GNR vs SMKC - Who’s Better Musically Live

[Martin Riggs]

Compare this kinda footage to the GNR selects that they seemingly haphazardly uploaded for the world to view. For how big GNR is they’ve unfortunately let rank amateurs operate their business:

 

[James Bond]

I vibe a lot more with Guns even though there is definitely an argument to be made for Myles' consistency versus Axl and Brent's drumming versus Frank's. I like both bands and have seen both live many times over, but the edge still goes to Guns. Axl is Axl, and the big three together is magical.

[Tom-Ass]

17 minutes ago, Martin Riggs said:

Compare this kinda footage to the GNR selects that they seemingly haphazardly uploaded for the world to view. For how big GNR is they’ve unfortunately let rank amateurs operate their business:

 

It really is insane that after almost 6 years Guns couldn't even release even one video of this quality.. 

[Rayno]

It's pretty evident that SMKC are on a higher level when it comes to pure technical stuff/tight band things. Because they have a great drummer and a great singer (you don't necessarily need to LIKE his voice/tone but at least he delivers every night). Of course Frank CAN play and Axl IS still Axl as a person but that was not the question.

Edited September 26, 2021 by Rayno

[Martin Riggs]

3 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said:

It really is insane that after almost 6 years Guns couldn't even release even one video of this quality.. 

Yeah, it honestly pisses me off.  It’s not that difficult to do things professionally and to have a focus on basic quality. It’s not even a money thing, it’s a being competent and caring thing. These fuckers grossed over $500 million dollars on the NITL tour and they represent the actual content with amateur bullshit stuff like the Selects. If I was a casual person and happened to see some of the selects released it would make me not want to go the shows! It’s ridiculous. 

[James Bond]

17 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said:

It really is insane that after almost 6 years Guns couldn't even release even one video of this quality.. 

I dream of a world where Slash brought his PR department over to Guns with him. Imagine the Selects done entirely from say, Houston 2016, but with this quality of production.

[jonah]

If you took someone who never heard of gnr or smkc and took them to shows based on just the live experience smkc would win. We all love gnr and the songs so we are all biased  and give the band a free pass when they are performed terribly. I’ve seen 6 reunion shows and am there to sing along to jungle and you could be mine regardless of how axl sounds because of how important the band was in my life. 
 

smkc are a tight group who delivers every show. Axl gets a pass for bad vocals due to nostalgia and the importance of songs like sweet child and November rain. Even slash’s playing I find terrible for gnr butchering solos but then he goes back on tour with smkc and plays everything note for note

[Mr Mini Mite]

Velvet Revolver 

 

Ehmm SMKC

[kingcanyon]

Imo Guns are better cause they been around for longer but SMKC music wise

[janrichmond]

I love GnR but it's more of a nostalgia thing for me, I find it hard to watch too much current stuff, maybe if I were young and never saw them live at their peak I'd find it easier to watch. 

SMKC are immensely talented and put on a great show and I'd pick them over GnR 100%, you can tell they are having fun on stage and it never seems like they are just going through the motions. They release music, they release DVDs and they keep us in the loop with updates on recording and releasing it all. 

They also don't have lunatic 'fans' removing everything they can from YT.

[Gunner Gilby]

Guns. Then the first Slash's Snakepit line up, then the second Slash's Snakepit line up, then Slash feat Myles Kennedy and the band with the longest name ever.

[Tourettes2400]

For me it will always be GN'R because.... well they are GN'R and I am incapable of getting over seeing my childhood heroes on stage together. I do love SMKC though, and some of the songs they do sound better than when GN'R does them.

Also Slash seems more alive and excited when he plays with SMKC. The band is just so tight! I am looking forward to their new album and future concerts!

Edited September 26, 2021 by Tourettes2400

[Gunner Gilby]

In all seriousness I enjoyed Dizzy's "Rock N Roll Ain't Easy" and Gilby's "The Gospel Truth" albums much more than anything Slash has done recently.

[MaskingApathy]

12 hours ago, janrichmond said:

SMKC everytime for me

 

11 hours ago, Ralphelmo said:

Musically SMKC (considering GNR/VR material). 

 

Frank Sidoris, Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns make together a better rhythm section than Duff, Frank and Richard. AFD stuff is note to note perfect compared to the album. Plus you must know that Slash is having much more fun with SMKC.

This right here.

GnR has finally gotten to the point where they're tight and cohesive as a band, but SMKC has always been like that from the beginning. SMKC blows GnR away when playing any GnR songs and despite whatever you might thing about his voice Myles is far more consistent every night than Axl, plus he was hand picked by Slash to cover his entire back catalog, so that's kind of a big deal. Todd and Fitzy are the best rhythm section in rock right now, sort of how Duff and Matt used to be in VR. Fitzy alone is worth the price of admission, he's killed it on all the back catalog songs and is great on the original material. Honestly I think he's better than Steven/Matt/Brain/Josh/whoever else. Todd is as good of a bass player as Duff (if not better); he's definitely a better and more versatile singer. Frank can play Izzy's parts perfectly and he knows when to stay in his lane (unlike Fortus), no showboating and ridiculous stage moves here but he still knows how to look cool. And of course Slash has great interaction and chemistry with all of them on stage and off. I noticed at my GnR show recently that he really only interacts with Duff consistently, a couple times with Fortus (like during the KOHD solo), occasionally with Axl but it's not the same as with Duff, and he pretty much ignores Dizzy/Melissa and Frank (except for song endings and things like that). He doesn't interact with Frank the way he did with Matt in the past or like he does with Fitzy, like he's not going up on the riser to hang with Frank like Fortus and Duff do.

Also I guess for arenas and stadiums GnR needs the video screens etc but SMKC kills it musically every time without any of that, just the backdrop and some lights. Great stage presence and tight musicianship. 

[SoulMonster]

Went to a SMKC show once. Left about halfway through. Mostly because I was so jetlagged but also because it was boringly generic rock with a singer that annoyed me. That has never happened to me at a GN'R show.

[MaskingApathy]

4 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

boringly generic rock

Yeah ok 

[SoulMonster]

22 minutes ago, MaskingApathy said:

Yeah ok 

Sorry  Not just my thing. My music preferences have always gone towards the edges of music. SMKC is not exactly making trends with their brand of rock. The songs are not good enough and that type of music could have been released at any time over the last few decades. They are good at what they do, but what they do is boring to me. Excellent musicians (although Miles is more of an acquired taste). And although Slash is a great guitar player, even his playing can't elevate the music to where my ears pick up and my heart thumps a bit faster. 

[WhazUp]

I have seen both and GNR still just had a special sauce to it that made it more of a memorizing experience.  That being said Myles is a good singer and they rock, but really it was all about hearing Slash play during those shows above all

[thunderram]

22 hours ago, Ralphelmo said:

Musically SMKC (considering GNR/VR material). 

 

Frank Sidoris, Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns make together a better rhythm section than Duff, Frank and Richard. AFD stuff is note to note perfect compared to the album.

 

Totally agree. The approach in which SLASH has his band play most the music vs. how AXL has the current GN'R lineup doing it is much more authentic.

SMKC doesn't deviate from the original recordings near as much, sans extended soloing.

The drums are better and while Myles doesn't sound anything like AXL, he also doesn't do what AXL now does on tunes like PC. He tries to honor the original the best he can.

If we could just get AXL to do GN'R tunes with SLASH, Frank Sidoris, Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns and cut out the ad libs I believe most GN'R fans would really dig it.

[jacdaniel]

SMKC are more GNR than GNR in 2021. 
Excellent live band 

[Slaveleft]

This is like comparing Nirvana to Foo Fighters.

 

I would take Axl on a worst Disney Day than that singer from Walmart.

[agustingloger]

Went to few shows of both bands. SMKC sounds great live , it's Slash's show. Band sounds tight, MK if You like the sound of his voice cool technique wise he sings great and just like the record. But he's not as half the frontman Axl is. The songs are good but nothing epic or a massive hit.. they are one more rock band ... When it comes to Guns.. Oh My where do I start? Maybe because it's My favourite band ever but Axl & Slash live it drives me wild. The atmosphere , the songs i don't know how to explain it

[Slaveleft]

We can put it this way:

 

Axl is a broken, wasted genius, but genius still.

Myles Kennedy is biker gathering material.

[MillionsOfSpiders]

GnR for me. 

I’ve seen SMKC once and that’s enough, I won’t be going out of my way to see them again. If they were on at a festival I was at or something I’d go and watch them to see Slash, that’s about it. 

SMKC only played one GnR song, Nightrain, I thought it sucked compared to the current GnR lineup or any GnR lineup I’ve ever seen. 

[LAGuns87]

I don't care about technical proficiency. Myles has a boring voice and he uses it in a boring way. No better than Eric Dover and Rod Jackson and they were rank mediocrities.