Tonight's show in Portland, ME is cancelled [press release]

[w.axl.rose]

where is the other press release thread??

[1badapple]

it is of paramount importance that our fans have the best experience possible without being harassed and threatened.

what harrassment / threats were anticipated?

That's what i was wondering. What does not having pyro have to do with fans being threatened?

You're threatening the quality of the experience of the fans by putting on a half-assed show.? The integrity of the show is imporant to maintain.. fans know that when GNR are on stage, it's a kickass experience to witness.? Anything less is unacceptable.? Don't misinterpret what their statement said.? It means what it means... don't take it at an elementary literary significance.

Dude, it says HARRASSED and THREATENED. They make it sound like GnR fans could've been in danger or something.

They've fed us so much BS in their press releases over the years it's hard to tell when they're telling the truth.

Okay... I can see that they say harrassed and threatened. ?You'll find in life that both words have various meanings. ?To one person, being harrassed requires a person to be raped in a dark alley somwehere. ?In an office setting, someone that constantly turns a coworkers chair around while they're in the bathroom can be considered harrassment. ?Poor example, but I don't think that explaining the difference is worthy of a substantial amount of my time. ?You can threaten anything, including the quality of an experience.

Well, um, the San Francisco shows had no pyro if i recall. i don't remember anyone complaining that they felt the show suffered because of it. You go ahead and believe what you want though.

This little incident reminds me of a few years ago when Tool was supposed to play a show nearby. 6 hours before the show it got cancelled. the reason given was that Maynard had a severe throat infection. Within minutes of the press release being read on the air, an employee from the arena called in and said the real reason was that there had only been 2700 tickets sold in a 10,000 seat arena. That was pretty much verified when Tool played the very next night in Ohio. Some severe throat infection.

Anyone that lives in the Portland area should probably listen to the radio tomorrow. Maybe they'll interview the fire marshall and get his side of the story.

[BangoSkank]

i don't think it'd be a flat out lie... because GNR knows that if they blatantly lie in a fucking press release people are gonna see adn the real truth will come out... im going with the press release.

[Naupis]

I will be interested to see if anything is printed in the local paper or on local radio in Maine about the show's cancellation tonight. It seems awfully hard to believe that GNR's management booked a show with a venue without discussing the issue of Pyro with them. To just have it come up that it is against local rules hours before the show seems somewhat unlikely. I could be wrong, but it just seems a little odd.

[Danny]

"He he he.  Guns N' Roses will NEVER play this town!  He he he."

[italysfinest1985]

"He he he.? Guns N' Roses will NEVER play this town!? He he he."

Not to offend those who didn't get to enjoy the Maine show...but this is a fucking hilarious post.

[estranged.1098]

Read the press release again until you realize who's fault it was.

The band wanted to play the show, but some people decided GN'R weren't welcome at the venue.


/jarmo

The press release doesn't say what the "rules and regulations" were that made GN'R feel so unwelcome at the venue that they decided to cancel the show. Without this piece of information it's hard to know whose fault it really was.

EDIT: since then both Bach and Beta have explained it, and I'm happy with the explanation. Thanks.

[WeHeldTogether]

Now i know what Jarmo means when he says everyone is so negative.  Oh yeah, lets not believe the press release.

You guys know if the press release has any false information, the band could get sued, right?  yeah, i'm sure they would risk that.

[tim_m]

Now i know what Jarmo means when he says everyone is so negative.  Oh yeah, lets not believe the press release.

You guys know if the press release has any false information, the band could get sued, right?  yeah, i'm sure they would risk that.

Of course people know this but some will always believe whatever they want to.

[Jim Bob]

my thoughts:

if you weren't going to this show in the first place, you have nothing to bitch about.   This show wasn't being played for you. 

if you were going, i'm sorry to those who did have tickets and didn't get to see Guns tonight  

best wishes for Worchester.

[grog mug]

Man I feel for the people that took off, drove all that way, and then got turned away at the door.  Just a HUGE let-down.  I really hope Guns makes this up to the fans. 

[snow white]

I will be interested to see if anything is printed in the local paper or on local radio in Maine about the show's cancellation tonight. It seems awfully hard to believe that GNR's management booked a show with a venue without discussing the issue of Pyro with them. To just have it come up that it is against local rules hours before the show seems somewhat unlikely. I could be wrong, but it just seems a little odd.

It does seem odd, but I think there was more to it than just the pyro stuff. I think Jarmo is right in saying GnR didn't seem welcome.

[thesloth]

""Axl and the band are very unhappy about not being able to play for the fans in Portland but have been advised after several meetings with local fire marshals Nelson Collins and Bob Cadigan that they have made it impossible for the band to perform their show to the usual high standards that their fans deserve."

That is from the press release from GnR.  Notice how they state the actual names of the fire marshals.  Do you think for a fucking second they would do so if it was all a big lie and Axl just wasn't in the mood to play?  I don't fuckin think so. 

1.  It would be creating a false document

2.  It would be slander

3.  They would get their asses sued

So yes it sucks that this has happened.  I can understand why people who had ti ckets to that show would be very pissed.  I know I would be.  However in this case I would say that this was a venue issue.

[tim_m]

""Axl and the band are very unhappy about not being able to play for the fans in Portland but have been advised after several meetings with local fire marshals Nelson Collins and Bob Cadigan that they have made it impossible for the band to perform their show to the usual high standards that their fans deserve."

That is from the press release from GnR.  Notice how they state the actual names of the fire marshals.  Do you think for a fucking second they would do so if it was all a big lie and Axl just wasn't in the mood to play?  I don't fuckin think so. 

1.  It would be creating a false document

2.  It would be slander

3.  They would get their asses sued

So yes it sucks that this has happened.  I can understand why people who had ti ckets to that show would be very pissed.  I know I would be.  However in this case I would say that this was a venue issue.

Yeah releasing that to the press with names would not be a good idea if its a bold face lie. Might as well hold up a sign saying sue me if they did that.

[moons]

Read the press release again until you realize who's fault it was.

The band wanted to play the show, but some people decided GN'R weren't welcome at the venue.


/jarmo

hey jarmo,
 ? ?if YOU read the press release again, you'll realize that the band cancelled the show because they were not willing to comply with restrictions imposed by the fire marshall.

 ? ?the fire marshall is looking out for the safety of guns n' roses fans.

 ? ?what is axl looking out for? himself, apparently. after all, he's willing to put the lives of his fans in danger so that he can set off some lousy pyrotechnics that will drown out his band of posers for a few seconds. indoor pyro can be extremely dangerous, as we have seen in recent years. a lot of venues won't allow it at all - i would be surprised if the baltimore show does, as that venue is verrrryyy old (they don't even let you smoke inside!!)

 ? ?anyway, you ought not criticize a public servant such as a fire marshall for doing his job and enforcing the law. he is looking out for the safety of the public, and the safety of people like us.



 ? ?i wasnt going to the show tonight, but i WAS there in philly in 02, and i know how this kind of thing feels. if axl wasn't a little bitch he would be able to play a show without all the fancy dramatics and effects. whatever happened to some good old rock n' 'f'n' roll?? zeppelin didn't need fuckin pyro (or a multimilliondollar production crew) to rock out...

- moons

[westcoastjunkie]

Damn! Moons went off though I must admit, I agree.

In this case, it's like the boy who cried wolf.  Axl and co may be completely correct and honest here.  But how many instances can one band have where you just can't believe them anymore? How many bands out there miss dates, cancel dates, show up late, walk off stage, miss the first date of a tour, rearrange dates, etc. over and over and over. And there is always an excuse. And the reason is NEVER the fault of Axl or GnR or management. It's always the city officials or promoter or fire marshall. You can give someone the benefit of the doubt once or twice but not every single time. It gets old.

[snooze72]

I just wish the original thread had simply been locked and not deleted.? I got sucked into making several posts on this board because there was some wrong info I felt compelled to correct based on my rather extensive? experience working in the concert industry, and poof!? ?There it was.? Gone.?

Fans attending the shows complain about the time and money wasted attending cancelled shows.? I want to add the lesser but still irritating waste of time (and time is money) posting in cancelled threads.? I guess I just can't post here any more at all (unless it's duplicated elsewhere, anyway).?

Edit: This is another good lesson why everybody should make a point of their saving their 'pithy' posts on their harddrives or posting them on another forum somewhere as backup.

[sootn]

no concert is a gaurantee... everyone should know this.

shit happens... get over it.

atleast everything is still in high gear w/ the tour. so be happy.

[Axlative]

Read the press release again until you realize who's fault it was.

The band wanted to play the show, but some people decided GN'R weren't welcome at the venue.


/jarmo

hey jarmo,
    if YOU read the press release again, you'll realize that the band cancelled the show because they were not willing to comply with restrictions imposed by the fire marshall.

    the fire marshall is looking out for the safety of guns n' roses fans.

    what is axl looking out for? himself, apparently. after all, he's willing to put the lives of his fans in danger so that he can set off some lousy pyrotechnics that will drown out his band of posers for a few seconds. indoor pyro can be extremely dangerous, as we have seen in recent years. a lot of venues won't allow it at all - i would be surprised if the baltimore show does, as that venue is verrrryyy old (they don't even let you smoke inside!!)

    anyway, you ought not criticize a public servant such as a fire marshall for doing his job and enforcing the law. he is looking out for the safety of the public, and the safety of people like us.

Moons, it is clearly stated that other artists on the same venue have not had to comply with the restrictions GNR were imposed to. It was also stated that the issue is not in a law or a code applicable to the venue. If those arguments are true (which they hopefully are or someone is fucked for making a public statement like that), that is either abuse of his power now or negligence of his duties before. Either way the actions of the FM are fucked up.

I bet he's Christian or some other "Dubya voter" category...

Also, fire safety issues aren't just pyro related. They can extend all the way to having the stage '5" too close to xxxx' or something equally ridiculous (which might not be possible to comply with). We don't know what it was so don't assume Axl pulled the plug when he couldn't have his pyros as high as he'd like.

edit: small correction

[kriss_boy]

Let me get this straight..... the show is cancelled because the VENUE people are singling Guns n Roses out and treating them differently to the other bands who have recently played their.....

..... why do I find that extremely hard to believe?!?!?!!?

The press release again looks like its written by a 5 year old ....

 "It is our opinion that they are going out of their way to target and single out Guns N' Roses and the band's loyal fans. "

Whoever wrote that needs to grow up...