Complete Setlist, Paper Review, Venue Details

[casfan]

GNR Rexall Place Dec.7th/2006 - SOLD OUT

Supporting: (in order of apperance)

Suicide Girls, Helmet & Sebastian Bach

Arena Seating Capacity:

Approximately 13 000 for Concerts

Approximately 17 000 for Hockey Games

http://www.rexall-place.com/info.html

PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES BY GNR at THIS ARENA:

May.25th, 1988 supporting IRON MAIDEN (Seventh Son of Seventh Son Tour) Attendance: 2,500 (bad tour for Maiden)

March.28th, 1993 USE YOUR IILUSIONS TOUR with The Brian May Band supporting Attendance: SOLD OUT est 13,500

Note: Rexall Place sold out crowd with stage at back of arena is 13,000/ full arena (NHL Hockey):17,000 as of fall 1994 when called Skyreach Centre after re-modelling/modernization of the arena.

Original seating in 1974-94 when called Northlands Coliseum: 13-17,000 would be sold out (dependent on # tic available for show)/ full arena (NHL Hockey): 18,500.

SETLIST:

Welcome to the Jungle

It's So Easy

Mr. Brownstone -stopped briefly 'cause Axl wanted fans on floor to step back fans getting crushed

Live & Let Die

Better

Guitar Solo -Bluetopia

Sweet Child of Mine

Knockin' On Heavens Door

You Could Be Mine

Piano Solo -Angie (Stones)

Blues

Rocket Queen

Guitar Solo - OCanada & killer shreading

Out To Get Me

November Rain -finale morphed into climax of Estranged

Down On The Farm

I.R.S.

Guitar Solo -Don't Cry (played electric no vocals & other instruments)

My Michelle -with Seb Bach

Liquor & Whores -with Bubbles (Trailer Park Boys)

Used To Love Her

Patience

Night Train

***Encores***

Madagascar

Chinese Democracy

Paradise City

FINI-Bow out

My 2 cents:

Completely different experience from seeing GNR in past. I saw them opening for Maiden & the UYI show. Nonetheless, it was spectacular! What a show! Got up to about where 2-3 rd row would be normally on the floor. The new GNR band is somethin else! KILLER! This without a doubt is the best show I've seen in years. Unforgettable! Axl was on, the man is back! Axl appeared to really be enjoying the show himself. I don't where exactly this following reviewer was sitting, it sure wasn't where I was. The sound for me was near perfect. Near the end, temporary trouble with the mix as opposed to Axl having problems singing. Axl blew Baz back to his mother's womb as far as I'm concerned. Out the near 70 shows I've seen at this arena this one is in my Top 10 favorites.

Below Review From:

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news.../sperounes.html

There’s a likely reason why Axl Rose and the rest of Guns N’ Roses didn’t get on stage until 11:52 p.m. on Thursday night.

Perhaps the mercurial metal frontman wanted his 13,000-plus fans to be so drunk and tired, they didn’t notice — or care — how terrible the sound in Rexall Place was.

You could barely hear Rose’s trademark screech during the first few songs — including opener Welcome To The Jungle and It’s So Easy.

The audio mix was hit ‘n’ miss for the rest of G N’ R’s two-and-a-half-hour set.

At times, he was almost completely audible, particularly during the reggae-lite version of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, the bluesy ballad Patience, and a tour-de-force rendition of November Rain, capped off by a waterfall of sparks drenching Rose’s piano.

Yet for Sweet Child O’ Mine, You Could Be Mine and Nightrain, he sounded like he was singing through an underpowered megaphone — raising questions about the competency of his sound guy and the state of Rose’s voice. Could it be his pipes aren’t as powerful as they used to be?

Part of the problem, of course, is the range of his screams.

He sounds like a wailing guitar — but he couldn’t compete with his three guitarists, Robin Finck, Richard Fortus and Ron Thal, one of whom came out sporting a long jacket and black hat.

He didn’t look exactly like Rose’s former bandmate, Slash, but it was enough to encourage fans to make comparisons between the latest and classic versions of G N’ R.

The verdict?

Well, if you’re a fan of the Replacements, one of the most underappreciated groups of the ‘80s, you got a kick out of seeing skinny bassist Tommy Stinson playing G N’ R’s Rocket Queen and Out Ta Get Me.

Otherwise, Rose’s new batch of guitarists were more than serviceable — each getting a turn to play a blistering solo, including a ragged version of O Canada.

They’re obviously killer musicians, but three axe solos slowed down the momentum of the show, which wasn’t the best idea so late at night.

Neither was playing a few unknown and mediocre numbers from G N’ R’s long-delayed album, Chinese Democracy.

At least a few dozen people left Rexall halfway into the group’s set.

Thankfully, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joined G N’ R in 1990, picked up the pace again by playing a rambunctious, bluesy cover of Angie on piano while Rose was backstage, changing his shirt for the umpteenth time.

Then again, he was pretty hyperactive — constantly running across the stage, jumping, throwing his microphone stand or doing his trademark side-to-side sashay. He even attempted a jig when Bubbles of Trailer Park Boys came out to perform his cult hit, Liquor and Whores.

Opener Sebastian Bach, who joined Rose for a duet of My Michelle, didn’t seem to have the same vocal woes as his tourmate.

Not only does he have stronger pipes — holding notes for longer and higher — the overall volume of Bach’s bandmates seemed to be much lower.

Ergo, you could clearly hear the Peterborough native during his 70-minute set, which featured old Skid Row numbers — 18 and Life, I Remember You, Piece of Me, Monkey Business, Youth Gone Wild — and a few from his upcoming album.

If only Bach had Rose’s songs ... or Rose had Bach’s voice, then we would’ve truly been in Paradise City.

COMMENTS

Posted by Sandra Sperounes on December 8, 2006 1:28 PM MDT

Edited December 9, 2006 by casfan