2007.06.20 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia

Guns Don't Fire

By Selina Sharratt

WHAT was the most exciting and entertaining rock outfit over a decade ago is now the kind of band that would have supported Guns N Roses in their heyday.

The highly anticipated arrival of arguably the world's biggest rock band at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night was a little disappointing. It was a lot of money to pay for a night of karaoke of the Gunners past hits.

No one wants to let the legend die but someone needs to tell the sole surviving original member Axl Rose that half-heartedly performing your old classics from an era that's gone by and offering little new material doesn't give a fan much choice.

Die-hards waited 14 years to hear their new album, Chinese Democracy.

But the band played only two or three songs from it.

Admittedly, the new album wasn't what the crowd had come to hear -- they wanted the hits and barely moved when the band wasn't playing them.

The band did their best to relive the heyday that saw members of Guns N Roses become rock gods. And the new lot gelled well with the famous front man.

The lights dimmed at about 11.30pm and that unmistakable riff let rip.

A few seconds later, just as expected that rustic voice screamed `Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle baby?'

The stage lit up and there standing in front of an adoring crowd was Axl Rose, about 10kg heavier but the man could still move.

And off he went. There were several occasions when it was hard to hear him and although it looked like he was trying hard, frankly he looked a little flat.

He said had sunk a few the night before and taken himself off to bed at about 8am that morning after `drowning his sorrows' from a poor showing in Brisbane the night before.

While the rock'n'roll lifestyle for the feisty redhead mightn't have changed, the fans have.

They're older now and seeing the first glimpse of the band at 11.30pm was too late. It's past our bedtime.

But no one went to sleep. That's the hard thing to explain about the concert. While it was flat in part, it was also a truly awesome experience to see the new look Gunners and hear that amazing sound and those amazing songs.

Fans hung on every word of their hits. Live and Let Die, Don't Cry, November Rain and my absolute favourite, Sweet Child O' Mine.

There were also some awesome solos on guitar that hushed the crowd for minutes at a time.

In fact I was surprised to find myself with one hand permanently fixed in the air thumping away with a closed-fist rock hand gesture for the duration of the show.

It's something you just have to see because of who they are and how much they impacted on the music scene way back when.

Don't get me wrong. The new line-up of musos is unreal and just as talented as, if not more than, the last lot. But they'd be better served doing their own thing.

People wanted to know if the Gunners could be like the band of old with only one remaining original member.

I'm torn.

The truth is Guns N Roses with only the rose just doesn't hit the mark.

Hearing the songs, seeing Axl -- that was priceless.

A good show -- a better CD collection.