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Review
By David Jakielo
For all the bad that has been said about the Detroit show,
the Pittsburgh show was the complete opposite. This was an
amazing show. I really didn't think Axl's voice could hold
up all show, but it did. He was holding notes longer during
certain songs (especially Live and Let Die) than he did 10
years ago. I don't know how this guy does it.
Security
checks were HORRIBLE. I was going to buy a decent tape recorder
and tape it to my leg to bootleg this show, but figured they
would find it. The guy didn't even pat me down, he just told
me to go. They were doing this to most people so there should
definitely be some bootlegs out there.
I
loved how about 10 kids immediately began to mosh during the
start of the show. There is always the bodybuilder on steriods
who takes his shirt off and wants to hurt someone. All the
other fans sort of looked
at them and got the message across that this isn't what GNR
is about. I never understood moshing...I just felt it was
something entertaining, yet dumb to do while a bad performance
was happening. Thankfully, GNR is entertaining enough for
people to just watch and go crazy.
CKY
really ruined it for themselves when one of their guitarists
tried to get the crowd to hate him. This made no sense to
me and made what seems to be a decent band come off bad.
Mix
Master Mike either really, really cool and entertaining or
rather boring. He's weird as an opener but the new generation
of Guns N Roses fans will love this type of thing. The old
gunners really seemed to dislike it. I loved the parts that
played Rob Zombie, Rage Against The Machine, etc. but other
parts really dragged. A Nelly song should NEVER be played
at a GNR show.
MMM
ended around 9:30. From this point GNR cameras would scan
the crowd looking for girls to flash. Many went for it including
two girls that decided to make out briefly. During this time
I headed to the back and a bunch of people were saying how
they hate Axl and he'll never show up. One guy yelled how
he was leaving soon if he didn't show up.so I started talking
to him. His last GNR show was San Diego 10 years ago. He didn't
know too much about the new band and never heard the songs.
He said if they didn't show at 10:30 he was leaving.
Hopefully
he stayed till 10:47 when GNR finally came on or else he missed
one hell of a show. I noticed many people getting very upset
about Axl, saying how they hated him. That there lies the
beauty of Axl Rose. One minute an arena filled with people
hate his guts then he
shows up and transforms into the greatest guy in the world.
The
show kicked off to a great and flawless start with Jungle,
It's So Easy, and Brownstone. One song right after another,
no breaks. Axl was wearing a Jerome Bettis home jersey, white
shoes, and black silky ADIDAS
pants. Live and Let Die was UNREAL. How he held the screams
that long is beyond me. During this song I felt the need to
yell out, "HE'S BACK." At this point the place was
rocking and it put a smile on my face to see
people just getting off to the whole experience.
Things
slowed down with Knockin' On Heaven's Door. We all know Axl's
voice has changed from 10 years ago, but the voice he has
now makes for a much smoother version of the song.
Axl
then dedicated Think About You to all the girls in the audience
who flashed the crowd. Another note to keep in mind is how
Axl was running around like a wild man but still managed to
sing fine without seeming out of breath. A powerful version
of You Could Be Mine followed.
Then
Robin played his intro to Sweet Child and everyone went crazy
as you'd expect. People can say, Slash this, Slash that and
I loved Slash but Robin does it just as well.
Somewhere
around this point Axl switched to a Mario Lemieux jersey and
said something to the effect of, "I know you people are
gamblers (I remember reading about a Pittsburgh show years
ago where he said "I
don't know much about Pittsburgh except I lost a lot of money
because of the Steelers) did you really think I was gonna
show up?"
Out
Ta Get Me Played and then Axl said how people aren't happy
about them not playing new songs but tonight would be more
of a nostalgia night. However, he wanted to play a new song.
Madagascar. I think this
is the best new song, really strong. If you want to get looks
from people, as if to say, "you are a sick freak"
make sure to sing the lyrics to Madagascar. All of us have
heard the new songs since the RIR 3 show, and
tend to not realize how hardly anyone has heard the new songs.
I wonder how much of a percent of the audience has heard those
songs, I bet very little. People didn't seem real sure how
to take it, but by the end dug
it. More of a reception for this song than the other new ones
because of the MTV Video Awards exposure.
Axl
then asked for a piano, he joked around playing one intro, then
played some sweet intro into November Rain. Not sure what that
second intro was, but if it's the beginning of a new song, he
has something. There might be nothing better than when Axl is
on singing November Rain, and tonight he was on. The fire effects
are a great effect.
Everyone
was digging the Buckethead solo. Some people find him weird,
and he is but he can play. He played the same songs he has
been playing on the tour, Star Wars, Pirates Life For Me,
etc. Very entertaining and
he seems to be getting a cult following.
Next
was Rocket Queen, followed by The Blues. Dizzy played piano
for The Blues. Axl stood on top of the piano for the closing
of the song. I think this song contains the best lyrics out
of the new songs the last verse of the song is something everyone
has felt at least once in their life.
Due
to the Detroit incident, I was worried that the show would
end with Patience. Thankfully it didn't, on this night they
played it the way it should be played.
Around
this time Axl mentioned how he was at a restaurant and this
girl seemed excited to see him. First she wanted an autograph,
then he ate, she wanted a picture, than after she wanted to
talk him again. "Then
she began to rip me a new @#%$." Axl asked her where
she heard things she was saying and she said, "I read
them on the Internet." Really funny stuff. Maybe she
asked him about THIS I LOVE which seems to be a
subject and a burning question that will never die. Anyway,
Axl said how the Internet is a great tool and even he learns
things going on in his band on there. "I'll read something,
then call someone and they'll say 'I didn't know that' and
then add, 'oh yeah, I did hear about that."
Chinese
Democracy rocked and the fire effects made it even more impressive.
A teen sitting behind me said "if he can sing like this
on a record, he's gonna sell a lot of @#%$ records again."
The guy he was with responded..this guy can sing his ass off."
They were both right and anyone who says "Axl is too
old, out of shape, etc." Has no idea what they are talking
about.I'm sure he's proving it in other cities like he proved
it in Pittsburgh, he's for real and so is the rest of the
band.
I can't stress enough what they proved tonight.
Nightrain
played, leading into the encore of Robin and Paradise City.
Before Paradise City Axl was waving a Terrible Towel, which
is a legendary item dealing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Axl sure knows all the tricks. Paradise City had the smoke,
fireworks, confetti, etc.
I'm
probably forgetting certain things but it's late someone else
will fill in what I missed. Bottom line is this, GNR is back.
The crowd was filled with fans whose GNR shirts were a little
tighter than when they bought them 10 years ago and new fans.
People were into it. The older people sat at times, which
is a bummer, but that happens. Going to this concert and getting
off on it..and looking around and seeing people my age, who
weren't old enough to experience the Use Your Illusion tour
but discovered GNR on their own.will make you feel very, very
happy. We are all very lucky that this is happening around
the country..don't miss out, and take a friend. Axl Rose has
done what few have done in the
past. He captured one generation and is on the right track
to not only recapture them but also capture a whole new generation,
with the help of an excellent, tight band.
One
final comment. I was seated in a way so that I could see the
backstage area too. Well, at one point I saw Axl go back there
(in the middle of a song) and he saw this older lady sitting
on the steps. Not sure who the older lady was but Axl had
a big smile on his face and jokingly acted like he was going
to kick her down the steps. This wasn't for show, he's a happy
man.
Axl
once wrote, "I want to get to a place mentally where
I can say, 'Hey, this is me, capture it,' and I'm not there
yet. I'm trying to get myself healthy." Axl Rose is finally
there, he's healthy.
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