2016.06.26 - FedEx Field, Landover, MD, USA

Guns N' Roses make a triumphant return

LANDOVER, MD. -- A reloaded Guns N' Roses superbly hit their marks here Sunday at Fedex Field in the second stop on a long-awaited U.S. tour.

This marks a reunion for lead singer Axl Rose, with original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. Since 1993, that trio had not played together publicly until a few dates in advance of this summer slate of shows. (Twenty-three more dates are scheduled; Wednesday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is the next destination.)

The hard rockers' 2-1/2 hour sonic assault leaned most heavily on Appetite for Destruction, the band's 1987 debut album, an intense amalgam of arena-ready rock with a nasty punk edge. Destruction has sold more than 18 million copies, making it one of the best-selling releases of all time.

Although the band has been historically known for taking the stage late, Guns N' Roses appeared just before 9:30 p.m. ET — as prompt as on the tour opener June 23 in Detroit. Launching into opening song It's So Easy, Rose quickly showed that he could still shimmy about the stage, singing and sashaying with the microphone stand.

That's no small feat, since he suffered a broken foot in April and used a motorized throne belonging to Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters at several subsequent festival shows.

Rose's voice sounded in shape, too. He speedily spit out lyrics and maintained a long screeching howl for You Could Be Mine. And during Civil War, Rose transitioned his nasally scream into a guttural growl. His vocals sounded somewhat buried in the live sound mix, but that rarely mattered as the 40,000 or so in attendance screeched along, too.

Sandwiched between two more Destruction songs -- Mr. Brownstone and Welcome to the Jungle -- was Chinese Democracy, the title track of the 2008 album on which Rose is the only founding group member to appear. He famously spent spent $13 million and 15 years fine-tuning the album before releasing it. Regardless, Slash owned the number, firing off a a fine, crunchy intro.

The black-hatted and bushy haired guitarist nearly stole the show as he stalked the simple but expansive stage, occasionally copping a tiptoed pose for some intense fretwork. The wiry McKagan and rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus joined him to surround drummer Frank Ferrer on the drum stand for a frantic finish to Rocket Queen. Later, Slash played a soulful solo take on The Godfather theme and tag-teamed with Fortus on a instrumental rendition of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

Keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese filled out the band. Founding members Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler have not been involved in this tour.

Fans gathered on a comfortable, cloudless night in the football stadium seemed satisfied with the lineup -- and responded energetically to opener Alice in Chains, too. Field tickets went for $250 face value and were fetching $400 on Stubhub the day of the show.

Many of the mainly middle-aged crowd wore black GNR logo-ed T-shirts, saved just for this occasion, which because of the band's bitter dissolution, seemed as improbable as the 2007 return of original lead singer David Lee Roth to Van Halen. Hence the labeling of their "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

As the set built toward its close, Rose played piano for November Rain, a plaintive ballad that developed into another masterful solo from Slash, who finished as giant sparklers erupted around him.

The two shared the promontory of the stage during the frenzied finale Nightrain. and all locked arms after a three-song finale ended just before midnight with

closing number Paradise City.

Earlier, Rose had told the crowd, "It's a beautiful night and you make it so much better."

Guns N' Roses fans likely concurred.

Rise of the Roses: The concert tour that was never supposed to happen is here

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

It was the concert I’d waited my whole life for. Axl, Slash, Duff together again on one stage playing through the Guns N’ Roses catalogue. By the time I was old enough to even go to concerts, the seminal ‘80s hard rock combo was already a memory, and I’d said for decades I would spend whatever it took to see them if and when the time came.

Sunday night, the time had come. At FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, following a stirring warmup from Alice in Chains, Guns took the stage for what would be a spirited, nearly three-hour travelogue through their well-known archive of slammers, plus some deeper delves into the repertoire, as well as a few inspired surprises.

One thing must be made clear right up front: The boys in the band are, of course, older than they once were. They’re now three decades removed from “Appetite for Destruction” and almost as long since they were the biggest act in the world. The intervening years — in which Axl Rose fronted various incarnations of the band, while Slash and Duff McKagan joined with Guns 2.0 drummer Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland to form Velvet Revolver — have seen music move on from the L.A. hard rock sound of their heyday, but none of that mattered Sunday evening.

First, the lineup. Mr. Rose, Mr. McKagan and Slash are the only three of the “classic” Guns members in the current iteration, with original drummer Steven Adler the first to be bounced from the band back in the day, and original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin having traded the glitz and glamour of rock for a quiet life in the early ‘90s. The only member of the Guns 2.0 in the “Not in This Lifetime” tour is keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who has played with Mr. Rose for some time. The outstanding Richard Fortus shreds like nobody’s business on rhythm guitar, with magnificent drummer Frank Ferrer celebrating 10 years in the band, and backing vocalist and synthesizer player Melissa Reese rounding out the posse.

But what everyone was here to see was the three original members march through the hits. They were not to be disappointed.

Following a somewhat-lengthy intermezzo after opener Alice in Chains stepped off stage, the GNR logo presented an animated show of firepower, followed by the classic “Looney Tunes” theme song, a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment that, after all these years, the Guns were here to have a good time.

The band jumped right in without smoke or speeches into “It’s So Easy,” the second track off of “Appetite,” followed by “Mr. Brownstone.” It was a thrilling opening salvo that was brought down a bit with “Chinese Democracy,” the titular track from the 2008 album that was as legendary for its lengthy gestation as it was for its departure from the classic GNR sound.

Immediately on its heels, Mr. Rose screamed into the mic: “You know where you are?!” The crowd roared as it could mean only thing, as Slash kicked off the unmistakable opening riff of the band’s most anthemic song, “Welcome to the Jungle.

Next was “Double Talkin’ Jive,” a deep cut from the “Use Your Illusion” double album set, and a song that was neither a hit nor a video. It was good to hear something from more obscure in the Guns oeuvre, and Mr. Rose didn’t trip up on the rather rat-a-rat rap that is the vocal part on the brisk song. However, Slash and Mr. Fortus used the song’s downtempo final moments to riff on the Spanish flamenco-influenced bars that close it out on the album.

“Estranged,” the nine-minute, multipart epic poem from “Use Your Illusion II” — and whose video was the most expensive ever produced up to that time — was masterfully realized live, with Mr. Rose — whose side job now is singing for AC/DC after the “forced retirement” of Brian Johnson — seemingly hitting his groove as far as relaxing into his voice rather than trying to impress the gathered. Slash’s solos on the tune were a master’s class in rock ‘n’ roll ax-slinging, as the 50-year-old has only gotten better in his many years in the rock scene.

The joy of nailing the song was palpable, as several times during “Estranged,” Mr. Rose came up to Slash and laid his elbow on the guitarist’s shoulder, as much an acknowledgment that their decades of not speaking and the band’s internecine conflicts were astern (for now) as it was a reinforcement for the audience that this was in fact the legendary act they grew up with and not an imposter or strictly trotted out for nostalgia.

Of nostalgia itself, it must be said that Guns didn’t waste any time to wax poetic about the long, strange trip they’ve been through since forming on the Sunset Strip in the mid-‘80s, nor to fall into that trap so many acts of their generation — or older — do by making self-flagellating cracks about their age. No, this was the in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll that perfected its sound along Sunset Blvd. and still turned up, if not to 11 (while loud, the audio amplitudes in FedEx Field were never uncomfortable to the eardrums), enough so that the air above the Redskins’ home base could thrum with the GNR message: We may have gone away for a while, bit dammit, we still have it.

To underscore the lack of maudlin pining for the glory days, the band then launched into “Rocket Queen,” the closing song on “Appetite” notorious for including an in-studio recording of Mr. Rose having sex with Mr. Adler’s then-girlfriend. Such shenanigans were nowhere to be found Sunday, but during the breakdown before the tune’s final section, Slash blasted off into a virtuosic solo that he topped off by stepping up to the microphone — a rarity for the guitarist — and amplifying the proceedings with the talk box that Peter Frampton made famous. Slash, and the band, seemed tremendously unhurried in the song, and the axman took his time to make sure that he had the audience in the palm of his pick hand before changing the key so that Mr. Rose could return to close out the final chorus that begins “I see you standing, standing all on your own.”

“Rocket Queen” was, bar none, the highlight of the evening.

Of Slash, what else could be written that hasn’t already been done? What so many ascribe to be, Slash does effortlessly with his playing. We all know the chords of the GNR tunes, but Slash turned every song into something that had to be seen and heard live — in other words, to be experienced among fellow fans rather than playing it exactly as it sounds on the records.

Furthermore, the lead guitarist even had time to toss in some in-joke classic rock references, such as, during the closure of “Civil War,” throwing in a few bars from Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” all but teasing the audience with what, and where, the band might go next.

Slash and Mr. Fortus make for a stellar guitar duo. Sure, it’s hard not to miss Mr. Stadlin or his Guns 2.0 ‘90s replacement, Gilby Clarke, but Mr. Fortus‘ virtuosity slinging the strings never felt outmatched by the godfatherliness of Slash at lead, and he seemed as at home in the ensemble as if he had been there from the get-go.

In yet another surprise tune, late in the show, Slash came out alone. Bathed in a solitary spotlight, he began thrumming the strings before making his guitar sing a lick that seemed familiar at first, before he followed it with more notes that drew a collective smile at floor level as it became obvious Slash was in fact applying his own variation on the theme from “The Godfather.” Mr. McKagan and Mr. Fortus then joined in the delightfully meta jam that, ever so subtly yet logically, transitioned into “Sweet Child of Mine.”

Mr. Rose, he of the immense range going from bass all the way up to an inhuman soprano falsetto, was as spirited as during his prime, even if some of the notes in the ceiling of his register were a bit out of his reach at times. His vocals at spots were sometimes difficult to hear, and there were even a few moments where he seemed to forget the words and/or muddle the lyrics. He was the weak spot in an otherwise-superb musical lineup, but a little latitude must be given for the entropy of time, both on his voice and his figure (which has been the subject of much social media ridicule of late). His was the most inconsistent of his bandmates, weak at spots while positively titanic at others, particularly late in the concert on “Out to Get Me,” “Nightrain” and encore-closer “Paradise City,” with Mr. Rose screaming for the Maryland skies that this is how rock ‘n’ roll should be done — loud and unapologetic.

Mr. Rose was not as strong on “Sweet Child” as might have been hoped, but for a man of 54, who has been assaulting his vocal chords with such demanding and variated repertoire for 30 years, he more than made up for some of his spottier singing with his familiar onstage swagger and attitude, running about the platform with energy and verve to spare, as if daring anyone to tell him he’s too old for this s***. He and Slash continuously played off one another’s energies, which made them the best one-two punch in rock for a generation.

Of the immense stage itself, it must be said that, for six musicians, it felt a bit cavernous, with so much of it unused. Mr. Rose and Mr. Fortus seemed to make the most of the space provided, with Slash and Mr. McKagan occasionally ascending the steps for a better viewpoint of the proceedings. This reporter hoped for a brass or backing chorus to appear at some point, if only to utilize all that vacant real estate. Pyrotechnics and killer lighting effects certainly filled in such blanks.

While “Not in This Lifetime…” was certainly a parade of hits, as mentioned, the band did dig deeper, opting not only for “Chinese Democracy” tracks — the bathroom-go-to moments — and a Stooges’ cover fronted by Mr. McKagan, but also lesser-played Guns tunes like the 10-minute dirge “Coma.” The band shined especially brightly on covers such as “The Seeker” from The Who and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Here,” realized as a guitar duet by Slash and Mr. Fortus, which transitioned nicely into the coda of Derek & the Dominoes’ “Layla,” with Mr. Rose front and center on the iconic piano elegy. Already seated at the piano, it made sense to then roll out “November Rain,” which, while undeniably vibrant, suffered somewhat from the lack of the strings and backing chorus that made the melody, and accompanying video, so diabolically memorable. However, once again, Slash picked up the slack with his wunderkind solos.

It was great to hear “Patience” during the encore, with Mr. Fortus on acoustic guitar, and Slash even offering a valediction to the recently departed by quoting subtly from Prince’s “Purple Rain” during the intro. (Mr. McKagan also bore the Purple One’s unique symbol on his bass in tribute to the Minneapolis native, who died in April.) Mr. Rose’s vocals were suitably dulcet on one of the few power ballads the band ever recorded, and it was the only cut from “Lies” that made the setlist (sadly, no “I Used to Love Her” or “Mama Kin”). It was a fine way to kick off the encore that climaxed with the monstrous “Paradise City.”

After the band bowed and the house lights came back up, I found myself in a strange state of reverie mixed with an odd sadness. Ever since first spinning “Appetite” in my tape player (remember those?) in 1989 at 11 years old, I’d awaited the day of a classic GNR show. Now that it was over, I was faced with the uncomfortable prospect of a goal so long envisaged now astern.

Yes, they were older, but so was I. Never would it be possible to be there in the Hollywood heyday of debauchery. It had been one of the best concerts I had been to, at least from a standpoint of personal meaning. It did not disappoint, nor, precisely, did it transcend.

Still, I’m glad I came. I’m glad I was here, and I’m glad I was here now. Perhaps it was providential that six months ago, to the day, my girlfriend at the time betrayed my trust so thoroughly that the relationship was instantly over for me. But long before that, rock had been there for me, as it was this evening. I have met both Slash and Mr. McKagan in my professional travels, always inquiring about “the possible reunion.”

The show at FedeEx Field Sunday night showed that, indeed, through rock, all things are possible.

Dave McKenna wrote:Guns N’ Roses: If only all reunions could be this good

Guns N’ Roses is once more a fabulous rock-and-roll band, no longer the bloated and spent combo it was upon breaking up nearly a quarter-century ago. For the Not in This Lifetime tour, which stopped by FedEx Field on Sunday night, the majority of GNR’s key original members were back together and proved there can be power in a reunion.

In their late-’80s/early-’90s heyday, GNR was regarded as the world’s most dangerous band and had a reputation for starting shows obnoxiously late or ending them obnoxiously early. But Sunday’s gig started on time, and throughout its 2½ hours, all the banter from the once predictably unpredictable frontman Axl Rose, now 54, was about how nice the weather was and how much fun he was having. He showed that he had nicely recovered from a broken foot that kept him confined to a chair during the band’s high-profile Coachella performances in April, running to a perch above and behind the drum riser to shriek the chorus to “Welcome to the Jungle.” He did his trademark snakey slither across the stage just like old times whenever the spirit moved him. And his once-fragile voice never wavered; in fact, it seems rangier than ever, as he confidently crooned through crowd-fave power ballads “Patience” and “November Rain.”

This reunion tour isn’t all about Axl, though. During GNR’s hateful hiatus, Rose brought in a rotating cast of guitarists trying to fill Slash’s top hat, most notably Buckethead (nee Brian Patrick Carroll), who wore a KFC tub on his noggin as he played. The sub in the high-cholesterol headgear never made fans forget GNR’s original axman, however. One of the crowd’s biggest roars — and this night was full of ’em — came early in the show during “Mr. Brownstone,” as Slash took the spotlight with his first big solo of the night while holding his Les Paul in front of him and up high, like a golfer would a championship trophy.

Now 50, Slash was decked out in leather pants, cool-kid sneakers and a cutoff T-shirt, with those overgrown locks obscuring almost everything about his face other than a nose ring. In other words, his current ensemble was exactly like his old one, save the cigarette that once was as much a part of his face as his nose. He can still play super smooth, as he did for “The Godfather Theme,” or fast, as during the solo on “Double Talkin’ Jive.” Slash was so juiced to be back in the fold that he even stood front and center while playing the power chords that drive “Chinese Democracy,” the title tune of an album released in 2008 after Axl spent about a decade and a reported $13 million-plus to make it without his mates.

Duff McKagan, the bassist who was replaced by a Replacement (Tommy Stinson) during the estranged days, took over the show at one point to cover Iggy and the Stooges’ “Raw Power,” which GNR had recorded for 1993’s collection, “The Spaghetti Incident.” McKagan, 52, had a Prince logo stenciled on his bass and looks alarmingly like David Bowie these days. He rocked Iggy’s punk nugget hard and sounded great, but the crowd did not seem as moved as much as the performance warranted.

Other covers that didn’t quite click included “The Seeker” by the Who and instrumental versions of Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”

The predictable GNR covers, however, were embraced with glee by the crowd that filled the lower tiers of the huge stadium. During Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die,” Slash worked in an impressive stage leap for a guy his age, while Axl ended the tune with his best “The Shining”-era Jack Nicholson scowl and a shriek that seemed capable of breaking glass. For Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Slash shredded on a double-neck guitar, and a massive airplane flew low and slow over the stadium while the crowd screamed the chorus, making the moment almost impossibly bombastic.

When fireworks were launched during the final bars of the set-closing “Paradise City,” it was nearly midnight, yet the guys onstage looked at least as ready to keep rocking as the fans, who couldn’t have cheered harder. This was a show so fabulous that witnesses could rightly wish that GNR’s reunited mates don’t end the Not in This Lifetime tour till death do they part.

Guns N' Roses played the second show of its "Not In This Lifetime" North American stadium tour on Sunday night (June 26) at FedexField — home of the Washington Redskins — in Landover, Maryland near Washington, D.C.

Prior to the concert, GN'R singer Axl Rose met Redskins owner Dan Snyder and his wife Tanya along with head coach Jay Gruden and general manager Scot McCloughan.