2017.11.10 - Toyota Center, Houston, TX, USA

Guns N' Roses Crafted One Complicated Legacy

By Clint Hale

People can take many angles when assessing the legacy of Guns N’ Roses. Some choose to analyze the band’s ascent to the top of rock and roll’s mountain. Others dwell on their (relatively short) run atop said mountain. Many prefer to harp on the band’s much-publicized downfall because, well, people like train wrecks. A select few even like to dive into the GNR-but-not-really-GNR, Chinese Democracy era.

Each of these approaches the band from a different angle, and each of this is certainly a fair approach, considering Guns N’ Roses’ tale easily ranks among the most winding, multifaceted in the annals of pop music. But each only tells a portion of the story, thereby underselling the legacy of Guns N’ Roses, which just so happens to be coming back through Houston on Friday as part of its Not In This Lifetime Tour (GNR played NRG Stadium in the summer of 2016; this week’s show is scheduled for Toyota Center).

Sure, Guns N’ Roses ascended faster than it probably needed to, which made its members overnight rock stars prone to overnight rock star behavior. And their run at the top was abbreviated by in-fighting, drug use, ego and Axl Rose’s almost crippling perfectionist tendencies. The years since the band disbanded have been wrought with trading barbs in the press, semi-reunions, and finally, a full-fledged world tour that not only features much of GNR’s original lineup (Izzy Stradlin is out, while Steven Adler has guested at a number of shows), but one that has been well-received and relatively devoid of drama.

GNR’s place in the all-time rock pantheon is a tricky one. They certainly haven’t had the staying power of a Metallica or Rolling Stones. They didn’t really define a genre like Nirvana, a band that ironically enough kinda ended GNR’s run as the biggest band on the planet. Hell, they aren’t even really considered a classic rock outfit the likes of Aerosmith or AC/DC, despite the band’s peak taking place 30 years ago.

That said, and to bring this home to Houston, GNR is to the all-time rock pantheon was Jose Altuve is to the current state of Major League Baseball. Neither is regarded as the best in one particular silo, but in ranking near the top of every silo that applies, each should be considered the best in their respective industries. And that is what makes GNR arguably the best – and, more importantly, unquestionably the most unique – rock band of all time.

Rock music is littered with bands who can safely be described as being loaded with personality. The Beatles had their issues. As did Led Zeppelin. Hell, Metallica made a documentary about their beef, essentially resulting in a group therapy session on film. But GNR, man, GNR was something else altogether because of two noteworthy personalities: Axl Rose and Slash.

The former a Midwest kid who adopted the persona of a charismatic, hell-on-wheels spitfire; the latter a laid-back California dude by way of London who could make love to a guitar like few before him. The result was Appetite for Destruction, one of the most influential and successful (Platinum 30 times over) rock albums of all time. G N’ R Lies – pretty good as rushed stopgap releases go – followed suit, paving the way for Axl’s two-album opus – Use Your Illusion I and II.

Oddly enough, the Use Your Illusion set (which was sold separately, because commerce) marked both the commercial high of GNR, while signaling the band’s descent as well. The two debuted at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Billboard albums chart and eventually moved more than 30 million copies combined. They delivered hits for days, most notably “November Rain,” which marked GNR at its tightest and most musically cohesive.

Turns out, a little band called Nirvana released a little album called Nevermind the week before Use Your Illusion I and II hit shelves (yes, new music used to hit shelves). And while “Smells Like Teen Spirit” took a while to catch on, by 1992, Nirvana was the biggest band in America and grunge was the nation’s new musical movement. GNR was still relevant for sure, but the band’s impact had begun to wane. This is somewhat of a shame, considering that – while a bit bloated and self-indulgent – GNR’s Use Your Illusion set is far more well-rounded and focused than its predecessor and one of the best rock double-sets ever released.

By 1993, GNR released a half-assed covers album – The Spaghetti Incident? – and the run was over. The band didn’t tour in support of the album, and shortly after, GNR pretty much disbanded. And this is where things get interesting.

Grunge, like the GNR run before it, would eventually pass, and once the dust settled on the Nirvana-led run, people still wanted to hear from Axl Rose and his bandmates. Despite the in-fighting, delayed or outright cancelled shows, and Rose's petulant behavior, fans still clamored for the band.

A completely revamped lineup – Rose still in, everyone else out – sufficed well enough, though it wasn’t the same. Chinese Democracy, easily one of the most anticipated albums of all-time, failed to deliver, though it must be said that Chinese Democracy isn’t nearly the disasterpiece that many portrayed. Rather, it was a perfectly fine rock record done in by expectations, impatience and preceding material from GNR that no album could measure up to.

I never thought we’d get Axl and Slash back on stage for a one-off appearance, much less a full-blown world tour that has now spanned five continents and nearly two years. Whether it was money, maturation or simply the ability to swallow one’s pride in giving the fans what they want, GNR is back and, by all accounts, kicking ass. Show reviews trumpet a return to form, Slash is doing his thing, Axl (for the most part) is hitting the notes of yesteryear.

The Not In This Lifetime Tour is a fitting end for one of rock music’s most notorious bands. No one could have expected the band’s debut would vault them into the rock stratosphere, just as few expected the band could return to form some 30 years later. Perhaps GNR was always best when defying expectations. Or maybe they’re just closing the book one of the best, most tumultuous, and yes, most complicated stories in music history.

Billy Gibbons Joins Guns N’ Roses at Houston Show

By Dave Lifton

Last night, ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons sat in with Guns N' Roses during their Not in This Lifetime tour stop at the Toyota Center in Houston. They played "Patience," the same song that Pink performed with them at Madison Square Garden last month, which you can watch above.

It wasn't the first time the two had played together. In 2013, he joined them in Brisbane, Australia, where ZZ Top had opened for the Gunners, for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." Earlier that evening, a member of the other opening act, Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo, was brought back onto the stage for "Nice Boys."

ZZ Top opened up for Guns N' Roses more recently in early September at stops in El Paso and San Antonio. Unfortunately, last month they were forced off the road due to an undisclosed stomach illness to bassist Dusty Hill. Their Tonnage tour was expected to end tomorrow night in New Orleans. However, they hinted at big plans for next year and 2019, when they will be celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses show no signs of slowing down since Axl Rose brought back Slash and Duff McKagan. Although the latest leg of the Not in This Lifetime tour wraps up Nov. 29 at the Forum in Los Angeles, yesterday, they announced a six-week tour of Europe for next summer. To date, the tour, which began in earnest in June 2016, has grossed more than $300 million.

Guns N' Roses Prove Rock Isn't Dead Just Yet

By Clint Hale

Guns N' Roses
Toyota Center
November 10, 2017

I saw something I never thought I’d see again on Friday night, along with something I never thought I’d see at all. Let’s start with the latter …

By the time Guns N’ Roses’ commercial peak had come and gone, I was not yet a teenager, so seeing the band live and in person was never something I entertained. And considering the acrimonious mid-'90s breakup, coupled with the egos and personalities involved, seeing a GNR concert was something that never really got added to the bucket list because, well, it didn’t even seem realistic.

Fortunately, original members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan (Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler are not currently touring) decided to bury the hatchet a couple of years ago in launching the aptly-titled Not In This Lifetime Tour. The tour has been such a hit that GNR has added extra dates, including a second swing through Houston on Friday night (this particular gig was at Toyota Center; a previous one took place in August 2016 at NRG Stadium).

So, yeah, seeing Axl and Slash together on stage was a sight I, quite frankly, never imagined would be an actual thing again. Now, for the former statement …

I’ve been fortunate enough over the past two decades to see some legit, kickass rock shows. Metallica twice. Ozzfest a few times. Early-era Linkin Park. Scary-era Marilyn Manson. That said, I’m not sure I’ve experienced the blend of professionalism (yep, I said it) and precision coupled with the music that absolutely rocks one’s face off.

Look, Axl Rose as an entertainer hasn’t always been a choir boy. He’s stormed off sets, ranted when things went awry, or just outright no-showed gigs. Call it maturity, a newfound humility; call it what you will, but Axl Rose and crew were in peak form on Friday night before a packed (though somewhat late-arriving) crowd at Toyota Center.

The band arrived on time, stayed late and hit every note that made them the biggest, and most dangerous, band on the planet in the late 80s and early 90s. GNR blasted through more than 25 songs that encompassed more than three hours.

In addition to expected hits like “November Rain” and “Welcome to the Jungle,” GNR even pulled out some deep cuts from the (unfairly) much-maligned Chinese Democracy. Sure, this provided restroom and drink breaks for many in attendance, but for those (like myself) who cop that Chinese Democracy isn’t nearly the trainwreck it’s labeled, Friday night marked a fine chance to catch tracks like “Sorry” and “Madagascar.”

But people came for the hits, and the hits they got. From “Mr. Brownstone” to “Nightrain” to “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” Axl Rose and his incredibly talented bandmates showed why they were once the biggest thing in rock and pop music. Aside from the occasional “Houston Strong,” shout-out, Axl didn’t say much to the crowd, though he was impressed with the Rockets’ victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night at that very same Toyota Center.

The encore was something to behold, particularly GNR bringing out Houston and ZZ Top’s own Billy Gibbons to help along the band’s performance of “Patience.” “Paradise City,” the best anthem GNR ever wrote, closed out the festivities before the seven on-stage band members took a well-deserved bow.

Will we ever get another GNR lap through Houston? It’s tough to tell. This tour appears to be winding down in the next year or so, but it’s not unfathomable GNR mounts another tour in, let’s say, five years. The chords are tight, Axl’s voice has held up well and band members appear to be getting along. It’s GNR as they were meant to be; it’s just good they finally got there.

The Crowd: Pretty much what you’d expect. Mostly folks in their 40s and 50s whose partying primes would have overlapped with GNR’s commercial one. Lot of top hats and tattoos, par for the course when celebrating GNR and bands of its late '80s and early' 90s ilk.

Word to the Wise: I’ll be honest, when examining a venue’s website for showtimes, I typically add about 90 minutes to whatever they say showtime is, taking into account opening acts, stage setups and the like. That would have been a mistake on Friday night. The show was scheduled for 7:30 and began at 7:50. No openers. No delays. It was a very non-GNR-like GNR performance in terms of its punctuality.

Overheard in the Crowd: While waiting in the beer line … “You think they’ll play ‘Sweet Child ‘o Mine?’” Well, when a band empties out its catalog as part of a 200-minute-plus show, you can kinda count on one of its top 3-4 hits being part of the setlist.