08/25/21 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center at San Jose

[Deadeose]

😂 absurd it’s ok but they need too make a real new fucking song not a reworked  old song with a new title duff axl slash oh wait they are missing The 4th member that can write music  and play guitar ? And really recall frank on drums bring pop corn Adler or Matt both had the grove for guns 

[Deadeose]

True but would switch the set up k o h d heard it yawn 

[SoulMonster]

8 minutes ago, Deadeose said:

😂 absurd it’s ok but they need too make a real new fucking song not a reworked  old song with a new title duff axl slash oh wait they are missing The 4th member that can write music  and play guitar ? And really recall frank on drums bring pop corn Adler or Matt both had the grove for guns 

[Stay.Of.Execution]

 

[DTV88]

Axl and the whole band looked good and they were on fire all night until Axl had problems with his IEM or something during Madagascar. He told the band to wrap it up with Paradise City at that point. I guess we only missed out on the Seeker and maybe Don’t Cry? Doesn’t matter though, it was a great show even with Axl’s voice issues. You can tell he’s trying his best. And Absurd is actually a lot of fun live! Repeating lyrics is lazy and all, but it got a good reaction from the crowd. 
 

[DTV88]

1 hour ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

What did Axl say before KOHD?

Something like, I know it’s assumed we would dedicate this song to Charlie but we’re gonna dedicate the whole show to him. 

[blackmore]

13 minutes ago, DTV88 said:

Axl and the whole band looked good and they were on fire all night until Axl had problems with his IEM or something during Madagascar. He told the band to wrap it up with Paradise City at that point. I guess we only missed out on the Seeker and maybe Don’t Cry? Doesn’t matter though, it was a great show even with Axl’s voice issues. You can tell he’s trying his best. And Absurd is actually a lot of fun live! Repeating lyrics is lazy and all, but it got a good reaction from the crowd. 
 

He's trying his best, but still sounds terrible in most songs... And that's the problem.

However, great that they dedicated the song to Charlie Watts. 

[SoulMonster]

21 minutes ago, blackmore said:

He's trying his best, but still sounds terrible in most songs... And that's the problem

In most songs? Really? I disagree. 

[Bitchisback]

19 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

In most songs? Really? I disagree. 

I too disagree

[BrayWyatt]

3 hours ago, AppetiteForDestruction said:

Hard Skool will be released when the damn Cowboys win a super bowl. Never. 

Start of February then.

 

[SAU3R]

1 hour ago, blackmore said:

He's trying his best, but still sounds terrible in most songs... And that's the problem.

I disagree as well, the only songs where he sounds really terrible imo are Better and YCBM. Others like SCOM, NR or PC are not great, but not terrible either 

He sounds good on Easy, Brownstone, CD, DTJ, You’re Crazy, Patience, Maddy, Seeker, Wichita, etc.

[Free Bird]

10 minutes ago, SAU3R said:

I disagree as well, the only songs where he sounds really terrible imo are Better and YCBM. Others like SCOM, NR or PC are not great, but not terrible either 

He sounds good on Easy, Brownstone, CD, DTJ, You’re Crazy, Patience, Maddy, Seeker, Wichita, etc.

It really depends on the expectations you got...

[NelvinHigby]

Tonight was my 5th Guns show, & my Dad’s 7th. I thought they were phenomenal tonight. i Keep up with all of the shows, but being in the room Axl sounded way fucking better. Slash played his ass off tonight as well. There were way fewer weak moments than any other time i’ve seen them. Lots of rasp tonight.  

[blackmore]

1 hour ago, Free Bird said:

It really depends on the expectations you got...

True. His midrange is completely gone and he has to use that in a lot of songs. And that has nothing to do with proper singing anymore in my opinion. But for some reason, most people accept it the way it is. I think we became sort of  used to that singing.

But I agree with everyone about the fact that he's really giving 100% throughout the whole show and I respect that. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by blackmore

[jamillos]

It's all about the level at which the bar is set individually. Like some of you are saying, we've gotten used to certain... shifts over time. But play a 2021 footage to someone who last heard Axl around 2010 or even 2016… 
Again, he needs to acknowledge this and adjust the playlist. Some of you suggest tuning down or whatever, but one doesn’t simply… tune down. Even if they did it, something like a half-tone down wouldn’t help him anyway, considering the midrange is gone. What he could do though – beside dropping Better and the likes – is something similar to what he did in You’re Crazy at one of the recent gigs. He used the low voice, then went up but switched back to low at a certain point where normally the high voice (originally rasp, now clean falsetto) would have been. Which sounded ok, no problem with that. The problem is, he can’t do this in songs like SCOM, and like I said, tuning down wouldn’t help. So they only should play the necessary few songs like this one and start alternating and successively phasing out some of the most challenging songs that don’t need to be played (and play them rarely, as a surprise – another advantage of this). 
WTTJ, SCOM, PC – always should be played. The utmost staples. 
NR, KOHD – will always be played whether we like it or not. 
ISE, Mr. B – will always be played, but these ones are the least problematic
ANYTHING from the rest can get alternated. Yes, that includes RQ, YCBM etc. For example, they alternated YCBM with My Michelle in 93 (see Saskatoon), and I don’t remember any articles about how the band lost fans over this change. Same applies to the rest. The trouble is, we are used to the stale playlists and think 80% needs to be played, while that’s just not true. Many bands play like 2 or 3 songs from the back catalogue and the rest has been being added throughout years up to a moment where these new tunes became staples. Guns don’t have that many songs, but since we’re talking about less than half of the concert (there are also covers, jams), I say it’s pretty feasible. I absolutely can do without them butchering YCBM every night. We're talking about just a few songs after all. 
The crucial step is breaking the staleness and ending the ever-running NITL routine performed for the casuals. 
End of message. 

[©GnrPersia]

3 hours ago, DTV88 said:

Axl had problems with his IEM

Almost every show since 2001?

Bloody IEMs, never work properly for Axl...

[SoulMonster]

35 minutes ago, jamillos said:

It's all about the level at which the bar is set individually. Like some of you are saying, we've gotten used to certain... shifts over time. But play a 2021 footage to someone who last heard Axl around 2010 or even 2016… 
Again, he needs to acknowledge this and adjust the playlist. 

As long as people don't feel the shows are ruined because of Axl's voice, then he doesn't need to do anything. And based on reviews from the latest shows, his voice is more than good enough. Unless you have been to one of these latest shows and disagree or just feel he should do stuff so listening to crappy youtube videos becomes more enjoyable to you?

[RussTCB]

6 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

As long as people don't feel the shows are ruined because of Axl's voice, then he doesn't need to do anything. And based on reviews from the latest shows, his voice is more than good enough. Unless you have been to one of these latest shows and disagree or just feel he should do stuff so listening to crappy youtube videos becomes more enjoyable to you?

I think it also comes down to Ultra Critical Forum Fan Vs Casual Fan 

Here's an example:

In Detroit this year, I had my UCFF ears on. So even with the PA and atmosphere causing Axl to sound better in person then on video, I was sitting there doing my usual judgment. 

During every single song, my mind was going "Oof, Mickey there...Ooo, that line was decent....OH NO, that line sounded like shit....Hmm, not bad on that bridge...Oh man, all Mickey on this song" and so on. 

About 3/4 through the show, I asked the very casual fans I was with what they thought of the show. Each of them replied with a variation of "AXL SOUNDS AWESOME. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SOUNDS SO GOOD!" 

Two of the casual fans I was with are professional concert sound guys who work for Live Nation. They mix and do lighting for 3 - 5 shows every week. So while they're very casual GN'R fans, they hear tons of live shows. 

Am I saying Axl sounds good? No. However, I'm saying his vocals are a much bigger deal to all of us than the casual fan. 

[blackmore]

1 hour ago, jamillos said:

It's all about the level at which the bar is set individually. Like some of you are saying, we've gotten used to certain... shifts over time. But play a 2021 footage to someone who last heard Axl around 2010 or even 2016… 
Again, he needs to acknowledge this and adjust the playlist. Some of you suggest tuning down or whatever, but one doesn’t simply… tune down. Even if they did it, something like a half-tone down wouldn’t help him anyway, considering the midrange is gone. What he could do though – beside dropping Better and the likes – is something similar to what he did in You’re Crazy at one of the recent gigs. He used the low voice, then went up but switched back to low at a certain point where normally the high voice (originally rasp, now clean falsetto) would have been. Which sounded ok, no problem with that. The problem is, he can’t do this in songs like SCOM, and like I said, tuning down wouldn’t help. So they only should play the necessary few songs like this one and start alternating and successively phasing out some of the most challenging songs that don’t need to be played (and play them rarely, as a surprise – another advantage of this). 
WTTJ, SCOM, PC – always should be played. The utmost staples. 
NR, KOHD – will always be played whether we like it or not. 
ISE, Mr. B – will always be played, but these ones are the least problematic
ANYTHING from the rest can get alternated. Yes, that includes RQ, YCBM etc. For example, they alternated YCBM with My Michelle in 93 (see Saskatoon), and I don’t remember any articles about how the band lost fans over this change. Same applies to the rest. The trouble is, we are used to the stale playlists and think 80% needs to be played, while that’s just not true. Many bands play like 2 or 3 songs from the back catalogue and the rest has been being added throughout years up to a moment where these new tunes became staples. Guns don’t have that many songs, but since we’re talking about less than half of the concert (there are also covers, jams), I say it’s pretty feasible. I absolutely can do without them butchering YCBM every night. We're talking about just a few songs after all. 
The crucial step is breaking the staleness and ending the ever-running NITL routine performed for the casuals. 
End of message. 

Couldn't agree more with what you said! Cheers.

[jekylhyde]

As long as the actual, attending crowd loves the gig they're at and the whole band gives their 100% what more can you ask?

[We love Axl Rose]

Best performance of Better so far on tour

He brings back jumping during Better  (0:36-0:41)- https://www.facebook.com/edsonfeltrin/videos/1765746983612032

Edited August 26, 2021 by We love Axl Rose

[jamillos]

38 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

As long as people don't feel the shows are ruined because of Axl's voice, then he doesn't need to do anything. And based on reviews from the latest shows, his voice is more than good enough. Unless you have been to one of these latest shows and disagree or just feel he should do stuff so listening to crappy youtube videos becomes more enjoyable to you?

Oh I’m not getting into this YT vs. we were there and had fun nonsense again. Let’s say that one can make one’s own mind based on long-term observation. And yes, we can all find reviews that suit our beliefs. What if I’d judge this based on the NITL Selects, for example. They do have certain informative value, no? Well, one or two of them are ok in terms of Axl’s performance. The rest… uh, not so much.
Look, I’m not one of those black-or-white people who either constantly adore everything and anything about Axl or constantly shit on him. But I call 'em like I see 'em, always have. Certain adjustments should be done, regardless of what enthusiastic forum fans say (and I’m not taking that away from them). 
Anyway, some people indeed may think shows are ruined cause of his current form and some may not. I’m sure TB could hardly get the right picture building solely on fans’ display in social media. 
And I think the adjustments I suggested in the rest of my preceding post would only be to the benefit of all concerned, that's all. Unless this is a certain different forum and we're all pretending nothing has changed in years...
 

[SoulMonster]

4 minutes ago, jamillos said:

Oh I’m not getting into this YT vs. we were there and had fun nonsense again. Let’s say that one can make one’s own mind based on long-term observation. And yes, we can all find reviews that suit our beliefs. 

I am talking about reactions from people here on this forum who have been to recent shows. Have you been to any recent shows? When super critical fans return from shows saying he did well, then it is bound to have been more than good enough to casuals fans who aren't over obsessive over the amount of rasp or that he sings a song exactly as on the records.

My point is that if people attending the shows are happy, then Axl doesn't need to do anything. He sings for them, no one else. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by SoulMonster

[jamillos]

13 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

I am talking about reactions from people here on this forum who have been to recent shows. Have you been to any recent shows?

My point is that if people attending the shows are happy, then Axl doesn't need to do anything. He sings for them, no one else. 

The point is, there always will be people who are happy, and I’d expect a logical tendency for them to be forum members and write about it. You keep putting me in the position of a guy who hasn’t attended a show in a while and just whines because Axl sounds bad on cell-phone recordings. Well, I’m not one of those. But are you saying there wouldn’t be any bad reviews, maybe outside this forum? I’ve heard such, but these were live people outside forums, outside the internet. If you attend a show, the voice is amplified, it’s been talked about here ad nauseam. I’ve experienced that myself in the past and absolutely had a great time there. Does that mean nothing is happening and all the "his voice is shot" and "they should drop Better, it sounds horrible" and "he's always rusty at the beginning" posts are just delusional?
I guess there’ll always be people turning a blind eye to any quality fluctuations whatsoever, and as long as you "were there and enjoyed yourself", he sounds the same way he did with AC/DC for all we know. But that’s BS, and if there’s a place to discuss it, it’s here, the last uncensored harbour of freedom. So that’s what I’m doing. If they released a DVD from 2016, I’d say take my money right fn’ now, fam. If they released a DVD from these 2021 shows… I’d be in a real pickle, I can tell you that. 
Come on, you know what I’m saying. 

[DTJ80]

Scouring YouTube there seems to be an upload of last nights gig apart from the encore…..not adding link incase….well….you know!