As a major rock fan and musician, the reunion of Guns N Roses is about as major as it gets. The impact they had on the music scene when Appetite for destruction was released in nineteen eighty seven it was incredible, hair metal had run its course and grunge was several years away and they filled the void with attitude and emotion that was missing from rock music at the time. They blended all the classic elements from the Stones, Aerosmith, and Zeppelin with a punk influence into something that was a breath of fresh air and a kick in the ass at the same time.
As they became a force to be reckoned with, the trappings of fame and excess took a toll on them between Axl’s outbursts, the band going on hours late and the show being a coin toss if it would be great or a train wreck.
During this point there was internal strife in the band. During the making of use your illusion, Izzy and Steven Adler were gone and Dizzy reed on Keys and Matt Sorum on drums were in.
Use your Illusion I and II are classic albums but in my opinion it was over indulgent and should have been really one album. As great as most of the music was it also felt like the band lost their way.
Following the departure of all the classic lineup with the exception of Axl, he went on with the Guns N Roses name and a revolving door of musicians and after an almost seventeen year wait, Chinese Democracy was released in 2008 to mixed reviews.
In my opinion if the album was an Axl Rose solo album, and there wasn’t a wait of a decade and a half it might have been better received , but as an album that was billed as Guns N Roses with only one original member the music did not match the hype, drama and the wait.
In the ensuing years the talk of a reunion of the original members was just a pipe dream as there were still grudges and several of the members such as Slash and Duff went on to successful careers together and separately such as Velvet Revolver and Slash and the Conspirators .
About a year ago there were rumblings about a reunion and up to six months ago highly regarded people in the rock community such That Metal Show host and rock DJ Eddie Trunk could not even make heads or tails of what the deal was.
As we you used to say in my band Rot Gut !!!!!!!!!! GIG ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
It was a hot but very nice day to go see a show at met life stadium in New Jersey.
Davin, Myself, and comic and Jokers comedy club owner Walt Popailo got tickets. Davin and Walt were going to get there early and tailgate, they planned to bring hot dogs and hamburgers. It would have been nice if they did not forget them, in all fairness they were meeting in front of a supermarket so it is tough to remember to bring food.
I got there as Lenny Kravitz was on, I am a big fan but I was to busy at the Guns N Rose’s merch table blowing about two hundred bucks on tee shirts and hats as who knows when they will be back
Now on to the show
Unbelievable, they started on time and they played just about three hours up to about one am.
Axl, sung like a mad man and kept it there up to the last note, Slash ripped it to shreds he gets such a great tone on his guitars. Duff had that famous bottom end and is such an underrated bass player he also did a punk tune which is cool as that has was always his roots.
It was interesting to see the original guys playing on the Democracy stuff, they all looked like they were having a blast and it was cool to see Slash jamming and trading licks with Richie Fortus the guy the replaced him. The show was nonstop and fast paced and answers the question why Steven Adler could not do the gig. In his state he would never make it. It’s a shame that Izzy didn’t want to do the tour but the mix of the Original three and the major players of the MKII version was incredible.
In all my years going to concerts this one was worth the money and the wait. If they are coming to your town and you love rock, don’t miss them
Below is Saturdays set list.
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/guns-n-roses/2016/metlife-stadium-east-rutherford-nj-3bff7cd8.html.