Popular Post rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 23, 2023 (edited) Guns N' Roses ***TEXAS REDHEAD MASSACRE**** Frank Erwin Center February 23, 1993 Austin, Texas The opening night of the Skin N' Bones tour in Austin, Texas on February 23rd, 1993 holds a very special place in my heart. Deep in the Heart Of Texas, Guns N' Roses delivered one of the best concerts I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I was 15 years old at the time of the February 23rd, 1993 Guns show in Austin, TX. Growing up on the Texas/Mexico border, I never imagined that I would ever have the opportunity to see my favorite band of all time, Guns N' F**kin' Roses. Thanks to my compassionate mom, I was able to see GNR not once, but twice, on the epic Use Your Illusion World Tour. Mom knew how much the band meant to me. She was kind enough to take me on road trips to see Guns N' Roses at the Astrodome in Houston during the Metallica tour on September 4th, 1992, as well as on February 23rd, 1993 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Out of the two shows, the stripped down Austin Skin N' Bones performance was in a league of its own. Seeing Guns without the deadweight circus act composed of background singers, horn section, and additional keyboard player, was something special which I will always remember... The live debut of Garden of Eden, and The Garden, as well as the extremely loose feel of the Austin show, make this particular performance shine. The 30 minute acoustic set, as well as rare live renditions of deep cuts make the Austin gig stand out from the later Skin N' Bones shows, especially the formulaic European summer of 1993 performances which were heavily bootlegged. From the way that Axl, Slash, Duff, Matt, Gilby, and, Dizzy, blew Texas away on that warm winter night, I could sense they enjoyed performing, probably as much as I did absorbing their explosive exhibition of no holds barred rock and sensitive acoustic ballads. Speaking of the mid-show acoustic performance, I was quite surprised that the band brought out a couch, grand piano, and topless waitresses, for their "unplugged" set. I did not expect an intimate acoustic set from Guns after the 2+ hour stadium rock spectacular which I'd witnessed in Houston six months prior. Even a Domino's Pizza man made his way onstage to present the band with a special delivery. I do remember that the pizza box was thrown into the first row of the audience. I was always curious as to what may have been in that box. The Domino's pizza box wasn't the only thing that made its way from the stage into the audience. During Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Axl made an appearance in the back of the venue for some good ol' fashioned audience participation. How Axl managed to appear in the back of the venue, out of thin air, without being mobbed, I will never know. Perhaps the Erwin Center has a secret entrance? Watching Axl make his debut on guitar during the intro to Dead Horse was unexpected. At the conclusion of the song Slash announced "Axl Rose on guitar!", and Duff put his arm around Axl to congratulate him. The only unfortunate personal experience I had at the Austin concert was the nosebleed which occurred during Slash's blues jam right before Sweet Child O' Mine. I recall blood trickling out of my left nostril and down my throat and thinking "OH GOD, NOT NOW!!" As a teen, I suffered from chronic nosebleeds during the winter season. Sitting in the "nosebleeds", near the top of the Erwin Center, I wasn't caught off guard by my bloody nose. Thankfully, I was given some tissue paper by my mom, and was able to contain the mess until after the gig. I remember being pressured to go to the bathroom before the encores, but I refused to leave my seat and enjoyed the rest of the show with blood soaked hands and a bloodied face. Sure, the nosebleed was an inconvenience, but this was Rock N' Roll! Near the very end of Paradise City, as Axl was running towards the front of the stage, in a split-second, my instincts told me that I would never have a chance to see GNR in their prime again, as the end was near. Unfortunately, my instincts were right... In case you were wondering, my mom who once *LOATHED* Guns N' Roses in the late 80's, was won over at the Houston & Austin Illusion Era gigs that we experienced, and is now a huge GNR fan! 2023 Update: 30 years later, and the Austin '93 Guns N' Roses concert was the hands down BEST concert I have EVER seen, and I have been to hundreds of shows since 1993! If anyone from GNR Inc. or Team Brazil is reading this, I would HAPPILY spend $1000 (yes, one THOUSAND U.S. dollars) on an official Austin '93 BD/DVD9/2CD release. Sure, I would not expect Ritz '91 HD quality from a 30 year old house show feed, but as long as the Austin '93 video quality was as good as the Oklahoma City '92 Pro-Shot, I would be happy. What are your thoughts @Fernando ?? Fun fact: I remember the Austin '93 tickets costing ONLY $22.50 plus a $3.50 service fee, which is unbelievable, when you consider how much concert tickets cost these days. Sadly, the Frank Erwin Center is scheduled for demolition this year. In addition to GNR, I also caught AC/DC, Journey, Tom Petty, and many other shows over the years as a resident of Austin, at the Erwin Center. This iconic Austin landmark will be missed... I was going to write a new article on the GNR Austin '93 show. However, I am very busy in my personal life and my memories of the Austin show have faded, so I simply added to my 2005 review of this legendary gig... GNRonTour.com Setlist Info: 02.23.93 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX opening act: Brian May Band set: Welcome To The Jungle, Garden Of Eden, It's So Easy, Attitude, Double Talkin' Jive, The Garden, Live And Let Die, So Fine, You Ain't The First, You're Crazy, Used To Love Her, Patience, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Piano Solo, November Rain, Dead Horse, Drum Solo, You Could Be Mine, Guitar Solo, Guitar / Piano Jam, Sweet Child O' Mine encore: Nice Boys, Paradise City There is a nice Limulus remastered recording of the Austin show that was captured by Chris Milazzo and shared years ago. Ask any of the well known GNR live recording traders (OUTSIDE OF THIS FORUM), and they should have a link to share. rockphantom August 20th, 2005/February 23rd, 2023 Official picture from Erwin Center Facebook page. Edited February 23, 2023 by rockphantom 17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay.Of.Execution Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 My first GNR show was during the Skin N Bones Tour. Good times 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratam Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 3 hours ago, rockphantom said: Guns N' Roses ***TEXAS REDHEAD MASSACRE**** Frank Erwin Center February 23, 1993 Austin, Texas The opening night of the Skin N' Bones tour in Austin, Texas on February 23rd, 1993 holds a very special place in my heart. Deep in the Heart Of Texas, Guns N' Roses delivered one of the best concerts I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I was 15 years old at the time of the February 23rd, 1993 Guns show in Austin, TX. Growing up on the Texas/Mexico border, I never imagined that I would ever have the opportunity to see my favorite band of all time, Guns N' F**kin' Roses. Thanks to my compassionate mom, I was able to see GNR not once, but twice, on the epic Use Your Illusion World Tour. Mom knew how much the band meant to me. She was kind enough to take me on road trips to see Guns N' Roses at the Astrodome in Houston during the Metallica tour on September 4th, 1992, as well as on February 23rd, 1993 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Out of the two shows, the stripped down Austin Skin N' Bones performance was in a league of its own. Seeing Guns without the deadweight circus act composed of background singers, horn section, and additional keyboard player, was something special which I will always remember... The live debut of Garden of Eden, and The Garden, as well as the extremely loose feel of the Austin show, make this particular performance shine. The 30 minute acoustic set, as well as rare live renditions of deep cuts make the Austin gig stand out from the later Skin N' Bones shows, especially the formulaic European summer of 1993 performances which were heavily bootlegged. From the way that Axl, Slash, Duff, Matt, Gilby, and, Dizzy, blew Texas away on that warm winter night, I could sense they enjoyed performing, probably as much as I did absorbing their explosive exhibition of no holds barred rock and sensitive acoustic ballads. Speaking of the mid-show acoustic performance, I was quite surprised that the band brought out a couch, grand piano, and topless waitresses, for their "unplugged" set. I did not expect an intimate acoustic set from Guns after the 2+ hour stadium rock spectacular which I'd witnessed in Houston six months prior. Even a Domino's Pizza man made his way onstage to present the band with a special delivery. I do remember that the pizza box was thrown into the first row of the audience. I was always curious as to what may have been in that box. The Domino's pizza box wasn't the only thing that made its way from the stage into the audience. During Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Axl made an appearance in the back of the venue for some good ol' fashioned audience participation. How Axl managed to appear in the back of the venue, out of thin air, without being mobbed, I will never know. Perhaps the Erwin Center has a secret entrance? Watching Axl make his debut on guitar during the intro to Dead Horse was unexpected. At the conclusion of the song Slash announced "Axl Rose on guitar!", and Duff put his arm around Axl to congratulate him. The only unfortunate personal experience I had at the Austin concert was the nosebleed which occurred during Slash's blues jam right before Sweet Child O' Mine. I recall blood trickling out of my left nostril and down my throat and thinking "OH GOD, NOT NOW!!" As a teen, I suffered from chronic nosebleeds during the winter season. Sitting in the "nosebleeds", near the top of the Erwin Center, I wasn't caught off guard by my bloody nose. Thankfully, I was given some tissue paper by my mom, and was able to contain the mess until after the gig. I remember being pressured to go to the bathroom before the encores, but I refused to leave my seat and enjoyed the rest of the show with blood soaked hands and a bloodied face. Sure, the nosebleed was an inconvenience, but this was Rock N' Roll! Near the very end of Paradise City, as Axl was running towards the front of the stage, in a split-second, my instincts told me that I would never have a chance to see GNR in their prime again, as the end was near. Unfortunately, my instincts were right... In case you were wondering, my mom who once *LOATHED* Guns N' Roses in the late 80's, was won over at the Houston & Austin Illusion Era gigs that we experienced, and is now a huge GNR fan! 2023 Update: 30 years later, and the Austin '93 Guns N' Roses concert was the hands down BEST concert I have EVER seen, and I have been to hundreds of shows since 1993! If anyone from GNR Inc. or Team Brazil is reading this, I would HAPPILY spend $1000 (yes, one THOUSAND U.S. dollars) on an official Austin '93 BD/DVD9/2CD release. Sure, I would not expect Ritz '91 HD quality from a 30 year old house show feed, but as long as the Austin '93 video quality was as good as the Oklahoma City '92 Pro-Shot, I would be happy. What are your thoughts @Fernando ?? Fun fact: I remember the Austin '93 tickets costing ONLY $22.50 plus a $3.50 service fee, which is unbelievable, when you consider how much concert tickets cost these days. Sadly, the Frank Erwin Center is scheduled for demolition this year. In addition to GNR, I also caught AC/DC, Journey, Tom Petty, and many other shows over the years as a resident of Austin, at the Erwin Center. This iconic Austin landmark will be missed... I was going to write a new article on the GNR Austin '93 show. However, I am very busy in my personal life and my memories of the Austin show have faded, so I simply added to my 2005 review of this legendary gig... GNRonTour.com Setlist Info: 02.23.93 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX opening act: Brian May Band set: Welcome To The Jungle, Garden Of Eden, It's So Easy, Attitude, Double Talkin' Jive, The Garden, Live And Let Die, So Fine, You Ain't The First, You're Crazy, Used To Love Her, Patience, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Piano Solo, November Rain, Dead Horse, Drum Solo, You Could Be Mine, Guitar Solo, Guitar / Piano Jam, Sweet Child O' Mine encore: Nice Boys, Paradise City There is a nice Limulus remastered recording of the Austin show that was captured by Chris Milazzo and shared years ago. Ask any of the well known GNR live recording traders (OUTSIDE OF THIS FORUM), and they should have a link to share. rockphantom August 20th, 2005/February 23rd, 2023 Official picture from Erwin Center Facebook page. Great review!! 👏 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 37 minutes ago, Ratam said: Great review!! 👏 Thank you! Believe it or not, I still dream about the Austin '93 show on occasion. Naturally, I cannot control my dreams, but my subconscious still has fond memories of this legendary concert! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 2 hours ago, Stay.Of.Execution said: My first GNR show was during the Skin N Bones Tour. Good times Which show did you attend? Let's hear all about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay.Of.Execution Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 21 minutes ago, rockphantom said: Which show did you attend? Let's hear all about it! Cologne 93 I was 10 years old and went with my neighbors. Had tickets in the stands. I remember buying two shirts from that show (which I still have) and Axl yelling at a fan during dtj to go fuck himself. It was epic, GNR was a different beast back then 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 23 minutes ago, Stay.Of.Execution said: Cologne 93 I was 10 years old and went with my neighbors. Had tickets in the stands. I remember buying two shirts from that show (which I still have) and Axl yelling at a fan during dtj to go fuck himself. It was epic, GNR was a different beast back then Very cool. It must have been wild to be a 10 year old at a GNR show. Guns were a totally different animal back then. Comparing the Golden Era to the NITL Cash Grab Era is like comparing apples to oranges. Two very different bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay.Of.Execution Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 6 minutes ago, rockphantom said: Very cool. It must have been wild to be a 10 year old at a GNR show. Guns were a totally different animal back then. Comparing the Golden Era to the NITL Cash Grab Era is like comparing apples to oranges. Two very different bands. Music was just a different thing back then in general. Younger people who got into the band later don't know how big this band was. It's unlikely anything you see now in music. Everyone wanted to be a part of what GNR brought and everybody listened to them. I miss those times 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimisbatman Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 3 hours ago, Stay.Of.Execution said: My first GNR show was during the Skin N Bones Tour. Good times I was too young we were too poor for me to see the 'old gnr', so now that I have the means, and then in 2016 still had the passion, my first GNR show was 2nd Vegas show in 2016. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 21 minutes ago, Stay.Of.Execution said: Music was just a different thing back then in general. Younger people who got into the band later don't know how big this band was. It's unlikely anything you see now in music. Everyone wanted to be a part of what GNR brought and everybody listened to them. I miss those times You are very right! This is why I checked out of GNR-land after the band fell apart in the mid-90s. I bought into the reunion hype in 2016 and checked back in. I'd checked out again after the pitiful Austin 2019-10-11 performance and here we are. I am happy with my memories and live recordings from the Golden Era. The current incarnation of GN'R doesn't interest me at all... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert39 Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Great review, i regret that i didn't go to Guns when i was young. My whole bedroom was full of Gn'R and cranked my stereo to the max on Gn'r bootlegs, Great times then...... Now my 10 year old son is going to see Guns for the second time, and is banging his les paul like Slash the best I have ever seen life, was Velvet Revolver in the HMH in Amsterdam. It was the last full concert of them ever, but man it was fucking good and loud !!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Killer Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Thank you for sharing your review. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Killer Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 44 minutes ago, Spike Killer said: Thank you for sharing your review. I don't like that wording. Thank you for sharing your memories of the show. Countless tens (hundreds) of thousands went to the Illusion concerts. It's really cool to hear from folks that went and left with positive memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Spike Killer said: I don't like that wording. Thank you for sharing your memories of the show. Countless tens (hundreds) of thousands went to the Illusion concerts. It's really cool to hear from folks that went and left with positive memories. You're welcome. The Austin '93 GNR gig made a major impression on me as a teenager. I just finished listening to the audio recording of this amazing concert, and can't believe I was lucky enough to be there in person 30 years ago! What I wouldn't do for an official release of this stellar performance in Austin... Edited February 23, 2023 by rockphantom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillBailey Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Great review man, that is real rock n' f**kin' roll. 😎 Missed them in Paris in 92 and 93 cuz I live too far from there at the time and was too young. My first show should have been the cancelled London 2001 gig. I eventually got to see them in Pukkelpop the year after. For sure it was different compared to the UYI tour but still great memories, even though my fav was the 2006 European tour. 🤘 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXL_N_DIZZY Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 To my eyes, and ears Guns were at their absolute best on the "Skin N' Bones" Tour- which is always controversial as it was Matt/Gilby v Steven/Izzy, and the Classic Era was obviously winding down, alternative/grunge was on the rise, etc. Still adore the rawness, and set list(s) of those shows though. Always will. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 I loved the Skin n Bones concerts I went to, It pissed down with rain for a while but it didn't dampen the thrill for me. I was also lucky to see Izzy back where he belongs. '91 and '93 were the best shows for me 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystery Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 I'd so love to see live footage of Garden of Eden, they played it at the Austin show to start the tour and two days later in Alabama but never again though there's audio. Garden of Eden got the better treatment being played 21 times and having live footage of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 @rockphantom Great review, thank you! Would you be okay if I copied over to the relevant show thread at A4D ((16) 1993.02.23 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, USA (a-4-d.com)) and credited you? t is good to have such reviews saved for posterity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 4 minutes ago, SoulMonster said: @rockphantom Great review, thank you! Would you be okay if I copied over to the relevant show thread at A4D ((16) 1993.02.23 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, USA (a-4-d.com)) and credited you? t is good to have such reviews saved for posterity. Sure, I don't mind at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 1 minute ago, rockphantom said: Sure, I don't mind at all. Thanks! (16) 1993.02.23 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, USA (a-4-d.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Doer Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 I was fortunate enough attend the Skin N' Bones tour, Hartford 1993. To this day probably the best show I've ever been to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockphantom Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 1 hour ago, Evil Doer said: I was fortunate enough attend the Skin N' Bones tour, Hartford 1993. To this day probably the best show I've ever been to. Do you have the audience shot DVD of that show? Such a nice souvenir to have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carne_asaDA Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 I was at the Omaha 4/10/93 show. They played Coma. A great night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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