Concert Review #4: Guns N Roses & The Pretenders

Throngs of people young and old flocked to the Rogers Centre in a sea of black tees interspersed with bandanas, to take in the Guns N’ Roses show on Sunday. A big rock show is a great way to mark the unofficial end of summer. GNR lit up the Rogers Centre in a three-hour set that included a few surprises. The first surprise of the evening being the pairing with opener the Pretenders. At 71, Chrissie Hynde can still belt out a tune, as she and the rest of the band put on a 15-song opening set, playing for close to an hour and a half. The set included fan favourites Back on the Chain = Gang, Don’t Get Me Wrong, I’ll Stand By You, and Middle of the Road, along with some new material. Having never seen The Pretenders before, this was a great start to the evening.

The question going into the main act, would the band still have that thing, that inexplicable draw that thrilled crowds in the 80’s and 90’s? Slash’s guitar playing is as sharp and effortless as ever. Duff and Slash fall into an ease with one another that is evident. Guitarist Richard Fortus proved that while Slash may be the guitar God on the stage, he is no slouch either. He took his moment in the spotlight with a 2-minute solo that impressed with it’s ease and power. Slash of course never disappoints with his power chords and riffs, and took many moments to shine throughout the show including an amazing solo that left me a little speechless. Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese on keys and synthesizer, and Frank Ferrer on the kit rounded out the instrumental sound that had the band sounding full, powerful and tight.

The touring and long set lists have taken a toll on Axl’s voice, as he seemed to struggle through much of the show. Axl, known for having a powerful wide-ranging voice, had a hard time hitting the high points in many of the songs that people have come to identify with GNR music. While the songs are unchanged, Axl’s voice was strained and often out of key, at times it seemed that he opened his mouth, and nothing would come out. The 30-song set list included fan favourites from all eras including Mr. Brownstone, Welcome to the Jungle, Civil War, Live and Let Die and of course November Rain. Surprises of the night included Duff McKagan singing on a powerful cover of The Stooge’s “T.V. Eye”. Other covers of the night included the expected Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Down on the Farm, Slither, and believe it or not a touching rendition of Witchita Lineman. Closing out the show were Nightrain and Paradise City. The set list stirred up a lot of nostalgia. While at one time, a band that was defined as a rebellious group that defined its generation with its raw energy, this version of GNR seemed to be a group of guys out to play loud rock for the love of music. The feuding of the past seemed forgotten, just going to prove that sometimes all it takes is a little Patience (missing from the show’s set list) and Anything Goes.

Keep on Rockin’

The Set Lists

Categorised in: Classic Rock Intern

This post was written by Blackburn Media