Guns N' Roses

 Here’s case where I did NOT previously write about the matter in question, most likely because the only time (prior to last Sunday’s show in Baltimore) we had seen them was in 1992, a time at which I was not blogging, and Chinese Democracy, their most recent album of new material, wasn’t released until 2008, and although I purchased it and listened to it soon after it was released, it made no favorable impression upon me.

And as for the Sunday release? Well, I’m writing this watching “Radical Action”, a video of a latemodel (three drummer) King Crimson show.  Don’t count on GNR covering any Crimson….   In between confirming I don’t have COVID on Friday afternoon and finishing off Vincent Bugliosi’s critique of the “fiction posing as fact” which was Oliver Stoned’s “JFK” crapfest, I was distracted.  But now you get my 2 centavos on Weapons & Flowers.

Back in fall 1987, I was a sophomore at University of Maryland, College Park.  We had a suitemate named Woody, whose musical preference, while including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, also featured a heavy dose of hair metal; his favorite band was Twisted Sister.  Then Appetite For Destruction came out, and he went nuts.  He was obsessed.  I thought it was OK, nothing special.  The strongest element isn't Axl - though he seems to fit the bill of oversexed, egocentric lead singer - it's Slash, pumping his blues-scale solos through Jubilee-spec Marshall amps, often playing on the neck pickup, oddly enough. We also saw Axl filling in for Brian Johnson on AC/DC's most recent visit to the Verizon Center (now Capitol One Arena) in DC.  Not bad, plus a set list of deep cuts Johnson usually doesn't sing.  

In 1992 we saw the joint Metallica/Guns N’Roses tour at RFK Stadium in DC.  Faith No More went on first, followed by Metallica, and then GNR.  We left before the encore.  The show was OK, but we preferred Metallica.

Guns N’ Roses Concert Setlist at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington on July 17, 1992 | setlist.fm

Last Sunday we saw them again, in Baltimore.  Our seats were actually up close on the floor, but the damn yahoos in the seats in front of us blocked the view waving their cell phones en masse – because a show didn’t happen unless 300++ people record it on their cell phones.  Of the original lineup, Waxl Rose (vocals), / (guitar) and Duff O’Kagan (bass).  They had some other guy playing rhythm guitar, Weedy Dizz on keys, some drummer, and some chick on keyboards – hired elves, so to speak.  Oh, and lots of stage movies, with a focus on medieval plague doctors with vaccine syringes.  Unclear message there: the plague was caused by bacteria, not viruses.  Maybe meant to imply that the vaccines were medieval technology and therefore practically useless, possibly harmful.  GNR are anti-vax?  Oddly, in addition to a few covers, the current band played "Slither", from Velvet Revolver (Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots originally singing).  

Guns N’ Roses Concert Setlist at Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore on September 26, 2021 | setlist.fm

Discography:  Appetite For Destruction, GNR Lies (half live, half acoustic), Use Your Illusion #1, Use You Illusion 2, The Spaghetti Incident (collection of covers, mostly punk), and Chinese Democracy.  The last album came out several years later with a revolving array of musicians (e.g. Buckethead) and lacked any standout songs, though the band saw fit to include several numbers from it on at Sunday night’s concert.

Of these albums, you could cull 10-12 quality songs and write off Chinese Democracy altogether.  I enjoyed watching Slash on guitar; Duff was still spry and energetic.  Axl did a heroic effort of belting out vocals written when his voice was much younger.  Stalwarts like “November Rain” and “Estranged” were the stellar, epic numbers which make the whole endeavor worthwhile.  Sadly, the band is hit-or-mess, with a fair amount of forgettable material, but their good stuff is good enough.  Thank you, Matt, for bringing me to another show.  AMEN.