2016.07.06 - Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Steven Adler, Guns N' Roses reunite in Cincy

Chris Varias | Enquirer contributor

It was the most dramatic turn of events to take place on the field at Paul Brown Stadium since the end of that last Bengals playoff game.

What was shaping up to be a very good stop on the Guns N’ Roses reunion tour became a historic one when drummer Steven Adler sat in with Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan.

Adler was fired from Guns N’ Roses 26 years ago and hasn’t – until Wednesday night’s show – participated in the reunion, dubbed the “Not In This Lifetime... Tour.” Also missing from the classic lineup as defined by the era of the rock band’s greatest album, 1987’s “Appetite For Destruction,” is guitarist Izzy Stradlin.

It leaves Rose on vocals, Slash on guitar and McKagan on bass, rounded out by four sidemen. It’s more representative of Guns N’ Roses than recent post-Slash and post-Duff versions, when Rose hijacked the band name and applied it to his own odd whims. This kind-of-new, kind-of-old seven-person configuration took the Cincinnati crowd on a two-hour-and-45-minute joyride through many of the crucial parts of the band’s repertoire and more.

Slash and Duff were solid contributors. The former has become a better player with time, and many of his guitar solos carried the show as Rose dipped offstage to switch out his T-shirt. It was a humid night, and Rose was moving around the stage at a decent pace, but the reason for all of the wardrobe changes was probably sartorial as much as comfortability. One of his T-shirts succinctly told the story of Rose and the tour: “The bitch is back.”

The rest of the band sounded good, too. Longtime GNR sideman Dizzy Reed was on keyboards. Drummer Frank Ferrer’s playing blended in so tastefully that he might have gone unnoticed. Second guitarist Richard Fortus – who looked like Ronnie Wood, if not Stradlin himself – spent most of the night playing rhythm to Slash’s lead but stepped up for a few good solos of his own, including a guitar duel with Slash on instrumental version of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” which was more entertaining than that description might make it seem.

Axl, for his part, was everything he always has been, depending on the moment of the show: good, great, bad, sweaty, funny, ridiculous, over the top, understated, cool, ridiculous, present and gone.

Did we twice mention ridiculous? Rose had to be putting us on with his array of diamond jewelry. In a moment befitting Liberace, Rose sat at a piano, adjusting a humongous ring on his finger between notes of the band’s instrumental version of “Layla.

“Wish You Were Here” and “Layla” – that’s two classic-rock covers. They also played The Who’s “The Seeker,” Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” All three were good. The musicians treated covers with the same amount of interest and effort as GNR classics like “Mr. Brownstone,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Civil War” and “Night Train” – whether a performance turned out to be good or great had to do with the singer’s commitment.

In the opening moments of the show, it seemed like Rose’s voice was going to be a liability all evening. He only displayed two vocal gears in the first song, “It’s So Easy” – a mumble and a shriek. Nine songs in, Rose declared: “I think we’re starting to get warmed up,” and, if he meant that his voice was sounding much better, he was right.

Rose milked the Bengals' stadium's “Welcome To The Jungle” connection for all he could. “It’s good to be here… in the jungle!” he howled. “Do you know where the (heck) you are? You’re in the jungle, baby! You’re gonna die!”

Later, in a quiet speaking voice, Rose mentioned an imminent surprise. Then, out walked Adler, who took Ferrer’s place behind the drums for two songs, “Out To Get Me” and “My Michelle.”

Adler played great. His cowbell notes on “My Michelle” sounded like Steven Adler playing the cowbell. How a drummer can have a signature cowbell sound is a mystery best left unsolved.

His old bandmates seemed happy to be rocking with Adler. Through both songs, there was a permanent grin on Adler’s face, framed by his long golden hair. He still has the best hair in Guns N’ Roses. That should be reason enough to bring him back for the next Guns N’ Roses tour, which won’t happen in our lifetime, but probably will anyway.

Steven Adler Reunites With Guns N’ Roses at Cincinnati Gig

By Gil Kaufman

The packed crowd at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, were already jacked to see the version of Guns N’ Roses they’d been promised — the reunited one featuring guitarist Slash, singer Axl Rose and alarmingly healthy looking bassist Duff McKagan. And through about their first hour or so on a muggy night in The Jungle (because that’s what they call the Cincinnati Bengals football stadium, after all), those fans had no complaints. Axl and three-fifths of the members of the once baddest band in the world rocketed through an opening salvo that included “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Double Talkin’ Jive” and an appropriately epic cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die.”

Slash played some fiery solos, Axl changed inappropriate t-shirts a few times and ran all over the stage showing no signs of lingering pain from a broken foot he suffered just before the tour kicked off. Oh, and long-estranged drummer Steven Adler came out and jammed on two songs.

Did not see that coming. “On the drums, you might know this guy. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Adler!” Axl announced to everyone’s shock and awe just moments after the band finished the one-two of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Better.” And there he was in all his glory, Adler’s voluminous blonde hair spilling out onto the shoulders of some kind of army jacket covered in patches, his signature crooked grin lighting up the stage.

It was the sight GNR fans had been waiting for since Rose announced the original lineup was getting back together for the Not In This Lifetime tour and everyone asked “but where’s Steven?” (and original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, but that gulf seems too wide to bridge.)

The energy in the crowd was electric as Adler bashed away on “Out Ta Get Me,” the grin on his face reason enough for think that some detente had been reached and Guns might be (nearly) whole again for the first time since 1990. Rose continued working his way up and across and around the ramps on the stage flanked by two enormous video screens, wearing a black “The Bitch Is Back” t-shirt, his red, shoulder-length hair held back by a red bandana. “I guess we should do another one,” Rose said, keeping touring drummer Frank Ferrer on ice for a few more minutes.

It was Adler’s first appearance with the band since 1990, but you wouldn’t have known it listening to “My Michelle,” which hit a groove early and ended with Slash, sweat streaming off his arms and dripping from his signature curly black mop of hair hidden under a top hat, hopping up to the riser to give Adler a hug.

Adler gifted his sticks to an audience member and Rose seemed to almost smile as he said again, “ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Adler.” And just like that, the dream was over again as Slash and Stradlin’s replacement, guitarist Richard Fortus, played a duet on Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” which segued into Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” and then an overstuffed “November Rain.”

The rest of the night went pretty much as it has on most dates of the original band’s first tour together in 23 years — Slash rocked a double-neck guitar for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” for which Axl donned a white cowboy hat over his red bandana and black snakeskin leather jacket. The cowbell-abusing “Nightrain” roared the set to a close after more than two hours and the encore kicked off with Slash and Fortus trading subtle riffs on an instrumental cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Waiting on a Friend.”

Axl came out whistling and wearing his umpteenth fresh t-shirt of the night (a black Stones Voodoo Lounge tour shirt) for “Patience,” his two enormous diamond-encrusted crosses swinging back and forth during an amped cover of The Who’s “The Seeker.” And then, after some fireworks and a fierce “Paradise City,” the dream was over.

Adler came out to take a bow with the rest of the gang, that always-present smile stretched maybe just a little wider for one night.

Guns n’ Roses: Once in This Lifetime
Guns n' Roses - Cincinnati, OH - 7/6/16

Tony Keefer

There are those concerts that come to town every summer. While they are always a good time, you know that if you miss it this time, you can always catch it next year. But every once in a while, there is an event that comes to town that you know you cannot miss. Such an event took place last night when Guns n’ Roses played Paul Brown Stadium (a.k.a The Jungle) in Cincinnati, OH  as a part of the band’s “Not In This Lifetime tour. The tour is the first to feature original G n’ R members Axl Rose, Slash,  and Duff McKagan playing  on the same stage together in over twenty years. Given the significance of this reunion, perhaps a better name for this tour would be the Once In This Lifetime tour. Whatever it is called, was it ever worth the wait!

There was a buzz in the Cincinnati air all day leading up to the show. The festivities started early in the day as people couldn’t wait to experience the show that they had waited for so long. The rock n’ roll faithful made their way downtown in the early afternoon dressed in their best Guns n’ Roses t-shirts. The local bars, such as The Holy Grail and Jefferson Social provided a perfect soundtrack to their rock n’ roll patrons by blasting G n’ R tunes over their speakers. As cool as the vibe was on the Cincinnati streets, most fans made their way over to Paul Brown Stadium shortly after the gates opened at 6:30pm. As the fans filed into the stadium, the anticipation could be felt as each minute ticked away closer to show time.

As has been the case with the band for years, the question that seemed to be asked the most was, “What time will they hit the stage?” After a few minutes of neon images of firing guns playing on the large video screens on each side of the stage, the lights went out at 9:30pm sharp and Paul Brown Stadium was no more. We were officially in the Jungle (A titled earned as the home of the NFL Cincinnati Bengals.)  After a recording of the Looney Tunes overture played, Axl and Company ascended on the stage with a fierce opening one-two punch made up of “It’s So Easy” and “Mr.Brownstone”  from the Appetite for Destruction album.  It was in those first few minutes that the magnitude of what was happening really set in.  It was almost all too much to take in at one time…almost. On one part of the stage you had the most iconic front man in the history of rock n’ roll wielding his mic stand and singing in his trademark scream. Then on another part of the stage there was Slash, one of the most iconic guitarists playing his Les Paul looking cool and calm in his signature top hat and shades. And then there is Mr. Duff McKagan playing bass and being one of the coolest dudes in rock n’ roll period. Holy crap…THERE WAS GUNS N’ ROSES!!!

By the end of third song, reality set in and composure began to return, but it was short lived. With a simple question, Axl managed to send the thousands of fans into a frenzy. That simple question was, “Do you know where you are?”  Rose then paid tribute to the legacy of Paul Brown by saying that the band knew where they were. Then after once again asking the crowd, the band broke into “Welcome to the Jungle.” If there was a roof on top of the stadium, it would have been blown off by the power of that moment. For the next three hours the band delivered songs from the Appetite era, the Illusion era, and the Chinese Democracy era. It was refreshing that the band did not choose to forget any part of their history, no matter who was playing the songs. Another thing abut the band that was obvious by the end of the night was the undeniable chemistry that exist between the members. A perfect example was right before the band performed “November Rain.” Axl sat at the piano and began to play the outro to Derek and the Dominos classic, “Layla.” After just a couple of bars, Slash and McKagan gathered around Rose and jammed out an epic version of the piece of music. It was a magical moment to witness.

As much attention as was given to the reunion of the three original members, credit has to be given to band members Richard Fortus (guitars) and Frank Ferrer (drums.) These two gentlemen have been a part of the band for a number of years (Fortus since 2001, Ferrer since 2006) but may have been lost a bit in the shadow of the reunion. It can’t be an easy spot to be in, but these two guys both turned in awesome performances. They both seem to be gracious to the situation, but also made it clear that they are a big part of Guns n’ Roses.

Axl’s scream. Slash’s solos. Duff’s attitude. One classic G n’ R song after another. The Cincinnati crowd saw it all. At least we thought we had…After the band wrapped up the Chinese Democracy track, “Better,” Axl announced they had a special guest. Before anyone had time to wonder who it could be, original Guns n’ Roses drummer, Steven Adler appeared on stage. This was something that has been talked about ever since it was announced that the three members were getting together. Would Adler be a part of it? On July 6, 2016 in Cincinnati, OH, that question was answered. A very refreshed and healthy looking Steven Adler got behind the drum kit and joined his G n’ R brothers in a performances of “Out ta Get Me” and “My Michelle.” The last time that these four men had played together on the same stage was on April 7, 1990. It was August 1, 1988, when that lineup last appeared together on a Cincinnati stage when the band opened a show for Aerosmith at Riverbend Music Center. You could see from the huge smile on the drummer’s face what the moment meant to him. Seeing Slash and Duff climb the riser to acknowledge Steven was an awesome moment that not many will soon forget. Rock n’ roll history was made on this night.

Guns n’ Roses did much more than just put on a show here last night. In many ways, the band re-wrote history. No more is the discussion about what time they went on? What pissed off Axl? How far gone were Slash and Duff?  Now the discussion will be about the night one of the biggest bands in the world came to town and played one of the most memorable shows in our city’s history. As the years pass and our memories fade, we will wear our t-shirts from this show as our badge of honor, as if to say yeah, I was there when Cincinnati rockers welcomed Guns n’ Roses to The Jungle. I was there the night Axl, Slash , Steven and Duff played together for the first time in over a quarter of a century.  With Guns n’ Roses, you never know what the future will bring. Because July 6th, 2016 in Cincinnati, OH was Once in a lifetime.

Guns N’ Roses (w/ Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown): Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio – July 6, 2016

Brian Q. Newcomb

Here in 2016, it’s hard to gauge the significance of bands that were hugely popular in the 1980s after all the time that has passed. Few would argue against the dominance of L.A. band Guns N’ Roses in their heyday, after the release of Appetite for Destruction in 1987 and the two volumes of Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 in 1991, just as grunge bands from Seattle like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were sucking all the oxygen out of the hard rock side of the equation.

Certainly, the main selling point for this “Not In This Lifetime” tour right now, is the reunion of longtime vocalist Axl Rose with original members Slash (guitar) and Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals), which overlooked the obvious absence of other’s from the band’s early heyday, Izzy Stradlin (guitar) and until tonight, Steven Adler (drums). While there’s been no real discussion what broke up Rose with the rest of the band in the mid-90s, forcing him to recreate the sound of GN’R around himself while the rest of the band (at the beginning at least), went on to form Velvet Revolver with Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland, it seems like business as usual that they’ve come back together with little explanation, except the obvious paycheck that was waved in their faces by Live Nation.

But we are talking about a band that could not even let bygones be bygones and come together when the original members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. You have to wonder if bands that have reached the point where they’re prepared to cash-in for the big bucks reunion tour, envy the fact that the Eagles got to “Hell Freezes Over” first – perfect tour name for a band that has had an ugly public break-up and now wants to come back together. It’s so much cooler than “Not In This Lifetime,” don’t you think?

And of course, all this is complicated by the fact that Rose has never stopped touring under the GN’R moniker, supported over the years by continuing members Dizzy Reed (keyboards), Richard Fortus (guitar) and Frank Ferrer (drums) as well as some noteworthy folk passing through in the middle years, including Gilby Clarke, Tommy Stinson (Replacements), and Buckethead.

So, this grand reunion between Axl and Slash, essentially, started out with a headlining slot at Coachella, followed by a stadium tour that has sold out about half of its stadium venues, but at the show in Cincinnati and reportedly the second show in Chicago, they failed to fill the top half of the 40K plus seats. A sign that Guns N’ Roses relevance remains in question. Very few bands can maintain a coast to coast tour at that level, filling huge venues at that premium ticket price – of course there’s Beyonce, but the only two rock acts that come immediately to mind are Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones.

But beyond the ticket draw and personnel issues, what matters most to music fans is of course the band’s ability to play, and whether they still have the creativity and energy to pull off the Big Show, to match the big venue. And, while the audience numbers may have been lacking last Wednesday night, this current edition of Guns N’ Roses proved they were up to the task, and gratefully the long forecasted rainstorm scheduled between 7 & 9 pm arrived six hours early in the mid-afternoon, leaving the humidity high but the seats dry.

After some Looney Tune cartoon opening, literally, playing the “Looney Tunes” theme to the shooting of various cartoon guns, the band hit the stage like rock & roll royalty performing “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” to the loud approval of their most committed fans. That was followed by “Chinese Democracy,” from the 2008 album of that name, the one recorded relic from Axl’s post-Slash etc., period. That this album was both a critical and commercial fiasco is borne out by the fact that they only included one other song from it in this evening’s set list, “Better” which appeared late in evening.

Introducing “Welcome to the Jungle,” Axl spoke to the crowd for the first time, saying something he’d no doubt repeated to countless audiences. As one of the three or four of Guns N’ Roses biggest, most recognizable hits, a couple things came to mind. Of all the band’s working the “Greatest Hits” reunion tour angle, Guns N’ Roses may be the band most reliant on audience familiarity with the deeper album tracks of their best selling albums. In fact, their three biggest airplay contenders – “Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” – as well as four other songs from the evening’s playlist come from the band’s 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction. The cynic in me thinks that next year’s tour will be built on the back of that album’s 30 year anniversary.

But to the band’s good fortune and the pleasure of their fans, they had come to Paul Brown Stadium on that warm, sticky work night to rock… and that’s just what they did. Of course, the focus of the band’s instrumental power is the masterful guitar technique of Slash, who may not dress to impress in his sleeveless t-shirt and signature top hat, but when the rests his guitar on his hip for stability he brings together the virtuoso delicacy of studied classical master with the speed and prowess expected from metal guitar heroes, and all of it was on display on “Double Talkin’ Live” and routinely elsewhere throughout the night. Who else is there, Eddie Van Halen and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett… but both of them are often more about the speedy display of notes racing up the scale, while Slash plays with musicality and feeling like few others. Is there another player of his generation equal to his talents, I don’t think so.

And the rest of the band is built of equally strong musical timber. On “Rocket Queen,” the band’s muscular melodic approach was carried by Slash, bassist McKagan, and second guitarist Rich Fortus, who proved he was worthy of his present company with a solid solo of his own. Then Rose led the band through a high energy, big rock production of “You Could Be Mine,” from Use Your Illusion II, before announcing that “it feels like we’re starting to get warmed up.”

So with the band’s musical prowess beyond repute the obvious next questions come down to Axl’s voice, could he still hit the high notes, would he still be able to deliver at the highest level songs that go back 25 – 30 years. Well, surprisingly he was also up to the task, while the edge and youthful zest was not as present in his high pitched scream and yelp, he was hitting all of the high notes with ease and often did so while running full-kilter around the stages many stairs and labels. For someone who had a broken foot earlier in the year, he seemed out to prove that he was able to get around, moving from one end to the other of the large stage with ease. And I know it’s common for divas to design their shows around elaborate costumes, but orchestrating the set list to allow Axl time backstage to change from one black t-shirt to another or to put on a leather fringe jacket (did I mention it was hot and sticky), seemed a tad bit over the top to me.

Interestingly, I was most aware of Axl’s vocals on the band’s two big hit covers, McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” and Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” the latter being such a simple folk song that it allowed for the some vocal gymnastics on the song’s long repetitive coda. The band added another big show piece cover, doing The Who’s “The Seeker” in their closing three song encore, sandwiched between the acoustic “Patience,” with the return of Axl’s spaghetti western whistle, and the big closer “Paradise City,” which accompanied a fireworks display better than some towns get on the Fourth of July.

And when it came to production values, Guns N’ Roses was all in from the start… all the bells and all the whistles… large video screens, lighting and staging theatrics… a strong world class presentation.

And, given the natural inclination toward melodrama, it’s not surprising that much of the night included large set pieces, framed around Axl’s no feeling left unexpressed that included “Civil War” (again with the spaghetti western whistling) complete with Slash’s Jimi Hendrix tribute with an outro of “Voodoo Child,” the big soap opera tear-jerker “Coma,” and the full-on cinematic take of “November Rain.”

The other show highlights include a solo guitar instrumental ballad by Slash on “Speak Softly Love,” which was the love theme from “The Godfather” movie, sung by Andy Williams. Then later, Slash and Fortus drew amazing solos out of each other on an instrumental duet based on “Wish You Were Here,” by Pink Floyd, before segueing into the piano coda of the Eric Clapton classic, “Layla.” The brand brought on original drummer Steven Adler to play on two songs, “Out Ta Get Me” and “My Michelle,” a rare treat, and mid-set Axl left the stage and vocal duties to McKagan on a cover of the Misfits’ “Attitude,” a rare reminder that Guns N’ Roses was inspired as much by 70’s punk as 80’s metal.

And, you can’t say they didn’t give fans their money’s worth… the show was a long, 2 and a half plus hours, ending the set proper with a fine bluesy rendition of “Nightrain.” I’m not sure if Guns N’ Roses can maintain at this level without some new material, and some that connects in a big way with fans the way that opening riff of “Sweet Child” turned a generation into true believers. And after the digital kryptonite that was Chinese Democracy, whether there’s enough creative chemistry between Slash and Axl to suggest that new music could be on the horizon… while they were on the same stage, playing the same songs at the same time, that’s about the only interaction we witnessed. Still, some bands have found a way for a next chapter and a next.

In the meantime, Guns N’ Roses were a band of their word… they promised a great night of hard rocking classics out under the night sky, and they delivered.

Backstage at Guns N' Roses: 9 things I learned

By Julie Dolan

1. Cincinnati pride runs deep.

Susan Holmes-McKagan, wife of GNR bassist Duff McKagan, is an Ohio native and HUGE Cincinnati Reds fan. (Notice her hat.) And much like the rest of us locals, some of her fondest childhood memories include going to Reds games with her dad.

2. They're rock stars, but they're human.

Steven Adler, GNR's original drummer, was invited to surprise the fans and reunite with the band for the first time in years. My husband and I were sitting on a couch in the green room when he walked in half dressed and full of pre-show jitters. He was looking for a safety pin. Miraculously someone had one, (note to self: always carry a safety pin) and he turned to me and asked me to pin his pants. "Huh? Like.. to your underwear?" I mindlessly asked. "No, bunch the fabric together and tighten the pants," my husband laughed. Got it. Success. Did that just happen? Yes. And the point? Adler may be a rock star, but he still has ill-fitting pants and needs a little help every now and then. He's human...

Plus, I wanted to tell you that story.

3. Business kept the band together (even when they were apart).

"So, how did the band get back together? Who made the call?" I boldly asked Duff McKagan. "Hmm.. I haven't rehearsed these answers. I haven't done any interviews about this yet," he joked. McKagan went on to say that even when GNR members were working on other projects, they stayed in touch thanks to their shared interest in merchandise and music royalties. It wasn't much money he says, but enough to keep them in contact. He called the GNR reunion a mutual decision. I'll buy it!

4. Music unites.

Tens of thousands of screaming fans packed Paul Brown Stadium for the concert. The best part? No one was screaming at each other. For one night, people weren't hashing out political views or heckling one another over opposing sports teams. The sold-out crowd was happy to be there and excited to hear the music.

5. People age, but their music doesn't.

Thirty years later, you might not recognize the band members if you walked by them on the streets. But if you were there last night, you'd recognize every song. They didn't miss a beat. I was so impressed with their vocal and physical stamina. All of the musicians worked the stage and managed to keep energy levels at full throttle for the show's entirety.

6. Paul Brown Stadium is a great venue.

"Welcome to the Jungle," baby! Pun intended. The crowd went wild when the band's fourth song began. I looked around to take it all in and noticed that there's really not a bad seat in the house. It was my first concert at PBS and it certainly won't be my last.

7. Don't underestimate a rock star's wife.

I'm sure there are some great perks to being married to a rock star… endless free concerts, an all access pass behind the scenes, your hubby's fat paycheck.. etc. But Susan Holmes-McKagan was successful on her own before meeting her husband. When she finished high school, the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family didn't attend the college where her father worked as a professor. She moved to Paris to model -- and she stayed for seven years. Years later when she married Duff and got pregnant, she decided to put her fashion sense to work. Holmes-McKagan runs a successful bathing suit line, writes for Huffington Post, and currently is writing a book due out next year. Who's the rock star now?

8. Try not to watch the show through your cell phone.

We're all guilty of it: something cool happens and we immediately reach for our cell phones to capture a photo or video. We want to remember the moment so badly that we focus more on capturing it than actually living it. I recorded a few videos (for you, of course), and then I made a point to put my phone away for a few songs and let myself enjoy the music.

9. Guns N' Roses put on a killer live show.

And the world is lucky the band is back together.