2017.02.02 - Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand

Guns N' Roses fans promised 'very special' shows in Wellington and Auckland

By Rachel Thomas



As Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose will tell you, it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain.

But promoter Paul Dainty, who worked for a year to bring the rock'n'roll legends to Wellington, is certain the February drizzle won't cause the band any problems when they take to the Westpac Stadium stage on Thursday night.

"I remember years ago - God rest his soul, David Bowie - we did Bowie in Australia, in Melbourne, in the most horrific weather. Made this look like summer, and the show was magic," Dainty said.

The band and their enormous crew touched down in the capital on Tuesday for the first of two New Zealand shows, which are part of the Australasian leg of their Not in this Lifetime tour.

"The band will be energised, Wellingtonians should get something very special," Dainty said.

While he didn't know how the band, which includes foundation members Duff McKagan, Slash and Axl Rose, had been spending their time, he doubted the weather would have have deterred them from leaving their hotel.

"They've come this far and those sort of acts don't tend to stay cooped up in the hotel," Dainty said.

"I know there was a lot of chatter and excitement about New Zealand. I'm finding that with a lot of acts now, it's becoming fashionable. New Zealand seems to be on their shopping list."

When reptile-lover and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash visited Wellington as part of a solo tour in February 2015 he was treated to a tour of Zealandia, bonded with a tuatara and vowed to return.

Dainty expected the rock legend would be looking for more of that. "Slash likes doing that stuff."

When asked what the band's backstage demands were, Dainty said it was largely "pretty grown up" items.

"It's not like it was when I started out in the 1970s and 1980s when there were mad demands backstage. These days it's normal stuff, normal catering. I mean, lots of it ... [because] we're touring with 110 people or whatever."

The set list for Wellington and the Auckland show on Saturday remains a mystery, but Dainty said fans would get "all the big songs".

Westpac Stadium CEO Shane Harmon said 32,000 tickets had been sold by Wednesday afternoon. Half were snapped up by fans outside of Wellington.

This was the biggest show to be hosted at Westpac Stadium since ACDC​ visited in 2010, Harmon said, and he expected the stadium to near capacity at 40,000.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* Gates open at 5pm,

* Those with seats on the field of play should arrive early because they need to receive a wristband

* Opening act Wolfmother will kick off at 6.45pm with Guns N' Roses expected to take the stage at 8pm

* The concert will finish about 10.45pm

* Stadium parking will be available exclusively to concert attendees.

* The last train will depart Wellington between 11pm and 11.15pm.

* Patrons seated near the stage will not be allowed to carry bottles with them, plastic or otherwise

* Showers are forecast for Thursday afternoon but the rain should have cleared by 7pm

* Tickets for the Wellington show were still available Wednesday evening, from $132.40.

* Correction: The last train will depart Wellington between 11pm and 11.15pm, not 1am as previously reported.

Guns N' Roses give hat tip to Wellington store

By HANNAH MCKEE



A Guns N' Roses star came knock, knock knocking at an Old Bank Arcade store yesterday, and walked out with some Kiwi-made headwear.

Ahead of the Guns N' Roses show tonight at Wellington's Westpac Stadium, bassist Duff McKagan stopped by the Clockwork Steampunk Emporium with his wife Susan Holmes-McKagan on Wednesday night.

Store owner Paula Lester-Garcia said she didn't recognise the rocker at first.

"He just looked like any other guy, but then I got talking to them," Lester-Garcia said.

"The first thing I asked, which is what I always ask any customer, is how do you know about Steampunk? And they explained that they were from Seattle and it's quite popular there."

It wasn't long before McKagan was browsing the Victorian-influenced science fiction fashion store.

"He was just looking around and his wife said 'you should really get a hat!', and he said 'I'm not so sure if I suit hats'.

"The first thing he tried on was this white helmet, and I said what about a top hat? He said, 'No, no I can't have top hat, one of the other members of the band is really well known for his top hat'."

McKagan went for a black bowler hat by the Petone-based company Hills Hats, which retails at NZ$165.

"We have a luxury version and I thought afterwards I should have sold them the luxury version, they could afford it!" Lester-Garcia laughed.

It's not the first famous face to step into her store, with a member of AC/DC coming in last year to purchase a ray gun.

Lester-Garcia hopes the couple may have told the other band members about their shopping experience.

"I was telling the wife to try on a corset but she said she wasn't feeling very good and might come back today.

"I gave her a brochure and said she should tell Slash because I'm sure he'd like a hat. If he came in today, that would be pretty cool."

Hills Hats owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy said knowing a Guns N' Roses member had purchased one of their hats was a great compliment.

"I've listened to them for a long time, they were definitely in vogue in my teens," he said, "It's marvellous."

He listed famous faces such as Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, and the members of Fat Freddy's Drop as also being on their customer list.

Guns N' Roses perform at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on February 2, and Auckland's Western Springs on February 4.

Thousands shut out of Guns N' Roses concert in Wellington



Thousands of Guns N' Roses fans gathered in the rain outside Wellington's Westpac Stadium, unable to get into the show.

Fans were told technical difficulties, caused by the bad weather, meant they were behind with stage preparations.

Rumours circulated through the queues that the turnstiles were not working, but a security guard said crews were still preparing the stage at 6pm.

Gates to the show were supposed to open at 5pm, but in the end it took more than 90 minutes before they finally swung open, and the queues began moving.

Earlier in the day, the band's longtime production manager Dale Skjerseth said the band would take to the stage promptly at 8pm, with their set list to last almost three hours.

According to him, the band had outgrown their old habits of notoriously late arrivals or even missing entire concerts.

However, support band Wolfmother were scheduled to start playing at 6.45pm, and at that time the stadium was still largely empty.

Angela Gillies-O'Flaherty wrote on the stadium's Facebook page: "It's now been over an hour standing in the rain and you still haven't opened the gates. This is such poor event management.



"No doubt there is a health and safety risk with this many people - everyone - standing here."

Brendon Gutschlag said: "Sort your technical difficulties out. It rains a lot in Wellington and if your system can't handle it that it is poor performance from your team.

"And a bit more information would be appreciated - one hour standing in the rain is not cool."

Robert Lloyd, of Petone, said he would be meeting his mates at the pub, rather than standing in line outside the gates.

"I'll be going hard once I'm in there."

Guns N' Roses love their first Wellington visit, despite the rain

By Glenn McConnell

Guns N' Roses are asking themselves a tough question about Wellington after their Thursday night gig.

Why have they never come here before?

The band are full of praise for the city, despite miserable weather marring the concert and almost making it impossible to perform after rain hampered the set-up.

After the show, the band's bass guitarist Duff McKagan said: "Holy HELL Wellington! Where you been all my life?"

"In the rain and wind, you all showed what this town is made of. Too f... cool," he tweeted.

About 31,500 fans packed Westpac Stadium on Thursday night. Some were left waiting in huge queues stretching down the stadium's exposed concourse, but once inside, the stadium was alight.

Legendary guitarist Slash was positively upbeat about the capital's hardy citizens.

"Wellington, that was a wet & wild show for sure. You guys kick ass sticking it out for 2.5 hours," he said.

In Wellington, bass player Duff McKagan picked up some local hats in the Old Bank Arcade. McKagan bought a $165 black bowler hat at Clockwork Steampunk Emporium, the hat was made by Petone-based company Hills Hats.

The band was heading to Auckland for their next Not In This Lifetime show at Western Springs on Saturday.

Tickets were still available for their Auckland show and promoters had moved to sale site GrabOne to get rid of the last tickets. Tickets were selling for $79 plus fees, whereas Ticket Master had been selling them for $89 minimum.

The band's synthesiser and keyboard player, Melissa Reese ran into trouble while in Wellington. She issued a public service announcement via Instagram on Thursday night, warning food lovers to be careful in Wellington.

"Eggplant is the enemy. Don't fall for it. Plants are cool, eggs are cool — eggplant is pretending," she said.

Wellington jolted to life by a hard rock tour de force

By BOB MASON

Well, the Westpac Stadium (and Wellington) certainly needed that. After the depressing, tumbleweed scenes from the weekend, as the once mighty Sevens party was reduced to a sparse smattering of diehards, Guns N' Roses turned the dial up to eleven and jolted an exuberant crowd with a hard rock tour de force.

Even Mother Nature showed a modicum of respect: the diabolical Wellington summer rain abated a little at times, although the locals were prepared and determined to let their hair down, drenched or dry. It was reminiscent of when David Bowie came to town a decade ago and worked his magic in similarly inclement conditions.

After their meteoric late 80s, early 90s heyday, Guns N' Roses have charted a familiar rock 'n' roll stony path: separation, litigation, a long hiatus in creative output, until the eventual release of Chinese Democracy and its rather mixed reception.

After Axl Rose pulled out of the Hall of Fame induction a few years ago, the prospects of a reunion seemed dim. Then, as if to complete the fairytale cliché, the band's core of Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited in late 2015, followed by a swift announcement of this gargantuan tour.

Naturally, it had been a long time between drinks for most of the fans too. I fondly remember my long-haired, sixth-form self at my last GNR outing, nervously hoping to bluff my way into getting served at the bar. Twenty years on, the sight of the slightly balding and the rotund, clad in ill-fitting and faded original T-shirts and moshing with energy, was a reassuring plus ca change.

Mindful of the fact that there is no more powerful drug than nostalgia, the setlist was packed with those monster hits from Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion. First, they cruised into It's So Easy as if they really had never been away. The stunning backdrop and regular fireworks kept the momentum going, as the classic songs flowed effortlessly.

There was no interaction from Axl until a few warm-up songs in, when the instantly recognisable opening riff of Welcome To The Jungle fired up the faithful throng. The highlight, predictably, was Sweet Child O' Mine: the mesmerising virtuosity of Slash's solo undimmed by the passage of time.

The entourage reconvenes in Auckland on Saturday February 4 at Western Springs. This should not be missed.

When you go to a Guns N' Roses concert, despite being born after their great hits

By Glenn McConnell

REVIEW: One of the greatest rock bands of the 80s performed to thousands of ravenous Wellington fans, reminiscent of the glorious pre-Swift days.

Guns N' Roses had their loyal fans clinging to Slash's every riff. Their longtime fans had stuck with the band for decades, grown up with their sound, and didn't care for Wellington's maddening weather.

They were true fans. They wanted to relive the music that had powered their lives for years through the 80s to mid-90s. I, however, was born in 1997.

For the first time ever I was to witness the spectacle that would be a proper arena rock concert.

Previous Guns N' Roses shows had featured riots, Donald Trump pinatas and mass arrests. What would they have instore for the capital's Cake Tin?

The band, and their fans as well, have aged since their days of rebellion. Guns N' Roses' production manager of more than 20-years, Dale Skjerseth​ said the once chaotic band had evolved to be "businesspeople".

This then was the suit and tie tour.

The fans, now with families of their own, weren't there to rebel. They were settled and streamed in methodically, each wearing a black hoddie in memoriam to rock of old.

In the stands crowds looked down with kids by their sides. For the most part, they stayed seated apart from a few lively rockers waiving their signs of the horns. As the rain circled around, lit by fireworks and gass flames, the arena took on an almost spiritual feeling.

Or maybe that feeling was just because I couldn't understand a word Axl Rose said. Was he speaking in tongues? Or was the sound system stuffed? I have no clue, but everyone else seemed to know what was going on as they chanted in unison to the rhythm of Slash's constant strum.

It was like I'd walked into Hogwarts, but couldn't play Quidditch​.

Axl would mumble something, the crowd would cheer. Confused me would look at the dude dancing like a boss by himself.

The few great classics though, remained great classics.

Paradise City is an earworm wherever, however and whenever you hear it. Sweet Child o' Mine has travelled through the generations – it forced even the comfiest of concert goers to get out of their seats.

In 2017, we're left mostly with soft rock. It's the sad rock, the indie rock, with emo fans who wear wavy dresses rather than heavy black eyeliner. Maybe we need more of the fist pumping (or horn waving, if you want) rock.

Guns N' Roses 'touch and go' until 11th hour at Wellington's Westpac Stadium

By Tom Hunt

Rockers Guns N' Roses almost had to pull the pin on Wellington as appalling weather lashed the capital.

Westpac Stadium chief executive Shane Harmon said high winds on Wednesday meant it was "touch and go" whether the stage would even be erected in time.

Crews though worked through the night to make sure it was, he said.

Come Thursday - the night of the gig that saw 31,500 soggy fans rock to Paradise City, November Rain and most of the band's other big hits - moderate but almost constant rain meant some stadium staff were late getting there, delaying the opening of the gates, leaving early arrivals milling outside in the wet.

Wellington's less than paradisiacal summer meant the bad weather seemed almost fated.

Of the seven event days so far at the stadium in 2017 - four Phoenix games, two days of the Wellington Sevens and Guns N' Roses on Thursday night - six had been plagued by "appalling" weather, Harmon said.

On Thursday night, some punters waited for up to 90 minutes in the driving rain to enter the gig.

Harmon said Wellington's weather-related traffic jams meant not enough staff were free for the stadium to safely open the gates.

But when they did open, 22,000 people were in by 7.30pm, 30,200 by 8.15pm, and the full 31,500 by the time Guns N' Roses played the opening riffs at 8.50pm. They were 50 minutes behind schedule.

While it was a challenging evening due to technical issues, the concert itself was a success with good reviews, he said.

Stuff reviewer Bob Mason described the gig as a "hard rock tour de force".

The band now move to Auckland, where dry weather is forecast for their Saturday show.

Concert Review - Guns N' Roses - Wellington

By Danny Rodda

Artist: Guns N' Roses

Date / Venue: Thursday February 2nd, 2017 - Westpac Stadium, Wellington

I'll admit it... I'm a fan of GnR, I have been ever since the first time I saw them, way back in 1988 as an over excited 15 year old, so the opportunity to see (almost) the classic line up one last time was not to be missed, and also it presented itself as a fantastic first concert to take my 9 year old son along to see.

Tickets had been arranged way back in September, but then, just 12 hours out from the show I got a call asking if I could write a review... suddenly my anticipation for the show changed to mild trepidation... what if they sucked? What if things went wrong? How could I face my 15 year old inner self, and what precedent would this set as my sons first concert? As the day progressed, my nerves got worse... the weather wasn't looking good, a rain front set in and decided to stay.

Things only got scarier as I arrived at the venue, the gates were late opening due to a 'technical issue' which in this instance was several thousand litres of water on the stage... as Scooby would say "Ruh Roh"

I've been a musician myself for 20+ years, in no small part inspired to get on stage by my early concert experience, seeing the Gunners all those years ago, and I've always had huge respect for the road and stage crew, who pulled a miracle out tonight, and managed to get the stage into working order, tip of the hat to those guys, Axl gave them a well earned shout out during the show too.

Wolfmother opened the show, and sadly had to suffer through some tech issues with the PA, resulting in less than stellar sound quality. They put in a great show as an opening act, but I can't help but feel more than mildly annoyed that there was no local kiwi act as a warm up, we've got some world class bands here who could easily have hyped the crowd up.

On to the main act, the reason we all came along tonight...

After a long wait (cue fears of the bad old days of excruciatingly late starts) the intro music kicked in, and the band hit the stage, roaring straight into a solid start with It's So Easy. The wet weather and dodgy PA seemed to slow the initial momentum and the crowd were slow to warm up, half heartedly joining in on Mr Brownstone, and Chinese Democracy (I love that album, and I'm so happy to hear songs from that being included in the current set), and then it all cut loose finally as Slash jammed his way into the familiar delay saturated intro of Welcome To The Jungle, finally the band, the audience, and the PA system we're all in sync, and things really got going... even the onset of torrential rain wasn't enough to dampen things down (Dad joke, no apologies).

I could go through and list every song from the extensive set list, but I won't... they clearly came to play, and play they did, rocking through nearly 3 hours of classics.

The highlights for me has to be Better, Estranged, and Sweet Child, the band just locked in to that old familiar groove, attained only through having fought their way, quite literally sometimes, from obscurity to the top of the world.

Slash barely seems to have aged, Duff is still as solid as ever, and despite my initial worries, Axl's voice is sounding great, still powerful and flexible... I've heard people bemoaning the fact he doesn't sound like he did in the 80's... who the hell does though?

As a singer, I know exactly how hard it is to get onstage and do it night after night, but Axl sounds fresh, and in form.

As much as I would've liked to have seen Steven Adler and Izzy on stage, I have to give it to the session players backing the band, they are tight, and a special mention to Richard Fortus, who really is a full member and fits in exceptionally well... I may be signing my death warrant by saying this, but I think his presence has even pushed Slash to stretch out and play more, the two seeming to push each other on at every opportunity.

The 3 core members seem genuinely at ease with each other, and revelled in the familiarity of old friends doing what they do best, having put aside past differences... I can imagine that as time goes on, unless egos get out of control, they'll relax even more and continue to put on vibrant and exciting shows.

I came along prepared to be mildly underwhelmed, but happily that was not the case... Guns N Roses are still a world class act, in great form. Yes, I'm a fan and tonight has reconfirmed that in every way. It was also amazing to see my son have what can only be called a 'life altering moment'... I may have created a monster... but I knew that would happen the first time I dragged him on stage with me, GnR have just set the future in stone for him. Another generation corrupted by the Most Dangerous Band In The World! Thank you Axl, Slash, and Duff.... now.... a new album maybe? Please?