2022.12.10 - Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

Eden Park Welcomes Guns N’ Roses As It Gears Up For A Second World-class Concert In Two Weeks
Monday, 5 December 2022, 11:26 am
Press Release: Eden Park

This weekend, one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Guns N’ Roses will take to the Eden Park stage in the stadium’s second international concert in as many weeks.

Eden Park CEO, Nick Sautner said, “Guns N’ Roses define rock royalty. Their legendary music has been played across generations, making them one of the best-selling acts in history. We’re really excited to have them play at Eden Park in what promises to be an epic three hours of iconic music.

“Playing host to two international concerts over consecutive weekends is truly historic. Saturday will be a huge night of rock and we’re encouraging music fans who missed out on seeing Billy Joel last weekend, to make sure they have tickets for GunsN’ Roses.

“People definitely love a live concert experience and it’s hard to beat seeing your favourite artist live on stage at New Zealand’snational stadium . We had a sell-out crowd on Saturday night, and it was fantastic to see over 35,000 Billy Joel fans singing and dancing to his greatest hits.

“This concert will be a true celebration of a new post-COVID-19 era, providing much-needed entertainment and escapism for music fans. Having a venue capable of hosting a diverse range of concerts, sporting events and festivals brings significant economic, social and cultural benefits to Tamaki Makaurau and Aotearoa New Zealand.

“We know from our recent events, including the Rugby World Cup, Six60, international cricket and the Billy Joel concert, that local restaurants and bars were packed and with a huge number of fans coming from outside of Auckland to enjoy the event andhotel rooms were hard to come by.

“2022/23 is our busiest summer ever. There will be something on at Eden Park for everyone whether they’re a fan of football, rugby, cricket or music or they’re attending the Te Matatini festival. We’re absolutely delighted to be delivering these amazing events,” said Mr Sautner.

Guns N’ Roses team ready Eden Park for rocking out

By Katie Harris

Eden Park is getting the international treatment this weekend as crews prepare the stadium for Guns N’ Roses to rock out tomorrow evening.

Production manager Will Keating told the Herald the hardest part about setting up is the weather.

“It’s quite ironic last time we were down in Wellington the winds were a problem and all the rest of that, but Wellington this week was beautiful and we come up to Auckland and it’s windy and rainy. You know, it’s quite ironic.”

The band played in Wellington last night and Keating said it’s taken about 12 trucks to move the stage, and 15 trucks in total to transport the concert equipment between the cities.

“It was a great show last night and we’re looking forward to a great show tomorrow night.

“We’re coming to the end of the tour and everyone’s looking forward to the last show, it’s going to be a big one.”
Production crews prepare Eden Park for Guns N' Roses' Auckland stadium show.


Photo / Alex Burton

The band and more than 100 crew members touched down earlier this week in their private Boeing 777 jet for the long-awaited show. It was postponed last year due to the Delta outbreak.

The concert requires 10 tonnes of audio equipment, 250 lighting fixtures, and five days to build the stage.

Eden Park chief executive Nick Saunter said following the Billy Joel show last week they have had a “phenomenal” response, and they’ve already had a number of agents and promoters looking to book a date.

“To go from a classic in Billy Joel, to a rock act, biggest in the world, Guns N’ Roses, how good is that?”

Saunter, who is going to the show with his extended family, said his favourite song is November Rain.

“Hopefully it will be November rain, and not December rain tomorrow.

“I think they’re a band that goes across generations.”

The show must go on: Aucklanders hit by heavy rain ahead of big concerts

Thousands of Aucklanders heading to concerts late this afternoon were drenched as a heavy thunderstorm swept across the city, but the shows went ahead.

Severe thunderstorms watches for this evening have been cancelled by MetService, although a heavy rain watch was in place for the next 25 hours over central regions of the North Island.

The severe weather today came as Auckland was expecting a busy Saturday, and police were warning people to make sure their plans included getting home safely.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to descend on the city centre to attend the Guns N' Roses and Jack Johnson concerts - as well as Christmas in the Park.

Despite the major downpour, the shows still went ahead.

At Eden Park, the torrential downpours which had threatened the start of the Guns N' Roses concert had largely disappeared by 8:30pm and a large crowd, mainly over 50 and many with families, rocked out under grey skies, with Ukrainian flags adorning the side of the stage.


Guns N' Roses perform at Eden Park. Photo: RNZ / Jeremy Rees

Christmas in the Park spokeswoman Deborah Delaney said Aucklanders were a "hardy lot" and would rug up accordingly.

Police said if people were drinking at tonight's events, they should have a pick-up organised or put aside money for a taxi or rideshare.

Event-goers should also look out for each other and agree on a meeting point in case they became separated.

Police said there was no easier way of ruining a good night out than a trip to the emergency department or the police station.

Review: Guns N’ Roses at Eden Park a lesson in time-defying abnormality

By John Weekes

“As usual, the show could not be performed normally.”

So goes a line in a Guns N’ Roses documentary about the band’s wild times in the ‘90s.

What a normal G N’ R show is supposed to look like as the world crawls out of almost three years of Covid hibernation, who knows.

But this one at Eden Park was set to be the biggest international act the country had seen since before the pandemic. 15 trucks hauled the gear in and the crowds streaming into Eden Park and surrounding suburbs were fizzing at the prospect of seeing the Gunners live.

People sometimes ask if Axl Rose if still alive, or even if he’s real. On good authority, we’re told he is both. Then people ask what he looks like, and what he sounds like. Does he prowl? Can he still scream? The huge crowd was about to find out.

Apart from black T-shirts, the most popular garb around Eden Park was the plastic poncho. Auckland’s weather was as volatile as the Gunners’ performances and mental health conditions were in the ‘90s. Bars around the stadium heaved as concertgoers dived inside to escape the rain.

Aussie punk rockers The Chats and Māori thrash metal band Alien Weaponry opened. The infamous tardiness of Rose’s early years evaporated, and the Gunners started as the skies got clearer.

It turns out Rose can still scream, blasting Welcome to the Jungle a few songs into the set.

The crowd was good-natured, often euphoric, and the weather was dry enough now for many people to spark up, as the smell of cannabis wafted through the audience.

Slash unleashed probably his most striking performance of the night to that point with a solo at the end of Live and Let Die. The stage was huge and most of the time the band members had a lot of personal space but Rose and Slash were side-by-side then.

Rose is still a commanding figure, but in small doses. He stepped away quite often from the front of the stage and let his bandmates get the attention.

The Gunners resurfaced for multiple encores, one of them with AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. Slash and Rose both appeared to be from a different planet, and the crowd roared with approval.

The band played their cover of Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door too. And three hours in, just before 10pm, Slash and Duff McKagan returned again. They played a cover of The Beatles’ Blackbird and seemed about to leave but then all their bandmates returned immediately and started playing Patience.

The band with a tangled history of meandering lineups, past fallouts and oscillating addictions tested the patience of some fans over the decades, but managed to survive the meltdowns, riots, rise of grunge and the ageing process.

As is something approaching normal for a Gunners show, Paradise City was the last song. But just before, Rose thanked people for rising to the occasion in tough times.

“I want to thank the crews in every city we played, and everybody f*cking else! We love you. Thank you very much.”

Some might never have expected Rose or any of them to make it to the other side of the world 35 years after Appetite for Destruction was released. The love is mutual.