RATE: Rock in Rio 2001 - Axl's triumphant return...

[killuridols]

27 minutes ago, RONIN said:

Please, tell us how you really feel 

 

27 minutes ago, RONIN said:

I can't imagine the anticipation and mystique of the band at that point in time (I only became a fan in 2003). It must have been killer to see them at such a small venue.

Well, that (the bolded) explains a lot.

In 2001 the Internet was not the big thing it is now. There was no social media. We barely knew what Axl looked like.

For anyone who was a fan of the original GN'R from the 80's and 90's, watching that freak show of freaks was certainly a shock.

 

That band had nothing to do with the old band. He called them Guns N' Roses but it was a band formed in a studio, not in the streets. They could not live up to the image and identity of the original band. They had no identity at all and the fans felt confused. You had one guy with a bucket on his head and wearing yellow raincoat, then the other guy that looked like came out from the Cirque Du Soleil, another goofy guy dressed in pajamas, another guy who looked weird like Asian and then Axl Rose, who looked trice the weight he used to have but dressed in gym apparel (the contradiction of it, omg) and dark hair. On top of that, his voice was weak and he looked insecure.

Only good thing to highlight were maybe the new songs...... but....... soon we found out it was not going to pass beyond that.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2017 by killuridols

[wasted]

6 hours ago, Sosso said:

The Exorcist III. That intro was played at every gig in 2001/2002.

Was Axl performing an exorcism of old GNR? Whats that clip about?

[Sosso]

1 minute ago, Wagszilla said:

Nope, "The General" intro was played at several gigs in 2002. 

The Exorcist intro is bad ass though. 

I heard that quote from The Exorcist III at several bootlegs from 2002. 

6 minutes ago, wasted said:

Was Axl performing an exorcism of old GNR? Whats that clip about?

I don't know . But the quote could have been Buckethead's idea. He is a fan of horror films

[DieselDaisy]

I do not like those 2001 Joint Vegas shows for the simple fact that he had a European tour booked - for which I had tickets (Manchester) - that was consequentially rescheduled, then cancelled, and then he turned up at Vegas a few days later after the cancellation playing two shows! It felt at the time like a complete punch in the face for those who had bought tickets for the European tour (as I remember)! And then he gave some claptrap about Goldstein, and, ''only reading about the tour on the net''. If anyone is wondering why I, a GN'R fan, became a bit disillusioned with Rose and this band, then it was moments like these.

Edited July 10, 2017 by DieselDaisy

[Sosso]

2 minutes ago, Wagszilla said:

Yep, it was used several times, but The General was used as well.

People think that started in the Ashba era.

That's one of Axl's weirdest sides. They are playing parts of a new song and he is just saying “You may have heard it somewhere“ 

[Gordon Comstock]

4 minutes ago, Wagszilla said:

Seven, The General, Prostitute, If The World all played before debuted in full and of course the first not at all. 

 

Clip of Seven, plz. Prostitute was the Nov Rain intro in 02-06, ITW jammed in 06, The General used as the opening music from 06-10~... When the hell was Seven jammed and how do you know that's what it was?

[Gordon Comstock]

1 minute ago, Wagszilla said:

 

 

How do you know what it is though? Not doubting it could be an unreleased song but, what makes you think it's Seven?

[Carne_asaDA]

My reactions: WTF is that Mickey Mouse voice?

[ludurigan]

17 hours ago, RONIN said:

 

My retrospective thoughts on this show:

 

WOW....YOU JUST...CAN'T...TAKE...YOUR EYES...OFF...THEM. 

 Literally feels like you're watching a car on fire crash in slow motion. The spectacle of the whole thing just transfixes you. That's neither a good or bad judgement call but rather to say that this particular lineup had some bizarre chemistry that feels completely disjointed and unnatural...and yet...it works? I don't know whether to be horrified or cheer for them. It's awesomely...weird.  

*This was the first big concert following the few shows Axl did in Vegas during the final days of 2000. He was following up positive press and fan feedback from those shows. The world was missing Guns N' Roses and people had drank the kool aid that Axl was the architect behind the GnR phenomenon. He had all the credibility in the world as the rock press and fans had begun to mythologize Axl as a rock genius in hiding since the late 90's. 

*There was a tremendous amount of hype, mystique and expectations for Guns N' Roses after so much had happened in music. Slash and co. had more or less fallen off the map at this point which only further legitimized Axl's solo adventure. This was Axl's chance to completely reinvent the brand and start fresh without the ghost of the classic era hanging over him. The time was right and everything was lined up in his favor here. There was tremendous anticipation and momentum for GnR 2.0. Over 250k Brazilians would witness the long awaited return of W. Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses.

* I had great hopes for this lineup. Axl was still pre-vanilla ice and pre-mtv VMA disaster. He was shaky here - certainly...but nothing near the dumpster fire of the 2002 tour.

*Nobody knew what to expect here. Literally. There was nothing like the unveiling of this band hype or interest wise in my memory.

*The Freakshow aspect of this lineup is now infamous.  Obviously Axl toned it down for his 2006 lineup which became a more conventional rock band, but there was something balls-y about the way Axl assembled this original misfit lineup of Nu Guns. I still can't help but feel that even in 2001, they were still a few years too late to the party as NIN and Manson's schtick had played itself out by then. 

*The band's rendition of KOHD and Patience are very strong. Great arrangement. Buckethead and Robin do great work here.

*Mr. Buckethead was a force unto his own. Check his beautiful solo on KOHD and his blistering Nightrain outro. He appeared to have the skills and stage persona up to the stature of Slash which helped alleviate the separation anxiety from our guitar hero. 

*Brain - a monster drummer that reminded one of a 21st century Adler.

*Finck and Tommy Stinson - wasn't at all sure what to make of them aside from their ridiculous clothes and stage persona.

*Paul Fucking Huge/Tobias - the man, the myth, the legend. Potentially the most hated person in GnR lore among hardcore fans. This is a guy that a GnR fan wouldn't piss on if he was covered in flames. To be fair, I believe he has a cult fanbase on some nu gnr sites.  I can't speak much to his stage presence or playing but he seems to take a cue from Izzy and chills in his corner. He doesn't get in the way of the "stars" unlike the hyperactive gnome they currently have on rhythm guitar. As Axl says in the concert, "Without Paul, there would be no Guns N' Roses." Indeed Axl. Indeed.  

*Despite Axl being at his weakest here vocally, to me, this is the most watchable new guns show and certainly leagues beyond anything post 2002 until NITL. It's also stronger than anything they did in '02 when Fortus replaced Tobias. There's also quite a few of Axl's trademark rants including one on the old band.

Watching this show years later feels bittersweet. Disappointing on one level because it wasn't the original band and Axl was off his game significantly. He still looked like Axl though and the band had tremendous potential which made it intriguing. Knowing how it all turned out though gives the whole affair a "jeez...what could have been..." vibe since this lineup never had a chance to shine.

 

What did you guys think?

man you have the best GNR quiz questions! priceless!

[Gordon Comstock]

4 minutes ago, Wagszilla said:

Gong at Evo has a reliable track record and he's the one who posted it awhile back. 

The original track-list was verified to me personally in 2006 and would flow naturally given the general sound the record had at that time with the given track listing.

What I was told again by people in the know was that the 2004 record (with that track list) was Bucket heavy more similar to the Trunk disc leaks.

 

Is the original tracklist that one that leaked shortly before CD actually came out, I wanna say it was the "06 cover/back"? I think it had 13 songs, including Seven and The General, maybe Atlas too?

What is the Trunk disc leak - you don't mean the '99 demos right? Is it the '06 versions of Better? I thought it was something like: MSL leaks = 2003-4 era demos, Antiquiet leaks = "finished" '06 versions.

[Gordon Comstock]

1 minute ago, Wagszilla said:

It's not the original tracklist because god knows what that was in 2000/2002 but this is the first known one:

The first leaks of IRS and TWAT originated from Eddie Trunk (and Mike Piazza). Someone sent them a CD and they played it on the radio.

The mixes were contemporary and clean. No 500 layers of beeps and boops, no Bumblefuckery (obviously). 

 

That's the cover I was thinking of.

I only vaguely recall the '06 leaks, I'll see if I can find them somewhere.

[RONIN]

5 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I do not like those 2001 Joint Vegas shows for the simple fact that he had a European tour booked - for which I had tickets (Manchester) - that was consequentially rescheduled, then cancelled, and then he turned up at Vegas a few days later after the cancellation playing two shows! It felt at the time like a complete punch in the face for those who had bought tickets for the European tour (as I remember)! And then he gave some claptrap about Goldstein, and, ''only reading about the tour on the net''. If anyone is wondering why I, a GN'R fan, became a bit disillusioned with Rose and this band, then it was moments like these.

I remember reading that when I was looking up those show reviews years and years ago. About as lame of an excuse as claiming the dog ate your homework.

How could you not know you were being booked for a tour by your own manager? What kind of business does he run? 

[Sydney Fan]

having a look at the video for the first time, my own observations are the poor fans musn't have had any idea who or what members were going to come on stage. The internet wasn't mainstream back then so you couldn't go onto GNR website and have a look to see what band member was still in the band or not. So the poor crowds were probably thinking they were getting the 93 era band, that's if they hadn't kept upto date with what axl was doing in the media and if Slash was touring Snakepit part 2 back then. But I admit watching the show I would have thought whos the fuckin clown with the KFC bucket on his head and doing the nun-chucka moves, WTF is this?. Listening to Axls rant where the interpreter is also talking he was pissed off and sad with what happened to the old band, but you could tell he wanted to really move forward and he had the money, the record company backing to achieve this - really there are no excuses. His insecurities is what made him fail. But like most other forum posters here, he should have just got the monkey off his back in 01-02 and released whatever music he had whether that would be an album or an EP to test the waters. But he should have done it as a solo record. Releasing under the GNR name showed that he was relying on the name to help give the music profile to the fans and that's plain lazy. Theres no way this music is an extension of where guns musically were going. That's something we would never know because the band dynamics were at an all time low as far back as 96. If he released it as a solo move he probably would have gotten abit more respect and more favourable reviews and old getting part of the old band back together may have been more easier.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Sydney Fan

[ToonGuns]

15 hours ago, Wagszilla said:

Five new songs performed on a grand stage, one new song instrumental guised as a band jam (all of which were designated as the b-sides of the record which weren't being considered as singles), and the promise of a return the following year with a whole bunch of new songs.

It was a hell of a performance and promise from Mr. Rose and quite unfortunate that it never came to fruition. 

Where did the b sides bit come from? Chinese Democracy was a b side of a single from the album Chinese Democracy?!

[ToonGuns]

7 hours ago, Wagszilla said:

 

What I was told again by people in the know was that the 2004 record (with that track list) was Bucket heavy more similar to the Trunk disc leaks.

One of the biggest missed opportunities in rock and biggest shames for hardcore fans of this era, like me, that this version never saw the light of day. Hopefully one day. The Better / IRS leaks etc from the time were fantastic.

[Free Bird]

11 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Wasn't interested back then. Guns N' Roses was so 1980s and I listened to other types of music. My interest in the band was rekindled with the prospect of new music in 2006/2007. Listened to the bootlegs and some songs were good! And just the sheer determination of Axl to keep going at it with a completely revamped Guns N' Roses! Very fascinating. Looking back at the show today, 16 years later, it was unfortunate this lineup didn't last longer. Hopefully that could have helped Axl release more music. It broke apart and so did Axl's inspiration, it seems. And now it is as uninteresting as it ever could be.

You seem to be hurt a lot of Slash's return. Fortunately you didn't act like Jarmo and pretend that's what you ever wanted.

[SoulMonster]

4 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

You seem to be hurt a lot of Slash's return. Fortunately you didn't act like Jarmo and pretend that's what you ever wanted.

Nah. I don't really care. I didn't want Slash (and Duff) to return for the simple fact that I want new music and I reckon Slash's return is pure nostalgia. I don't need nostalgia. I was around in the 80s and had the real thing. I am not dissing the current lineup, they give great shows and after all, Slash and Duff were part of the classic lineup so I appreciate them being back to play their songs. I just don't see any new music coming out of it so to me this is all just boring. Hope I am wrong, though.

And don't get me wrong, the probability of new music with Asha and Bumblefoot wasn't exactly large, either . I just hoped that Axl's enthusiasm and hunger could somehow be rekindled and I don't see that with the current lineup at all.

I think it is a lost cause, anyway. And as I said, I don't really care.

 

[Free Bird]

3 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Nah. I don't really care. I didn't want Slash (and Duff) to return for the simple fact that I want new music and I reckon Slash's return is pure nostalgia. I don't need nostalgia. I was around in the 80s and had the real thing. I am not dissing the current lineup, they give great shows and after all, Slash and Duff were part of the classic lineup so I appreciate them being back to play their songs. I just don't see any new music coming out of it so to me this is all just boring. Hope I am wrong, though.

And don't get me wrong, the probability of new music with Asha and Bumblefoot wasn't exactly large, either . I just hoped that Axl's enthusiasm and hunger could somehow be rekindled and I don't see that with the current lineup at all.

I think it is a lost cause, anyway. And as I said, I don't really care.

 

New music is not very likely unfortunately, regardless of the lineup.

Though I do think IF we have a chance for a new record than I think it's after this tour ends based on the success.

[SoulMonster]

Just now, Free Bird said:

New music is not very likely unfortunately, regardless of the lineup.

Though I do think IF we have a chance for a new record than I think it's after this tour ends based on the success.

As always, I will keep hoping though not expecting

[AlexC]

Terrible show. One of the worst performances of Axl's career and the band was sloppy as fuck. Weird, cringey rants by Axl blaming everyone but himself for what happened to GN'R and he just comes across as a tool. The only thing slightly impressive about that show is the drumming.

Even the new songs they played were awful back then. Oh My God was a mess, Madagascar sounded terrible and Silkworms? What the fuck even is that? It just sounds like someone dropping a toaster in the bath. Chinese Democracy sounded cool with Finck's intro tone but that's about it.

3/10.

[DieselDaisy]

That was the one new song which sounded great in my opinion at Rio 3, 'Madagascar'. It sounds terrible on the record.

[AlexC]

3 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

That was the one new song which sounded great in my opinion at Rio 3, 'Madagascar'. It sounds terrible on the record.

Can't believe I'm even saying this but I actually preferred the way the Ashba/Bumble line-up played it. Especially the last times it was played on the '11-'12 tour. They had a cool intro that sounded really Zeppelin and Axl was always great.

This is a good example.

The mix is pretty uneven but the performance has a lot of soul.

(Don't mean to derail the thread but just thought I'd share this particular performance in case you hadn't seen it).

[ToonGuns]

Definitely need a 2004 era version of Chinese Democracy released at some point. Those of us that were passionate and cared about that line up deserve it, those that only care about AFD5 don't need to buy it. Personally I'd pay $200 for a fan package boxset with this kind of stuff in it - original mixes, artwork concepts, unreleased tracks etc.

[ElectricTear]

I was 4 yo when it happened so obviously my opinions have been born later. Yeah, Axl's voice wasn't what it used to be and there was some strange looking people on stage but I still really like that lineup and would pay to see 'em again. So, maybe it wasn't good comeback for GNR but fantastic times for Axl & friends. 

Edited July 11, 2017 by ElectricTear

[liers]

Probably my favorite GnR concerts. All was back and it seemed like he did the impossible... created a new version of GnR that was better than the old one. It was a freak show but it was a tight lineup. Too bad it fell apart before they had the chance to accomplish much.