2017.02.14 - Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia

Guns N' Roses confuse Melbourne with Sydney at MCG concert

Rock band Guns N' Roses have been booed at their concert on Tuesday night after they greeted the MCG crowd as "Sydney".

A crowd already restless after waiting nearly an hour for the band's appearance replaced roaring cheers with a chorus of boos when they heard the slip up.

The core original members of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan bounded on stage with the rest of the band undaunted, while the 70,000 strong crowd seemed a little bemused.

"You're in Melbourne," yelled one crowd member as the rockers burst into opening song It's So Easy and fireworks lit up the stage.

Audience members have also complained about poor sound quality at the concert, the band's first Melbourne performance since their notorious 1993 Calder Park concert.

The concert was trending on Twitter on Tuesday night, with dozens of audience members venting their frustration at the blunder.

Guns N' Roses booed after confusing Melbourne with Sydney at MCG concert

Glam rock legends Guns N' Roses got off to a rough start at last night's MCG concert after the Melbourne crowd was greeted as "Sydney".

Thousands of people arrived hours before the gig was due to start and the crowd roared when the band finally hit the stage.
But the cheers turned to boos after guitar technician McBob forgot where he was.

"Sydney, you wanted the best but they're stuck in traffic, so here's what you get," he yelled, before introducing the band.

The mistake could have been forgiven the last time the band performed in Melbourne in 2013, given the venue was the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

The three founding members - Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan - had not played together for Australian fans since the 1993 Use Your Illusion Tour.

The band was quick to apologise on Twitter:

Lead guitarist Slash also followed up with a more colourful response.

He tweeted: "Melbourne, thank you for an awesome f***ing evening! Apologies for the Spinal Tap intro! But, we had a great f***ing time tonight! Cheers!"

Among the thousands of fans at last night's show were a married couple who walked down the aisle to November Rain, and a Catholic school attendee who had prayed in communion for Slash and Axl Rose to reunite.

Guns N' Roses will wrap up their Australian tour with concerts in Adelaide and Perth.

Did Axl Rose demand police escort to Melbourne concert?

UPDATE: GUNS N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose has blamed Melbourne traffic for being late to the band’s concert, after police confirmed they refused him an escort to the MCG.

By Melissa Meehan and Nui Te Koha

GUNS N Roses promoter Paul Dainty says superstar rocker Axl Rose was trapped in Melbourne’s gridlock nightmare for an hour while trying to get to his own gig.

“He sat in a black van stuck in traffic like everyone else,” Mr Dainty told Confidential. “We had 74,000 people at the MCG that night. The roads were horrendous.”

Mr Dainty denied that Rose, his management or promoters demanded a police escort from Crown Towers to the MCG in a bid to get to the show quicker.

Earlier today, Victoria Police spokeswoman Kendra Jackson confirmed a request for a police escort was received on the night, but it was turned down. “A request was made and a risk assessment was conducted. The request was denied,” she said.

Given the traffic snarls, Mr Dainty also moved Guns N Roses’ onstage time — “in consultation with the MCG” — from 8pm to 8.15pm to ensure punters didn’t miss the start of the show. He added: “That was us doing the right thing.”

Axl’s traffic problems came unstuck when the van crawled into Brunton Ave, which was closed off for the show, which began at 8.45pm

“The second (Rose) got to the MCG, he was driven directly to the stage door, he put monitors in his ears and went straight on stage. He didn’t even go to his dressing room,” Mr Dainty said. Mr Dainty said the police request did not come from himself, Rose, or the band’s management.

Gunners lay past demons to rest

AFTER an hour-long wait and a dubious intro, Guns N’ Roses showed why they are among the best-selling and most revered hard rock bands in history.

By James Wigney and Ashley Argoon

IT’S called the Not In This Lifetime tour for good reason.

The last time Guns N’ Roses played in Melbourne in 2013 it was just Axl Rose fronting a bunch of ring-ins and after decades of disagreements and sniping with former band mates, the prospect of the classic line-up ever touring together again seemed more remote than Slash sporting a short back and sides.

But time — and money — are wonderful healers and the patient fans got their just reward at the MCG on Tuesday night when Rose joined forces once again with the members who formed the core of the band, guitarist Slash and bass player Duff McKagan.

And despite some of the issues common to many stadium gigs — namely distance and at times muddy sound — together they showed why the Gunners are among the best-selling and most revered hard rock bands in history.

Many of the fans in the stadium of a certain age may have still been traumatised by the 1993 Calder Park debacle, but had their faith restored as the revitalised outfit tore through their catalogue of hits, leaning heavily on fan-favourite albums Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion 1 and 2.

While the band started on the back foot with a chorus of boos after a rookie, Spinal Tap-like shout out to Sydney, they recovered quickly with It’s So Easy and Mr Brownstone forming a killer one-two punch to open the show, soon followed by Welcome To the Jungle.

A frenzied You Could Be Mine upped the ante and by the time those unforgettable opening notes of Sweet Child O’ Mine chimed around the stadium, the sea of black-shirted fans was just about ready to lose its collective mind, sparking a huge singalong.

The roar got even louder when AC/DC guitarist Angus Young joined them on stage for a hard-rock collaboration for the ages.

The Aussie rock great was returning the favour after Rose stepped in for singer Brian Johnson on some AC/DC dates last year and the Gunners front man sounded totally at home belting out Whole Lotta Rosie and Riff Raff.

Never shy of reinventing a song, the Gunners’ better known covers, such as Live and Let Die and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, were as on point as always — just as impressive was a version of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, featuring a blinding duet between Slash and fellow guitarist Richard Fortus.

After years playing with other outfits it’s a genuine pleasure to see the top-hatted founding guitar virtuoso embracing the songs that made him a star, particularly impressing on Double Talking Jive and Civil War.

Rose, who has one of the most distinctive voices in rock can thankfully still hit the high notes, and pounded the keys like a man possessed in the beloved power balled November Rain, one of the evening’s highlights.

Guns N' Roses Concert Review (Melbourne)
Gunners still the kings

By Ronny Lerner

Guns N’ Roses reaffirmed their status as one of the greatest rock bands of all time on Tuesday night with a concert for the ages at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It was very fitting that 30 years after the release of their seminal debut album Appetite For Destruction, and despite over two decades of squabbling, the reunited Gunners – featuring original members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan – still played in front of some 80,000 screaming fans.

It was a strong statement of the high regard in which they are still held and the timelessness of their incredible music 24 years after they last played in Melbourne.

The legendary trio were ably supported by longtime Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

After a 45-minute delay, which is nothing compared to some of the hour-long delays the band was notorious for back in their heyday, the show got off to a comical start when the group’s longtime guitar technician McBob shouted out “Sydney!”, while introducing them.

The error was promptly met with a chorus of boos from the crowd but it was quickly forgotten about when Duff started playing the iconic baseline intro of “It’s So Easy” and from there it was two-and-a-half hours of balls-to-the-wall nonstop classic rock.

The Gunners showed once again that they are the living, breathing embodiment of the rock ‘n’ roll ethos and Axl the epitome of old-school Sunset Strip decadence.

The iconic lead singer was lavishly adorned with diamond-encrusted necklaces, tennis-ball-size rings and had numerous wardrobe changes.

But when he wasn’t catching his breath after running around the huge stage at the Ponsford Stand end of the ground, the 55-year-old still hit the right notes more often than not.

Slash and Duff were supreme on guitars and bass respectively, hardly missing a beat as they tore through some of the band’s greatest songs.

If you weren’t regularly checking out online which setlists the band was playing in the lead-up to this gig, you would have been surprised to know that material from Chinese Democracy was also played.

Admittedly, it was a bit odd to watch Slash and Duff play songs from an album they had nothing to do with.

However, seeing them slay classics such as “Welcome To The Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “November Rain”, “Paradise City”, “You Could Be Mine” and “Civil War” provided the perfect mix of adrenalin and nostalgia for the rabid hordes in attendance.

The concert provided everything you could want from a big stadium act – pyrotechnics, fireworks, huge screens, confetti ... and, of course, Angus Young.

That’s right, the legendary AC/DC guitarist joined the fellas on stage for amazing renditions of Acca Dacca classics “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff”.

Although Angus wasn’t in his school uniform, so we’re not sure if he received a detention for that misdemeanour.

What more could you ask for from a gig? Not much. After 150 minutes of awesomeness, the crowd was still hanging around craving more.

As the fellas finally left the stage, and after Axl threw his mic into the crowd, Slash summed up the fans’ collective mood when he performed a perfectly-executed handstand.

Review: Guns N' Roses rock the MCG in front of 70,000 fans, despite wobbly start

By Martin Boulton

MUSIC
GUNS N' ROSES ★★★★
Melbourne Cricket Ground, February 14

Test matches, Olympic and Commonwealth Games, grand finals and now Guns N' Roses.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has played host to some of the biggest sporting and cultural events in the city's history and Tuesday night it was rock 'n' roll with Guns N' Roses playing to a crowd of 70,000.

It was a wobbly start, as their adoring Melbourne fans were greeted as "Sydney" a few days after the band played two shows in the Harbour City.

Bemused looks briefly replaced the anticipation across so many faces and boos could be heard as the band bounced on stage cranking out It's So Easy, fireworks blasting from the side of the enormous stage as frontman Axl Rose began working the crowd into a frenzy.

It's almost 25 years since original members of the band - Rose, guitarist Slash and bass player Duff McKagan - were last here together, playing at Calder Park on a blistering summer day also remembered for thunderstorms that delayed the group's arrival on stage.

Tuesday had another wait, this time it was some 50 minutes after the scheduled 8pm start before the group appeared. The opening blunder and first song behind them, the Gunners then blasted through Mr Brownstone from 1987 album Appetite For Destruction and followed soon after with Welcome to the Jungle. In his familiar top hat and curly black locks, Slash looked much as he did when their debut album broke through, while Rose opted for jeans, an array of jackets, shirts and hats rather than the white lycra shorts he sometimes sported in the band's earlier days.

McKagan, who during the group's afternoon soundcheck tweeted "this place is absolutely massive!" to his almost 800,000 followers, looked happy to be on stage alongside his old bandmates, plus guitar slinger Richard Fortus. Frank Ferrer occupied the drumstool where Steven Adler and Matt Sorum had previously sat. Original guitarist Izzy Stradlin, well, he's clearly not coming back any time soon.

The two-and-a-half hour show featured all the Gn'R classics, Sweet Child O' Mine, November Rain with Rose at the piano, a ferocious version of Night Train that was among the night's highlights, Civil War from the 1991 Use Your Illusion releases, Rocket Queen and a cracking Double Talkin' Jive with an almighty guitar intro from Slash.

The truly memorable moments came from Slash's guitar work, while Fortus played a solid second fiddle to the legendary L.A. guitarist.

Another guitarist of some considerable repute, AC/DC's Angus Young, was welcomed on stage as he was last week in Sydney, to huge applause from the Melbourne crowd. Young owned his moment as only he can, playing Whole Lotta Rosie and Riff Raff from the AC/DC catalogue. Seeing Slash and Young together on stage was enough to make anyone forgive the unfortunate blooper from earlier in the night.

After a stage show that left most people gasping, it was showstopper Paradise City that finished the night in a blaze of lights, fireworks and one last costume change from Rose, who brings that extra bit of glitz to the most notoriously glamorous bad boys of rock n' roll.

Guns N' Roses bring 'bad boy rock 'n' roll' to Melbourne

By Jane Cowan

Nostalgia was heavy in the air at the MCG as Guns N' Roses brought their Not In This Lifetime tour to Melbourne. After a rough start in which the Melbourne crowd was confused for Sydney, founding members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited to perform for local fans for the first time since 1993.

Rob Mopar

"I've loved Guns N' Roses since grade 5 so I had to come. My olds were pretty strict and wouldn't let me come when I was 14. I'm 38 now and they're old men."

Sarah Kelly

"I'm here to witness what I used to pray for in Catholic all girls school: for Slash and Axl to get back together. I used to pray for that in communion. It's just something about them. Their aura, their stage presence. They give it their all."

Adrian Stubna

"Love the Gunners. Why wouldn't you come? 75,000 people, it's gonna be an epic show. This will be something I think you'll be telling people about 20 years from now. Bad boy rock 'n' roll. It's the money, the fame, the do-anything-you-want attitude. It's rock 'n' roll, that's what it is."

Russell Peillon

"What can I say? I've been a fan from day one. I was around when they brought out their first album and I've been with them since. I'm past the going mental stage, I don't jump up and down."

Jesse Peillon

"I was born and bred into it, straight out of the womb - just rocking. My old man and I just love it. Nothing will beat the classic 80s, 90s stuff. It's just too good."

Kittiya Pullen

"We waited 20 years for today. I wanted to see them years ago in Thailand but they cancelled the concert. I live in Tasmania and Fah came from Thailand for this."

Andrew and Lisa Georgiou

"We got married to Guns N' Roses - walked down the aisle to November Rain. Our dogs are called Axl and Rose."

Angie Mulmi and Smriti Shrestha

"We were born in the 80s, we're 80s girls from Nepal. Our dads and brothers listened to Guns N' Roses. We love them. We've been listening to this for a long time."

Damien Sturt

"This is my seventh show. Saw 'em with my uncle with Rose Tattoo before anyone knew who they were up in Sydney back in '87 and been to every show since that they've played in Melbourne."