07/31/21 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium

[GNRfanMILO]

3 minutes ago, Bitchisback said:

I mean most people who goes to the shows seem to disagree.  The reaction at Hershey was pretty positive.  But I'm not going to argue about it.

Why would you consider as the absolute truth, reviews from media outlets that said that Axl sounded like shit in the nuGNR years (when he actually sounded great) just because Slash wasn't there? Those reviews don't mean shit.

Of course casual fans (the ones that fill stadiums) are going to tell you Axl sounds amazing. It's the same in the Facebook Fanspot group. What were you expecting?

Edited August 3, 2021 by GNRfanMILO

[Ixtlan]

1 minute ago, WhazUp said:

Does this guy write for the Onion by any chance? Lol

Hahahahahaha. The onion. Classic. 

[downzy]

3 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

Does this guy write for the Onion by any chance? Lol

It's mind blowing.

Heard a clip of Better from the show.  It's almost Bridge School 2012 bad.

Forget power, rasp, or tone. 

Axl couldn't even find the right pitch for much of the song.  

[Bitchisback]

4 minutes ago, GNRfanMILO said:

Why would you consider as the absolute truth, reviews from media outlets that said that Axl sounded like shit in the nuGNR years just because Slash wasn't there?

Of course casual fans are going to tell you Axl sounds amazing. It's the same in the Facebook Fanspot group. What were you expecting?

Like I said I'm not going to argue it.  I think Axl sounded mostly good, sometimes great, sometimes really bad too.  He was inconsistent but I thought he was good for most of the show.  And the band was really good as well.  Like I said, I had a great time.  It wasn't 2006 Axl, 2016 Axl and obviously not the Axl from the late 80s / early 90s but I don't think he was anywhere close to as bad as people are acting like he was. 

 

If you do that's fine, I'm not here to change your mind.  Just share my honest opinion

Edited August 3, 2021 by Bitchisback

[Joraz]

2 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

Supposedly this was the setlist:

 

Imagine they finally debut a new song.... and it's a fucking re-worked version of Silkworms. 

Setlist is fake. They didnt play seeker or list the parts where they would play alts

[Gordon Comstock]

He'd blown his voice out by the 4th damn song. His voice simply fails him at times during Slither, Better, YCBM and others. His clean voice has no power and the rasp isn't really there.

When he was in his 30's and 40's, he could still get away with sitting around for a year, doing 1 or 2 soundchecks, and then still hit the stage sounding powerful. He simply can't do that anymore, and it sounds like he hasn't been singing very much this year. The soundcheck a couple days before the show very well could've been his first full rehearsal since March 2020. Or, maybe his voice really is fucked beyond repair...

If this is really "as good as it gets" then they need to replace a lot of fan favourites... there is no good reason for him to still be struggling his way through Better or Rocket Queen every night. He was at Vince Neil levels during YCBM, skipping lines, vocals all over the place, it's embarrassing.

[mystery]

23 minutes ago, FabioRoses said:

How Hard can it be to choose your setlist based on current Axl's voice? He could do 15+ songs and sound good, Plus 5 or 6 sounding passable. Its not that Hard.

Or downtune or rephrase vocally. Also new music tailored to his current voice with more limited rasp would help but Axl has an aversion to releasing anything.

Mixing and matching a song or two from a new album would also greatly freshen the setlists. The newest songs from them are 13 years (really 21) years old.

[Powerage5]

26 minutes ago, Bitchisback said:

"And if you’re wondering if Guns N’ Roses still has it - time takes a toll on everyone, particularly singers - the answer is absolutely yes. Rose’s trademark wail is still belting out over songs like “Paradise City,” which is remarkable not only for his continued strength since 1985, but also over a year’s hiatus in live performances."

 

https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2021/08/guns-n-roses-at-hersheypark-stadium-how-was-the-first-big-concert-since-the-pandemic-began.html

Just to be clear, this is the review where the critic also said Slash and Duff have been back in the band since the early 00's, he's never heard of deep cuts like Nightrain, and he's never heard YCBM outside of the context of Terminator 2, right? I think we can throw this one out as an unreliable critic. 

13 minutes ago, Bitchisback said:

Like I said I'm not going to argue it.  I think Axl sounded mostly good, sometimes great, sometimes really bad too.  He was inconsistent but I thought he was good for most of the show.  And the band was really good as well.  Like I said, I had a great time.  It wasn't 2006 Axl, 2016 Axl and obviously not the Axl from the late 80s / early 90s but I don't think he was anywhere close to as bad as people are acting like he was. 

 

If you do that's fine, I'm not here to change your mind.  Just share my honest opinion

I am genuinely curious, not saying this to be argumentative, but what songs did you think Axl sounded great on? I thought I had a few picked out walking away from the gig - Civil War, Dead Horse, You're Crazy...listening back afterwards it was embarrassing. The only songs I might consider great vocal performances were CD and DTJ. ISE maybe borderline. That's it for me. 

[ZoSoRose]

At this point the band should play a 12- 14 song set of songs Axl can manage and maybe find another big headliner to do mega tours with. Pepper the set with some Slash jams and a Duff song and call it a day. This tour should be a celebration. They had 2 years off almost. They should be energized and with a totally revamped concert. This is the saddest outcome this tour could possibly have. The one good thing is that new fans can still get the chance to see them, I guess. Otherwise, I hope you saw them in 2016.

This is it, folks. The final nail in the "new music" coffin. Axl had almost 2 years of nothing but time. It isn't happening. 

The Detroit show is super discounted. I could get great seats for cheap, but I'm just going to keep my nosebleeds at this point because what is the point? I'll go and treat it as a night out, like going to the movies. Pretty sad that's my attitude considering how I felt about GNR 5 years ago

Edited August 3, 2021 by ZoSoRose

[WhazUp]

On one positive note because I am so down on GNR at this point that I feel like if I don't think of at least one positive thing I am on the verge of not caring about GNR any more - they slowed down some tempos to some songs and instrumentally I think it was an improvement

[W. Axl Kev]

55 minutes ago, mystery said:

You probably have the most rational take on this. It's been a slow decline for Axl vocally since 93 even though he's had some great stretches since.

I’m not surprised but I am saddened to read some of the things you all write about Axl on here.

I’ve been seeing them live since 06 and he’s always sounded amazing to me because I’m a fan. I’ve taken numerous family members, friends etc to see them and they’ve always thought he was nothing short of spectacular. My good lady is coming with me for the second time (and she can’t wait) on Thursday to see them at MetLife because she thought they were incredible the first time around.

I love the moments where I see the fleeting glimpses of his voice from back in the day but I love the rest too. Warts and all.

Maybe I’ve grown up from when I joined this forum 16 years ago but I’m so beyond nitpicking the level of “rasp” in his voice or reading some of you recommend breathing exercises. It’s embarrassing to behold.

I’ve got tickets to MetLife, Wrigley Field & Hard Rock in Florida and I’m gonna sing my heart out at each show to every song because one day soon we won’t be able to watch them anymore (like we couldn’t for 14 years) and it’ll all be memories. For me, I’m going to ensure they’ll be good ones. Even if he sounds like a dog whistle.

[RussTCB]

57 minutes ago, Bitchisback said:

"And it was almost like vintage 1988 Axl was in the house, swinging and swaying back and forth, just as you’d hope he might. Vocally, he has to really reach for some of the notes these days, but he was in otherwise strong voice."oses-first-show-2021/?utm_source=

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/guns-n-roses-first-show-2021/

I read that earlier today. If money has ever changed hands for a review, that's the one. 

[IncitingChaos]

I don’t post much anymore because the performances got repetitive and the touring has no ending. But figured I’d check up on the band for the post covid comeback. Seemed like they slowed down the tempo a bit, however  Axl’s voice isn’t carrying notes very well, and I doubt he knows/cares what’s going on. Cool to see he’s in decent shape for a near 60 year old! Preferably Axl would retire the GNR catalog from his live performance and rework material that could suit a voice he could achieve consistently live. I don’t think at this point that anyone will be offended by this, as I said he’s nearly 60 so losing vocal range/strength is expected. What they are doing now is just not exciting to myself, performances are not up to a quality I’d hold for GNR, and I think their time and energy could be spent better on side projects. But I’m sure the money is too good, hopefully the casual fans are still enjoying em and won’t come to see the band as the joke the hardcore fans have come to know. 

[Powerage5]

10 minutes ago, W. Axl Kev said:

Maybe I’ve grown up from when I joined this forum 16 years ago but I’m so beyond nitpicking the level of “rasp” in his voice or reading some of you recommend breathing exercises. It’s embarrassing to behold.

Who's nitpicking rasp? There's barely even been a mention of rasp in this thread since the forum came back online a few hours ago. Regardless, I don't think it's embarrassing to hold someone you are giving your money to to some sort of standard. There were songs Saturday night where Axl couldn't get the rasp, couldn't stay on pitch, couldn't pronounce his words, and couldn't even navigate all of the lyrics. There were songs (Better was the most obvious) where there were literally zero redeeming qualities. 

[Bitchisback]

37 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

Just to be clear, this is the review where the critic also said Slash and Duff have been back in the band since the early 00's, he's never heard of deep cuts like Nightrain, and he's never heard YCBM outside of the context of Terminator 2, right? I think we can throw this one out as an unreliable critic. 

I am genuinely curious, not saying this to be argumentative, but what songs did you think Axl sounded great on? I thought I had a few picked out walking away from the gig - Civil War, Dead Horse, You're Crazy...listening back afterwards it was embarrassing. The only songs I might consider great vocal performances were CD and DTJ. ISE maybe borderline. That's it for me. 

Civil war, crazy, brownstone, easy, KOHD, Estranged, DTJ off the top of my head.  Keep in mind when I say great I don't mean his vocals rival the Ritz.  Also keep in mind all the sound issues they had, who knows if Axl could even hear himself. There were a lot of technical issues clearly.

 

And yeah, the critic doesn't sound thousands of hours disacting Axl videos on message boards.  They just respond on what they were ther for, and like most others had a positive impression.

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Bitchisback

[ZoSoRose]

14 minutes ago, W. Axl Kev said:

I’m not surprised but I am saddened to read some of the things you all write about Axl on here.

I’ve been seeing them live since 06 and he’s always sounded amazing to me because I’m a fan. I’ve taken numerous family members, friends etc to see them and they’ve always thought he was nothing short of spectacular. My good lady is coming with me for the second time (and she can’t wait) on Thursday to see them at MetLife because she thought they were incredible the first time around.

I love the moments where I see the fleeting glimpses of his voice from back in the day but I love the rest too. Warts and all.

Maybe I’ve grown up from when I joined this forum 16 years ago but I’m so beyond nitpicking the level of “rasp” in his voice or reading some of you recommend breathing exercises. It’s embarrassing to behold.

I’ve got tickets to MetLife, Wrigley Field & Hard Rock in Florida and I’m gonna sing my heart out at each show to every song because one day soon we won’t be able to watch them anymore (like we couldn’t for 14 years) and it’ll all be memories. For me, I’m going to ensure they’ll be good ones. Even if he sounds like a dog whistle.

K

[Bitchisback]

2 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

 There were songs (Better was the most obvious) where there were literally zero redeeming qualities. 

Better was really really bad

[Powerage5]

2 minutes ago, Bitchisback said:

Civil war, crazy, brownstone, easy, KOHD, Estranged, DTJ off the top of my head.  Keep in mind when I say great I don't mean his vocals rival the Ritz. 

 

And yeah, the critic doesn't sound thousands of hours disacting Axl videos on message boards.  They just respond on what they were ther for, and like most others had a positive impression.

 

I'm not even talking about anything that critic had to say about Axl specifically - the point I'm making is, through some of their statements in the article, they clearly are not qualified to be critiquing an artist they aren't familiar with. I mean, there's simply no excuse to get facts wrong that could easily be looked up with a five word Google search, or to admit you've only ever heard one of the band's best known songs in the 20 seconds when it appeared in a movie thirty years ago. How can you review an artist's performance when you're clearly not familiar with the artist on almost any level?

[Bitchisback]

1 minute ago, Powerage5 said:

I'm not even talking about anything that critic had to say about Axl specifically - the point I'm making is, through some of their statements in the article, they clearly are not qualified to be critiquing an artist they aren't familiar with. I mean, there's simply no excuse to get facts wrong that could easily be looked up with a five word Google search, or to admit you've only ever heard one of the band's best known songs in the 20 seconds when it appeared in a movie thirty years ago. How can you review an artist's performance when you're clearly not familiar with the artist on almost any level?

I'm assuming the person has ears.  If I see a band I've never seen before I can give an educated review whether I thought the singer was good or not.  The reviewer clearly thought Axl was good.

 

I never saw Mammoth WVH before or even heard his album but I can honestly say I thought him and his band were really good and rocked.  

[Powerage5]

Just now, Bitchisback said:

I'm assuming the person has ears.  If I see a band I've never seen before I can give an educated review whether I thought the singer was good or not.  The reviewer clearly thought Axl was good.

 

I never saw Mammoth WVH before or even heard his album but I can honestly say I thought him and his band were really good and rocked.  

Then best case scenario they shouldn't be admitting they don't know what they're doing. They didn't need to say they've never heard YCBM outside of Terminator 2. They didn't need to say when Slash and Duff rejoined the band, and if they did they could've easily fact-checked it. A journalist should always appear knowledgeable, and making it so brazenly obvious that you do not know what you're talking about reeks of amateurism. I read that exact article yesterday morning and had all these bones to pick then, long before you brought it up on here, so this isn't me trying to go after you because we have differing opinions on the gig. This is me pointing out that we should be holding journalists to some sort of standard, even when it's about something as trivial as a review of a rock concert. 

[weaponsnflowers]

I mean it's always epic to see them come out with Welcome to the Jungle, and for a 60 year old Axl it's impressive to be in that shape and still do some running around. But the voice really isn't there. Sure he tries, but it sounds really bad. Sad really. Could they please call this the retirement tour?

[Bitchisback]

5 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

Then best case scenario they shouldn't be admitting they don't know what they're doing. They didn't need to say they've never heard YCBM outside of Terminator 2. They didn't need to say when Slash and Duff rejoined the band, and if they did they could've easily fact-checked it. A journalist should always appear knowledgeable, and making it so brazenly obvious that you do not know what you're talking about reeks of amateurism. I read that exact article yesterday morning and had all these bones to pick then, long before you brought it up on here, so this isn't me trying to go after you because we have differing opinions on the gig. This is me pointing out that we should be holding journalists to some sort of standard, even when it's about something as trivial as a review of a rock concert. 

I went to school for journalism lol. I never said that this writer wrote the best article I ever read, or is the most informed person on earth, or had incredible insight or anything like that lol

All I brought it up for was a professional writer went to the show and thought Axl sounded good.  I could care less about the how good or bad of a journalist the person is. I'm just using it to say not everyone who attended the show thinks Axl sounded like absolute shit.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Bitchisback

[marlon_brando]

I can't seem to find any Better video from this gig. What happened?

[koldweather]

His voice is simply done in, its been steadily going downhill since 2016 but he is really struggling with it. He is now imo very close to totally losing the top end stuff and once that happens he will have to become more of a crooner type vocalist as he simply won't make the top anymore.

He is trying but you simply can't produce whats not there to produce anymore sadly. Time for him to adapt the style or the setlist. New songs designed for his current voice would go a long way, save the high stuff for a couple of classics.

Edited August 3, 2021 by koldweather

[MildlyArtistic]

I enjoyed the fact that Appetite songs appeared to be getting played at their original tempo or close to it. 

I do not enjoy the fact Axl has had nearly two years of downtime and still sounds absolutely catastrophic. At least he's lost a good chunk of weight. Good for him.