2006.06.28 - Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway

Spoiler:

Still gunpowder in Guns n' Roses

(Oslo/PULS): Axl Rose performed well in Sweden earlier in the week, and on Wednesday the circus came to Oslo Spektrum, 15 years after he last canceled there, and 13 years after they filled Valle Hovin. Although we waited for the man for two hours, he signed off with an entire evening filled with nostalgic gunpowder.

By Odd Inge Rand // 29.06.06

Chinese Democracy is perhaps one of the most talked about records since the turn of the millennium, and as is known, it has per today's date has not been released. Ever since Axl came back on stage in early 2001, people have been waiting, but it is old songs and old greatness anyway that mean that over 15,000 Norwegians have bought tickets to two concerts with Axl Rose and his otherwise unknown crew in Oslo this summer.

These roughly 15,000 are probably not disappointed after Axl has left Norway for the second time after 8 July, because the 40-year-old offers a lot of sweets when the 7-strong Guns n' Roses are on stage.

At 10.25pm ​​it got dark in Oslo Spektrum , just in time before a united pipe choir took over in Tigerstaden's main hall. We had been sitting there since 20.30, which was the information given on Spektrum 's website about the start of the concert. No surprise of course, but there were many who were on the verge of losing their patience. "You've been waiting for a long time haven't you - but thank you very much for coming" , said Axl in his welcome speech. Later, there were more ladle kicks to the bravado of the week in Sweden, and he proclaimed himself an "AWA - Asshole With Attitude" . I guess we shouldn't argue about that...

The first 10 minutes of the concert were an energy bomb, with bombs, flames and almost 20-year-old "Welcome To The Jungle" , "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone" in the main role in addition to the boss himself. And dearest Mr. Rose holds his own remarkably well, running around the stage and screaming as he did from countless stadiums in the first half of the 90s. Otherwise, the band Guns n' Roses , which consisted of nothing less than three guitarists, two keyboardists, a bassist, a drummer and Axl on top.

"Live And Let Die" was the evening's first circus number, with powerful bombs which have probably resulted in a poor janitor walking around Spektrum with a wrench all day and fixing everything that was shaken loose yesterday. Last heard in a similar format in 1993, after all the band Axl Rose travels with today is a bit more upbeat than Slash , Duff McKagan and the rest were in 1993 after 5-6 years on the edge of the cliff. Probably the entire Use Your Illusion tour is relatively unclear in the memory for several of them.

Of course there was new material from the (ever) awaited Chinese Democracy , and there were some pompous half-ballads in addition to more upbeat stuff. Nothing reminiscent of restless rock'n roll that was the case on Appetite For Destruction nor anything as rock as on the most Use Your Illusion records. But perhaps Axl 's music has grown up, even if he himself has definitely not.

Politely enough, Oslo Spektrum put up with a long wait, and extremely unnecessary guitar solos, piano solos and drum solos from just about everyone on stage on Wednesday night. But when it worked, it worked to that extent. It was cooked by the band including the boss himself on brilliant numbers such as "Outta Get Me" , "You Could Be Mine" , "My Michelle" , "Nighttrain" , "Sweet Child O'Mine" , pompous "November Rain" and the sing-along number "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" .

Thus, there is no doubt that Guns n' Roses is alive and well despite few profiles left in the team. But the biggest one is still there, and after a terrific "Paradise City" it will be exciting to see how the noise bucket survives after Chinese Democracy comes out. If that happens at all then…