He is more recognizable to me again.  I enjoyed him in all the Appetite songs, and love love love him on Patience, Wichita Lineman, Don't Cry.

I have to say Slash's solo spot was amazing.  It really caught me, the whole thing, from start to finish. Probably the highlight of the night for me.  I don't know, it feels like sometimes he is playing at the moment just how I would choose to play at that moment if I could actually play guitar and express myself emotionally like that.  I think the ending of Sweet Child gets overblown, but everything else in that whole section was a highlight.  Estranged was also great last night. Well he was on fire the whole night.

I gotta run, but the whole band felt very cohesive.  I kind of moved on from GNR after 06.  I mean, I alway buy Slash's solo stuff immediately and bought Chinese Democracy the day it came out.  But I stopped expecting anything from them.  So this whole last 18 months has just been icing on the cake for me.  It is hard to not start to want more, like a new song/album.  But I am not expecting it.  If it happens I will just be thrilled, but I am just so grateful that I got to see Axl and Slash and Duff again 3 "bonus" times.  And they seem to genuinely enjoy each other, so I am happy for them.  I do hope the original 5 play together since it is a miracle they are all still alive, but this current band is great and maybe there is a chance they will create something new together.

@CokeAddictvery good you first post,welcome ☺🙋

[illusionone]

I was there and this was the 5th time I've seen them on this tour.  2 vegas, 2 foxboro.  

I had a blast and thought Axl sounded just fine.  He used a mix of rasp and clean voice.  I thought that the clean voice sounded fine, especially I t he cringe worthy spots I typically hear on YouTube videos.  I'd say the only song that it really didn't work on was yesterdays. 

At the end of the day, I know what I'm getting into and I thought the show rocked and the person who wrote the review in the Globe thought so too. It was well worth the $279 I paid.  

Axl gave 100% - I didi see him spitting in trash bucket every song or so, not sure what's going on there.

I was there to have fun and  it judge and I had a blast.

 

-illusionone 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ludurigan]

1 hour ago, CHRISSY said:

And there you have it, felt pretty much same way about NYC. We are starting to see AXL get by just because he is Axl, sometimes.

 

axl has been getting by just because he is axl ever since he put employees onstage and called his pathetic solo band `GNR`

[Sosso]

8 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

axl has been getting by just because he is axl ever since he put employees onstage and called his pathetic solo band `GNR`

Because it was GN'R

[Kelmi]

2 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

You saw what I saw.. I just wrote a review.. Everything is so predictable, Staged and scripted... Like Slash jumping off the riser at the beginning of Jungle every time. Still, those MSG and DC shows seemed pretty killer.. 

I have also noticed this coreocraph and scripred acting. It makes me wonder.. they always said in the interviews that they would never do that.. and Slash has lost his feeling. Whats going on??

[Jordan Rose]

1 hour ago, CokeAddict said:

 From where I was, the crowd was amped up, dancing, singing, on their feet the whole night. Energy was great.  No one around me seemed to dislike CD songs.  I thought the band was tight and played great.  Slash seemed really amped up, moving around and dancing more than I remember last summer.   3.5 hours is a long time, but went by really fast for me!

I thought Axl was very solid.  He didn't blow me away or make the hair on my neck stand up as he has before in the past, but he sounded fine and always appears to give his best.  Still love to watch him as a frontman.  Love watching him interact with the crowd and he stills seems so into it.  I think i would be bored doing the same thing all over the world over and over again, but if Axl is, I couldn't tell. There were times when he was great. Just love seeing him have a good time and seeming confident again.  I can't really explain and maybe I am projecting, but with this band, Axl seems like a like a happier, older version of the old Axl, as you would expect him to age. 

 

Really cool review, glad you had a good time. Interesting how your take is so different from those who object so strongly to CD songs/different band members/clean voice etc.

Several people talking about the performance being "scripted." I feel this is very disingenuous. The direct implication is that they decide what moves they're going to do and when in order to put on a rock show so they can basically kind of coast whilst still giving 90% of the casual audience the impression that they're rocking out man and totally into it and spontaneous. The reality is that after playing so many shows they fall into a routine and rhythm and it's completely understandable. It doesn't mean they can't still be 100% into it. 

There are bands like Maiden and AC/DC who stick to a very rigid script for an entire tour and do all their signature spots in the same places decade after decade and it's understood and accepted. Dickinson talks about really liking the comfort of establishing a set and perfecting it. That doesn't negate them giving 100%.

Besides all the goofing and joking and smiling and dancing you can't say that just because Axl bangs his chest in the same place in Jungle and Slash jumps off the riser that they;re phoning it in. Jon Bongiovi has largely been phoning it in for years with the same bloody "How am I doing so far, alright?!" in the same place.

The guy yelling for old shit and Estranged after it's been played. I' sure Axl couldn't give two shits and called an audible for Sorry.

[CHRISSY]

I also happen to be on the side of those who think CD was pretty good. Certainly better than listening only to all the old songs.

But the show I just saw seemed old and tired, and come-on, Axl looks horrible truth be told

[Sosso]

2 minutes ago, CHRISSY said:

I also happen to be on the side of those who think CD was pretty good. Certainly better than listening only to all the old songs.

But the show I just saw seemed old and tired, and come-on, Axl looks horrible truth be told

He looks like someone who is on tour since the last 1 1/2 years

[Crowebar]

1 hour ago, ludurigan said:

axl has been getting by just because he is axl ever since he put employees onstage and called his pathetic solo band `GNR`

I find your lack of enthusiasm disturbing... 

[Lio]

7 minutes ago, CHRISSY said:

and come-on, Axl looks horrible truth be told

You mistake your opinion for truth.

[Crowebar]

2 hours ago, CokeAddict said:

Hi Everyone.  I have been regularly lurking here for the past year and a half and finally feel up to posting, so here is my review!

I saw GNR back in '93.  Saw Snakepit a couple times, GNR in 02, 06, and then both Foxboro shows last year.  I thoroughly enjoyed last night.  When the reunion kicked off, I was over the moon excited.  I wasted many hours on this forum for any tidbit of news, watched all the videos, knew the setlist, etc.  This year as the novelty wore off I just check in occasionally, so I had a vague sense of what to expect last night, but didn't know exactly what was coming next.  Not counting the 02/06 shows (which I enjoyed but of course they were different) this was my first time seeing them up close in an arena.  That alone is more thrilling for me.  From where I was, the crowd was amped up, dancing, singing, on their feet the whole night. Energy was great.  No one around me seemed to dislike CD songs.  I thought the band was tight and played great.  Slash seemed really amped up, moving around and dancing more than I remember last summer.   3.5 hours is a long time, but went by really fast for me!

I thought Axl was very solid.  He didn't blow me away or make the hair on my neck stand up as he has before in the past, but he sounded fine and always appears to give his best.  Still love to watch him as a frontman.  Love watching him interact with the crowd and he stills seems so into it.  I think i would be bored doing the same thing all over the world over and over again, but if Axl is, I couldn't tell. There were times when he was great. Just love seeing him have a good time and seeming confident again.  I can't really explain and maybe I am projecting, but with this band, Axl seems like a like a happier, older version of the old Axl, as you would expect him to age.  In 02 and 06, maybe the cornrows and outfits distracted me, but it was harder to recognize him and he disappeared a lot when he wasn't singing.  He is more recognizable to me again.  I enjoyed him in all the Appetite songs, and love love love him on Patience, Wichita Lineman, Don't Cry.

I have to say Slash's solo spot was amazing.  It really caught me, the whole thing, from start to finish. Probably the highlight of the night for me.  I don't know, it feels like sometimes he is playing at the moment just how I would choose to play at that moment if I could actually play guitar and express myself emotionally like that.  I think the ending of Sweet Child gets overblown, but everything else in that whole section was a highlight.  Estranged was also great last night. Well he was on fire the whole night.

I gotta run, but the whole band felt very cohesive.  I kind of moved on from GNR after 06.  I mean, I alway buy Slash's solo stuff immediately and bought Chinese Democracy the day it came out.  But I stopped expecting anything from them.  So this whole last 18 months has just been icing on the cake for me.  It is hard to not start to want more, like a new song/album.  But I am not expecting it.  If it happens I will just be thrilled, but I am just so grateful that I got to see Axl and Slash and Duff again 3 "bonus" times.  And they seem to genuinely enjoy each other, so I am happy for them.  I do hope the original 5 play together since it is a miracle they are all still alive, but this current band is great and maybe there is a chance they will create something new together.

Welcome aboard!!! 

[Lerch]

I had a great time worth my time and money all day. I took it all in, I haven't seen them since 88,91,93... For me it was a little closure, for a couple shows that got cancelled/rescheduled on me.  Not in this lifetime became Last chance in my lifetime. Why the hell is the weather always weird after a GnR show? Blizzards, Fog, Rain? 

[ChristmasFnatic]

5 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

No, but they played the whole ROCKS album over the PA before the show

Probably Slash’s orders eh? Its his favorite album afterall.

[colonizedmind]

21 minutes ago, ChristmasFnatic said:

Probably Slash’s orders eh? Its his favorite album afterall.

Yea...he learnt his chops listening to "Rocks" on repeat, right? 
Would be nice to see Tyler and Perry join them on stage at some point for a 2017 bash of Mama Kin
Remember that bizare night 4 or 5 years ago when Axl had fully expected Steven to join him on stage in LA

and had Mama Kin in the set for a one off, which he did perform, but Tyler never showed up !

Edited October 23, 2017 by colonizedmind

[GoBucky]

3 hours ago, CokeAddict said:

Hi Everyone.  I have been regularly lurking here for the past year and a half and finally feel up to posting, so here is my review!

I saw GNR back in '93.  Saw Snakepit a couple times, GNR in 02, 06, and then both Foxboro shows last year.  I thoroughly enjoyed last night.  When the reunion kicked off, I was over the moon excited.  I wasted many hours on this forum for any tidbit of news, watched all the videos, knew the setlist, etc.  This year as the novelty wore off I just check in occasionally, so I had a vague sense of what to expect last night, but didn't know exactly what was coming next.  Not counting the 02/06 shows (which I enjoyed but of course they were different) this was my first time seeing them up close in an arena.  That alone is more thrilling for me.  From where I was, the crowd was amped up, dancing, singing, on their feet the whole night. Energy was great.  No one around me seemed to dislike CD songs.  I thought the band was tight and played great.  Slash seemed really amped up, moving around and dancing more than I remember last summer.   3.5 hours is a long time, but went by really fast for me!

I thought Axl was very solid.  He didn't blow me away or make the hair on my neck stand up as he has before in the past, but he sounded fine and always appears to give his best.  Still love to watch him as a frontman.  Love watching him interact with the crowd and he stills seems so into it.  I think i would be bored doing the same thing all over the world over and over again, but if Axl is, I couldn't tell. There were times when he was great. Just love seeing him have a good time and seeming confident again.  I can't really explain and maybe I am projecting, but with this band, Axl seems like a like a happier, older version of the old Axl, as you would expect him to age.  In 02 and 06, maybe the cornrows and outfits distracted me, but it was harder to recognize him and he disappeared a lot when he wasn't singing.  He is more recognizable to me again.  I enjoyed him in all the Appetite songs, and love love love him on Patience, Wichita Lineman, Don't Cry.

I have to say Slash's solo spot was amazing.  It really caught me, the whole thing, from start to finish. Probably the highlight of the night for me.  I don't know, it feels like sometimes he is playing at the moment just how I would choose to play at that moment if I could actually play guitar and express myself emotionally like that.  I think the ending of Sweet Child gets overblown, but everything else in that whole section was a highlight.  Estranged was also great last night. Well he was on fire the whole night.

I gotta run, but the whole band felt very cohesive.  I kind of moved on from GNR after 06.  I mean, I alway buy Slash's solo stuff immediately and bought Chinese Democracy the day it came out.  But I stopped expecting anything from them.  So this whole last 18 months has just been icing on the cake for me.  It is hard to not start to want more, like a new song/album.  But I am not expecting it.  If it happens I will just be thrilled, but I am just so grateful that I got to see Axl and Slash and Duff again 3 "bonus" times.  And they seem to genuinely enjoy each other, so I am happy for them.  I do hope the original 5 play together since it is a miracle they are all still alive, but this current band is great and maybe there is a chance they will create something new together.

Great review...glad you had a good time! I have a buddy out there who's not a die hard fan, but digs the band and went last night. He said Axl was 'surprisingly good' compared to what he expected. He really enjoyed the hell out of the show.

[Ratam]

1 hour ago, Crowebar said:

I find your lack of enthusiasm disturbing... 

😅😂😃😀👍

[AFGnR]

Truths we have to accept:

The tour won't change radically at any point. They might add a cover or do a new song from CD.

People going to a show will most likely get caught up in the atmosphere and have a great time.

Someone following every show from behind their keyboard will be more likely to complain.

 

 

[WWEROSES]

I was at this show last night. I've attended the two Foxboro shows last summer as well. I have to say, the first night at Foxboro and last nights Boston show are a dead tie for me. I've been following GN'R since I was very young and they were the first band I was introduced too. Seeing them perform for the first time immediately brought tears to my eyes the moment the opening notes of Jungle started. It was the first GN'R song I ever heard and it just brought so much emotion for me to finally see my all time favorite band perform. When they took stage that night, I was in shocked to see them, so the whole experience didn't really set in til Jungle started. Night two at Foxboro kinda has tainted memories for me due to personal reasons. 

 

I have to say the moment It's So Easy started, seeing the sell out crowd fist pumping, I immediately started to cry. I could actually see the guys on stage without looking at the screen (which in Foxboro I had to do). The acoustics of the Garden is way better in my opinion than Gillette Stadium. And top it off, throughout the entire show, the crowd was into it! They were singing, dancing, and mostly standing and stayed throughout the entire performance , where usually crowds start to leave around 10:30 from all my previous concerts and its usually to beat traffic, which I don't understand dishing out that much money to not see a full show. Even during the CD material, they were sections of people around me singing along and those who weren't familiar with the material, they were head banging along.  Axl sounded good, not as good as he did at the Foxboro shows, but he didn't sound winded and he had a good amount of clean and rasp mixed in, but you could tell he was in a good mood and was really into it. I kept noticing how much him and Slash kept interacting, which was still a shock to see considering their troubled past. And speaking of Slash, I have to agree with the previous poster who mentioned his solo spot. Myself as well as the people sitting next to me were blown away and kept mentioning how they got goosebumps. Slash definitely seemed into last night and he even did a handstand during the final bow.  The confetti blowing up towards my section of the balcony caught me off guard because they usually go off closer to the stage. I did get quiet a chuckle seeing a group of people hit the floor the moment that Axl's mic landed, lucky bastard to whoever got a hold of it.  

When everyone was filing out, I did not hear anyone complain. Most of the conversations I heard was people saying how this was the best concert they ever seen and the other conversations was mostly people talking about if the Patriots won or not, lol.  I really hope this band puts out new material, but we all know the likelihood of that, so if they take a break and do another tour, I'm perfectly content with that and I hope they decide to come back to the Garden again.

[WhazUp]

6 hours ago, ludurigan said:

axl has been getting by just because he is axl ever since he put employees onstage and called his pathetic solo band `GNR`

I feel like with every single thread I ever visit on mygnr there is always a post from you saying this exact same thing lol

[Derick]

43 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

I feel like with every single thread I ever visit on mygnr there is always a post from you saying this exact same thing lol

I'm new here but the little I could see, you´r right. Some fans are like herpes, they appear in some bad moment and they always manifest in the same way. In the good moments they just disappear. 

[ludurigan]

1 hour ago, WhazUp said:

I feel like with every single thread I ever visit on mygnr there is always a post from you saying this exact same thing lol

SORRY CANT ANSWER YOU NOW, I AM DOING SOME TIME ON PARADISE CITY AND I WILL BE HERE FOR A WHILE

38 minutes ago, Derick said:

I'm new here but the little I could see, you´r right. Some fans are like herpes, they appear in some bad moment and they always manifest in the same way. In the good moments they just disappear. 

EXACTLY, I GUESS I HAVE JUST FUCKING DISAPPEARED CAUSE THIS IS A VERY, VERY GOOD MOMENT

[ludurigan]

6 hours ago, Crowebar said:

I find your lack of enthusiasm disturbing... 

I AM VERY ENTHUSIASTIC RIGHT NOW!

[Derick]

1 hour ago, ludurigan said:

EXACTLY, I GUESS I HAVE JUST FUCKING DISAPPEARED CAUSE THIS IS A VERY, VERY GOOD MOMENT

I think so.. in meanwhile maybe you should try to build a time machine to travel back 3 decades and perhaps get what pleases you...good luck w that