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Authenticity is Everything
Upcoming Concerts
I thought this might be cool. Tell what concerts you are going to see. Let us know if you liked or disliked the show. Maybe show a picture, autograph, guitar pick, drumstick, or a cool story .
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vince Welsh on
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Miles Kennedy is great-
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Izzy had the juice - it's nowhere near as cool without him.
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Interesting thoughts. I'd like to point out that nobody in the GNR camp has called this a "reunion" tour- that came from the media, not the band. It goes without saying that a complete reunion would be preferred but if you're a fan of the band, you take what you can get, IMO. I'll disagree with one thing- I saw the "new" GNR play a warm-up gig for the Euro Tour in Orlando a few years ago and it was spectacular- every single piston was firing that night. While the wait for them to take the stage was long, it was totally worth it for me- it was a great, great show. Hearing all those great songs played live again is what it is about. It's funny that people knock that newer version of GNR, yet fawn all over Slash/Miles Kennedy for doing the same exact thing- replacement guys doing the classic songs.
With all due respect to Slash and Izzy, Fortus and Thal are superior guitarists by far- throw in DJ Ashba and it's no contest, period. The GNR Axl assembled for the last tour was technically spot-on and played the music closer to what was on the records than the originals ever did, IMO. If you saw them back in '87, '89 and in ''12, as I did, there was obvious easy comparisons- the originals were sloppy, wasted and off-key much of the night while the new version were not. Part of the attraction of the original GNR was the rebellious rock spirit, the expectation that anything could happen onstage and often did- but is that realistic for a band all in their 50's? My god, Slash has been mailing it in with the multiple versions of his solo bands for 20 years. IMO, he is truly one of the most overrated guitarists out there.
Nobody knows for sure what is going on with Adler or Sorum. Many have said that Adler can't play anymore but that isn't true- I saw his band Adler's Appetite a few years ago and he was pounding them like his life depended on it (and it did, lol)- I came away impressed after not expecting much. As for Sorum, I think he has moved on after too much drama with drug-addled bands- GNR, VR, etc. Maybe he has chosen to not be included, or maybe he is holding out for more money.
And of course the tour is for the money!! There is no other reason to do this than money. But consider this- Axl doesn't need the money, he is rolling in it after his last tour. Duff has done well with his investments so he doesn't need it. Who does? Slash? Adler? In reality, it's a big fat paycheck that nobody in their right mind would refuse. There is little to lose, is there?
They are rehearsing Chinese Democracy songs because Slash and Duff, who played on that album, have never done them live. And the true fans of the band want to hear that- because many, myself included, think that ChDemo is a great album saddled with too much production, that might really come to life live, as did the 2 songs they did from it on the last tour.
I want to finish with this thought- this brief tour is a step forward. At least they are talking, communicating and playing. IF they can get through this tour, it makes sense that new music might follow. And that is the real possible treasure to be had from this. (I think they have to get Izzy back involved for that, because if you look closely at the song-writing credits, his name is there just as much as Axl or Slash.) In this age of generic faux-rock, lip-synching and computer-generated vocals, it would be huge if GNR could put out some rough and ready rock again, and possibly save RNR again...
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Permalink Reply by Rich on
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I saw them on their early 2012 club tour. In the days leading up to the show, the reviews seemed pretty distinctly mixed, with some saying the band is excellent and underrated, a victim of some more famous names missing. Others said this seemed like a sloppy cover band going through the motions. My experience felt closer to the latter. I'll certainly consider the possibility that the band is just erratic. Being a U2 fan, I can understand that completely.
In all fairness, the setting was a miserably oversold Chicago House of Blues (not exactly among the better small venues in town). I was excited, but the show started flat and just never seemed to pick up. I have to say the sound wasn't perfect - and neither was my spot - and Axl's voice was shot (though I think it's always shot now). But it just felt phony, and it felt like a worn out act who's parts had been replaced again and again. I felt like some of the members were there for the sake of no one member not named Axl getting too much attention (do we need three guitarists and two keyboardists?)
There were some great performances - namely Knocking on Heaven's Door, Madagascar and the one truly epic song of the night - Paradise City. The set just had too much filler. Three hours is great if you're The Boss, But when Bumblefoot is playing a superlong version the Pink Panther at 2:15AM, it's just tedious. Maybe it's just not my thing or I wasn't drunk enough.
My main issue with this band is that they truly were replacement parts. They'd really created nothing together, and their actual history together was short and spotty. GNR has one album in the past quarter century, and it came of as a shockingly ordinary Axl solo album (17 years in the works?! Really?!)
I'm encouraged by the story about Izzy being involved in new music. Like Duff said at the RNR HOF induction, it's really about the music that that band created at that point in time. It'd be great if they could get back there one more time.
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With any due respect, Rich, you couldn't be more wrong on a number of your points.
Complaining about a 3 hour show? Seriously? Too much filler? They did almost every song from the first 3 albums, plus some serious deep cuts, only 2 from ChDemo. I wish more bands would play 3 hours for the same price- I tire of the $100 one hour show I seem to be getting more and more often these days.
They never created anything? That entire band played on ChDemo- ALL of them. That doesn't make it an Axl "solo" album by any means. Short and spotty history? Maybe at that time- the beginning of a tour cycle, but they played together for 2 years straight as a band, all over the world. I think that counts as "doing something"...
Everybody always complains that Axl's voice is "shot". Funny, I saw them in '87, '89 and again in 2012, and he sounded pretty much the same all 3 gigs. I've got the bootleg to prove he sounded good at the Orlando show in 2012, lol. People seem to think he is supposed to sound exactly like the records did 25+ years ago- I think that is unrealistic. Axl has always had an unique voice, and has a boatload of issues with keeping it healthy, but when he is on, he is ON. Maybe he was off the night you saw them, but that doesn't mean his voice is 'shot'...you try singing those songs at the same notes for 30 years- you won't be able to do it.
I laugh at your dismissal of Ron Thal- his farts have more talent than Slash ever did. Bumblefoot is a WAY better technical guitarist than Slash, a guy who has been mailing it in and playing the same 3 riffs for 20 years now. Add in Rich Fortus and DJ Ashba, and you have a highly skilled trio of guitar artists that were given solos during that last GNR tour- and they delivered. Perhaps your ears don't appreciate the skill it took to translate the Pink Panther theme, a piano piece, into electric guitar- I found it mesmerizing. Fortus is good enough to actually take leads away from Scott Gorham while he was in Thin Lizzy- and that says a ton. You too easily dismiss talent because they are "replacements"- guess you hate Ringo too, eh? Dave Grohl sucks too, right? Ronnie Wood is godawful as well, right?
The last thing I'll say is this- if you truly thought that GNR incarnation you saw was sloppy, then I can only imagine what you would have thought of the originals back in the day, who DEFINED the word "sloppy"- they were wasted, off-key, tripping over gear and sounded like a garage band. Granted they possessed a fire on stage like I'd never seen- they could sell their particular type of crazy like no other, but the legend is bigger than the truth- the originals were lesser players by a long shot.
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Permalink Reply by Barry S on
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I'm a GNR fan but not an Axl fan. I was done when he took the name and went solo. We all know Axl is a freaking nutcase, I doubt they make it through this tour, much less ever make new music. You spend all that money for a ticket and you really don't know if or when he will come out? 1hr, 2? 3? He sits in his dressing room with his psychic and waits for the the spirits to tell him when to go? Sorum isn't with them because he went after Axl, going to beat his ass for this. Axl isn't in the same league as Myles, but Axl is old. Slash and Duff didn't play on Chinese Democracy.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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Axl is off his chops, id would have watched them play even if they were smashed back in the day, what band wasn't.
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This is their performance of November Rain that night I saw them. You be the judge. The soundboard audio is much cleaner than what I heard in person.
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I'll say this - as mentioned, I still think Axl is a capable performer, vocal issues aside. Great performers can overcome bad vocal nights. U2 has pulled off some of their best shows even when Bono's voice is wrecked (see Sarajevo 1997).
I saw the Bleachers/Charli XCX tour last year. Poor Charli ran into vocal problems (not even that bad) a few songs in and started crying out of frustration. She hung in there and pulled off a great performance despite the issues. Obviously a very different performer than Axl, but the point is the same. If you control that stage and have that "x factor" as a performer, it might not matter if your voice is shot to pieces that night.
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Wow, you think CharliXXX has some sort of "xfactor"? Let's see if anyone remembers her 30 years from now, lol. I hope you didn't pay to see that crap, lol.
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Axl didn't "take the name" and go solo- he OWNS the name, it's always been HIS band, even before Slash and Duff came along. I, nor you, don't know what happens in his dressing room so making stuff up is really ridiculous. For what it's worth, Axl has addressed that on a number of occasions and he says most of the time he is trying to get his voice right for the show, something he claims can take a number of hours on a good night. Anyone with a computer or smart phone knows the score by now, no need to show up for a GNR gig before midnight- they almost always start right at midnight. And then go on for 3 hours plus. If you show up at 8 and have to wait, you're the fool, lol.
As for Axl not being in the same league as Miles Kennedy, give me a call when Miles writes an album that sells 30 million copies, lol. And yes, Slash and Duff did play on ChDemo- they are uncredited in the album notes, probably due to Axl and his anger issues, but they played on at least two songs each. Any GNR fan will tell you the same thing, it's pretty common knowledge, since there are a number of bootlegs circulating from the 90-91 period, where studio takes of those songs are played by that version of the band.
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