Download Festival - June 11th

[dave-gnfnr2k]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during  songs. Plus who wants to see axl just stand there and do nothing, the solos are meant to spotlight the guitarist doing them not axl standing waiting to sing again

[AdZ]

Why would Fortus and Robin play a fuckin Christina Aguliera song anyway?

That is somewhat lame u gotta admit.


Anyhow what is up with u Ireland fans?

Booin like that

the we want Slash chants.

Jesus, I thought i was watching a wrestling PPV.

Well, if you'd heard how great it sounds live and how it doesn't sound liek a Christina song, but a guitar piece, I guess you'd understand.

And it's not exactly unique to fans in Ireland, fans in the states aren't exactly great.  Well, at least not according to the bootlegs I've seen.


Oh, and the riot footage..

[ROSE22]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during? songs. Plus who wants to see axl just stand there and do nothing, the solos are meant to spotlight the guitarist doing them not axl standing waiting to sing again

good post. i agree 100%. without the elaborate costume changes of yesteryear, he is on stage perhaps more than ever at least since 1988 but he has to do his thing and it should be expected by now.

[Origen]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during? songs.

No they shouldn't. Unless they were old enough to see him live back then then they are not going to know what he does on stage. They don't read GnR forums, or concerts reviews. They just have the albums and like the sogns that's it, hell Robin can walk through the entire crowd without barely anyone knowing who he is, yet they are expected to know that Axl runs back stage for a oxygen fix.

[ROSE22]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during? songs.

No they shouldn't. Unless they were old enough to see him live back then then they are not going to know what he does on stage. They don't read GnR forums, or concerts reviews. They just have the albums and like the sogns that's it, hell Robin can walk through the entire crowd without barely anyone knowing who he is, yet they are expected to know that Axl runs back stage for a oxygen fix.

hey tough shit. 

[anythinggoes]

Why would Fortus and Robin play a fuckin Christina Aguliera song anyway?

That is somewhat lame u gotta admit.


Anyhow what is up with u Ireland fans?

Booin like that

the we want Slash chants.

Jesus, I thought i was watching a wrestling PPV.

Well, if you'd heard how great it sounds live and how it doesn't sound liek a Christina song, but a guitar piece, I guess you'd understand.

And it's not exactly unique to fans in Ireland, fans in the states aren't exactly great.? Well, at least not according to the bootlegs I've seen.


Oh, and the riot footage..

hang on hang on im getting confused there was no booing in ireland the booing was in donnington park or am i getting confused ?

[Scabbie]

Main stage at Download 2006
Destruction avoided

By John Atkin

John Atkin reflects on Sunday @ Download as Guns n' Roses headlined the festival with their appetite for self-destruction turning into a masterclass.



There's a moment when it all hangs in the balance.

For 30 minutes, Guns 'n Roses have singed the eyebrows and eardrums of the Download crowd. After being over an hour late on stage at Hammersmith earlier in the week, Gn'R are on-time and on-form, opening with flashbombs and the one-two-three suckerpunch of Welcome To The Jungle, It's So Easy and Mr Brownstone.

Live And Let Die and Knockin' On Heaven's Door follow, before guitarist Robin Finck picks out the signature riff to Sweet Child O'Mine.

But you can tell from the giant screens flanking the stage that all is not well on the braided, goateed visage of Axl Rose. He's been carping about the stage being too slippy and, during a front-of-crowd walkabout, appears to aim the 'c' word at an over-zealous steward. As the band's most famous song dies, he abruptly announces: "We're having some technical problems, so we're gonna take a break."

I was on this Leicestershire soil in 1988 when the over-exuberant response to Guns' debute Donington appearance led to the fatal crushing of two fans. With tonight's restless crowd, semi-delirious on three days of booze, guitars and 30-degree heat, this could all turn nasty. Just as it seems as though Axl's well-documented appetite for self-destruction is about to consume another comeback appearance, guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal saves the day, appearing alone, stage front, to crank out a guitar-only version of Don't Cry which quells the bottle-fight in the crowd enough for normal service to (almost) be resumed.

You Could Be Mine claws back more ground but then Axl's gone again, leaving Finck and Richard Fortus to widdle their way through a (frankly excruciating) guitar instrumental version of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful". That's followed by the night's first new song (The Blues?) in which the level of chatter in the crowd, followed by booing and chants of "sort your f****** head out" , have seasoned Axl-watchers on alert yet again. When bassist Tommy Stinson grabs the vocal mic and threatens to go home if he's hit by one more flying bottle, the rainclouds gathering above Download for the first time all weekend seem an apt, if ominous, portent of a coming storm.

Maybe Axl needs this danger, this threat of impending violence, to really get the adrenaline racing. And as the band rips defiantly in to Out Ta Get Me, the whole dynamic shifts. Dizzy Reed's solo piano version of Ziggy Stardust is warmly received, another new song (Better?) sounds loads, erm, better.

The tide has turned, and it's time for Axl's coup de theatre: "I'd like to welcome a very good friend of mine?Mr Izzy Stradlin?" and out trots his former sidekick to roars of approval. There are now as many members of prime-time Guns n' Roses in this band as there are in Velvet Revolver, and the performance of Think About You that follows throws down a gauntlet for all pretenders.

"Can I get a piano out here?" asks Axl and seated, drink in hand, there's only one way he's going now. November Rain is nothing short of a masterpiece, the band firing, finally, on every single cylinder as the main man, in his own words, "beats the hell out of that old love song."


Another "old friend" is welcomed onstage in the shape of ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, possibly one of the few frontmen who can give Axl a run for his money in the helium-scream department. The pair trade lines through My Michelle, before Stradlin's recalled for a run through Patience and a punked-out, four-guitar version of Nightrain which, to coin a phrase, rolls like a freight train right through the middle of this dusty field.

The encores, bravely, begin with another newie, Madagascar, before Brian Mantia kick-drums the seven-piece into a masterful version of Rocket Queen.

"I don't wanna go home," says Axl, before admitting: "that's different to how I felt an hour ago."

Two more new songs ? IRS and Chinese Democracy ? are aired, both of them whetting appetites for the new album, before Izzy Stradlin comes out once more for the final two-step, a ramshackle, Stonesy version of Useta Love Her and a thunderous reading of Paradise City which lights up the sky with pyrotechnics and ticker-tape cannons.

Guns n' Roses were once proclaimed The World's Most Dangerous Band. On tonight's evidence that danger is still there, which ? while at one stage threatening to derail the whole show - has instead focused Axl and the band into delivering one of the all-time great Donington performances.

Yes, Metallica were unstoppable on Saturday night, but they didn?t face the pressure of a world waiting to see them put a foot wrong. What Axl delivered in the face of that expectation was a two-and-a-half-hour masterclass in the light and shade of rock'n'roll.

The new album, Chinese Democracy, is reportedly ready for release. If it lives up to tonight, then Guns n' Roses will once again be the biggest band in the world.


Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/article...n_feature.shtml

Finally a well written and fair review!

[dave-gnfnr2k]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during? songs.

No they shouldn't. Unless they were old enough to see him live back then then they are not going to know what he does on stage. They don't read GnR forums, or concerts reviews. They just have the albums and like the sogns that's it, hell Robin can walk through the entire crowd without barely anyone knowing who he is, yet they are expected to know that Axl runs back stage for a oxygen fix.

If you have seen gnr live ONCE since 1991, or seen them on the 2002 tour or watch the toyoko or the paris show on VHS you have to know Axl runs back stage. If you are a causal gnr fan you know this. Sure a few people who are younger in the crowd may not know but most gnr fans know this by know

[sneeks]

Thanks for the Better video, anythinggoes 

I felt sorry for Axl during that song. He sang it well considering he looked so down about everything that was happening. Those people you can hear in the crowd shouting all that shit really annoy me.

[Thorazine Shuffle]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during? songs.

No they shouldn't. Unless they were old enough to see him live back then then they are not going to know what he does on stage. They don't read GnR forums, or concerts reviews. They just have the albums and like the sogns that's it, hell Robin can walk through the entire crowd without barely anyone knowing who he is, yet they are expected to know that Axl runs back stage for a oxygen fix.

If you have seen gnr live ONCE since 1991, or seen them on the 2002 tour or watch the toyoko or the paris show on VHS you have to know Axl runs back stage. If you are a causal gnr fan you know this. Sure a few people who are younger in the crowd may not know but most gnr fans know this by know

Most people unfortunately have forgotten (in a way) about GNR.? The crowd damn sure aren't going to remember that Axl ducks backstage often.

[Drew]

Really happy to see Izzy perform so many songs again with GN'R. And especially, finally sticking around until the end for Paradise City.

[Mandy.]

Where did Tommy throw his bass at?

[anythinggoes]

Where did Tommy throw his bass at?

i think the floor and then it bounced and hit the cameraman but dont quote me i was a long way away with tunnel vision and mobile phone nightmares

[Jonx]

Axl has been running back stage between songs since 1991, I think EVERYONE should expect he is gonna disappear during  songs.

No they shouldn't. Unless they were old enough to see him live back then then they are not going to know what he does on stage. They don't read GnR forums, or concerts reviews. They just have the albums and like the sogns that's it, hell Robin can walk through the entire crowd without barely anyone knowing who he is, yet they are expected to know that Axl runs back stage for a oxygen fix.

If you have seen gnr live ONCE since 1991, or seen them on the 2002 tour or watch the toyoko or the paris show on VHS you have to know Axl runs back stage. If you are a causal gnr fan you know this. Sure a few people who are younger in the crowd may not know but most gnr fans know this by know

Most people unfortunately have forgotten (in a way) about GNR.  The crowd damn sure aren't going to remember that Axl ducks backstage often.

Exactly, the fact is back in 1991 when Axl did this the band were the biggest in the world and they could do anything they wanted, not to mention the fact that Slash could hold a crowd on his own..... because he is Slash. This new band need to prove themselves before Axl can start walking offstage, the average non gnr fan has no idea what hes doing. Dont get me wrong they are prooving themselves but i think its going to take the album, some serious PR in order to get everyone to realise that this band in an entity all on its own.

Jonx

[sneeks]

Nice to see Axl has reintroduced the "with your ass in the air" line into YCBM, that's been missing from recent shows that I've heard.

[Scabbie]

I don't get the big deal with the whole going back stage thing. Maybe during songs, but the rest of the time I'm cool with it...its when he stomps off stage I get a bit nervous

[Micky.Fegz]

What show where you people watching???

From where i was standing Axl sounded awsome all night!

People make such a big deal out of nothing, all that matters is that GN'R are back and playing some fucking gigs + Izzy seems to be part of it somehow!

Get over it if you don't like it then don't go see them simple as that!

[damnthehaters]

I went to a show in 2002, went to one of the NY shows in May, and have seen many bootlegs from various concerts over the past 4 years.  I must say that after watching some of the footage of this show, Axl's voice is by far the best I have ever heard it.  It actually has surprised me.  I think it is now better than it ever was.  Seems like Sebastion's suggested voice therapist (or whatever the hell it is) and the oxygen is really helping him.

 

[Scabbie]

I went to a show in 2002, went to one of the NY shows in May, and have seen many bootlegs from various concerts over the past 4 years.? I must say that after watching some of the footage of this show, Axl's voice is by far the best I have ever heard it.? It actually has surprised me.? I think it is now better than it ever was.? Seems like Sebastion's suggested voice therapist (or whatever the hell it is) and the oxygen is really helping him.

 

Absolutely...in crackled a couple of times yesterday, but besides that its perfect if you ask me. He's treating his throat with respect though (a toned down scream on WTTJ for instance) , and I think thats a smart move on his part.

[anythinggoes]

I went to a show in 2002, went to one of the NY shows in May, and have seen many bootlegs from various concerts over the past 4 years.? I must say that after watching some of the footage of this show, Axl's voice is by far the best I have ever heard it.? It actually has surprised me.? I think it is now better than it ever was.? Seems like Sebastion's suggested voice therapist (or whatever the hell it is) and the oxygen is really helping him.

 

Absolutely...in crackled a couple of times yesterday, but besides that its perfect if you ask me. He's treating his throat with respect though (a toned down scream on WTTJ for instance) , and I think thats a smart move on his part.

you should of heard him do the angry part in Better at Dublin he fucking nailed it there it actually sounded better than the album i was mightily impressed