Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Board members attending: benchiefjr, Deez Nuts, enythang, gunslinger, holtzmn73, ipoopie, pntra420, Ringo, robinfinckfan, smeagol2124, thegame2000, west_coast_offense, WhatIsItMan

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Setlist: Welcome To The Jungle, It's So Easy, Mr. Brownstone, Live And Let Die, Robin Guitar Solo & Jam (with Dizzy & Frank), Sweet Child O' Mine, Better, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, You Could Be Mine, Piano Moving Jam, Dizzy Piano Solo, The Blues, Richard Guitar Solo, Out Ta Get Me, Used To Love Her, Piano Jam, November Rain, IRS, My Michelle (with Sebastian Bach), Patience, Nightrain

Encores: Ron Guitar Solo, Chinese Democracy, Madagascar, Paradise City

I'll be traveling down from near the Canadian border for this show.  Anyone know how long a drive it is from the twin cities to Ames?

i think i will be going to this show as well, it's about 425 miles from me ( mid-missouri)

I'm planning on going from the Twin Cities and maps.google.com says its about 215 miles to Ames from Mpls, its only a couple hours. 

i'm planning on going to this with my friend...hopefully its not TOO expensive.  I've never seen them live, old lineup or new lineup.  :hihi: :hihi:

anyone ever see a concert at this venue?  It looks like its smaller, perhaps more intimate.  How does it compare to Target Center for concerts?  I am 90% sure I am going to take the trip down to Iowa and hit both shows,  I just need to pick between this venue and the target center one which I am willing to splurge on a scalper if I am unable to score premium reserved seats on my own. I want to spend more on the better venue.

I believe the Target Center is the bigger venue

I found some website that says if you don't have people behind the stage, the arena holds just over 10,000 for cocnerts. If they have people behind the stage its almost 15,000 then.

I am offically making the roadtrip for this show too. Two GNR shows in 2 nights......dream come true!!!

Not really anything groundbreaking, but here's a setup of the venue for concerts.
Just a typical basketball arena, probably not too bad of seat anywhere in the house.

http://www.center.iastate.edu/Buildings/Hilton/hiltmaps.htm
(click anywhere on the 'concert' picture to see the view from that spot)

Yeah, seems like a solid venue, not as big as target center which is cool.  Front row or bust!

It's in my back yard, saw my first GNR show there back in 88.....Can't wait to go.? Ticket sales won't be brisk for this one, but walk-up sales will be strong given that it's on-campus in a college town and on a Friday night.

*edit* for those wondering about the venue, the acoutsics tend to suck further back, but as far as parking and ease out of the arena it is aweseome.  Concessions are decent, and campustown will be fun after the show.

I just called the venue, tickets go on sale on Oct. 14.

^^ good news!  I will be buying on the 14th then :yes:

I'm gonna try and make it to this show as well.? My boss' hometown is Ames, and he says it's about a two hour drive either way.

He also says it should be a better venue than the Target Center.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/06003D439AE87D63?artistid=735218&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

AEG LIVE PRESENTS
GUNS N ROSES
* * * * *
HILTON COLISEUM, AMES
NO CAMERAS * NO REC DEV
FRI DEC 1 2006 8:00PM

Internet Onsale Info
Onsale to General Public:
Sat, 10/14/06 10:00 AM CDT

Just got 2 tix in section 131, Row 10. 

The ticketmaster site has now moved up the sale to Friday instead of Saturday.  Not that it matters cause you can go to the official site right now and order. 

I almost bought similar tickets today for Iowa.  I got 5th row for minneapolis today.  For shits I am going to wait and see what kind of lower level reserved seats ticketmaster might have.  If they don't have anything better than 10th row, then hopefully I can still get similar tickets to the ones that are available now.  I doubt Iowa will be that hot of a ticket so there could be a chance.  It seems like only certain sections are available on the the GNR website. 

Since Hilton Coliseum is on the ISU campus, will they sell alcohol at this event?

Why wouldn't they?  Is ISU a dry campus?  I really don't think it is.

Most colleges don't sell alcohol on campus, they think it sends the wrong message. The kids just get wasted in their dorms beforehand then go to the concerts and sporting events.

Iowa State is FAR BEYOND a dry college...but idk if they're selling it there.  I don't drink anyways, but i'll be at this concert with my friend.  :hihi: :hihi:

The University of Minnesota has liquor stores on campus, but I've never been to a gopher game so I don't know if they sell at their arena's or not.  Just have to drink enough before the show.  It will be cheaper that way.

Technically the liquor stores at the U of M aren't on campus, they just are across the street or down the block.  : ok:
The U doesn't sell liquor at Mariucci or Williams arena, I remember they had some big debate a few years back about selling wine at Northrup for plays and such.

YES! They sell Alcohol at the hilton i beleive.. Let me ask a friend! and i'll get back!

ps. hopefully i can get to this show!

Cool!? I'm in the same section row 8.? You from IA?

Sorry dude, wasn't reading.  I now see you're driving quite a distance to get here.  You'll like the Hilton, should be a great scene for a Guns show!

They do not sell liquor at the hockey or basketball games.? However they don't hold concert events at the venues either....so who knows.

I went to a prince concert at the northrup in 2000 and they sold beer there, and that venues is on campus i think.....I am confident there will be beer at this venues....come on, its GNR!!! 

I have gone to one dry concert before, that was Aerosmith, man did that put a cramp in the show for me.

I have been to concerts there before.  They sell beer, rest easy my alcoholic gunners!!

Gunslinger, when you "there" were you specifically speaking of Hilton Coliseum?  It's an NCAA sanctioned arena, and I don't know if they can sell beer.  Because it's a concert, and not a sporting event, that may exclude the NCAA rules on the night of the concert.  Thank you for the responses. 

Yes, I've been at the Hilton 3 or 4 times for concerts and each time, I have gotten to enjoy delicious ice cold beer.  It makes me a jolly good fellow. :beer:

Woah.  Are you quoting a New Odyssey song?

No, not familiar with New Odyssey.  Good stuff?  Maybe I'll have to check 'em out, especially if they enjoy the beer such as I do.

Oh, ok.  They're not a hard rock band or anything.  Anyway, they do this song called, "I Like Beer", and that's what I thought you were quoting.  www.newodyssey.net if you're curious...

Back on topic though...  I'm driving from Chicago to see this show, so I hope we are getting new and mixed setlists this time around!   :beer:

I am expecting the same general setlist, as I am going to IA and MPLS shows back to back.  I imagine however they may switch the setlist a bit since it is a back to back show.  I am only hoping for rocket queen on one of the nights, if that happens, I will no set list gripes.

yes indeed, they do serve beer at Hilton during concerts.  For those traveling from up north, the State patrol runs a speed trap near the intersection of Highway 20 and I-35 before and after every event at Hilton.  Safe to say once you get south of Mason City heading down to Ames, watch yourselves.  And yes, as an ISU graduate, I can testify that Ames is NOT a dry campus  :hihi:

BTW, got my tix in Section 131 Row 8  Should 10-20 feet from Finck most of the night (Which will make my wife happy).

That's cool, I'm in 131 row 8 also, seats 12 and 13. : ok:

Does anyone have any extra tickets to the show in Ames for a possible lower price.  Because my friend is really low on money but he's dying to go.  If this belongs in the tour section i apologize, i just figured there would be more people seeing it here.  Please help if you can.  :crying:

No offense man, but I really don't think anyone is going to sell their tickets below face value when they just ordered them 2 days ago.  Good Luck though, I'd check ebay just a few days before the show when they will probably be below face.

i know...but there is always hope.  :rofl:

I dont think your going to find anyone to sell you tickets below face value. Your best bet is to give your buddy a loan, or get ahold of a area radio station and do something crazy for tickets. Give them your story and maybe they will hook you up but i doubt it.

yeah, i knew 2 trivia answers the past two days for 2 free tickets...and the no one answered when i called.  I'M SO PISSED1!!!  :crying:

Is he not going to be able to afford the lower priced tickets ($37.50 + ticketmaster fee) when they go on sale either?

If not, I'd suggest donating some plasma, mow some neighbors yard, or lending your friend a few bucks for this opportunity.

he's got a job but he lives on his own now.  See, the tickets cost 77 dollars or 43.50 or something like that.  We'd really like to be up close, so 77 dollars is the cost.  ALSO, i just saw a commercial with the new logo advertising the Chinese Democracy tour during a break from Sportscenter.  It showed live footage of the band playing...i'm psyched.

Your gonna have to tell your buddy to stay home. We all have our own bills, and living exspenses, but we all found a way to get the money to go. Good luck, someone lock this thread. Its just someone begging for free tickets.

i'm not begging, the crying faces are sarcastic.  I'm just asking.

Tell your "friend" to go make some more money and STFU  ;D :beer:

I'll be at the show.  Section 132, row 12, I think.  Right on the end-- seats 1 & 2.

I just hope it doesn't fucking snow right before the show or something.  Nov/Dec concerts in this part of the country are always a little risky.

Nah, the waether is 99.9999999% fine (I.e. not heavy snow) in Iowa in December.  It's January/February where you really roll the dice.

Knock on some wood dude. I will be driving from Omaha.

Oh man cant wait for the show.. Any good bars or maybe even a preparty to hit before the show..

45 days!!!

I still plan on going, riding down from Minneapolis, and may bid on those seats on ticketmaster. However due to the recent rescheduled shows, and how tickets are selling in general, I am going to take a wait and see approach. God I hope all goes well, what a dream, two GNR shows in 2 nights!

next to stage row 10 which is like row 5


Event/Item Qty Type Sec Row Seats Description
Guns N' Roses
Hilton Coliseum
Ames, IA
Fri, Dec 1, 2006 08:00 PM 2 FULL PRICE TICKET 113 10 14 - 15 
 PRICE LEVEL 1
LOWER BOWL RESERVED
RESERVED SEATING 

section 113 next to stage are selling right now!!!!!!!!

unreal

Event/Item Qty Type Sec Row Seats Description
Guns N' Roses
Hilton Coliseum
Ames, IA
Fri, Dec 1, 2006 08:00 PM 2 FULL PRICE TICKET 113 10 14 - 15 
 PRICE LEVEL 1
LOWER BOWL RESERVED
RESERVED SEATING 

I am bidding on the front row seats in 113. I figure they won't go much higher than face.

well I will be up 5 row from you

Seats start at row 6 in this section

Yeah, thats goofy, do all the rows start at 5 at this venues?  Maybe because if they have risers they would start at row 1?  I got 4th and 5th row seats for the mpls show too.

no just in these sections

I got row 12 in 129 at the target center

Seats? Is that an american phenomenon or what? If you're going to a rock concert you stand and you jump.

yeah, I am not sure why that is.  Its not so much that I will be "sitting", but rather I have a place reserved just for me, not have to deal with the tomfoolery of the floor.  If I was younger i would be all over the floor tickets perhaps. And no worries, I will be standing and jumping. 

Nope wont be able to make it... I'm busy watching my corn grow....

Oh come on Iowa I kid I kid? :hihi: Have fun guys? : ok:

I actually wonder how many real iweejens will actually attend the show. Alot of people, including me, are coming from other places, and the venue is in a college town.

I'm going with 7 other people...it should be a great show  : ok:

careful with this show......judging by the "logistics" definition some apply, it is a high risk show to buy tickets for (together with the Nov 3rd one)......
don't get me wrong, i hope you are lucky and have a show....with lots of space around ;D
what can be better than that?

Hell yeah dude i'm going!  I got section 112 seats 5 and 6.  It's going to be fucking awesome man.  I hope to see you!!!!





Hatts

Has anybody who bought there's from tickets.com actually have theirs yet?

I bought from tickets.com for the minneapolis show, no they have not arrive.  I am not holding my breath that they will arrive soon. I can imagine how complicated it must be to print off tickets and put them in an envelope.

I just bought my tickets at Hy-Vee today...i'm in section 201, row 1, seats 14/15

With a shitload of floor and lower bowl tickets, why did you decide to sit in the nose bleeds??

I think he is poor.

So any word yet on the opening act after P. Roach drops of the tour??? Thank god they are off the tour before show comes up here..

I can seriously see Ames getting cancelled due to poor sales. It's been over 2 weeks since tickets been on sale and I am still able to purchase the maximum limit of general admission tickets and that's 50. While other cities have a maximum of 8.

And you can get reserved seating right next to the stage still.  I plan on going to this show as well and minneapolis, but I am going to wait closer to the show to buy tickets due to the really slow sales so far.  I am not sure why they picked Ames as a date, since there is a Minneapolis, Chicago, and Milwaukee show as well. I hope it starts to pick up.

It looks like ticketmaster may be trying to "steer" people into buying floor tickets for this show.  When you select "lowerbowl reserved" seats, it tells you there is no seating available, which I know is not the case.  In order to get lower level reserved seating, you have to select "reserved seating", instead of lowerbowl reserved seating.  Interesting.

I now think this show is pretty safe, there have been a couple shows thusfar that didn't draw the biggest crowd in the world, and the band still showed up and kicked ass. 

Now I retract this statement since the events of Portland.  I am not saying it was because of tickets sales the show was canceled, there is no proof of that. But I do believe if the place was sold out and had 8 thousand people waiting for a show, the firemarshal stuff would have had a better chance to be worked out.

I received my tickets in the mail Monday for those wondering when tickets.com tickets would be arriving. 

Nice!!!  Minneapolis tickets should be here soon!!  Where are your seats? or did you get floor?

they're too goddamn expensive and i don't feel like being stuck behind the GA section.

Anybody going to this show from Omaha would like to let 1 person carpool??? Just need a ride to Ames, don't need one back.

I will pay gas.

Next to the stage, 131 row 10 I think.  I don't have the ticket on me but I think I remember it saying something like "1FAN" on the ticket...must be something to do with ordering through their website and automatically qualifying for their fan club. 

Im making the 5 hour trip from here in illinois to see the best band of all time...Is there any Prepartys going on ? Does anyone know if the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center? is in walking distance to the hilton ?

I just booked a room there..
 I would say its about a 15 min walk to Hilton.. I went into the parking lot and drove to Hilton last week , its about a 2 min drvive with no traffic and hitting the 2 green lights..

Hope this helps

Thanks for the info....

Anyone get there tickets yet from the Gnr site presale?

look up about 3 posts....mine arrived in the mail on November 6th, Minneapolis came on November 9th. 

Just got my tickets today.......... : ok:

Anyone know if cab service readily available in Ames?

If you are undecided in going to this show, tickets can now be purchased for 40% off!

no reliable cab service, everyone walks or takes a bus in ames. Ames cops are real anal about drunks driving, but tend to look the other way in regards to drunks walking  :beer: 

Man that sucks....what is the closest hotel to that arena then???

We are staying at Gateway Hotel & Conference Center  They say it is a 15 minute walk ....

How much are rooms?

69.00 + tax

University Inn was about 50 bucks and only blocks away from the arena. :hihi:

Thanks guys, thats a big help!

Any bars around town have a GNR Preparty ?

Does a college town have any bars???? :rofl:

Nah........I'm down for a preparty.PM me for my cell number.

Roughly 802,800 seconds to GNR!

Nerd  :rofl:

Does anyone know where to get the password promotion for the discounted tix for this show?

Just booked a room at the luxurious University Inn!!  I can't wait to see what a dump it must be for only $50 bones a night!!!  Drinking Night Train in a seedy motor lodge, what a night!!

Dude, that's where I'm staying.

They said it's about a mile from the arena. That's nothing but a 15 - 20 minute walk. We should meetup and knock some back.  :beer:

Actually I booked a room there because you suggested it.  I am going with an employee/ friend that I could not get a reserved ticket to the Minneapolis show.  So this show is his consolation prize.  I am going to get a couple of the discounted floor tickets. Hit me up closer to the show!

Me and a friend of mine are driving up from Omaha. We will be there in the afternoon. I'll PM you with my cell number later.

Man, only 5 days and a few hours till GNR.  Then 24 hours after that, more GNR!!!!!!!!!!!!  Dreaming of this since I was 14!!!

Lets hope Axl doesn't cancel this show...I went to chicago last night, suppose to go to Mil. tomorrow, and going to Iowa...Hope it will happen.

I hear ya.  But it is a good sign that they actually mentioned this show in the press release!  I just hope axl feels better, and if he doesn't I hope they give us a days notice like Milwaukee so we can cancel hotel rooms, etc.  I got the car gassed up and the room booked!

any word on openers for these two shows (IA,MN)?  I don't have time to sort through all the bs in the main section.  Is the order Baz, SG,??? or do the SG go on first? 

Dee goes on first.

Dee who??

DEEZ NUTS!!!!!

That never gets old!

So is there anyone here that would want to trade their 2 GA tickets for my 2 seat tickets + cash?  Probably not, huh?

roughly 3,180 minutes.

I'm going to be actually relieved when that minute gets there.  I only bought 2 for Ames and 4 for MPLS and I've went through about 9782 people that have said they'd go and then back out (well, only a couple but it feels like that many).  One of my buds even got a rare blood cell disease during the time that I've had the tickets so he's laid up for 3 months and can't go.  I'm slowly getting pumped, I think the NY trip back in May took away some of the excitement but I've been getting the bug this week, it's tough concentrating on anything other than finding new youtube links of GNR songs. 

Hope to meet some of you dudes and dudettes.  I'll probably be wearing my homemade royal blue shirt that has "MYSTERON" painted on the front.  I've gotta wear it at gnr concerts because the rest of the world has no idea what the hell a shirt like that means.   

Thats a kickass idea...we should all wear something that could only be identified by people on this board.

I wore it at one of the Hammerstein shows and it was fun.  It was more noticeable there cause you had to get the presale password here just to get the tickets, so probably 90% of the audience knew what it meant.  Some would get it right away and laugh and others that didn't would thank me.  I got cornered in the bathroom even and couldn't get it through these drunk dudes that I wasn't him....like why would I try to be so secret online and then proclaim to the world who I was at a concert.

Check your PM.

Does anyone want 2 tickets in section 101, row 15, looking straight ahead, on the aisle?? Let me know.

The show is going to go on!

I hope so i have to drive out of a blizzard to get there only 4 1/2 hour drive from here in illinois...

Me Too!  Think it's 5 for me.

Holy shit 14 inchs of snow in illinois   hw 74 and 39 shut down..How in the hell  am i suppose to get to Ames ?????????

Leaving now gunners!  7-8 hour trip, get there safe guys and party hard.

I'm trying to figure out how to get out of my driveway...   :-\

Hopefully Axl will make it.  I would bet he stayed the night in Chicago and was planning on flying down to Ames just in time for the show. 

I hope not........

We are going to try to leave around 2:00 .It stopped snowing here and hope the plowes get out there and clear the roads...

  I hear you i got 14 inchs of snow here.........

I am leaving at 4:30 from Minneapolis...bring 3 bottles of night train with me...damn i am excited

Don't go to fast on I35, the Iowa State Patrol likes cashing those Minnesota speeding tickets

I am not driving, but told the person who is driving he is not going to speed for that reason.  Thanks!

Gosh, I hope Axl isnt stuck in Chicago....:( The airport is shut down apparently....:(

Apparently Axl didn't hit the stage till 12:35 am...

Wake up and give us a review you motherfockers? ;D

Guns N? Roses? setlist from Hilton Coliseum in Ames From the Des Moines Register

1. ?Welcome to the Jungle? (12:35am)

2. ?It?s So Easy?

3. ?Mr. Brownstone?

4. ?Live and Let Die?

5. ?Sweet Child O? Mine?

6. ?Better?

7. ?Knockin? on Heaven?s Door?

8. ?You Could Be Mine?

9. ?The Blues?

10. ?Out ta Get Me?

11. ?Used to Love Her?

12. ?IRS?

13. ?My Michelle?

14. ?Patience?

15. ?Nightrain?

16. ?Chinese Democracy? (encore)

17. ?Madagascar? (encore)

18. ?Paradise City? (encore) (2:38am)

I cut and pasted my review from mygnr....................here you go.

So i'll start with standing in line. We get there at about 400 and there's less than a dozen people in front of us. The line for the GA was very small, I'd say about 30 people until about 630. Then the line started to get longer. The crowd was very diverse as far as age goes, there was a couple there that look like they were in their 60's. Then there was a family there with a kid that looked like he was 7 or 8. But lot of kids in high school n stuff like that. IT WAS COLD AS FUCK. I was wearing Chuck Taylor's so my toes were frozen like nobody's business. At 7 o'clock the doors finally opened. As we were running to get our front row spot, the old couple that I was telling you about, the lady fell on her face. NO BULLSHIT!!!! 

But anyways, at 7:30, a band from St Louis played, forgot their names. I guess they won a spot from a radio contest or something to open. They were alright. Next were the Suicide Girls, HOT HOT HOT SEXY HOT. Nuff said. Then Baz, comes on with his corny ass. I was not a fan of him and still am not. However, I did enjoy his performance, better than what I expected. Blah blah blah.

Then shitty ass Helmet. I just did not get this. They SUCKED, THEY SUCKED, THEY FUCKING SUCKED. Their music was bland and boring, kinda killed the enthusiasm. The crowd booed them and a couple of things got thrown at them. I don't understand why Axl thought that EODM sucked and don't think Helmet sucks. But then came the wait.

12:30 am...................are you fucking kidding me???? When 12:00 o'clock rolled around, I thought that the show was gonna get cancelled and that we would have a Philly on hour hands but this time with pitch forks. But when Axl finally came on stage, all was forgiven. I would say that that Axl was in great form. Voice was good and energy was good. He did blow his nose just a couple of times and coughed a few. The highlight of the show to me was Tommy freakin Stinson. I asked him for a pick, and he threw one to me but I did not catch it. DAMN!!! But dude is hilarous. During November Rain, Tommy was looking down at us, and he was mocking Axl's lyrics. On the part that goes, " Don't you know you need sometime, all alone" Tommy mockingly rubs tears out of his eyes. Funny as hell. I will now say that Tommy won me over.

Overall, the show was good as expected, Axl looked great, but pretty short. And speaking of short, Baz's bass player looks like a midget. Either that or he could be a stunt double for an Asian in a kung fu movie. But anyways, seeing the concert front row and absorbing in the show did not change my opinion about this band. It was a great show, but the 1993 show was better. I still think that there is a lack of chemistry between the bandmates. Security was very cool. They were passing out cups of water to the people on the floor and they were very personable. We waited by the buses hoping to meet members but it got too cold, so we gave up.

I met a couple of people from this board and HTGTH. I met Whatisitman, who by the way, is a season ticket holder to GnR shows.

Another cool thing was, our hotel was right next to this Mexican bar/restaurant who had $.99 Margaritas. 

That's how I get down.

Sorry if this was posted someplace else already.  But here is a kickass video apparently from the Iowa show.  Amazing camera work, it almost looks pro-shot.  I was there!!  wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTW7KmbIpYM

Looks like someone filmed the screens

Just wanted to say that I enjoyed this show (much better than the Chicago show, since I posted that there were some things I did not like).  The solos were scattered a bit more and that was one of the complaints I had about the Chi show.  Seemed like to many solos, but this time since they were spread out a bit more it seemed to let the set breathe (if that makes any sense).  The long wait did kill me since I had a 4 hour drive through the shitty ass weather.  I ended up not getting home until 7 am the next day.   

Ha ha Nice!   :hihi:

does someone have an accurate setlist for this show?  November Rain is missing above...

Shame on G&R and shame on Axel Rose. They have obviously forgotten who made them...the FANS, or in this case, FORMER fans. We took our 9 yr old son to what would have been his first concert and for what? To stand in the hall due to strippers onstage and some "band" that couldn't carry a beat. He spent all the money he had saved on a G&R souvenier and didn't even get to see them due to their not coming onstage until 12:31 AM! Not even enough decency to at least tell the fans when to expect them on.

Don't you have a daughter Axel? Some example you give. Were you raised by wolves or what? Bon Jovi is a true rock and roll star. KISS is true rock and roll. You, Axel Rose, are a used up piece of toilet paper. You don't amount to a hill of dog crap. Tell us, have you gotten all the money you stole from the ticket buyers sniffed up yet?

To anyone thinking of going to a G&R "NO-show" or of buying their cd's/dvd's do yourself and everyone else a favor and JUST SAY NO. It's about time the public sent a messege to these used up old druggies.

I stopped reading after Bon Jovi. Take your kid to the teletubby concert instead if you are that clueless and unaware that the show does not start untill 11:30 or after, or if you are unaware who the opening acts are.  If you want to talk about parenting, I would never take my 9 year old to a guns n roses concert to begin with, let alone bitch about it after.  Do your research bub. 

guys, don't even bother replying to that post two above me.

Did anyone see the whole band come out and watch Helmet during their first song?  They seemed to be all there...except maybe I didn't see Tommy.  Robin was hanging out backstage real early, going over some guitar tech stuff even during Bach's set.  It was cool to see the exchange between Robin and his guitar tech during basically every song.  He was busy tuning all night long, pretty cool.  Is the guy that gets Axl's mic stand the same guy from back in 92 in the Tokyo videos?  It kind of looks like him. 

The band came out and watched Helmet's first song???  They know Helmet is awesome.   : ok:

yeah, they watched almost the entire set before going back into the dressing room.  It was cool to see Robin in street clothes.  He seemed really upbeat, even backstage. 

I've been thinking all week how incredible Robin was.  He's definitely my new guitar hero.

How can anyone be on this board and not know how to spell Axl?  WTF?

Easy, anyone who thinks Bon Jovi is great rock star will not be able to spell axl.

Apparently GN'R didn't even hit the stage until 12:30AM!!! WTF???

Guns N' Roses / Helmet / Sebastian Bach / Suicide Girls Live Review - 12.01.06 - Hilton Coliseum - Ames, IA
Posted by James Munson on 12.07.2006

Axl & company return with a second arena tour preceding the long-awaited Chinese Democracy. The accompanying stage show is a visual feast and the eight-piece all-star line-up sounds tighter than ever. Unfortunately, the overblown seven-hour concert turned away many fans before the main act even appeared on stage.


When it comes time for a band to heavily promote its newest album, which ? in this case- is thirteen years in the making, it would probably be considered an ill-fated move for this band to charge exorbitant prices for concert tickets, force their fans to wait for hours in anticipation, and then mock them. Then again, when you?re talking about Guns N? Roses, this kind of behavior isn?t so shocking. Tonight?s train-wreck of a concert at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA (start time: 8:00 PM, end time: 3:00 AM) affirmed what GN?R fans have known for years: Axl?s attitude hasn?t changed and neither has his contempt for punctuality.

The Suicide Girls burlesque show began around 8:15 and featured lots of leather, fire-laced hula hoops, and nipples covered in electrical tape. The five Suicide Girls on this tour frolicked across the stage to the tunes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The White Stripes, and Prince. Even though their punk/goth-tinged performances could have been significantly more effective in a club setting, the irony of their art was lost on most of the two-thirds full arena (predominantly the thirty-something males commanding the ladies to, ?Show your tits!?).

Primary opening act Sebastian Bach served stormed the stage with his four-piece band to a standing ovation. Out of everyone who preceded GN?R, Bach commanded the most audience attention. This was somewhat unforeseen because his set of newer lukewarm metal throwaways and Skid Row covers were surely less than impressive. He gave numerous shout-outs to Iowa (?Iowa, I?ll remember you!?), bashed Simon Cowell and American Idol in a ridiculous manner (?Shouldn?t the real American Idol be chosen by Americans?? It is.), and called out to the troops ?fighting over in Iraq for our right to rock tonight? before introducing ?American Metalhead?. Donning a tight black leather jacket and pants combo (sans shirt), Bach came off like a former high school classmate who was never really all that funny to begin with and never shut his mouth. Unremarkably, his set outlasted every other opening act at an hour and ten minutes.

Helmet?s first-night appearance agitated the already restless crowd. Taking the stage at 10:30 for a fifty-five minute performance book ended by ?Unsung? and ?In the Meantime? from their 1992 peak album Meantime, they were greeted with middle fingers. After several lineup changes, this version of Helmet (led by sole founding member Page Hamilton) mixed more recent sub par material, from Monochrome and Size Matters, with older tunes from post grunge-era albums Betty and Aftertaste. Titanic slabs of rock like ?I Know? came off as sluggish and monotonous. Hamilton?s voice, once omnipotent and wavering, sounded stale and lifeless.

Following Helmet, the Suicide Girls performed three more skits while the flustered, impatient crowd derided them. Before Guns N? Roses took the stage at 12:30 AM., a sufficient number of people left the venue and others booed in unison flipped middle fingers to the stage. One concertgoer noted, ?This better be one hell of a show for them to keep us waiting this long.? Amidst darkness and smoke, former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck appeared in the shadows strumming the opening notes (complete with pauses, for dramatic effect) to ?Welcome to the Jungle?. When a piercing voice shrieked, ?Do you know where the fuck you are?? a spotlight beamed down on Axl Rose, sporting a braided ponytail with a button-up black dress shirt and denim jeans. At the song?s opening climax, six massive explosions shot out from the drum riser to expose the juggernaut eight-piece band playing in flawless syncopation. Rose danced his trademark side-to-side sway and paraded across the stage and risers while stomping his foot; moves he perfected years ago with the original GN?R lineup.

As a whole, the performance was an exercise in bloated excess and offered a complete larger-than-life rock show package. Too bad the audience wasn?t livelier, but this was solely due to the band?s late start. Although the first four songs (?Welcome to the Jungle?, ?It?s So Easy?, ?Mr. Brownstone?, and ?Live and Let Die?) bedazzled the remaining spectators with explosions and pyrotechnics, many continued to hold up defiant middle fingers. Axl responded with a weak explanation, ?We apologize for our tardiness, but in the words of the great David Lee Roth, ?I don?t feel tardy!?? Individual solos before crowd-pleasers like ?Sweet Child ?O? Mine? and ?November Rain? also dragged on the performance. Furthermore, GN?R previewed four Chinese Democracy cuts like the rave-up rocker ?Better? and new ballad ?There Was a Time?. The new material wasn?t half-bad, but hardly the brilliance one expects from one of the longest-delayed albums since Zach De La Rocha?s yet-to-be-released solo debut.

Midway through, Rose asked the audience if they were awake because they weren?t close to being finished. This prompted most of the crowd on the floor to leave and the lower level seats also emptied significantly. Sebastian Bach made a brief cameo onstage with GN?R for ?My Michelle? and, shortly thereafter, they closed with the one-two punch of ?Patience? and ?Nightrain?. GN?R concluded with ?Paradise City? around 3:00 AM and, by this time, a third of the main attendees remained to witness streams of confetti and smoke filter through Hilton. Ultimately, Axl and his band may feel shameless about forcing their fans wait for them, but those same fans might not feel the need wait around much longer for Chinese Democracy.


The 411: This could have easily been called the "Tour of the Has-beens". With the exception of Helmet's disappointing metal-by-numbers set, each act satiated the appetites of those who paid to see a rock show. However, the only point proven by tonight's headliners and Sebastian Bach is that people will willingly shell out $75 to experience a piece of nostalgia, no matter how bland or turgid it is.   
Final Score:  5.0   [ Not So Good ]  legend
 
http://www.411mania.com/music/concerts/48336/Guns-N%5C%5C-Roses---Helmet---Sebastian-Bach---Suicide-Girls-Live-Review---12.01.06---Hilton-Coliseum---Ames,-IA.htm

Where did they watch it from?  The stage?

if you were looking at the stage they came out on the right and there was a fenced off gap between the floor and the lower level seats....and they were kind of even with the front row of the floor.  There were alot of people they were with, including some Suicide girls.  Bach watched GNR's set from the same spot.