2013.03.20 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia

Guns N' Roses. Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, March 20.
Guns N' Roses perform live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

(To the tune of November Rain, by Guns N' Roses)

When you came out on the stage, to fireworks and flame
Welcomed us all to the jungle with songs I couldn't name
'Spose you had to play the new stuff, it took 15 years of strain
But I vowed that I'd forgive you, if you played November Rain

I first thought the songs weren't going as well as they should
When a bloke sitting behind me yelled out "Hey, play something good!"

You put it on the line, Live and Let Die was divine
Hands and lighters all went up high for Sweet Child O' Mine
That was fine

And looking at the facts, they were all guns on the ax
Angry Anderson sang, didn't mention carbon tax
Phew, relax

Some other songs were decent, but really in the main
I was just biding the minutes 'til they did November Rain

Do you need some time - to get changed?
Do you need some time - after Estranged?
Oooh, Axl you sure needed time off the stage
Hats and bandannas to exchange

Don't Cry 'cause you have some belly fat
And you always leave your sunnies on
But that leopard-print fedora hat
Makes you look just like Sir Elton John

I know it must be hard, to get on without Slash
I often wonder why you ditched him, but kept your crap moustache?
Still, we knocked on heaven's door, went home on the Nightrain
But frankly I had no Patience, once they did November Rain.

Set list: Chinese Democracy; Welcome to the Jungle; It's So Easy; Mr Brownstone; Estranged; BetterRocket Queen; The Blacklight Jesus of Transylvania (Richard Fortus guitar solo); Live and Let Die;Nice Boys (with Angry Anderson); This I Love; Used to Love Her; No Quarter (Dizzy Reed piano solo); Catcher in the Rye; You Could Be Mine; Mi Amor (DJ Ashba guitar solo); Sweet Child O' Mine; Another Brick in the Wall Part 2; November Rain; Objectify; Don't Cry; Knockin' on Heaven's Door; Nightrain. Encore: Patience; The Seeker; Paradise City.

REVIEW: Guns N Roses, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, March 20

Noel Mengel
The Courier-Mail
March 21, 2013 12:08PM

TALK about a study in contrasts. ZZ Top formed in 1970 and retain the same line-up, playing the same sturdy brand of blues'n'boogie rock they always have.

These days the beards are longer, the suit coats have more sparkles, but you know exactly what you are going to get, down to raunchy rock-outs on their biggest songs like La Grange and Tush.

What that song they play with the fur-coated guitars is all about I have no idea.

Last time they were in Australia ZZ Top played the Byron Bay Bluesfest and it was tough to get within cooee of a jam-packed tent, so it was good to hear them in a venue where you could see them do their thing without lining up early.

With Guns N Roses, such solid reliability is not what you expect, given that founder member Axl Rose is now surrounded by seven hired hands and the cool response to years-in-the-making album Chinese Democracy.

The last time the Gunners played Brisbane they tried the patience of even their most loyal fans by not coming on until hours after scheduled starting time. This doesn't seem to have done anything to scare anyone away though, and the Entertainment Centre looks like it's full to capacity.

Since that tour the line-up of the band has bedded down and this time around they turn out to be a tight unit able to deliver solid versions of most of the band's big songs, from Mr Brownstone through to Sweet Child O' Mine.

There are times in a music reviewer's life when you feel like a lost gatecrasher at someone else's party and tonight is one of these, since Rose's piercing high register and the band's bombastic hard rock have a similar effect on me to fingernails down a chalkboard. Just about everyone else, naturally, is roaring their heads off in approval.

For the first part of the show there was difficulty in getting Rose's voice high in the mix, not surprising when he is battling it out with his posse of fleet-fingered guitarists Bumblefoot, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus.

Rose has never been afraid of a cover version and this set includes Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die, by which time the voice seems to have emerged more clearly.

The set also includes instrumental interludes to show off the chops off the various members, although whether anyone actually needs some more soaring lead guitar solos in this set is another matter.

Piano man Dizzy Reed's moment in the spotlight was certainly musically impressive, but playing something as strong as Led Zeppelin's No Quarter doesn't do the rest of the set any favours in comparison.

Yep, Axl got up to all those big notes on November Rain, by which time the beating my ears were taking from all that volume, and even louder fireworks explosions, forced a retreat.

From what I saw the sometimes prickly Rose and his band were enjoying themselves, they play competently, even slickly, and all of the soap opera around Guns N Roses doesn't seem to have destroyed their fanbase, even if everyone does hope that one day Rose and his original right-hand man Slash patch up their differences.

Rose Tattoo were first on at the most un-rock'n'roll hour of 6pm so I missed them, but Angry Anderson joined Gunners for a song. Now that's a voice that really does cut through.

But judging by the dozens making an exit at the same time as me, I wasn't the only one who felt that two-hours-plus of Guns N Roses was quite enough for one night. Or, in my case, a lifetime.

Gunners Big Brissie Show
Gunners put on big show but Axl leaves some cold

It was a big night in Brisbane last night at the Guns N' Roses show but then again every night's a big night with Guns. However, it wasn't without its controversy, said Triple M music reporter Adam Flier - and what's a Gunners show without that!

The Gunners played a storming show, but some of Axl Rose's "off-stage" antics left fans a bit cold.

First of all, Axl turned up on time. And that's a box he's been ticking all the way through this tour.

Opening with the blazing "Chinese Democracy", it was the next song "Welcome To The Jungle", which got the full house revved up... until he left for the first of many stage exits he was to do tonight.

They continued to work with the crowd, mixing old and new. Classics like "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Live And Let Die" and "Don't Cry" were all great to hear live and took me back to the Eastern Creek days back in 1992.

I must admit, however, the numerous breaks Axl took soured the night a little, as did the exhorbitant solos, even resulting in boos from certain sections of the crowd.

But overall the guys were fricking awesome. Axl sang the epic "November Rain" with piano solo and the famous guitar solo, played fantastically by guitarist DJ Ashba.

The highlight for me was having Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top share the stage for the Bob Dylan classic "Knockin' On Heavens Door". Simply brilliant.

Guns N' Roses now head to Malaysia, Dubai and Beirut.

Earlier in the night, Aussie rock legends Rose Tattoo absolutely smashed it. While Texas bearded rockers ZZ Top played a great show.

It was a boyhood dream of mine to see these guys and they didn't disappoint. Their guitar riffs and presence on stage was great for 'three old guys'.

In a one-hour set they played all the hits including "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "La Grange". The crowd deadset loved ten and I reckon they made a few more fans tonight.