History repeats itself. Back on June 29th, 2016, I saw the then newly semi-reunited Guns N’ Roses at Arrowhead Stadium, with Alice In Chains opening. And now, on September 23rd, 2023, I saw Guns N’ Roses right across the parking lot at Kaufman Stadium, with Alice In Chains again opening. And the cherry on top, is that back in June 2016, I saw Bob Dylan the week before on June 22nd. Now this year, I’ll be seeing Bob Dylan the week after on October 1st. Kind of strange.
But anyways, enough of my Twilight Zone fanfic. Let’s get to the music. Alice In Chains comes out first, of course. They’re great as always. William DuVall is a great frontman that brings such a massive energy, and Jerry Cantrell is Jerry Cantrell. They played all of the classics, including my personal favorite “No Excuses,” and a smattering of post-90s gems.
When you’re watching Jerry Cantrell, you really get this overwhelming sense that you’re watching one of the last remaining pillars of the Seattle scene. I saw one guy dressed up as Slash crying to “Down in a Hole.” Kinda funny, but it just illustrates the appreciation the crowd has towards Jerry and the rest of the band for continuing, and keeping the music alive.
After the crowd pleasing “Rooster,” they leave the stage. The main event is about to start. In years past, you would have to wonder if a Guns N’ Roses show would even happen. Would Axl Rose would even show up? Or even if he did, what type of mood would he be in? Will he perform the whole set? Will he walk out? But that was the old Axl. Post-reunion Axl has been on time every night, smiles onstage, waves to kids in the crowd, and seems to be genuinely happy.
The rocket on the big screen behind the stage launches, and the lights go down. After a brief career overview using animations reminiscent of artwork from their releases and symbolic of the different eras of the band, Duff McKagan starts the iconic bass line to “It’s So Easy.” We have liftoff.
Right from the jump, it’s hard to take your eyes off of Axl. Say what you will, but the dude is still a force to be reckoned with. He’s 61 years old, and still puts on a show that rivals his Use Your Illusion Tour prime. And Slash is, of course, Slash. Makes it look easy.
The rest of the band is as solid as you would expect. Of course Dizzy Reed on keyboard, the sole remaining classic era member besides the big three. Rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus, and drummer Frank Ferrer, both Chinese Democracy era holdovers. And the newest member, Melissa Reese on synths, keyboard, and back vocals, who was added to the band in 2016 at the start of the reunion era. This may very well be the most versatile lineup in GNR’s long history.
They work through the usual cast of characters. Your “Mr. Brownstone,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Double Talkin’ Jive,” etc. But on this tour they have added some unexpected songs, such as the Use Your Illusion tracks “Bad Obsession” and “Pretty Tied Up,” both of which they hadn’t played since the early 90s, the deep cut “Reckless Life,” and “Down on the Farm,” which is the lone “The Spaghetti Incident?” song on the set list. And some covers that were surprising earlier in the reunion, but have now become mainstays, like Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” and the Country standard “Wichita Lineman.”
They played all three of their new reunion era singles, “Hard Skool,” “Perhaps,” and “ABSURD.” I know that fan reaction has been mixed when it comes to these songs, but I think they’re great additions to the GNR canon, and add some nice fresh meat to the set. They sound fantastic live.
My one complaint with the set list is that there was a moment where it lulled a little bit. It went: Slash’s solo, “Sweet Child O’Mine,” “November Rain,” “Wichita Lineman,” and then “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” All great and iconic songs, and I’m definitely not complaining about hearing them live, but also all slower songs, and all in a row. And following a guitar solo? I don’t know about that. But I suppose it is a three hour show, so you can’t expect it to be all fireworks. Thankfully they woke us up after this slower section with “Nightrain,” which they opened with an actual train horn. It was so loud it actually shook the floor.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Axl’s voice. My ears don’t lie, I heard what I heard, and I heard a guy that can still sing. Don’t believe the cherry picked compilations showing his bad moments. He’s still hitting all of the notes required of him, turning up the rasp on his screams, and running around the stage like he’s a twenty-something year old kid. Give me a break. He’s still Axl Rose, one of the most charismatic and iconic frontmen in all of music history.
They ended their set with the old reliable closer “Paradise City,” and left the stage. But they came back on for a final bow. If you had told me in 2016 that I would see that same incarnation of Guns N’ Roses seven years later, I would have called you a liar. History shows that Axl Rose is a very volatile, grudge holding, angry man. But that was the old Axl. This Axl seems happy and rejuvenated. He’s in a good place, and it’s great to see.
Seriously, go and see them next time around.
