2006.05.15 - Today - Just When You Thought You'd Never Hear Them Again, They Return To Rock Your World

Just when you thought you'd never hear them again, they return to rock your world

Call it just another set of song lyrics or call it the understatement of the century.

But when Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose (picture) screeched out the words to the group's signature ballad, Patience, on Saturday at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, the irony couldn't have been lost on the 3,000 fans in the hall.

After all, waiting out the four years since the band's previous show and the 15 years - and counting - between their last all-original studio recording and their long-overdue follow-up has taken more than "just a little patience".

In fact, Chinese Democracy - the near mythical album in question - was slated for release long before fellow veteran hard rock bands such as Slipknot and System of a Down even existed.

In the words of one blogger commenting on Rose's endless pledges of the album's arrival: "It seems like Chinese Democracy was announced about three presidents ago".

To be fair, it has only been two, a fact that Rose wisely chose to ignore when he revealed, during an interview with a New York radio station last week, that the album would hit stores "sometime this fall or late fall".

After a pause, he hedged his bets, adding: "It will be out this year."

Do I hear 2008?

The reclusive singer had said earlier that Friday's concert - the first of four shows at the same venue - would be followed by a number of music festival performances in Europe.

While it remains to be seen whether Chinese Democracy will actually see the light of day this century or whether the tour will have more success than the band's failed 2002 outing - which was scrapped amid show cancellations and riots - G N' R has already earned at least one distinction with its latest project.

It has secured a place on the list of rock music's longest-delayed and most- implausible comebacks.

Yes, it's a dubious honour, but as the following list of equally unlikely rock revivals shows, Axl and the boys - Rose is the only remaining founding member - are in first-class company.

Well, if you don't count Billy Idol.

Hehe, yes, you heard 2008