London, Canada - 30/11

[lastroots]

I couldn't find a thread for tonight's show, so I started one.
Close it if I was wrong.




/lastroots

[jarmo]

Saturday, November 30, 2002
Extra security ordered for GNR concert

By JOE MATYAS, Free Press Reporter

 The John Labatt Centre will have extra security for tonight's Guns N' Roses concert, but not because the group sparked a riot in Vancouver on Nov. 7.

It's normal for an entertainment venue to have heavier security for a rock concert than a pop event, general manager Brian Ohl said yesterday.

"The security is different for a Guns N' Roses than it is for the Righteous Brothers.

"We look at each act individually and decide what's appropriate based on what kind of group it is and what kind of history it has."

Ohl said he's not worried there will be a recurrence of the Vancouver trouble. He said that was the first date on the tour and there hasn't been any other bad news since.

Angry fans using metal barriers to smash windows rioted for an hour outside downtown Vancouver's GM Place after it was announced the Guns N' Roses show had been cancelled because lead singer Axl Rose hadn't arrived in the city.

A band official later said poor weather delayed Rose's scheduled flight from Los Angeles.

The singer said he was in the air and on the way when GM Place cancelled the show.

Ohl said concert contracts are detailed documents providing protection for both venues and performers for failure to live up to commitments.

He said he's not worried about a no-show in London, considering Guns N' Roses has played 10 dates since Vancouver.

"I'll be concerned if they don't show in Toronto, but that's not likely to happen.

"I've been in this business for a long time and cancellations on the day of a performance are rare."

A sellout is expected by concert time but Ohl said a few tickets may still be available from a final block of $79 seats released yesterday.

http://www.canoe.ca/LondonNews/lf.lf-11-30-0030.html


Thanks to Charles on the DNB list.



/jarmo

[lastroots]

Was it not sold out??
I thought so....



/lastroots

[Slade65]

They released some tickets earlier this week, often done the week of the show when a band figures out how exactly, their stage and sound area will be set up, and done to screw scalpers, always a good thing in my book.  

[lastroots]

Very low traffic in this show's thread. Hope we'll get some reviews....


/lastroots

[tim_m]

there's a very short review up on gnrx.com

[JamieG]

I just got home from the show....looks like I'm the first one here to submit a review!

Actually, I'll save time by saying I just read the Toronto review and it was almost identical.

The first 4 hours was the worst concert experience of my life. We were told the show would start at 7 or 7:30...left work early, drove 2 hours in the snow to get there! Anyways, at 8pm the first opening act comes out, whatever they were called, three letters beginning with C, a heavy metal band. They were okay, that's what you expect for an opening act. That went to about 8:30.

Then there was nothing, just them setting up the stage until 9:15. Then the DJ guy came out...it was awful. Words do not do it justice. Why would they think Guns N' Roses fans would be interested in something that belongs in a rap show.  I left to get something to drink and everybody in the hallway were saying "What the Fuck is this shit!??!? I was shocked there wasn't more booing. It was more sarcastic cheers everytime he would start on a new one. That went until about 10:15

Then they did the shots of the girls and urging them to show their boobs. Most of them did. The ones that didn't were booed. That went on so long that they started going back to the same girls over and over again.

That ended around 10:55pm, by this time people started thinking maybe they wouldn't show.

But at 11pm, they came out and the place exploded!

By the way, during all the opening acts and other stuff, there were a ton of empty seats even down on the floor. The nose bleeds where I was was pretty packed. But all the seats filled up once they started playing. I'm thinking people must have known that Axl and the boys weren't going to show until 4 hours after the start of the show.

He started out wearing a Team Canada jersey, then switched to the Leafs jersey and then into a London Knights (the junior hockey team that plays in the Labatt center) jersey. Seemed really big on Canada, in addition to all the Canadian jerseys, they had the Canadian flag on the big screen, during Paradise City.

The set list, (can't remember the order) was basically the same as the Toronto show.  Almost everything from AFD.

Welcome to the Jungle, It's so Easy, Night train, Out to get me, Mr Brownstone, Paradise City, My Michelle, Think About You, Sweet Child and Rocket Queen.

Only Live and Let Die and Novemeber Rain from UY1. And Knockin on Heavens Door and You Could be Mine from UY2. I was really disappointed they didn't play Estranged (in my opinion the best song ever!)

Patience from Lies, and Madagascar, The Blues and Chinese Democracy.

I actually didn't notice the teleprompters....but he sure didn't need them. The crowd sang along with him nearly every song except for the new ones.

He seemed to be in a really good mood, lots of smiling and laughing when he was introducing the other members.

No real rants to speak of. He really didn't talk all that much to the crowd. He asked if anyone had been to China and went on to say that people there aren't allowed to do anything and they can just get shot, they just kill you and don't even tell your family what the fuck happened.

That's about the only thing he really elaborated on.

So they came on at 11pm and finished 1am, Night train and Paradise City were the last songs.

Overall, they were great and the crowd was electric...although I wish they weren't THAT loud, I found it hard to hear Axl because the crowd was so loud.

It was awesome to see Axl, he has such a stage presence. You can tell the whole place worships him.

I just wish I had known to skip the first few hours.

[oldfan]

Well, it took us 2 hours to get there and 5 hours to get home.
Snow, snow and more snow,  does it ever stop snowing up there.
First of all, it was sold out...
This was my first time at this venue, so I was not comforable trying to get my MD in
I left it in the car, I wasn't about to get booted out of the show and drivin' 2 plus hours home.
There was another opening band ?
Just we missed that
Mix Master Mike or whatever his name is... Is a very talented man, his stuff isn't my style but I got me movin'  [ok]

The setlist was the same as Toronto's.
The show rocked once again, I'd say the Toronto show sounded abit better overall.
Axl didn't say a hell of alot..
He asked how much it snowed up there, asked if anyones been to China.
He said he'd like to comeback soon and play longer and play some new songs for us  [ok] and thats about it. Axl was playing hiding seek alot more this show, every 10 mins or so he was gone backstage
Finks's Solo wasn't as good as the Toronto show
Buckethead was fucking Amazing once again,  chickens or hens must be good teachers  because this boy plays a MEAN guitar !

I'd seen no signs of cams or any signs of tapers  [no]
This place was like Fort Knots, I pat the man/woman on the back who taped or filmed this show.
If you did tape/film this show contact me ASAP, maybe we can swap.
Anyhow I need sleep...

[jarmo]

Sunday, December 1, 2002
Guns a blazin

By James Reaney, Free Press Arts & Entertainment Columnist

 A Rose by any other name would have simply been too late for his own party.

Fortunately for arrogant Axl Rose, his fans will wait just about forever for a taste of their Guns N' Roses hero

But the cheers from the standing crowd of about 9,000 fans at the John Labatt Centre last night showed rock star Axl Rose will always be right on time for his people.

When he emerged about 11 p.m. last night for the Guns N' Roses classic Welcome to the Jungle, it was welcome to Axl-land and the party was on.

Much of the show was too late for deadlines to be reviewed, but Axl showed his hockey smarts by sporting a Team Canada jersey. In Michigan, he'd worn a Red Wings jersey. In Toronto on Friday night, he was a Leaf.

London was lucky. It had the Axl for every fan.

Rose holds the rights to the Guns N' Roses name.

One star is emerging from the collection of Rose's new hires since he fell out with most of his old Gunmates. That would be the guitarist known as Buckethead. He earned that name as a masked man wearing a KFC bucket on his dome.

Vintage hits have trotted out all tour long, including Live and Let Die (the McCartney-Bond item), Knockin' on Heaven's Door (the Bob Dylan tune), Sweet Child o' Mine, You Could Be Mine, Mr. Brownstone, Patience and Paradise City.

November Rain has Rose playing a grand piano under a waterfall of fireworks.

Much has been said by critics along the tour about Rose's chops not aging well, but a shaky sound system made it difficult to know for sure.

It's the band's -- or, more correctly, the Axl-dominated band's -- first North American tour since 1993.

The only other former GNR member on the tour is keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who came on board for 1991's Use Your Illusion I and II.

The rest of the lineup is Brian (Brain) Mantia (formerly of Primus), bass player Tommy Stinson (from the Replacements), keyboardist Chris Pitman (Replicants) and three guitarists: Richard Fortus (Psychedelic Furs), Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails) and Buckethead.

The hired hands have all been working with Rose and Reed on the long-awaited new GNR album, Chinese Democracy. Its release is set for 2003, as soon as February. The album has been delayed so many times that cynics have said there will be democracy in China before Axl finishes Chinese Democracy.

Meanwhile, GNR's former duelling guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin and two other former GNR members, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum -- have been auditioning singers for a new band of their own.

"I wish them the best," Reed has told a U.S. rock

writer. "If they want to go out and hit the road, cool. No one can stop them. They're great players in their own right."

Last night, the centre had extra security. It's normal for an entertainment venue to have heavier security for a rock concert than a pop event, general manager Brian Ohl said.

Fans rioted in Vancouver after Rose's non-arrival cancelled a Nov. 7 concert meant to open the North American leg of GNR's world tour. Rose had missed his flight from Los Angeles. Police used pepper spray to end the hour-long melee outside GM Place.

At a concert 10 years ago tomorrow in Santiago, Chile, 10 people were hurt and 178 people arrested. The group's departure from the country was delayed about nine hours as authorities searched their private plane in vain for drugs.

In 1991, Rose precipitated a riot in Maryland Heights, Mo., a St. Louis suburb, by jumping off the stage and attacking a fan videotaping the concert. Sixty people were hurt and the concert building was wrecked. Rose was eventually put on probation for two years and ordered to donate $50,000 to five social service organizations.

GNR entered the music scene in 1985, earning fans with their punk-infused heavy metal sound. The band's heydays were between 1987 and 1992, when Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child o' Mine and November Rain dominated the airwaves.

The band has sold more than 80 million albums.


http://www.canoe.ca/LondonToday/lf.lf-12-01-0017.html

--


/jarmo

[Kiki]

Guess I'm the 1st to review the show for the list...
I'm not goin to get into the selist...pretty similar...and I'm sure Andrew
will have it for you all tomorrow exactly how it went down...
Got to the show around 945 or so...figuring the house lights would be on for
the long wait for GNR..but MMM was still playing...and played till well
after 10 I think...Guns didn't take the stage till 11:02...latest yet I
think...but the did NOT dissapoint...

Axl was the best I have seen him on
this tour yet...he was great with the crowd...very talkative about the
weather, the band, the music...
I was sitting 6th row right...I mean right beside Fincks side of the
stage...right where Axl was always running during solos and stuff...we could
see all the back stage stuff goin on...most amazing seats to have...venue
was packed...I would say 10-12000...not sure on the exact number...

Axl
commented how fuckin loud the place was...band seems to be getting closer
and tighter for every show...kinda funny...a guy beside me was lookin at me
during the new songs...cause we were both singing the lyrics word for
word...I looked at him...he looked back...both knew them cold...

They rocked...and brought the house down...played till about 1:05 AM..was
late....but the crowd was into every song...I'm sure there will be more
detailed mails about the setlist and stuff...but make no mistake...best show
I've seen (Det, & TO)
Chris DNB

[Kiki]

Okay,

So that was the best show I've ever been to.  I must
admit that being in the front probably had something
to do with it, but it was still a kick ass show.
Didn't notice any serious mistakes.  The big moment
for me was during The Blues, when I was singing a long
with Axl and he noticed.  After looking at more for a
bit with a weird look on his face he started smiling
as if to say "How does this guy know the words to the
song, I haven't even released the damn thing."  Pretty
cool.  

Then when he came out to do Paradise City, Axl
and I sang a line of the chorus together (sounds kind
of gay, but whatever - it was cool to see that the guy
I've been listening to for the past 12 years was
looking at me and I was singing along with him).

Oh, look for a big African American (not real tall,
but just big) walking behind security in front of the
stage.  He's the dude that hands out backstage passes.
Especially if you're a hot chick, but watch it, he's
a little grabby (I was going to ask my friend to ask
him for me but she wasn't too into getting her boobs
fondled - understandable).  Also glad to see Angel,
Josee, and BFD at the show.  Glad you guys were able
to stay at the front.  

They can atest to the fact that
from beginning to end, I never let my arms leave the
air.  I think I was one of the few who constantly had
his fist waiving.  Also, I think I jumped throughout
Paradise City.  Never have I rocked so hard before.
Cool band...

Quick notes:

Right after It's So Easy, Axl talked directly to the
police, trying to get them to smile.  I think he was
successful with one of the female cops.

He didn't do much talking during this concert.  He did
rant somewhat about China, and how he can watch CNN in
his hotel, but the citizens of China are not allowed
American programing.  He also mentioned how he visited
the glass casket of Chairman Mao in Beijing.  

Buckethead did not bring his doll out in tonight's
show.  

His attire was a Team Canada Hockey Jersey (away-red)
from the Olympics, then a Home Leafs jersey, then a
London Knight's away jersey (local hockey team), and
finally he came back to the away Maple Leafs jersey.

Seemed like he was having a good time and was in good
spirits.

If you have front row seats or are near the front,
bring a buckethead costume and you're sure to get a
gift from Buckethead. This guy that was sitting beside
my friend and I (believe he was from Columbus), wore a
buckethead and mask the whole night.  Axl was pretty
impressed with his imitation of buckethead's moves and
made mention of it.  I was glad for the guy because he
seemed pretty friendly and I think he paid a lot of
money for his tickets over e-bay.

That's all for now, going to bed (it's now 4:30 am).
I have to be up in five hours to begin my trip to
Boston.  A full report when I get back next week.

Cheers,

Andrew DNB

[kidrock]

The review by James Reaney, the arts & entertainment columnist, has to be the best review yet by a journalist.  He was very knowledgeable unlike what we've seen so far.

[Trickster]

Went to the show last night.  FAR FAR superior to the Detroit show.  Cheaper too!  Strong voice all the way through, and what appeared to be a sell out.  Awesome show!

[AxlsStPeteFLFan]

Thanks for all of the cool reviews.  I can not wait until Tampa.  Only 12 days left! [peace]

With every review I read, I get more excited.  

[john]

Thanks for all of the cool reviews.  I can not wait until Tampa.  Only 12 days left! [peace]

With every review I read, I get more excited.  

Your going to be amazed!!!!! I thought when i read these reviews to all the shows that people were probably overeacting about it but not at all. You will never see anything as good as what you will see from this band (unless  of course Slash and themm return but we wont get into that)..

[KeVoRkIaN]

The show was amazing,  the venue sucked:

They closed off all alcohol sales at 10 PM - GN'R wasn't even on stage yet!!!! - Those idiots just made the local bar owners happy on that one.......

They confiscated KFC buckets at the door and destroyed them.  Then they ran around trying to take them off the people who snuck them in.  This is beyond me because they sold popcorn in the same size buckets........

Puzzling, very puzzling.........

Otherwise you couldn't have beat the show - unless you were in Toronto, where Axl gave a little bit more of himself.......

That city is in the twilight zone.  They don't plow the downtown....and the snow was insane.  A normal 1 hour drive turned into a 5 hour pilgramage just to get home.  Mind you - I drive a 5.0 Mustang GT Cobra...... not really the car of choice in London I'm sure......I think it snows in June there...... hehe

[queen bee]

They released some tickets earlier this week, often done the week of the show when a band figures out how exactly, their stage and sound area will be set up, and done to screw scalpers, always a good thing in my book.  

was it for front row seats??

[queen bee]

i went to both the toronto show and the london show , and i enjoyed myself more at the london show .  the crowd was louder and better than the toronto show...i found that they  accepted mix master mike better, especially when he played led zep. the crowd seemed to me  to be true rock fans.  not grunge!!! ugh.  about  the kfc bucket  being confiscated....there was a couple seating in the front row wearing buckets!!!! i found the venue was good , people were drinking beer at their seats and smoking pot .... everyone was friendly !!! axl looked very happy!!!!  i kind of notice axl had trouble jumping on the piano during the blues but then recovered quickly. axl didn't talk alot during the concert in london.  that something i liked about the toronto show...

[Slade65]

I got this off of Billboard's Boxscore chart, looks like GNR sold out this show.  [ok]


Guns N' Roses, CKY, Mixmaster Mike
 John Labatt Centre
 London, Ont.
 Nov. 30, 2002
 $357,123
 7,694 / 7,694
 1 / 1
 $50.49, $37.71
 Clear Channel Entertainment
 

http://www.billboard.com/billboard/charts/boxscore.jsp

[Conny]

Not that you'd care, but here's my two cents...

I just got a VCD of this show today. Great show, Axl seemed to be in a very light mood that evening. He was smiling very often and interacting with the audience a lot, he (as the whole band) looked and sounded great.

The highlight of that show (in my opinion) was Buckethead and especially Buckethead on "Nightrain" - it was one of the best versions I ever heard of this song so far, the whole band was doing great there.

To be honest, this is the first classic GN'R tune that sounds better when the new band plays it. When it comes to this song, it can't get any better now. I always felt like something was missing on "Nightrain", I didn't like the fade-out on "Appetite" - but now that beautiful solo finally completes that song for me. THANK YOU BUCKETHEAD!!!

If you can get that show on CD or VCD - get it. It's so great that the disc/s hasn't left my drive since hours. I wish I was there.