London (Hammersmith Apollo) 7th June

[SWINGTRADER]

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2217148,00.html





Guns N' Roses
David Sinclair at Hammersmith Apollo, W6
 
 
 


IT IS one thing being an heroically disorganised rock?n?roll outlaw. It is quite another treating your audience consistently with cynical and unconcealed contempt.

 
 
In what has become an entirely predictable pattern, the singer Axl Rose led the seven-man backing band currently masquerading as Guns N? Roses on stage almost two hours later than scheduled. He then proceeded to put on a show that was memorable as much for its many long stretches of self-indulgent musical waffling as for its intermittent flashes of brilliance and thunderous pyrotechnics.

Apart from the keyboard player Dizzy Reed, Rose is the only member of the current line-up to have any connection with the golden era of the group, which ended in 1993, at about the time that work began on Chinese Democracy. That album ? ludicrously ? has still not been completed, although several tracks from it have become staples in the band?s live set, including The Blues, a fairly mainstream, Elton John-type song prefaced by a long, unaccompanied piano recital by Reed, and IRS, a more typically hefty rocker?s tale of bitter betrayal and sweet revenge.

While it was intriguing to hear such new material ? some of it very good indeed ? the core of the show was a nostalgic recreation of past glories. Welcome to the Jungle kicked off with a bloodcurdling shriek from Rose and an explosion so deafening that it rendered the band virtually inaudible for the next few bars.

Rose, now 44, has turned into a Hollywood medallion man. With both his face and his ginger corn-row hair severely scraped back, he looked like Mick Hucknall in a wind tunnel. While his physique has filled out, his voice sounded eviscerated. The unbelievable range was still there, but the timbre seemed to have lost all its middle and bottom end, leaving him hitting notes that sounded as musical as wood splitting during You Could Be Mine, while the rest of the band lurched around throwing cartoon rock star shapes.

They certainly knew what they were doing and there were some great performances of old favourites, including Live and Let Die, Knocking on Heaven?s Door, Sweet Child O? Mine and a delirious encore of Paradise City, accompanied by the most spectacular indoor fireworks display I can remember. But what with the three guitarists, all taking a succession of long, unaccompanied solo and duet spots throughout the show, there was a gathering sense of weariness among the thinning crowd well before the performance ended at about 1am and the search for a night bus began.
 
 

[Locomotive98]

Just got back after a few days away and will be posting a full and honest review when I have time. On the whole a good show, but excruciating solos killed the momentum. What was that SHIT Finck played before Sweet Child? Jeez.

One thing I do remember about the gig tho is when Bach came out and started trying to upstage everyone with his dicking around, Axl looked at Tommy 'Vinegar Face' Stinson rolled his eyes and looked pissed off as if to say 'Who does he think he is?'.

[MeanBone]

that "SHIT" was finlandia a folk song. most people don't get it cuz they're not from finland... Jarmo is, and liked it a lot.

[Locomotive98]

Oh Im sorry - I thought he was just tuning up..... badly.

Well Im glad Jarmo liked it, cos everyone around me thought it was shit.

Robin will be playing Lordi next.

[jarmo]

Robin doesn't play "Finlandia" at all shows.

As far as I remember, he didn't at Hammersmith.




/jarmo

[Locomotive98]

Aha, I see.

Well it didnt sound like a folk song to me - Finnish or otherwise. A folk song has melody and meaning as far as Im aware. It just sounded like a horrid mess. But thanks for clearing it up.

[jazjme]

Look forward to reading the review.

[gnrbr]

There You Go My Fellow Gunners

thank u

[jazjme]

awesome cool! THX:beer:

[Elrothiel]

Great review!! Made me smile! Although I had to squint and look very closely at the screen to read the whole thing...

And FOR ONCE they've chosen a great pic to accompany the article!! Usually, they choose one of Axl in motion, and kinetic pictures are not always the most flattering... but THAT pic rocks!

[Evolution]

Was just reading a fan review and it reminded me. Anyone else remember Axl describing Robin as the "Ribbed Condom" of guitarists? 

[Voodoochild]

I really tried, but I couldn't read the article.. Sorry for asking but... Could you post a bigger scan?

[jarmo]

Dread man walking



Oh, the hell we rock fans put up with

For the cost of our tickets, we could have flown to Morocco, Turkey or Italy. I could have eaten in a Michelin-starred restaurant or bought a designer outfit.

But I persist in thinking it was worth every penny. In fact, given the chance again, I might even pay more than ?90 to spend two uncomfortable hours waiting for Guns N' Roses.





/jarmo

[anythinggoes]

Dread man walking



Oh, the hell we rock fans put up with

For the cost of our tickets, we could have flown to Morocco, Turkey or Italy. I could have eaten in a Michelin-starred restaurant or bought a designer outfit.

But I persist in thinking it was worth every penny. In fact, given the chance again, I might even pay more than ?90 to spend two uncomfortable hours waiting for Guns N' Roses.





/jarmo

you missed this bit at the end why

Why are rock fans so stupid?

[aicha]

           I did fly all the way from Turkey to see the gig and it was definately worth it...

[Elrothiel]

Was just reading a fan review and it reminded me. Anyone else remember Axl describing Robin as the "Ribbed Condom" of guitarists?

Yes, I remember that moment quite clearly!!

[dave-gnfnr2k]

Just heard maddy from this show and who ever did the last part of the solo did the do do do do do part as the bridge that was done only at rio. That is kick ass

[St_Jimmyuk]

ok why this thred is still alive, anyone in the sounthend area who went to this show, did you get stranded with some random people in liverpool street station im looking for who they were im pretty sure one was a member of this site

quote of the show

"that was off our last album"

[Judge Dredd]

Was just reading a fan review and it reminded me. Anyone else remember Axl describing Robin as the "Ribbed Condom" of guitarists?

Yes, I remember that moment quite clearly!!

Made me chuckle.

[Elrothiel]

ok why this thred is still alive, anyone in the sounthend area who went to this show, did you get stranded with some random people in liverpool street station im looking for who they were im pretty sure one was a member of this site

quote of the show

"that was off our last album"

This thread's still alive cuz the Hammersmith show fuckin' rocked!

And that quote is the SECOND best! The best is the Ribbed Condom of Guitarists quote!