if you went in 02 and 06 both answer this question. Also any milwaukee fans

[dungbeetle]

I am from Milwaukee and had the privelage of seeing them play in Chicago in 02.  I have been to so many big shows in my life, The 2002 show was one of the best productions I have ever seen in my life.  How did the 02 06 productions compare.  Were they similar which one was better?  I was going to see them in Milwaukee in 06.  That show was one of the cancelled dates on the tour.  I might add that the trauma of that cancellation was one of the worst days of my life.  I can only imagine how the philly fans felt in 2002.   Since I am here I also want to know if there are any Milwaukee GnR fans here.   I also want to add that I was banned from this site a few months ago.  I just wanted to apologize to Jarmo and anyone else that was pissed off at what happened on my screen name.   Its a privelage to be on this site.   LOL I feel like Eddie Haskel right now. 

[JDA]

06' was wayyyyyyyyy better.   I loved the 02' shows but there was really something special with the band in 06 shows.  In 02' I had front row seats but really loved the 06' shows.

[oneway23]

No comparison...Everything about '06 was off the charts..

[Axlfreek]

2002: Axl's peformacnse SUCKED

2006: Axl's peformance ROCKED





any other questions ?

[Axl4Prez2004]

Personally, I felt lucky to have seen GNR in Boston 12-2-02.  However, May 12 at the Hammerstein in NYC and November 5th at the Meadowlands, I was treated to an even better performance.  Axl truly sounded like the Axl of yesteryear in '06. 

Reflecting back, there were some positives '02 had that '06 didn't.  Axl's LALD screams in '02 were longer (which I really dug), for some reason at the time I was knocked on my ass by Madagascar, and the audience in Boston was much more appreciative than New Jersey in November of '06.  (Hammerstein May 12 was an other-world experience...the fans, well, we were out of our minds!  It was like the friggin Beatles when they hit the US well over 30 years ago.  Greatest show of my life.  Robin crowd-surfed twice, Axl and Robin looked cool as hell, and it was Bumble's 1st show!)  Did I mention Axl just had "it?"  In '02 the hard-edged rasp of Axl's voice wasn't there...'06, my god it was back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I sure hope you get to see the band next time around.  They're absolutely amazing.
 

[pollyblue]

i really loved the 2002 show at pukkelpop in Belgium, but their sound and production was way better in 2006 (belgium and holland).

[willow]

I was at the Chicago 02 and 06. I also had tickets to Mil. Both shows were very good. Production wise the shows are very similar. Band wise much better in 06. The band has really become a band and it shows!
As for the the person saying Axl sucked in 02. No he didn't. Axl has been the one thing that has been great all along. I have heard comments before from people that he wasn't making some of the notes and looked like he was faking it. It wasn't Axl that at all. I was on center floor and the sound was perfect there. I think it was a matter of poor sound in some parts of the building.  He hit almost every note. His voice was totally on that night.
amyl

[TWAT RULES]

i thought the 02' show in boston sounded alot better than the 06' show in worcester.? they were having major sound problems the entire night in worcester and it sucked ass, a total disappointment.....i like the look of the band alot better in 06' though

[Loco_motive]

Saw them in Chicago in 02 as well and the original lineup open up UYI tour 05/24/91 at Alpine.  I'm also from Milwaukee, had high hopes last November also. 

There is one more opening night for the Marcus Amphitheater during Summerfest I think...!     Too bad they're in Australia or somewhere at that time.

[faldor]

I actually thought Axl sounded real good in 02 when I saw them live.  But listening to the bootlegs now and seeing and hearing him in 06, there's no comparison.  Not that he was bad in 02, but much better in 06.  I also saw them in Hartford 02 and MSG in 06, also NO comparison.  The Hartford crowd was pretty much dead especially for the new songs, MSG was electric all night long.

[GnR-NOW]

Everything was better in 2006.  The band didn't look like they were dressed for Halloween, (I'm not bashing the 2002 look), Axl's voice had that hard edge rasp to it, Axl didn't run around on stage like it was 1991 - like he tried to in 2002 rather he danced alot more in 2006, Robin looked like a true lead guitarist, Ron Thal looked like he belonged in the band as opposed to Buckethead (BH's solo's in Nightrain and KOHD in 2002 are IMO the best ever in GNR), the new songs sounded a whole lot better refering to CD, The Blues, and Madagascar, the addition of Better, IRS were definitely key.

After watching the bootlegs from 2002 and watching the same songs in 2006 .... 2002 looks almost boring to what they did in 06.

[Wheres Izzy]

I didn't go to any of the 02' shows, however I heard a million bootlegs and thought Axl sounded horrendous. Not even like the same singer. I did go to the first NY show last year tho and he was unbelievable. after listening to GnR since I was about 6 or 7 and finally getting to see him live 15 years later he didn't disappoint.

[Gargh!]

I might add that the trauma of that cancellation was one of the worst days of my life.

I think that's going a bit far, don't you?? Some people take this all far too seriously - as much as we all love GnR, their music etc, and as much as we all want to see them live, want to hear the new album etc; just remember that at the end of the day they're just?a band.

[wadey]

i loved the 2002 because it had been so long since they last toured or did anything, so anything was a bonus really
but in comparison the 2006 shows were way better, vocally, musically, stage, promotion, every fucking thing...!!

[gnrbacik]

I saw them in a smaller arena in London Ontario in 02 (approx 9000)  It was sold out, the fans were insane, Axl was in a great mood (he even spoke to the crowd), and he sounded fantastic .  I  also saw them in detroit the same year ( half full stadium) but Axl still sounded good, but he left the show after Patience.
06 I saw them in Detroit again (half full stadium) Axl sounded great and was in a great mood!  So in my case I think the venue had a lot to do with it.  I'd much prefer the smaller sold out arena with true  GnR fans.

[dungbeetle]

I might add that the trauma of that cancellation was one of the worst days of my life.

I think that's going a bit far, don't you?? Some people take this all far too seriously - as much as we all love GnR, their music etc, and as much as we all want to see them live, want to hear the new album etc; just remember that at the end of the day they're just?a band.

Well buddy I see your point.  Maybe I was blowing that out of proportion.  I think I am not though.  I work 60 hours a week.  So in other words when I get out and play, I play hard.  I was going with a group of 5 people that had very cynical thoughts on new GNR.  So I had to eat crow on that one.  Having those tickets in my hand.   Then having the show cancelled.  It really hurt man.  I think the second worst day of my life was when they cancelled gilmore girls.  J/K.   Thanks to everyone for there feed back.  The next post will be comparing the 2007 shows to the 2006 shows.   AMERICAN shows that is.  I hope everyone in Mexico, Aus, NZ, Japan etc enjoy the upcoming shows.  One other thing.  I really dont care about the look of bands that I like.  They did look pretty dumb in 02 though!!!

[cyllan]

In 2002 I was so excited to see GNR again (having last seen them during the Illusion tour), but walking out of the Docklands arena after the show, I confess that I felt disappointed by my reaction to the band.  I hadn't felt the old spine-tingling energy that I'd experienced before and sadly wondered if it was gone forever.  I realised that this missing element was probably partly due to my personal situation at the time, but also couldn't shake the feeling that, although Axl had lost none of his charismatic stage presence and the rest of the band were undoubtedly all skilled musicians, something about the combination of them just wasn't gelling as I'd hoped it would.

Nevertheless, I wasn't prepared to give up on the band I loved and the music that had been a huge part of my life for so many years and so, four years later in 2006 when the tour dates were announced, I knew that the Hammerstein Ballroom shows would be the ones to answer any nagging doubts I had.  I'm not sure why but I was confident that this time it would be different and went ahead and booked tickets for shows all over Europe as well.

When the time finally arrived and I walked into the Ballroom, I can't pretend that I wasn't a little apprehensive.  The room was hot but it wasn't just the crowd's physical presence that was the cause.  As the time drew nearer, the tension was almost palpable and it was easy to imagine it crackling and sparks flying as it leapt from person to person around the room.  The intro music sent a dark, menacing undercurrent rippling through the building, I held my breath, and then Guns N' Roses hit the stage with a ferocity which slammed into me like a thunderbolt.  The crowd responded with a deafening roar as the tension unwound and surged over the stage enveloping the band.  The connection made, the energy released, the show was underway.

This was the GNR who took my breath away with their raw energy and total commitment to their music.  This was what I'd flown 3,500 miles to be a part of.  The show appeared to last for eternity and yet only a few hours all at the same time.  The old songs were reinterpreted; they were played with gusto and had a freshness and timeless quality that belied their age.  The new songs were complex and intense;  they showed a band that was evolving whilst still remaining true to their musical roots and relevant to their hardcore fanbase.  As I stepped out of the Ballroom later, tired, aching and with my senses still reeling from their aural and visual battering, I couldn't stop smiling.  I felt in my heart that Axl had finally rebuilt GNR and that here was a band capable and willing to push the GNR legacy on to greater heights.

The rest of the shows I saw during 2006 were every bit as incredible as that NYC show.  Each had highlights of their own.   I can't say how good it feels to know that, old as I am, I can still feel this passionate about GNR's music and be overwhelmed by their live performances.  I'm so thankful that Axl found the inner strength to carry on in circumstances which would have defeated a lesser man.

[markpeterhughes73]

Nice read from the last post but as an old gunner myself I feel the vibe is lost from the illusion tour of past but until "the people behind the scenes" pull out their fingers I'm afraid that the delays will continue as they have since the 90s.  Its a shame really because they could have been THE NO1 in history but they're getting a laugh'able joke now as to when Chin Dem if ever will surface. Its sad comparing GNR to MANY MANY others but as fans we hope and pray!

[COMAMOTIVE]

2002 MSG: Snowstorm and all - was simply an amazing show

2006 Hammerstein : Might have been the coolest concert I've ever been to

2006 MSG :  Was not that great.  The guitar solos after the 4th or  5th show completely sucked the life out of the crowd. The rest from that point on was just average.

[NickNasty]

The 2002 Boston show was amazing as it was something that I thought I'd never see in my lifetime. In that sense, it will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the greatest shows I've ever witnessed. That said, objectively, both musically and vocally, the 2006 shows were infinetly superior. The band seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves when, in contrast to some of the 2002 boots i've seen, alot of it seemed forced.