Billboard.com Jacksonville Review

[speedking]

November 01, 2006,

Guns N' Roses Rocks, Infuriates In Jacksonville

Jeff Vrabel, Jacksonville, Fla.

Even on a sticky Halloween night in Florida, with much of the crowd in costume and spooky holiday decor swinging from the rafters, nothing could quite out-weird the main spectacle: watching 1/8th of Guns N' Roses perform a batch of 20-year-old smashes -- as well as a few from a record originally slated for release during the first Clinton administration -- in front of, among other things, a large and inflatable Homer Simpson balloon.

Welcome to the jungle, kids. We've got fun and games.

Or, more accurately, welcome to whatever this is. Well, what do you call this ragged Frankenstein's monster of a band these days: GNR of the 21st Century? Guns Minus Everyone But Axl? The GNR Experience Feat. Mr. Rose And His Band Of Merry Pranksters? Or, in a time when nostalgia rock is about the only safe bet, when Queen can tour without Freddie and half of the Who is one of the biggest games in town, is 2006 Guns N' Roses merely another case of Hardly Authentic But Good Enough?

Needless to say, one puts up with a lot in catching the remnants of GNR these days (to be fair, it's actually 1/4th of the classic lineup, if you count keyboardist Dizzy Reed). There's the wacky stage time (a classically Rose-ian midnight on a Tuesday), the wearying wait for an alleged new record and the small matter of all the Guns exiles who don't come around anymore.

But maybe the strangest thing is that for all its some-assembly-required vibe, Rose's band knows how to tear up an arena show. Sure, these are hired hands, and Slash would be pleased to know that Rose requires three guitarists to replace/recreate him: ex NIN-ster Robin Finck, now a dead ringer for Matisyahu; journeyman Richard Fortus; and, replacing Buckethead, Ron Thal, who goes by Bumblefoot. You can't make this stuff up. But these guys bring the noise.

Moreover, Rose, impossibly, frustratingly, remains as galvanizingly watchable a frontman as you're likely to find anywhere. The charisma? Enviably intact. The vocals? Strained, but often thrilling. The drive is back, too -- sometime between Guns' aborted 2002 run and today, Rose relocated his give-a-damn, and he prowls the stage with an intensity and ambition that sometimes outweighs his reach, but is crazy to witness. When he's on and his voice is doing age-defying triple salchows on "Welcome to the Jungle" and "It's So Easy," he's cornrowed lightning.

And for about half of the two-hour set, that's all you really need. Tracks like "Jungle," "Mr. Brownstone" and even "Live and Let Die" are meteor impacts -- so much so, in fact, that Rose adhered almost exclusively to songs from about 1987. This night, he was solely interested in the most glorious of the glory days, bringing out the big, boozy, misogynistic WMDs from "Appetite" ("Nightrain," "Out Ta Get Me," "My Michelle") -- and only invited songs from the "Use Your Illusion" discs that originated in the "Appetite" era, like "November Rain" and "You Could Be Mine." He's consciously blacking out a decent chunk of catalog here.

But all the grand setup leads into a weird payoff. Because after a massive opening salvo, reality begins to creep in with "Better," allegedly the first single from the new album (the expensive-looking Eastern backdrop indicated Rose remains apparently serious about this "Chinese Democracy" thing). Chunky riffs aside, "Better," charitably speaking, ain't no "Brownstone." And due to lots of things -- that inhospitable stage time (for which a smirking Rose denied credit), his penchant for vanishing from the stage for long stretches (though it added to his enigmatic legacy, one begins to wonder if he's really up to this) and pacing issues, the show begins to grow cold and distant, despite the valiant efforts of its frontman.

Oh, and this keeps coming up, too: Who the hell are these people?

Rose's minions are dressed like a ragtag pomo art outfit: keyboardist Chris Pittman's in an ivory-white suit, Tommy Stinson rocks plaid pants, and Bumblefoot has the name Bumblefoot. All have creative Tomorrowland haircuts (it was hard to tell what was a Halloween costume and what wasn't). But Rose has them faithfully recycle songs and solos as recorded by another guy 20 years ago. He takes great pains to project a vibe of forward-thinking, then consents to a jarring cameo by cornball Sebastian Bach, who in his opening set performs a song called "Love Is a Bitch Slap" to emphasize all you don't miss about buttless-chaps metal.

He adheres to a schedule of L.A. rock club ethics that doesn't so much apply in Jacksonville early in the week. And he grants all three guitarists interminable, momentum-killing solos; Fortus used his to jam on Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful," and you weren't sure what his intentions were, much like you're not sure what Rose's are.

Axl is capable of transcendent power: "Paradise City" seethed and roared, "You Could Be Mine" worked up a mighty head of steam and if there's a better way to open a rock show than with "Welcome to the Jungle," someone E-mail me about it. And Rose seemed to be alternately salivating at and resentful of the challenge of carrying this load on his shoulders.

But to what end? In the sense that anticipation is generally better than the experience (I'm looking at you, god-awful "Star Wars" prequels), the mystique of Rose's alleged "Democracy," if you're not bored of the entire episode in the first place, will spot-evaporate the day it's released. One wonders if Rose wouldn't be better served to leave it in the can until he's 60 and then bingo, it's "Smile."

In those glory days, Guns N' Roses was just about as good it got. But its hole card now is an album that might not exist, and once "Democracy" rises and falls, Guns N' Roses, which can now maintain a spooky sense of mystery, will be very likely trading the night train for the nostalgia train, whoever the hell's in it. But in the meantime, GNR still can rock your night, or early morning, with a primal power. Just bring a friend to help carry along the baggage.

Here is Guns N' Roses set list:

"Welcome To The Jungle"

"It's So Easy"

"Mr. Brownstone"

"Better"

Robin Finck solo

"Sweet Child O' Mine"

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

"You Could Be Mine"

Dizzy Reed solo

"The Blues"

Richard Fortus solo (includes "Beautiful")

"Out Ta Get Me"

"November Rain"

Bumblefoot solo (includes "Don't Cry")

"My Michelle" (with Sebastian Bach)

"Patience"

"Nightrain"

"Paradise City"

[highvoltage]

That review would have been 1000 times better if Guns had played more new songs that night. Aside from focusing too much on what members were wearing, there's a lot of truth in what he said.

Edited November 2, 2006 by highvoltage

[Stiff Competition]

izzy never gets credit.

[Binge_And_Slash]

I loved how he seemed to think that because his name was Bumblefoot it was a reason to hate him.

[highvoltage]

Sorry - but Finck looking like Matisyahu made me laugh.

[sandycat]

November 01, 2006,

Guns N' Roses Rocks, Infuriates In Jacksonville

Jeff Vrabel, Jacksonville, Fla.

Even on a sticky Halloween night in Florida, with much of the crowd in costume and spooky holiday decor swinging from the rafters, nothing could quite out-weird the main spectacle: watching 1/8th of Guns N' Roses perform a batch of 20-year-old smashes -- as well as a few from a record originally slated for release during the first Clinton administration -- in front of, among other things, a large and inflatable Homer Simpson balloon.

Welcome to the jungle, kids. We've got fun and games.

Or, more accurately, welcome to whatever this is. Well, what do you call this ragged Frankenstein's monster of a band these days: GNR of the 21st Century? Guns Minus Everyone But Axl? The GNR Experience Feat. Mr. Rose And His Band Of Merry Pranksters? Or, in a time when nostalgia rock is about the only safe bet, when Queen can tour without Freddie and half of the Who is one of the biggest games in town, is 2006 Guns N' Roses merely another case of Hardly Authentic But Good Enough?

Needless to say, one puts up with a lot in catching the remnants of GNR these days (to be fair, it's actually 1/4th of the classic lineup, if you count keyboardist Dizzy Reed). There's the wacky stage time (a classically Rose-ian midnight on a Tuesday), the wearying wait for an alleged new record and the small matter of all the Guns exiles who don't come around anymore.

But maybe the strangest thing is that for all its some-assembly-required vibe, Rose's band knows how to tear up an arena show. Sure, these are hired hands, and Slash would be pleased to know that Rose requires three guitarists to replace/recreate him: ex NIN-ster Robin Finck, now a dead ringer for Matisyahu; journeyman Richard Fortus; and, replacing Buckethead, Ron Thal, who goes by Bumblefoot. You can't make this stuff up. But these guys bring the noise.

Moreover, Rose, impossibly, frustratingly, remains as galvanizingly watchable a frontman as you're likely to find anywhere. The charisma? Enviably intact. The vocals? Strained, but often thrilling. The drive is back, too -- sometime between Guns' aborted 2002 run and today, Rose relocated his give-a-damn, and he prowls the stage with an intensity and ambition that sometimes outweighs his reach, but is crazy to witness. When he's on and his voice is doing age-defying triple salchows on "Welcome to the Jungle" and "It's So Easy," he's cornrowed lightning.

And for about half of the two-hour set, that's all you really need. Tracks like "Jungle," "Mr. Brownstone" and even "Live and Let Die" are meteor impacts -- so much so, in fact, that Rose adhered almost exclusively to songs from about 1987. This night, he was solely interested in the most glorious of the glory days, bringing out the big, boozy, misogynistic WMDs from "Appetite" ("Nightrain," "Out Ta Get Me," "My Michelle") -- and only invited songs from the "Use Your Illusion" discs that originated in the "Appetite" era, like "November Rain" and "You Could Be Mine." He's consciously blacking out a decent chunk of catalog here.

But all the grand setup leads into a weird payoff. Because after a massive opening salvo, reality begins to creep in with "Better," allegedly the first single from the new album (the expensive-looking Eastern backdrop indicated Rose remains apparently serious about this "Chinese Democracy" thing). Chunky riffs aside, "Better," charitably speaking, ain't no "Brownstone." And due to lots of things -- that inhospitable stage time (for which a smirking Rose denied credit), his penchant for vanishing from the stage for long stretches (though it added to his enigmatic legacy, one begins to wonder if he's really up to this) and pacing issues, the show begins to grow cold and distant, despite the valiant efforts of its frontman.

Oh, and this keeps coming up, too: Who the hell are these people?

Rose's minions are dressed like a ragtag pomo art outfit: keyboardist Chris Pittman's in an ivory-white suit, Tommy Stinson rocks plaid pants, and Bumblefoot has the name Bumblefoot. All have creative Tomorrowland haircuts (it was hard to tell what was a Halloween costume and what wasn't). But Rose has them faithfully recycle songs and solos as recorded by another guy 20 years ago. He takes great pains to project a vibe of forward-thinking, then consents to a jarring cameo by cornball Sebastian Bach, who in his opening set performs a song called "Love Is a Bitch Slap" to emphasize all you don't miss about buttless-chaps metal.

He adheres to a schedule of L.A. rock club ethics that doesn't so much apply in Jacksonville early in the week. And he grants all three guitarists interminable, momentum-killing solos; Fortus used his to jam on Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful," and you weren't sure what his intentions were, much like you're not sure what Rose's are.

Axl is capable of transcendent power: "Paradise City" seethed and roared, "You Could Be Mine" worked up a mighty head of steam and if there's a better way to open a rock show than with "Welcome to the Jungle," someone E-mail me about it. And Rose seemed to be alternately salivating at and resentful of the challenge of carrying this load on his shoulders.

But to what end? In the sense that anticipation is generally better than the experience (I'm looking at you, god-awful "Star Wars" prequels), the mystique of Rose's alleged "Democracy," if you're not bored of the entire episode in the first place, will spot-evaporate the day it's released. One wonders if Rose wouldn't be better served to leave it in the can until he's 60 and then bingo, it's "Smile."

In those glory days, Guns N' Roses was just about as good it got. But its hole card now is an album that might not exist, and once "Democracy" rises and falls, Guns N' Roses, which can now maintain a spooky sense of mystery, will be very likely trading the night train for the nostalgia train, whoever the hell's in it. But in the meantime, GNR still can rock your night, or early morning, with a primal power. Just bring a friend to help carry along the baggage.

Here is Guns N' Roses set list:

"Welcome To The Jungle"

"It's So Easy"

"Mr. Brownstone"

"Better"

Robin Finck solo

"Sweet Child O' Mine"

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

"You Could Be Mine"

Dizzy Reed solo

"The Blues"

Richard Fortus solo (includes "Beautiful")

"Out Ta Get Me"

"November Rain"

Bumblefoot solo (includes "Don't Cry")

"My Michelle" (with Sebastian Bach)

"Patience"

"Nightrain"

"Paradise City"

And heres another http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor...f_concert.shtml

They are all going to read like this until Axl realizes how stupid this is. Example, Better is a great song, but when 90% of the people are hearing it for the 1st time and it is live, of course it is not going to get great reviews. Bu I know, "axl owes me nothing", "axl does what he wants", blah blah blah. Oh, i forgot "I am not a REAL fan now"

[PrettyTiedUp763]

The GNR Experience Feat. Mr. Rose And His Band Of Merry Pranksters?

I like it! It has a ring to it.

[darkstar_legend]

That's a pretty honest positive review. Sure the digs at the band members were a bit over the top, "(it was hard to tell what was a Halloween costume and what wasn't)" , but he did acknowledge that they indeed "bring the noise".

[Patience 4 Axl]

WOW. Some interesting observations in that review....

"The GNR Experience Featuring Mr. Rose And His Band Of Merry Pranksters."

"Slash would be pleased to know that Rose requires three guitarists to replace/recreate him."

""Better", charitably speaking ain't no "Brownstone"."

"Who the hell are these people?"

"GNR can stilll rock your night."

[lovejones]

I was at the show last night and let me say that I was fucking blow away!!!!

First off, the negative....

I agree completely that security and the overall way the arena handled ticketing was a fucking JOKE!!!

My sister-in-law has a pretty high up position in the arena, and she emailed me a voucher for free tickets. I went with a bunch of people at lunch and at 4 tix a person we secured a block of 44 tickets, not on the floor but on the first riser in the back.

Anyway, I had other friends who showed up right before the show with the SAME VOUCHER and they got Floor Tickets.....does that make ANY SENSE???

So when I tried to get on the floor with my friends explaining that I used the same exact voucher I was told to "get the fuck lost". Keep in mind all the while I am wearing a full BURGER KING costume! I mean, let the King on the floor, for Christ sake!! "Sorry King, can't help you" is what I had to deal with.

So I name-dropped my sister in law and they grudgingly let me in....I laughed at the fucker security guard on the way in.

ON TO THE SHOW ITSELF....

I've seen Guns N' Roses twice before....once with Metallica and Faith No More in Buffalo, NY, and once in Saratoga Springs in upstate New York.

This show I was literally 20 feet from Axl.

Axl is truly a ROCK LEGEND and to watch him perform that close up was un-fucking-believable!!!

The band sounded incredible....amazing musicianship!

The two guitarists did a solo duet based on the melody line of that James Blunt song "Beautiful"...and it was much more 'beautiful' than that piece of candy pop crap could ever be!!

Axl's onstage moves are just so amazing. I hate to say it but Axl wrote the damn book on lead singer rock showmanship. He has so many moves that he pulls out of his hat at will. The classic snake dance. The arms-flailing, head down, fake-run towards the edge of the stage (he did it twice....my favorite move!!!) The guy is just so fucking COOL.....there's no other way to put it.

The music was PHENOMENAL. AXL is a legend and it is so good to see him performing his heart out after all these years, regardless of the crowd size or any other external factors. He really put together an amazing group of musicians. As a lifelong GnR fan (I'm 31 and Appetite for Destruction was the album that rocked my entire world at age 14 in 9th grade), I'm so thankful for the opportunity to see Axl and Co. on top of their game like this. Axl, you are a fucking GOD.

[rockerman]

Does anybody notice a trend here? I ain't shook ya know...cuz in the end its gonna happen. I would caution all the loyal that the notice has been posted.... this GNR ain't your GNR...

Maybe we shouldn't care because in all of this FUCK YOU theres a spirit rising that has been obliterated by modern era bands. Been a long time since we rock and rolled.......Been along time since we had our asses truely entertained like this.

[Guest Edward Rose]

Does anybody notice a trend here? I ain't shook ya know...cuz in the end its gonna happen. I would caution all the loyal that the notice has been posted.... this GNR ain't your GNR...

Maybe we shouldn't care because in all of this FUCK YOU theres a spirit rising that has been obliterated by modern era bands. Been a long time since we rock and rolled.......Been along time since we had our asses truely entertained like this.

This review isn't from a real reviewer... from a real newspaper or TV station.

Nuff said.