2010.06.05 - Helsinki Live 2010, Helsinki, Finland

Axl Rose and Guns N 'Roses managed to warm up the audience despite the chilly weather

By Otto Talvio

Guns N 'Roses' third visit to Helsinki did not start with a wedding, but amazingly improved dramatically towards the end. The band had an uneven gig reputation in the past, but now one gig contained both totally failed moments and a superbly rolling rock 'n' roll charm.

Axl Rose and his band came on stage 45 minutes late and the traditional opening song Welcome To The Jungle was only heard for a second.

In the background, a strong crosswind pounded the band's sound and Rose's faintly opened voice disappeared with the wind into Käpylä's yards.

The songs on the Chinese Democracy album , prepared like St. Isaac’s Church and finally released last year, didn’t really wake the audience, but as soon as old songs were heard, such as You Could Be Mine or Rocket Queen, heard early, the audience woke up and applauded.

In addition to Axl Rose, Guns N 'Roses' current line-up has only keyboardist Dizzy Reed left from the 1990s, but this doesn't seem to have diminished the pure enthusiasm with which the audience reacts to the band's old favorites.

As the audience warmed up on an icy summer evening, Rose warmed up, and towards the end he began to seem even in a relaxed mood.

After one change of clothes, he came on stage in a t-shirt and pushed his belly out as if joking about it in a fairly large size.

In addition, the band kept their promise to play for two hours.

The playing should have ended at 11pm, but the band still returned to play the three-song encore, which ended at almost 11.30pm.

It was already widely speculated in advance how much loss would be generated by promoter Kalle Keskinen's festival.

The attendance goal set for tens of thousands did not materialize and the area itself had shrunk to only a fraction of the original.

Football fans did not have to stress about the durability of Käpylä's grass field, as it was not in use at all.

According to the festival organizer, there were about 17,500 attendants at the venue, but since many of them arrived only before the Guns N 'Roses gig, the area was quite loose most of the time.

When Mike Monroe, who first appeared, played in two countries during the day, there were only a few thousand spectators in the area.

The festival had also been given a clever nickname: Central Million Rock.

The name could also have been Central Fair Million Rock, as that’s how much Guns N ’Roses was estimated to have paid the organizers.

Routine gig!
Guns N' Roses was late and played through the old hits.

Guns N ’Roses’ Saturday gig was enough for the audience, but the atmosphere was halfway there.

Nor could it be a surprise that singer known for her delay, Axl Rose, stepped on stage in her own time. The band started their gig in Käpylä Sports Park at 9.15 pm - three quarters late.

According to promoter Kalle Keskinen , the tickets had been sold well even at the last minute. The Central confirmed the audience at about 18,000, while the venue would have accommodated up to 35,000.

The pace already revealed what was to come. The title track of the new album, Chinese Democracy, which opened the gig, received a solid reception, but after that, the Welcome To The Jungle was heard wild.

The crowd had come to listen specifically to the old Gunnari classics, and they were mainly played by the band.

The bombs exploded

Handsome bombs and flames struck the giant stage. The mood lasted high until the middle of the gig, but the guitar and piano solos caused the audience’s interest to wane.

In the final stage, one could have expected a huge sea of ​​lighters as Axl stepped to the grand piano to meet the giant ballad November Rain, but some of the crowd was already staring in the direction of the gates.

The old acquaintances Knockin´ On A Heaven´s Door and Nightrain got the mood up a bit more, but time ran out. The call continued until 11.30 pm, for example, Paradise City was heard in the encore.

Glory to Kim

In Norway, Axl, waving the Swedish flag, did not talk to the public. Ex-world champion Kimi Räikkönen, however, known to be the singer's friend, was honored. During the song You Could Be Mine, you could see the formula cars on the screen, and Kim's old McLaren also flashed in the picture.

Also performed at the Helsinki Live event Michael Monroe, Skunk Anansie, Danko Jones and White Lies. The warming acts had to play for a smaller audience as a lot of the crowd came to the scene while the evening was still cooling.