December 5th, NYC @ MSG

[W.Bailey]

hey guys,This show was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. What an awesome night!!! im not gonna give a long review because well I would just be repeting things
I just want to say a few things...

1) first I wanna give a big ups to people sitting in 335 and everybodyelse at the show, you guys were awesome, you could tell Axl was feelin the crowd

2) the best songs were SCOM, LIve and let Die, and Nighttrain

3) Richard Fortus was fucking amazing, I hate to say this but he really puts Izzy to shame, he played amazingly. He looked awesome in his white suit.

4)Lastly, Axl Rose. He was absolutely incredable, the man is a god. I didn't care that Slash and that drunk Duff Mckagan werent there, thats how good he was.

OK, peace gunners

[Kiki]

Just got back from a f**k**g amazing concert at MSG! AXL IS BACK!! His voice is JUST like it used to be, and not as messed up as it was during the VMAs. I wasn't really paying to much attention to the other players, just mainly Axl.  
   
The night started off with CKY, which I did not get to see, cause I went out to a bar before the concert. I was up in Section 407, which sucks, but it was still great!  
Mix Master Mike went on and did awesome scratching on the turntables. He played Rage Against the Machine, Busta Rhymes, Disturbed, Missy Elliot, Beastie Boys, and a couple others. My favorite was when he did House of Pain which kicked ass.

After that there was a break and the camerea tried getting girl to take off their shirts. At the beginning no one did, but then one girl did, and they kept goin back to her, even putting the spotlight on her. Then the lights went out and Welcome to the Jungle came on.  
I'm not too sure of the playlist because I was a little buzzed, but I do know that someone was smokin up 4 rows down from me.

Axl wore different jerseys. He had a Jets, Giants, 2 Rangers, Knicks, and Yankees jerseys on. He sang Knockin on Heavens Doors n dedicated it to the 9-11, which got a lot of people to pull out their lighters. He came out with Krispy Kreme Donuts and said something about him supposed to be on a diet, but I couldnt hear!! He joked around and sang November Rain. He then mentioned the former band mates for a second, refering to them as "My old friends, my former friends, somethin somethin,(i think he said) I guess they were never my fuckin friends anyway" or somethin like that.

Then he sang Patience. Buckethead did his nunchucks, robot dance, then guitar solo which got the crowd around me to say Slash Sucks! Buckethead, Richard, n Robin all kicked ass doing different solos. I was suprised because I didnt know Richard Fortus was a really good guitar player until today when he did November Rain (I think...cant remember).  
Anyway..They did Night Train and then left the stage. Robin came on and did a solo for I think it was The Blues.

Then the rest of them came on after like 10 minutes and sang Paradise City. That was the end. Axl tried saying something but i wasn't coming out of the microphone, then he said something else loud, but I COULDNT HEAR IT!!! He was running around and came over to my side of the stage often, which was cool. Axl messed up a part of the lyrics for You Could Be Mine, which I spotted out right away.

I was like the only one who knew the words to Chinese Democracy and The Blues. Now my voice is dead, and burns like hell. It was defitnetly worth it though. GUNS N' ROSES KICK SERIOUS ASS
-Hightlight of the night was when a scalper was taken away by undercover officers, and he was all like "Please sir, Please!!"

The #1 Gunner GT

[SLCPUNK]

I'm a little tired, so forgive me is I totally missed it. But is there a review yet from NY times or any other paper? I'm wondering what they said, especially since the always harsh Howard Stern said it was a great show (according to another post).

[C0ma]

I response to john I had seats to the Boston, Hartford, and the New York Shows....I'd have to say based on camera volume I'd say that Boston would be released. There were many more cameras and mics placed all over the stage.....I was closer in New York and didnt see nearly as much.

Maybe Axl liked the Last Live U2 DVD that was recorded in Boston??

[BA]

this is very late and i will not write a review cos everything has probably been said.

well this was the third time i have seen the band this year and it was probably the best of the three.

i just got back from new york to shitty england about an hour ago so i am tired.
i must say everytime i see b'head he impresses me more and more.he played the longest solo of the three shows i have seen them at.he played big sur moon which bought a smile to my face and also chicken binge aswell as all the other stuff.

the band looked really happy together.axl was on a high and was very happy hpwever alot of the time when he was speaking i couldnt make out what he was saying.i know he slagged the guy off that wrote thqat bullshit review in chicago.and when he dedicated nockin on heavens door to 9/11 that was very moving.the doughnut thing was funny.

anyway same songs as you all know which was a shame for me but hey nevermind.

one thing though i have never seen so many dick heads at a rock concert bgut in a place like msg what can you expect.

one more thing i would just like to say that mix master mike sucks dick and doesnt belong at a rock concert.gnr should get a decent rock band to back them other that sky.all there lead singer did was swear every single word.he must of thought that it was cool to swear every single word.

anyway gnr rock as im sure you all know by now.

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

Thank you all for the reviews. I wish I was at that show.  

What a great show and waht a mature crowd.....  Quote from nadia.

That must be nice to have a mature crowd. Hey did anyone go to "Manganaro's Heroboy" to eat? Just wanted to know what you think of the place?  [ok]  [peace]

[Kiki]

Saturday, December 07, 2002


BY LISA ROSE
Star-Ledger Staff

NEW YORK -- After a decade of virtual inactivity on the concert scene, Axl Rose didn't let a little winter storm stop him from debuting his new Guns N' Roses crew for a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. The snow was deep, the trains were late and the roads were slick as hair gel, but the band kept its date and satisfied fans' appetites for nostalgia.

Although the players have changed -- Rose is the only holdover from the original lineup -- the metal rang familiar. The two-hour performance drew heavily from their seething debut album, 1987's "Appetite for Destruction." There were only three new tunes off their fabled "Chinese Democracy" record, which was planned for a 2000 release but has yet to surface on store shelves.

Rose has replaced his old GNR cronies -- Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler -- with hired Guns from the alt-rock ranks. The new roster includes Primus drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia, six-string guru Buckethead and former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck.

Guns N' Roses was a nefariously volatile live act during its bandanna glory years. The group's punctuality was poor and they could be a sublime mess or just plain sloppy, depending on the night or the alignment of planets.

On Thursday, GNR '02 took the stage at the civilized hour of 9:50 p.m. and they played smoothly. Too smoothly. As they ran through riotous faves like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City" and "Rocket Queen" with gloss and precision, one longed for their former rag-tag nastiness. Their old shows were punk onslaughts. This performance was more like a hard rock oldies revue, a singalong session where the crowd knew the words but Rose needed a TelePrompTer.

More fresh material would have been nice, although the new numbers sounded stale as year-old sponge cake. The audience response to the "Chinese Democracy" tunes ranged from mortuary silence to weak-wristed applause.

Even if the musical aspect of the show was routine, there was some bizarre behavior between songs. Before "November Rain," Rose trundled out with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, handing them over to the front rows and muttering about Conan O'Brien. He was presumably reacting to the late-night talk show host's recent joke that the band should change its name to Fatty McGoo and the Guys Who Aren't Slash. Rose's humorous protest was lost on many fans. "Ef-you Axl," one surly beer-guzzler cried. "Play some music!"

Rose, 40, has grown a bit doughier with the years and his wardrobe was oversized sports jerseys rather than slinky leather duds. With his spray of braids, he seems to be cultivating a circa '98 aggro look ࠬa Korn's Jonathan Davis. The voice, however, remains the same. Rose is still able to emulate Ethel Merman and generate hyena screeches.

The concert opened with the breakthrough smash, "Welcome to the Jungle," the dirty opening riffs spurring high-fives and hoisted cups throughout the venue. More retro power-chords followed with "It's So Easy," "Mr. Brownstone" and "You Could Be Mine."

Rose sprinted across the stage like a track star as the troika of guitarists traded licks. Capped with a KFC container and shrouded in a white mask, Buckethead was the most technical player, frenzied fingers creating alien soundscapes. Fricke's style was sexier and grittier, while his shaved-in-front, long-in-back hairdo made the lanky guitarist resemble Riff Raff from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Ex-Love Spit Love member Richard Fortus was the most traditional of the three, both in fashion and sound.

Although the concert was lo-fi by post-millennial standards, there were the requisite pyrobursts with "Live and Let Die" and a downpour of sparks that accompanied the epic climax of "November Rain."

As long as the group stuck with the all-hits program, the arena was ecstatic. The crowd had little patience, though, for their stray attempts to branch beyond their history. Buckethead's solo spotlight, a prog-rock m?lange of "Star Wars" and "Willy Wonka" themes, was greeted with derision and upturned middle fingers. Fricke's mellow instrumental interlude also failed to enrapture the masses.

Of course, this show was not about looking to the brave new future, but reliving the spandex past. The concert was simply a simulation of the band's '80s heyday, a quick-fix time warp for fans and a quick buck for Rose.

Some grooved to opener Mixmaster Mike's turntable medley of hard rock and hip-hop, but others booed. A more popular opening act was the display of female physiques and lifted shirts on the arena's jumbo video screen, captured by a camera that prowled the audience for eager volunteers and unsuspecting victims.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1 03924515296480.xml

[Kiki]

Older and wiser, Axl brings out heavy Guns.

Even the biggest brats eventually grow up. Look at Axl Rose.


In the singer's first New York show in nine years, Thursday at the Garden, he repeatedly expressed gratitude to the crowd, made light jokes, put on a slick, professional set and even showed up relatively on time.


It was quite a change from the Axl of old, who liked to launch into wild-eyed rants, fight with his own fans, show up hours late and pace his performances with the discipline of a kid suffering from attention deficit disorder.


Then again, Rose has much to prove with this tour. By eluding the public's view for nearly a decade, Rose had become the Norma Desmond of rock ? a recluse and a rumor-magnet of legendary proportions. After so much time away, Rose has not only dared to try to fill the nation's top arenas, he has billed the event as a Guns N' Roses tour, even though his seven-member band features not a single other member of the original group.


Curiosity alone probably could have filled the Garden (it was sold out). But the band's first tiptoe back into the pop pool ? an appearance at August's MTV Awards ? sounded unfocused and desperate. It was "Welcome to the Bungle" time.


Here, Rose was in far better yowl, and his group seemed much more rehearsed. Rose did, however, cut an odd physical figure. At 40, the once-svelte star appears to have taken one too many trips to the dessert table. To cover for it, he sported an array of muumuu-size sports jerseys, matched with pants large enough to hide Fat Joe. His cornrowed hair looked like something ripped off Bo Derek and ghoulishly sewn into his head.


Yet, in his classic role as caterwauler, Rose was king. He hit all the right screeches in such songs as "Rocket Queen," "Nightrain" and "My Michelle."


The band, featuring veterans of acts from Primus to Nine Inch Nails, played forcefully. Lead guitarist Buckethead (who sports a KFC container on his noggin) showed particular skill ? far more, in fact, than original GN'R axman Slash. As musicians, the old band were hardly missed. But there was no rapport between the new guys and Rose. Essentially, these players operated as a top-shelf tribute band.


Naturally, this gave the show a deeply nostalgic feel. It featured just two new songs from GN'R's upcoming album, "Chinese Democracy," neither of which made an impression.


Not that it mattered. The two-hour performance stressed songs from 1987's "Appetite for Destruction," which represents the band's sole great achievement. Ultimately, the evening worked as a tame and misty look-back for late twentysomethings, featuring the unlikely transformation of Axl the loon into Axl the warm and fuzzy.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/41294p-39000c.html

[A.L.R.]

I just wanted to point out, Axl messed up on Rocket Queen.  I think he said "Left you strung out.." when he was supposed to say"until the bitter end"  I noticed and thought you would like to know.

[joe joe]

just wanted to let you guys know i was at the show and what a show it was what did you guys think of it

[mikegiuliana]

I hope they do play msg again, I loved the last show.. I hope to meet at least one person from the forums.  I live in nyc (brooklyn) so I'm a short train ride away..

[ChristineP]

Here's my late review...

CKY....thankfully, I showed up during their second to last song. ?The crowd was acutally pretty nice to them. ? ....No one really booed them off stage.
But the crowd cheered when they said that they were playing one more song.

About 50% of the ppl were there for the opening acts.

MMM...it was alright. ?He did a tribute to Jam Master Jay....the crowd was only into the rock songs he was spinning. ?Seek and Destroy got a good response.

Not too many flashers during the intermission....but there was that one chick below section 107....dang....trashy...but entertaining.

I'd say about 90% of the available seats were occupied at around 9:45.
when I saw the 3 roadies walk on stage at 9:55, I was like "holy shit, is this it?...they're grabbing the curtain! ?Boom. ?all the lights go down". ?The ambient music plays, ..and the fog machine is cranking away. ?Robin comes out....and WHAM! the show is on!

Right before or during KOHD, Axl says after the events of 9/11, NY is the strongest city in the world. ?It was good to hear that.

Everyone remained standing for a long ass time. ?Some people started to sit down during Chinese Democracy. ?Though it was a combination of reasons, ....1: they didn't know the lyrics, 2: standing in a pair of boots hurts your feet. ?So it was understood. ? It felt kinda weird being the only one in my section singing along to the new songs. ...but I guess bootlegs will do that to you. [hihi]

I nearly crapped my pants when Axl called out Conan and brought out the krispy kremes. ?The band looked very happy.

I've been reading the negative stuff about Robin this, and Robin that.....well, last night, he shut everyone up....he took the lead on like the first 5 or 6 songs.....and that thing he does with feet is hilarious! ?Amazing. ?With his black hat and white suit, all he needs is a black cane and he'd look like he's from A Clockwork Orange.

Buckethead won over a lot of new fans. ?Everyone dug the nun chuck and robot dancing.

Fortus showed his true colors during the last few songs.... a lot of ppl say that he's an Izzy carbon copy.....but I think he's better in terms of on stage performance.

That Matrix camera thing is pretty cool at center stage. ? ..And to add to what a lot of ppl said about the crowd.... I was amazed at how civilized and behaved everyone was. ?No fights, nothing. ? it's so true what 11 years does to a person.

It felt like the show moved so fast. ?It ended just before midnight. ?So i'm thinking it's 1 or a combination of reasons why the show started at 9:55....
#1 - Axl read the preview in the NYPost
#2 - MSG told the band that anything past Midnight would result in heavy overtime.
#3 - Axl wanted to start early cuz ppl have to go to work in the morning.
#4 - It's the first show to have been "sold out"...so it was our reward.

Anyways, it was an awesome show...and worth every penny. ?I hope the band has continued success with the rest of the tour. [beer]

I never really dabbled into this section but it is really amazing that you wanna keep it alive.  Very cool to hear about the NY show.  Wish I had of been there.  Apparently it was more than words.  I saw GnR in London previosly to that show.  It was an eye opener, for sure.  He is great company.  I mean, when he was performing, I felt he was singing in my own livingroom.  The guy is so down to earth.  I think the press people are so looking for a bad story, when they get a ood story they don't know what to do but write their own bullshit...makes them get approved by the editor...front pages make $$$

Not proofing this post...to late.  I am sure U get the point!

Good Night.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Look forward to the next step of the tour. 

Not a concert "chickie", but I would do it differently, if he ever comes back my way!?!