GNR Playing Australia!

[kannon21]

From the Herald Sun , "Australia's biggest-selling daily newspaper"

Guns N' Roses firing for tour

April 05, 2007 12:00am

HARD rock band Guns N'Roses will tour Australia for the first time in 14 years in June.

The band, featuring singer Axl Rose as the only original member, will play Rod Laver Arena on June 15. Tickets go on sale on April 26.

Guns N'Roses' last Australian tour was 1993 when they played at Calder Park, causing a traffic jam 30km from the city.

Promoter Paul Dainty said the band would play a 2 1/2 hour set featuring new material and greatest hits.

"They're not taking the full show everywhere, but for Australia and New Zealand we get the entire Chinese Democracy production, with video wall, full set, the whole enchilada," he said.

The still-unreleased Chinese Democracy album is reportedly the most expensive ever made, with $13 million spent over 10 years of recording sessions.

Supports acts for the June tour will be Rose Tattoo and ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.

Guns N'Roses have not released a studio album since 1991.

The saga around Chinese Democracy continued when Rose missed yet another scheduled release date last month.

He described the making of the album as an "unbearably long and incomprehensible journey".

mmmmk I'm guessing they're just trying to sell this thing out, right?

Kannon.

[eschman]

I think they're just referring to the full stage show, not the full album.

[D-GenerationX]

I think they're just referring to the full stage show, not the full album.

But even that doesn't make much sense.

Why would other places not get the full stage show? Unless they mean the festivals in Africa and such can't accomodate the full stage set-up.

[hollyw00d81]

They're just trying to hype the concerts, there are probably some venues that can't accommodate the full stage setup.

[Guest Matt13]

They're just trying to hype the concerts, there are probably some venues that can't accommodate the full stage setup.

I hope it's a different stage set up... not that the last one was bad... just expecting some 'bigger things' if this is finally the push to 'Democracy'.

[rockstar81]

I can't believe GN'R lost so many fans over the years, wow. 1993 seems like yesterday for me.

Back in the days in 1993, WITH SLASH, the band played every night in sold-out stadiums. Today, WITHOUT SLASH, the newGNR play small arenas. This is a huge drop

What's next? Axl singing in a half empty bus somewhere in Texas to get some dollars to eat for the day?

I'm kidding, but I can't believe the drop of popularity is so big. It's shocking.

GN'R really is down to the toilets, this band needs a record and some promotion, really.

I don't want my favourite band to end-up playing in Bars like a garage band in front of 30 bored people by the end of 2008

Come on, think big.

Edited April 4, 2007 by rockstar81

[Estranged Reality]

All considered, I'm surprised they're still playing headlining huge shows like Download. And I was shocked to see My Bloody Valentine or whatever opening for them last year - because in general they're more popular than the current GN'R is with the younger crowds.

He's been gone over a decade and returned without any of the bandmembers who were there before. All things considered, I'd say Axl's doing pretty damn well.

They were the biggest band in the world in 1991 - 1993. They aren't anymore. So they're still doing pretty good considering this.

[Monty]

1993 seems like yesterday for me.

Oh well, the wait for Chinese Democracy hasn't been as hard for you then.

Monty (feeling petty)

[ChineseIRS]

Wow!!!

It is now 2007, not 1993. For one, rock music isnt even the most popular style of music anymore and two, in 1993 GN'R were on top of the world. They were the biggest band so obviously they are gonna play huge stadiums. The band has not really done anything since then, no album, a couple tours, no promotion, pretty much the opposite of what they were doing back then. So to compare is not really fair. To still be headlining huge festivals and selling out a good amount of arenas around the world, I say GN'R are doing pretty damn good for not having an album or pretty much no promotion.

Most bands dont even do stadium tours anymore.

[arnold layne]

Yeah, but people need to realize that the music scene has had some changes. People's attitude towards Rock has vanished somewhat with the uprise of other genres.

I think it's unfortunate and hopefully Guns N' Roses will have a lot of fans in Australia and South Africa.

[axlsfury]

I can't believe GN'R lost so many fans over the years, wow. 1993 seems like yesterday for me.

Back in the days in 1993, WITH SLASH, the band played every night in sold-out stadiums. Today, WITHOUT SLASH, the newGNR play small arenas. This is a huge drop

What's next? Axl singing in a half empty bus somewhere in Texas to get some dollars to eat for the day?

I'm kidding, but I can't believe the drop of popularity is so big. It's shocking.

GN'R really is down to the toilets, this band needs a record and some promotion, really.

I don't want my favourite band to end-up playing in Bars like a garage band in front of 30 bored people by the end of 2008

Come on, think big.

Come on dude. 1993 was 14 years ago. The band was coming apart at this time and came to a stop in 1997. 1997 was 10 years ago. With all the legal shit and the uphill battle of rebuilding a brand that meant so much to its' fans with new members and a new vision isn't an easy task. The album will come out soon and Axl and Co. will be victorious. It isn't a race or popularity contest, it's about integrity and quality associated with the GNR name. Axl and the rest of the remaining are willing to invest in this goal. They're playing smaller venues because it has been 14 years and the band is not the same. See what happens after the album. It will be back to the top.

[ThinkAboutYou]

I can't believe GN'R lost so many fans over the years, wow. 1993 seems like yesterday for me.

Back in the days in 1993, WITH SLASH, the band played every night in sold-out stadiums. Today, WITHOUT SLASH, the newGNR play small arenas. This is a huge drop

What's next? Axl singing in a half empty bus somewhere in Texas to get some dollars to eat for the day?

I'm kidding, but I can't believe the drop of popularity is so big. It's shocking.

GN'R really is down to the toilets, this band needs a record and some promotion, really.

I don't want my favourite band to end-up playing in Bars like a garage band in front of 30 bored people by the end of 2008

Come on, think big.

I think you are forgeting that the 2 shows of 70 thousand people were at race courses Eastern creek and calder park

I remember the promoters had many problems with the venues especially calder park

I expect that GNR may do 2nd shows for melbourne and sydney if the venues sell out

The dates are spread out enough for 2nd concerts

[rockstar81]

When you were used to seeing your favorite band on top it's hard to accept it has to start from scratch again.

Guns N' Roses deserves better than 15.000 people arenas. This band built a legagy that allows them to play in 70.000 people stadiums like U2.

I remember the old band was bigger than U2 back in the days, AFD outsold the joshua tree, Lies outsold rattle and hum and the use your llusion 1 and 2 outsold achtung baby and zooropa. The "Use Your Illusion Tour" was also bigger than the "Zooropa Tour". 15 years later look how big U2 are now, if GN'R didn't stop and din't break-up, they would still be bigger than U2.

I think I love so much the old band that when something doesn't match the expectations of what was the old band and what they accomplished all together back in the days it is seen as a desapointement. Don't get me wrong, I'm still happy they go to Australia but it's just "not as good before". I know it can be annoying, but I can't stop to compare with the old band. It's almost mechanical. I can't stop thinking about the old band. They are the reason why we are all here after all.

Edited April 4, 2007 by rockstar81

[ThinkAboutYou]

I just hope we get 2nd shows for melbourne and sydney

[highvoltage]

I think they're just referring to the full stage show, not the full album.

But even that doesn't make much sense.

Why would other places not get the full stage show? Unless they mean the festivals in Africa and such can't accomodate the full stage set-up.

Yep.

Usually Asia/Australia/New Zealand shows get a reduced stage setup - the Stones and the Crue both did it when I saw them. I don't really care about the stage, to be honest - but a lot of people here feel cheated that they don't get as much pyro or video screens. Kinda sad, but if you think about the size of Australia and the fact they're playing only 5 gigs spread out across the country, it's easy to understand. It's not cheap to haul a full stage setup across the countryside to shows here, so a lot of bands just don't do it.

So yeah... it's not a huge deal, but it's worth mentioning if Guns are bothering to bring the whole stage setup here.

[bluesy]

Sebastian returns!

[mjtoomey]

Things are a lot different now. Rock is a lot different. Album sales are down because everyone downloads. It's suddenly fashionable to not rock and wear a sweater and go to art school in bands. "If I just lay here...If I just lay here..." Give me a goddam break. No one is filling huge football stadiums in the States anymore. Rock n roll is totally upside down next to what it was some 14 years ago. Look at it this way, Velvet Revolver has comparable attendance figures to the new GNR. I saw them both at the same venue (Worcester Centrum) and Velvet Revolver, in addition to having a markedly smaller audience than GNR, sucked ass. You could just as easily say, "With AXL these guys played to a gajillion screaming fans, but with Scott Weiland they play to sparsely filled arenas with people leaving early to catch some shitty show on CBS." Even huge groups for kids like Green Day don't fill stadiums up to the brims. It's not the same any more. Besides monstrous shows generally suck anyway. About 20 thousand are constantly in transit to get more beer. I'd rather a small theater full of music fans than a horde of slobbering idiots whose ears are probably full of nacho cheese anyway.

[duff_mckagan21]

As im still in awe with the announcement of the tour of Australia, Im curious about how many concerts will take place. The hype is electric with all the main newspapers throughout the country highlighting the 14 year return of the giant.

If this hype leads to mass ticket buying, is their a chance for the bigger cities of Melbourne and Sydney to perhaps get two shows each?

Im happy with one show but im just wondering thats all.

I would go to both shows thats for sure lol

duff21

[Powerage5]

Anyone expecting Nice Boys since Rose Tattoo is opening? rock2

Edited April 5, 2007 by Powerage5

[aussie_axl]

i'm so fucking pumped, all these shows will sell out, i have about 5 guys from work going with me already.

[*ParadiseCityGirl*]

too bad i don't live in austrailia....what the hell does this mean for CD then!???!!

*already knows the answer*

[Midnight Rambler]

So does anyone know how thr presale tix worked last time?

[aussie_axl]

yeah will axl's team help out us aussie fans? and fuck HTGTH, all the aussie fans live here!

[illusions]

awesome! I dont even care about the album now I just want to get tickets to see them at the acer areana in june!

[6lake sa66ath]

So I suppose the next thing we wait on is prices.

BEC gigs usuaully start at like $80.