The circus factor of the 2002 band could have worked. It clearly separated old from new. In contrast the 2012 band just looked like a pale version of the old band.

But Axl going for a new look was a mistake. He should have concentrated on looking like he did in the 90s, to create a strong impression of continuity. On the other hand I don't want to be too harsh because the record company really made things difficult for him when they refused to release the album. He spent years building GNR back up from scratch and put a lot of soul and heart into it then he just gets cock blocked by the suits at Interscope. Must have been embarrassing.

He made a last push for it in 2006, then after CD was released he just gave up. No more ambitions. Just a nostalgia band, and that's when the reunion started looking like a better deal.

Age matters but I think it's more a matter of style. He was only 26 in 1988 and already completely unable to do some of the stuff he did a year or two prior. Now I think he mainly dials it down as much as he can to preserve whatever voice he has left, but apparently he is also struggling in the studio so who knows what he is actually capable of anymore.

AC/DC is an interesting example. He was mid 50s and while no longer having the fine texture of the 80s, there was nothing weak about that voice at all. It was world class rasp and power. Could he do anything similar to that now? Who knows.

One thing I like about it is that you are brought back to the golden era of the band. Obviously the 80s was their real peak, but the early to mid 90s is when they were at the top of their game as a world famous band.

To illustrate from my perspective how huge they were: I grew up in a small city in Scandinavia, but I lived on the outskirts so I was only in the city when my parents brought me there for something. We had one television channel, our version of the BBC. I had 3 neighbors and no brothers. No MTV, didn't listen to radio, and no magazines. None of my friends had any musical interests. And yet I was fully aware that there was a guy called Michael Jackson out there, and a scary band called Guns N' Roses. That was literally my entire musical perspective at 8-9 years old.

Strange to think that it only lasted a handful of years and then poof it feel off the surface of the Earth. When I started getting into music in 1996, they might as well have been broken up for 20 years. There was no trace of them in the current musical scene.

Thanks man.

Can see why they never released it. Footage is great but as a production it's not all that. Sort of aimless, not delving deep enough. Too short to be a real concert video, though they could have easily added songs to make it longer.

Funny how hyped this has always been. It's just a whatever tour video bands release as filler material for promo.

I just logged in. Must have been 15 years at least since the last time.

What a time capsule. Jarmo hasn't changed his avatar or signature since 2006. Layout is still exactly the same (which is good tbh).