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Re: Nov 13, 2006 Baltimore Concert Review
I think this is one of the most positive reviews i've seen of the new band
GNR Legends Week: Guns N' Roses Live Review
by James Rodd
For our GNR Legends week we revisit James Rodd's review of the 11/13/2006 concert at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland where they managed to blow him away with their show. Here is James' review:
I am a Guns N' Roses fan. I am an Axl Rose fan. In fact, I down right idolized him in my teenage years and tried to emulate him in my hysterical attempts at musicianship.
I have seen GNR perform three times now, each time with a different lineup.The 1st time, 1989 or so, opening for Aerosmith in the Meadowlands (or maybe it was Shea Stadium), NYC. This was just during the break out success of Sweet Child O' Mine. Back then it was the absolute original line up. Slash, Axl, Duff, Izzy and Steven Adler.
The 2nd time I saw them was in 1991. A slightly different line up - Steve replaced by Matt Sorum and the addition of Dizzy Reed. This was the Metallica, GNR show with Skid Row opening in Madison Square Garden. One of the best shows I have ever been to, even if it did result in me bombing my Spanish final the next day.
So this was my third time seeing them. 15 years had passed. The band itself is a shadow of what it was member wise. The only original member is Axl himself. The only other name on stage associated with GN'R of yester year was Dizzy Reed. So with all the hype surrounding this band, the drama that is Axl, the album that we have been waiting a decade for'¦ How was it?
It was freaking awesome! I have been to about 25 concerts, so far, in my lifetime. This was, by far, one of the best.
First off, attendance was a bit less than I expected. By the time GN'R took the stage the arena was 2/3 -3/4 full. Not an abysmal turn out, but no where near the capacity crowd present at the two previous shows I had attended. This is not a large arena by any standard either. This led me to believe that these are the die hard fans. With no new album to coax the next generation, it's the diehard's that are present. When you look at it that way, and add in the time lapse, it's a pretty good turn out.
Papa Roach, one of the opening acts for the first leg of the tour, dropped off the bill after Friday night's, sold out MSG show in NYC. I figured since no other opening act had been announced that they would go with Sebastian Bach, the other opening band, and then straight into GNR. I was wrong. We were treated to a 45 minute show by the Suicide Girls. This is not a band folks. They're strippers. Naughty strippers. Tattooed, pierced, and definitely on the Goth edge. 5 girls writhing and contorting to a number of rock hits. At first, while clothed, it was like a "Solid Gold" dance troupe, and the crowd and I seemed a bit bewildered, but when those shirts came off, the shock swept across the arena, and the crowd, 70% male, woke up. The girls put on a hell of a show. Though I really wish they had the jumbo-tron working for a better view. My only regret with this part of the show was that I had my 12 year old son standing next to me. But then I thought about it, and this is rock and roll after all. You can see worse on prime time TV lately.
The Suicide Girls were followed by Sebastian Bach and his band. They were excellent. They performed a number of Skid Row hits and three new originals that will be available on a forth coming album. Bas was very professional. The band was very tight and looked to be having a blast. Sebastian Back was very thankful of Axl and the opportunity to be on tour with GN'R. It seemed a little too thankful, but then I thought about it and in today's music climate, where would Bas and his band be if it weren't for this tour? Exactly. So the thanks are sincere and most probably warranted. The teaser of the three new tunes is enough to make me want to purchase the album. I look forward to its release.
GN'R took the stage at about 11:30. The arena went dark. Then a spotlight lit Robin Fink, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, strummed the first few notes of "Welcome to the Jungle". Just a few then stopped. Then a few more and stopped again. Very dramatic, very effective. Each time he did this the bar grew by a measure and he was playing a bit more of the intro to Jungle. Finally, he broke into the full sustained intro as the lights came up and the pyro exploded. Axl took the stage like a whirlwind. "Do you know where you are Baltimore? You're in the Jungle Baby. You're going down!" And like a punch to the head they were off.
This is the tightest band I have ever seen performing GN'R. I am a die hard Slash fan. I'd love to see the original GN'R back on stage together. But if you can't have Slash, Robin Fink and 'Bumblefoot' are a pretty damn good replacement. These guys are virtuosos. I couldn't even keep up with who was playing lead. They switched off so effortlessly and played so damn well that it was truly hard to distinguish. They really complemented each other and seriously love the music. You can't play with that kind of passion and not love it. I can remember a few re-starts of songs at those other two shows in the past; there was nothing like that here. These guys came out, a professional unit, and threw down the gauntlet. Rock is not dead people. It was recharging or something, but it's not dead.
About 20 songs later it was over. Time went by like a flash. They covered all the hits and standards. Threw in a few goodies like "Down on the Farm" from the Spaghetti Incident and an electric version of "I Used to Lover Her" from Lies. They played three songs from the upcoming album, "the Blues," "Better" and "Chinese Democracy."
Axl's voice was stronger than I recall. He hit every note and really showed of his range and ability to hold notes. I can't say enough about Robin Fink and Bumblefoot. I was in awe of them the whole show. The replacement drummer, Frank Ferrar, stepping in for Brian "Brain" Mantia, was damn good too. No flashy solo's by him, but a true professional through and through. I was always impressed by the massive kit Matt Sorum used and kind of felt, to play the skins for GN'R it must require a kit that big. But Mr. Ferar pounded out the tunes effortlessly on a normal sized kit. Proving it's the musician not the instrument.
The set list for the show went like this:
'¢ Welcome to the Jungle
'¢ It's So Easy
'¢ Mr. Brownstone
'¢ Live and Let Die
'¢ Knockin on Heaven's Door
'¢ Robin Fink Solo
'¢ Sweet Child O' Mine
'¢ You Could Be Mine
'¢ Dizzy Reed Piano Solo on a Baby Grand wheeled to center stage, Axl on the maraca's of all things, a very cool reggae like instrumental version of Knockin on Heaven's Door.
'¢ The Blues
'¢ Better
'¢ Band Intro
'¢ Bumblefoot Solo
'¢ Bumblefoot joined by Robin Fink for a truly bad ass, blues solo
'¢ Out to Get Me
'¢ November Rain, Axl on the wheeled out Baby Grand this time
'¢ Down Here on the Farm
'¢ Don't Cry
'¢ My Michelle, joined onstage by Sebastian Bach, excellent
'¢ I Used to Love Her
'¢ Patience
'¢ Nightrain
Encore:
'¢ Chinese Democracy
'¢ Paradise CityIt has always been a guilty pleasure of mine to hear the solo albums of great bands. I've always felt it gives you a behind the scenes look at the heart of a band. Find out who the true creative entity is. Though this new album was not a solo effort per say, its pretty obvious who the driving force behind GN'R truly was, in concert and on the new tracks. W. AXL ROSE.
Axl made a serious effort to come back out and thank the audience for their attendance and to show his appreciation for their appreciation. This was way different than the mic slam to the floor that ended the previous two shows I had seen. It seems AXL has grown up, GN'R has evolved and has the potential to rule supreme again, and I thank you Axl. Now get that album out. There's still six more Tuesday's left in 2006.
- bucketfoot
- Rep: 4
Re: Nov 13, 2006 Baltimore Concert Review
Yeah very positive, here's another one about the Gibson shows. I thought that the review was well-done.
Live Review: Guns N' Roses in Universal City, CA
December 19, 2006 03:45 PM
By Paul GarganoIf there are any questions regarding the return of Guns N' Roses [ tickets ], any cynics who still want to doubt frontman Axl Rose, or any suggestions that the current band is but a shell of the former lineup, they can all be laid to rest after Sunday night's (12/17) performance at the sold-out Gibson Amphitheater, in Universal City, CA.
Lay them to rest alongside grunge, rap-rock and emo, and in the vicinity of every other fad that has come and gone since Guns N' Roses last ruled the planet rock more than a decade ago. From top to bottom, the band's first of three nights in Los Angeles offered a two-hour-and-20-minute primer in rock-and-roll retribution, cementing the return of Axl Rose and showcasing a lineup poised to vault Guns N' Roses back atop the hard rock pantheon.From the moment Robin Finck's truncated guitar riffs shot through the amphitheater like shards of shrapnel introducing "Welcome to the Jungle," a standing room-only crowd of more than 5,000 hinged on every note. Notes that Rose nailed with increasing--and remarkable--proficiency as the late-night set progressed into early morning.
While the iconic frontman has never been known for his range, his performance Sunday demonstrated a vocal maturity that surpassed even the most optimistic of expectations, running the gamut from the seductive color of "Sweet Child 'O Mine," through the pissed-off vehemence of "Out ta Get Me." While he hasn't transformed into a crystal-esque crooner, there was barely a sour note throughout the 20-song set. Clearly, Rose has markedly increased his command over his voicesince the band's L.A.-area show in September (at the KROQ Inland Invasion, their first So-Cal appearance in more than a decade).
"You Could Be Mine" offered an early highlight, the normally sedate L.A. crowd ripping through every word like it was 1992 and Nirvana never existed. Rose offered ample reason to revel, as he cut through a repertoire of now-classic hits like he'd been rebuilt and recharged in his time out of the spotlight, with his comeback, until now, serving as little more than fine-tuning.
It seemed as if nothing would rival the mid-set, epic build of "November Rain," but the fine showings kept mounting, Rose whistling the intro to "Patience" before putting in one of his more memorable performances of the night, then ripping through set closer "Nightrain" as if he had crossed the Hollywood Hills and returned to the Sunset Strip circa the late-'80s. All but the final three songs on Guns' "Appetite for Destruction" debut were performed.
It can be presumed that the five previously-unreleased songs will be heard on the upcoming and long-awaited "Chinese Democracy," which Rose announced last week will be hitting stores March 6. The encore-opening title track was a turbo-charged adrenaline rush befitting of the heaviest "Use Your Illusion" moments, while the Asian-tinged intro to "Better" and the mid-tempo flow of "Madagascar" demonstrated an understanding that while the punk rock madness of the band's early appetites may have been tempered by time, the residual grit is still resounding.
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" proved a fitting segue into new ballad "The Blues," while "I.R.S." did the same leading into "My Michelle." Opener Sebastian Bach has become a tour fixture on the latter, but the manic, metallic onslaught of the duo sharing lead vocals was quickly overshadowed by the introduction of original GN'R guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who joined the band for "Think About You," "Patience," "I Used to Love Her" and "Nightrain," then returned for the encore-closing "Paradise City."
Of the current band--which features "Illusion"-era keyboardist Dizzy Reed, ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, guitarists Finck, Richard Fortus and Bumblefoot, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Chris Pitman--Finck, Fortus and Reed each received time in the solo spotlight.
Reed manned a center stage piano as he bled a solo run through The Rolling Stones' "Angie" into the new ballad, Finck did a commendable job of making people forget about founding member Slash with a blues-hued solo that led into "Sweet Child," and Fortus merged an arena-rock shredfest into a blues duet with Finck, and finally into "Out ta Get Me." As could be said of the entire band, each paid dutiful respect to the GN'R legacy without sacrificing their individual flair and unique personalities.
In an era where nostalgia would be just fine, Guns N' Roses circa 2006 deliver much more. Sebastian Bach, meanwhile, knows the power of nostalgia and played it to his advantage in an hour-long opening set that was heavy on Skid Row hits.
Opener "Slave to the Grind" was delivered in double-time, and followed by "Big Guns" and "Here I Am," proved more than capable in engaging the packed house. A handful of new tracks fit nicely with the more recognizable material; "Stuck Inside" and "American Metalhead" (think Judas Priest crashing head-on with Accept) embraced his band's heavy metal mindset, while new ballad "By Your Side" fit better alongside "I Remember You," which proved his strongest vocal showing.
Has it been mentioned that Guns N' Roses went onstage on time, to the minute? Don't bet on that becoming an everyday occurrence, but take this much to the bank: Judging from Los Angeles' response to "Chinese Democracy," another era of Guns N' Roses domination is imminent.
All hail, the triumphant return of Axl Rose.
SETLIST
1. "Welcome to the Jungle"
2. "It's So Easy"
3. "Mr. Brownstone"
4. "Live and Let Die"
5. "Better"
6. Guitar Solo (Robin Finck)
7. "Sweet Child of Mine"
8. "You Could Be Mine"
9. Piano Solo (Dizzy Reed)
10. "The Blues"
11. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
12. Guitar Solo (Richard Fortis)
13. "Outta Get Me"
14. "November Rain"
15. "IRS"
16. "My Michelle" (with Sebastian Bach)
17. "Think About You" (with Izzy Stradlin)
18. "I Used to Love Her" (with Izzy Stradlin)
19. "Patience" (with Izzy Stradlin)
20. "Nightrain" (with Izzy Stradlin)
ENCORE
21. "Chinese Democracy"
22. "Madagascar"
23. "Paradise City" (with Izzy Stradlin)
Re: Nov 13, 2006 Baltimore Concert Review
the 2006 and 2007 tours garnered A LOT of good reviews....of course, they dropped the ball by failing to get the album out so we are absolutely back to square one. Whatever band shows up when this thing gets released will have to prove themselves once again.:headbang:
Re: Nov 13, 2006 Baltimore Concert Review
Whatever band shows up when this thing gets released will have to prove themselves once again.:headbang:
lets hope that the "thing" is that good...so that there is no need to re-establish anything....so when they go out on the road....its nothing but mad enthusiasm from the rock n roll fanbase...
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