2016.04.01 - The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Okay just got home from work...idk how well written this will be, still cant really find the words to grasp how amazing this night was...to start the vibe was just really positive all around. The security was letting us drink outside the venue waiting for the doors to open. All they said was if the sheriffs come by just get rid of it so we dont get in trouble ha. Inside the venue the place just buzzing, it was electric. I ended up getting front row on Slashs side right in front of the monitor. Doors opened a little after 10pm and the lights when down a little before midnight. No intro (which i totally thought it was gonna be McBob) Slash walked out first and everybody followed, crowd erupted and Duff launched into Its So Easy. And from there the band didnt stop firing. Slash jumped up on the monitor during Easy for the first time and everyone around me lost it. Slash couldnt help but smirk at our reaction. The band was killing it and they knew it. They were all smiles and i just remember Duff looking up one point at Lenny Kravitz with a face like "yeah, we're back motherfucker!"

Axl sounded the best he has since 2010. He had the fire in his belly and that look in his eye. Rasp was everywhere to be seen. The song i paid most attention to vocally was YCBM cuz i know thats one he hasnt done good on for the last 5 years and he nailed it. He slayed the "breakin down my back" section! He was in a great mood and was definitely slimmer than he has been and he was not out of breath. Slash was very focused but he was rocking out for sure. To see him rocking out HARD to the chorus of Better was so surreal! It was just mindblowing to see him playing these songs and standing on stage next to Axl, i really couldnt believe it at some points. He was in top form and nailed every solo. At first they didnt interact too much but by the middle of the set Axl was throwing his arm on Slashs shoulder, he leaned up against his back rocking out during some solos and they exchanged a couple laughs between some songs.

As the setlist is out there, here is some highlights that stood out.

-Axl lost his footing during Brownstone and ended up ripping his jeans in the crotch. During the solo he walked over to the side of the stage and pointed up at Lenny Kravitz and back down at his crotch and said "Penisgate" or somethin to that effect and they both started laughing.

-Frank started a long countoff on the hihat and Slash launched into the Chinese Demoracry riff. I was like no way are they fucking this right now. It was very raw and punk rock sounding. It was pretty awesome and Slashs spin on the solo was great.

-Double Talkin' Jive!! Holy fuck was it awesome to hear that live. The band killed it and Axl sounded mean!!! He did the "i got...lies" part just like he sounded on the record.

-before the slide solo in Rocket Queen Slash did an extended talkbox solo, when he finished it Axl had a huge smile on his face and looked at us and said "you missed that, didnt you?"

-Godfather Theme was awesome! Before he started it Axl said "Heres a man that needs no introduction, but gets one anyways. Ladies and Gentlemen, Slash."

-Seeing Slash play the Sweet Child solo right up front and him and Axl doing that outro right next to each other was just insane. I remember looking back and Jim Carrey had the biggest smile on his face and i remember thinking "all is right in the world." Haha.

-Better had a whole new intro. It was this really heavy riff that just kept building and we're in the crowd goin holy shit theyre playing a new song. The riff kept building until it somehow came to a crash with Duff starting "no one ever told me when..." It was epic and strange seeing Slash completely rocking out in the chorus. Again he did a killer solo and did a cool slide part in the last verse. Again Axl slayed the "i never wanted you to be so full of anger" section.

-before Michelle Axl and Duff were talking and into the mic Axl goes "im goin by your guys' list tonight. Im follwing your lead" Duff starts laughing and Axl goes "thats very rare for me. I mean you guys know im an agreeable kinda guy. Im like Trump, i consult with myself." Funny moment.

-Heavens Door was probably the most special moment of the show. Axl starts the first sing along section and then right when he looked like he was gonna start the 2nd he kinda stopped himself and looked around the stage and said "this is the first time in 23 years us 3 have been on stage together, 1993, July i believe it was" the crowd just erupted. He did another sing along section and after that one he said "we worked very hard with the city to make this show happen, and we worked hard with the sheriffs and that in itself took 24 years" and laughed. It was amazing to see him almost taken back and acknowledging the magnitude of the night.

-another cool moment was Nightrain when they kicked into the first verse. It was "Look out" and both Axl and Slash started the foot stomp, gliding across the stage, stoping for a brief second in front of each other, and spinning off. It was bad ass!

-During Paradise City the crowd was getting crazy and after the first chorus Axl started yellin to thr crowd "you guys gotta step back people in the front are getting crushed.... (crowd didnt really move).....i said you people need to step the fuck back now!" They finally did and Axl signaled the band to keep going and he jumped into the next verse. Reminded me of somethin that would happen back in the day haha.



Im probably missing a bunch of stuff and its really hard to convey my emotions throughout the night. But this show will go down as the best show i have ever seen in my life. Just to see the first time Axl and Slash back together and have it be in such an important club to the bands history and to be right up front is just magical. I truly feel so lucky to have witnessed it. Im so looking forward to Vegas next weekend! See you guys there! You will not be dissapointed!!!

Here's What It Felt Like Seeing Guns N' Roses at the Troubadour

By Art Tavana

They came on a few minutes past midnight, an hour late, or really fuckin' early (depending on what you think of Axl Rose). For Use Your Illusion-era converts like myself, who watched the band implode on MTV, this was a miracle, something that's "Not In This lifetime," which is the cheeky title for GNR's North American tour, an obvious riff on the Eagles' Hell Freezes Over.

There wasn't a single person at the Troubadour who wasn't pinching themselves into bruises, or wishing they were allowed to document this shit on their cellphone (GNR's management forced attendees to lock their phones in magnetic bags handed out by the venue).

There were about 250 of us in attendance, including 50 "special guests" who peered down from the balcony of the Troubadour like aristocrats at the opera. Lenny Kravitz, Jim Carrey, Andrew Dice Clay and Nicolas Cage sat unmoved for 17 songs as if they were witnessing a cosmic occurrence. There were also lots beautiful women, the only attendees who were somehow allowed to keep cellphones to document the formerly "World's Most Dangerous Band," now "The Only Band That Matters" — or if that's too Clash-y for you, how about: "The Biggest Band on the Planet," which is undeniable at this point.

For GNR fans, this was their first exhale after 23 years of being suffocated by their seemingly doomed destiny as rock's most forgotten fan base. Since the band's meltdown between 1991 and 1997, we've had no closure. We couldn't even get a proper Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2012, when Axl bailed, then penned an open letter that confused fans even more. 2008's Chinese Democracy, which was brilliant in parts, was nearly a decade ago and still requires a decoder to understand who plays what, and what Axl's intended vision was versus what the label ended up releasing.

We spent way too many years obsessively analyzing the reasons why Axl and Slash broke up; now, we can obsess over the mystery of why they finally reunited. And why Izzy Stradlin doesn't use the Internet. And whether Steven Adler can actually play "Civil War" now.

The GNR fanboy's neuroses were mostly cured on Friday, April Fool's Day, when the band gave their fans an adoring valentine that massaged away all pain: a reunion gig at the Troubadour, where Slash, Axl and Duff shared the stage together, again, confirming in the flesh for the first time that GNR is really, finally back together.

For weeks, rumors had been swirling around on the forums that GNR was playing a show at the Whisky on April Fool's Day as a "warm-up" for the tour. When Steven Adler's current band Adler cancelled an April 1 show the Whisky, GNR fans saw this as a sign that Steven was joining GNR. But that's not the case. A source close to the band told me that Adler is having back surgery, which is the real reason he pulled out of the Whisky show. I've also been told he's not ready to tour with GNR, not yet, and maybe not ever.

Some fans already knew the show was happening at the Troubadour on April 1, and actually leaked false reports that GNR would be playing the Hollywood Palladium to misdirect other fans. Then at around 8 p.m. on Thursday night, KLOS-FM began redirecting fans to the Sunset Strip based on their own sources. They leaked it, and from reports I was given, GNR's management was justifiably pissed-off — as they had hoped to break the news themselves the next morning.

As KLOS reported, Team GNR was at work inside old Towers Records (now a Gibson showroom), which was being transformed into a makeshift GNR Rock Hall exhibit, a possible weeklong event leading into Coachella (this isn't confirmed), where the band's fans can tour a gloriously '80s-esque club in which everything from the classic GNR pinball machine to half-naked strippers seems to glow in the manufactured fog and red lights. The experience was something special for GNR fans, and everyone was invited inside (not just wristband holders).

By 4 a.m. Friday morning, about 100 people were waiting in line at the old Towers Records. By 9 a.m. there were over 300 fans waiting to get tickets to the first GNR reunion show in 23 years. It would be at the Troubadour, where GNR played their first show on June 6, 1985, which the band's PR officially confirmed at 10 a.m.

Some of us waited for 11 hours to ensure we received wristbands to see GNR in what was a not-so-surprising-surprise show that had all the drama of a red carpet premiere and prizefight. I was told by a security guard that the first 180 people in line received a wristband. The rest, about 200 to 300 people, were out of luck.

Slash rushed out first, wearing skin-tight leather pants, his voodoo top-hat over his curly mane, and a black sleeveless T-shirt that showed off his ripped arm. GNR opened with "It's So Easy," while almost everyone was expecting "Welcome to the Jungle." Slash played on four different guitars throughout the night (including a custom R guitar and various Gibson Les Pauls), which were handed to him by guitar tech Adam Day.

He was followed by Axl Rose, clean-shaven and much fitter than the last time I saw him, with shoulder-length ginger hair. He was wearing snakeskin boots, ripped designer jeans and a black leather jacket . He also had diamond encrusted gems wrapped around his fingers, which held firmly a red microphone. Two shiny silver crosses hung from his neck like a swag-rap MC or Elvis. Axl's look seems to have found the balance between extravagance and punk.

Duff wore a black vest and looked like he'd just been on a yoga retreat; his lean bicep muscles were just about bursting out of his skin as he moved his arm down the fretboard. Even his facial muscles looked like they were toned.

Another interesting look for the band was their first official female member (not simply a backup singer, like on the UYI tour). Her name is Melissa Reese, a musician and model, who wore glittery kicks and bounced around behind the keys like a raver (she also has greenish hair), while experimenting with various sound effects. Behind the kit was Frank Ferrer, who plays with hammering smoothness and a bit more feeling than Matt Sorum (who didn't make the cut for the current incarnation of GNR). He's also tighter than Adler, who probably still can't play "Civil War," while Ferrer can play it all.

The set included songs from every GNR era, including the surreal experience of watching Slash play funkier versions of Buckethead and Robin Finck solos on "Chinese Democracy" and "Better." Those songs showcased the undeniable fact that Axl Rose still has remarkable control of his falsetto and range, but on softer songs like "Sweet Child O' Mine," he sounds like he's missing the sandpaper quality that made him such a wild animal on the microphone. Then again, when Axl's revved up and screams, "You know where you are? ... You gonna die!", he sounds as vicious as always.

Slash shredded on all his solos and seemed more serious than usual, rarely showing any emotion and just focusing on his guitar and the occasional acrobatic leap to the front of the stage. Often he was close enough to touch, or to feel his dangling guitar string whip your face. Axl, other than a point during "Paradise City," the closer, was all smiles (he even threw his chrome whistle into the crowd). He looked reinvigorated, never out of breath, triumphant in his aviators, and constantly pushing his vocals to prove that he's still got what it takes to lead this band.

Back to the "Paradise City" moment. At one point during the song, the crowd was basically pushing themselves onto the stage when Axl said, forcefully, "Stop." When the crowd obeyed, he said, "Thank you," looked over to Duff and said, "Keep going." Twenty-three years ago, he would have stopped the show. Axl looked angry, but like the professional he's become, he managed to play on and lead his troops into battle.

"I'm the agreeable type," he said, when discussing, jokingly, his flexibility on picking the set list— even thought most people know Axl doesn't sing songs he doesn't feel like singing. But Axl is easier to work with these days. He's been in the studio with AC/DC in Atlanta, didn't show up late to the Troubadour, and added some self-deprecating humor to the night when he discussed his tendency to dictate the set list.

"I'm like Trump, I consult with myself," he said.

Useless Fact: Axl went backstage six times during the set for various wardrobe changes, five in total, including changing into a white leather jacket with a GNR logo stitched on the back, and a red bandana for "You Could Be Mine," which had fans bellowing in approval. It was as if the king had put on his crown.

Aside from losing his footing once during "Mr. Brownstone," Axl looked ready for a major tour. On "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," his lip quivered as he squeezed the soul out of his voice at the end; during "Sweet Child O' Mine," when he sings, "Where do we go?", he spun around Slash in what looked like a marvelously planned ballet move. The serpentine dance was there, in small amounts, and on "Rocket Queen," unquestionably the highlight of the night, his command on the stage, along with Slash's guitar, melted hearts — a girl in the front row was weeping, not teary-eyed, weeping during the coda (someone even held up a lighter, because cellphones were banned). On "Live and Let Die," he looked up at Jim Carrey and winked at a group of girls next to him with such bravado than Carrey, by the end on the song, was staring at Axl as if he'd just seen the greatest performance of his life.

While Axl masterfully conducted the audience, Slash simply swung his axe around and ripped solo after solo, sometimes extending them beyond what Duff and Axl were expecting; the two would smile at each other as Slash torched his fretboard. Slash's moment came during The Godfather theme, when Axl left the stage, and the spotlight was on Slash. I wondered what Nicolas Cage, a Coppola, was feeling at that moment.

Side Note: I believe Michelle Young was in the crowd. Which made the playing of "My Michelle" a bit more legendary. I can also confirm that GNR insiders like Tom Zutaut, Marc Canter and Vicky Hamilton were not there.

For the encore — and this was embarrassing, L.A. — only a handful of fans were chanting "Guns N' Roses! Guns N' Roses!" And when GNR led the encore with The Who's "The Seeker," everyone was expecting "Paradise City," so for a moment, it got awkward.

It's interesting that none of the songs that were most polarizing among the band's members, like "November Rain" or "Estranged," made the set list, and I can't recall Slash and Axl ever speaking directly to each other during the entire set. Then again, Slash was in some mental high-speed highway where was going too fast to turn his head. The band sounded tight, as well, and I never detected a miscue or lyrical flub; Slash played some parts differently, but that's just a testament to his willingness to experiment. And no new songs, which were rumored.

Walking back to my car, all I could think about was watching Axl standing at the center of the stage, his aviators showing a reflection of the crowd as looked up into the lights, like he did at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1988, at the height of GNR's powers, and saw God. The only question is: How long will this new chapter last?

Soulmonster wrote:I love that version of The Seeker, I can't remember Axl singing it that well before, and Slash's solo is great!

Guns N’ Roses at the Troubadour: A full account of the most metal day ever.

The number one rule to living in Los Angeles is: “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.”

And apparently everyone in town knows Axl Rose’s assistant’s friend’s cousin who works at 31 Flavors.

Late Thursday night (April Fool’s Day Eve) I received a text from a longtime friend.

Guns N’ Roses play the Whisky tomorrow. Ticket sales are in-person only, 8am. Don’t tell anyone.

After some back and forth, he sent a screen shot with the intel he received from his source connected to Axl’s assistant to prove that this was not an elaborate April Fool’s prank and establish his true motive.

If you get more than one ticket I can be your +1 since I told you about this : )

Sounds fair to me.

At 6:29am the following morning, my phone started blasting Welcome to the Jungle, a handy reminder of why I was waking up two hours earlier than usual. I fell out of bed, showered, had a little breakfast, and hopped on my bike to pedal the four miles over to the Whisky a Go Go.

Grinding up San Vicente Blvd towards the Whisky, I couldn’t help but feel more than a little smug. All these people scurrying to work and I’m the only one who knows what’s about to go down. As I crested the steep hill to bring the Sunset Strip into view, I expected to see hundreds of people already lined up because in LA secret shows are the world’s worst kept secret.

My eyes about popped out of my head when I saw the only person there was the blind guy who’s always standing on that corner yelling at the sun. Holy Clark W. Griswold. I was the first one there. I was half an hour early but a 30 minute wait to get tickets to see Axl and Slash together on-stage for the first time since 1993 would be totes worth it.

Rumor was Hollywood Roses was a code name for GnR.

A couple minutes later, common sense kicked in. Something wasn’t right.

I checked Twitter for any clues. The first thing I saw was a seconds-old Tweet from a buddy from my Nebraska hometown who lived in the neighborhood. The real line was a couple blocks away at the old Tower Records building and was growing by the second. He confirmed this when I ran into him as he was strolling home from his long night out.

I slid into the back of the line which was well over a 100 people deep and continued to multiply. The first 50 or so had been there since the night before. Things were mostly quiet but as the sun took its place in the sky, people began getting to know each other. The big topic of conversation was how everyone knew what was supposed to be a bigger secret than who really shot Kennedy.

“I can’t say how but I got a buddy who knows a bartender who knows someone who’s connected to Slash. He told me everything. The show will be right here at Tower tonight. I’d show you his text but he made me delete it.”

“Oh yeah? My guy told me it’s at the Roxy.”

“I still think it’s gonna be at the Whisky. Hollywood Roses playing tonight is dead giveaway. Plus, they mysteriously refunded everyone’s tickets just so they could sell them at the door? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“But did you see the marquee down at the Troub? They changed it to say ‘Not in this lifetime.’ That’s a pretty obvious clue, man.”

No one’s story of how they were tipped off was identical to anyone else’s yet, somehow, we all managed to show up at the right place.

And just in time too.

By the time the “official” announcement was made at 10am (my source’s source was only off by two hours) that tickets would be on-sale at noon, the line was several hundred people deep. Those who showed up at noon were way out of luck.

As the hours of ticked by, the vibe of the line was like Heavy Metal Parking Lot: AM Edition. While the backbone of LA is a population base ready to blow off responsibility and obligation at a moment’s notice, many attempts were made to be productive members of society. Everyone guarded each other’s spot and fended off any would-be line cutters. Calls to bosses were made. Appointments were rescheduled. Cars were moved to avoid getting towed. A communal bottle of sunscreen was passed down the line. I was responding to emails as fast as they were coming in to give the illusion that I was hard at work. Someone even offered to make a Jamba Juice run for the West Hollywood Sheriffs Deputies monitoring the line. We were utopian society living on the sidewalk.

At 11am security started moving fans into the Tower Records parking lot ten at a time. Once they received a lime green wristband that ensured their golden ticket, they were free to hit the Border Grill or Dogtown trucks for complimentary tacos and hot dogs or buy some hot-off-the-press Guns N’ Roses merch. A DJ cranked some tunes.

In total, 180 people received a magic green wristband. Mine was number 175. Another couple minutes of loitering at the Whisky and I would have been out of luck. As it was wrapped around my wrist, I was given some simple instructions.

“This wristband guarantees you one ticket and one ticket only. $10 cash. If you tamper with it or take it off you won’t get a ticket. Look around and grab some food. Just be in queue to buy by noon. Go have fun.”

The go have fun part killed me. It was a gorgeous (even by LA standards) spring Friday and I was ditching out on real-life to score a Guns N’ Roses ticket for $10 AND I was getting free tacos? This was already the greatest day ever.

Our little society that was established out on the sidewalk continued on the inside. Anyone who was short on cash was taken of by their new friends. At noon, the gates were opened to everyone who’d be missing out on a ticket so they could buy some stuff and get a consolation taco. They rushed in like caddies going for dip in the Bushwood Country Club swimming pool. Many of them tried scamming or bribing their way into our hallowed line but were turned away. A small platoon of stripper chicks tried their best but were rebuffed too. Their stunned expressions made it pretty obvious this was the first time they were ever hearing the word no.

The line to get the golden tickets moved quickly. Once we were inside, the green wristband was snipped off and replaced with a cloth wristband that was physically locked in place. The spiel stayed the same. “You tamper with this and you won’t be getting in. Doors open at 10. Show will start sometime after 11.”

The interior of the old Tower Records had been transformed into a seedy night club with GnR projected onto the wall. It was half museum, half art installation.

Tables were littered with beer bottles so I connected the dots and found the bar. A cold beer would really hit the spot before strolling into my office four hours late.

“I have whatever’s on tap, please.”

“Sorry but we’re not serving anything. This is all fake,” the bartender said as she gestured to the array of empty bottles behind her. “We’re only selling t-shirts.”

“Oh. You mean the t-shirts hanging from the ceiling where nobody can see them?”

“Yep.”

“I wasn’t the only one who tried to order a drink am I?”

“Nope. Everyone has. This wasn’t the smartest idea.”

For the next 11 hours or so, the only thing on my agenda was to not lose my right arm or the wristband attached to it. The closest I came to bricking that plan was when I nearly killed myself in the shower trying to bathe one handed. I had my arm draped over the shower curtain rod to keep the wristband from getting wet and the whole thing came crashing down with me following close behind.

I left the house around 7:45 just to play it safe. We live three miles from the Troubadour and I wasn’t about to take any chances. I could crawl there by 11 if I had to. On the way out, my lovely wife asked if she’d be able to buy a ticket at the door. I nearly fainted when I realized she wasn’t kidding. “There are people on craigslist offering to pay $3,000 for a wristband. Sorry but I don’t think their will be any extras.”

Twenty minutes later, that price had jumped up to a confirmed $4,000 with rumors of someone offering up to $5k. Deep pocketed sharks were circling the line outside the Troubadour but weren’t able to bite. Even Houdini wouldn’t be able to slink of a wristband without damaging it.

The final hours went by quick. The energy in the line was equal parts exhausted and excited. It had been a long day for everyone. I stood in line with a couple from Vegas who drove out on a hunch early Thursday night and hadn’t slept since. It didn’t matter that they had tickets to see Guns N’ Roses play next Friday back home in Vegas, they were going to see their FIRST show. Even after securing their tickets, they were too nervous to nap back at their hotel so they did the next best thing and went for beers at the Rainbow Room before walking down.

On the way in, our wristband got a wristband and then our wristband’s wristband got one for good measure. All phones were literally locked away and wouldn’t be unlocked until after the show. That measure would prove to the be the best part of the night. After a full-service pat down by security (I maybe could have sneaked in a GoPro duct taped to the backside of my hairy coin purse), the final gauntlet before stepping into hallowed ground was a security guard tugging your wristband to make sure everything was legit.

I’ve been to the Troubadour dozens of times and suddenly it looked smaller than ever. You could hear first-timers gasping at how tiny it was. The GnR banner and drum kit already overpowered the place and the band wouldn’t be hitting the stage for at least another hour.

Unless of course, this was still just an extraordinarily well-planned and cruel April Fool’s Day prank.

Without phones to be distracted by, the home stretch to showtime was full of strangers talking to each other (just like in the 80s!) and people reunited with their line mates. There were hugs all around. I had the foresight to wear a watch and became our area’s official timekeeper. One thing that came as a surprise was how dead the bar was. Getting a drink wasn’t worth the risk of losing your spot. I chatted with a girl named Johanna who flew in from Brazil the day before just for a chance to see a show that may or may not have been happening.

“What was it that made you decide to fly to LA?”

“I have a Google Alert for Guns N’ Roses and on Monday it started showing things I’d never seen before and they kept popping up. By Wednesday I knew I had to be here. I go back home tomorrow. The only flight I could get was LA - Vegas - Miami - Rio. How far did you travel?”

“About four miles. But I rode my bike and it was uphill the whole way.”

I then thanked her for not stabbing me.

Sound techs scrambling around on-stage kept everyone in suspense that the show would soon be starting but the only indicator you needed were the celebrities filing into the balcony. Slash wasn’t about to keep his high school classmate Lenny Kravitz waiting for long.

At midnight the lights dimmed and a tech walked on-stage to make the grand introduction that everyone had been waiting 23 years to hear.

“Alright. Thanks for coming out. They’ll be out in a minute. Have fun tonight.”

OK, sir. We shall try our best.

Slash was the first one out followed by Axl and the crowd erupted. It. Was. Really. Happening. Nobody knew what to expect or who the full line up would be. All day long people had been sharing their theories about who would be joining Axl, Slash, and Duff on a stage they first played back in 1985.

But this wasn’t the time for pleasantries and introductions.

Guns N’ Roses had an audience’s ass that needed kicking.

They threw a curve ball by opening with It’s so Easy followed quickly by Mr. Brownstone and another curve with Chinese Democracy. Looking back, this opening trio of songs was probably nothing more than chance for the band to warm up and and find their footing, playing together in front of a live audience for the first time in decades.

Axl grew stronger with each song. He started out like a guy who’d kill it in a Guns N’ Roses tribute band but by the time Slash tore into the opening riff of the fourth song, a little ditty called Welcome to the Jungle, he had transformed back into Axl Fucking Rose.

From that moment forward, the show and audience erupted into a frenzy that wouldn’t slow down for another hour and a half.

In the middle of Welcome to the Jungle I gave a silent shout out to the surely long departed nun who tried to scare our 7th grade Catechism class straight by playing the Welcome to the Jungle video and breaking down the hidden “Satanic” messages line-by-line.

“Fun and games. Satan loves to tempt you.”

“Feel my serpentine. Satan often takes the form of a snake.”

“You’re in the jungle baby, you gonna die. Is the jungle place you want to be?”

Sorry, Sister Whatever-Your-Name-Was. I made it the epicenter of the jungle and it was glorious.

Just how good was Welcome to the Jungle? Even Lenny Kravitz took off his sunglasses to get a better look.

The VIP MVPs of the night were Andrew Dice Clay and Nicolas Cage. Those two dudes sat up in the balcony judging each song like Statler and Waldorf. Somebody really needs to get them a sitcom. Live and Let Die hit Nic so hard, he clapped multiple times.

Sweet Child O’ Mine and Knocking on Heaven’s Door absolutely destroyed the crowd. Anyone who managed to sneak in a camera or phone had long since been kicked out. Sorry, Snapchat. Each of these songs were once-in-a-lifetime moments that you could only share with those around you. Strangers were hugging and slapping high fives with anyone in reach, including Axl. A biker who looked like a giant version of Danny Trejo stood frozen, soaking it all in. There’s no doubt this guy had seen some serious shit in his day but it was clear this was his best day ever.

Heck, everyone there was having their best day ever. A dream so impossible that you wouldn’t even dream it was coming true before our eyes.

Nightrain shredded so hard that the crowd had no choice but to work itself up in a swirling pit of mayhem. The only exception from shows of the past is now that the audience is a little older and (marginally) more responsible, anyone who hit the floor was instantly picked up by their fellow crowd members. We all had each other’s backs. When things got too crazy even for Axl during the closer of Paradise City, he shrieked at the crowd to ‘back the fuck up’ and give some space to those who were getting pressed against the stage. Everyone snapped to attention faster than a soldier at boot camp and moved back so quickly you could feel a breeze.

They continued without skipping a beat and brought it all home. Aside from incoherent screams of joy, the crowd was speechless. Nobody exhaled until the band walked off the stage for good and then the only chatter was a confirmation of what we had just witnessed really happened.

I ran into my new friends from Vegas on the way out and offered them a ride back to their hotel. The five minute drive down Santa Monica Blvd alternated between pointing out the local landmarks and trying to wrap our heads around an unimaginable experience.

For one day at least, LA truly was paradise city.

denitza wrote:It was very interesting and fun to read this

About four miles. But I rode my bike and it was uphill the whole way.

I ran into my new friends from Vegas on the way out and offered them a ride back to their hotel. The five minute drive down Santa Monica Blvd ...

About four miles. But I rode my bike and it was uphill the whole way.

I ran into my new friends from Vegas on the way out and offered them a ride back to their hotel. The five minute drive down Santa Monica Blvd ...

denitza wrote:
Haha , I was wondering about that too. I think there is a mistake in the text. Or maybe he has riding his bike in the morning(for the tickets), but in the evening (for the show) he has driving the car.

Fernando wrote:Unfortunately I don't think this will ever see the light of day.
Our vision for that show was directed as a trip to the past, no phones just pure music, love and being there/bragging rights like back then was.

Friday Night at The Troub
Posted on April 3, 2016 by Mick Wall

No, I wasn’t there. And neither were you, let’s not kid ourselves. But in spirit it, most definitely. We were all there.

Funny how all these years later things are much as they left it in 1993. Axl, Slash, Duff, in that order, with a couple of good guys filling in where Izzy and Steven once were. Dizzy was still there too. Along with a new face in Melissa Reese, the girl-genius Bryan Mantia probably introduced Axl to.

The reaction, though, the electric buzz, the impossible vibe, that insensible yet tangible net of intrigue surrounding their every move before, during and after the show, that was all there like the last 23 years never happened. I love that. You don’t know how much it’s been missing from rock until suddenly there it is again.

I know some who were there. And they tell me it’s all true, it’s all for real. That Steven actually was going to be there too but he hurt his back during rehearsals. They also told me some other things which I feel a douche for keeping to myself, but I’ve never been into spoilers. Why ruin the fun? This is the year when the fun is finally back to taunt us.

And didn’t Axl look great? No hat, until the end, no shades, just that guy we remember from the golden daze, a little heavier but so what? It’s a lifetime later, dude, and I wish I still looked that good. Slash and Duff of course are like Batman and Superman, they have never get old. Not on the outside. Just enough on the onside to help make this finally happen.

Friday night at the Troub, man. This was no April Fool’s joke. This was something unexpected. Up there, out there, so many people in LA from the old days no longer invited to the party, too. You’ve got to feel for them. Their past right there on their doorstep and no one from the band even acknowledging them anymore. Don’t blame Axl. That game is over. Whatever happens from now on, this is all about Slash and Duff too. And good for them, I say. What are Guns N’ Fuckin’ Roses if not the band that always did it their way, fuck you very much?

Which is why we loved them so. Why a whole generation grew up while they were away and love them even more. And why we’re all here again, the young and the old, the innocent and the guilty, those invited to the party and those in the rearview. Because there’s never been anyone quite like them. Not Zeppelin, not the Stones, maybe only Lemmy and even he turned up for his shows on time. Never went away to live alone in the shadows. Never really felt the pain the way Axl and Slash and Duff did. Do. Still.

Only now they’re back. Oh, yeah.

Only one word for it.

Fuck.