2018.07.19 - Valle Hovin, Oslo, Norway

So I was at this show together with my wife. She is not a big GN'R fan but was surprisingly positive after it. And not only to be kind to me. I fed here with GN'R history prior to the concert so she would hopefully be intrigued by the weirdness of the band and why this lineup is what it is.

Anyway, we were not in the golden circle, and stood probably about in the middle of the arena. The sound was okay but I would have preferred better separation, it was a bit "muddy" at times. It could have been due to where we stood.

The first song that stood out to me was Chinese Democracy. I really like how Axl does the verses now, it sounds really comfortable to him. In contrast to Better where he didn't get the flow that is on the studio recording. Welcome was good, but it is obvious Axl doesn't have the sustain on screams any more. I was a bit anxious about This I Love, but thought he did well. My wife, though, said that this was the first song where she thought he struggled, and she has a better ear than me. Slither was good. Rocket Queen didn't feel as long as I feared, although I wish Slash would drop the voice box part. Axl rushed the first verse of Shadow, again, and came in at the wrong time on the first chorus. A botch I think every body must have noticed. But the song suits him and brings some fast pace and venom into a show that drags on at times. He sang Yesterdays with a clean voice, I believe, and personally I think that suits the arrangement better than the raspy voice he uses in the studio version. Come was great except for the very end where he had to suddenly drop his voice down an octave or so for a sentence. Sounded weird to me. The band was great on it, especially Slash. I am not a big fan of the long solos, and there were many of them, but Richard and Slash's jam on Wish You Were Here was great. It really showcased Richard's precise playing style, especially in this "guitar duel" with Slash, who is more "sloppy" in how he plays. That being said, I have always preferred Slash's more melodic approach to soloing. Don't Cry was very good, and so was November Rain. I don't like how Axl sings the verses on Black Hole Sun, I wish they'd pick another song to commemorate Chris Cornell (there are so many great songs to pick from). Nightrain was great. Axl was not good at whistling on this show Neither the intro to Patience or Civil War sounded good. He really blows The Seeker away, it is like that song was written for his current voice. Madagascar was awesome.


All in all a good show. I think it would benefit from being shorter or at least paced differently. Cut the extended solos and jams and some covers. More fast-paced songs, if Axl can handle it (I believe he can, he shines on Shadow and Nightrain).

There wasn't much talking, Axl introduced the band and a couple of songs, and asked if we were having a good time (or something to that effect). I couldn't really see much interaction between band members from my viewpoint, and don't there was. Everybody seemed happy and content. People had a great time. I didn't really talk to anybody afterwards to get their impression, besides my wife.


She said Axl seemed very happy behind the piano, like more comfortable there than anywhere else during the show, as if he was channeling his inner Elton John. Which I guess he is.

Good to see this lineup, but I still maintain it lacks soul and hunger. They have little to prove and don't really seem enthusiastic about playing these songs or playing together. I would have preferred "new GNR" to have continued with a hungry Axl Rose, than this nostalgia event, but all in all it was good.

But where do we go now?

Thank you for your extensive review!

Having just read a review about a band having an argument onstage (up to the point of announcing "this might be our last show ever" - probably not, they need the cash), I'm kinda glad Gn'R do get along well on this tour and I hope they'll continue for a good ol' while!

I agree that there's not much pointing towards a creative future, but I guess most of the concert-goers will be happy with the old stuff.
Being kinda short of money (at least for expensive concert tickets), I gave the tour a miss. Which is a bit sad, but I hope for "more" in the future - I might see them in a smaller enviroment than a stadium (concert hall?), who knows?

Thanks for the review. It was interesting to read. I have seen newgnr line-up 2 times and current line-up 2 times. I prefer 1000% current line-up, exept that Axl has a brilliant voice in 2010. I had the opportunity to see GNR in Budapest in 1992, but I did not make it. I will be sorry my whole life :-)
Many people are unhappy with the "nostalgic event", but I do not think it could be otherwise.
"Where do we go now?"
Guess we have to wait an see..
Don't underestimate Axl...

If GN'R wants too play stadiums they will have to fill the sets with plenty of old hits. That is just how it is. Otherwise casual fans wouldn't buy the tickets -- they need to hear the hits they like.

That being said, with new GN'R I felt there was a hunger, at least in the beginning (2001-2002, 2006), to take the band forward, so interspersed with the old hits there would be new songs. And the old hits would also be played a bit differently by musicians who put their own stamp on the music and had everything to prove.

With this semi-reunion I don't get the sense that new music is in the works. Even if it is almost amazing that Axl and Slash gets along, assumingly, on stage, I think it takes a lot more of them to enter the process of making music together. That takes a lot more trust and harmony.

What I hope is that Axl will ask Slash and Duff to play on unreleased songs from the CD sessions. Songs that are good to go but where Slash and Duff will just add their thing. Maybe a new mixing to try to make it gel. This could be done quite quickly and Axl's vocals can be kept. Of course I hope Axl will still release the old version(s) of these songs, with their original musicians, at some point, but ight now I just want new music and I think this is the most plausible scenario for that. I just can't think that Axl will release the rest of the CD material now without Slash and Duff on it. But Axl always surprises me, occasionally in a positive sense

I completely understand and agree with you.
I hope you agree, that they needed this tour also to check their relationship(and we needed too). Of course, it should not last forever. Maybe after that, they will be able to make music together.
CD2 with Slash and Duff is possible and good scenario.

Absolutely, I can't imagine them going straight into the studio without first testing the waters with a tour. This whole thing also apparently was just meant to be a few shows at Coachella, then that worked out and they decided to do a whole tour. At some point they will have to decide on what is next, more touring (which makes fiscal sense and is easy to do), call it quits and go back to new GN'R without Slash and Duff (would lead to huge drop in concert ticket sales), call it quit entirely (Axl retires GN'R and the band members continue with other pursuits), or head to a studio to either make new music or revamp old CD songs (which also makes sense from a fiscal perspective but could lead to a tortuous process that might fail entirely, or, of course, it could go smoothly).

You never know with this band. Axl keep surprising me with his decisions. And I think he has a lot more to offer.