Early UYI Tour Reviews??

[Bill 213]

Okay just a little comparison I'm trying to make.....I just wanted to see if anyone had any magazine reviews from the early 1991 leg of the UYI tour before the albums were released.  I'd like to see how the "new songs" such as November Rain, Estranged and Civil War came across in the media then.  Not a new vs. old debate please god no we don't need another one.......just curious to see so I can skewer the media some more.

[Olorin]

GN'R where rusty as hell. They fucked up the intro to welcome to the jungle for fucks sake, at St. Louis.

From what I remember they took a while to get going. The 2nd night at rio was pretty good, much better than night one.

The start of the American tour was a mixed bag. Ranging from piss poor to wonderful.

[Bill 213]

Yeah, the only experience that I can really say is from listening to a few crappy bootlegs from like this one from London in August of 91 and the audience didn't really seem that into November Rain.  It didn't get near the pop that Sweet Child O' Mine got.  Just thinking......hmmm wow the media does really jump to conclusions about people not liking new songs.  Damn too bad that November Rain never became a single......oh wait, I believe it did and it may have done quite well! 

[ToMMyBoY]

CREDIT : GNRONTOUR


January 20th 1991 - Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


PRIEST N' GUNS ON TOP IN BRAZIL
- Andre Verhuysen, Metal Hammer, March 1991

The audience were a bit restless and there was some anxiety building up. Small fights broke out and rumours started to spread that outside people had been killed trying to get through the gates. Tension rose and the crowds grew impatient for the headliners - Guns N' Roses. It was their first time in Rio and their first live show anywhere in one and half years, not counting their hastily put together Farm Aid concert last year. Even before they had played one note they had the stadium in their spell. From the moment they came on stage right up until the closing fireworks, Maracana was one big nut house. And this despite the fact it wasn't the band's best ever performance. But that's logical of course if you haven't played for more than a year. They also had a new drummer, Matt Sorum (ex-The Cult). It wasn't his fault if the band looked a bit stiff. He pounded out the beat of killer songs like 'Mr. Brownstone', 'Welcome To The Jungle' and 'It's So Easy'. But it was something more than nerves that seemed to affect the original Guns, Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan. The band played well and were backed up with excellent sound and a great light show but there was something missing - that f*** everything mentality that Guns N' Roses pioneered was lacking. They played a superb version of 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' and I thought things were getting better, but the impression soon faded when they featured super boring drum solo by Matt Sorum breaking the atmosphereat the wrong moment. (How can a drum solo be boring? By definition this must have been the high point of the entire festival! Ed). But maybe the atmosphere was also spoilt because the band were playing too many new songs. A taste of a new album is fine, but to start off with five new songs was too much. However I am sure some of those new songs are destined to be classics. Maybe not the really heavy 'Double Talking Jive' and 'You Could Be Mine' (that's what the title sounded like), but maybe the two longer and quieter songs like 'Estranged' (played between 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Paradise City'), and the really superb 'Civil War ' a really moving performance. The audience didn't know the song but to me it was the highlight of the Guns' show and whole day. Even so the band still tended to come across a tad low key and could have delivered more. Three days later they proved me right, but more about that later.

[Tomorrows]

In 1990 AFD was still a pretty new album. It probably still had songs high in the charts (anyone want to confirm?) considering how well it sold and the following GnR gained..

You can understand people might have taken better to the heavier stuff from AFD than songs like November Rain.

2006 is a more complicated situation altogether ...

[artfromtex]

i went to this show:

07.08.91 - Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, TX
opening act: Skid Row
set: Perfect Crime, Mr. Brownstone, Welcome To The Jungle, Bad Obsession, Live And Let Die, Dust N' Bones, November Rain, Civil War, I Was Only Joking [Intro] / Patience, You Could Be Mine, Drum Solo, Guitar Solo, Godfather Theme, Sweet Child O' Mine, 14 Years, Double Talkin' Jive, Only Women Bleed [Intro] / Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Paradise City
attendance: 20,000
audio/video recording?: audio [incomplete]
notes: First show after the St. Louis riot (7.2). Before the first song, Axl yells at the crowd for throwing stuff onstage. 'November Rain' is played very early in the set. After 'Paradise City,' Axl says "Fuck you St. Louis and God bless America!" The band plays a very short set, less than 2 hours.

Axl's voice was terrible! it sounded like he had strep throat. the only time the crowd responded was to the old songs. still glad i got to see Izzy one last time.