2022.11.24 - Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia

Guns and Roses bassist Duff McKagan and wife Susan Holmes McKagan stroll oceanway

Rock and roll royalty Guns and Roses are lapping up the Gold Coast’s own piece of ‘Paradise City’, taking in a new attraction, stopping into Woolies and lunching. SEE PICTURES

Ryan Keen and Gemma Ferguson
Pictures: Glenn Hampson

ROCK and roll royalty Guns and Roses have been lapping up the Gold Coast’s own ‘Paradise City’ ahead of their Glitter Strip show.



Bassist Duff McKagan and model wife Susan Holmes McKagan enjoyed a stroll along the newly installed beachfront oceanway in Surfers Paradise on Wednesday. They were earlier spotted walking up the sand from the beachfront to the concrete track.



The pair looked relaxed and tanned following the super-selling band’s show at Brisbane on Tuesday night. McKagan will join fellow GnR originals, frontman Axl Rose and lead guitarist Slash, on stage at Metricon Stadium on Thursday night.



McKagan, who quit drinking 25 years ago after his pancreas exploded, has turned into a fitness freak since his boozey heyday when he drank a bottle of vodka daily. Band members also lunched at Rick Shores, Burleigh, on Wednesday.

Guns N’ Roses don’t stop for three hours in epic show led by Axl, Slash and Duff

Old-school classics, new material, great covers and a handstand with a pacemaker. Guns N’ Roses play three-plus hours on the Gold Coast. Read the review

Ryan Keen

The encore was worth the price of admission alone.

Guns N’ Roses - the 2022 version - anchored by 1985 era originals Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan - belted out the full 10-minute version of Use Your Illusion 1’s Coma followed by chart topping ballads Patience and Don’t Cry before ending with possibly the greatest rock song off all time: Paradise City.

It all started with It’s So Easy, off their super-selling debut album Appetite for Destruction, which was somewhat ironic given getting the Gunners to the Goldie and Down Under again has been anything but easy.

Some fans have been hanging on to their tickets for more than two years after Covid put the mockers on them playing a year ago.
It was worth the wait.
The original trio and longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed - joined by Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums), and Melissa Reese (keyboard) - played three-plus hours of non stop blistering rock full of old classics, some of the better stuff Axl did himself during their split - such as Better and Chinese Democracy.

Reese hit the vocals to kick off Better. Whilst Axl still has x-factor stage presence whilst Slash plays as good as he ever has. Is there a bigger, cooler looking rock star than peroxide blonde haired Duff McKagan? Doubt it.

Earlier in the week, Slash told a Triple M interviewer the electric chemistry the band had when it first got together in the mid 1980s is still as strong as ever - he described it as “combustibility”.

They also played a ripping version of Slither from Duff and Slash’s former band Velvet Revolver.

They played their latest new tracks yet to make an album - the fast-paced, hard rocking Hard Skool and the slightly disturbing and somewhat absurd Absurd (brace yourself and google the video).

Fun fact: Appetite for Destruction is the biggest-selling debut album in the US of all time. And featured heavily - Mr Brownstone, Welcome to the Jungle, Night Train and Rocket Queen all got a run.

Don’t Cry? Don’t stop. But all good things must come to an end including GnR concerts.

And this one did with a heartfelt signature Good! F---ing! Night! signoff from frontman Axl Rose.

The full band returned, hugged, did a bow and departed - with the enigma that is Slash sticking around by himself on stage for a moment, giving a grateful smile and - despite pushing 60 and having a pacemaker - pulling off a perfect handstand before departing.





They play Sydney on Sunday night.

Guns N’ Roses legend Axl Rose pestered by illegal drone during show

Guns N’ Roses superstar Axl Rose has called out the owner of a drone after an incident at a show while the band sets its sights on Melbourne.

Fiona Byrne

Axl Rose, the superstar singer of legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses, has been pestered by a rogue drone which got in his face while filming a show on the group’s Australian tour.

Guns N’ Roses will play to a packed MCG in Melbourne on Saturday, December 3 and Rose has called on fans to play “w/ur toys somewhere else”, after he was distracted by the low flying device hovering in front of, and then over, the stage at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.

“To the anonymous Mr Drone flyer, you’re a f-----g c---,” an irritated Rose growled during Thursday night’s show.

Queensland Police confirmed a drone had been confiscated from a man outside the stadium who was then told to buzz off.
“Police received a report of a drone flying above a Carrara music event at approximately 8pm (Thursday, November 24),” a police spokesperson said.

“A short time later officers located a 20-year-old Brisbane man outside the venue on Nerang Broadbeach Rd, allegedly operating the drone.

“The man was issued a move on direction by police and advised not to return to the event. “The drone was seized by police.
“The matter has been referred to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.”

Rose took to Twitter to call out the “drone pirates”.


“Had a few drones this leg. Last night (Gold Coast Australia) was probably the most intrusive,” Rose wrote.

“Was a bit of a distraction as obviously someone thought it was just OK to be doing that but also it coming that close in front of the stage and then actually over n’ on stage.

“Anyway, we get it can be “fun” to get ur drone bootleg vid but we’d appreciate it if anyone planning to be a drone pirate took the fans n’ the band into consideration n’ played w/ur toys somewhere else. Big thank you in advance.”

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) yesterday urged people to dob in unsafe or inappropriate drone use.

“To ensure the safety for those on the ground, drones are prohibited from flying in populous areas including a crowded beach, a busy road, a sporting event or a concert,” CASA said in a statement.

“Regulatory breaches may carry fines up to $1110 per offence.”