Your favourite live performance from every Chinese Democracy song

[Sosso]

Chinese Democracy - Columbus 2002
Shackler's Revenge - Vienna 2010
Better - Rock in Lisboa 2006
Street of Dreams - Boston 2002
If the World - Porto Alegre 2010
There Was A Time - Las Vegas 2014
Catcher in the Rye - Sydney 2013
Scraped - Oskaka 2009
Riad N' The Bedouins - Osaka 2002
Sorry - London 2010
I.R.S. - Rock am Ring 2006
Madagascar - Columbus 2002
This I Love - Vienna 2010
Prostitute - Las Vegas 2014


Now make your choise 

[rebelhipi]

this is hard, i will take the time to make a list someday.

[italian queen]

tooooo hard for me!

[Bridge]

I can't list everyone since I haven't heard them all live, but....

I prefer the original 2001 live performances of "The Blues" and especially "Madagascar".

[Spirit]

I.R.S. at Rock Am Ring might be their best Chinese Democracy performance altogether!

[JAEBALL]

I.R.S. at Rock Am Ring might be their best Chinese Democracy performance altogether!

From 2001-2015... that show is the best performance of every song

[Sosso]

I.R.S. at Rock Am Ring might be their best Chinese Democracy performance altogether!

From 2001-2015... that show is the best performance of every song

Columbus and Boston 2002 were great too - and the 2001 gigs.

[D-GenerationX]

I don't know the new band's bootlegs nearly as well as the old ones, because I haven't listened to them as hardcore.

A few jump out though.

- 'Madagascar', 'Chinese Democracy', 'Street Of Dreams' : Rock In Rio III (01.15.01). 

Part of that is being the first time I heard them.  But its also because those versions have elements that later live versions did not.  With 'Madagascar', I think Bucket was really awesome on that.  'Chinese Democracy', I think is a really good, tight rocker.  Much prefer this version to the overblown thing it became.  'Street Of Dreams' I feel was snappier in this early version.  I really wasn't digging the stripped down version in 2006-07, and don't think versions since the album come out are as crisp.

- 'Scraped' is Tokyo (12.19.2009).

I think the goofiest thing about this song (which I do like) is the vocal intro.  But here, you get a cool intro that starts with drums and a gradual vocal into from Axl.  Really think the song sounds better this way.

- 'I.R.S.' : Rock Am Ring (06.02.2006)

This concert is probably axl's strongest vocal concert from 2001 until present day.  I love this song, but it needs a strong vocal, and he crushes it here.

- 'There Was A Time' & 'Prostitute' : Las Vegas (06.06.2014)

These are my favorite songs on the album.  But to be honest, the few live versions of the songs I had before this were disasters.  Axl really struggled.  Then, this night, he crushes both of them.  Wish like hell I had a bootleg of this one.

- 'Better' : Download Festival (06.11.2006)

Extenuating circumstances here.  Axl's vocals are tremendous, but I think that's because he is standing toally still just pissed at the fucking world.  Hard to replicate.

[rebelhipi]

Ok, So here is my list. The shocker is that i havent heard nearly every version of each song. But these are the versions that are my favorites. I spended much time during the last two lays to make my mind.


Chinese Democracy - Curitiba, Brazil 30.03.14  (i prefer the 09-14 version. theres something in this one that sticks out for me)

Shackler's Revenge - Vienna, Austria 18.09.10 (Sosso you made me listen to this one. Its damn good!)

Better -  Novarock, Burgenland, Austria 17.06.06

Street of Dreams - Edmonton, AB 07.12.06

If the World - Tokyo Dome, Japan 19.12.09 (it gets jammy at the end, i love it. epic show all around)

There Was A Time - Hammerstein Ballroom, New York 12.05.06 (every member kills in this one)

Catcher in the Rye - The Joint, Las Vegas 21.11.12 (the version on the film is perfect!)

Scraped - Edmonton, AB 17.01.2010

Riad N' The Bedouins - Pukkelpop, Belgium 24.08.02

Sorry - Amn?ville, France 10.09.10

I.R.S. - Sunrise, FL 24.10.06

Madagascar - Boston, Ma 02.12.02 (this is just too good)

This I Love - The Joint, Las Vegas 09.11.12 (great mood that fits the song, and not too much rasp in Axls voice)

Prostitute - Houston, Tx 10.11.17 (Dizzys piano outro with Slashes guitar fade ins is what makes this so good.)

[Poops Magee]

@ DGX- I totally agree, that version of Better is the best hands down. When he's not running around and going nuts, he can go toe-to-toe with any rock singer.

Also, Think About You at the Gibson Amphitheater in L.A. 12/20/06 is a noteworthy performance. Last show of the tour, Izzy joins in on it and several others, Axl told us we were rowdier than the other nights...greatest show I've ever been to.

[rebelhipi]

@ DGX- I totally agree, that version of Better is the best hands down. When he's not running around and going nuts, he can go toe-to-toe with any rock singer.

Im not a fan of that version, its different for sure. The verses lack energy, mainly because highly pissed Axl. Plus Tommy gets hit with bottle and has to stop playing.

Must be something to play songs that no one heard before in front of around 50,000 people, with the audience trowing shit at you, the gig is a near disaster because of technical problems. Epic show, and a great show in the end. These things just dosent happen anymore  (not talking about gnr. im talking about music business in general)

The only thing wrong with the Rock am Ring version is that Brain speeds up the song towards the end, making the loops not fit the song, and for a while half of the band are playing in a different tempo. But everything else Robins guitar intro, the energy, the power is amazing, again playing a new song in front of tens of thousands people. And i like that the weird noise breack (the pitman effect) is played without Rons, fretless slide guitat. Only the bubbely sound.

And its the first version of the song i ever heard.

[Spirit]

Street of Dreams from Philly 2012 is great.

I generally like the vibe of the '02 performances better though.

[Sosso]

The whole Chinese Democracy album performed by the 2002 line-up would be so awesome. Just imagine the TWAT solo played live by Buckethead!

[Spirit]

The whole Chinese Democracy album performed by the 2002 line-up would be so awesome. Just imagine the TWAT solo played live by Buckethead!

Hearing Bucket playing live on Better, TWAT, Shacklers and Prostitute would have been amazing.

We do have the record thankfully.

[asdf gunner]

Check Scraped from 17.01.2010 at Edmonton Canada. For me, that's easily the best overall performance of this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHnQyyeK8I

Unluckily the video is not in the best quality, but you can clearly hear Axl nailing this one 

[rebelhipi]

Check Scraped from 17.01.2010 at Edmonton Canada. For me, that's easily the best overall performance of this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHnQyyeK8I

Unluckily the video is not in the best quality, but you can clearly hear Axl nailing this one 

This one is my new favorite.

Thanks for the link!

[journey]

Better Inland Invasion

[rebelhipi]

Just listened to I.R.S. In  Sunrise, Florida 24.10.2006

The sound quality isint that good, but the performance is spot on!

[Poops Magee]

Better Inland Invasion

I was at that show. So much fun. Great version of "Better". To hear Robin's solo played properly is really cool.

[rebelhipi]

I think The Blues from Edmonton 2006 is my new fav.