1991.05.29 - Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, USA

FREEDOM OF SPEECH COSTS GUNS'N'ROSES $5,000

Exercising his right to freedom of speech has cost band leader Axl Rose and his group,
 Guns'N'Roses, $5,000. Hamilton County, Ind., authorities charged Rose and his group
 with two counts of curfew violation for playing past the county's limit for outdoor
 concerts at Deer Creek Music Center twice last week. The rock band played 55 minutes
 past the 11 p.m. curfew for weeknight concerts on Tuesday and 25 minutes past the next
 night. "That in and of itself wasn't so significant," Hamilton County Prosecutor Steve
 Nation said Saturday in announcing the charges. "What makes this different is that Axl
 Rose said on stage Tuesday that he knew about the curfew and thought it was stupid.
 And he said a few things about our county and about our state." Rose, who grew up in
 Indiana, delivered a profane five-minute tirade on stage Tuesday when he discussed the
 curfew. Nation said other bands have played past the curfew at Deer Creek since it
 opened in 1989 but that this is the first time he has filed charges. The prosecutor said
 attorneys for the band have said they will not fight the charge or the fine. Rose said the
 same thing in announcing he would play past the curfew.

Save for days of Guns n’ Roses this summer

Dave Bangert
Notes

Start saving your lawn mowing money.

Guns n’ Roses is back with a vengeance. Rested, tested and tough to be bested — at least this summer tour season.

If Wednesday night’s show at the Deer Creek Music Center was any indication, the Gunners’ next double-length album, Use Your Illusion, will be more than deserving of the big sales it’s guaranteed.

Now, I’m not much for big-time concerts. Watching a bunch of burly wanna-bes pump their fists in the air while they botch the lyrics isn’t my idea of a great show.

But seeing the two-hour-plus Guns n’ Roses show Wednesday was like seeing the Rolling Stones in their prime — a time before everyone in the audience knew the words to all the songs.

GN’R is the real article for the ’90s.

Instead of taking the easy out of a short set of high ticket, crapped-out hit singles, the band ran through the tight set and three encores like the rest of the rock ’n’ roll world was standing still. This had to be one of the best shows I’ve seen on the big stage in a long time.

Beg, borrow or steal a way to see this show when it hits other venues within a four-hour drive.

Maybe it was the freshness factor. Deer Creek was the second stop on the Guns n’ Roses massive two-year tour. Time will tell if lead singer Axl Rose still will be running the full-length of the stage with a flexible cast on his left leg — the Lafayette native recently tore some ligaments in his ankle — and hitting every pile-driving vocal cue. Will lead guitarist Slash’s cuts — ranging from a take on Hendrix’s “VooDoo Chile” to ‘‘Theme from The Godfather” — still be as fresh 42 shows in?

They were Wednesday, and that’s what counts for the homecoming show for Rose and another Lafayette native, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin.

GN’R gave the crowd a pile of songs scheduled for the double CD Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, due out in mid-to late-July. The CDs will be released separately, so you don’t have to fork over the full price right away.

Judging from the material Guns n’ Roses played Wednesday, both versions will be albums to be reckoned with in 1991.

Backed by the solid rhythm section of Duff McKagan on bass and new drummer Matt Sorum (formerly of The Cult), GN’R ripped out soon-to-be rock anthems “Double Talkin’ Jive,” “Dust and Bones,” “Civil War” and a cranked version of Wings’ “Live and Let Die.”

The highlight was “Bad Obsession,” a Stonesy feeling honky-tonk rocker made full bodied by the keyboard work of Dizzy Reed, the newest member of the band.

Look for the CD in stores soon. In the meantime, you’ll probably see me out there mowing lawns to save for this one.

More arrests at concert

Between 60 and 80 people were arrested during the gathering of people for a second performance by the rock group Guns N’ Roses on Wednesday night.

The number of arrests were taken from broadcast reports today. Indiana State Police at Pendleton had no information available this morning to confirm the numbers.

Guns Ν' Roses performed at Deer Creek Music Center, located on Ind. 238 near the Interstate 69 interchange in rural Noblesvllle. A total of 168 people were arrested or warned by police during the gathering for Tuesday's performance by Guns Ν' Roses, whose lead singer is Axl Rose.