2012.11.24 - The Joint, Las Vegas, USA

Guns n’ Roses finish on top at Las Vegas residency
Concert reviews by Elliot Levin
November 26, 2012

Axl Roses and G n’ R 2.0 wrapped up a wild month-long residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this past weekend in Las Vegas, joined by original guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and the New York Hard Rock Examiner went on the road to ride the nightrain one more time.

No other band in the history of rock and roll has had as a tumultuous, drama-filled rise, explosive fall, and eventual second life like the five original members of Guns n’ Roses. In 2012, Slash is touring successfully behind his second solo record, Duff is equal parts business adviser and punk star, Steven Adler is sober and building his newest band, and until Friday night, no one knew where Izzy was, as per usual.

Axl Rose, however, has built himself a new Guns n’ Roses full of rock and roll veterans and guitar virtuosos whom he toured with heavily in 2011 and earlier this year (read about the explosive Izod Arena show here, as well as his intimate Roseland Ballroom and Terminal 5 shows in New York City). So the band’s twelve date, month-long residency at the Hard Rock came as little surprise, and Las Vegas may prove to be the band’s final stand before they head back into the studio for their second 21st century record.

Once settled into the glitz and glam of the Vegas strip, it didn't seem out of the ordinary when this Examiner bumped into guitarists DJ Ashba and Bumblefoot just wandering the grounds of the Hard Rock casino. Gn’R might have started as a Sunset Strip band, but their extravagant setlists and larger-than-life stageshows are pure Sin City. The members of the band happily posed for pictures with fans, and even Axl himself was spotted arm-around-the-shoulder of a beaming casino guest.

The Hard Rock’s music venue is a 2,000 seater called The Joint, but it’s worth noting that two rooms over played a local tribute band called Smashing Alice. Knocking out 90’s covers from Alice in Chains to Bush to Seven Mary Three, the group ended up serving as a quasi opening act for those wandering the casino floor before Guns n’ Roses’ midnight arrival on Friday night.

And what an arrival it was! Like the national tours, the band opened up with Chinese Democracy and Welcome To The Jungle, jamming out on an explosive energy that wouldn't subside for nearly three hours as fans sang along to the timeless lyrics of Jungle and played air guitar to its ferocious solo.

Axl remains in top form, dancing and shimmying as he howled through high notes and low rumbles. The band powered through Appetite For Destruction hits like It’s So Easy and Nightrain before shifting to Chinese Democracy cuts like Better and the heartwrenching This I Love, never missing a note as the focus and spotlights bounced around the eight man band, each masters of their chosen instrument. Power ballad Estranged generated roars of approval from every section of the theater, and the song easily knocked the energy up a few more levels with its crushing choruses.

A few hundred lucky fans, this Examiner included, crowded into the general admission pit right in front of the stage, rocking out just a few feet away from one of rock music’s most notorious frontmen. Axl was in a good mood for all of Friday night’s show, joking with the crowd and band and smiling broadly as he did what he does best. Especially impressive was the band’s cover of Live and Let Die, which saw Axl hold wailing screams for over 10 seconds while blasts of pyro erupted from all corners of the stage.

But the night’s biggest treat was still in store. “We have an old friend here tonight,” Axl said, as fans in the crowd chattered knowingly, tipped off by Twitter posts hours before. “Mr. Izzy Stradlin’!”

The crowd applauded wildly as Guns’ original rhythm guitarist came out in a three piece suit and sang lead on 14 Years, with Axl joining in on the choruses. Words can’t truly do justice to seeing the magic of Guns’ original songwriters together once again, but fans can easily find video on Youtube and elsewhere. Izzy stayed on stage for You Could Be Mine, which Axl introduced as a song about angry sex and featured Vegas pole dancers grinding, bumping, and prowling the stage like a strip club runway.

While most of the setlist echoed that of last year’s national tour, November Rain held some true Vegas-style surprises. Axl and his grand piano floated out over the crowd on a levitating platform, where he performed the whole song just inches above the heads of the crowd. On either side of the stage twirled another pair of showgirls, wrapped in flowing curtains some 30 feet above the stage and twirling gracefully in midair. Showers of sparks lit up the stage for the song’s grand guitar finale, a spectacle worthy of any casino show on the entire Strip.

After a pair of Use Your Illusion favorites in Don’t Cry and Civil War, Izzy rejoined the band for a slow-paced Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and hard partying Nightrain. It’s hard to argue that the band needed a fourth guitarist, but Axl and Izzy radiated a true sense of chemistry, sharing a knowing smile as they sang 14 Year’s “just like a hooker” line. Judging from that brief electric moment, no doubt there’s a story behind that lyric.

As the encores started, Izzy also stayed on stage for Used To Love Her, the tongue-in-cheek ode to killing your girlfriend. Despite Vegas’s “up all night” attitude, the crowd was noticeably thinning by the 2 A.M. mark but the band’s energy never wavered for a second. The mood stayed mellow with Patience, Axl whistling into his red microphone while his guitarists strummed their acoustic axes.

Paradise City served as the night’s final track, and a shower of confetti blanketed the crowd as DJ Ashba, Bumblefoot, and guitarist Richard Fortus shrieked through breakneck solos. While mosh pits were forbidden at The Joint, fans in the pit jumped, stomped and danced to the party anthem until the final, crushing chords finally faded out.

Those on the floor scrambled to catch guitar picks and Axl’s microphone, which he flung directly into the crowd. Fans filtered out onto the main casino floor, still singing Paradise City as they returned directly to the slot machines and poker tables, or headed outside to catch a cab to the next club. For Vegas, the night was still young and there was still a few hours until the desert dawn.

Despite all the rumors, despite all the controversy, despite all the bad press and lineup changes, when you’re five feet away from Axl howling through the high notes of Sweet Child O’ Mine, you’re seeing Guns n’ Roses at its very core, and there’s nothing in the world that can match that raw experience. This rock fan has seen hundreds of bands and concerts in dozens of cities, but it’s hard to imagine that anything will ever top spending Thanksgiving weekend partying with Guns n’ Roses in Sin City.

TVD Live: Guns N’ Roses at The Joint, 11/24
By Jason Miller | November 28, 2012

It’s the last night of the Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Democracy residency at The Joint in Las Vegas. Axl Rose and company are notorious for coming on late, but tonight they are right on time. I was lucky enough to catch the final night of the twelve-show residency that transformed Sin City into Paradise City.

GnR don’t play a ton of shows in the States anymore, especially in a venue this intimate (4,000 seats). This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and for all the naysayers who criticize the band, I say you got it all wrong.

Guns N’ Roses did not disappoint and sounded better than ever. Opening up with “Chinese Democracy,” straight into “Welcome to the Jungle” and “It’s So Easy,” Axl led his supergroup of hand-picked rock ‘n’ roll juggernauts through a three-and-a-half hour set until almost four in the morning. To say that this last night was epic is an understatement. Axl’s voice is holding up just fine, and he had something to prove as he ran around the stage commanding the crowd and turned the energy in the room up to eleven.

The set consisted of a brilliant mix of classics from Appetite, Use Your Illusion I and II, Lies, and of course, Chinese Democracy. Highlights for me were a stunning version of “Estranged,” a blistering raw version of “Mr. Brownstone,” and one of my favorite tracks from the band, the terribly underrated ”Better.” There was a bit of a reunion of sorts that evening as well. Original Guns member Izzy Stradlin joined Axl Rose and the rest of the band on stage for the song “14 Years” on which Stradlin sings lead.

Lead guitarist DJ Ashba joined the band in 2009 with big shoes to fill. Out of the three guitar players, I would say he plays the most like Slash. He also plays the songs as they should be and does a fantastic job at doing so. Funny enough, I saw him two or three times running around Vegas. I said hi to him once very quickly—seems like a pretty nice guy. I also ran into guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal before the show. He is sort of the guitar virtuoso of the band, if you will.

The unsung hero and guy-behind-the-guy Richard Fortus is probably the guitarist with the most style, though. He can play a mean lead, but more or less chooses to lay down the rhythm and adds the classic GnR sound with his gigantic guitar tone. Just as Izzy was the backbone of Appetite for Destruction, Fortus effortlessly plays a similar role, but comes out for a solo in the middle of the set that proves he can do it all.

Oh, and let me tell you how incredibly stellar “November Rain” was. In classic Axl showmanship style, a Vegas-themed GnR grand piano dropped down from the ceiling with Axl gracefully treating the crowd to arguably the band’s finest moment on record. Absolutely brilliant.

Axl at the pinnacle of “It’s So Easy”

Bottom line: This show was fucking awesome. I would have gone all twelve nights if I could have. This is a top-notch group of super-talented musicians backing one of the greatest frontmen of all time, playing some of the greatest hard rock of all time, and it should be celebrated by all GnR fans everywhere.

Check out all the photos in hi-res.