Will GN'R ever play another UK festival?

[daveh]

The band seem to play a lot of festivals in other countries and also seem to be coming on stage at a decent time which wasn't the case in 2010 when the band played Reading and Leeds festivals and at Leeds festival 2002.
What do you think are the chances of them playing festivals in the UK again? The UK festival scene at the moment seems to be the same old bands playing the same festivals year in year out (Foo Fighters, Muse, Killers ect) Obviously im biased as im a big GN'R fan but seeing the bands AMAZING last few shows in the UK I think the festivals need a band like GN'R headlining.
Have the promoters had enough of the bands late shows or are they just not classed as a big act anymore now it's not the original line up?

I myself would love to see them headline Glastonbury next year but im not sure GN'R and Glastonbury are quite suited?

[Nightrained]

Download is there best bet. I know he had a bad time last time, but he's played at venues since that didn't go so well a few years ago (ie dublin, newcastle). I think they will only get signed if they are promoting a new album and touring in the summer, can't imagine Glastonbury signing them on, possibly T in the Park/oxygen, but Download would be the best bet. No chance for reading or leeds haha.

[brazil66]

Hope so. Love them to do Glasonbury as a headliner but I would be surprised. Its starting to get a little predictable Glasonbury. T in the Park would be cool. Can remember when Stone Roses played there. Great crowd. Axl likes the challenge in going back to places where there was unfinished business. (Dublin, Montreal and Vancouver for example) Download would be good to. Why not a return to St Louis. In the UK I liked that they played Liverpool this time. Would be good if they could play other places. Aberdeen, Cardiff or Bristol, where are the other arenas in the UK..

[daveh]

They havent done sheffield arena since 2006.

I think if they did play glastonbury and played like they have done on this tour then a lot of people would be shocked at how good the new band are. I think with all the hits they've got they would go down very well at glastonbury and i bet the band would love the festival.

Think melvin benn (reading and leeds boss) has said he would book guns n roses again if it was the original line up?

I think to be honest the UK music media has it in for Gn'R especially NME. So any shows the band do or anything axl does will always get ripped to shreds no matter how good it is cos its 'not the original band' funny how nobody used to mind how for most part of their career Oasis was not the original band either.

[Nightrained]

The UK crowd is more into this lineup than in 2006, i remember the crowd used to move in the direction of where axl was on stage. This year everyone on DJ ashba side is watching him. People are singing along with Chindem, Better ect... The lateness of the band didn't bother the crowd as much as it did 6 years ago.

Reckon in 2 years time GNR could headline a festival in the UK and sell out a tour in sept/oct

[brazil66]

Question. Are there other arenas in the UK that GNR have not played yet. Seems there is nothing south of London. What about Cardiff or Bristol. Thinking about it would be great to see GNR play Glastonbury

[wight gunner]

They need to do the Isle of Wight. Many of the big acts have done my Island, and the Boss, along with Tom Petty are doing so this week. In the past we've had the Stone, Sex Pistols, Bowie, McCartney, Neil Young, The Who, REM, The Police and J-Z in the modern times.  All legends in their own way, to match up to the original acts such as Hendrix,  Dylan, The who, Emerson lake and Palmer, Free, Cohen and Joni Michell who were the biggest act of their time.

GnR need to have the IoW on their played at list.  and join the list of legends who have graced these shores.

[reayj2003]

The boss of Download said he would not book the current line up. I prefer them doing arena tours- there are a certain group of festival goers in the uk who for whatever reason are against the current line up. With regards to being big enough, there was a lot of excitement when it was announced they were headlining Reading/Leeds in 2010 and even NME did a great pro Axl article the week before.. And they practically sold out 2 nights at London, a Birmingham gig and a Manchester one only a couple of months later.

The problem is (in my opinion), Axl won't adapt the set for festivals. The key is a punchy 'best of' set. A Dizzy Reid piano solo is not going keep the metal heads of download happy.. A 2 hour set with Axl on stage for the duration is what a festival slot needs....and it ain't gonna happen.

[AxlReznor]

The boss of Download said he would not book the current line up. I prefer them doing arena tours- there are a certain group of festival goers in the uk who for whatever reason are against the current line up. With regards to being big enough, there was a lot of excitement when it was announced they were headlining Reading/Leeds in 2010 and even NME did a great pro Axl article the week before.. And they practically sold out 2 nights at London, a Birmingham gig and a Manchester one only a couple of months later.

The problem is (in my opinion), Axl won't adapt the set for festivals. The key is a punchy 'best of' set. A Dizzy Reid piano solo is not going keep the metal heads of download happy.. A 2 hour set with Axl on stage for the duration is what a festival slot needs....and it ain't gonna happen.

He's also not willing to go onstage when he's told to. At a festival, the organisers are in charge, and not the band's (not even the headliners). I feel that there's no way a UK festival (with all of the laws and regulations they have to deal with) is going to take a chance on a band that isn't going to tow the line (toe the line? whichever). It was really annoying when they were kicked off the stage at Reading considering they then continued blaring out loud music from the PA system until past 2am. I'm not sure if that's what they usually do, or whether they did it deliberately to rub the band's face in it, but either way... even if they were willing to book them again, I don't think Axl would be willing to agree.

When it comes to Download (a festival that the band actually made an effort to arrive on time for, and even stayed onstage when people tried causing shit when usually they'd leave), the organiser made some extremely spiteful and hateful comments about both Axl and the band in general at around the time of Reading, so I'd be pissed off at them if they ever play Download again, personally (not that I expect Download to book them again, for whatever reason). It really confused me that a band booker for one of the world's top music festivals would actively and deliberately burn bridges with a band so completely, but it appears that the man is just a prick.

Out of all of the other festivals in the country, the only one I'd say would realistically book them is Glastonbury, because as far as I can tell they're not under such strict regulations being out in the middle of nowhere. If Hard Rock Calling wasn't in Hyde Park, with a huge built-up area surrounding it, I'd say that they'd be a safe bet to play there at some point. But because of its location, the local authorities don't let bands go a minute past curfew of 11pm.

On the plus side, if they ever do play Glastonbury, the headline sets are always televised in full on the BBC.

[daveh]

The boss of Download said he would not book the current line up. I prefer them doing arena tours- there are a certain group of festival goers in the uk who for whatever reason are against the current line up. With regards to being big enough, there was a lot of excitement when it was announced they were headlining Reading/Leeds in 2010 and even NME did a great pro Axl article the week before.. And they practically sold out 2 nights at London, a Birmingham gig and a Manchester one only a couple of months later.

The problem is (in my opinion), Axl won't adapt the set for festivals. The key is a punchy 'best of' set. A Dizzy Reid piano solo is not going keep the metal heads of download happy.. A 2 hour set with Axl on stage for the duration is what a festival slot needs....and it ain't gonna happen.

Think you've hit the nail on the head there, totally agree on the dizzy reed solo point. Although I think that sort of show would go down very well at Glastonbury? Don't think I have ever heard an NME pro article though. Theres even a story on NME.com about Axl's recent onstage fall and they always have to put a nagative spin on things, saying how the last UK tour was more or less a disaster and the band were pelted with coins and drinks?? I was at 3 shows on that tour and never saw anything like that?

[AxlReznor]

The boss of Download said he would not book the current line up. I prefer them doing arena tours- there are a certain group of festival goers in the uk who for whatever reason are against the current line up. With regards to being big enough, there was a lot of excitement when it was announced they were headlining Reading/Leeds in 2010 and even NME did a great pro Axl article the week before.. And they practically sold out 2 nights at London, a Birmingham gig and a Manchester one only a couple of months later.

The problem is (in my opinion), Axl won't adapt the set for festivals. The key is a punchy 'best of' set. A Dizzy Reid piano solo is not going keep the metal heads of download happy.. A 2 hour set with Axl on stage for the duration is what a festival slot needs....and it ain't gonna happen.

Think you've hit the nail on the head there, totally agree on the dizzy reed solo point. Although I think that sort of show would go down very well at Glastonbury? Don't think I have ever heard an NME pro article though. Theres even a story on NME.com about Axl's recent onstage fall and they always have to put a nagative spin on things, saying how the last UK tour was more or less a disaster and the band were pelted with coins and drinks?? I was at 3 shows on that tour and never saw anything like that?

What the fuck? The crowd on that last UK tour were the most supportive and appreciative crowd I've seen at a GN'R gig. Singing along to the new songs and everything. Sure, there were boos before they came onstage because of the wait, but people soon forgot they were pissed off as soon as the lights went down.

[Gezzy]

I know the set has been optimised and everything is all synced up with the light show, visuals and pyros; however it would be nice to see some variation in the set. I won't be seeing them live again until the new album comes out.

[AxlReznor]

Every time they've come to the UK since 2002 there's been some variation in the set. Not on a night to night basis, but each tour has incorporated songs they didn't play on the previous tour despite the big ones staying the same... and there'd be an uproar if those big ones weren't played.

Songs played in GN?R gigs in the UK since 2002:
2002
Welcome To The Jungle
It?s So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Live And Let Die
Think About You
You Could Be Mine
Sweet Child O? Mine
Knockin? On Heaven?s Door
Out Ta Get Me
Madagascar
November Rain
The Blues/Street Of Dreams
Patience
Rocket Queen
Nightrain
Paradise City
Chinese Democracy
Riad N? The Bedouins
My Michelle

2006 Songs Not Played in 2002
Better
I.R.S.
Used To Love Her
You Gotta Move
Sway
Sailing
Back In The U.S.S.R.
You?re Crazy (at the surprise acoustic show)

2010 Songs Not Played in 2002 or 2006
Sorry
This I Love
Shackler?s Revenge
Nice Boys
Don?t Cry
Whole Lotta Rosie

2012 Songs Not Played in 2002, 2006 or 2010
Estranged
Motivation
Glad To Be Here
Civil War
14 Years
Dead Flowers

So they're not like Pearl Jam who will play a completely different set every night.... but there have been 20 played in the UK that were played over here in 2002. That's almost another set in itself. So saying that there's been no variation doesn't hold up. It only really makes a difference if you go to multiple shows per tour. Some people - myself included - can only afford to go to once every time they're in the country. It doesn't matter to any of those people if they've played the same songs on every night of the tour. We weren't there.

[SteveUK]

Download is there best bet. I know he had a bad time last time, but he's played at venues since that didn't go so well a few years ago (ie dublin, newcastle). I think they will only get signed if they are promoting a new album and touring in the summer, can't imagine Glastonbury signing them on, possibly T in the Park/oxygen, but Download would be the best bet. No chance for reading or leeds haha.

Got to disagree with you about that point. The Newcastle show went down very well in 2006. 1 incident with 1 individual out of 12,000 screwed it up for the rest of us. Maybe if there wasn't a stupid wait between BFMV and GNR with nothing for people to do but drink there wouldn't have been a problem!

[MrGawain]

Seems unlikely Glastonbury would ever book G'n'R, as Eavis has stated several times before he doesn't want 'Metal bands' for Glasto- he's more of a hippy sort of guy.

Now I know Guns are one of those 'are they really a Metally Metal band?', but I doubt they'll be spludging the hallowed mud anytime soon.

[pothead]

the guy who was organising download when gnr played in 2006 was fired a couple of years later, and now does sonisphere. he was fired for trying to do sonisphere on the quiet from livenation and poaching their staff to work for him at soni

[Alan]

On the plus side, if they ever do play Glastonbury, the headline sets are always televised in full on the BBC.

Reading was the same the only exceptions I can think of are Rage Against The Machine, and Guns N' Roses.


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OT: no one is like Pearl Jam, 95 unique songs over 13 shows on this tour so far for them.

[Halo69]

With all the money they can make from it, i don't believe GNR wouldn't be on one of those festivals anymore.

[AxlReznor]

the guy who was organising download when gnr played in 2006 was fired a couple of years later, and now does sonisphere. he was fired for trying to do sonisphere on the quiet from livenation and poaching their staff to work for him at soni

No he wasn't. Andy Copping was still doing Download this year. There may have been someone higher up than him who got fired, but he's the one in charge of booking bands.

[jarmo]

Of course.

If the timing is right and the conditions are right.




/jarmo