They announced this week that Gn'R (well, ok, pseudo-Gn'R, but I'll take what I can get!) are coming to my city in November! Tickets go on sale on Saturday... my friend and I aren't sure what to do. The thing about Gn'R is that because they haven't done anything in *so* long, there's this legend around them... I just don't know how quickly tickets will sell... so we're not sure how early we should get there to buy good tickets.

Of course, even if we buy tickets, it's still 50/50 whether or not the show actually happens...

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

It hasn't been SOO long, Syd and I saw them in '02.

Yeah, I kinda forgot about that tour... they haven't been here since '88. I just bought my tickets this morning... they went on sale at 9:00, and when I checked again at 9:40 (purely out of curiousity), half the arena had been sold out. 'Course, it's a small arena, but still. I think this is gonna be awesome

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

I actually just got tickets during the pre-sale to see them in Portland, ME. I can't wait!! It's gonna be awesome!

Coolness.

I'm debating whether I should bring a sign saying 'Where's Izzy?' Or maybe 'Where's Slash?'

Syd Lexia wrote:

Tuckster wrote: I'm debating whether I should bring a sign saying 'Where's Izzy?' Or maybe 'Where's Slash?' If you bring a "Where's Izzy" sign, you might not have to look very far. Izzy has made guest appearances during the European tour as well as during the warm-up gigs in New York. He usually only does a couple songs with them, usually Paradise City and Patience. Sebastian Bach also showed up at a bunch of shows and did "My Michelle" with Axl. He also finished one of the UK shows because Axl got dehydrated and had to be taken to the hospital.

Yeah? Cool. Me and my friend were talking... the thing is, we've waited pretty much our whole lives to see Gn'R live, and I've gotta wonder if there's any chance that Axl has just gotten too old and fat to be any good. But from what I hear, it sounds like he still rawks.

Sooo...? Has anyone been to the show yet? I can't believe (Tuck holds his breath, crossed his fingers and knocks on wood) I'm gonna see Axl Rose in three days!

Just got home.

Four words: absolutely incredibly mind-friggin-blowingly awesomeness.

(More to follow; I'm awfully tired and have to get up tomorrow.)

Tishwitch wrote:

You were at the show in Halifax I presume?

Yeah. It's too bad you couldn't go, Tish... it was absolutely amazing. I mean, I'm a little biased since Gn'R has been my favorite band forever and I've been dying to see them for years, but still... any of you other guys, if you get a chance, just... go.

So, the show:

They took the stage at about 11:50, and played for 2 hours and 15 minutes. We were just, like, blown away... they played almost everything... the only 'awesome' songs they left out were 'Civil War', 'Estranged' and 'Coma'. They played almost all of Appetite (not in order), only leaving out 'Think About You', 'You're Crazy', and 'Anything Goes'. They played two off each Illusion: 'Live and Let Die', 'November Rain', Knockin' On Heaven's Door', and 'You Could Be Mine', plus later in the show one of the guitarists did a solo version of 'Don't Cry', which sounds like it might suck but was actually awesome... I mean, I play the guitar, so I know how hard this would be, but somehow he managed to play it so that he played the rhythm and lead guitar parts and the vocals... it was really well done.

They also played 'Patience' and three of the new songs which I was actually pretty impressed with. The opening was 'Welcome to the Jungle', as we expected, and then right after they burned through 'It's So Easy' and 'Live and Let Die'. At that point, my friend turned to me and said, 'I would've paid the ticket price for that alone...', and... I agree! But it only got better.

The sound/energy: you know how good live albums just have an energy and sound that is so much better than the studio albums? Man... the energy and sound quality at the show were just... amazing. I'm sitting here hoarse because I sang/screamed along with like everything. Every song just... kicked ass. Period. The end of November Rain might've been the best of all... but it's hard to say.

The pyrotechnics were great, too.

The Axl: so, remember the fat, out-of-breath Axl from a couple of years ago? Well, I don't know where he went, but the old Axl is back and awesome. His energy and voice were just... everything you could have wanted.

The band members: ok, so I admit... I always liked Slash better than Axl, and I went into this concert expecting to be a little disappointed with the other band members, but they're actually really, really good, and have personality and stuff, and I have to admit that I came away from the show thinking that Axl truly is the star of that badn, and as much as I'd like to see the original lineup, I really think Axl can make it work with new lineup.

They also have three guitarists now... but it works, so it's ok.

The crowd: I was so impressed to see that the crowd's average age was early twenties/college-age. I was a little afraid that it was going to be more like a 'nostalgia show' for older folks, but it totally wasn't. Not only that, but an awful lot of people actually seemed to know the songs. I take that as a good sign for the future - that Axl really isn't just leading some washed-up band.

The Trailer Park Boys: you Americans might not know who these guys are, and so you might not find this that funny, but they're local guys who started an amateurish local TV show a few years ago, and they've since become kind of cult celebrities within Canada purely on the strength of their personality and humour (they have a movie out here now and everything). Anyway, late in the show, Axl invited these guys out on stage to do a duet... which, again, to us, was the most hilarious thing we've ever seen (Tish, have you heard Bubbles' song, 'Liquor and Whores'? That's what they played. Axl was laughing his ass off.) Anyway, it just felt like such respect for the band to genuinely take an interest in the city and its culture and stuff (one of the guitarists also did a solo of Canada's national anthem).

That's all I can think of for now. Oh, yeah, they didn't serve beer at the event, which I found slightly odd... I wondered if they were worried about a riot.

Tishwitch wrote:

2. Would you say you fit into the twenties/college aged or the nostalgia aged? lol

I'm fairly sure I'm the same age as Syd, or a year younger.

Tishwitch wrote:

Tuckster wrote: I'm fairly sure I'm the same age as Syd, or a year younger. So, 24 or 25 then? I am 22 - I'll be 23 in a month!

Awesome!

Hey, here's a question for you guys: do you know if there's normally a way to get a recording of the concert you were at? Do they sell those, or anything?

ross_rifle113 wrote:

GNR haven't booked a date over here in Vancouver, I wonder if they're afraid or not allowed after the 02 riot...And that'd be cool to here them do Coma and Get In The Ring(although the lyrics don't work anymore), but My World sucks

Yeah, I thought they were banned from Vancouver because of the riot, that's why they're not playing there (same with Montreal)... and Syd, thanks, I'll keep an eye out on the internet - a couple of the songs are already on YouTube. I'd like You Could Be Mine, though.