2013.03.09 - Perth Arena, Perth, Australia

Axl Rose a little hit and miss at Guns N' Roses Perth Arena show

Kristy Symonds, Entertainment Reporter
News Limited Network
March 10, 2013 8:00AM


ARE Guns N' Roses days as a live band knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door?

Kicking off their national tour at Perth Arena last night, legendary frontman Axl Rose, the only remaining original member of the hard rock band, delivered a hit and miss vocal performance.

While there is little doubt the band know how to make an entrance - literally exploding onto the stage in a burst of pyrotechnics and launching straight into Chinese Democracy - the singer struggled to hit all the right notes.

However, the band, which includes DJ Ashba on guitar, Dizzy Reed on keys, Tommy Stinson on bass, Richard Fortus on guitar, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal on guitar, Chris Pitman on keyboards and Frank Ferrrer on drums, were undeniably tight as they made their way through hits including Welcome To The Jungle, Estranged, Better, Live and Let Die and I Used To Love Her.

Each member proved to be a true showman, playing to the crowds for a set which featured impressive guitar solos from Ashba, Thal and Fortus, as well as a moment in the spotlight for Reed, seated at a piano in the centre of the stage.
Guns N Roses

And while something seemingly indescribable was missing on stage, the enthusiastic audience rocked out to the performance, particularly during songs like Sweet Child O' Mine, with Rose's vocals barely audible over the crowd screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

Seated at a piano, dressed in a long black trench coat, Rose sang a cover of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall before continuing into November Rain, Don't Cry and by far the strongest vocal performance of the night, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, during which Rose was a force to be reckoned with.

After closing with Night Train and disappearing briefly from the stage, Guns N' Roses returned for an encore including Patience, which featured a beautiful acoustic intro, and Paradise City, which unfortunately ended the evening on a low note, with Rose's signature vocals repeatedly faltering.

Earlier in the night, Texan trio ZZ Top took to the stage oozing an effortless cool and delivering an excellent set featuring songs such as Jesus Left Chicago, I Gotsta Get Paid, Gimme All Your Lovin', My Head's In Mississippi, Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers and Sharp Dressed Man.

Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill rocked sunnies, sparkling jackets and their trademark long, silver beards, on stage with drummer Frank Beard, who is oddly the only member without such prominent facial hair.

The bluesy guitar riffs and deep vocals were to-die-for and hits like She's Got Legs, Tube Snake Boogie and La Grange were standouts.

The night had kicked off with a performance by Aussie rockers Rose Tattoo.

The bands next jet to Sydney to perform before appearances in Newcastle, Melbourne and Brisbane.

GUNS N’ ROSES / ZZ TOP
SATURDAY, MARCH 9

It was just like going to Vegas. Or was it? Having wrapped up a 12-date residency at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in November - that even saw Axl Rose duet with ex-gunner Izzy Stradlin for Use Your Illusion II track 14 Years - Guns N' Roses circa 2013 brought the same show to Perth, minus a levitating grand piano. And Stradlin.

And when that "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign flashed across the screen later on, it made a certain amount of sense. Amidst the flashy visuals of the busy Vegas strip and pole dancers whose faces probably appear on business cards handed out by pimps on the strip, there was a relatively famous band playing. Was it the Killers? No hang on, it was Guns N' Roses.

I don't have a problem with Rose masquerading as Guns N' Roses. I figure he earned that right by writing or at least co-writing their best material. To that end the songs on Saturday night were well and truly on display. Most impressive was a pair of epic ballads from the Use Your Illusion albums. Firstly, Estranged was a welcome surprise just five tracks in, big enough in scope and sound to fill the cavernous Perth Arena and fresh enough to keep the fans who'd already seen them twice in the past five years interested.

The show's crowning moment is still November Rain, which seats Rose at a grand piano centre stage and builds through familiar guitar solos that give each of the three lead guitarists - Richard Fortus, DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal - the chance to be Slash all in the space of one song. It culminates electrically in that crescendo that asks the question Rose himself must have pondered in his years of hibernation: "Don't you think that you need somebody?"

That was the good, and combined with a deafening crowd sing-along to Sweet Child O' Mine followed by an interlude into Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall Part II made this worth the cost of entry alone. But in a two-and-a-half hour show, at times it seemed like Guns N' Roses were going through the motions, and the big Vegas sell didn't help.

Rose spent at least half the gig in the wings in a green room (concert code for dressing room), utilising every single guitar solo and break between tracks to either powder his nose, or, more likely inhale some eucalyptus. His voice struggled to hit the piercing highs more than in previous visits, which was particularly noticeable on the night's most protracted moment, an elongated take on Bob Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

And while their guitar playing was exemplary, don't get me started on Bumblefoot's unwitting lead vocal to his own song Objectify, or DJ Ashba's thoroughly boring solo Mi Amor. With so many down moments and Rose off stage it left the big hits - You Could Be Mine, Nightrain, Don't Cry, Paradise City et al - with too much ground to make up, and an impersonal Vegas-inspired visual "feast" that provided no context or sense of identity.

ZZ Top, on the other hand, might not have as many tricks but their identity is all their own. Opening with a short and sweet set of southern blues rawk, the Houston, Texas, natives rolled off hits including Sharp Dressed Man and Legs early, before finishing with Tush well ahead of schedule. Interestingly, it meant Guns N' Roses, the band notorious for going on stage late, started 20 minutes early, while many were still queuing for drinks. A confusing night indeed.