The Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver Thread

[SteveAJones]

Axl arrives in Osaka, Japan - Wednesday, December 16, 2009

[SteveAJones]

Guns n' Roses

Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan

December 16, 2009

Guns n' Roses Rock Osaka With Three Hour Concert

1. Chinese Democracy

2. Welcome to the jungle

3. It's so easy

4. Mr.Brownstone

5. Shacklers Revenge

Axl tells a story about "if the world"

6. If the World

Richard Fortus solo

7. Live and Let Die

8. Sorry

9. Rocket Queen

10. Prostitute

Jam

Dizzy Solo (Ziggy Stardust)

11. Street of Dreams

Jam

Axl talks :"I hope not to screw the pooch on this one"

12. Scraped

Frank Solo

13. You Could Be Mine

Jam

Axl Piano Solo

14. November Rain

Jam

15. IRS

DJ Solo

16. Sweet Child O' Mine

Axl wears an Ye Olde England shirt

Axl comments on Tommy's Osaka Tigers shirt

Jam

17. Catcher In The Rye

(Feat. Dizzy on Piano...Bumblefoot does solo)

18. Out Ta Get Me

Bumblefoot Solo (Pink Panther)

19. Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Axl says he was cryogenically frozen for the past 2 years and was just thawed a few weeks ago...

piano out, Number of the Beast riffs

20. Whole Lotta Rosie

21. This I Love

22. Nightrain

Encore:

23. Madagascar

"They thought I knew Vedder..."

"You guys wanna stick around for a bit right? If you want we could leave...."

24.Better

On the bass guitar Mr. Tommy Eugene Fuckin' Stinson

25. Sonic Reducer by The Dead Boys

Bumblefoot lying next to the drums and playing!

"The square block does not fit into the round hole but we'll keep trying"

26. Patience

"On the keyboards Mr Chris Pitman, the man who has pissed on more jars than Howard Hughes"

27. Paradise City w/Don't Cry as intro

[SteveAJones]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7le1_AhO_A

Guns n' Roses, 'You Could Be Mine', Seoul, South Korea, December 13, 2009

Edited December 17, 2009 by SteveAJones

[SteveAJones]

Tokyo...tonight!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE3cpTwFYR8

[SteveAJones]

Rocket Queen, Tokyo Dome, December 19, 2009

[SteveAJones]

Happy New Year, Axl! You rocked the Far East in 2009!!

[SteveAJones]

Guns n' Roses Announce Plans to Tour South America In March/April 2010

Guns n Roses' Chinese Democracy world tour continues to take shape as Axl Rose's long-dormant official website reveals that Gn'R will embark of a trek of South America from March 10th to April 10th, 2010.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=SBRy7ukM1fY

Edited December 31, 2009 by SteveAJones

[DRUNK08]

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=132890

The clips at this site are awesome. Steve, maybe could post them like the way you did the others. I don't know how.

[SteveAJones]

This Japanese DVD title being released four ways; example of DVDR footage is in the Sylph link above.

1. "Democracy In Japan 2009" (6 CDRs / 2 DVDRs) - Osaka & Tokyo concerts on CDR, Osaka show on DVDR.

2. "Democracy At Tokyo 2009" (3 CDRs / 2 DVDRs) - Tokyo concert on three CDRs, and Osaka show on DVDR.

3. "Democracy At Osaka 2009" (3 CDRs / 2 DVDRs) - Osaka concert on three CDRs, and Osaka show on DVDR.

4. "Democracy At Osaka 2009 Film" (2 DVDRs) - Osaka concert on two DVDRs

Release Date

2010.01.05

①LIVE AT KYOCERA DOME,OSAKA DECEMBER 16TH 2009

CD-1

1.INTRODUCTION 2.CHINESE DEMOCRACY 3.WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE 4.IT'S SO EASY 5.MR. BROWNSTONE 6.SHACKLERS REVENGE 7.IF THE WORLD 8.RICHARD FORTUS GUITAR SOLO (007 THEME) 9.LIVE AND LET DIE 10.SORRY 11.ROCKET QUEEN 12.PROSTITUTE 13.JAM - DIZZY REED PIANO SOLO (ZIGGY STARDUST) 14.STREET OF DREAMS - JAM

CD-2

1.SCRAPED 2.FRANK FERRER DRUM SOLO 3.YOU COULD BE MINE - JAM 4.AXL PIANO SOLO 5.NOVEMBER RAIN - JAM 6.I.R.S. 7.DJ ASHBA GUITAR SOLO 8.SWEET CHILD O' MINE 9.CATCHER IN THE RYE 10.OUT TA GET ME 11.BUMBLEFOOT GUITAR SOLO (PINK PANTHER THEME) 12.KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR

CD-3

1.WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE 2.THIS I LOVE 3.NIGHTTRAIN

(ENCORE)

4.MADAGASCAR 5.BETTER 6.SONIC REDUCER (TOMMY STINSON ON VOCAL) 7.PATIENCE 8.DON'T CRY - PARADISE CITY

②LIVE AT TOKYO DOME,TOKYO DECEMBER 19TH 2009

CD-1

1.INTRODUCTION 2.CHINESE DEMOCRACY 3.WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE 4.IT'S SO EASY　5.MR. BROWNSTONE 6.CATCHER IN THE RYE 7.SORRY 8.JAM (I WANT YOU BACK) 9.IF THE WORLD 10.RICHARD FORTUS GUITAR SOLO (007 THEME) 11.LIVE AND LET DIE 12.DIZZY REED PIANO SOLO (ZIGGY STARDUST) 13.STREET OF DREAMS 14.YOU COULD BE MINE 15.ROCKET QUEEN

CD-2

1.MY MICHELLE 2.DJ ASHBA GUITAR SOLO 3.SWEET CHILD O' MINE 4.SHACKLER'S REVENGE 5.I.R.S. - JAM 6.AXL PIANO SOLO 7.NOVEMBER RAIN - JAM 8.WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE 9.KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR 10.SCRAPED 11.PROSTITUTE - JAM 12.THIS I LOVE

CD-3

1.FRANK FERRER DRUM SOLO 2.OUT TA GET ME 3.BUMBLEFOOT GUITAR SOLO (PINK PANTHER THEME) 4.DON'T CRY 5.NIGHTRAIN

(ENCORE)

6.MADAGASCAR 7.THERE WAS A TIME 8.MY GENERATION (TOMMY STINSON ON VOCAL) 9.BETTER 10.RHINESTONE COWBOY - PATIENCE 11.NICE BOY 12.JAM - PARADISE CITY

(BONUS DVD)

LIVE AT KYOCERA DOME,OSAKA DECEMBER 16TH 2009

SCREEN-SHOT 194min

DVD -1

1.INTRODUCTION 2.CHINESE DEMOCRACY 3.WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE 4.IT'S SO EASY 5.MR. BROWNSTONE 6.SHACKLERS REVENGE 7.IF THE WORLD 8.RICHARD FORTUS GUITAR SOLO (007 THEME) 9.LIVE AND LET DIE 10.SORRY 11.ROCKET QUEEN 12.PROSTITUTE 13.DIZZY REED PIANO SOLO (ZIGGY STARDUST) 14.STREET OF DREAMS 15.SCRAPED 16.FRANK FERRER DRUM SOLO 17.YOU COULD BE MINE

DVD -2

1.AXL PIANO SOLO 2.NOVEMBER RAIN 3.I.R.S. 4.DJ ASHBA GUITAR SOLO 5.SWEET CHILD O' MINE 6.CATCHER IN THE RYE 7.OUT TA GET ME 8.BUMBLEFOOT GUITAR SOLO (PINK PANTHER) 9.KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR 10.WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE 11.THIS I LOVE 12.NIGHTTRAIN

(ENCORE)

13.MADAGASCAR 14.BETTER 15.SONIC REDUCER 16.PATIENCE 17.DON'T CRY/PARADISE CITY

[DRUNK08]

Holy shit Axl is kicking ass!!! It's like 1992 all over again. I hope they tour the US soon. Some guys are getting great footage too. Check this stuff out.

Scraped

Shackler's Revenge

[SteveAJones]

Holy shit Axl is kicking ass!!! It's like 1992 all over again.

Drunk, Axl is absolutely chopping heads off and sticking them on poles. I mean good god, he's STILL doing three hour sets as the tour is rolling thru Canada. The guy is still without a doubt one hell of a front man!

Guns n' Roses Bring "Chinese Democracy" to North America With Marathon Winnipeg Gig

1/14/10, 9:34 am EST

Sometimes with Axl Rose, all you need is just a little patience. Other times, you need a little more than a little. Guns n' Roses' Wednesday night concert in Winnipeg, Canada — their first North American date (and fifth show overall) since the release of Chinese Democracy in 2008 — was, thankfully, a case of the former.

Axl in action: check out photos from Guns n' Roses' marathon opening-night gig.

After making the world wait nearly a generation for his sixth studio album, and then keeping fans on hold for more than a year for a tour, Rose wasted little time getting down to business in the Great White North. The frontman and his septet took the stage shortly after 10:40 p.m. — practically a matinee for the notorious Rose. And once they got down to business, they certainly made up for any lost time, treating 7,500 fans at the city's MTS Centre to a high-energy three-hour marathon of new material and classic G n' R hits.

Following the basic template laid out on the band's Asian dates in December, they kicked open the doors with the title cut from Chinese Democracy, followed by the one-two-three punch of "Welcome to the Jungle," "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone" from 1987's Appetite for Destruction. From the moment Rose opened his mouth to scream, "You know where you are? You're in the jungle, baybeeee!" it was clear his corroded air-raid siren of a voice had lost little of its range, rage or power. Likewise, the rest of the band — guitarists Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and DJ Ashba, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman, drummer Frank Ferrer and bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements) — hit the ground running, tearing through most of Appetite and Democracy, with a few cuts from the 1991 Use Your Illusion albums (including covers of "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door") sprinkled in for good measure.

Although he appeared to be in good spirits, between songs Rose kept fairly quiet, offering little beyond the usual thank-yous and how-is-everybody banter. In fact, for a guy who wields such a commanding musical presence, he spent much of the evening shining the spotlight on his bandmates, bolting from the stage during every instrumental break and introducing nearly every player for a solo segment (best of the bunch: Stinson's suitably snotty bash 'n' pop version of the Who's "My Generation"). Rose also posted a backstage photo on his Twitter, and wrote, "Excited 2 get this rolling. In r off time we'll b helping Mounties flush out Al Qaeda. (What's that aboot, Eh? jk)" in one of his first three tweets since the new year began.

The gigantic three-runway black stage and high-tech production — which included all the requisite video screens, moving light trusses, pyro, percussion bombs and confetti cannons — also commanded plenty of attention. But not enough to overshadow Rose's and co.'s triumphant return to North America. Now, you just have to wait for them to make it to the States. All you need is just a little … well, you know.

Set List:

"Chinese Democracy"

"Welcome to the Jungle"

"It's So Easy"

"Mr. Brownstone"

"Shackler's Revenge"

Richard Fortus Spotlight

"Live and Let Die"

"Sorry"

"If the World"

Dizzy Reed Solo

"Street of Dreams"

"Better"

"You Could Be Mine"

DJ Ashba Spotlight

"Sweet Child o' Mine"

"I.R.S."

Axl Rose Piano Solo

"November Rain"

"Scraped"

"O Canada" / "Pink Panther" (Bumblefoot Spotlight)

"Out Ta Get Me"

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

"Nightrain"

Encore:

"Madagascar"

"This I Love"

Frank Ferrer Drum Solo

"Rocket Queen"

"My Generation" (Tommy Stinson Spotlight)

"Patience"

"Paradise City"

Edited January 21, 2010 by SteveAJones

[SteveAJones]

Guns N’ Roses kicks off tour in Winnipeg

By DARRYL STERDAN, QMI Agency

Last Updated: 14th January 2010, 10:58am

WINNIPEG - There might be better ways to kick off your 2010 concert calendar.

But offhand, I can't think of any. Wednesday night's Guns N' Roses show at Winnipeg's MTS Centre wasn't just the first date of the band's latest North American tour. It was also their first gig on these shores (and only their fifth performance overall) since the 2008 release of Chinese Democracy.

And even though Axl Rose kept all of us waiting nearly two decades for the album, and another year-and-change for a tour, the moment he hit the stage shortly after 10:40 p.m., all was forgiven. Supported by his latest version of GN'R -- guitarists Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and DJ Ashba, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman, drummer Frank Ferrer and bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements) -- the 47-year-old singer treated 7,500 fans to a fiery (in every sense of the word) three-hour set that wrapped up at 1:30 a.m., and repeatedly rewarded fans (along with nearly everyone in his backing band) for their loyalty and patience along the way. Here's how it went down:

Chinese Democracy

After the intro music builds tension in the dark, one of the guitarists -- I'm not sure who's who yet -- is spotlit as he cranks out the opening power-chord riff. As the band kicks into gear and Axl growls the first verse, sparklers ringing the stage fire off and we get our first look at him. He's wearing a black fedora over a red bandanna, a pair of slim shades, well-worn blue jeans and a pinstripe work shirt open to his midriff to frame a large silver crucifix. Oh, and he's got a mustache! It's midway between pirate, biker, bandito and Morgan Spurlock. Kinda weird. But at least he's lost the dreads or cornrows or whatever they were. When Axl wails the final worlds, "All I've got is precious time!" there's a pyro burst and the lights fade, leaving him backlit. Two points for a killer opening.

Welcome to the Jungle

As another guitarist (still getting my bearings there) works the niggly little riff, Rose jumps the gun and does the, "Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle, baybeee!" line. Actually, it's more like we're at the circus -- and not just because percussion bombs and fireworks are going off in time with the music. The stage itself is a massive structure with three runways -- in fact, it's so wide it overhangs the first five rows in the stands on both sides. It's covered in some sort of black vinyl or fabric and lined with glow-in- the-dark tape -- from overhead, it almost looks like one of those blobby Keith Haring figures with his circular hands in the air. The circular theme is carried on throughout the set. There's a cat-eye drum riser at stage centre, with an illuminated staircase going up and around on either side. Behind that are two pods for the keyboard players. Hanging above are a series of concentric lighting trusses festooned with VariLights and wrapped in lighting curtains (or whatever you call them). More of those illuminated curtains flank the stage, hanging in half-columns in front of vertical lighting trusses and some of the several video screens scattered around the place. Say what you will about Axl, he does things big.

It's So Easy

Another Appetite for Destruction tune. So far, so good. Axl has already lost the fedora and the shades. He bolts up to the mic, grabs the stand and hurls it back the 10 metres or so to the drum riser. Just to make it clear he's not kidding around, I guess. Gotta admit, he looks fit. Sure, he's a little beefier around the middle than 20 years ago. Who isn't? But he hasn't slowed down. He's sprinting from one end of the stage to the other and pumping his leg hard enough to make Angus Young look sedate. More fireworks herald the end of the tune.

Mr. Brownstone

"Meanwhile, back in the jungle," cracks Axl as Ferrer pounds out a heavy tom-tom beat to go with the scraping guitar riff. As Rose does that snake-hip move he used to do back in the day, those circular lighting rigs dip down from the rafters at opposing angles. Interesting. Also interesting: Every time there's an instrumental break or a solo -- even if it's only for 30 seconds -- Rose sprints off the stage. Not sure why, though it looks like he's making sure the rest of the band get time in the spotlight.

Shackler's Revenge

After a few pleasantries from Axl -- including a simple, "Nice to be here with you tonight" and a crack about the weather (which is actually unseasonably warm) -- the electronica-rocker from Chinese Democracy lurches into a groove. White spotlights start twirling as if there's been a prison break, and the light trusses drift apart into arcs and tier up on different levels. Between the eight guys flying around the stage and the show, there's plenty to attract (and distract) your attention.

Richard Fortus Spotlight

After introducing Fortus, Rose takes a hike while the Izzy Stradlinesque guitarist cranks out a twangy guitar-rock instrumental reminiscent of the James Bond and Peter Gunn themes. See what I meant about sharing the spotlight?

Live and Let Die

Flames and more grenades decorate and punctuate the Paul McCartney cover from Use Your Illusion. Axl has switched into a sleeveless shirt and the fedora is back. His rusted-siren vocals are strong and he's hitting all the notes solidly, though the PA isn't doing him any favours -- if he isn't belting, you have to strain to hear him. After the song, bassist Stinson pitches a little hissy fit at some dude who apparently chucked something at him. "Don't throw s--- at me, please; I'll f---ing leave!" he complains. Guess he had enough crap heaved at him in the Mats to last a lifetime. Anyway, he takes off up onto the drum riser for the next song.

Sorry

This sluggish grinder is not one of my favourite Chinese Democracy cuts, but guitarist Ashba (now that I can tell him and Fortus apart, I'm good) serves up a blistering solo.

If the World

Still in Chinese Democracy land. Bumblefoot opens this slow-burning funk cut with the flamenco licks from the album. Gotta give the band credit; they're doing a decent job of recreating Rose's insanely detailed tracks. The sound is obviously nowhere near as crisp, but hey, you can't have everything.

Dizzy Reed Spotlight

A grand piano rolls out from beneath the drum riser so the stringy- haired keyboardist can throw down some solo chops. The song is familiar, but I can't place it -- maybe because I'm too busy trying to figure out if that's supposed to be toes or fingernails or what painted on the piano lid. The sides, meanwhile, are covered in little mirror-ball tiles. It's like hippies broke into the Liberace museum or something.

Street of Dreams

Dizzy stays down at the piano for this Democracy power ballad. Rose emerges in shirt No. 3 -- a shiny black number. No bandanna. After the tune ends, drummer Ferrer goes 'Boom, boom, boom-boom" on his bass drum again -- he's been doing that between songs. Then I get it: It's so people will chant: "Guns N' Roses." Sneaky.

Better

The lighting trusses do more aerial ballet over the stage as the band works through another one of Rose's ballad-to-rocker numbers from Chinese Democracy. His right leg is kicking like Stompin' Tom on speed.

You Could be Mine

Finally, another classic. Or at least an oldie. This barnburner from Use Your Illusion II gets a solid treatment, with more concussion bombs for emphasis. And a silver-plated .45 swirling around on the video screens just for, um, I dunno, menace? Flames shoot up around the stage during the last chorus. Oh, Axl has a new bandanna: It's blue and white, FYI.

DJ Ashba Spotlight

After a few more pleasantries -- including a belated, "Happy f---ing holidays to you" -- Rose vacates again so Ashba can peel off a blistering solo on his black sequined axe while the band lays down a slow, There Was a Time-style backbeat. Not sure which is more impressive: His playing, or his full-sleeve tats.

Sweet Child o' Mine

The crowd has been well behaved so far -- no moshing and little surfing -- but this hit brings them to their feet. While red and white lights bathe the stage, Rose debuts shirt No. 4: A red-checked V-neck pullover that looks intentionally dirty. I just noticed he also has red tape wrapped around his left hand -- whether because of an injury or just because it matches his red microphone, I have no idea. Bumblefoot handles the wah-wah pedal guitar solo capably.

I.R.S.

If I were writing the set list, I might have tossed another oldie in here instead of this midtempo Chinese Democracy grinder. Especially since it sounds distractingly muddier than the album version.

Axl Piano Solo

That weird-looking keyboard rolls out again -- all the way to the front of the stage -- so Axl can tinkle the ivories. He's wearing a long-tailed burgundy coat with big buttons and a black leather fedora. You know, most people wouldn't be able to pull that off. Most people aren't Rose, of course.

November Rain

Rose stays at the 88 to lead the band through the Use Your Illusion epic. The three guitarists divide the solos, while the lighting trusses split and descend, and sparklers go off at the back of the drum riser and on the stairs. Not sure how rain and sparklers go together, but it looks nice anyway.

Scraped

Instead of the layered vocals on the album, the Chinese Democracy cut opens with tribal tom-tom drumming. The rest of the tune is pretty much the same -- but Bumblefoot's solo on the fretless half of his double-neck guitar is impressive. Axl has a different blue-and-white bandanna. How many of these things does this guy own?

Bumblefoot Spotlight

The other guitarists showed off. Bumblefoot plays to the crowd -- first he does a Hendrix-style version of O Canada, then he makes with a rocked-up take on the Pink Panther theme. Nice to see a rocker with a sense of humour.

Out Ta Get Me

Back to the oldies. More fireworks and sparklers illuminate Rose's latest ensemble: A black-and-red lumberjack number. This guy changes more often than Beyonce -- and it looks like almost all of his outfits came from Mark's Work Warehouse. The spotlights do their prison-break thing again, and the concussion blast at the end of the song makes me jump. You'd think I would be used to them by now.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

"This is dedicated to the people who hate us," is what I think Axl says before Dylan's classic. Or maybe it was, "This is dedicated to the people of Haiti," which probably makes more sense. But your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, he launches into a long shaggy-dog story (which is actually about a dog named Mojo) in the middle of the song. I only catch about half of it. I'm not sure I missed anything important. We have now passed the two-hour mark.

Nightrain

A train-whistle (natch) introduces the cowbell-rock ode to cheap wine. Bumblefoot whips off another fretless solo, the band fires on all cylinders and charges toward the end -- which is marked by yet another explosion. "Good night," says Axl and bolts -- as do a decent chunk of the audience (it's already after midnight on a school night).

Madagascar

The encore begins with this ambitious Chinese Democracy number, which features Rose's mid-song sonic collage of Martin Luther King, Mississippi Burning, Cool Hand Luke, Braveheart and others. The video screens show MLK graphics and footage to go with. Thankfully, I don't see any Braveheart footage.

This I Love

The piano rolls out one last time for another Chinese Democracy ballad. At the end, Rose fesses up that he: "kinda f---ed that up in the beginning." I'm too tired to notice.

Frank Ferrer Drum Solo

Mercifully brief. Nothing against him; it's just getting really freaking late.

Rocket queen

But not late enough to miss this Appetite for Destruction gem. Axl straightarms the mic below his waist and does a two-step while Ashba handles the slide solo. Just like old times. Almost.

My Generation

Bassist Stinson tackles The Who's classic for his spotlight tune. His vocals are suitably snotty -- and he doesn't embarrass himself on the John Entwistle solo either. For the record, everybody but second keyboardist Chris Pitman has now had a solo. Sorry Chris; your goofy straw hat is the problem.

Patience

Rose draws cheers as soon as he starts whistling the opening. But once he begins singing the mellow part, his voice sounds a little ragged. Which is no surprise, since he's been going full throttle for more than two-and-a-half hours. Maybe they need to move this up in the set list. Oh, and he has now changed into a white T-shirt with a filthy slogan on it. I have officially lost count of his outfits. And I'm pretty sure I missed at least one in there.

Paradise City

All the stops come out: The lighting trusses dance, bombs go off, the lights are cranked, the confetti cannons erupt, coloured mini- fireworks burst forth -- and as the song whams to a close with one final explosion, silver streamers are launched over the crowd. Cheapskates. "Oh won't you please take me home?" sings Rose. Well, no -- but we will go home ourselves. And we'll go satisfied. And very, very tired.

http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/music/2010/01/14/12461206-qmi.html

[SteveAJones]

Promotional Clips:

GUNS N ROSES - JAN/FEB 2010 CANADIEN TOUR

GUNS N ROSES - JAN 25th at JOHN LABATT CENTRE

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=YKqZ38Kj-S8

Edited January 21, 2010 by SteveAJones

[SteveAJones]

[SteveAJones]

Axl Rose looks to rehab the Guns N' Roses legacy in Canada

By Gilles Leblanc on January 13th, 2010

Gilles Leblanc, a longtime CoS reader and author of the Astral Media blog "'Rock Around Le Blog", has once again returned to share his unique commentary on one of music's biggest current event…

Back in the early-'90s, there weren't too many other rock bands that could incite more excitement in fans while simultaneously striking fear in the hearts of concert promoters and their security teams worldwide than Guns N' Roses!

From the moment I first heard the intoxicatingly awesome guitar riff on both "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine", the drum beats on "You Could Be Mine" (that feel as if they're hunting you down), or the over-the-top yet everlastingly memorable video for "November Rain", I was hooked.

Make that hopelessly addicted, actually. I knew full well that these wanton individuals from the debaucherous streets of Los Angeles were "bad" for me during my formative teenage years (something my mother constantly reminded me of), but it all fell on deaf ears. I'm not kidding; I don't think my hearing has ever been the same since GN'R and Metallica nearly tore down Toronto's rickety old Exhibition Stadium in September of 1992!

I literally wore out the ribbon on my cassette copies of Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion (both I and II). Yes kids, I used to listen to Guns N' Roses over and over on my bright yellow Sony Sports Walkman… GN'R are that old!

I also thought at the time that they would be a group to be reckoned with for years to come… as long as they kept their $#!& together… which they didn't, to no one's surprise. Drugs, booze, infighting, erratic behavior (not to mention more than a few riots at concerts), and the rise of Nirvana and alternative rock in general all combined to bring the Gunners down, except in one person's eyes.

I can't even begin to imagine what lead singer Axl Rose's life has been like over the last 15 years or so. He's seen every "classic lineup" member who had played a note with the band from 1985 to 1994 leave under less-than-friendly circumstances, most notably the incomparable, top hat-wearing Slash, yet that hasn't seemed to faze him. I honestly think that in his mind, "Guns N' Roses", whatever the incarnation, are still at the top of the rock pile, even though it's painfully obvious that hasn't been the case in a long time. New members have been rotated in and out ever since, with Axl at the helm, all leading up to the recording and release of his own "Mr. Rose's Opus", Chinese Democracy, the follow-up album to end all follow-up albums, which finally saw the light of day in November of 2008, long after I had stopped caring about GN'R.

I didn't pay much attention as the record failed to impress, both sales-wise and critically. It underwhelmed, to say the least. And for all the work he put in to it, Axl himself didn't seem all that interested either, as he promptly went into hiding for close to a year instead of oh, I dunno, helping recoup even a fraction of Geffen Records' reported $13 million investment in him and his band of "hired guns."

That is until now. Team GN'R broke their silence this past October with the surprising announcement that they would be going on tour in 2010 in support of Chinese Democracy, beginning January 13^th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, of all places, followed by an additional 12 dates across Canada, making stops in pretty much every major city in the country you can think of apart from Vancouver. I guess there are still some hard feelings in "Vansterdam" due to Axl not appearing for a concert in 2002, causing yet another infamous GN'R riot. And don't get me wrong about The 'Peg; the city has a great rock history, but there aren't many more colder places in the Western Hemisphere they could have chosen from to kick off their first North American shows in over three years. Fans may start to riot just to keep warm!

While it's been ages since they've even been a blip on my rock radar, Canada has always been there to welcome Axl with open arms as he's tried to keep the GN'R brand name top of mind with people. Take my younger brother Mike for example. He took our other brother Robbie to go see Axl & Company the last time they passed through town on November 15, 2006 as a 26^th birthday present. But Axl, as only Axl can seem to get away with, decided to wait until almost midnight before hitting the Air Canada Centre stage! Fed up and having to work the next day, Robbie stormed out, leaving Mike to have his frigging socks rocked off until well past two in the morning!

When properly motivated, Axl can still enthrall a crowd. Am I potentially missing out on something earth-shattering when he returns to T.O. on January 28^th? I had been clean and sober from GN'R for so many years, I had almost forgot how dangerously thrilling their music can be. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but one night just before Christmas, I fell off the proverbial wagon by looking up some info on the four shows recently played in Asia as part of the latest Chinese Democracy tour leg (an appropriate place for them to start given the album's "oxymoronic" title).

Axl may be crazy, he may even be bipolar as has been rumored, but he's not stupid, that's for sure. He's smart enough to realize that if he's going to get people en masse behind the "new" GN'R, he needs to pull out all the stops in terms of a live show, to give people an experience they won't soon forget. And I'll be darned, if YouTube is any indication, Axl may be on his way to doing it! After coming out more than an hour late at their last gig, Axl and his Guns proceeded to rock the Tokyo Dome for three and a half freaking hours, featuring extended band jams, instrumental solos from all seven touring members (including Axl on piano), and a setlist filled with every "hit" a GN'R fan could hope for, topped off with every headbanger's favorite closer, "Paradise City"!

Axl's once skin-tight leather pants have been let out a bit, and he's breathing heavier between lyrics, but the intensity is there, the conviction that GN'R can still be an important band in today's rock landscape. Speaking of "the band," they don't sound half bad either. They're not Slash, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan, but "Chinese Democracy" does have a devil horns-worthy riff to it (Axl's howling is also in good form), songs like "Shackler's Revenge" and "Better" move in an industrial strength, Nine Inch Nails-like direction while paying homage to the never die GN'R spirit, and the piano-heavy "Street of Dreams" (formerly called "The Blues" when last played live in Canada) is just plain awesome!

Not awesome in a "15 years in the making"-kind of way, mind you, but it would definitely be one of the tunes I'd be looking forward to hearing on January 28^th at the ACC! I wonder what my brother Robbie is doing that night?

Guns N' Roses 2009/2010 Tour Dates:

01/13 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre

01/16 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome

01/17 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place

01/19 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre

01/20 - Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre

01/24 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum

01/25 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre

01/27 - Montreal, QB @ Bell Centre

01/28 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

01/31 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Palace

02/01 - Quebec City, QB @ Colisee Pepsi

02/03 - Moncton, NB @ Moncton Coliseum

02/04 - Halifax, NS @ Metro Centre

03/07 - Brasilia, Brazil @ Nilson Nelson Gym

03/10 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ Mineirinho Arena

03/13 - São Paulo, Brazil @ Morumbi Stadium

03/14 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ Apoteose Park

03/16 - Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Zequinha Stadium

03/18 - Montevidéu, Uruguai - Centenario Stadium

03/20 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @ River Plate Stadium

03/21 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @ River Plate Stadium

03/25 - Lima, Peru @ San Marcos Stadium

03/28 - Caracas, Venezuela @ Poliedro Space

http://consequenceof...gacy-in-canada/

Edited January 21, 2010 by SteveAJones

[Juliet]

Hi:

I may try and see the show on Monday in London...mainly because Canadian band Danko Jones is one of the groups opening...

There are still tix 'cause there's an ad in the London paper today for this show as well as Motley Crue's gig next week..

Juliet

PS http://www.johnlabattcentre.com/

Edited January 21, 2010 by Juliet

[LarryD]

There are still tix 'cause there's an ad in the London paper today for this show as well as Motley Crue's gig next week..

Back when concert tickets were relatively cheap, two good concerts within a week STILL sold out. Then again, that's when these bands that charge an arm and a leg were young and in their prime. Expensive tix for old timers? Not for me.

[SteveAJones]

Back when concert tickets were relatively cheap, two good concerts within a week STILL sold out. Then again, that's when these bands that charge an arm and a leg were young and in their prime. Expensive tix for old timers? Not for me.

...but Larry, their doing a three hour show while most acts do an hour and a half to two hours. He performed for

nearly three hours and forty five minutes in Tokyo. They bring along enough pyro to invade, er, Canada actually.

[Juliet]

REGRETS to G&R,Sebastian Bach and Danko Jones

Sorry mates..I won't be able to make your gig...there's a Colorado low heading this way ..I'll be staying close to home...

I see you're already in Canada so I assume ya got your gloves, coats, hats, boots and shovels.

Juliet

Ps I need to correct what I wrote about Motley's gig..it's the first week of Feb..not next week..

Edited January 22, 2010 by Juliet

[LarryD]

...but Larry, their doing a three hour show while most acts do an hour and a half to two hours. He performed for nearly three hours and forty five minutes in Tokyo. They bring along enough pyro to invade, er, Canada actually.

Quite honestly, it'd have to be a FREE ticket before I'd see either Motley Crue or Guns-n-Roses/Velvet Revolver. And to top that, 3 1/2 would be pure torture for me even if you paid me!. I had other bands in mind when referring to past ticket prices.

The Great White concert in W. Warwick RI scared me enough to not care for pyrotechnics at a concert. I prefer my pyro's in real warfare, not the peace and love of a rock concert.

[Juliet]

Hi Larry and Steven

A friend was at another concert where pyros were involved..she was relatively close to the stage and she said she could feel the heat coming off the pyro stuff..

Juliet

PS The band's name started with a K

Edited January 22, 2010 by Juliet

[Juliet]

HI:

I've been watching the weather report...there will be rough weather out West over the weekend..I see the band will be in Hamilton on Saturday so I assume they have already left the Prairies...that's good..

The temperature will drop again next week in Ontario...hope they have their long johns

Juliet

Edited January 22, 2010 by Juliet

[SteveAJones]

Dennis Miller on Izzy Stradlin's departure from Guns n Roses (1990s):

[Juliet]

Hi:

I read the review...G&R were late starting and their gig went after midnight..so I'm glad I didn't go..the weather was not as bad as originally forecast yesterday but I'm still glad I saved my money and stayed home...

Juliet

PS I turn into a pumpkin if I stay at a rock concert after midnight...remember that for next time,eh?

[LarryD]

Hi: I read the review...G & R were late starting and their gig went after midnight..so I'm glad I didn't go..

You're not the only one. This illustrates clearly why so many shows SUCK! The slated time for the concert was 8pm. Granted there are more than one band on the bill, but I like to get to a place early for the best standing room or just to beat the crowd. So G & R come on over 4 hours after the starting time. GREAT! After enduring the aural onslaught of the other grinding bands then to be greeted by what, a potential 3 1/2 hour set by G & R? WONDERFUL!!!

That's why I much prefer a ONE ACT show. To devote all energy and attention and to be able to NOT have to wear earplugs to KEEP the sound of noodling warmups out of my selective ears. I'm sure everyone who went woke up at 7am, chipper and ready for the new day!!