2017.08.27 - Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK, Canada

Guns N' Roses christen Mosaic Stadium with a concert to remember

By Jeff DeDekker

Guns N’ Roses may no longer be the world’s most dangerous band but they are still one of the most entertaining bands on the planet.

GNR, with its classic lineup featuring Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, brought their Not In This Lifetime tour to Regina’s Mosaic Stadium on Sunday night and the capacity crowd was sent home satisfied with the 30-song, three-hour and 10-minute performance. It was the first major concert event at the new facility.

Back in its early heyday, GNR garnered the reputation as the world’s most dangerous band as much for their off-stage antics as their on-stage performances. They were also notorious for taking the stage late for concerts, going on whenever they felt like it — the scheduled start time wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.

A lot has changed, however. The band has done through multiple versions over the years with disagreements between members tearing the band apart. Most of that is in the past although original guitarist Izzy Stradlin remains on the outside looking in.

The current tour, which began on April 1, 2016, features Rose, Slash (guitar) and McKagan (bass) along with Frank Ferrer (drums), Richard Fortus (guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboards) and Melissa Reese (keyboards).

And as for Sunday’s show, GNR hit the mark at the 7:30 p.m. scheduled start time.

Given that the tour is now into its 17th month, it’s no surprise that the band is tight and on point. Much is made of Rose’s flamboyant style and its importance to the band but what makes GNR a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band is the fact that each member is a remarkably talented musician in their own right.

That being said, most fans were focused on Rose and his frantic efforts throughout the night. After opening with It’s So Easy and Mr. Brownstone, Rose took a quick second to address the crowd.

“Hello Reeeeeegiiiiiiinnnaaaaa,” he screeched. “That feels good.”

While not overly talkative, Rose connected with the audience regularly during the show. While he did tease the fans at one point about the crowd at the recent Winnipeg show being louder, Rose didn’t sink to using the worn and weary “The City That Rhymes With Fun” joke that too often gets run out by frontmen trying to score brownie points.

The 55-year-old Rose displayed an impressive energy level. At times he paced back and forth in front of the drum kit while Slash or Fortus were doing their thing, anxious to get back to centre stage and his responsibilities.

Rose needed the energy, and not just for his performance. During the show he changed clothes a number of times — he started out in jeans, a T-shirt, flannel shirt tied around his waist and a black fedora. Before the night ended, he’d worked his way through two more fedoras, a ball cap, a cowboy hat, five leather jackets and a string of T-shirts.

And did I mention he was wearing lots of jewelry? Between the necklaces, the bracelets and the rings, Rose had all the bling a rock star needed.

So that’s how Rose looked and performed but the key to the evening was his voice. Granted, it’s not in the shape it was when Rose was ripping up the world in his mid-20s. But Sunday’s performance was exceptional. While Rose might not have the range he once did, his voice is still strong and handled the challenging material of the set list quite well.

While Rose is the face of GNR, it’s the virtuosity of Slash on the guitar that powers the band and its sound. In his trademark long black curly hair and black top hat, Slash provided many reminders throughout the night of his extraordinary prowess on the guitar. Most of the fans went into Sunday’s show aware of Slash’s skill and yet it’s most likely that his efforts still left them shocked and amazed.

Midway through the set GNR turned the stage over to Slash for a six-minute guitar solo which then morphed into a stunning version of Speak Softly Love, the theme from The Godfather. The man is simply magical with his guitar.

While the show was fantastic, there were a few minor quibbles on the night. There was some disappointment with the sound quality in different areas of the venue. I was in the southwest portion of the stadium and the sound was quite good but others seated in the northeast corner found the vocals to be muddled.

And while a three-hour and 10-minute show provided fans a good bang for their buck, the set list was a little bloated and could’ve done with some trimming.

Yet in the grand scheme of things, these were minor flaws in an otherwise masterful performance.

Our Lady Peace, mainstays on the Canadian rock scene for the past 25 years, opened the show with a 45-minute set which was well received by the crowd. Sunday’s performance mark OLP’s second appearance at Mosaic Stadium as they were part of the Regina Rock Mosaic Stadium test event on May 27 with Bryan Adams and Johnny Reid.

‘Number 1 rock band’ Guns N’ Roses pleases fans at Mosaic Stadium

Regina was a quieter city Monday than it was Sunday night – that is, barring all the Guns N’ Roses fans forced to yell over their blown-out eardrums following the band’s concert at Mosaic Stadium.

The veteran rockers played for over three hours, following an opening set by Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace.

It was a dream concert for many fans, many of whom showed up decked out as their favourite band members.

“I think I did pretty good tonight. It was awesome, fans loved it, I loved it,” said James Desjarlais, a Regina man who came dressed as lead guitarist Slash.

“I had the hair for it, I just needed the cap,” he said with a laugh.

Desjarlais bought the tickets as a surprise for his wife of 25 years, Lynn Strongarm. He said GNR’s music brought him back to their earlier days, particularly the songs Paradise City and Patience.

Strongarm said November Rain was her favourite song of the night.

“I screamed like I never screamed before,” she said after the show.

“Loved it, kind of deaf tonight,” Desjarlais agreed. “I think I’m going to stay home tomorrow from work. I won’t hear the boss, I don’t think I’ll hear my alarm clock in the morning.”

Fans from near, far

GNR was a bucket-list band for Koyes Noman, who came to Regina from Bangladesh four years ago. A fan of 20 years, Noman tried to see the band years ago in Thailand.

“Guns N’ Roses is my dream band so I always try to watch their concert but this time I get the chance to watch them so I am so happy,” he said following the concert.

Like Strongarm and many others, Noman said hearing November Rain live was the biggest thrill of the night.

“(Slash’s) solo was awesome,” he said, while a friend excitedly declared Guns N’ Roses “number one rock band!”

Sunday night marked the second time Tasha Hume saw the band. She said she first saw them play in her home city of Saskatoon back in 1992.

“They were wild,” she explained. “They had topless waitresses. They were handing out beer to the crowd and I was only 12 and I was with my mom.”

While Guns N’ Roses were certainly tamer than they were 25 years ago, the band still had people on their feet, playing classics like Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child O’ Mine. They also played tried-and-true covers like Live and Let Die and Knockin’ at Heaven’s Door, as well as AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie and The Who’s The Seeker.

City all smiles after Guns N' Roses concert at Mosaic on Sunday

Officials at the new Mosaic Stadium are all smiles the morning after hosting their first big concert.

Guns N’ Roses rocked Evraz Place for more than three hours last night to mainly positive reviews.

Organizers say the experience was "overwhelmingly positive", with everything going off without a hitch.

It was also the first concert at the stadium since the city’s smoking bylaw was passed back in July.

There were a few incidents of people smoking in the building during the concert. Security was going around making them put their cigarettes out, though it became more difficult to find smokers once it became dark.

While post-mortem meetings are still taking place, organizers do not anticipate making any changes for future concerts.