2011.12.21 - The Forum, Los Angeles, USA

[Soulmonster]

Date:
December 21.

Venue:
The Forum.

Location:
Los Angeles, USA.

Setlist:
01. Chinese Democracy
02. Welcome to the Jungle
03. It's So Easy
04. Mr. Brownstone
05. Sorry
06. Shackler's Revenge
07. Estranged
08. Rocket Queen
(Richard Fortus solo)
09. Live and Let Die
10. This I Love
11. Riff Raff
12. Motivation
(Dizzy Reed solo)
13. Street of Dreams
14. You Could Be Mine
(Dj Ashba solo)
15. Sweet Child O'Mine
(Jam)
(Axl Rose solo)
16. November Rain
(Bumblefoot solo)
17. Don't Cry
18. Whole Lotta Rosie
19. Civil War
20. Knockin' on Heaven's Door
(Jam)
21. Nightrain
ENCORE
(Jam)
22. Madagascar
23. Better
24. Patience
(Jam)
25. Paradise City

Notes:
Streamed live on iClip. The setlist was identical to the previous show (December 17). With this show 'Riff Raff' has been played more times than 'Yesterdays' (30 vs 29).

Line-up:
Axl Rose (vocals), Richard Fortus (rhythm guitarist), Bumblefoot (lead guitarist), Dj Asbha (lead guitarist), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Frank Ferrer (drums), Dizzy Reed (keybards), Chris Pitman (synth).

Quotes:

LA Forum *felt* like pitching a perfect game. Everything just felt right.

Next concert: 2011.12.27.
Previous concert: 2011.11.17.

[Soulmonster]

Dj: "We have a lot of surprises for the LA show" (said on live chat).

[Soulmonster]

The show will be streamed live: http://iclips.net/watch/guns-n-roses-live-broadcasts-2011

[Soulmonster]

New show closer tonight?:

Tommy: We've been closing on it [Paradise City], but Axl's been really switching things up and throwing some curveballs, so I think it's going to be interesting [in L.A.] [LA Weekly Blog, December 21, 2011].

Sounds exciting! I think we are up for something interesting tonight!!

[Soulmonster]

bumblefoot Tom Cruise & Jim Carrey backstage, cool dudes 3 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

[Soulmonster]

Good to hear Axl in much better vocal shape than during RIR.

[Soulmonster]

But he still sounds too thin in parts. I would like more rasp....

[Soulmonster]

Great This I Love, Axl absolutely kills it.

[Soulmonster]

I lost my Internet connection and missed Motivation and some of Dizzy's playing. That's okay.

[Soulmonster]

Great Civil War with plenty of rasp.

[Soulmonster]

No other surprises than the live stream

[Johan]

Slightly disappointing yes..

[Soulmonster]

[Soulmonster]

[Johan]

They must be thinking, who the hell is this emo-wannabe?

[whatisitman]

Here's the whole thing, including the soundcheck in one .WAV file... Recorded w/ Audacity... I didn't hear any drop-outs while recording, I don't think.

http://depositfiles.com/files/gkavvkass

[Soulmonster]

And here's my own little recording of the start. I stopped because I noticed the quality wasn't too good. This is also from the start of the show when the mix of the sound wasn't very good. Just listen to the background vocals during Welcome to the Jungle :

[Soulmonster]

Review in Metal Assault:

Dec. 21st 2011, The Forum, Los Angeles CA: Guns N’ Roses was the very first rock band I ever got into, and I have waited a long, long time to see them live. Even though I was extremely excited about this show right from the day it was announced, I was a little apprehensive about how the current GNR line-up would sound, and whether their lengthy show would turn out to be a little too much to take. But I definitely went in to the show with a very open mind, and honestly, by the time I left the venue I was in a state of complete shock and utter amazement.

As is usual for big LA shows like these, things were pretty stressful outside the venue, because of which I got held up and couldn’t enter the building before 9.45. But, I was given an awesome floor ticket, and I still got to see enough of the opening act Steel Panther’s set to be able to write about them here, so no complaints at all.

Talking of Steel Panther, I simply cannot believe what I’m about to say in the next sentence. I really liked their set. To be completely honest, this is a band I have disliked for the longest time, since as far back as I can remember actually. I just never got into their whole comedy routine, and it got old for me really quickly. Plus I’ve always hated the kind of crowds they attract to their shows. But the last time I saw them was in November of 2010, so I was eager to see if anything had changed since then.

The enormous size of the stage and the venue tonight added a totally different dynamic to their show, and it was something I could really enjoy. For the most part, they just played music, and their sex comedy act was a lot more toned down as compared to their Hollywood residency shows. They weren’t able to interact directly with people in the crowd because they were too far away from them, so they simply focussed on playing, which worked out perfectly for me, I must say. I saw the last three songs of their set, “17 Girls In A Row”, “Party All Day (Fuck All Night)”, and “Death To All But Metal”. As for the rest of the songs, my photographer Joel got a picture of the set list, so I will post it here soon.

They did a good job not only with the actual performance of the music, but also made use of the big stage very well. To me they looked every bit like a band that truly belongs on stages like these, and not in Hollywood rock clubs. In fact I won’t be surprised if they reduce the number of residency gigs or stop doing them altogether. What does surprise me though is how long it has taken them to get on a stage this size, to play in front of crowds this big. I guess they were too set in their ways and never tried to break out of being a weekly residency band. But I’m glad that they have, because this is the Steel Panther I can appreciate. As soon as their set was over, I couldn’t help but think, what the hell is going on? I like Steel Panther now, really? Shocking, but true.

Guns N’ Roses hit the stage at the scheduled time of 11 PM. Yes, it’s completely true, and you can ask anyone who was at the show. If you were waiting to read about how late Axl and the gang showed up, you can put all those expectations to rest right about now. The band took the stage on time, and looked and sounded ready, right from the word go. I was thinking perhaps Axl would take a couple of songs to really get his voice ‘in the zone’, but surprisingly that wasn’t the case. He was nailing it straight from the outset, and was very well complemented by his band mates. Even though they started out with “Chinese Democracy”, they wasted no time in going old school by following it up with the classics “Welcome To The Jungle”, “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone”. The band’s overall sound on these tunes was nothing short of pure gold. I was loving the manner in which Bumblefoot, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus were trading the guitar parts and combining with each other. Throughout the show, all three of them got plenty of opportunity to showcase their skillful musicianship.

The set list was incredibly long, and all the Guns N’ Roses songs any fan would want to hear were packed into this one show. There is absolutely no chance that anyone left this show disappointed with the song selection. I was actually a little taken aback by how good the Chinese Democracy material sounded. I feel that people, myself included, approached that album with the wrong mindset when it released in 2008, expecting another “Appetite”, obviously not helped by the 15-year gap. But upon hearing these songs live purely as individual tunes, they now come across to me as excellent pieces of music, and succeed in having the sort of impact they failed to create through the studio album. In particular, the performance of “Sorry” was definitely one of the highlights of the entire show.

Besides the huge number of songs, there were plenty of solos. Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, DJ Ashba, Axl and Bumblefoot each got individual solos that were carefully arranged through the set in between songs. But these weren’t solos in the traditional sense where one member would take center stage and everybody else would leave. These were more like instrumental jam sessions I would say. The member in focus stood by himself and played his instrument for a minute or two, and then was joined by the rest of the band as they jammed together. I enjoyed all three guitar solos for different reasons, but Bumblefoot’s Pink Panther jam was my favorite. His love for the instrument was quite clear. He seems to me like the kind of guy that wouldn’t even go to the bathroom without his guitar. His endearing personality was reflected in his guitar playing, and he added a lot of character and soul to it. It was pure delight to watch him perform. He also showed his versatility by filming the crowd with a professional video camera while the rest of the band jammed on a tune towards the end of the set.

In addition to the amazing GNR songs, the entertaining solos and jam sessions, there were a few thoroughly incredible covers played as well, and by doing this the band proved that even at their stature, they are, after all, just fans of the music they grew up listening to. There was a Pink Floyd tune, two AC/DC tunes, and even a Paul McCartney & Wings song in there. In effect, this was the most perfect and comprehensive set list as you will ever see. It had everything in it for everybody.

The production was gigantic, to say the least. There were three giant screens directly behind the drum kit, in addition to two screens perched high up either side of the stage, for the benefit of people seated in the upper sections. Plenty of pyrotechnics was also employed at opportune moments. Even though the show was much longer than what people are generally used to from rock bands, the majority of the crowd stayed till the end, which was great to see. The ticket sales was one aspect I was a little worried about going into the show, but my fears were quashed when I saw the great turnout here tonight, and because I was able to position myself in the exact mid-point of the floor, I could almost feel and absorb the entire crowd’s energy. And quite fittingly, their energy was at its maximum during the final song of the night, “Paradise City”. Limitless amounts of confetti engulfed the arena as the end of the song also signaled the end of this unbelievable show.

If I had to pick my favorite song from the show, it would certainly be “November Rain”. Axl was simply mind-blowing on this one, and while he crooned the chorus words, the rain of fireworks behind the drum kit to go along with it was a sight to behold. You know how you sometimes dream of one of your favorite bands playing literally everything you want them to play, and they keep on playing forever? This show was like one of those dreams. They sounded perfect, and they kept on playing, and playing, and playing.

As I said a couple of times already, Axl’s vocals sounded absolutely great, and I simply fail to understand why people go on and on about how much he ‘sucks’, or that he ‘can’t sing’. I would encourage people to stop judging him based on a few low-quality YouTube videos, and I’m sure people would have a completely different opinion of Axl if they bothered to go see the band live. But for those of you who are going to any of the upcoming GNR songs, rest assured, your money is well spent, and you’re in for the time of your life.

Overall, I would sum up this Guns N’ Roses show as a hugely rewarding treat for the faithful fans, and an equally huge slap in the faces of haters and so-called critics. It was a marathon of sorts, and a very, very memorable one at that.

Rating: 10/10

[Soulmonster]

Review from Artist Direct:

Guns N' Roses set the world ablaze every time they hit the stage.

Last night, Los Angeles got to play with fire, and the city may never be the same. Axl Rose, guitarists DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus, and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, bass player Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman ignited the packed Forum with one of the greatest rock 'n' roll shows ever. It was a team effort all around, and at the center of this army Rose sounded tough, tight, and triumphant.

The immortal opening delay of "Welcome to the Jungle" creeped from the amps as Rose announced, "You're in the jungle Los Angeles. You're gonna die!"

Instantly, "Welcome to the Jungle" roared with a primal power enhanced by the prowess of guitar triumvirate Ashba, Fortus, and Bumblefoot. Rose ran across the stage with an uncontainable energy that surged through the venue bringing everyone to their feet. Stinson's four-string roll pulled the trigger on "It's So Easy" as Rose slipped into his menacing baritone seamlessly hitting the darkest low notes and brightest high notes.

Fireworks surrounded the band as four screens behind them displayed sexy, sleek visuals in tandem with the tunes. The third Appetite for Destruction classic in a row, "Mr. Brownstone", swung with schizophrenic intensity exorcised from the depths of the legendary singer's very soul.

"Worrying's a waste of my fucking time," he declared in the verse. He's still the king; he's got nothing to worry about.

"This song's called 'Feeling Remorseful', he joked as the guitarists began ripping through the ominous intro of Chinese Democracy standout "Sorry". Rose carried the song's refrain flawlessly as orchestral swells emanated from Reed and Pitman's keyboards perched upon the risers. The tune remains a modern rock symphony emblematic of Rose's undying willingness to continually push the envelope. A wheezy wah-ed out industrial guitar stomp fueled "Shackler's Revenge", and Bumblefoot redefined what a guitar is capable of, pulling out a myriad of cyber squeals from his axe while Rose lifted the hook to the heavens like only he can.

Reed's piano segue in the middle of "Estranged" was simultaneously haunting and hypnotic as Rose snaked and shimmied across the stage to Bumblefoot's shredding. The funk bitch-slap of "Rocket Queen" stood encased in seductive warmth as the screens displayed noir-ish videos of models dancing. Fortus's slide wizardry entwined with Bumblefoot's 12-string assault. The Appetite for Destruction climax illuminated Rose's genius as each lyric hit succinctly while that immortal voice resounded through the night.

Rose remains surrounded by true rock heroes as well. Fortus boasted a level of refined fleet-fingered fireworks during his "James Bond Theme" solo spot while Ashba and Bumblefoot put on equally marvelous displays of six-string mastery during their moments in the spotlight. After an invigorating "Live and Let Die", a ballerina reminiscent of Black Swan took over the jumbotrons as Rose intensely crooned out the gorgeous pain of "This I Love", another new classic from Chinese Democracy. Reed transformed The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" into "Street of Dreams" elegantly transitioning.

Ferrer's intense drumming catapulted "You Could Be Mine" forward at lightspeed as the most dangerous musical outlaw of all time took us back to Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Evolution was the name of the game as Rose sat behind the piano and took Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" right into "November Rain". In many ways, "November Rain" is like his "Stairway to Heaven". It's just as important as that Led Zeppelin juggernaut, and it sounded better than ever coming from Rose and co. last night.

"Don't Cry", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", and "Civil War" invigorated the audience, pulling them deep into Illusion and evincing a degree of diversity few artists can truly tap into. After a steamrolling "Nightrain", "Madagascar" dove deep into Democracy as wild animals dominated the screens behind the band. Still, there's nothing quite as wild as the Whammy screech of "Better" complete with Rose catching some air.

More moments of blissful beauty came during "Patience", which culminated on a full-on distorted hum and a slamming crescendo out. Rose wished everyone, "Happy holidays, merry Christmas, and happy fucking new year", but the most intimate moment came as he deliberately declared, "I want to thank every fucking one of you."

Thank you Axl for the inspiration and timeless tunes. He continues to accomplish the impossible, taking classic bravado and infusing it into a massive modern rock show that's unrivaled. How many artists can stay relevant? How many can continue to push the envelope.

Rose stands alone, and the inferno he's created is hotter than ever. Keep burning…

[Soulmonster]

And from LA Weekly Blog:

Guns N' Roses took 21/2 hours Wednesday night at the Forum to justify the dimensions of the concert it was playing. The song that flipped the switch was “Nightrain” — from the Los Angeles hard-rock institution's 1987 debut, “Appetite for Destruction” — and it had all the runaway energy of its subject, gathering speed as it hurtled forward in a pressurized blur of guitars, drums and the superhuman wail of frontman Axl Rose.

Prior to “Nightrain,” which ended the band's main set, Wednesday's show offered the raw materials of excitement: lights, pyrotechnics, three adventurously attired men playing guitar simultaneously. But the band didn't corral those elements in the service of a larger, more coherent thrill until the show's end, and once it did, Guns N' Roses left the stage.

Withholding a sense of purpose was one of the many ways Rose exercised his obsession with control during this three-hour blowout, one of the last dates on Guns N' Roses' first American tour since 2006. (The 49-year-old singer is the band's sole remaining original member; he's flanked by seven additional musicians of varying vintage.) Rose also flexed his strength by subjecting the enthusiastic crowd to extended solos by those three guitarists. And he successfully sold extravagantly florid piano ballads — real “Phantom of the Opera”-type stuff — to a room swimming with testosterone.

Yet if the concert demonstrated that Rose remains a considerable pop-cultural force — an icon due for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — it suggested too that he's grown unsure of what to do with his power. Guns N' Roses in its heyday seemed to overflow with big ideas about love and war and sex; on Wednesday, though, an old tune like “You Could Be Mine” felt stripped of context, accompanied by generic-looking race-car footage that made no connection with whatever the song might once have been putting across.

Some material from “Chinese Democracy,” the endlessly delayed studio album Guns N' Roses finally released to perplexed reaction in 2008, flailed similarly — in particular “Madagascar,” which washed out in a sea of signifiers, including wild-animal video clips and the sampled voice of Martin Luther King Jr. At least two dozen times throughout the concert, Rose disappeared into a kind of improvised dressing room at one side of the stage, and it was tempting to wonder if he was in there rummaging around for something — for anything — to say.

Occasionally Rose made do without a message, as in a gorgeous rendition of the power ballad “Don't Cry” and in the poisoned pop of “Better,” a highlight from “Chinese Democracy” that showcased the astonishing things the singer can still do with his voice. Guns N' Roses' elaborate cover of Bob Dylan's “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” was even more impressive in that regard, with Rose cycling through countless vocal tics, mannerisms and put-on accents that evaporated after a single phrase.

Guitar nuts had plenty to marvel at Wednesday, as well, even if it took the band's three current axmen — DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal — to reproduce ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash's expansive solo in “November Rain.”

Not long after that song (from 1991's “Use Your Illusion I”), Rose and his bandmates began the upward climb toward “Nightrain.” It was past 1 a.m. by that point, and you could sense Rose at last beginning to slip into the role he once played with an almost terrifying intensity. “It's been a real nightmare making this show happen,” he told the audience, alluding to a contract dispute with former Guns N' Roses manager Irving Azoff. “They've been trying to squeeze us in a smaller box.”

Rose's well-established paranoia makes it hard to know what to do with that claim. But there's no denying that the mere mention of an obstacle pushed the singer into overdrive. Having exhausted all other sources of substance, he found meaning in resistance.

[Soulmonster]

Review in The Hollywood Reporter:

The split in American politics as been well-documented these days -- about 45 percent vote Democrat, another 45 call themselves Republican with 10 percent remaining independent. Well, the current Guns N’ Roses fan base is roughly the same and every bit as polarized. Plenty think Axl Rose is an ass and are likely reading this review just to see if he threw a temper tantrum or badmouthed any former band mates at the band’s L.A. Forum show on Wednesday night; The other half remain loyal (read: open-minded) devotees of one of the greatest rock bands to ever grace the stage.

Sorry to disappoint the Rose bashers, but the frontman was on his very best behavior at the Forum show, thanking the fans multiple times, going on two minutes before 11 p.m. (right in the 10:30 to 11 p.m. window promised), and even smiling on several occasions. And in further bad news for the anti-Rose contingent, the current incarnation of Guns, featuring former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson along with keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who played on Use Your Illusion, and Love Spit Love guitarist Richard Fortus, sounded pretty solid.

That, of course is where much of the animosity stems from -- the faithful who’ve dreamt of an Appetite For Destruction-era reunion maintain this Slash-less band, touring for the first time in five years, isn’t Guns N’ Roses at all so long as Rose is the only original member. Their argument may have merit, but it’s not relevant to the quality of the sound and production today, both of which were top-notch for an arena rock show.

Featuring six video screens, repeated pyrotechnics and Rose working tirelessly to play to the whole crowd as he repeatedly ran back and forth across the stage, the visuals and showmanship defied expectations. Given Rose’s penchant for perfectionism, one wouldn’t expect any less.

Musically, the band delivered stellar renditions of both old and new material. Among the classics were several highlights -- “Civil War” and “Night Train” came down with a ferocious energy and passion, while their cover of “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” turned into a massive sing along. Of course, “Welcome To The Jungle,” inspired by the Hollywood streets mere miles away, was met with a justifiable frenzy, while a largely stripped-down “Don’t Cry” stood out for its sense of intimacy and soul.

Perhaps even more impressive, however, was the more recent material, with Chinese Democracy’s “Sorry,” an F.U. song worthy of John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep,” leading the charge with its atmospheric anger and subtle tension. The pop ditty “This I Love” and the big “Madagascar” were also highlights. In fact, if there was one complaint from an artistic standpoint, it’s this one: it would have been nice to see more of the new material -- songs like “There Was A Time” and “Riad N’ the Beduoins” -- interspersed throughout the set and not just relegated to beginning and end.

The middle was reserved for the rawk part of the show, and did they ever, especially on a killer cover of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie.” The band also paid tribute several times to their influences, like Reed’s piano solo version of the Who’s “Baba O’ Reilly” and Rose’s Elton John snippets on piano leading into “November Rain.”

In fact, over the course of three mammoth hours (the show didn’t end until around 2 a.m.), GNR showed they could be almost anything, from nostalgia act to cover band to, yes, relevant rock band of today. Watching the crowd go crazy to “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” a rock radio staple for more than two decades, and pondering how that would go over at, say, a Coachella or Lollapalooza, was an intriguing thought. After all, we’ve yet to see the new generation fully embrace GNR and vice versa. But this show unquestionably proved there is room for a current version of this iconicband, even if some people don’t want to let go of the past.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/guns-n-roses-concert-forum-276113

[DanyYo]

And I don't see Soulmonster's Review yet Hope you had good time.

[Soulmonster]

Heh, here's my review:

The band was firing on all cylinders, great setlist, Axl was much better than in Rio (but still a bit helium on a couple of songs). The mix of the sound was not good in the beginning (not enough sound from guitars and to much from backing singers). All in all a great show.

[DanyYo]

Hahaha, I expected a three-page review.

[Soulmonster]

[bumb.l.foot]

My stream lagged horribly for the most part. But i watched it again afterwards. Cannot complain with the amount of "access" we have to the band at the moment.

[Blackstar]

Pictures posted in the official site, GunsNRoses.com:

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