2010.05.31 - Vestlandshallen, Bergen, Norway

Axl is coming to Bergen

Bergen Live confirms that the "new" Guns N 'Roses are ready for Vestlandshallen.

Frank Nes confirms to nrk.no that the concert will take place on Monday 31 May and is part of the "Chinese Democracy" tour. The album of the same name was released in the autumn of 2008 after an incredible 14 years of work. The group will also play in Oslo Spektrum on 2 June.

Without Slash, Duff and Izzy

Beyond frontman and boss Axl Rose, there is little else but the songs that are reminiscent of the Guns N 'Roses you became acquainted with in the late 80's and early 90's. Slash, Duff and Izzy are all gone and replaced with reasonably unknown, but highly competent, musicians. It should be mentioned that Izzy Stradlin has made some guest appearances with GNR in recent years, including in Oslo Spektrum.

The crew that comes to Bergen are:

AXL ROSE : Vocal
T OMMY STINSON : Bass
RON THAL : Guitar
DJ ASHBA : Guitar
RICHARD FORTUS : Gitar
DIZZY REED : Keyboards
CHRIS PITMAN : Keyboards, Percussion
FRANK FERRER : Drums

The group began work on "Chinese Democracy" as early as 1994, the year after Guns N 'Roses released the mediocre "The Spaghetti Incident !?", a shaky collection of covers of the band's personal favorites. The mood in the group was already bad, and was not improved by the fact that Axl, according to Slash, demanded almost dictatorial control over the work. Guitarist Gilby Clarke got fired the same year, and was replaced by Axl's friend Paul Tobias (also known as Paul Huge).

Went for Stones cover

Slash first left the group in 1996, but should have already decided when Axl removed parts of Slash's guitars from the band's cover version of the Stones classic "Sympathy For The Devil" and replaced them with solos by Paul Tobias. Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum thanked each other shortly after Slash.

Axl Rose still did not let himself be stopped, and brought in guitarist Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails), bassist Tommy Stinson (Replacements) and drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle). In addition, the band was expanded with another keyboardist in addition to Dizzy Reed, Chris Pitman. This band released the song "Oh My God" in 1999, the group's first sign of life in five years. The song, which also featured Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction) on guitar, was part of the soundtrack to the Schwarzenegger film "End Of Days".

Recorded "Appetite" again

In a rare interview with MTV, Axl Rose at the time said that the new edition of the group had recorded the entire "Appetite For Destruction", with the exception of two songs, replaced by "Patience" and "You Could Be Mine". The new recording has never been released.

Avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, who never shows up in public without a mask and a KFC bucket on his head, replaced Finck on guitar in 2000, but the Nine Inch Nails guitarist returned quickly and became third in the Axl guitar trio. Buckethead's friend Bryan Mantia (Primus) took over on drums, and GNR again seemed to be on track. Of something.

On January 1, 2001, the new edition played the band live for the very first time, before two weeks later was the main attraction at the Rock In Rio III festival in Brazil. Here, Axl also used the opportunity to throw shit at his former bandmates, as well as everyone else who was critical of his new band.

Third concert in Norway

Paul Tobias left the group in 2002, and was replaced by Richard Fortus (The Psychedelic Furs). Buckethead and Axl got enough of each other in 2004, and when the band toured again in 2006, it was with Ron Thal (also known as "Bumblefoot") on guitar with Fortus and Finck. During the year, Bryan Mantia took time off from the band to become a father, and was replaced by Frank Ferrer (The Psychedelic Furs). Ferrer is now the band's official drummer. In April last year, guitarist Robin Finck returned to Nine Inch Nails. He was replaced by DJ Ashba, who has worked with Nikki Sixx from Mötley Crüe, among others.

New Guns N 'Roses has also visited Norway twice before. On June 28 and July 8, 2006, Axl brought his new band to Oslo Spektrum. The first concert was close to being canceled after Axl got into trouble with the police in Stockholm on the night of June 27, but the vocalist was set free and crossed the border into Norway in time. And the concerts received good reviews.

"Boiled by the band" in Oslo

- The band Axl Rose travels around with today is a little more upbeat than Slash, Duff and the rest were in 1993, after five or six years on the edge of the precipice. When it worked, it worked to that degree. It boiled down to the band, including the boss himself, wrote the music website Pulse after the concert on June 28.

There have, naturally enough, been a number of rumors of a possible reunion of the classic GNR crew. One of the most eager is drummer Steven Adler, who was fired in 1990 due to drug abuse - an ever so small feat in a band that at the time had a record high doping budget. Guitarist Slash has also not completely rejected the idea, but always emphasizes that it does not seem to be possible in the near future. Axl and drummer Matt Sorum will also be on speaking terms again.

Plays long concerts

The one who is friends with everyone, however, is guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who left Guns N 'Roses in 1991. He performed a number of times as a guest guitarist with the band on the 2006 tour, and was also central in building what eventually became Velvet Revolver , although Stradlin was never officially a member of the band of Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum.

On the latest tour, which began in Asia before Christmas last year, Axl and GNR have excelled with several extremely long concerts of over three hours. According to Frank Nes in Bergen Live, it will not be a problem to do something similar in Åsane on 31 May.

- The concert is indoors, so it goes just fine, says Nes to nrk.no.

In addition to the classics from "Appetite For Destruction", the concerts have placed the most emphasis on "Chinese Democracy". In San Salvador on April 11, Axl & co played the title track, "Sorry", "Better", "This I Love", "Street Of Dreams" and "Madagascar". The group has also played cover songs such as "My Generation" (The Who), "Sonic Reducer" (Dead Boys) and "Whole Lotta Rosie" (AC / DC).