2010.05.30 - NRK - Guns N' Roses Charmed By Bergen (Dizzy, Dj)

Article in Norwegian:

https://www.nrk.no/vestland/guns-n_-roses-sjarmert-av-bergen-1.7145662

My translation:

Guns N' Roses Charmed by Bergen

- I love this city! I want to return for vacation, says Dizzy Reed to NRK.no

On Monday evening Guns ' Roses will start the European leg of its Chinese Democracy tour in Vestlandshallen in Bergen, before continuing to Oslo on Wednesday. Reed is one of very few members of the band who has visited Bergen before.

- Great to be back. I have been here once before, with a side project. It was February and very cold and dark, I recall. We played at a place called.... Hulen? It was fun, definitely worth the train trip, says Dizzy Reed to NRK.no.

Practised without Axl

The keyboard player in Guns N' Roses arrived in Bergen together with the rest of the band - except for Axl Rose - already on Thursday, but the 46-year-old has not managed to see much of the city.

- I wish we were at the start of the tour, because I love Bergen and would have loved to see more of it. Hopefully I will return at some point, on vacation, and can explore the city and the fjords. That would have been great, says Reed.

NRK.no was allowed to witness parts of the band's sound check in Vestlandshallen Sunday afternoon. The frontman Axl Rose was not present and will probably not practise with the band before Monday evening. Keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal occasionally sang but the rest of the songs were played instrumentally.

The songs that were rehearsed while NRK.no was present were "Live And Let Die", "Sorry", "If The World", "Prostitute", "Rocket Queen" and "My Michelle". Anf for those not aware: Guns N' Roses anno 2010 is an incredible competent and tight hard rock band!

The most difficult question

Dizzy Reed is the only remaining member from the band's heydays in the begining of the 90s. The keyboardist joined in 1990 and has seen members come and go at an astonishing rate. The band does not want to discuss the break with Slash and Reed also doesn't want to talk about the many downfalls the band has endured before the new lineup cemented.

- What Guns N' Roses question are you fed up with?

- "Where is Axl?" I hear that all the time. So often I started to think that was my name. But I don't know, don't ask me, chuckles the 46-year-old.

Ny guitarist
The newest member of the band is DJ Ashba, and is the group's third guitarist. That space he shares with Richard Fortus and Ron Thal. Without any chaos on stage, if we are to trust the 37-year-old.

- We shares the songs between us. I do 80-90 % of the Slash pieces, Ron does the Buckethead stuff and Richard does a lot of what Izzy used to do. Whatever fits each own's style. We are very different guitarists and do whatever feel natural, says the guitarist to NRK.bo

- Is it true the band performs without a proper setlist?

- Yes, and that's one of the cool things about Guns N' Roses. I have never been part of such a band before. You have to be concentrated all the time, because it all depends on what Axl feels that night. Usually he calls out the song titles, and usually in a different order than the night before. I love it, and it is great for the audiences. They never get the same show twice. And we keep it spontaneous, says Ashba.

- Party jam!
On the latest tour the band has played around with many cover songs, including "My Generation" (The Who), «Sonic Reducer» (Dead Boys) and «Whole Lotta Rosie» (AC/DC). This last song is a song GNR has played since the beginning and which was dragged out again just before Christmas when the band played in Japan.

- That was Axl's idea. Occasionally we guitarists starts playing a riff and some times he goes with it, as he did that night. We ended up with a really fun party jam, and since then we have played it now and then, says DJ Ashba.

The show in Vestlandshallen Monday night is the tour start for Europe, and the first time the band visits Bergen. Dizzy Reed promises the fans value for their money hen Guns N' Roses enters the stage.

- Lots of great tunes, great entertainment, light and explosions. Just quality entertainment!

Rejects reunion

- If I was to bet on the classical lineup (with Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler/Matt Sorum) reuniting, what would you tell me?

- If I was a bookie I'd definitely taken your money. But don't do it. You will lose. Guaranteed.

Images in the article:




Credit ROY HILMAR SVENDSEN / NRK

The article also links to this article https://www.nrk.no/vestland/i-dag-kan-du-treffe-guns-n_-roses-1.7145151 with additional quotes from band members. We should add this to the database and I will translate it later. Now I am off for a hike!

Soulmonster wrote:The article also links to this article https://www.nrk.no/vestland/i-dag-kan-du-treffe-guns-n_-roses-1.7145151 with additional quotes from band members. We should add this to the database and I will translate it later. Now I am off for a hike!

I saw it, but the quotes are basically what the band members tweeted, which I added in the Bergen show thread.

https://www.a-4-d.com/t2726-2010-05-31-vestlandshallen-bergen-norway#24203

Blackstar wrote:

Soulmonster wrote:The article also links to this article https://www.nrk.no/vestland/i-dag-kan-du-treffe-guns-n_-roses-1.7145151 with additional quotes from band members. We should add this to the database and I will translate it later. Now I am off for a hike!

I saw it, but the quotes are basically what the band members tweeted, which I added in the Bergen show thread.

https://www.a-4-d.com/t2726-2010-05-31-vestlandshallen-bergen-norway#24203

Alright, then there is no point in including it, I agree.