2019.10.25 - Voodoo Festival, New Orleans, LA, USA

They played Dead Horse again, and supposedly much better than last time.

Festival posters:

Official photos (by Kat Benzova)

Duff on Instagram:
Thank you Voodoo Fest! What an absolute blast! Nawlins rules! Photo @tadao310



https://www.instagram.com/p/B4EWKigHnfe/

Review in Nola.com, Oct. 26, 2019:

*
Guns N' Roses rocked 2019 Voodoo Fest in the rain for three hours. And Slash? Still brilliant

BY KEITH SPERA

During a Guns N’ Roses concert at the Birmingham Race Course in Alabama on June 30, 1991, a clump of mud thrown from the crowd struck mercurial vocalist Axl Rose in the leg. He stormed offstage. He eventually returned, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it.

Two nights later at an amphitheater near St. Louis, he plunged into the crowd to confront a fan taking pictures, setting off a riot that trashed the venue and the band’s gear.

Nearly 28 years later, the retooled Guns N’ Roses, featuring Rose, lead guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from the band’s wild years, closed out the relentlessly rainy first day of the 2019 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans’ City Park on Oct. 25. It kept raining as Guns N’ Roses performed; the guitar effects pedals at the edge of the Altar Stage were covered with plastic sheets to keep them dry.

The old Axl might have found a reason to throw a tantrum or cut the show short. Instead, he and his bandmates bore down hard for nearly three hours, and seemed happy to do so.

As a result, thousands of hearty fans who braved the weather and mud were reminded of what made Guns N’ Roses so great in the first place.

The band’s 1987 debut, “Appetite for Destruction,” endures as one of hard rock’s watershed albums, an audio adrenaline rush distilled from raw energy and raw tales from the L.A. underbelly.

But mass success and massive substance abuse took a toll. The band's long-delayed follow-up to "Appetite," the dual “Use Your Illusion” albums, had moments of audacious brilliance, but were not as focused and fierce as their predecessor.

Rose’s dictatorial tendencies eventually forced Slash and McKagan out; many years of bitter estrangement followed. Rose made the bloated “Chinese Democracy” album with a band of hired Guns.

Finally, in 2016, having grown up and sobered up, Rose, McKagan and Slash reunited for an ongoing tour dubbed Not In This Lifetime.

Arriving onstage at Voodoo only 10 minutes after their scheduled 8 p.m. start time, Guns N’ Roses lit the fuse with a double shot from “Appetite”: the five-alarm bass and snare drum opening of “It’s So Easy” followed by the slippery ascending guitar riff of “Mr. Brownstone.”

The set list that followed illustrated just how far they've come. McKagan and Slash enthusiastically played two tracks from “Chinese Democracy,” the album Rose made without them. And Rose gamely sang “Slither,” a cut from Slash and McKagan’s post-Guns project Velvet Revolver.

Rose is no longer the long-haired, serpentine figure he was in the early days of MTV. But his howl is still largely intact, as evidenced by his paint-peeling wails in “You Could Be Mine” and the “Live and Let Die” liftoff.

In pointy-toe cowboy boots, ripped jeans and a succession of T-shirts and hats, he backpedaled, spun around and otherwise threw himself into the task at hand. Late in the set, he played piano on his opus “November Rain,” which, given the weather, he might have rechristened “October Rain.” He joked about the band’s “easy listening songs about love and understanding.”

In GNR’s heyday, McKagan drank enough to rupture his pancreas. He survived to remake himself as a fitness fanatic. In the spirit of his punk rock roots, he sang the Misfits’ hardcore “Attitude” at Voodoo right after “Shadow of Your Love,” an early, punkish GNR track. McKagan’s bass playing was as muscular as his arms.

At 54, Slash appears immune to aging. From his high tops to his top hat, he was a mirror image of his younger self. His impeccable melodic sense is undiminished and his guitar tone was still rich, warm and as sharp as a scalpel.

And Slash played a lot of guitar at Voodoo. Camera operators frequently filled the massive LED screens flanking the stage with close-ups of his fingers working the necks of mostly Gibson Les Paul guitars. His extended “Welcome to the Jungle” intro, his seven-minute spotlight solo that tumbled into the signature “Sweet Child O’ Mine” riff, his majestic lead lines in a spot-on “Estranged” – all were on point. His performance amounted to a three-hour clinic on the increasingly lost art of guitar soloing. It never felt gratuitous.

Rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus, a holdover from GNR’s “Chinese Democracy” era, was a more than capable foil, with a deep tone of his own. Fortus and Slash squared off and traded leads in a fast “Double Talkin’ Jive” and a grand “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Fortus took the main solo in “Rocket Queen” before Slash deployed a talk-box effect.

Drummer Frank Ferrer, another “Chinese Democracy” veteran, replicated the subtle yet crucial swing that original Guns drummer Steven Adler brought to “Appetite for Destruction.” Ferrer and McKagan locked in all night.

Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, a touring member of GNR since “Use Your Illusion,” garnished arrangements. Melissa Reese, who joined the band for the Not In This Lifetime tour, fleshed out the sound with keyboards, synthesizers, samples and backing vocals.

If there was a weak moment, it was “Dead Horse” and, especially, “Coma,” which hasn’t held up well. And why they rendered a semi-acoustic cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” wasn’t clear. Why not unplug with their own ballad, “Patience,” instead?

Likewise, covering Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” and The Who’s “The Seeker” in the encore was curious. Any of the five omitted “Appetite For Destruction” cuts would have been a better choice. Or “14 Years,” “Yesterdays,” “Pretty Tied Up” or some other “Use Your Illusion” highlight.

But at that point, deep into the third hour, everything was a bonus. They finally concluded with fireworks and “Paradise City,” a last bite from “Appetite.”

As his bandmates lined up for a bow, Rose attempted to say something, only to be thwarted by a malfunctioning microphone.

Frustrated, he heaved it toward the back of the stage – a brief glimpse of the old Axl in this fully reloaded new Guns N’ Roses.

Note: The band did not allow credentialed media photographers to shoot the show.

https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/festivals/guns-n-roses-rocked-2019-voodoo-fest-in-the-rain-for-three-hours-and-slash/article_96075dfa-f7c7-11e9-984d-ab9668311d15.html

Review in Billboard, Oct. 26, 2019:

*
The 7 Best Things We Saw at Voodoo Fest 2019 on Day 1

Billboard braved a tropical storm on Friday (Oct. 25), but caught some epic sets from Brandi Carlile, Guns N' Roses and more. Check out highlights from day one of Voodoo Fest here.

By Taylor Weatherby

A few hours after gates opened on the first day of Voodoo Music + Arts Experience on Friday (Oct. 25), rain came pouring down in what the National Hurricane Center identified as Tropical Storm Olga. Yet, thousands of people gathered at New Orleans’ City Park, with some actually excited about the less-than-great festival weather.

“This is f—ing awesome,” one fest-goer said upon entering before ascending onto the wet fest grounds. “I love this shit!”

That was pretty much the vibe everyone in attendance brought on Voodoo’s first day, making for more of a party than a bummer as acts like Brandi Carlile, Interpol and Friday headliner Guns N’ Roses rocked out on stage.

Billboard braved the storm (which was later reclassified as a post-tropical cyclone — either way, it was a wet day) and caught some epic moments. Check out highlights from day one of Voodoo Fest below.

Festgoers’ unwavering Halloween spirit

With rain in the forecast for the majority of the day, rain gear was pretty necessary for surviving Voodoo day one (by the end of the night, more of the fest grounds were mud pits than grass) — but that didn’t stop people from joining in the costume brigade at the Halloween-inspired festival. Countless fest-goers sported rain boots while dressed as Pikachu, Cindy Lou Who, Wayne from Wayne’s World, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and a Care Bear, which made for some pretty entertaining ensembles.

[...]

Guns N’ Roses’ full-on rock show

They may be in their 50s, but Guns N’ Roses are still rocking the way they did back in their heyday. The legendary group played for almost a full three hours to close out the first night of Voodoo, performing a mix of fan favorites and ’80s classics like “Sweet Child of Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle.” Even their cover songs were high voltage, like Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.” As fitting visuals of skeletons, lightning bolts, revolvers and fighter jets served as the backdrop for Guns N’ Roses’ electrifying performance, occasional firework blasts overhead made for quite the face-melting headlining set — and reminded that even pouring rain can put a damper on a rock show.

Full article:
https://www.billboard.com/culture/events/voodoo-festival-new-orleans-2019-day-one-recap-8540785/

Review in River Beats New Orleans, Oct. 26, 2019:

*
Watch Guns N’ Roses Close Out A Rainy Day 1 From Voodoo Fest 2019

By Sean Schmidt

It rained, and rained, and rained some more, but that didn’t stop thousands of fans from attending day 1 of the 2019 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. Most of the crowd endured the rain in ponchos and rain boots, making sure to take in the festival the proper way.

What a better way to watch Guns N’ Roses then covered in mud and sopping wet. Axl Rose proved he still has it, belting out hit after hit, while slash showed that age is nothing but a number. The band performed for almost three hours, an absolute marathon of a set that more resembled a concert.

The crowd sang loudly to classics like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” while Axl showed off his vocal range time and again.

For three hours, New Orleans and Guns N’ Roses endured the elements to deliver a memorable performance for Voodoo Fest. Watch some highlights from GNR’s performance below.” Day 2 of Voodoo Fest kicks off at Noon today!

https://neworleans.riverbeats.life/guns-n-roses-rainy-day-1-from-voodoo-fest/

Review on My Spilt Milk (local website), Oct. 26, 2019:

*
Guns N’ Roses Play Themselves at Voodoo

Guns N’ Roses rocked Voodoo’s Altar stage through the rain with the same vigor that made them famous.

By Devorah Levy-Pearlman

Guns N’ Roses still deliver on their original promise. Since their 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction, the group has maintained its formulaically bad-boy persona. GNR was always a project of excess, of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll with a punk bent. More than 30 years later, they’re reassuring fans that they’ve still got it on their reunion tour, "Not In This Lifetime."

They opened their three-hour set at Voodoo Friday night in New Orleans with “It’s So Easy” from Appetite for Destruction with a vocal part unusually low for Axl Rose’s wide range. Other songs, like “Better”,“Nightrain”, and “Rocket Queen”, gave him the chance to flaunt his impressive vocal range and feel proud that he could still hit all the high notes. While the band members have visibly aged, they performed as if playing a younger version of themselves. By acting out the same off-the-rails persona that made them famous, they confirmed the magnetism of the familiar. They gave fans at Voodoo a perfectly packaged version of Guns N’ Roses as they knew them. People came to see a familiar band, and they got just that.

Axl was predictably unbridled and threw up as many middle fingers as one might expect. He hardly missed an opportunity to call any given thing a “fucking” thing. He managed to hit the high notes while prancing and galloping around the stage, though not with the same ease or grace. Axl basked in his own rock star persona and seemed to genuinely enjoy playing himself. What else are legacy bands’ reunion tours for?

Slash was still Slash and the audience was grateful for the many on-screen close-ups showcasing his guitar chops at work. He gave a crowd-pleasing solo around the set’s mid-point and from there segued into the intro for “Sweet "Child o' Mine”, to which everyone sang along.

Guns N’ Roses doesn’t have to try anymore to excite a crowd. Casual listeners and diehards alike already have enough information about who the band is to continue cycling through it and enjoy the same experience on repeat. Legacy bands are granted an extended half-life, and as a consequence, the band almost gets off too easy. GNR has little incentive to innovate in their performances or produce new material when they can succeed by continuing to replicate the same formula. Guns N’ Roses stick to the familiar and it works for them.

The irony is that what is now familiar used to be shocking and far-out. Being “punk” means something different today than it did for the band in the '80s. What was considered edgy and risky has since flattened out. The band’s early forays into drug use and heavy partying are well-known and so ingrained in the culture as to seem banal, for younger audiences especially. Their party-hard image might even resonate with a younger generation coming as fresh listeners to their music; not as the rebellious punk rockers they once were, but perhaps as a charmed dad band. GNR was once outrageous, but on Friday night parents brought their kids--even infants--to see them.

The punk and rock 'n' roll aesthetics have long seeped their way into mainstream culture by way of fashion and popular music. Nothing GNR did or said at Voodoo shocked anyone, and the gritty, hard rock of an aggressive, bad boy band is now a familiar, even tired image. Yet, it still worked for Guns N’ Roses. People love and remember them or can at least delight in what they imagine it was like. GNR is steeped deeply in the popular musical canon so that their legacy has crystallized in a tight, consumable package. Younger listeners could hear "Welcome to the Jungle" or "Sweet Child o' Mine" and feel like they had the GNR experience. The Voodoo set contained few surprises and gave audiences at Voodoo exactly what they paid for. Classic rock doesn’t have to reincarnate; it just needs to remind us that it happened.

https://www.myspiltmilk.com/articles/guns-n-roses-play-themselves-at-voodoo

Bands Through Town (another local website):

*
Tropical storm Olga was no match for the 20th Voodoo Festival

Story: Jennifer Rolf and Cory Weaver

Day 1
Halloween weekend in New Orleans is a destination for revelers of the macabre. But, since 1999, the city has played host to an underrated music festival, the Voodoo Music  + Arts Experience. The three-day festival annually attracts some of the biggest names in the music business, and 2019’s festival wasn’t taking a backseat to past festivals.

If you ask the locals, they’ll tell you “it always rains during Voodoo fest!” Why would the 20th Voodoo Festival be any different? Not only did the event's first day endure an on-and-off bout with weather, it was welcomed by Tropical Storm Olga.

Fans who arrived early on Friday were either clad in ponchos and waterproof boots or they ignored the torrential downpours and wind that brought sideways rain at times—soon finding themselves shirtless and barefoot. The festival grounds of City Park became swampy and marsh-like, but to successfully trudge through was a badge-of-honor type endeavor, and a little tropical storm wasn’t going to keep the show from going on.

[...]

Guns N’ Roses dominated the final slot of the evening on the main stage, playing a three-hour set. The spectacle that is Axl Rose, Slash, Duff Mckagen and St. Louis native Richard Fortus is a hard one to miss or walk away early from—as you’re just not sure what you’ll miss if you do. As GNR hits like “Welcome to the Jungle,” “November Rain” and hit covers like “Live and Let Die” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” were dominating the festival grounds, SNAILS and Big Gigantic put on noteworthy hour-long sets. As Day 1 of the festival drew to a close, it was obvious that the day (and night) belonged to the fans for enduring the weather, and indie-rock reigned supreme.

Full article:
https://www.bandsthroughtown.com/voodoo-fest-2019

More official pictures: