1991.06.07 - CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada

Guns’ madcap maelstrom shows they reign in rock

By Nick Krewen
The Hamilton Spectator

If you didn’t think there was any substance behind claims that Guns ’Ν’ Roses is currently the best rock ’n’ roll band in the world, think again.

Two performances by the California-based bad boys over this past weekend to a combined audience of 46,000 people at Toronto’s CNE Grandstand were convincing enough even to the band’s most arduous skeptics.

On Friday night, Guns ’N’ Roses, led by the rebellious tagteam of W. Axl Rose and lead guitarist Slash, staged an impromptu two-and-a-half-hour marathon that commenced late and continued a bit past 12:30 a.m.

There’s a lot riding on this tour, as far as The Gunners are concerned. For one thing, it’s been four years since their only studio album, Appetite For Destruction, was released — and three years since G’N’R Lies, a combination live and demo EP, was successfully mass-marketed.

That meant that the majority of material was a preview of their upcoming Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums, not due for release until August.

As if that weren’t enough of a challenge, the band also decided to take the Grateful Dead approach to concert performance: work without a set list, and make it up as you go along.

Typhoon effect

Could they pull it off? The answer was evident shortly after Slash played the introductory riff to Welcome To The Jungle, as Rose — dressed in a t-shirt and tie-dye jeans — ran screaming from from the side, riding the microphone stand like a hobby horse.

The effect was comparable to that of a small typhoon — a maelstrom of madcap mayhem that took the 21,000 in attendance by surprise and whipped them into a frenzy in no time flat.

What was remarkable was how disciplined Guns ’Ν’ Roses have become as musicians.

Superbly and powerfully anchored by new drummer Matt Sorum, and texturized by keyboardist/percussionist Dizzy Reed,

G’N’R’s original quartet of Rose, Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and bassist Duff McKagan seemed electrified at best, inspired at worst.

It’s So Easy, Mr. Brownstone and You’re Crazy (which featured opening act Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach sharing lead vocal duties in front of his hometown audience) were barnburners, sculpted by Slash’s lengthy and plentiful soloing.

Slash himself has become somewhat a master of his craft, demonstrating some excellent technique with the bluesy slide-driven Bad Obsession, and the Spanish malaguena-flavored Double Talkin' Jive Mother.

Axl Rose has expanded his range as a singer. There were the screamers, like Sweet Child O’ Mine and Paradise City, but Rose also deepened his voice for Civil War, Dust And Bones.

As a performer, he made good use of the crab-shaped stage with a lot of running, playing to each side of the platform, and patented snake-like swivelling of the hips from side to side.

In all, Guns ’N’ Roses’ uncontrived impulsiveness and willingness to take risks made the concert a joyful reminder of what rock ’n’ roll is really about.