1988.08.24 - Great Woods, Mansfield, USA

ODDS & SODS: Vets v. rookies: You have to figure the three Aerosmith/Guns n’ Roses dates at Great Woods Aug. 24-26 shape up as a pretty hot duel on the applause and ego fronts. Guns n Roses recently hit the top of the charts with their debut LP, “Appetite for Destruction”; Aerosmith’s durable, platinum-plus “Permanent Vacation" is their most successful disc since 1973's "Toys in the Attic.” Consider this, too: Guns 'n' Roses covered an Aeros-mith song in their Boston club debut. admittedly draws from the Aerosmith tradition and reportedly indulges in the sort of offstage excess Aerosmith has put behind them ...

A metal slugfest in decibel heaven

AEROSMITH - In concert with Guns 'n Roses at Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts last night, through tomorrow.

By Steve Morse
Globe Staff

MANSFIELD - Three shows. Three sellouts. Three hlgh-tilt metal slugfests. That’s the latest menu at Great Woods, where Boston's Aerosmlth and Los Angeles' Guns 'n Roses are combining for the headbanger's event of the summer.

The Mansfield woods, despite soggy conditions, were electrified in a hurry last night. Just ask the 15,000 souls who screamed through Guns 'n Roses -and then screamed even louder when favorite sons Aerosmlth came out to defy the aging process, playing like young studs instead of the nearing-40 old pros they really are.

In last night's first of the three sellouts, both acts ripped their way into decibel heaven. Each clearly thrived on the competition, for this was no routine pairing of heavyweight headliner and flyweight opener. Guns 'n Roses have the No. 2 album in the country with “Appetite for Destruction," while Aerosmith have sold more than 3 million copies of their latest, "Permanent Vacation."

Guns 'n Roses more than held their own. Long-haired singer Axel Rose, sporting a headband and an "Eat the Worm" T-shirt, had a leathery voice that could peel the side of your brain. He paid respect to Aerosmith (citing them as a main influence), while he and the other Guns echoed many an Aerosmith mannerism, from Axels mikestand-twirling to the efforts of lead guitarist Slash (no last name) to look and play like Aerosmith's Joe Perry.

Hut cloning aside, Guns blazed. Yes, they overdid the four-letter words between songs. Yes, they overdid a self-conscious party image (the rhythm guitarist was introduced as "the king of beers," the drummer as "the biggest pot-head I know," said Rose). But there was no question of their ability to rock. Their hit "Welcome to the Jungle" roared into the night, while their most recent hit, "Sweet Child of Mine," showed a knack for power ballads. And their finale of Bob Dylan’s ‘‘Knockin’ on Heaven's Door," was a surprisingly effective stab at more depth.

Aerosmith likewise rose to the occasion, mopping up with a self-assured set that displayed the experience of their 160 dates this year (from Europe to Japan), but with no loss of freshness. Singer Steve Tyler, outrageous as ever in flowing scarf and semi-see-through pants, sang the band’s ancient hit, "Same Old Song and Dance," but there was nothing ancient about the presentation.
Much has been said about Aerosmith's new drug-free stance (no one In the band even drinks alcohol anymore), but they’re living proof that a clean diet doesn't have to run counter to a rock ’n’ roll spirit. Tyler sang like a blues-man on a rampage, while Perry, who stripped off his shirt and showed the muscle-tone of a gymnast, played the most aggressive, mind-expanding solos of the night.

The band keyed on tracks from "Permanent Vacation," the best being the Southern backwater stomp of "Rag Doll" and the outlaw mania of "Hangman Jury." But there was plenty of archival digging as well, as the band dusted off such old faves as "No More No More" and the bad-boy anthem, "Back In the Saddle Again." But the climax was actually the drum solo by Joey Kramer, who walked around tapping electronic drum pads wired to his stomach.

Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses at Great Woods

Aerosmith back, riding high as ever

SEAN McADAM
Journal-Bulletin Staff Writer
THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

Aerosmith, the Boston-based band that rocketed to national fame 15 years ago, only to crash and nearly burn later, returned as conquering heroes last night, sounding as fresh and energetic as ever.
It wasn't long ago that the band was inviting comparisons to Spinal Tap, the fictional group depicted in Rob Reiner's mock-documentary.

Years of drink, drugs and self-importance had taken their toll, and Aerosmith seemed to be careening toward oblivion.

But detoxification and a renwed sense of purpose sent them on their way back, and last night - the first of three sold-out shows - saw them regain the vitality that earned them a place in the pantheon of second-generation (or was that third-generation?) heavy-metal bands.

The first half of the 105-minute set was largely material from Permanent Vacation, the album that ushered the band back into the spotlight last year. "Rag Doll," "Angel" and the title cut were mixed with older favorites such as "Back in the Saddle" and "No More, No More."

Lead vocalist Steve Tyler was as frenetic as ever, using his microphone stand as a hobby horse on "Back in the Saddle," and generally prancing about. His voice, which didn't always hold up under the strain of live shows, sounded strong.

Joe Perry's guitar work, the very heart of Aerosmith's distinctive sound, rang true also, right from "Rats in the Cellar," the show's opener. Never one to indulge in much egotistical soloing, he has always used as his trademark the catchy riffs that wrap around (and hold together) Aerosmith's best songs, and it was a tribute to Perry that many songs were so instantly recognizable last night.

If it's stretching the point to call "Walk This Way" and "Same Old Song and Dance" classics of a sort, they have, at the very least, become staples of '70s rock, bristled like new, and it isn't hard to see why the band has been such a dominant influence on bands weaned on the otherwise undistinguished field of post-Zeppelin heavy-metal acts.

Joey Kramer even managed to add a twist to heavy metal's hoariest cliche, the drum solo.
Leaving his drum kit, Kramer roamed the stage with electronically sensitive sticks, and proceeded to whack away at everything in sight. If nothing else, it was different.

Guns 'N' Roses, a widely heralded Los Angeles band with designs on Aerosmith's throne, was a major disappointment in the opening set.

Lead singer Axel Rose acted the part of the petulant child, liberally sprinkling his singing and his between-song patter with a certain four-letter word, as if this alone was proof of some rebellious nature.
The band had all the mannerisms down pat, from the drooping cigarettes (an ode to Keith Richards) to the numbingly familiar guitar solos, but exhibited none of the necessary verve.

The set especially paled next to Aerosmith's, but in fairness, the crowd never seemed to notice, voicing its approval at every chance.

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Aerosmith and Guns 'N' Roses play tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 at Great Woods, Mansfield, Mass. Both shows are sold out.