Guns N’ Roses Alllstate Arena Review

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
By Aaron Keker

ALLSTATE ARENA, Rosemont – Guns N’ Roses is back! Last night, they played at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, in front of approximately 12,000 screaming fans. The night began with a performance by Modern Day Zero.

This was the first time Modern Day Zero played on tour with Gun N’ Roses and they sounded pretty good. After Modern Day Zero played the Suicide Girls followed in their performance.

The Suicide Girls danced to “Hells Bells” from AC/DC and to the “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin. One of the most daring acts had one of the girls swinging a hula-hoop with fire around the loop. If that was not daring and wild enough then came the performance of Sebastian Bach.

The crowd got even louder as Sebastian Bach performed songs new and old from his days in Skid Row. I have to tell you he looks the same as he did twenty years ago. Sebastian Bach jammed out electrically songs like “Slave To The Grind” and “Monkey Business” from the Slave to the Grind album. He played “Big Guns,” “18 and Life” and closed his performance with “Youth Gone Wild” from the Skid Row album. Also, semi-acoustic songs were played like “I Remember You” from the Skid Row album and “By Your Side” from his new album. Sebastian Bach’s new album will include songs “By Your Side,” “You Don’t Understand” and “Stuck Inside.” As Sebastian Bach closed with “Youth Gone Wild,” you could hear the intensity of the crowd as we all waited graciously for Guns N’ Roses.

As we all waited for Guns N’ Roses to play you could see the stage unfolding. There were banners that were in Chinese, that I believe, read Guns N’ Roses. The stage was broken up into two levels. The second level consisted of the drums, bongo and keyboards. The first level consisted of microphone stands and the place for the guitarists, bassist and of course Axl Rose.

As soon as the crowd heard the first few chords and Axl Rose say, “Do you know where you are, you are in the jungle baby …” the crowd exploded with excitement and started to sing along with Axl to “Welcome to the Jungle,” from the Appetite for Destruction album. As Axl ran up and down the stairs you could see the excitement in the air.

Axl and Guns N’ Roses played a majority of their songs from Appetite for Destruction. They played “Welcome to the Jungle,” “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Out Ta Get Me,” “My Michelle,” “Nightrain” and “Paradise City.”

From Use Your Illusion I, they played “Live and Let Die” and “November Rain.”

From Use Your Illusion II, they played “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “You Could Be Mine.”

“You Could Be Mine,” “Live And Let Die” and “November Rain” even had pyrotechnic explosions that occurred during the songs. The hugest explosions occurred on “Live and Let Die” and “You Could Be Mine.” When the explosions happened in each song, it terrified some, including myself that we lunged backwards.

After “November Rain,” Axl introduced Sebastian Bach and they both sang “My Michelle.”

Axl and Guns N’ Roses followed up “My Michelle” with one of the best acoustic rock ballads of all time, which is “Patience” for GN’R Lies.

After Patience, Axl and Guns N’ Roses ended their performance with Nightrain from Appetite for Destruction. Axl said, “Goodnight, Thank You.” The crowd then started to cheer and Gun N’ Roses was nowhere to be seen. The crowd started to intensify the cheers until they were loud enough, that I think it reached the heavens. Axl and the band returned and played three songs after the roaring encore.

The first song after the encore was “Chinese Democracy” from the Chinese Democracy album. The second song, I believe was Madagascar from Chinese Democracy. Axl and Guns N’ Roses ended their performance with “Paradise City” from Appetite for Destruction. As “Paradise City” was coming to a conclusion, red confetti was being dropped all over the fans in the general admission area.

However, there was another unfortunate incident like the Dashboard Confessional concert. Some idiotic fan threw what appeared to be a t-shirt at Axl Rose as he was at center stage singing “Paradise City.” Axl nonchalantly removed the item and kept singing. As the show concluded, Axl thanked the fans for their energy and support. So, what is my final assessment of the six hour-long concert?

Even though, I waited about three and a half hours to see Guns N’ Roses it was worth it. I have heard the rumors that Axl does not sound well in concert, in fact has been booed, but I thought he sounded really like the old Axl. He was running up and down the two level-stage and was still hitting those high notes with authority. What is even more amazing is, that I read the next day on www.gunsnroses.com, that he had strep throat and he was still able to hit those high notes. If I was Axl, and be honest we all have acted like Axl Rose in our own home, I think I would have lost my voice three songs into the performance. I am not sure how he does it. He must be Superaxl!

Also, there are some negative critics out there that say Guns N’ Roses are not the same without Slash and Duff. Slash and Duff were characters in the band, however Guns N’ Roses has never been about Slash and Duff. Guns N’ Roses is Axl Rose, and will always be Axl Rose, and everyone else in the band is the supporting cast.

I think guitarists Robin Finck, Ron Thal, and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardist Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer are very good compliments to the original four “gunners.” Of course, let’s not forget, the keyboard skills of the last remaining member in the last sixteen years, which is Dizzy Reed.

Therefore, I would recommend that you see Axl and Guns N’ Roses in concert because you won’t be disappointed. The concert is filled with excitement and energy like it was in the 1980’s. Maybe the next show in Chicago, I will meet Superaxl?

Here is the set list from the Chicago show:

(1) “Welcome to the Jungle”

(2) “It’s So Easy”

(3) “Mr. Brownstone”

(4) “Live and Let Die”

(5) Robin Finck Solo

(6) “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

(7) “Better”

(8) “Knockin on Heaven’s Door”

(9) “You Could Be Mine”

(10) Dizzy Reed Piano Solo

(11) New Song

(12) New Song

(13) Richard Fortus Guitar Solo

(14) “Out Ta Get Me”

(15) Guitar Solo w/Axl Rose Playing Piano

(16) “November Rain”

(17) Ron Thal Guitar Solo (Don’t Cry)

(18) “My Michelle”

(19) “Patience”

(20) “Nightrain” (Closed Show)

(21) “Chinese Democracy” (Encore Song)

(22) “Madagascar” (Encore Song)

(23) “Paradise City” (Encore Song)