By Aniruddh ‘Andrew’ Bansal
It’s less than a week to go until Guns N’ Roses hit Indian shores for their 3-date tour starting in Bangalore on December 7th, then on to Mumbai on December 9th, and ending in Gurgaon on December 12th. In anticipation of the Mumbai event which I will be attending, I can’t help but reminisce my first ever live Guns N’ Roses experience, last year at the Forum in Los Angeles.
It’s not hard to guess what the detractors and naysayers would say. They’d be like, “Well, this isn’t the ‘real’ Guns N’ roses lineup, so why bother?” Believe me, I had the same thought when the band’s US tour was announced last year (I was living in LA at the time). But unlike most others who are ready to dismiss the band’s credibility without giving them a chance, I decided to go to the LA show to experience it for myself, before arriving at a conclusion and before hurling any criticism in their direction. I’m extremely glad I did so, because the gig really opened my eyes and introduced me to the incredible musicianship of the current GNR lineup.
There’s always a multitude of internet posts and memes going around on various online social platforms, mocking GNR’s lateness and Axl Rose’s present-day singing abilities. All I’d say to you is, please do not believe any of them. According to my information, they’ve been hitting the stage on time in all of their shows in the recent past, and judging from the relentless 3-hour performance I witnessed on that memorable night of December 21 2011 in LA, Axl Rose is doing absolutely fine, both vocally and performance-wise.
Guitarists Bumblefoot, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Chris Pitman might be foreign names to those who’re fans of the classic GNR lineup, but these guys are great musicians in their own right, and are certainly doing justice to the band’s entire musical history, from “Appetite For Destruction” to “Chinese Democracy”. Special mention must go to Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, because his guitar prowess and on-stage persona is something I’m sure everyone’s going to enjoy here in India in the next few days.
In terms of set list, all attendees would definitely get their money’s worth, and then some. As you can see in the LA review (link above), their 3-hour set encompasses pretty much anything and everything you’d ever want to hear live as a GNR fan. Besides the music itself, the stage production is absolutely massive, which makes it even better.
GNR fans in Bangalore, Mumbai and Gurgaon, you’ve been waiting all these years to see the band perform, and finally, now is your chance. Get your tickets at Kyazoonga as soon as you can, because this is a show you can’t afford to miss! \m/