2017.08.02 - Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO, USA

Brett Callwood wrote:Slash and Duff May Be Back, but Guns N' Roses Never Went Away

In 2002, I saw Guns N’ Roses live for the first time. Do the math, and it's clear that this wasn’t a “classic era” for the band, and I didn’t get to see them with Slash, Duff (Izzy/Gilby and Adler/Sorum) first time around. I was a huge fan in the early 1990s, as were all of my friends, but any time the group played my native England (such as the Milton Keynes Bowl shows of ’93), I didn’t have the cash for a ticket. By the time I had some disposable income to splash around, Guns N’ Roses wasn’t classic anymore.

It seems amazing that the 2002 show at London Arena was a full fifteen years ago. It was seventeen years before that, in 1985, that the band formed. And yet it still feels like that was “new” Guns N’ Roses, sometimes facetiously called “Axl N’ Roses,” simply because Slash and Duff, in particular,weren’t there.

This week, Denver will be treated to a show by three-fifths of the Appetite for Destruction lineup. Izzy Stradlin has remained notable in his absence (the general consensus seems to be that he wasn’t offered a fair, or at least an equal, financial deal), and Adler has guested a couple of times, but doubts remain over whether he could last an entire show. Gilby Clarke’s name never comes up, and rumors persist that Matt Sorum and Rose don’t get along.

So alongside Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, Richard Fortus remains in the band on rhythm guitar, having joined in 2002, Frank Ferrer kept the drum stool that’s been his since 2006, and Melissa Reese came in on keys to play alongside Dizzy Reed. Dizzy’s been in the band since 1990 and the Use Your Illusion albums.

In 2002, only Rose, Fortus, and Reed of the current band were on that stage. Here’s the thing, though, and it’s not going to earn me any “cool” points: That gig was amazing.

Rose had assembled a stellar band that included three guitarists. Richard Fortus, formerly of the Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love, had just recently replaced Paul Tobias — a name that still raises the bristles on the necks of many a GnR fan, because many blame him for Slash’s exit. It likely wasn’t as simple as that, but Tobias replaced Gilby Clarke in the band in 1994 and was there to record the cover of the Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” for the Interview With the Vampire soundtrack. Shortly afterward, Slash was gone. In 2002, Tobias was out too, and Fortus was in.

Also on guitar in 2002 was Robin Finck, who had previously been a member of Nine Inch Nails. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the traditional lead/rhythm guitar pairing of Fortus and Finck would be enough, but Rose had other ideas.

Enter Buckethead.

Aesthetically, it seemed like a huge misstep, not least because Guns N’ Roses went from having an iconic lead guitarist with an iconic top hat in the ranks, to a guy called Buckethead who literally wears a KFC bucket on his head. Add Buckethead’s mop of curly black hair, and it almost looked like Rose was deliberately poking fun at Slash.

In reality, though, the guitarist born Brian Patrick Carroll is one of rock and roll’s great enigmas. Supremely talented and extremely prolific thanks to the many side projects that he’s involved himself with, Buckethead’s transient lifestyle made him difficult to reach, and Rose grew frustrated

On stage in 2002, Buckethead was a revelation. So much so that I almost miss him now. Musically, the guy is a wonder — more John Frusciante than Slash. Including him as a third guitarist turned out to be Rose’s masterstroke. With Finck and Fortus filling the lead and rhythm roles, Buckethead was free to do whatever he wanted. In London, that included robot dancing and a nunchuck solo routine. Right there between two Guns classics.

Chris Pitman played keys alongside Reed, while Bryan “Brain” Mantia (Primus/Godflesh/Buckethead’s band) played drums. But it was the guy playing bass, Duff’s Replacement (pun intended), who pulled the thing together.

Tommy Stinson played with Guns N’ Roses from 1998 to 2016 — an astonishing eighteeen years. Besides Rose and Dizzy Reed, he has more time served in the band than anyone else. Before that, he was a core member of punky, soulful power-pop band the Replacements from 1979 to ’91 (the band re-formed in 2012). His alt-rock band Bash & Pop was also around from 1992 to ’94, and it re-formed last year.

Stinson was and is a fantastic bass player. He’s also a tremendous songwriter, and by some accounts served as musical director for Rose. That night in London, the singer often seemed to be looking over at his bassist for approval. The unlikely pairing gelled beautifully, despite the fact that, as it turned out, the Chinese Democracy album was still seven years away.

My overriding memory of that night is of dancing like a loon to songs that I’d adored since my mid-teens. Only afterward, during the train ride home, did I reflect on the fact that Slash, Duff and the rest were absent; it hadn’t occurred to me during the show, from the moment they had kicked into the opening “Welcome to the Jungle.” I hadn’t missed them at all.

Now we all have the opportunity to see the bulk of the classic lineup. I have my ticket, and I’m sure plenty of people reading this will be going. And popular opinion will reign supreme. This is the real Guns N’ Roses (or at least it would be if Stradlin were there). Finally, the real band is back.

And that’s fair. All reports from the current tour are positive. The band is firing on all cylinders night after night, and the musicians might well enter the studio together.

But the lineup that existed in the mid-2000s wasn’t the shoddy excuse for a band that many would have you believe. Bumblefoot and DJ Ashba are no slouches, either. Strip away the prejudices, and Rose consistently assembled a solid group of musicians, capable of playing the classics well while challenging him artistically.

I’m as happy as anyone that Slash and Duff are back. But Buckethead, Stinson et al. deserve their props.

Now go enjoy the show.

Kori Hazel wrote:Review – Guns N’ Roses Haven’t Lost Their Appetite for Destruction

Forget what you thought you knew about Guns N’ Roses. Forget the breakup and the subsequent bastardized version of the band that continued touring with Axl Rose as the sole original member. Forget the diva antics of Rose, the chronic lateness and early exits that became staples at shows, threatening to overshadow the legacy of the band in the process. Don’t forget, however, the band at its core is one of the best hard-rock bands to ever exist.

Late in 2015, as rumors circulated that a reunited Guns N’ Roses would headline the 2016 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, many thought they’d never see the day. Although the eventual reunion lineup was without rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and drummer Steven Adler, having the core of Duff McKagan, Rose and Slash was one hell of a consolation prize. Considering Rose and Slash hadn’t performed together in 20 years, this reunion, though partial, was a big one. Wednesday night at Sports Authority Field, as the Not In This Lifetime Tour headed to Denver, the best iteration of Guns N’ Roses in years brought down the house, relishing in their appetite for destruction.

Tens of thousands of people streamed into Sports Authority Field wearing various homages to Guns N’ Roses. Whether it was donning Slash’s signature hat and majestic curls or Rose’s headband and flannel wrapped haphazardly around their waist, people had come in style to finally see a proper Guns N’ Roses performance. As everyone settled into seats and the opening riff of “It’s So Easy” rang through the stadium, the cheers alone seemed to drown out the music. Off the bat, there was an undeniable chemistry and common ground, albeit rekindled, that permeated the performance – the audience was ravenous.

All in the name of nostalgia, it was only fitting that Guns N’ Roses performed a setlist heavy off of their debut album Appetite For Destruction which celebrated its 30th anniversary two weeks ago. Through the menagerie of well-known songs, Rose’s voice never missed a beat, seamlessly juxtaposed against the brash and overwhelming talent of Slash’s famed prowess on guitar. Hits like “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and their iconic cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” were grandiose reminders that there may never be a better pair in rock music. Likewise, the inclusion of slow burners “November Rain” and “Don’t Cry” punctuated their ability to show reserve amidst their more anthemic fare without dragging down the performance.

Not to undermine McKagan and the rest of the band, but at no point did the show become antiquated. Every single song they performed sounded resilient and hungry. In fact, the notion of some bands sprinkling their setlist with musical aperitifs was completely lost on Guns N’ Roses who raged through every song with characteristic fury. The guitar solos were explosive, the wails of Axl cut like a hot knife through butter and McKagan’s steady bass work bound it all together.

A particularly sentimental moment came near the tail end of the performance as the band covered Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” – an ode to the late Chris Cornell. Without any introduction, Guns N’ Roses took to the inevitable sing along with delicacy and humility. The moment served as a subtle notion of what the Not In This Lifetime Tour meant to the band. Life is too short to be caught in the pitfalls of resting too high on one’s laurels and forgetting how one got those laurels in the first place.

Many passionate fans never had the opportunity to see the reunion of Rose and Slash in their lifetime and many gave up hope that it’d ever come to fruition. Considering the fact that 30 years after their debut album, Guns N’ Roses came back together in such a fashion speaks volumes to the honor of their legacy and the fans that upheld it over the years. While the transgressions of the band may be hard to forget, the songs and the legacy of the band are harder. Perhaps that’s what made Guns N’ Rose’s performance a success – they just needed a reminder.

Dylan Owens wrote:Review: Guns N’ Roses, the bowling alley of music, rolls a rocky set in Denver

Since before I can remember, Guns N’ Roses has reminded me of the bowling alley.

It’s not just the fact that Axl Rose and Slash look like two dudes you’d find propped against a Harley Davidson in the parking lot of your local alley. (Even at 55 and 52, respectively, they still look like they could steal your beer money.) Or that Slash’s glossy, color-burst Les Paul evokes the slick oil-on-wood aesthetic of the lanes. It’s that they both conjure up memories of that certain late-1980s, early-1990s era when bowling alleys were, like the mall or a bar, a town commons — a place to park your Camaro, kick up your heels and blast Guns N’ Roses between frames.

Since those landline days, the fate of the band and the bowling alley has followed a similar trajectory. Once popular, Guns N’ Roses trended towards the gutter in the late ’90s, settling into a nostalgic corner of the heart for those who remember when the boys from Hollywood — as they’re still introduced on stage to this day — were the hottest ticket in town. (Even after Slash was kicked out of the band a little over two decades ago.)

But as you can see at Crown Lanes on the right night, nostalgia never goes out of style. Hence, Guns N’ Roses’ Not In This Lifetime Tour, which brings original members Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan together on stage for the first time since 1993’s Use Your Illusion Tour. Now in its 16th month, the circuit is the highest-grossing tour of 2017 and, if Wikipedia is to be believed, the tenth highest grossing rock tour of all time.

On Wednesday evening, Denver got its chance to see what the hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of fuss was about. Including an opening set from alt-country troubadour Sturgill Simpson, the evening packed nearly five hours of music. Awful “Chinese Democracy” track after beautiful Soundgarden cover (a powerful late-set rendition of “Black Hole Sun”), GNR’s setlist alone swelled to 30 songs, tent-poled near the beginning, middle and end by the band’s smash hits: “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.”

As economical as that sounds, fans probably could have done more with less. Many in the two-thirds full stadium took a 30-minute seat break for a stretch of slower ballads like “This I Love,” “Yesterdays” and “Coma.” Sure, the band doesn’t come around that often, but the bloat was blatant.

One potential reason for the tour’s record-setting grosses, aside from its insanely priced merch (the $40 T-shirts were par for the course; $500 leather jackets, less so), is the tour’s production. A handful of fireworks arrays aside, the Not In This Lifetime Tour was low-key in comparison to the onslaught of pyrotechnics and special effects Metallica trotted out two months prior, and downright tame compared to most arena pop shows. But seeing Rose rifle through a half-dozen outfits — including a snakeskin jacket and an ice-cube sized diamond ring for “November Rain,” beautifully adorned on the side-stage Jumbotrons by the caress of CGI rose petals — it’s obvious the money was well-spent elsewhere.

Much has been made about the band’s age, an inevitable topic for a group that, like the Rolling Stones, epitomized youth culture in their long-since-gone heyday. A teleprompter between the speaker wedges on stage helped Rose stay on lyric, but couldn’t help him hit all the right notes. Rose hit the stage on Wednesday sounding like he was already 20 songs deep, creaking his way through “It’s So Easy.” Three songs later, he spouted the first lines of “Welcome to the Jungle” with a conservative halt, a far cry from its original wildcat rasp. But as the sun lowered, so did his inhibitions. By the time he got to “Used To Love Her” an hour and change later, he’d found his sweet spot — by no means lithe, but more than recognizable.

Behind his signature aviators and an inky mop of curls, Slash — “from uncharted territory,” as Rose introduced him — is still as hard to parse as ever, and as routinely incredible. He is the re-animated Gregor Clegane of Guns N’ Roses, to borrow from “Game of Thrones.” He only opened his mouth once — to sing through a vocoder — instead communicating through his army of guitars. (Even his acoustic guitar was fused onto an electric.) Mapping out visionary constellations on the fretboard, he was eerily calm, as if created solely to tease out arpeggiated sweeps and work teases to “The Godfather” theme song into his solos, as he did late in the night.

In an open area to the side of the pit, the riffs scored slow dances and drunk dudes getting booted from the show. Both were appropriate: For better or worse, Guns N’ Roses left no affiliated musical memory unexamined on Wednesday. The band captured the essence that one of its (again, very expensive) T-shirts still represents — not carpe diem, but carpe noctem — while outstaying its welcome just enough to remind fans of those things better left in the dust of your attic, under that copy of “Chinese Democracy” and, yeah, those bowling shoes you never use.

Behind the Scenes of Guns N' Roses Stage Production

By Jon Solomon

After Guns N' Roses plays its three-plus-hour concert on Wednesday night, the 6,400 chairs installed for the show on the floor of Sports Authority Field at Mile High will have to be moved — quickly.

"They’re in the way," says Guns N' Roses production manager Dale Skjerseth the day before the third stop on the North American leg of the band's Not in This Lifetime tour. "They all have to be gone in thirty minutes. The chairs are the biggest nuisance."

It's not the hundred-person crew or the fifteen production trucks that transport the steel used in the massive stage structures, the sound gear, the lights and the ginormous fireworks display that's worrying Skjerseth. It's the chairs. And he should know what to worry about: He's toured with all sorts of artists, from club bands to stadium acts, since 1979. At the top of his list: the Rolling Stones.

Skjerseth has even been on the road with Guns N' Roses before, on the Use Your Illusion tour from 1990 to ’93; he says the difference between then and now is that everybody is a lot older – and smarter.

"We’ve all had great experiences between then and now and learned," he says. "And we’ve all learned a lot from how to do it."

Below is a sneak peek of what the setup is going to look like at the Wednesday, August 2, Guns N' Roses show at Sports Authority Stadium. For more information and tickets, go to Sports Authority Stadium online.