2023.10.06 - Power Trip - Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA, USA

Original festival poster:



Ozzy eventually pulled out for health reasons and has been replaced by Judas Priest.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/ozzy-osbourne-power-trip-music-festival-1235368912/

Pre-show articles about the festival.

- News Channel 3, March 30, 2023 (the day of the announcement):

Locals react to all-new ‘Power Trip’ music festival coming to the desert
https://kesq.com/top-stories/2023/03/30/locals-react-to-all-new-power-trip-music-festival-coming-to-the-desert/

- Palm Springs Desert Sun, May 24, 2023:

Power Trip: Coachella Valley locals say Goldenvoice's metal festival is 'too expensive'
https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2023/05/24/power-trip-locals-say-fall-goldenvoice-metal-festival-is-too-expensive/70212087007/

- Palm Springs Desert Sun, Sept. 20, 2023:

Power Trip: The ultimate guide to Goldenvoice's star-studded metal music festival
https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2023/09/20/power-trip-the-ultimate-guide-to-goldenvoice-metal-music-festival-palm-springs-area-indio/70836753007/

- NBC Palm Springs, Sept. 29, 2023:

Indio Police Department Prepares For The 2023 Power Trip Music Festival
https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2023/09/29/indio-police-department-prepares-for-the-2023-power-trip-music-festival/

Another preview article; Palm Springs Desert Sun, Sept. 26:
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Power Trip: What we hope to see from Metallica, AC/DC and more at the metal festival

By Brian Blueskye ,  Andrew L. John  
Palm Springs Desert Sun

Even though its announcement got mixed reception locally, the upcoming Power Trip music festival at the Empire Polo Club is groundbreaking for the Coachella Valley, which has hosted very few heavy metal concerts.

Similar to the 2016 one-off festival Desert Trip featuring classic rock legends Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Roger Waters, Los Angeles promoter Goldenvoice is going back to the same two-bands-per-night format for Power Trip, which runs Oct. 6 through 8 at the same Indio venue. The lineup features the most iconic groups in the genre: Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Tool and Metallica.

Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne was scheduled to perform at the festival, but pulled out in July due to ongoing health issues. He was replaced by English heavy metal band Judas Priest.

Osbourne's absence will be impossible to ignore, and it's expected that at least one or two of the bands performing at the festival will pay tribute to the "Prince of Darkness," especially because Metallica toured with Osbourne during the band's early years and Judas Priest has shared the stage with him on numerous occasions. During a 2019 interview, Maynard James Keenan of Tool referred to Osbourne and Black Sabbath as his earliest musical influences.

All of the performances will be entertaining and impressive, to say the least. Each band features high-level production value during every tour in the form of stunning visuals, themed stage setups, and an overabundance of pyrotechnics and on-stage explosions. Combine all of that with the vigor, mischievousness, spirit and angst of heavy metal, each band's live show is certain to be an unforgettable experience.

Here is what we are hoping to hear — and see — from each band.

Friday [...]

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses already has something special to offer locals who watch the band at Power Trip — the energetic live performance its members are known for.

The last time Guns N' Roses performed in the area — when the group headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016 — it was a special occasion for the reunited lineup featuring frontman Axl Rose with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. But there was a problem. No, the band didn't pull any of its infamous antics of the past such as showing up late or calling the show early, but Rose had to perform the two-and-a-half-hour set both weekends with a broken foot sitting in a throne loaned to him by Dave Grohl.

Since then, the original members have been making up two decades apart and continued to tour arenas and stadiums around the globe. It's hard to say when fans will see a new album, but the Guns have released three new singles since 2021.

Guns N' Roses' 25-30 song recent setlists feature many of the known hits from "Appetite For Destruction," "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II." McKagan is also known to perform lead vocals on selections from the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" such as The Misfits' "Attitude," The Damned's "New Rose" or UK Subs' "Down on the Farm." An intriguing addition since 2017 is the Glen Campbell tune "Wichita Lineman."

I don't expect anything less than Guns N' Roses bringing an ear-splitting, high-powered good time, but why not invite metal god and Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig for "Attitude" or do something crazy like bring out Bob Dylan for that cover of "Knockin' On Heavens Door?"

—Brian Blueskye [...]

https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2023/09/26/power-trip-wish-list-metal-music-festival-metallica-acdc-tool-judas-priest-guns-n-roses-iron-maiden/70855957007/

More pre-show articles.

- Ultimate Classic Rock, Oct. 5, 2023:
  Power Trip Festival: What to Expect at Rock’s Biggest Weekend
  https://ultimateclassicrock.com/power-trip-festival-preview/

- Canyon News, Oct. 5:
  Going On A Power Trip This Weekend
  https://www.canyon-news.com/going-on-a-power-trip-this-weekend/176087

- Palm Springs Desert Sun, Oct. 5:
  Power Trip live: Free AC/DC tattoos, set times, special guest predictions for Guns N' Roses
https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2023/10/05/power-trip-festival-2023-live-updates/71073635007/

Pictures by Del James

Perhaps wasn't played. It's the second time since its release.

(Source: Power Trip Instagram)



(Source: Metal Edge)

Review in Palm Springs Desert Sun (a few factual inaccuracies, but at least it's positive):
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Power Trip 2023: Guns N' Roses put on phenomenal retrospective of rock 'n' roll hits

By Brian Blueskye  
Palm Springs Desert Sun

In contrast to the theatrical and profound thought style of Iron Maiden’s performance on Friday at Power Trip, Guns N’ Roses’ headlining set didn’t come close.

But Guns N' Roses put on a phenomenal show of heavy rock 'n' roll hits and treated festivalgoers to highlights of the band's career, even paying tribute to Sir Paul McCartney's 50th anniversary of the James Bond anthem "Live And Let Die." The two-hour set was full of stunning video production and lasers, but notably no pyrotechnics.

Even though the band was 40 minutes late for its headlining performance, the crowd was calm and there were no signs of the old days when the band would appear hours late or not at all. When the festival went dark and the band's strange animated psychedelic visuals appeared, the crowd was on its feet, screaming in anticipation.

Starting with "It's So Easy," frontman Axl Rose appeared like a lightning rod and the rest of the band, which also features original members guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, were precise in every note.

By 1998, Rose had fired McKagan, Slash and former drummer Matt Sorum and reformed the band with new members and spent a decade recording the album "Chinese Democracy," which appeared early in the set, even though McKagan and Slash didn't perform on the song. But Rose sang "Slither," a song recorded by Velvet Revolver, which was a supergroup featuring McKagan, Slash, Sorum and late Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland.

As Rose sang hits such as “Mr. Brownstone” and “Welcome to the Jungle,” his voice remained high but less throaty. He harnessed his vocal prowess for when it was needed and sang high from his diaphragm, often sounding operatic or falsetto. Rose didn't make any complaints about the desert affecting his voice, but Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson expressed his displeasure with the triple digit temperatures earlier in the evening.

The band also covered UK Subs' "Down on the Farm" and McKagan sang lead vocals on Iggy & the Stooges' "T.V. Eye." McKagan, the punk rocker of the band, has become known for writing messages on his bass. Even though his bass was bare during Power Trip, the word “lame” was stenciled in pink on his black leather vest.

But more of classic vocal style started coming out later in the set during "Civil War" and "Sweet Child o' Mine."

"Yes, may I help you? Can I take your order?" Rose asked a fan during a break late in the set before starting "November Rain."

During the final part of the set, Rose sang a few lines of the song "Wichita Lineman" made famous by Glen Campbell before going into the band's cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Patience" and "Coma."

After performing "Nightrain," Rose mentioned the band had been informed of the curfew at 12:55 a.m. and said "parting is such sweet sorrow." The band closed out the two-hour set with "Paradise City."

As Guns N' Roses have made up for lost time since reuniting in 2016 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the band's lengthy tours have been featured in stadiums and arenas around the globe and are attracting new generations of fans who didn't experience the "Appetite For Destruction" and "Use Your Illusion" eras.

But Rose performed the two-and-a-half-hour set at Coachella during both weekends with a broken foot sitting in a throne loaned to him by Dave Grohl. Getting to experience the band's full vigor and a more animated Rose on stage again during Power Trip was a treat.

https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2023/10/07/power-trip-2023-guns-n-roses-perform-a-phenomenal-set-of-hits-slash-axl-rose-palm-springs-area-show/71081081007/

It's So Easy and Bad Obsession

Chinese Democracy & Live and Let Die

Nightrain and Patience

Pretty Tied Up and Slither

Double Talkin' Jive and Coma

Video of the full concert:



Audio only recording of the full GN'R and Iron Maiden shows:

Duff on Instagram: Always cool when @Metallica is your stage right! Video by @susanholmesmckagan

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyGyMSSRq-p/

(the members of Metallica watched the show from the side of the stage).

Review in Los Angeles Times:
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At Power Trip, Guns N’ Roses ditches spectacle as it polishes the messy past

By Mikael Wood
Pop Music Critic

INDIO — Axl Rose has history at the Empire Polo Club.

In 2016, the Guns N’ Roses frontman reunited with the core members of his menacing and flamboyant hard rock band to headline Coachella, the annual desert mega-festival that goes down on this grassy expanse two hours east of Los Angeles.

He returned last year for a surprise drop-in with Carrie Underwood, of all people, at Coachella’s country-music counterpart, Stagecoach.

Late Friday, Guns N’ Roses was back in Indio for the first night of Power Trip, a three-day heavy-metal(-ish) blowout that also features Metallica, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Tool, and to mark the occasion, Rose, 61, relayed the heartwarming fact that the incident described in GNR’s song “Double Talkin’ Jive” really happened.

“True story,” he told the crowd after guitarist Slash took a long, snarling solo. “Found a head and an arm in a trash can behind the studio.”

Guns N’ Roses’ Coachella comeback was notoriously hamstrung by Rose’s injury; he broke his foot just days before the fest during a warm-up gig at the Troubadour, forcing the most kinetic of rock singers to perform while seated in a throne he borrowed from Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl (who’d used it himself after breaking his leg).

Seven years and dozens of stadium concerts later, the band — with OG bassist Duff McKagan along with keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer — has become a well-oiled machine. Its three-hour Power Trip set moved efficiently through nearly 30 songs, including such genre-defining hits as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “You Could Be Mine,” “Patience,” “Paradise City” and the crowning achievement of hard rock’s greatest ballad singer, “November Rain.”

For that one, Rose, who spent most of the evening crisscrossing Power Trip’s enormous stage in a succession of black T-shirts, slipped on a sparkly silver jacket and sat down behind a grand piano on a bench designed to resemble a motorcycle.

But if the polish and athleticism of GNR’s performance here was impressive — for what it’s worth, Rose looked quite a bit trimmer than he did even 18 months ago at Stagecoach — the show also felt a bit standard-issue: just another gig for a hard-working rock band rather than the one-off spectacle its setting might’ve led some to hope for. The same largely went for Iron Maiden, which preceded Guns N’ Roses on Friday with a very solid version of its current arena production. (Goldenvoice, the promoter that puts on these Indio festivals, refused to disclose the size of the crowds at Power Trip, though the number is well into the tens of thousands.)

Any sense of disappointment wasn’t merely tied to the specific expectations raised by Power Trip, which serves as a sequel of sorts to Desert Trip, the 2016 boomer-palooza that brought together the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and other legends of 1960s rock. The challenge GNR faces as a newly stable legacy act is how to tap into the mayhem and the bad attitudes that once defined the band — and made it such a thrill — without letting them derail the whole thing as often happened in the old days.

Thus Rose’s recollection of the grisly events of “Double Talkin’ Jive.”

The tradeoff for all this professionalization was the not-unwelcome opportunity to remember how peculiar GNR’s music is: the knotty structure of a psychotic blues like “Coma,” the overwhelming forward drive of “You Could Be Mine,” the disarming tenderness of “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” with its image of a lover’s reassuring hair. “Paradise City” and “Welcome to the Jungle” made a case for Slash as the most melodically gifted soloist in hard rock, while “Mr. Brownstone” made you wonder who Rose thought he was fooling when he wrote a lyric about waking up around 7 a.m.

Along with the hits, the band played a couple of unremarkable new tunes as well as some from “Chinese Democracy,” the better-than-you-recall 2008 LP that Rose spent more than a decade working on before he invited Slash and McKagan back into the fold. As he sang the title track — Rose’s vocals were strong Friday, if less flexible than they used to be — the singer’s blue-green eyes glinted with a little of his signature indignation, as though what could still get him riled up was the prospect of being underrated.

GNR also peppered the show with covers: not just its hit renditions of Wings’ “Live and Let Die,” which Rose dedicated to McCartney as the song turned 50, and Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which got a funky white-reggae breakdown, but punk oldies by U.K. Subs and the Stooges and a deeply earnest take on Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman.”

That late-’60s easy-listening classic might not have seemed to share much with the rest of Guns N’ Roses’ presentation on Friday. Then again, it’s about a guy just doing his job.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-10-07/power-trip-guns-n-roses-review-spectacle

Review in Orange County Register (the general part about the first day of the festival and the part about GN'R's set):
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Power Trip: Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden kick things off in the desert
The inaugural three-day Power Trip rock and heavy metal event took over the Empire Polo Club in Indio with just two acts playing back-to-back on Friday, Oct. 6.

By Kelli Skye Fadroski

Thousands of rock and heavy metal music fans descended upon the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Friday, Oct. 6 to come together for the first-ever Power Trip.

The three-day celebration of the genres began with marathon sets from English heavy metal band Iron Maiden and Los Angeles-based rock band Guns N’ Roses. Next up over the weekend will be Judas Priest and AC/DC on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Metallica and Tool on Oct. 8.

For the first day, the fans ventured onto the festival grounds early as gates opened at 4 p.m., the peak heat of the day when temperatures were just about 100 degrees. It was a scorcher, but that didn’t stop the die-hards who were mostly clad in black shirts — some of which had seriously faded to gray with age that displayed both Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden’s previous tours from years or even decades before — from showing up to party with thousands of their new friends.

“The whole world is here,” Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson said during his set.

In just chatting with fans that smooshed into the massive pit area directly in front of the stage on Friday night, we met people who had made the pilgrimage from the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, just to come to Power Trip. Guests explored the festival grounds, after navigating a horrific traffic flow that caused Maiden to postpone its set by about 15 minutes to allow more people into the event, or at least that’s what Dickinson blamed for their tardiness.

Some people went a bit too hard too early and underestimated the power of the blazing sun and were spotted “napping” in the grass as their buddies stood guard, or took some passed-out selfies with them in between the two acts. Though there are just two bands playing each day, this is still a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a long day and very late evening. [...]

Well, we didn’t see Maiden again at Power Trip as everyone took an extended break in between acts as Guns N’ Roses was as fashionably late as ever — by about 35 minutes. The group hit the stage at 10 p.m. and played a three-hour set that had vocalist Axl Rose wailing out the final notes of “Paradise City” in time to make the curfew cutoff at 1 a.m., as some ill-timed fireworks blasted into the sky in nearly total silence as the song had ended almost an entire minute before the celebratory blasts began.
By 1 a.m. more than half of the crowd had cleared out either to beat a mass exodus and to escape the traffic nightmare that had greeted them at the start of the day or because the median age of this particular audience appeared to be about 50 and a three-hour set with far too many lulls was asking a bit much. It was also true that the number of Iron Maiden T-shirts worn on this day outnumbered the GNR threads by about 10:1.

Guns N’ Roses’ set was a rollercoaster that could have been edited down by a solid 30 minutes. Did we need to hear “Chinese Democracy” and a cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman”? Probably not. Hearing bassist Duff McKagan belt out The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” was fun and listening to the band rip through Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” got the pit stirring.

But the set was just filled with highs and lows and odd song choices that they’ve been doing out on the road that prompted one female fan in the pit to just yell “I don’t understand what’s going on” as she had been rockin’ out one minute and forced into a break the next during yet another solo. Same, girl, same.

Just as the momentum would build and the crowd would get fired up, another slower song or too long of a solo would hit. Look, Slash is an amazing guitarist and it’s mesmerizing to watch his fingers fly up and down those strings, but there were a lot of those moments here.

It also felt like Rose’s vocals were going to give out at any second. He was singing super high on a lot of songs and he’d also get very quiet on certain verses midway through the set which was worrisome. But shockingly, near the end of the show is when he sounded his absolute best. He soared through the band’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” was an expert whistler on “Patience” and ripped through “Coma” and “Nightrain.”

https://www.ocregister.com/2023/10/07/power-trip-guns-n-roses-iron-maiden-kick-things-off-in-the-desert/

Review in Spin (the part about GN'R):
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Power Trip: Iron Maiden Goes Deep, Guns N’ Roses Hits Curfew
Inaugural metal festival touched down on the Coachella grounds in Indio, Ca.

Written by Sean Reiter

Metalheads from around the world are making the pilgrimage this weekend to the Coachella and Stagecoach festival grounds at Empire Polo Field in Indio, Ca., for the inaugural Power Trip — a three-night festival featuring Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Tool, AC/DC, and Judas Priest. GNR and Maiden got the party started last night (Oct. 6) on a day when temperatures soared above 100 degrees. [...]

Between acts, fans posed for pictures under giant cactus devil horns, rode the Polo Field’s famous Ferris wheel, and endured seemingly endless lines to buy merch. They needn’t have rushed back towards the stage, as Guns N’ Roses was 35 minutes late to begin its own set with “It’s So Easy” from Appetite for Destruction, the first of eight songs from the iconic 1987 album.

His punctuality notwithstanding, Axl Rose looked and sounded remarkably better than during the band’s 2021 and 2022 tours, during which Slash seemed to be holding down the proverbial fort. At 61, Rose’s one-of-a-kind voice was steady throughout the night, and the band seemed more like a unified force than a group of individuals brought back together merely for the financial rewards. Kudos go to guitarist Richard Fortus for his stage presence and six-string theatrics, as well as keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who delivered the crucial chords of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” and bassist Duff McKagan, who took the mic on the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” to help Rose get a breather.

As always, Slash dazzled on guitar, from the propulsion of “You Could Be Mine” and echo-laced solo on “Rocket Queen” to a three-song stint where he mostly sat on the steps center stage to strum an acoustic for Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and GNR’s “Patience.” As the set approached the three-hour mark, Rose announced “the pain train is coming,” with drummer Frank Ferrer then blasting into “Nightrain.”

“We’ve just been informed that there is a curfew,” Rose told the crowd before launching into a premature closer of “Paradise City,” which was followed by fireworks bursting from the stage. Power Trip resumes today with Judas Priest opening for AC/DC, the latter performing with lead singer Brian Johnson for the first time in seven years.

https://www.spin.com/2023/10/power-trip-day-one-review/

Review in Loudersound:
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Guns N' Roses at Power Trip festival was an epic homecoming that proves they're the ruling class of rock'n'roll (even with the late start)
An epic 29-song setlist from Guns N' Roses closed out the first day of California's Power Trip festival
4/5 stars

By Rich Hobson

Guns N' Roses have had a mixed bag in 2023. The band's Glastonbury set should have highlighted their legend and cemented their place as one of rock's most iconic groups, but instead was received as something of a mixed bag by fans and critics alike, the band struggling to contemporise their appeal. But at Power Trip they have no such issues; this is effectively the band on home turf after all, and with an audience preinclined to embrace nostalgia over reappraisal.

Despite being half an hour late, the band still manage a colossal three hour set, cramming a whopping 29 songs in before the end. The question is: did they really need to? The hits sell themselves; from opener It's So Easy to Mr Brownstone, Welcome To The Jungle and You Could Be Mine, Guns have the kind of songs that could define a lesser band, but in truth only present part of their impressive arsenal.

But other songs have a decidedly filler feel. Against the sublime covers of Live And Let Die and Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Wichita Lineman deflates the atmosphere almost entirely, while Down On The Farm lacks the thrust and bite Guns can still so clearly deliver. Even Duff McKagan's spot-on Iggy Pop impression on TV Eye could be livewire if it weren't trotted out at every gig these days.  

Thankfully, the balance is tipped by just how well Guns are able to switch gears throughout the set. The motorbreath snarl of early Guns can still be felt in the galloping pace of Absurd, It's So Easy and a particularly howling Nightrain, while the likes of Pretty Tied Up and Slither tap into the sleaze of Sunset Strip glam with (forked) tongue purely in cheek.  

Guns don't particularly go in much for the spectacle side of rock'n'roll - they'll leave the rollercoaster drummers to Mötley Crüe, thank you very much - but have a natural inclination to granstanding that lends itself to some sublime performances throughout the set, Slash busting out solos you could inspire a legion of guitarists with, while Axl and Dizzy Reed get to strut their respective stuff across the keys of November Rain and Live And Let Die, Axl going full Elton as he dons a shining coat and rhinestone rings to tickle the ivories like he's giving a violent one man concerto.

Additionally, Power Trip's stage set-up ensures stunning kaleidoscopic visions throughout the set, underpinning massive moments as lasers light the sky to give a Vegas-style feel. While not quite a homecoming show, the reality is that the Sunset Strip that spawned them couldn't possibly house such grandiose proportions these days and Guns are long past being the edgy outsiders, instead becoming the ruling class of rock'n'roll.

https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/guns-n-roses-at-power-trip-festival-was-an-epic-homecoming-that-proves-theyre-the-ruling-class-of-rocknroll-even-with-the-late-start

Review in Ultimate Classic Rock:
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Guns N’ Roses Excite and Exhaust at Power Trip: Review and Set List

By Bryan Rolli

When the newly reunited Guns N’ Roses headlined Coachella in 2016, it felt impossible.

When they returned to the Empire Polo Club seven years later to close the first night of Power Trip, it felt inevitable.

Like Iron Maiden right before them, Guns N’ Roses included no surprises in their Friday night performance. But that’s not to say they didn’t kick up a wonderful racket during their three-hour set, delivering a vigorous, exhausting mix of hits, deep cuts, covers and new tunes.

You can see the full set list below.

Deep Cuts Ruled the Day

Highlights of GN’R’s 2023 set list include vintage deep cuts “Bad Obsession,” “Pretty Tied Up” and “Anything Goes,” back for the first time in decades. All three provided thrills at Power Trip, particularly the first two, which arrived early in the set and allowed Axl Rose to flex his still-powerful chest voice.

The frontman also sounded fired up on the band’s cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and the Chinese Democracy cut “Better,” and his banshee wail on “Reckless Life” was nearly transportive. That inimitable sandpaper rasp that once made Rose the most dangerous frontman in the world only shows up about half the time on a good night now — but if you can live with those odds, you’re in for a hell of a good time.

That’s because, even if they’re showing their age, Guns N’ Roses don’t phone it in. Rose stomped and strutted his way across the Power Trip stage all night, eyes still full of fiery determination and satisfaction when he landed a good scream. Slash dazzled during a frenetic, improvisational solo at the end of “Double Talkin’ Jive,” the notes practically flying out of his fingers like mini lightning bolts. Duff McKagan, a picture of self-preservation, delivered rock-solid backing vocals alongside keyboardist Melissa Reese and proved his own frontman mettle with a cover of the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye.”

Guns N' Roses Played Long — Maybe Too Long

It was everything you could want from a Guns N’ Roses set — and then some. The band delivered maximum bang for buck, but also plenty of bloat. “Rocket Queen,” once one of their most menacing songs, received a hammy, Vegas-style makeover with dueling guitar solos, piano and auxiliary percussion. A steady throng of fans in the general admission section flocked to the exits throughout the second half of the set, which included back-to-back covers of Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

Suspend your cynicism though, and Guns N’ Roses still delivered a gargantuan rock show, warts and all, that reminded viewers why they belong on the Power Trip lineup. They might not be the same wildly unpredictable band of yesteryear, but the fact that they’re here at all is worth celebrating.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/guns-n-roses-power-trip-review-set-list/

Review in Mxdwn Music (the part about GN'R):
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It Is So Easy – Power Trip Festival 2023 Review Day One (Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, Setlist)

By Raymond Flotat

[...]

The advantage of Power Trip festival compared to your average daylong music event is there are literally only six bands playing the entire festival. On day one, it’s just Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses. So after a healthy set changeover, the capacity crowd was ready for the famed hard rock giants of the late ‘80s. Guns N’ Roses have long had a reputation of starting late in shows, both before the original members broke up and after Axl continued on with the band with hired hands not from the original lineup. This evening would be a sliver of that problem, with the band starting about thirty minutes past their stated start time. This was a set filled with deep cuts, almost as if the rock giants had tailored this show with the hardcore GNR obsessive/nerd in mind. There were deeper cuts that average fans might not remember including “Bad Obsession,” “Double Talkin’ Jive” and “Anything Goes,” coupled with tracks from Chinese Democracy-era tracks “Better” and the album’s title track. There were also a bevy of covers that very neatly stitched together what are now increasingly obvious inspirations for the band’s original sound, among them Link Wray and his Wray Men’s “Rumble,” UK Subs’ “Down on the Farm” and The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye.” They also played both of their new songs, “Hard Skool” and “Absurd,” the first new tracks the band had done together since their initial separation in the ‘90s, quietly released online without much context or fanfare in 2021 and 2022.

This all amounted to what could arguably be considered a lot of lost time set against a gigantic crowd that is really starved for bands of this vintage ilk. Whatever rock and roll means to today’s world, it doesn’t have the unvarnished power that was common in late ‘80s rock. More accurate crowd estimates will come, but this looked and felt like one-hundred thousand strong all squarely in the pocket of fandom of what Guns N’ Roses does best. Along with extended Slash guitar solos in numerous cuts, the set had just a bit too much downtime. If you were a diehard fan of the band, you might have been impressed by some of these choices, but this is one set where if a lot of these lesser known inclusions were cut, and more of the songs people adore from the band were played, it would’ve made for an absolutely amazing show. No “Yesterdays,” no “Dead Horse” and no “Don’t Cry” in this setlist, just in case you’re keeping score.

On the positive side, there were numerous cuts one would hope for sprinkled amidst the other deeper cuts. “Mr. Brownstone,” “It’s So Easy” and “Welcome to the Jungle” all made an appearance in the first third of the set. Far later, “You Could Be Mine” and “Estranged” came in as a nice one-two punch after momentum had been lost. “Live and Let Die” brought the crowd back to their feet in joyous singalong. “Civil War” from Use Your Illusion I had a similar effect near the latter third of the set. After an extended solo set piece for Slash to show off his unparalleled fretwork, “Sweet Child of Mine” was the glowing ode everyone fell in love with over thirty years ago. They also ended the set with many of their most beloved songs. Following a curious cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” they brought everything home without an encore break—presumably because of how late they started—with their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” acoustic ballad “Patience,” the foreboding fever dream “Coma,” the rollicking “Nighttrain” and the only song that could possibly end the set, “Paradise City.”

It’s hard to talk about this set without giving a close look at Axl Rose’s vocal performance. Rose has one of the most original voices in all of rock and roll history. Like a snarling hyena and at times a comforting old friend, there’s no one ever that could take such an unconventional voice and make it so likable and unforgettable. It’s impossible not to notice how the upper register of his vocals just seems to be a massive struggle for him. If you watch closely you can see him trying really hard to hit those higher notes and just not being able to make it a lot of the time. Sometimes he artfully avoids the parts that are hard to achieve, and others he tries his best and it just doesn’t sound quite like what you remember. What can be said is he has lost none of the charisma and drive to be one of the best frontmen in the business. No one else could lead this band, but like The Smashing Pumpkins, some fans might just not be able to enjoy this the way they remember hearing so many intricate vocal lines being delivered so differently. It’s important to remember, people’s voice’s change over time. Thirty years on some notes and register’s just change. We all age and are bodies degrade. There’s really nothing to be done about it. It’s a weird dichotomy perhaps given that this is a rock festival centered mostly on the giants of the previous generation, but the only thing you can do is appreciate Axl Rose for the singer he is now, not the singer he was. And if you doubt this assertion, imagine if Led Zeppelin reunited right now and did a big tour. Do you think Robert Plant would sound the way all those classic records did?

But every other part of Guns N’ Roses sounds as raw and vital as it ever did. Slash and Duff McKagan play their instruments almost flawlessly, punctuating each song with every bit of nuance and control to make them more than just power chords blasted out angrily. There’s no wonder that the band can command such a massive audience, as about six of these songs are some of the most important the last four decades of music have to offer.

https://music.mxdwn.com/2023/10/07/reviews/it-is-so-easy-power-trip-festival-2023-review-day-one-iron-maiden-guns-n-roses-setlist/

Review in Coachella Valley Independent (the part about GN'R):
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Power Trip 2023: Iron Maiden Ignites the Crowd; Guns N’ Roses Experiments With Moods

By Matt King

Power Trip kicked off Friday night with a doubleheader of Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses.

While there was disagreement over which band should be opening for the other, most attendeea agreed that both bands turned in impressive performances. [...]

Guns N’ Roses

If Iron Maiden was in rock ’n’ roll fashion by being 20 minutes late, what do we call Guns N’ Roses being 35 minutes late? Despite the tardiness, the legendary ’80s rock outfit came out and performed with purpose.

Eager, anxious fans were quickly treated to a great rock show, as the band rolled through hits like “It’s So Easy” and “Bad Obsession.” Frontman Axl Rose pranced and ran around like a mad man while belting out the tracks, while the video screens mixed psychedelic visuals with light and laser effects.

I noticed a difference between band T-shirts: The members of Iron Maiden wore Iron Maiden shirts, while Guns N’ Roses’ shirts supported other musicians. Guitarist Slash had an Alice Cooper shirt on, while bassist Duff McKagan was repping old-school punk rocker Johnny Thunders on his vest.

Speaking of Slash: The concert was like watching a game of Guitar Hero. Almost every song during the three-hour set featured Slash ripping a great guitar solo on a different guitar. I’m curious how many guitars his tech has to tune every night.

Hits like “Welcome to the Jungle” got the crowd engaged and singing along, reinvigorating the Power Trip energy for some—while signaling the approach of bedtime for others. When the band finished “Jungle,” many attendees began heading home.

Guns N’ Roses experimented with moods and songs, offering synthy sounds via “Hard Skool” and explicit lyrics via “Absurd.” (The line “pussy full of maggots” garnered a, shall we say, unique reaction where I was sitting.)

There were a lot of audio issues, with drastic mixing being done during songs. Axl’s voice and Slash’s solos were ear-piercing. Many fans were complaining about this, and about the quality of Axl’s voice, in a Power Trip Facebook group.

The T-shirts were just the start of the band paying homage to other performers, as covers of “Live and Let Die” (Paul McCartney and Wings), “Down on the Farm” (U.K. Subs) and “T.V. Eye” (The Stooges) made both the band and crowd happy. It was especially interesting to hear the Paul McCartney cover after hearing the same song here at Desert Trip seven years ago.

Guns N’ Roses were still rocking hard well into their second hour on stage, showing no signs of stopping. They blazed through, guitar-soloed and extended-jammed their way through tracks like “Rocket Queen” and “Anything Goes,” and even had a serious moment with track “Civil War,” showing a video of the Ukraine flag.

Slash started on another guitar solo rampage, this time jamming with the full band before starting that ever-famous intro of “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” The area around the GA seating was nowhere near as packed as it was hours ago, but attendees who remained were standing and singing along to one of the most popular songs in rock history. Axl Rose’s voice is not what it was 40 years ago, but with the help of the massive audience and backup singer Melissa Reese, the song was just as powerful.

Rose headed to the piano and led the band into “November Rain,” another fan favorite. Out of all of the Power Trip bands, Guns N’ Roses arguably has the most ballads and slow songs, so it was cool to see this huge, heavy rock crowd sing along and dance slow. After covering “Wichita Lineman,” the band visited their most famous cover, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” originally by Bob Dylan. It was another nice nod to Desert Trip, yet this version was much more rockin’ than Bob’s, and for many fans, this was their last song of the night.

The band kept rolling through songs before Rose announced that the 1 a.m. curfew was near. After three hours of rock jams, Guns N’ Roses took Indio to “Paradise City,” featuring more Axl Rose screams and Slash solos for the road.

A big fireworks show closed the epic first night of Power Trip, one minute after curfew—and all was right in the rock world.

https://cvindependent.com/2023/10/power-trip-2023-iron-maiden-ignites-the-crowd-guns-n-roses-experiments-with-moods/

Slash, Duff and Richard with Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo of Metallica (credit: Ross Halfin)







Picture by Meegan:

From Susan Holmes-McKagan



With family:

Duff interviewed by Eddie Trunk backstage (I suppose the interview will be aired shortly):

Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Power Trip