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jack99 FRONTMAN

jack99

Posted
Posted

New-look Guns N' Roses returns to Los Angeles

By Gerry Gittelson, Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 12/18/2006 12:29:51 PM PST

Guns N' Roses, once the world's most popular rock band before internally combusting in the early `90s,

made a triumphant return to hometown Los Angeles on Sunday with the first of three nights at Gibson

Amphitheatre at Universal City.

Or did they?

Axl Rose, corn-rowed and a bit puffier than the skinny mad man we remember, showed up - on time, by the

way - but longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed was the only other familiar face among Rose's seven-man band.

There was a late guest appearance by fellow original Izzy Stradlin on guitar, but no Slash, no Duff, no Matt

Sorum, and of course no original drummer Steve Adler.

The marquee said Guns N' Roses, but this felt more like an Axl solo concert than a homecoming - which isn't

to say things weren't interesting, even enjoyable, and for what it's worth, a sold-out crowd of more than

6,000 roared approval.

Guess there's not much hope for a full reunion, so this is as close as we're going to get to recreating the

magic of primetime Guns. And you've got to give Rose credit for giving `em what they want - a two-hour-

plus, 20-song set geared toward optimum crowd satisfaction.

Just as Guns N' Roses might have done back in the Sunset Strip days

before the monster album "Appetitie For Destruction" changed the landscape of rock, the band opened

Sunday with "Welcome to the Jungle," "It's so Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone."

Like always, Rose slithered like a snake, owned every inch of the stage and hit his high notes commendably.

Nine "Appetite" songs were tackled, including a raucous version of "Out Ta Get Me" and the show-

stopping "Sweet Child `O Mine."

Also, "Live and Let Die" and "November Rain" worked particularly well.

Some new songs from the yet-unreleased phantom disc, "Chinese Democracy," were displayed but they

weren't nearly as good as the old stuff - and the crowd patiently waited for the next hit such as "My Michelle"

or "Patience," never was more than a few minutes away.

It's a shame a band many consider the greatest of its era has never been able to iron out its differences

through all these years. So this is what we're left with: Rose putting various musicians on stage to play his

old hits under the moniker Guns N' Roses, and in the other corner the very average Velvet Revolver,

featuring ex-Guns members Slash, Duff and Sorum plus singer Scott Weiland.

With the possible exception of Creed, there hasn't been a rock band in years that could compare with Guns

N' Roses in their prime. But we'll settle for this `06 version of Guns because there isn't another choice,

although there's no doubt a lot of us left the venue Sunday wistfully longing for the good old days

when "Paradise City" felt like rock's national anthem.

Former Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach provided support. He looked and sounded fine but didn't go over

particularly well.

The bill continues tonight and Wednesday.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/music/ci_4861823

Guns N' Roses can still heat things up

By Greg Burk, Special to The Times

The rockin' Axl Rose experience legally known as Guns N' Roses is like the megabucks movie version of

some gritty off-Broadway play. It won't make you forget the original, but its gloss and sprawl are not to be

despised.

Looking like an alien mantis, jaws parted as if to bite the head off a giant fly, Rose disdained credibility at

the Gibson Amphitheatre on Sunday night while injecting further histrionic fizz into the vocal melodies of

turn-of-the-'90s GNR ballads such as the buoyant "Sweet Child O' Mine" and the tenderly

overfragranced "November Rain"; if he had ever drawn genuine emotion from his weeper repertoire

(doubtful), those days were dust. Still, a creepy artificial buzz always rewards the absorption of Rose's

headlong muggery, and when he had nothing in mind but rocking his butt off ("It's So Easy," "You Could Be

Mine") and polluting his liver ("Mr. Brownstone," "Nightrain"), he took everybody along on his ambulance

joyride.

Pyrotechnic heat you could actually smell fired up a two-plus-hour Rose set calibrated like a Rolls engine.

The pistons were a seven-piece backup band, cranked by bearded ax mechanic Robin Finck and calculated

to appear even slicker by contrast with a weary and spectacularly out-of-tune Izzy Stradlin, former rhythm

guitarist of the "classic" GNR, who was dragged onstage for several songs. Ingenious instrumental breaks

served to pace the proceedings and revive demand for additional Axl shriekery. And a number of

impressive unreleased selections — including the ramped-up "IRS," the drifting "Madagascar" and the chop-

riffing "Chinese Democracy" — augured well for Guns N' Roses' upcoming album, whose endless

postponement recently cracked a rift with the band's management. (The group canceled its remaining tour

dates after the three Gibson shows to focus on finishing "Chinese Democracy," now targeted for release

March 6, according to GNR's official website.)

At the 2 a.m. curtain call, Rose said he'd soldier onward for the fans despite the dirt bag write-ups he always

gets. And so he should.

Sebastian Bach, the finest microphone twirler of his generation, warmed up the stage with reckless rockers

("Piece of Me") and prom ballads ("I Remember You") from his Skid Row heyday circa 1990, plus some

homicidal new numbers. More than an MTV clown, the lanky Bach is a radiant entertainer; his animalistic

screams and party attitude spawned grins while muscly guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak (formerly of Halford)

shredded manfully.

The night's darkest moods were the gift of Helmet, whose "Monochrome" CD this year announced a return

to the artistic spikes of its platinum early '90s. Gaunt, buzz-cut Page Hamilton's grating yet melodic singing,

contemptuous lyrics, gut-gouging riffs and twisted guitar solos rocked metal-hard and punk-furious.

The L.A. chapter of the nationwide art-sleaze phenomenon Suicide Girls opened, gyrating and undressing to

Zep and Prince soundtracks within cinematic conceptual frameworks. The longtime link between metal and

strippers: not broken yet.

Source: http://www.calendarlive.com/music/pop/cl-e...0,1990085.story

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jack99 FRONTMAN

jack99

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With the possible exception of Creed, there hasn't been a rock band in years that could compare with Guns

N' Roses in their prime.

WTF?!?!

lol, I noticed that sentence too. If he's serious, he should really look for a new job.

Here's another review from Variety.com and someone who hates GN'R... :(

Guns N' Roses - Gibson Amphitheater

By Steven Mirkin

For a man with so much on the line, Axl Rose's 2½-hour perf at Gibson Amphitheater -- the first of three

scheduled L.A. shows, and something of a homecoming -- felt pro forma and desultory. Rose took the stage

as scheduled, but the combative, charismatic frontman was nowhere to be seen. He complimented

the "boisterous" crowd and the "loud" room, but, other than to introduce the band, he remained silent on

recent changes (a fired manager and a new release date for the much-delayed "Chinese Democracy") in the

GN'R camp. The set list, heavy on "Appetite for Destruction" (accounting for nearly half of the 20-song set)

and nearly ignoring "Use Your Illusion," was as much a journey through the past as the Rolling Stones'

recent Dodger Stadium appearance.

Rose spent a good deal of the time running around the two-tiered stage, leaning out into the aud, shaking

hands with the desperation of a politician with low poll numbers, but there was no spark or connection. He's

a little thicker in the middle; when he does his trademark serpentine dance moves, he occasionally puts one

hand on the small of his back, as if he just pulled something. With his taut, nearly immobile facial features

and cornrowed hair pulled back into a ponytail, he looked like a waxworks figure, leading to the conclusion

that the only thing Rose injects these days is Botox.

His voice is gone -- at times it either gave out on him completely, or was mixed so low it was barely audible.

And he rarely stayed onstage for an entire song, running to the wings during the instrumental breaks or

various band members' interminable solo showcases. He returned each time with a fresh shirt (Rose would

quickly sweat through his clothing, although his face remained oddly dry) and a somewhat stronger voice.

Rose's mood brightened late in the set when he was joined on stage by former Skid Row frontman

Sebastian Bach for a playful "My Michelle." Former Guns guitarist Izzy Stradlin followed, sitting in with the

band for a couple of songs, including "Patience" and a raucous "Used to Love Her."

The addition of Stradlin meant there were four guitarists on stage, making the already flabby arrangements

only less defined. And while Rose does give his musicians plenty of space to strut their stuff, none of them

made an especially memorable impression. Their solo showcases: guitarist Robin Finke's Pink Floyd-styled

prog-rock; former Psychedelic Fur Richard Fortes covering Jimi Hendrix's "Angel"; and Dizzy Reed's clumsy

piano arrangement of the Stones' "Angie," stopping the already slack set dead in its tracks.

The newer songs work better with the revamped line-up, but that's not much of a compliment. It's obvious

Rose has been working on these songs for quite some time, which isn't to say they're very good. Their

layering of guitar and keyboard parts and clunky, overwrought structures are the result of a musician who

has lost all perspective.

But all that focus on the album has left the band in an odd position: the tossed-off older songs are half-

baked, the newer material is overcooked. What's even odder is how all this turmoil results in a show so

lacking in tension and drama.

Rose and his band were preceded by three acts that atomized the elements that once made Guns N' Roses

so successful: Sebastian Bach embodied the sex-crazed, potty mouthed frontman, Helmet added an

unyielding guitar crunch and the Suicide Girls boho-burlesque act provided the topless women that were so

much a part of Guns mystique.

Source: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932333...yid=34&cs=1

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Estranged Reality LEGEND

Estranged Reality

Posted
Posted
Some new songs from the yet-unreleased phantom disc, "Chinese Democracy," were displayed but they

weren't nearly as good as the old stuff

He needs to take the ear plugs out and have another listen.

Or maybe he just has his own opinion.

We'd better get used to it, because once CD does come out, you can bet there are gonna be a lot of biased reviews hitting the news-stands.

I disagree with him that all the new songs are inferior to the old ones - but taste is selective, and to each his own. You can't force someone to like something.

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UltraMav DEMI-GOD

UltraMav

Posted
Posted (edited)

Maybe after the album is released people can finally move on from the "Slash isn't in the band?!" state of mind. And if he thinks Chinese Democracy songs aren't as good as the old stuff, he should be slapped. Yes that's right, he should be slapped for having a different opinion than me.

Edited by Mav23
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Golden_Johnson Newbie

Golden_Johnson

Posted
Posted

To quote a famous movie (guest starring GN'R :P):

Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one...
At the 2 a.m. curtain call, Rose said he'd soldier onward for the fans despite the dirt bag write-ups he always

gets. And so he should.

^^^

As long as that remains true it doesn't matter what anyone writes...they're playing for us, the fans. rock1

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someguyintheelevator Junior

someguyintheelevator

Posted
Posted

Those assholes can't review shit. I have seen alot of shows. Nothing beats the energy of a crowd when Welcome to the jungle starts. It was a great show. Dumbass writers write negative crap because a good review doesn't sell papers. If the story was Axl came out sounded great. The show was really loud and had great sound then nobody would care.

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bunbury_hmr Full

bunbury_hmr

Posted
Posted

With the possible exception of Creed, there hasn't been a rock band in years that could compare with Guns

N' Roses in their prime.

WTF?!?!

Oh they must've forgot to add "ence Clear Water" thats all. Dont let that typo make you think that we dont love Scott Stapp enough as much as you.

The reporter needs to have some actual good music sent to their office to clear out comparisons.

:rofl-lol::no:

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moreblack LEGEND

moreblack

Posted
Posted
Some new songs from the yet-unreleased phantom disc, "Chinese Democracy," were displayed but they

weren't nearly as good as the old stuff - and the crowd patiently waited for the next hit such as "My Michelle"

or "Patience," never was more than a few minutes away.

I noticed the same thing when I saw them.

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jah772 Senior

jah772

Posted
Posted

With the possible exception of Creed, there hasn't been a rock band in years that could compare with Guns

N' Roses in their prime.

WTF?!?!

lol, I noticed that sentence too. If he's serious, he should really look for a new job.

Here's another review from Variety.com and someone who hates GN'R... :(

Guns N' Roses - Gibson Amphitheater

By Steven Mirkin

With his taut, nearly immobile facial features and cornrowed hair pulled back into a ponytail, he looked like a waxworks figure, leading to the conclusion

that the only thing Rose injects these days is Botox.

Source: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932333...yid=34&cs=1

I really don't see any basis for the whole plastic surgery thing, yet the media keeps bringing it up as if it actually happened. If anything, he's had a little botox, but I really doubt Uncle Willy's done anything to his face to merit this kind of thrashing.

Plus, his vocals have been amazing this year, way better than 1992-'93 even. I wasn't at the show last night, so i dunno if he just had an off night, but from seeing him live, and seeing all the bootlegs, his incredible voice is one of the main reasons to see show.

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