Columbus (OH) 2002 show

[Rainfox]

Just saw this. It's a great, great, GREAT show!

Hadn't seen a complete 2002 show until now. This is allegedly one of the best from that trek also (or so I've learned afterwards). Right up there with Madison Square Garden.

Hotdamn, the band is rocking and they're in the zone. Nice vibe on stage too 

They tear the spine out of Rocket Queen and put it back in. Wow. Brain's drumming is unreal. And Axl introducing him: "He's.. kindda shy" - ha ha.

Fortus is really in to it. And Tommy is laughing every single time he's on camera. Hilarious.

Anyhow, they perform KOHD with no singalong and it's so mellow and melodic and majestic. I love the hybrid they perform today (2006/2007), but this version they performed on the US 2002 tour is awesome. As cult as the tour itself, I guess.

Anyone know the teams of the three sports jersies Axl wears for this show? I believe the first is a college football one. It's really cool - and okay, yeah, it had my eye since it's red and white (danish National colors) and the white is in a slight greyish tone. Buckeyes? Anyone know? The last one is a dark blue hockey jersey. I think.

The band have come a long way since this tour, but it's fun to revisit and it's apparent that they were finding their sea legs here. The chemistry and bi-play between Fortus and Finck started there also. Cool stuff.

 

 

[Fingers]

I havent seen the concert but I'm guessing Ohio State buckeyes, possibly Columbus Blue Jackets (I'm from Ohio). He wore an Ohio State jersey here in Cleveland also.

[Rainfox]

Thanks, man 

He talks about it (the Buckeyes one) also but it's hard to make out what he says yet the crowd reaction is pretty damn loooooud... so I'm guessing he chose correctly 

[Rainfox]

.. oh yeah:

They fly a Stars and Stripes in the wind on all three jumbotrons as the coda to Paradise City begins..

Preee-ttay cool stuff. This was also only a year after 9/11.

 

[Fingers]

Thanks, man 

He talks about it (the Buckeyes one) also but it's hard to make out what he says yet the crowd reaction is pretty damn loooooud... so I'm guessing he chose correctly 

This was the year Ohio State weventually  went on to become national champs, and I think this concert may have been a few days after they beat Michigan-I'm sure Axl was in a really good mood for a couple of weeks, he told us in Cleveland that in 2002 we were his favorite concert he performed for that tour-yeah, we rule here

[mrbucketfoot]

Yeah the Columbus show was pretty incredible. Of the shows I've seen for 02, it's definitely in the top 5.
Still falls short of Boston and Madison Square Garden though...

[HBK]

This Shows Is KICK Ass.. Man..

Excelent !!!

 

HBK *

[Rainfox]

Bucketfoot... I also heard that Chicago was amazing.

Have a friend who attended.

 

[grog mug]

Yeah I was at this show...the GREATEST one I've been 2 besides Vegas and New York of course!

[mrbucketfoot]

Which Vegas show?

[gunns1]

Which Vegas show?

1/1/00

[mrbucketfoot]

Well I'm completely jealous if that's the case. That'd be amazing, both of the House of Blues shows on New Years. I'm pretty sure half of the forum would spend hundreds on those DVDs if they were ever released.

[Buckeye]

In case anyone is interested, here is the email review that my brother sent me after coming home from that concert.
The interesting thing to me about reading these 6 year old emails is that all of this was pre-demo leaks, and before the recent world tours, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the new GNR at that time.  Hardcore fans (the people on this board) knew about the Vegas shows, but to the general public, the only introduction to the new band had been the VMA awards.

Email 1:
    Last night was everything I wanted from the show and more.  I was a little apprehensive, like most people with tickets, how close the new band would sound to the old one.  The new band is as good or better as the old band.  The band last night sounded like they were playing the record for us.  Buckethead, Robin Finck, and the other guitarist (I can't remember his name) all nailed the guitar solos perfect.  I was really impressed with the solos by Buckethead and Finck especially.  Buckethead is almost an act in itself. 
    And probably the most important part, Axl was exactly as I remembered him from video of ten years ago.  He was running around the stage in a Eddie George Buckeyes jersey, and didn't seem to be getting too tired.  He was hitting all the high notes.  I thought he was perfect.
    They played basically the same set you said they would.  Welcome To The Jungle, It's So Easy, Mr. Brownstone, Live And Let Die, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Think About You, You Could Be Mine, Robin Solo, Sweet Child O' Mine, Out Ta Get Me, Madagascar, Axl Piano Solo, November Rain, Band Intro/Drum Solo, Buckethead Solo, Rocket Queen, The Blues, Chinese Democracy, Patience, Nightrain, and an encore of Paradise City. 
    Axl came on at 10:10, so pretty early for him, and it went to about 12:15.  I think the only thing to go by is you never know when Axl is going to come on, so be prepared for whatever.
    I thought the opening acts were decent.  I only caught the last two songs of CKY, but it was pretty good.  I had heard of them before though, and mix master Mike was better than I expected.  His scratching was more geared toward the crowd, I think.  He scratched with things like Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Aerosmith, Rush, basically music that would appeal more to the average person at a G'N'R concert.
    That's about it.  I'd put it as my favorite concert ever, I think, but that may just be because it is fresher in my mind.  I'll talk to you later.


My Response:

Thanks very much, 2 other questions for you.

Is there anything the new GNR couldn't do well?

Did Axl talk to the crowd?  if so, what did he say?


His 2nd Email:

I really can't think of anything they could have done better.  Like I said I think this was my favorite concert of all time.

Other than introducing the band he didn't really say much.  One thing I thought was funny, was he did talk about the riots from sunday morning.  He was sort of shaking his head and said something like "Rioting? I'm ashamed for you guys."  Then he said something like "I was watching all the rioting on the news and I thought, 'Jesus! Am I late already? What day is it?' "Poking fun at the shit that went down in Vancouver.   

Also right before nighttrain he handed the mic to a security guard and told him to hand it to a guy in the front row.  The guy took the mic, and said "I want a fucking Nighttrain" and then the mic was handed back to axl and he said "You heard the man" and they went into nighttrain. It was really beast.

[FYI - the concert was on 11/25/02, on the early hours of the 24th, the kids at Ohio State had rioted to celebrate OSU's 14-9 victory over arch-rival Michigan - and Axl was commenting on the unrelated riots just 24 hours before the new GNR played the show]

[Rainfox]

Great trivia, mate.

Good stuff 

[Jim Bob]

yea Columbus is one of my favorites from 2002.    The band really started to gel during the last half of that tour.

[horsey]

yes it's the buckeyes ,he talks about the team.i have the bootleg dvd.it's great i think.haven't watched it in a min though.he says how buckethead was a fan of the team or something.i found it funny.

[mrbucketfoot]

Axl is talking about a recent OSU game against rival Michigan, rioting, and says how Bucket's dad went to Ohio State.

[grog mug]

I went to the 12/29/01 Vegas show, before the braided Axl days when I was 17 and got front row.  Without a doubt the best GN'R concert ever....

[mrbucketfoot]

That's amazing. I loved the look he had then with the button down jacket and leather pants. Does audio of that show exist?

[zombux]

That's amazing. I loved the look he had then with the button down jacket and leather pants. Does audio of that show exist?

nope