The diffrence in the bands energy & enthusiasm from '88 too '91

[Stevenson]

I just downloaded the Ritz '88 show and various other performances from around the same time. This is really the first time i've seen any shows from before the illusion tour from 91 - 93.

Can i just say i am shocked at how much energy and enthusiasm the band has compared to the illusion shows. I thought the illusions shows were amazing but this blew me away. Dont get me wrong, im not knockin the illusion shows, infact some of my all time favorite performances are from these shows. For example the stuff from the Skin N' Bones tour in 93 is simply awsome, the band sound amazing, especially Axl. The improvement in his voice from '92 to '93 is stunning. But the shows ive seen from around '88 just seem so full of life and energy, i really got the feeling the band were just havin so much fun onstage, there just seemed to be this chemistry goin on that i just didnt see on the illusion tour. There seems to be this electric atmosphere all around them. There was so much energy and life it could have almost been a diffrent band.

Maybe it has to do with Steven and Izzy's departure that changed all this, or that maybe Axl's feet were still firmly on the ground at the time these shows were taking place, i dont know, but has anyone else felt this havin seen these shows?

[gnrvrrule]

Well, let me say that the Ritz performance was very emotional, and other performances from this era were very similar.  But I think the first half of the Illusion tour was just as emotional onstage.  I have a few shows from 91 where the band is really into the music the whole show.  And the Tokyo show is pretty good for that as well: Duff is locked in and into the music.  But by the time late 92/early 93 came around, it seemed like they had gotten bored or tired or something, and rightfully so, since they were all wasted and touring for so long.  The 93 shows were good in a way, but the emotion is terrible compared to the earlier shows.

The New Haven, CT, show from 93 sounds good audio-wise, but the band isn't into the show.  Axl does very little running and dancing, Duff is "out of it" most of the show, and even Slash is less emotional than normal.  Axl's voice did change dramatically in 93, but I think even though he sounded good in some ways, that was the beginning of the end of his voice.  It was more high pitched (at times annoying to me), and he had trouble singing songs like Don't Cry and Mr. Brownstone without going hoarse.  I think that was what started the decline in his voice.  Anyway, to make a long story short, it seems like the band got tired and bored from touring for so long playing the same stuff over and over, especially when they had some trouble getting along.

[Axl_owns_dexter]

"You Could Be Mine" Stockhom 93,

Best I have ever heard him.

[saint seiya]

"You Could Be Mine" Stockhom 93,

Best I have ever heard him.

where can i get that?

[D]

its a hard comparison, in 88 they were brand new, played a much shorter set list, in 93 they were on the tour for years and years, played close to 3 hour sets, so therefore they had to pace themselves some what.


now a better comparison would be GNR 88-93 compared to GNR 2002

[Skeletor]

I think their live show improved a lot from '88 --> '91. I've always found the 80s shows a bit boring to watch, whereas the gigs in the 90s were always a lot more entertaining, as Axl was running around the stage more etc.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

november rain 91 copenhagen ..... breath taking .....

[bolton]

 i think first part of uyi tour(1991) were amazing,but last part 1993(i saw argentina show) was the best gnr live.
In argentina(axl was amazing,his voice,attitude,energy,and styling,slash too, and matt was great).
I like ritz show,but for me  gnr live in 1993 were the best

[Stevenson]

In argentina(axl was amazing,his voice,attitude,energy,and styling,slash too, and matt was great)

Totaly agree there Rale, the Agentina show was mind blowing. 
Axl was on top form that night, as were all the band, i love that show. I think in 92 the band, or more specificaly Axl took a dip in performance, his voice in 92 wasnt on par with the shows in 91.

But its weird how once the Skin N' Bones tour began in 93 Axls voice seemed to become so strong, he was hitting all the notes and screaming like never before, maybe he had some sort of coaching? I'd heard something about surgery he had had on his throat but i cant remember what this was for and when 

"You Could Be Mine" Stockhom 93, Best I have ever heard him.

Any idea where we could find that? Ive been looking for a good live version for ages, You Could be Mine seemed to be a song that Axl either nailed or messed up completely. Ive got one from Caracas 92, the sound quality is poor but the performance is superb 

[bolton]

well for me the best versions of you could be mine were tokyo 1992 and florida new year eve.

1993 was the year of the return of old gnr style,axl was very diferent look than in 1992,and gnr were more raw(listen wttj and scom from argentina).

[Malcolm]

Well the Ritz show was truly amazing because of the energy and they sounded great ...but come on people, Paris 92 in Civil War is the best ive ever heard Axl sing...right when it goes into the heavy part at the starting when he runs from the side into the middle and screams...wow it sends chills up my spine...but ya the 88 shows i think were the best...but dont forget touring for that long can get pretty boring..but there were definetly lots of great shows from the 91-93 tour

[Neemo]

When they first started to get famous they were all fucked up all the time and had way too much fucking energy (from having so much chemicals in their systems) after the notorious "sign GnR over to me or I quit" Axl stopped his crazy drinking and drugs and got some therapy and as a result slowed down a little bit (before UYI you rarely saw a pic of Axl without booze, after it was always a can of Coca-Cola). As for the rest of the band I think they were just so strung out all the fucking time and it wore on them. (Steven had a stroke, Duff's pancreas exploded, Izzy couldn't handle it any more, etc, etc) Hell, Slash's image used to be a bottle of Jack Daniel's for Christ sakes!

GnR WERE drugs, booze and rock and roll. Then they became the biggest rock band in the world and they didn't need that dangerous image anymore.

Correct me if I'm wrong about anything.

[gnrvrrule]

If only the emotion of 1991 could be paired with the voice of 1992, that would have been great.  In general, his voice sucked in 1991, especially late in the shows.  In 1992, his voice was rough, but was perfect for many of the songs he sang.  Again, in 1993, many songs he sounded excellent on (like You Could Be Mine), but at times it seemed like he was lacking that rasp and sometimes the high-pitchness was a little annoying.  The best performance I've seen is Chicago 1992, and I've seen many on video. 

[LaXl]

There is good and bad in every situation...Axl's voice was not as good/strong in the 'Ritz' days, but the energy was very high - don't forget though, that the early gigs were more intimate which means the energy goes through the fans and back to the band rather than just dropping to the floor.  Energy is something that goes back and forth from band to fans, and when the band got big and there was more of a gap between the two, the energy level dropped.  Also, the stage was a lot bigger in that good old '92/93 period, which is why Axl could run more.  When you run more, there is less chance of hitting all the notes, but Axl did well!!

[Sillything]

Out of the ones I've seen: Ritz 88, Stockholm 91,Tokyo 92, Paris 92, Chicago 92...Stockholm 91 is the best, Ritz 88 comining in close

[bolton]

I saw :
-1988-Ritz and Melbourne
1991-Noblesville,(couple vembley songs 1991 songs),Rock in rio
1992-Tokyo,Oklahoma,Paris,Chile,argentina and I was in Budampest in 1992
1993-Argentina(pro shot),and Hartford

And for me Argentina 1993 was the best gnr which i saw,gnr were raw and show with lot of energy(just listen sweet child and welcome to the jungle).
Axl was in great mood,and his styling was excelent

[F*ck Fear]

I haven't bothered watching the Ritz 88' gig,as I can never seem to download a good quality video of it.