06.02.2007 Monterrey, Mexico @ Monterrey Arena [DISCUSSION THREAD]

[Axlfreek]

Three new video's just poped up on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRDqYuNK0kc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFpNbkntUew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmZmjjcdO-U

[snakepiter]

amazing vibe!!!!

[123191]

I understand that Jarmo's not doing this by his own will,

Oh please.

Just because some of us aren't spoiled brats doesn't mean it's some big conspiracy.


A lot of people were pissed because GN'R were "late" at Hammersmith last June. But what did we get? An amazing show.

Possibly the show of the year for many in attendance. So an extra hours wait seems stupid in comparison.


You just like to whine and nothing else makes any sense to you.

Just because I don't have a constant need to put the band down in order to make myself feel better, I'm controlled by some other people? Yeah right....


This whole fucking "they're late" shit is really old. It's GN'R, not your average rock band. When will you get that?



/jarmo

Jarmo's right.? At Oakland, we were told at 12:00 that they were still "in the air" and people began to get a little unruly.? Me?? I used the extra time to get all the way up to the front to get a view that was as close as what I had at the Warfield show in September.? They touched down at Kaiser Field which is not far from the venue soon after and the opening riff to Jungle came at 12:35.? They played until almost three!!? Sure it was late, but it was one of (if not the very best) the best shows I've ever seen!!? Have you guys all watched the You Tube clips from last night?? Monterrey was electric and full of energy.? CD will come.? They are not doing this for nothing.

[HoldenCaulfield]

Yeah, watching and listening to those videos, I don't think that crowd gave a flyin' fuck about what the setlist was. When GNR play a show, we need to remember that it's all about those 15,000 people or so in that crowd, not those of us who are sitting at a computer. I know when I went to see them, I was just glad I was there, taking it all in. I didn't care if they played 'Yankee Doodle' and if you're at a show, you won't either...

[superloconoriega]

(I'm sorry if there any errors in the spelling, note that my first language ain't english)

After 2 and a half hours of good sleep in the plane and half an hour taxi drive to the arena i was more than ready to finally see GNR live. After moved and cancelled dates around the san diego area i decided that having to fly to see axl and the boys was going to be the last option.

The taxi driver left me right outside of the arena, where at least 20 bootleg stands formed what it seemed to be a rock n' roll swapt meet. This obiously had to hurt the sales of the two little official GNR stands that were placed inside of the arena. This official stands sold t-shirts in gray and yellow versions of the new circle logo ($15) that's on the gnr site background, a poster with the same star logo (this one: http://www.newgnr.com/pix/ontour/photos/monterrey/thumbs/img5377sfv5eb8.jpg_t400.jpg ) ($5) and strangely the unofficial bootlegs chicago 92 and sex n drugs n rock n roll. No tin candle lights. I couldn't believe it either. In the other side of the coin, the bootleg stands sold EVERYTHING, including the Kill Your Idols T-shirt. Mugs, Jack-Daniels style of shirts, Guns N' Roses Was Here (Appetite original artwork) tour t-shirts with the new dates and a lot of other cool designs.

Next step, of course, linning up for the entrance. As soon as i was formed i knew what kind of crowd was going to be. A lady in their 30's something who had been in an original line up concert and a guy who was 24 that refused to accept the new incarnation as GNR, but respected axl anyways. The only new songs they had heard were Oh My God (which i found strange, since i tought this was one of the least known new songs) and Madagascar.

They let us in at about 7 and a half (i'm sorry if the times are incorrect, but i'm doing my best trying to remember). Most people were still buying drinks or just chattin' and this allowed me to get a good 2nd / 3rd row spot right at the right side of stage (that later on the night turned out to be Richard's and Ron's side). Dizzy's, Pittman's and Frank's part of the set (upstairs i guess) was covered.

Opening band started at i guess 9 and half? I really didnt even know what time was when i was there, let alone can remember it now. First song was OK, but got a wave of boo's. Second song, almost the same as the first, but with even more boo's at the end. Girl comes to deliver a guitar. By the start of the third it was apparent that the crowd was there to see GNR and nothing more. The band finish the third song and said something along the lines of you know what? we wont play anymore and left the stage. The mexican version of the Eagles Of Death Metal if you will... Same guitar girl comes to pick more instruments and it's greeted with TABLE chants.

And the first long wait begins. By this time i noticed that the guy to my left looked like a chubby version of Will Ferrell and that entertained me for a few minutes. There was also a guy who only spoke english right in the front line who looked exactly like Chad Channing from Nirvana. I'm pretty sure that guy posts in the forums but i couldn't really ask him. When i got bored my ipod served me well and entertained me for some more time. Since i had a pretty decent view of the back of the stage (but not exactly backstage area) i could see Del James hangin' there and the guys from the second opening band taking pictures. During this whole time that i was listening to my ipod several chants in the audience happened. I can't remember which ones exactly, but this is pretty common thing in Mexico (and i guess in the whole world)..One hour or so after the first opening band left the stage the next band comes in (I think they were called maligno, i'm not sure) ..

Ok. Who the hell chooses the openers? Stinson again? Worst excuse of metal band ever. The singer couldn't stop making the DIO horns sign and the guitar player looked exactly like a mexican version of dimebag (without the sombrero), but i must say that they at least had the center of the arena floor on their side, since a couple of? applauses appeared after the first song (but still nothing compared to a new wave of loud boo's, FUERA (leave) and PUTO (fag) chants. I could see a guy singin' a long to the songs a few persons behind me, which i found strange. Singer almost tripped after a song. They played what i guess were 6 or 7 songs, all as stereotypical-stupid metal as can be, and between songs the singer tried to gain the crowd by asking who was thirsty and throwing free water, but most of the free bottles were thrown back to the stage. GUNS N' ROSES chants between songs, specially during the end of the last one. Couple of applauses and a lots of? boo's and that was it for maligno... and the second wait begins.

Being a DMF (if you don't know you ain't supposed to be reading this) i already knew the waiting was going to be a long one, but i never expect to be such a long one. Thank god for my ipod. The crew started to set up everything, starting by checking out the drum set, spending a lot of time setting up pittman's keyboards, and testing the mic's. Audioslave, The Raconteurs, Foo Fighters and more were played over this long period of waiting. During the very first minutes of the set up i could see Del James hangin' by the side of the stage, and he appeared to be having a nice time (along with most of GNR crew). He dissapeared after the first half hour of waiting and the faces of the crew turned from smiles and laughs to evident preocupation. The crew looked to be doing things in a way to make time, like if they knew they had to be slow. They checked Pittman's keyboards in 4 ocations, taped the setlist to the floor, one by one, each one 20 or so minutes after the other. The camera man where lifted in a special seat and the poor guys had to wait at least 1 hour up there, but at least he had a seat...

Things in the audience side weren't going OK. A guy in the seated section was scorted out by security by doing i don't know why. Crowd started to do the wave thing, and succeded after 5 failed attempts. Between 3 or 4 plastic cups of beer were thrown to the stage. I got bored and turned my ipod off. Finally had the balls to tell the guy next to me that he looked exactly like Will Ferrell, and everybody on my side agreed. By this time i was fucking tired, my back was feeling like hell and i was very thirsty. Will Ferrell and other guys next to me, not wanting to loose the 2nd row spot convinced a lady to bring us soda, and she did it. Fucking miracle she came back... More chit-chat... Will Ferrell started to get angry and a couple of bring maligno band chants erupted. By this time 2 hours or so of waiting had happened and for the first time i tought there was going to be a cancellation. Nobody had seen axl in the city, and Del James was nowhere to be seen near the stage as he had been most of the show.. Then, the worst thing happened. The arena screens showed us a message that read : IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE BAND GUNS AND ROSES (guns n' roses in red) WILL TAKE THE STAGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. This is obiously to calm down the people before the cancelation's made, Will Ferrell and i tought....

But i was wrong

[superloconoriega]

(play Welcome To The Jungle in your computer please)

Lights Out. Fucking Hell. They were indeed going to play. But i haven't seen anybody. Exorcist theme. Screen's On. Jungle Riff, where the fuck was Robin? I couldn't see him. I see Dizzy. They're here... then, out of nowhere, BUM! lights, lyrics start. Axl looking exactly as dangerous as you would want. Fuck the he's too old shit, he could probably beat the shit out of you with the eyes closed if he wanted. Ron holds up Rey Mysterio Jr's mask. Fortus right in front of me, looking maniac, and i'm not saying that in a good way. You see, you read that this guy sends fans instructions on how to play guitar, kisses little babies ... well, that guy's gone. This guy makes more strange faces than sanyaja singing. He looks ultra-drugged. He looks like the type of guy who would make the old band members pee their pants, moving on. Jungle continues. Finck gets to my side. Looking a little bit older than he does in the internet, but cool anyways. People singin' along like crazy. It was fucking incredible to see how the whole audience, who was fucking pissed and screaming bullshit a minute before was on their feets and going nuts in another. Tommy moves closer to my side... OK, this was the worst part of the whole concert. Tommy looked horrible, and i can't stress this enough. His face was (at least to me) a little bit disfigured, if he was a fucking zombie. Yeah, zombie, that's the word...

It's So Easy and Mr.Brownstone. I'm one of those that hates the repetition of setlists, but the first 3 songs in that order work very well, very fast-paced. The fact that these three songs were played in that order saved the show. Ron looks awesome, he was wearing HUGE boots with HUGE heels. He's ultra skinny now, you wouldn't recognise him if the only referense you had was the braids and cap photos circa 2000. He looks just awesome, way younger than he is. He looked like if he was only 23. He threw guitar picks at least 3 times my side of the stage, causing a friendly fight for it. At the end of either Brownstone or Live And Let Die he and Finck raised a sign that read AXL WLECOME BACK WE MISSED YOU, wich was fucking awesome and i hope a pic of that surfaces. He played the next song covered in the sign, and helt it up backwards in one occasion. LOL. A lot of people were throwing shirts and stuff to him so he would held it up. One of those persons threw a hat and almost hit Fortus in the face, but thank god he avoided it. Live And Let Die was good, couldn't really hear well Axl's Voice. Axl jokes about Frank's Pimped-Metal purple drum set. Frank was wearing a red bandana covering his mouth for the first songs by the way Finck's solo.. OK? I was surprised people weren't booing, which was my biggest fear. Sweet Child O'Mine, huge response. I think that either during the end of this one or Live And Let Die, Finck tried to run to his amp to get the distortion sound and almost knocked Tommy by accident, and neither of them looked happy.

Better, the fist of the new songs was next and i was for what i can tell the only guy in the arena singing along. Axl's 2002 voice hinted a return during the first line of the screaming part, but by the second was long gone for the rest of the night. Knocking On Heaven's Door, Axl's right in front of me, cool ending, tommy looks he's into the song. Looks Awesome. You Could Be Mine, Bumblefoot OWNS this song, and Tommy's bass really makes it sound good. Song Ends, Frank Ferrer starts the Guns N Roses chants. Another solo. Surprised me that a couple of the fans knew the song and where singing along. Thank god it wasnt long. By this time i tought that it was obious that they were going faster than usual, with very few jams between songs as they usually do. Also most of the solos were very short in comparation to other previous shows. The Blues starts, and somebody recognises it. Surprised me again. Sounds Good. The same goes for Out Ta Get Me. Fortus screaming I'm not innocent right in front of me. November Rain's next, get's huge response. I.R.S., just like Better, i was the only guy singing along to it, awesome version. I can see beta at the side, just watching the band. Seems to be different from the latest leak in the solo, but's most probably a live improvisation. Bumblefoot plays some mexican sounding song, then goes straight to Don't Cry, without any strange songs in between. For me that was when i knew they had to hurry up. My Michelle's up next, and i miss Bach. I mean, if Bach would have been the opening act i can assure you i wouldn't had really cared that much for the 2 plus hours of waiting. This song needs Bach from now on. Patience's up next, and also gets a huge response. Nightrain. Good One Too. Oh man, i couldn't wait. After finishing it they were going to come back and finck would climb up the stairs and start to play the Chinese Democracy intro and....

and...

And they came back, but straight to Paradise City. I couldn't believe it. No the now classic encore opener Chinese Democracy, no Madagacascar, no last to one usual Rocket Queen. Crowd went wild anyways, since most of them don't know this is always the last one. Mini moshpit starts for the first time right at the beginning of the verse. Axl's ON in this one, running from one side to another. Monterrey, Good, Fucking, Night. Song Ends. Band gets together for the applause, go offstage and that's it. Lights On.  Overall, it was a very good show, but when you know that this band can give you more than a very good show you can't help but feel dissapointed.

We go outside the arena. Bootleg stands still there. White Van comes out, people at the sides, apparently it was the band. I was surprised, since the show must have had ended no more than 15 minutes ago, but that was it. They came, they rocked and they where gone.

[chineseblues]

HBK sent me some more pictures of him and his friends with some of the band outside the venue (i think) from June 2. You can see them http://breakdownwebdesign.com/photoalbum.htm. Its the last 26 pictures on there.

[FunkyMonkey]

Several fan-filed video clips of GUNS N' ROSES performing at the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico Saturday night (June 2) have surfaced on YouTube.

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=guns+roses+monterrey+2007

[anythinggoes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyLlqFchtX8

November Rain 2nd June Nice quality

[jaknudsen]

Thanks for the review, superloconoriega. Very nice read.

[Schwarzgold]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmZmjjcdO-U

Hahaha, so many cams and cell phones ... does anyone actually listen to and fuckin' ENJOY the music anymore? 

[SLCPUNK]

Yeah, watching and listening to those videos, I don't think that crowd gave a flyin' fuck about what the setlist was.

I've seen them a half a dozen times, and nobody around me was bellyaching like these yahoos.

[brokenfix]

Ron holds up Rey Mysterio Jr's mask.

Really?, damn, I didn't see that, the crowd was really wild were I was.

Tommy looked horrible, and i can't stress this enough. His face was (at least to me) a little bit disfigured, if he was a fucking zombie. Yeah, zombie, that's the word...

Yeah, I remember that he had a zombie like face, but he only got my attention just a couple of times, Robin and Richard stole the show with their stage presence.

by the way Finck's solo.. OK? I was surprised people weren't booing, which was my biggest fear.

Some people behind me were talking about how awesome the Finck solo sounded

Better, the fist of the new songs was next and i was for what i can tell the only guy in the arena singing along.

Me and some guy next to me were also singing the new songs

And they came back, but straight to Paradise City. I couldn't believe it. No the now classic encore opener Chinese Democracy, no Madagacascar, no last to one usual Rocket Queen. Crowd went wild anyways, since most of them don't know this is always the last one.

Yeah, after Nightrain I was expecting Chinese Democracy but Paradise City was so awesome and intense that everything is cool for me, a great concert really, probably 2 or 3 songs shorter than the past year but the awesome performance made up for that.

I got to hear an instrumental Madagascar while the soundcheck so I'll survive 

[ppbebe]

thanks for the reviews, brokenfix and superloconoriega.

glad that you had such a great time.

[CheapJon]

thanks for pics updates and reviews, it makes the grey skies a little blue-er here

[Ines_rocks!]

what was the setlist? any different from the last tour? 

[Christos AG]

what was the setlist? any different from the last tour? 

No.

[superloconoriega]

Ron holds up Rey Mysterio Jr's mask.

Really?, damn, I didn't see that, the crowd was really wild were I was.

Tommy looked horrible, and i can't stress this enough. His face was (at least to me) a little bit disfigured, if he was a fucking zombie. Yeah, zombie, that's the word...

Yeah, I remember that he had a zombie like face, but he only got my attention just a couple of times, Robin and Richard stole the show with their stage presence.

by the way Finck's solo.. OK? I was surprised people weren't booing, which was my biggest fear.

Some people behind me were talking about how awesome the Finck solo sounded

Better, the fist of the new songs was next and i was for what i can tell the only guy in the arena singing along.

Me and some guy next to me were also singing the new songs

And they came back, but straight to Paradise City. I couldn't believe it. No the now classic encore opener Chinese Democracy, no Madagacascar, no last to one usual Rocket Queen. Crowd went wild anyways, since most of them don't know this is always the last one.

Yeah, after Nightrain I was expecting Chinese Democracy but Paradise City was so awesome and intense that everything is cool for me, a great concert really, probably 2 or 3 songs shorter than the past year but the awesome performance made up for that.

I got to hear an instrumental Madagascar while the soundcheck so I'll survive?

how did you get into the soundcheck?

[superloconoriega]

This is the sign i'm talking about in my review (with a good view of BBF's giant shoes)

[brokenfix]

how did you get into the soundcheck?

Well, we were outside the arena, and the crew there had the service door open while GN'R were doing the soundcheck and we could hear it, they played WTTJ 1 1/2 times, Madagascar 2 times if I remember well, and It's so Easy one time, the last one with vocals, but not by Axl, I dunno who was singing it.

Here is my earlier review:

Man, I just woke up, my bones hurts and with almost no voice.

Yesterday I saw the best concert rock and roll show experience in my life. Some points:

- I was lined up outside the arena early and met some people that travelled from other states, even some people from the USA, we got to hear the soundcheck, man, we could hear the music outside the arena!, the music is loud!
- The first opening band left the stage after 3 songs because everybody were booing them and some people ever cursing them.
- Maligno plays good but after 5 song everything sounded the same, but my thought was "Well, I think we have something to pass the time, because the security guys said that GN'R was scheduled to play at 11:15 pm", Maligno show ended at 10:35 pm I think.
- The crew started to prepare the stage for GN'R, I was very exited, then 11:15 came and nothing, 11:30 nothing, 11:45 nothing, 12:00 nothing. Man!! I have been here standing for like more than 6 hours and my legs were very tired and I was very thirsty!
- Some people were angry and trowing beer and stuff, I was starting to feel angry too, at one point a lot of police men entered the arena and I thought "the show is going to be cancelled and things will be very ugly".
- A message appeared in the arena screens that said "In a few minutes the band Guns N' Roses will be on stage, thank you for your patience"
- At 12:30 the lights went off and everybody started screaming and going crazy, like if GN'R weren't late and everything were cool, I was doing it too. WTTJ started and Axl shouted "You know were the fuck you aaaaareeeeee!!!!!!" and all the people in the floor went crazy jumping and singing loud.
- You now know the set list and everyone were having a good time and in slow songs like KOHD, November Rain and Patience you could hear the whole arena singing, even with the Don't Cry solo everyone singed and Bumblefoot gave two thumbs up and applauded the crowd. The solos were very celebrated and after the Dizzy piano solo a "Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy!!" could be heard.
- Paradise City was very intense, a mosh pit started and a glass with beer almost hit Axl, when I saw that I was paralyzed, lol.
- Overall a great and intense show that make up the starting up late, when the lights went on I saw a lot of happy faces, I think that only a very very few knew about past set list of last year, Chinese Democracy and Madagascar were missing, probably because of that it was 2:30 am and they needed to move out almost half the country for the concert today, or maybe because it was the first show of the tour. But everyone were happy that they got to see a great great band with awesome musicians and an awesome singer for 2 hours.

If I remember more things I'll post them, meanwhile I'll wait for some pictures and videos, and probably a full video bootleg. Best regards.