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By gnrbeliever on
mygnrforum.com
Awesome show last night. Axl and the boys were over-the-top, and the visuals
and pyrotechnics were amazing. One of the best shows I've ever seen.
Took the hint from the prior reviews and did not show up until 915 or so,
missing the bad DJ (although my friend who saw it said that the tribute to
JamMaster Jay of RUN DMC was unintentionally hilarious.) Full house in the
Allstate Arena that was very pumped up (a couple nasty fights during the
long wait).
Very male crowd, probably 80% guys in their late 20s-early 30s like me who
were recapturing some great GNR moments. Just before 10 pm, the lights go
down and we get some guitar that turns into WTTJ. Classic. Axl very pumped,
wearing a Michael Vick Atlanta Falcons jersey and running all over the stage
and the ramps set up on each side that allowed him to work the side of the
crowd and build up speed for his cross-stage runs. About six songs in, he
switched to the Brian Urlacher Bears jersey as Sweet Child o' Mine began,
which totally pumped up the crowd.
Axl's voice was a little too low in the mix for the first half of the show,
but his energy and the band's sound were amazing. Buckethead and Robin Finck
sort of traded the solo parts, and while we could see that Buckethead has
some amazing technical skills, Finck was more into the music (even if he
does look sort of like that Addams Family kid). Tommy Stinson more than held
his own on bass, Brain was driving the beat with Dizzy's help and the
keyboard guy was good too. The set list was pretty much the same as the
earlier shows, heavy on Appetite which is what everyone wants anyway. The
closet to a rant we got was when Axl had one "public service announcement"
to tell some "c-nts" off stage left to stop throwing beers that were hitting
the people in front of them but not him. His vocals got stronger as the show
went on, particularly for November Rain and Patience.
The new songs worked, although he could have introduced them so more of the
crowd knew what was what. The Paradise City encore kicked major ass.
Pyrotechnics and flash pots, and then an awesome confetti cannon accompanied
the jam. Axl and Co. finished strong after more than 2 hours of a very high
energy show. He triumphed over all the non-believers out there. He's still
the premier frontman of his generation and he proved he's not irrelevant 10
years later. I came in with very low expectations (because I was afraid it
would suck) and was blown away by their energy and the enthusiasm for the
songs. If you don't have tickets, get them now!! If you do, get ready for a
great ride!!
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