The Mic Toss

[saltzy23]

I posted this on the thread dedicated to the Vegas residency, but think this deserves it's own thread.

My buddies and I flew out to Vegas this weekend and went to the Saturday night show.  I've been to like 10 GnR shows, all in the NYC area previously.  I'll give the band credit.  They really brought it.  3 plus hours.  Lot of intensity.  Sounded really good, although if I'm being totally honest Axl sounded better as the concert went on.  November Rain from the suspended piano 8' above my head was just ridiculous.

At the end of the show Axl tosses the mic into the crowd like he always does.  Every single show I have ever been to it has been my dream to grab it.  It lands like 10 feet away from my friend and I.  The guy standing next to us picks it up and my buddy immediatly says "I'll give you $100 for that right now."  Amazingly the guy says '"Sure". He gives it to us.  We have the fucking thing.  We are jubiliant.  We are extatic.  5 seconds later security walks over and orders us to give him the mic back. 

I have seen Axl toss the mic at EVERY show I have been to, and I have never seen security ask for it back. Complete and utter bullshit.

Why throw the fucking thing into the crowd and cause a goddamn riot if you are just gonna ask for it back?  Forget about the thing breaking or getting stepped on.  The guy gave us our $100 back, but it ruined what would have been the single greatest concert experience of my life.

Here's the bottom line, at least from my perspective.  If Axl wants to come out at midnight and play until 3AM, that's fine by me.  That's how rock n' roll is supposed to be.  The hardcore sawdust and beer, late as fuck, rock music culture that I love and is one of the core reasons why I love Axl and GnR.  Basically maintaining that image is the only thing he apparently DOES give a fuck about.   It what Axl prides himself on.

You can't have it both ways though.  It's either balls to the wall rock n' roll, or it's corporate money making.  Throwing a mic into a crowd at 3AM, only to ask for it back is basically 180 degrees from what Axl and GnR stand for.

I understand Axl may not know they are confiscating the mic after he tosses it, but he should.  It's his image and good name they are fucking with when pull this shit with his biggest fans.

One last time.  Fuck you The Joint.

[Nightrained]

This is either one of 2 things...

1. The VENUE security were confused and thought that GNR have to get the mic back.

2. They wanted the mic for themselves, probably having noticed Axl throwing it at previous shows. (more than likely)


 I nearly caught the mic in London 2010, but this little guy was down there first, he got it and he fuckin ran. I always thought, that he deserved it cause of how fast he was. a few months ago, I find myself in the same situation. This time I get it, and I fuckin' run. Don't wait around because things like this scenario will happen to you. You get it, you run like fuck. Simple as that.

[saltzy23]

This is either one of 2 things...

1. The VENUE security were confused and thought that GNR have to get the mic back.

2. They wanted the mic for themselves, probably having noticed Axl throwing it at previous shows. (more than likely)


 I nearly caught the mic in London 2010, but this little guy was down there first, he got it and he fuckin ran. I always thought, that he deserved it cause of how fast he was. a few months ago, I find myself in the same situation. This time I get it, and I fuckin' run. Don't wait around because things like this scenario will happen to you. You get it, you run like fuck. Simple as that.

After 1/2 the shows have been played I would assume that security would know the routine by now.

It was most likely #2, but my point is that if this has occurred a bunch of times at The Joint then Axl should know by now.  Honestly, I'm not gonna blame him though.  I just would hope someone on his team would tell him what they are doing and he would order them to knock it the fuck off already.

I'll say one thing for sure.  I'm never giving The Hard Rock another cent of mine again.  Fuck them.

...and yes.  If I am ever in that position again I am burying it in my boxers and making a bee line for the exit.

[ryanb964]

Last year in Omaha, my friend and I caught his mic and got the heck out of there with it. I've heard stories where security takes it away, so I wanted to make sure we kept it.

[LIGuns]

There is a clip of Axl telling security "let him keep it", so there has been some confusion with security..good thing these ignoramuses don't work security at MLB games..

[stvyrayvhn]

@gunsnroses recently retweeted a photo of someone who caught the mic and had it in their possession.

[saltzy23]

There is a clip of Axl telling security "let him keep it", so there has been some confusion with security..good thing these ignoramuses don't work security at MLB games..

Wait, for my show specifically or just some random concert in general?

Honestly, I'm just pissed cause it's a pretty fucked up thing to do in general.  It's my friend who is pretty much the biggest GnR fan on the planet who had the thing in his hand for like 30 seconds and looked like a 6 year old on Christmas Day only to have the thing ripped away from that I really feel bad for.

We have been talking about how sick it would be to catch the mic at a GnR show for literally almost 20 years.  Then, at fucking Saturday night Vegas show where we flew in to celebrate his brother-in-law's 21st birthday it actually happens, and some jerkoff takes it away from us.  I know everyone here has some sort of emotional attachment or childhood memories of the band, but for my friend and I they have been a shared interest since we met in college a long ass time ago.  He has been with at every GnR show I've ever been to.  Something like 10 or 12 of em. 

This was 'our GnR moment' and it was taken from us.  It just fucking sucks.

Fuck you The Joint/Hard Rock. 

[liesl9]

Wasn't there a situation at, I want to say, the 2006 show in Vegas at the Joint where the same exact thing happened and it was clarified that it was NOT Axl or anyone in his team asking for the mic back, it was just a security guard being shady and taking it for himself?

Horrible to think that's happening again. Especially with the residency where you KNOW the security has probably been prepped about what happens during the show. I don't even know what they could do to stop that. For all we know Team GnR has always told security at all their venues to let the fans keep the mic, and security is still doing their own thing, because they know the fans are probably going to be intimidated and just hand the mic back if they are confronted about it. I don't know Team GnR but I can't see them being at all happy about their fans being harassed, screwed over, or essentially being railroaded by security that way.

Is it going to get to the point where Team GnR will have to put a sticker on the mic saying "this mic belongs to whoever catches it, security doesn't have the right to ask for it back, and if they do, report them?" Disgusting. And OP, I'm sorry for you and your friend. I never have a chance to get the mic or whistle because I just can't do GA but if I did, and security tried to take them back, I'd be just crushed.

[Regibold]

I posted this on the thread dedicated to the Vegas residency, but think this deserves it's own thread.

My buddies and I flew out to Vegas this weekend and went to the Saturday night show.  I've been to like 10 GnR shows, all in the NYC area previously.  I'll give the band credit.  They really brought it.  3 plus hours.  Lot of intensity.  Sounded really good, although if I'm being totally honest Axl sounded better as the concert went on.  November Rain from the suspended piano 8' above my head was just ridiculous.

At the end of the show Axl tosses the mic into the crowd like he always does.  Every single show I have ever been to it has been my dream to grab it.  It lands like 10 feet away from my friend and I.  The guy standing next to us picks it up and my buddy immediatly says "I'll give you $100 for that right now."  Amazingly the guy says '"Sure". He gives it to us.  We have the fucking thing.  We are jubiliant.  We are extatic.  5 seconds later security walks over and orders us to give him the mic back. 

I have seen Axl toss the mic at EVERY show I have been to, and I have never seen security ask for it back. Complete and utter bullshit.

Why throw the fucking thing into the crowd and cause a goddamn riot if you are just gonna ask for it back?  Forget about the thing breaking or getting stepped on.  The guy gave us our $100 back, but it ruined what would have been the single greatest concert experience of my life.

Here's the bottom line, at least from my perspective.  If Axl wants to come out at midnight and play until 3AM, that's fine by me.  That's how rock n' roll is supposed to be.  The hardcore sawdust and beer, late as fuck, rock music culture that I love and is one of the core reasons why I love Axl and GnR.  Basically maintaining that image is the only thing he apparently DOES give a fuck about.   It what Axl prides himself on.

You can't have it both ways though.  It's either balls to the wall rock n' roll, or it's corporate money making.  Throwing a mic into a crowd at 3AM, only to ask for it back is basically 180 degrees from what Axl and GnR stand for.

I understand Axl may not know they are confiscating the mic after he tosses it, but he should.  It's his image and good name they are fucking with when pull this shit with his biggest fans.

One last time.  Fuck you The Joint.

Man...that does suck..and it would totally ruin my evening as well. As far as running over scenarios of what I could've done differently in that situation. I guess the only thing I would do is if security tried to physically grab it, I would hold it up in the air...back away and HOPE that Axl would see what was going on and tell security to back off....much like what may have happened in the mentioned video of him telling them "Let him keep it". 

[IFINGLOVEGNR]

Yeah, refuse as much as you can, try to run if you have to. If they physically grab it from you, then make sure to get his name/info and complain to management right away!!!

[NaturalLight]

When you guys are talking about "security" are you talking about real cops or those rent-a-fuck thugs with walkie-talkies and who have absolutely no arrest power and can't do shit, especially once a show is over?

[wight gunner]

When you guys are talking about "security" are you talking about real cops or those rent-a-fuck thugs with walkie-talkies and who have absolutely no arrest power and can't do shit, especially once a show is over?

I agree its a shitty thing to do, but you are wrong on the last point, they have loads of rights whiles on duty, they are employees acting on behalf of their employer.  Taking the mic(k) isn't one of them though....

[willow]

I tell you one thing. They ask me for one back. They can take me too jail, cause they aren't getting it back.

[LIGuns]

The clip wasn't from 1 of the residences shows..it's BS that it happened.. Sounds to me as though it was an over zealous security guard..

[saltzy23]

Yeah, if it had been in an arena or stadium or something maybe we could have tried a way to escape with the thing.  When you are at a casino in Vegas?  Let's face it.  We weren't going anywhere with it when Security asked for it back.  I wasn't about to fuck around with casino security.  Plus, at the time it was all happening so fast.  Axl tosses it.  The guy right behind me catches it.  There are like 40 people scrambling around on the ground looking for a mic that isn't there.  I poke my friend and point to the guy behind us holding it, he offers him $100 within .03 seconds of seeing it.  The guy says "Sure".  We have it for maybe 10 seconds.  Security walks over and says "I have to ask for that back."  I mean, the all happened in like 30 seconds.  Plus, at this point we had been drinking and had just experienced a 3+ hour GnR Vegas show. 

I guess if had a chance to do it again I would have just put my head down and ran out of the exit.

From what I remember he was just a black shirt, 'Security' ear piece wearing casinio lackie.

I guess on some level it makes me feel better that we aren't the only ones that got screwed, but it still really sucks.  Nabbing the mic at a Saturday night GnR show in Vegas is never gonna happen again.  It was surreal.  It was basically the nirvana of personal concert experiences for me and my friend, and some fat fuck security joker stole that from us so that he could get a blowjob from some roadie.  Sometimes I really just fucking hate people.

[One.In.A.Million]

Well this is not nothing new unfortunately, ever since GN'R's return in 2006 I've been hearing stories of security taking back the mic all over the world. It simply comes down to them knowing how much it is worth, and them wanting it for themselves. And because they are working the show for peoples safety, they also think that they can use their power to take items such as the mic, which it don't... they NEVER have no right to do this, unless it comes from the band.

My advice to anyone who comes across this situation again is to just leg it, and if the police somehow do get involved, the security have not got a case as it's something they shouldn't be doing. 

[ckgent]

you did buy it tho...surely its not as bad if you actually had got it yourself... i feel for you, but at least the guy gave you your cash back. $100 in your pocket..buy another ticket and try again

[axlrosegnr]

so I'm talking to the security dude who took your mic Saturday. He said they were instructed by their management. didn't know who ultimately told them to retrieve it. gg

[axlrosegnr]

Just got back from the show. Sure enough, 2 of them hopped right over the rail to try find the mic. They told me they were told after every show to go get it. I said who told them that. They didn't answer. I asked for their names...no answer. Luckily tonight...they came up empty handed though. So I laughed at them. I personally think it's a bunch of shit. Maybe they were instructed to get it...but it wasn't the damn band or anyone with the band telling them too. Pisses me off though.

[rebelhipi]

Just got back from the show. Sure enough, 2 of them hopped right over the rail to try find the mic. They told me they were told after every show to go get it. I said who told them that. They didn't answer. I asked for their names...no answer. Luckily tonight...they came up empty handed though. So I laughed at them. I personally think it's a bunch of shit. Maybe they were instructed to get it...but it wasn't the damn band or anyone with the band telling them too. Pisses me off though.

  this sucks