Axl stage presence.

[SWINGTRADER]

I was having a conversation with a guy in a music message board  yesterday and he was telling me about his experience at the Chicago Gnr concert in 2002.  He said that Axl  voice was terrible and that Axl had absolutely no stage presence.(he would just stand still and occasionally move to other side of stage and stand there)  I know that old Axl had his problems at times vocally but his stage performance was never in questioned.  I would like to know what you guys think of his comments. Hopefully someone that attended the same show can elaberate on this.  I saw the new GNR at MSG and they were very good   but I also noticed that Axl isn't the same performer he used to be.  Axl's voice wasn't that good at Rock in rio 3  but I feel that is the best performance he has given with new GNR.  He had some attitude in that show and was very mobile.  I hope that with the release of the new album  his performances will be better.  I want Axl to use his mic stand more often  . I remember when Axl would mesmorize the audience  I remember because i was one of the them .  Steven Tyler said it best   " Axl had a swagger on stage  he was like a lizard".    If I had a choice between Axl sounding great live or  not sounding so well  with an incredible stage performance    I would choose the stage performance .  Live rock isn't about sounding perfect it is about entertaining.   I hope GNR doesn't become just a studio band.

[mrlee]

well axl certainly had stage presence is his youth....

[the dirt]

well axl certainly had stage presence is his youth....

Maybe on the next tour there could be jumbo screens showing Axl perform in his youth.

[badapple81]

well axl certainly had stage presence is his youth....

Maybe on the next tour there could be jumbo screens showing Axl perform in his youth.

Hahaha 

I've seen many boots from the 02 tour and he certainly doesn't stand still. Throughout his career he has regularly sacrificed the quality of the vocals for the on stage energy. Of course the vocals would sound better if he stood still but instead he throws himself into the song and runs around etc.

[mikegiuliana]

well the man is geting older.. I honestly don't mind a few of his sprints but not if it effects his sound.. He definetly had energy at msg

[Cornell]

I wouldn't know cuz I was in Philly! 

He looks like he's in better shape now than in 2002 though. 

[Chief]

I don't know about others but he was ON IT at the Vegas shows.. they were better than Rio for sure!!

[Continental Drift]

His stage energy is definitely still more than adequate... especially in comparison to the other garbage frontmen out there... it's just that the guy was a freaking maniac in the 87-93 era... so of course he seems a little more reserved in the '02 shows... plus, as I said in another thread... I don't think he was really "committed" to the whole '02 tour at all... that may have had some bearing on his performance... he confessed (in RS back in the day I believe) to having some blah stretches during the UYI tour as well....

[Annie]

I was at that concert and that guy is 1000% wrong! Axl totally blew me away! It was one of the greatest night of my life since this really nice guy invited me up front! Besides GNR my current obsession is the musical WICKED which I have seen 11 times and even that can't top seeing AXL live! AXL IS THE GREATEST FRONT MAN EVER!

[F*ck Fear]

When they played Toronto Canada in 2002 I thought he sounded fucking ace. Better than he ever did in the past. I did notice that he didn't move around as much,but I think that has something to do with what he wears on stage. Big jersey's with fucking long sleeve shirts underneath must be heavy. Plus his hair,and necklace ?
He still has the stage presence,but doesn't run miles on stage anymore,which I think it a bit better as well.

[mrlee]

well axl certainly had stage presence is his youth....

Maybe on the next tour there could be jumbo screens showing Axl perform in his youth.

Sounds good to me, at least he will look the part a bit more instead of havign crazy dreads. But no, that wasnt my point lol.

[Sam]

well axl certainly had stage presence is his youth....

Maybe on the next tour there could be jumbo screens showing Axl perform in his youth.

Sounds good to me, at least he will look the part a bit more instead of havign crazy dreads. But no, that wasnt my point lol.

Here's the thing: If he didn't have the same energetic prescence as he did in his youth, the jumbo screens would be really depressing.

[estranged.1098]

I saw the new band at Rock in Rio. You should really ask this guy for proof that he was there.

[Luigi]

HUGE!!!

[WhatIsItMan]

This thread is B.S.  Axl fucking rules!!!!!!!!!!  lol

[jimb0]

Well if you notice the stage for 2002 seemed lot smaller than most venues for the UYI tour.  Less room to do shit I guess. I seen him in Hartford and WOW.  For a 40 Year old man, Damn.  The guy draws your attention to him like no other.  He was a bit heavier for the tour so maybe that had some bearing on it but also imagine the stage rust.  He was away for like nine years, and to just come back in itself is amazing.  You have to get the rust off before you can go all out, and IMO Axl went probably 90 percent out and that I can't complain about. 



This part is just me bullshitting.... Don't have to read it if you don't want to. 

He seems to go through period of weight gain and weight loss.  I mean his first public appearance with gilby he was heavier then he went down for Rio.  Then he became the anerexic looking axl of back in the day for the New Years Eve 2001 show.  Then he gained some weight for the 2002 Tour.  Then at he went back to Anerexic looking Axl with that shot outside the studio with the car.  And now he looks at least healthy. 

[Krispy Kreme]

I was having a conversation with a guy in a music message board? yesterday and he was telling me about his experience at the Chicago Gnr concert in 2002.? He said that Axl? voice was terrible and that Axl had absolutely no stage presence.(he would just stand still and occasionally move to other side of stage and stand there)? I know that old Axl had his problems at times vocally but his stage performance was never in questioned.? I would like to know what you guys think of his comments. Hopefully someone that attended the same show can elaberate on this.? I saw the new GNR at MSG and they were very good? ?but I also noticed that Axl isn't the same performer he used to be.? Axl's voice wasn't that good at Rock in rio 3? but I feel that is the best performance he has given with new GNR.? He had some attitude in that show and was very mobile.? I hope that with the release of the new album? his performances will be better.? I want Axl to use his mic stand more often? . I remember when Axl would mesmorize the audience? I remember because i was one of the them .? Steven Tyler said it best? ?" Axl had a swagger on stage? he was like a lizard".? ? If I had a choice between Axl sounding great live or? not sounding so well? with an incredible stage performance? ? I would choose the stage performance .? Live rock isn't about sounding perfect it is about entertaining.? ?I hope GNR doesn't become just a studio band.

Good post.
I always thought that the 2002 shows were rather, well, boring, due in large part  to Axl's changed stage presence. Granted, I have only seen the DVDs, thanks to the fact  the show in my city  was cancelled one week  prior. Go back to 1988 and he was so energetic. That was magic. I also love the 1991 tour. By 1992 he had slowed  down, purposely I think. It was more a performance  than a rock show. I wonder  why this choice  was made. Steven Tyler is still going strong, even after knee surgery.

[ZRO]

If he moves around too much he'll be out of breath.

See: VMA 2002.

[selliott07]

I was at the Chicago 2002, and I thought it was a great show. ?Even my two friends (not diehard Gn'R fans like me, but do like them) said he sounded damn good. ?I went in there just excited as hell that he was back and it was the first time in over a decade I got to see him again. ?Sure, in 89 and 92 when I saw him/them it was intense, but I was just as pumped in 02. ?I never was a big fan of all the running around, but he still did so at the '02 show I went to at Rosemont. ?It was a great freakin show. ?Just to see him onstage again was exhilarating.

He still has an edge and will always have it for the certain songs that require it, I think this time around he is gearing up for a huge tour/release etc. and will be more focused to blow us all away. ?I think he is excited to perform the new songs in "his style" and will rock our worlds! ?He is Axl F'n Rose, the greatest frontman I have ever seen.

As far as his voice during a live show, I don't care, sometimes the sound blows in certain arenas and its not his or any singers fault. ?Certain venues in Chicago have shitty sound production. ?But the intensity of the music and his stage presence will always be amazing, even if his voice isn't "studio quality". ?I am not worried one bit. ?

[WhosGilby?]

He still has stage presence just not as much as in 92-93, plus you dont notice it because your distracted by the jerseys and cornrows