Ready For Democracy

[superloconoriega]

(I'm sorry if there any errors in the spelling, note that my first language ain't english)

After 2 and a half hours of good sleep in the plane and half an hour taxi drive to the arena i was more than ready to finally see GNR live. After moved and cancelled dates around the san diego area i decided that having to fly to see axl and the boys was going to be the last option.

The taxi driver left me right outside of the arena, where at least 20 bootleg stands formed what it seemed to be a rock n' roll swapt meet. This obiously had to hurt the sales of the two little official GNR stands that were placed inside of the arena. This official stands sold t-shirts in gray and yellow versions of the new circle logo ($15) that's on the gnr site background, a poster with the same star logo (this one: http://www.newgnr.com/pix/ontour/photos/mo...b8.jpg_t400.jpg ) ($5) and strangely the unofficial bootlegs chicago 92 and sex n drugs n rock n roll. No tin candle lights. I couldn't believe it either. In the other side of the coin, the bootleg stands sold EVERYTHING, including the Kill Your Idols T-shirt. Mugs, Jack-Daniels style of shirts, Guns N' Roses Was Here (Appetite original artwork) tour t-shirts with the new dates and a lot of other cool designs.

Next step, of course, linning up for the entrance. As soon as i was formed i knew what kind of crowd was going to be. A lady in their 30's something who had been in an original line up concert and a guy who was 24 that refused to accept the new incarnation as GNR, but respect axl anyways. The only new songs they had heard were Oh My God (which i found strange, since i tought this one of the least known new songs) and Madagascar.

They let us in at about 7 and a half ( i'm sorry if the times are incorrect, but i'm doing my best trying to remember). Most people were still buying drinks or just chattin' and this allowed me to get a good 2nd / 3rd row spot right at the right side of stage (that later on the night 0turned out to be Richard's and Ron's side). Dizzy's, Pittman's and Frank's part of the set (upstairs i guess) was covered.

Opening band started at i guess 9 and half? I really didnt even know what time was when i was there, let alone can remember it now. First song was OK, but got a wave of boo's. Second song, almost the same as the first, but with even more boo's at the end. Girl comes to deliver a guitar. By the start of the third it was apparent that the crowd was there to see GNR and nothing more. The band finish the third song and said something along the lines of you know what we wont play anymore and left the stage. The mexican version of the Eagles Of Death Metal if you will... Same guitar girl comes to pick more instruments and it's greeted with TABLE chants.

And the first long wait begins. By this time i noticed that the guy to my left looked like a chubby version of Will Ferrell and that entertained me for a few minutes. There as also a guy who only spoke english right in the front line who looked exactly like Chad Channing from Nirvana. I'm pretty sure that guy posts in the forums but i couldn't really ask him. When i got bored my ipod served me well and entertained me for some more time. Since i had a pretty decent view of the back of the stage (but not exactly backstage area) i could see Del James hangin' there and the guys from the second opening band taking pictures. During this whole time that i was listening to my ipod several chants in the audience happened. I can't remember which ones exactly, but this is pretty common thing in Mexico (and i guess in the whole world)..One hour or so after the first opening band left the stage the next band comes in (I think they were called maligno, i'm not sure) ..

Ok. Who the hell chooses the openers? Stinson again? Worst excuse of metal band ever. The singer couldn't stop making the DIO horns sign and the guitar player looked exactly like a mexican version of dimebag (without the sombrero), but i must say that they at least had the center of the arena floor on their side, since a couple of applauses appeared after the first song (but still nothing compared to a new wave of loud boo's, FUERA (leave) and PUTO (fag) chants. I could see a guy singin' a long to the songs a few persons behind me, which i found strange. Singer almost tripped after a song. They played what i guess were 6 or 7 songs, all as stereotypical-stupid metal as can be, and between songs the singer tried to gain the crowd by asking who was thirsty and throwing free water, but most of the free bottles were thrown back to the stage. GUNS N' ROSES chants between songs, specially during the end of the last one. Couple of applauses and a lots of boo's and that was it for maligno... and the second wait begins.

Being a DMF (if you don't know you ain't supposed to be reading this) i already knew the waiting was going to be a long one, but i never expect to be such a long one. Thank god for my ipod. The crew started to set up everything, starting by checking out the drum set, spending a lot of time setting up pittman's keyboards, and testing the mic's. Audioslave, The Raconteurs, Foo Fighters and more were played over this long period of waiting. During the very first minutes of the set up i could see Del James hangin' by the side of the stage, and he appeared to be having a nice time (along with most of GNR crew). He dissapeared after the first half hour of waiting and the faces of the crew turned from smiles and laughs to evident preocupation. The crew looked to be doing things in a way to make time, like if they knew they had to be slow. They checked Pittman's keyboards in 4 ocations, taped the setlist to the floor, one by one, each one 20 or so minutes after the other. The camera man where lifted in a special seat and the poor guys had to wait at least 1 hour up there, but at least he had a seat...

Things in the audience side weren't going OK. A guy in the seated section was scorted out by security by doing i don't know why. Crowd started to do the wave thing, and succeded after 5 failed attempts. Between 3 or 4 plastic cups of beer were thrown to the stage. I got bored and turned my ipod off. Finally had the balls to tell the guy next to me that he looked exactly like Will Ferrell, and everybody on my side agreed. By this time i was fucking tired, my back was feeling like hell and i was very thirsty. Will Ferrell and other guys next to me, not wanting to loose the 2nd row spot convinced a lady to bring us soda, and she did it. Fucking miracle she came back... More chit-chat... Will Ferrell started to get angry and a couple of bring maligno band chants erupted. By this time 2 hours or so of waiting had happened and for the first time i tought there was going to be a cancellation. Nobody had seen axl in the city, and Del James was nowhere to be seen near the stage as he had been most of the show.. Then, the worst thing happened. The arena screens showed us a message that read : IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE BAND GUNS AND ROSES (guns n' roses in red) WILL TAKE THE STAGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. This is obiously to calm down the people before the cancelation's made, Will Ferrell and i tought....

But i was wrong

(play Welcome To The Jungle in your computer please)

Lights Out. Fucking Hell. They were indeed going to play. But i haven't seen anybody. Exorcist theme. Screen's On. Jungle Riff, where the fuck was Robin? I couldn't see him. I see Dizzy. They're here... then, out of nowhere, BUM! lights, lyrics start. Axl looking exactly as dangerous as you would want. Fuck the he's too old shit, he could probably beat the shit out of you with the eyes closed if he wanted. Ron holds up Rey Mysterio Jr's mask. Fortus right in front of me, looking maniac, and i'm not saying that in a good way. You see, you read that this guy sends fans instructions on how to play guitar, kisses little babies ... well, that guy's gone. This guy makes more strange faces than sanyaja singing. He looks ultra-drugged. He looks like the type of guy who would make the old band members pee their pants, moving on. Jungle continues. Finck gets to my side. Looking a little bit older than he does in the internet, but cool anyways. People singin' along like crazy. It was fucking incredible to see how the whole audience, who was fucking pissed and screaming bullshit a minute before was on their feets and going nuts in another. Tommy moves closer to my side... OK, this was the worst part of the whole concert. Tommy looked horrible, and i can't stress this enough. His face was (at least to me) a little bit disfigured, if he was a fucking zombie. Yeah, zombie, that's the word...

It's So Easy and Mr.Brownstone. I'm one of those that hates the repetition of setlists, but the first 3 songs in that order work very well, very fast-paced. The fact that these three songs were played in that order saved the show. Ron looks awesome, he was wearing HUGE boots with HUGE heels. He's ultra skinny now, you wouldn't recognise him if the only referense you had was the braids and cap photos circa 2000. He looks just awesome, way younger than he is. He looked like if he was only 23. He threw guitar picks at least 3 times my side of the stage, causing a friendly fight for it. At the end of either Brownstone or Live And Let Die he and Finck raised a sign that read AXL WLECOME BACK WE MISSED YOU, wich was fucking awesome and i hope a pic of that surfaces. He played the next song covered in the sign, and helt it up backwards in one occasion. LOL. A lot of people were throwing shirts and stuff to him so he would held it up. One of those persons threw a hat and almost hit Fortus in the face, but thank god he avoided it. Live And Let Die was good, couldn't really hear well Axl's Voice. Axl jokes about Frank's Pimped-Metal purple drum set. Frank was wearing a red bandana covering his mouth for the first songs by the way Finck's solo.. OK? I was surprised people weren't booing, which was my biggest fear. Sweet Child O'Mine, huge response. I think that either during the end of this one or Live And Let Die, Finck tried to run to his amp to get the distortion sound and almost knocked Tommy by accident, and neither of them looked happy.

Better, the fist of the new songs was next and i was for what i can tell the only guy in the arena singing along. Axl's 2002 voice hinted a return during the first line of the screaming part, but by the second was long gone for the rest of the night. Knocking On Heaven's Door, Axl's right in front of me, cool ending, tommy looks he's into the song. Looks Awesome. You Could Be Mine, Bumblefoot OWNS this song, and Tommy's bass really makes it sound good. Song Ends, Frank Ferrer starts the Guns N Roses chants. Another solo. Surprised me that a couple of the fans knew the song and where singing along. Thank god it wasnt long. By this time i tought that it was obious that they were going faster than usual, with very few jams between songs as they usually do. Also most of the solos were very short in comparation to other previous shows. The Blues starts, and somebody recognises it. Surprised me again. Sounds Good. The same goes for Out Ta Get Me. Fortus screaming I'm not innocent right in front of me. November Rain's next, get's huge response. I.R.S., just like Better, i was the only guy singing along to it, awesome version. I can see beta at the side, just watching the band. Seems to be different from the latest leak in the solo, but's most probably a live improvisation. Bumblefoot plays some mexican sounding song, then goes straight to Don't Cry, without any strange songs in between. For me that was when i knew they had to hurry up. My Michelle's up next, and i miss Bach. I mean, if Bach would have been the opening act i can assure you i wouldn't had really cared that much for the 2 plus hours of waiting. This song needs Bach from now on. Patience's up next, and also gets a huge response. Nightrain. Good One Too. Oh man, i couldn't wait. After finishing it they were going to come back and finck would climb up the stairs and start to play the Chinese Democracy intro and....

and...

And they came back, but straight to Paradise City. I couldn't believe it. No the now classic encore opener Chinese Democracy, no Madagacascar, no last to one usual Rocket Queen. Crowd went wild anyways, since most of them don't know this is always the last one. Mini moshpit starts for the first time right at the beginning of the verse. Axl's ON in this one, running from one side to another. Monterrey, Good, Fucking, Night. Song Ends. Band gets together for the applause, go offstage and that's it. Lights On. Overall, it was a very good show, but when you know that this band can give you more than a very good show you can't help but feel dissapointed.

We go outside the arena. Bootleg stands still there. White Van comes out, people at the sides, apparently it was the band. I was surprised, since the show must have had ended no more than 15 minutes ago, but that was it. They came, they rocked and they where gone.

[Pegasus]

Great review. Bbf holding up a rey mysterio mask. lol.

[Roy79]

You make too many assumptions based on your own little fantasy world, for a decent good objective review. I got some information out of it (thank you for that), but keeping in mind that you are the same person who implies that Tommy could be sick because he looked horrible (maybe he had a jetlag), and Richard uses drugs because he makes strange faces (maybe he was drunk), I considder your review and your other baseless assumptions GARBAGE. It's fuckers like you who stand at the start of a lot of BULLSHIT stories in the GNR world. You 'guess' too much. Good fucking night.

[superloconoriega]

You make too many assumptions based on your own little fantasy world, for a decent good objective review. I got some information out of it (thank you for that), but keeping in mind that you are the same person who implies that Tommy could be sick because he looked horrible (maybe he had a jetlag), and Richard uses drugs because he makes strange faces (maybe he was drunk), I considder your review and your other baseless assumptions GARBAGE. It's fuckers like you who stand at the start of a lot of BULLSHIT stories in the GNR world. You 'guess' too much. Good fucking night.

most of the time if you look horrible you ain't healthy my friend.