08/11/23 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium

[meadsoap]

23 minutes ago, meadsoap said:

 Imo everything about Axl's appearance has improved compared to the beginning of the reunion.

 

Axl should feel happy about the progress too. It's really a dramatic difference, and for the better.

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by meadsoap

[Heider95]

Just listened to Madagascar and i have to say i’m very impressed!

such a shame they didn’t perform it in Europe this year

 

[Georgina Arriaga]

1 hour ago, Italian girl said:

Show Us, please

And he knows

Next Time: tiny shorts

[DSTK]

21 minutes ago, Heider95 said:

Just listened to Madagascar and i have to say i’m very impressed!

such a shame they didn’t perform it in Europe this year

 

Very good yes, just one thing..that silver jacket makes him look like a German game show host 🤣 

[Italian girl]

1 hour ago, Bitchisback said:

I will!  I just have to get them off her phone and she is asleep so it might be a few days. I'll tag ya tho!

 

Thank you thank you thank you 

[Fele]

14 minutes ago, DSTK said:

Very good yes, just one thing..that silver jacket makes him look like a German game show host 🤣 

Thomas Gottschalk 

[Martin Riggs]

Nice of them not to mention anything about the song that was reported to be released by a myriad of news outlets. Dick bags  🤷‍♂️ 

I don’t doubt you can have fun at the shows..with that said, they won’t see a dime from me until things change and they treat fans with respect.

[Stay.Of.Execution]

4 minutes ago, Martin Riggs said:

and they treat fans with respect.

How would that look like?

[allwaystired]

"Axl is in a great mood tonight" is becoming a bit of a new cliché on show threads- he's in a great mood every show these days! 

Also - saying "this is the best gig Axl has sounded since XXXX" on the show  is another one. It ALWAYS sounds good when you're there and enjoying it, but he's been decent this entire run. Not 'oh my God, Axl sounds like 2006' good, but definitely as good as 2016. 

It is funny though how we can be as down about the band's trajectory as we want (sorry @2020_Intensions, I am looking at you a bit here!) but we still get a big high from the shows. 

Which is exactly why it's on the trajectory it is! 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by allwaystired

[SoulMonster]

28 minutes ago, Martin Riggs said:

Nice of them not to mention anything about the song that was reported to be released by a myriad of news outlets. Dick bags  🤷‍♂️ 

I don’t doubt you can have fun at the shows..with that said, they won’t see a dime from me until things change and they treat fans with respect.

How are you not treated with respect?

[GoodOlJohnnyK]

14 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Also - saying "this is the best gig Axl has sounded since XXXX" on the show  is another one. It ALWAYS sounds good when you're there and enjoying it, but he's been decent this entire run. Not 'oh my God, Axl sounds like 2006' good, but definitely as good as 2016. 

Yeah - I was following along with this thread without listening to the streams. After reading the thread, I was so excited to check out the YouTube vids of Axl’s tour de force performance. It was a big letdown.

He sounds like he sounded on all the “decent” shows this year, which is a very low bar. Not even close to 2016. I’d say not even as good as the better 2021 shows - Indianapolis, for one.

[sneeks]

4 hours ago, Estranged Reality said:

Hershey 2021 was kind of rough in all honesty. I could tell Axl was trying but he was having some difficulties that evening, the sound mix at the stadium was really bad (I could barely hear any of Slash's solos from the pit), and it was the shortest gig I had ever been to -- they didn't even come out and do a bow at the end -- which made it really feel sort of strange.

Tonight was a total 180. i think the venue itself inherently has some sound issues, at least for the pit -- there were still times I felt like Slash was getting drowned out in the mix -- but man, this was possibly the best show I've been to (admittedly I've only been to a handful of shows since 2016). Axl was on fire. I'm not sure if it was to make amends for last time or what, but he was like a man possessed and there were flashes of the old Axl with banter between songs and crowd interaction in a way I haven't really seen much in the past few years. He just seemed like he was really into it.

Vocally I felt like he's got a better handle on switching between the low register and falsetto and some songs -- like the outro of Patience -- were surprisingly solid.

They played for over 3 hours which was also pretty rad. When they came out for the encore with Coma I was kind of in disbelief lol. And Axl nailed it. Sounded pretty damn good.

I'm a little sad I still haven't gotten a chance to see my favorite Chidem song (The Blues) but I got a few songs I'd never heard before like Bad Obsession and Down on the Farm so I guess I can't complain.

I'm still buzzing a couple hours later. Great, great show.

BTW, I know links aren't allowed to be posted, but I am in the process of uploading videos from the concert to my YouTube channel which is "johnulcer"' in case anyone cares to check them out. I got ChiDem, Madagascar, and a few others.

 

Excellent review and great videos. When I saw them in Glasgow a couple of months ago Axl was also in great form and interacting with the crowd and band more. He appears to be in better form this tour than in recent years. The entire band were awesome.

[GnR Chris]

6 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Are you okay?

Perhaps.

[colonizedmind]

I think that's one of the best Maddy's since 2017 and nice to see it return...it had a soundcheck a month or so ago didn't it? Honestly, I didn't get disappointed like the other poster after reading and then checking out clips...as I see it as little incrimentals and being realistic. Honestly, his transitions between lines of the song are not out of breath here or awkward and they certainly were a lot on 2021/22, he sings it not a million miles away from how it is on the record but I sensibly frame this through his current 61 voice....he's holding the notes longer than last few years and not struggling, which is most likely due to him being in a lot better shape than recent years (i.e not overly bloated) which Axl deserves a lil kudus for...There's a lot to it and all things considered, that's a good performance...*going to check out more from last night now* so yes, nowhere near 2010 or even 2016 but he's probably doing the best he can do without a complete lifestyle change and which 61 year old like Axl is gonna do that? 

Edit. Amazing sound and camera work from that distance plus it's a great showcase, for Rich to get a bit of me time and he takes the solo and is nicely shown in the video. Fortus is too good not to get a few more showcases....

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by colonizedmind

[AxlSlashthebest]

1 hour ago, sneeks said:

Excellent review and great videos. When I saw them in Glasgow a couple of months ago Axl was also in great form and interacting with the crowd and band more. He appears to be in better form this tour than in recent years. The entire band were awesome.

thx for the vidéo. you was quite close 

[downzy]

8 hours ago, MattyIce3924 said:

Wrong answers only. 

The hours left in a day after a two hour band meeting.

The number and/or age of the groupies he expects backstage after the show.

The number of times he’s seen @Black Sabbath standing at the rail.

The temperature Axl expects his backstage room (Axl has graduated to the metric system).

[GoodOlJohnnyK]

I’m concerned about his technique.

When he hits the “freed of all the chains” line, he’s *pushing* his throat in a way that’s not healthy. It’s not the same technique he’s used in the past. 

Edited to add: Madagascar is one of my favorites on CD, but never one of my favorites live, so I don’t often listen to YouTube clips of it. Has Fortus always played the solo like this? It’s fantastic.

Edited August 12, 2023 by GoodOlJohnnyK

[AxlSlashthebest]

14 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

I think that's one of the best Maddy's since 2017 and nice to see it return...it had a soundcheck a month or so ago didn't it? Honestly, I didn't get disappointed like the other poster after reading and then checking out clips...as I see it as little incrimentals and being realistic. Honestly, his transitions between lines of the song are not put of breath here or awkward and they certainly were a lot on 2021/22, he sings it not a million miles away from how it is on the record but I sensibly frame this through his current 61 voice....he's holding the notes longer than last few years and not struggling, which is most likely due to him being in a lot better shape than recent years (i.e not overly bloated) which Axl deserves a lil kudus for...There's a lot to it and all things considered, that's a good performance...*going to check out more from last night now* so yes, nowhere near 2010 or even 2016 but he's probably doing the best he can do without a complete lifestyle change and which 61 year old like Axl is gonna do that? 

Edit. Amazing sound and camera work from that distance plus it's a great showcase, for Rich to get a bit of me time and he takes the solo and is nicely shown in the video. Fortus is too good not to get a few more showcases....

 

I think Richard Fortus did a gred job on it

[colonizedmind]

6 minutes ago, AxlSlashthebest said:

I think Richard Fortus did a gred job on it

Yep. I edited that into my thoughts after a 2nd watch. Honestly, if we do get a couple of new songs (big IF) this year will go down as my favourite since 2016/17....due to band performance, chatty Axl, decent shape Axl, headlining Glasto!! And some awesome setlist returns, decent version of TWAT! Scotland finally getting in on reunion action! Etc.  Honestly, it's been a pretty fun year thus far....at least it's unpredictable a bit again....god it had got real stale hadn't!  

14 minutes ago, GoodOlJohnnyK said:

I’m concerned about his technique.

When he hits the “freed of all the chains” line, he’s *pushing* his throat in a way that’s not healthy. It’s not the same technique he’s used in the past. 

Edited to add: Madagascar is one of my favorites on CD, but never one of my favorites live, so I don’t often listen to YouTube clips of it. Has Fortus always played the solo like this? It’s fantastic.

Not always...I think. Yea, that's a little struggle for him, those lines but the rest is quite fine, as long as you're a relastic person. I'm the wrong person to say but those there last night probably loved that performance, did you guys and gals?

[allwaystired]

2 hours ago, GoodOlJohnnyK said:

Yeah - I was following along with this thread without listening to the streams. After reading the thread, I was so excited to check out the YouTube vids of Axl’s tour de force performance. It was a big letdown.

He sounds like he sounded on all the “decent” shows this year, which is a very low bar. Not even close to 2016. I’d say not even as good as the better 2021 shows - Indianapolis, for one.

I don't watch any streams really as I don't get anything from them, and although it's another cliche I do think it "sounds better when you're there" due to the video qualities- but seen the tour in person and watched the pro-shoot Glastonbury stuff. 

Based on that I would say the band and Axl are the best they've been for a few years. 

[THEronthal]

5 hours ago, Bitchisback said:

 

My girl took some great pics for me 

Pants '91

Glasses '02

Shirt '06

I liked 

Edited August 12, 2023 by THEronthal

[ChristianGNR]

24 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

Yep. I edited that into my thoughts after a 2nd watch. Honestly, if we do get a couple of new songs (big IF) this year will go down as my favourite since 2016/17....due to band performance, chatty Axl, decent shape Axl, headlining Glasto!! And some awesome setlist returns, decent version of TWAT! Scotland finally getting in on reunion action! Etc.  Honestly, it's been a pretty fun year thus far....at least it's unpredictable a bit again....god it had got real stale hadn't!  

Not always...I think. Yea, that's a little struggle for him, those lines but the rest is quite fine, as long as you're a relastic person. I'm the wrong person to say but those there last night probably loved that performance, did you guys and gals?

That’s a perfect example of how (nowadays) he can only achieve raspier lines while screaming

[IzzysMissy]

3 hours ago, GoodOlJohnnyK said:

Yeah - I was following along with this thread without listening to the streams. After reading the thread, I was so excited to check out the YouTube vids of Axl’s tour de force performance. It was a big letdown.

He sounds like he sounded on all the “decent” shows this year, which is a very low bar. Not even close to 2016. I’d say not even as good as the better 2021 shows - Indianapolis, for one.

I was going to say.. some of those MetLife tickets up from are down to a “reasonable” $169+fees and the cheapest ticket to get in is $36 (if you go this route btw just go to guest services after 1 song and complain about drunk fans, they’ll move you to a much better spot)

but I listened to some of the videos from last night after reading a bit of this thread and.. like he sound a exactly the same. It’s not the worst he’s ever sounded.. but.. 

You’ll have a great time if you go, but.. there’s a lot of reality missing in some of these posts 🤣

[Estranged Reality]

6 hours ago, MrSoftie said:

Wow. Axl's in phenomenal shape.

It was very noticeable to me that he lost a fair amount of weight - not sure if that contributed to the increased physical energy / performance on stage but when he put on the vest it gave me ‘06 flashbacks haha.

[axlreed44]

3 minutes ago, Estranged Reality said:

It was very noticeable to me that he lost a fair amount of weight - not sure if that contributed to the increased physical energy / performance on stage but when he put on the vest it gave me ‘06 flashbacks haha.

Hammerstein 2006 vibes