Recensie NME 7 juni 2006: Guns n' Roses return to the UK
The band premiere four new songs
Guns n' Roses made their long awaited live return to the UK tonight (June 7) for a warm up show before their Download Festival appearance this weekend.
Singer Axl Rose - the only remaining member of the original line-up - returned to the Hammersmith Apollo for the first time in nearly 20 years for a set peppered with classic hits and four new tracks.
Typically, Axl turned up over an hour late with his seven piece band.
But he treated the crowd to a 130 minute set made up of fan favourites 'Welcome To The Jungle', 'Sweet Child O' Mine', 'Mr Brownstone', 'Patience' and Use Your Illusion tracks 'You Could Be Mine' and 'November Rain'.
His band also played new tracks - 'Madagascar','Better', 'The Blues' and 'IRN' - from the long awaited 'Chinese Democracy' album.
The show, which was watched by Queen guitarist Brian May and model Elle Macpherson, saw Axl make a number of costume changes in between spectacular pyrotechniques.
During the Bob Dylan cover 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', the singer also handed his mic over for a member of the audience to sing.
He was later joined by former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach for 'My Michelle' before the band eventually wrapped up the show with 'Paradise City'.
Guns n' Roses played:
'Welcome To The Jungle'
'It's So Easy'
'Mr Brownstone'
'Live And Let Die'
'Sweet Child O' Mine'
'Madagascar'
'Better'
'You Could Be Mine'
'Knockin' On Heaven's Door'
'The Blues'
'IRN'
'Outta Get Me'
'November Rain'
'My Michelle'
'Patience'
'Night Train'
'Paradise City'
Guns n' Roses are now set to play the Download festival this weekend (June 10-11). For full coverage direct from the site tune in to NME.COM.
The band have also added an extra date to their forthcoming UK tour at Wembley Arena.
Guns n' Roses will now play:
Sheffield Hallam FM Arena (July 18)
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena (19)
Glasgow SECC (21)
Manchester MEN Arena (23)
Birmingham NEC (25)
Nottingham Arena (27)
London Wembley Arena (29/30)
http://www.nme.com/news/guns-n-roses/23263Plus nog een recensie van de bearforbreakfast messageboard van The Replacements (voor wie het niet weet: GnR bassist Tommy Stinson zat vroeger in the Replacements, vandaar..)Hi,
OK, so he wasn't on his own... but here we go... Guns'N'Roses at Hammersmith - arguably
the biggest farce for a gig I've ever been to - and that include Ozzy cancelling after the
support played at Rock City in 87/88 the year escapes me now or Steve Earle not turning
up in Leicester a few years later because he had stomach cramps - no doubt not helped by
the huge quantities of smack he was using at the time.
Anyway... phone the Apollo in the after noon - doors open 7, support - Avenged Sevenfold
at 7.30 and GNR at 8.45.
Arrive at the venue at 7.15 the doors are not open, people in the queue are getting
restless. Eventually opened at 7.45.
Avenged sevenfold then came on at 8.20. Were rubbish frankly. When the highlight of teh
set is a Pantera cover, you just know it can't be good. Finish at 8.50.
By 9.30 the stage is ready for GNR... but then the wait begins, after about half an hour the
booing starts, so they turn the music louder -it gets progressively louder as the booing
gets louder.
By 10.30 people are leaving... then at 10.45 GNR - Welcome to the Jungle. The sound is
appalling... Axl's voice sounds terrible - thankfully Tommy and one of the keyboard
players are suingling backup to cover the worst of it.
Basically they start with the hits and then before Sweet Child a guitar solo.... rubbish...
It appears Tommy is Axl's main man... the only memebr of the band he really interacts
with. Tommy certainly looks teh best, in a grey/green zip up military style jacket and black
zipper trousers.
Through out the time I was there people were leaving I left at midnight in a failled attempt
top get the last train juist as November rain started - probably a quarter/third of the
crowd was gone by then. (The show apparently finished at 1am - well afer the tubes had
finished)
In the evening standard they said Axl looked like Mick Hucknell and that was true... similar
attitude - bith gionger, both had bands with friends who were all replaced by session
Musos, both started with their best albums and went down hill..
There were some new songs they were atrociuos...
Personally, I think everyone connected with this show should be ashamed - the band, the
promoter, the venue - if people pay good money to see a show they should at least get to
see it... whether or not is any good... in this case it was far from good....
Tommy should distance himself from this circus asap....
rob