By Andrew Bansal
Dec. 21st 2011, The Forum, Los Angeles CA: Guns N’ Roses was the very first rock band I ever got into, and I have waited a long, long time to see them live. Even though I was extremely excited about this show right from the day it was announced, I was a little apprehensive about how the current GNR line-up would sound, and whether their lengthy show would turn out to be a little too much to take. But I definitely went in to the show with a very open mind, and honestly, by the time I left the venue I was in a state of complete shock and utter amazement.
As is usual for big LA shows like these, things were pretty stressful outside the venue, because of which I got held up and couldn’t enter the building before 9.45. But, I was given an awesome floor ticket, and I still got to see enough of the opening act Steel Panther’s set to be able to write about them here, so no complaints at all.
Talking of Steel Panther, I simply cannot believe what I’m about to say in the next sentence. I really liked their set. To be completely honest, this is a band I have disliked for the longest time, since as far back as I can remember actually. I just never got into their whole comedy routine, and it got old for me really quickly. Plus I’ve always hated the kind of crowds they attract to their shows. But the last time I saw them was in November of 2010, so I was eager to see if anything had changed since then.
The enormous size of the stage and the venue tonight added a totally different dynamic to their show, and it was something I could really enjoy. For the most part, they just played music, and their sex comedy act was a lot more toned down as compared to their Hollywood residency shows. They weren’t able to interact directly with people in the crowd because they were too far away from them, so they simply focussed on playing, which worked out perfectly for me, I must say. I saw the last three songs of their set, “17 Girls In A Row”, “Party All Day (Fuck All Night)”, and “Death To All But Metal”. As for the rest of the songs, my photographer Joel Louer got a picture of the set list, and I’ve posted it below.
They did a good job not only with the actual performance of the music, but also made use of the big stage very well. To me they looked every bit like a band that truly belongs on stages like these, and not in Hollywood rock clubs. In fact I won’t be surprised if they reduce the number of residency gigs or stop doing them altogether. What does surprise me though is how long it has taken them to get on a stage this size, to play in front of crowds this big. I guess they were too set in their ways and never tried to break out of being a weekly residency band. But I’m glad that they have, because this is the Steel Panther I can appreciate. As soon as their set was over, I couldn’t help but think, what the hell is going on? I like Steel Panther now, really? Shocking, but true.
Guns N’ Roses hit the stage at the scheduled time of 11 PM. Yes, it’s completely true, and you can ask anyone who was at the show. If you were waiting to read about how late Axl and the gang showed up, you can put all those expectations to rest right about now. The band took the stage on time, and looked and sounded ready, right from the word go. I was thinking perhaps Axl would take a couple of songs to really get his voice ‘in the zone’, but surprisingly that wasn’t the case. He was nailing it straight from the outset, and was very well complemented by his band mates. Even though they started out with “Chinese Democracy”, they wasted no time in going old school by following it up with the classics “Welcome To The Jungle”, “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone”. The band’s overall sound on these tunes was nothing short of pure gold. I was loving the manner in which Bumblefoot, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus were trading the guitar parts and combining with each other. Throughout the show, all three of them got plenty of opportunity to showcase their skillful musicianship.
The set list was incredibly long, and all the Guns N’ Roses songs any fan would want to hear were packed into this one show. There is absolutely no chance that anyone left this show disappointed with the song selection. I was actually a little taken aback by how good the Chinese Democracy material sounded. I feel that people, myself included, approached that album with the wrong mindset when it released in 2008, expecting another “Appetite”, obviously not helped by the 15-year gap. But upon hearing these songs live purely as individual tunes, they now come across to me as excellent pieces of music, and succeed in having the sort of impact they failed to create through the studio album. In particular, the performance of “Sorry” was definitely one of the highlights of the entire show.
Besides the huge number of songs, there were plenty of solos. Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, DJ Ashba, Axl and Bumblefoot each got individual solos that were carefully arranged through the set in between songs. But these weren’t solos in the traditional sense where one member would take center stage and everybody else would leave. These were more like instrumental jam sessions I would say. The member in focus stood by himself and played his instrument for a minute or two, and then was joined by the rest of the band as they jammed together. I enjoyed all three guitar solos for different reasons, but Bumblefoot’s Pink Panther jam was my favorite. His love for the instrument was quite clear. He seems to me like the kind of guy that wouldn’t even go to the bathroom without his guitar. His endearing personality was reflected in his guitar playing, and he added a lot of character and soul to it. It was pure delight to watch him perform. He also showed his versatility by filming the crowd with a professional video camera while the rest of the band jammed on a tune towards the end of the set.
In addition to the amazing GNR songs, the entertaining solos and jam sessions, there were a few thoroughly incredible covers played as well, and by doing this the band proved that even at their stature, they are, after all, just fans of the music they grew up listening to. There was a Pink Floyd tune, two AC/DC tunes, and even a Paul McCartney & Wings song in there. In effect, this was the most perfect and comprehensive set list as you will ever see. It had everything in it for everybody.
The production was gigantic, to say the least. There were three giant screens directly behind the drum kit, in addition to two screens perched high up either side of the stage, for the benefit of people seated in the upper sections. Plenty of pyrotechnics was also employed at opportune moments. Even though the show was much longer than what people are generally used to from rock bands, the majority of the crowd stayed till the end, which was great to see. The ticket sales was one aspect I was a little worried about going into the show, but my fears were quashed when I saw the great turnout here tonight, and because I was able to position myself in the exact mid-point of the floor, I could almost feel and absorb the entire crowd’s energy. And quite fittingly, their energy was at its maximum during the final song of the night, “Paradise City”. Limitless amounts of confetti engulfed the arena as the end of the song also signaled the end of this unbelievable show.
If I had to pick my favorite song from the show, it would certainly be “November Rain”. Axl was simply mind-blowing on this one, and while he crooned the chorus words, the rain of fireworks behind the drum kit to go along with it was a sight to behold. You know how you sometimes dream of one of your favorite bands playing literally everything you want them to play, and they keep on playing forever? This show was like one of those dreams. They sounded perfect, and they kept on playing, and playing, and playing.
As I said a couple of times already, Axl’s vocals sounded absolutely great, and I simply fail to understand why people go on and on about how much he ‘sucks’, or that he ‘can’t sing’. I would encourage people to stop judging him based on a few low-quality YouTube videos, and I’m sure people would have a completely different opinion of Axl if they bothered to go see the band live. But for those of you who are going to any of the upcoming GNR songs, rest assured, your money is well spent, and you’re in for the time of your life.
Overall, I would sum up this Guns N’ Roses show as a hugely rewarding treat for the faithful fans, and an equally huge slap in the faces of haters and so-called critics. It was a marathon of sorts, and a very, very memorable one at that.
Rating: 10/10
Related: Picture Gallery
Steel Panther Setlist:
- Supersonic Sex Machine
- Tomorrow Night
- Asian Hooker
- Just Like Tiger Woods
- Satchel Guitar Solo
- Gold-Digging Whore
- It Won’t Suck Itself
- Turn Out The Lights
- Weenie Ride
- Community Property
- 17 Girls In A Row
- Party All Day (Fuck All Night)
- Death To All But Metal
Guns N’ Roses Setlist:
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome To The Jungle
- It’s So Easy
- Mr. Brownstone
- Sorry
- Shackler’s Revenge
- Estranged
- Rocket Queen
- Richard Fortus Guitar Solo (James Bond Theme)
- Live and Let Die (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)
- This I Love
- Riff Raff (AC/DC cover)
- Motivation (Tommy Stinson on lead vocals)
- Dizzy Reed Piano Solo (Baba O’Riley)
- Street Of Dreams
- You Could Be Mine
- DJ Ashba Guitar Solo (Ballad of Death)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Instrumental Jam (Another Brick In The Wall: Part 2)
- Axl Rose Piano Solo
- November Rain
- Bumblefoot Guitar Solo (Pink Panther Theme)
- Don’t Cry
- Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)
- Civil War
- Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Instrumental Jam
- Nightrain
- Instrumental Jam
- Madagascar
- Better
- Instrumental Jam
- Patience
- Instrumental Jam
- Paradise City
I agree to all that has been written .Guns N’ Roses are magnificent .I seen them myself in Youngstown ,Ohio and it is a show I will never forget! Absolutely great show for me to remember a life time..
I’ve also seen the show twice, allstate arena(Chicago), conseco fieldhouse(Indy). Ax is from my hometown & I know him well, both shows were incredible & deserving of all/any great comments…thanks GnR!
I felt exactly the same way when I saw them last October. Great Review!!!