Guns N’ Roses isn’t just Axl’s life

by Fiuza

Last Saturday night (25), the Guns N’ Roses made the second presentation — of the 5 confirmed on Brazilian soil — in the capital of São Paulo. The band led by the temperamental Axl Rose (vocals), has Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (low), Richard Fortus (guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboard), Melissa Reese (keyboard and synthesizers) and the new member Isaac Carpenter (battery).

The Californian band hadn’t been to Brazil since 2022, when they played at Rock in Rio and went on a long solo tour. The opening show was performed by the Brazilian band Raimundosin all presentations in the country.

It’s hard not to talk about the singer’s vocals. Axl Rosenow 63 years old, but I’m going to try to contain myself. THE Guns N’ Roses continues to be one of the biggest hard rock bands on the planet, proof of this is the packed performances around the world, but Axl He’s not in the best shape, but he said he wouldn’t fall into the trap of talking about his voice.

The set list is practically the same on this tour, with the unnecessarily long name of Because What You Want and What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things (“Because what you want and what you will get are two completely different things”)but two things have not changed, in fact, three: the opening with “Welcome To The Jungle”, ending with “Paradise City”, and the vocals of Axl. But I’m not going to comment on that.

The soil of Slash in “Welcome To The Jungle” (Appetite For Destruction1987) invaded Allianz Parque at 8pm sharp. It’s hard not to get excited about the song, as it was one of the first I heard from the (then) quintet. A friend once told me that he fell in love with Guns when these same chords reached his ears. I don’t doubt it, it really is a great song.

The septet continues the show with “Bad Obsession” (Use Yout Illusion I1991)), “Chinese Democracy” (Chinese Democracy2008), “Pretty Tied Up” (Use Your Illusion II1991), “Mr Brownstone” and “It’s So Easy” (Appetite For Destruction1987).

The b-sides continue and leave the audience a little warm. The vast majority of people who went to the show expected to see the classics, of course, but they were also treated to songs that the Guns they had rarely (or never) played live. This explains the duration of the concert: 3 hours and a bit.

“The General” (single by Perhaps2023), “Perhaps” (Perhaps2023), “Slither”, cover of Velvet Revolver and another cover (which has now become part of the band) “Live And Let Die”, close the first part of the show.

Then they came “Hard Skool” (Hard Skool, 2021) and the cover of JimmyWeb“Wichita Lineman”, followed by the tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “Never Say Die”. The presentation continues with “Foreign” and “Yesterdays” (Use Your Illusion II1994), “Double Talkin’ Jive” and “Don’t Cry” (Use Your Illusion II1991).

Axl took a break to have a drink of water and change his t-shirt and Duff McKagan took over the vocals in “Thunder And Lightning”, cover of ThinLizzyfollowed by “Absurd” (2008 single) and “Roquet Queen” (Appetite For Destruction1987), with giant soil of Slash. Then came “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, cover of Bob Dylan and “You Could Be Mine” (Use Your Illusion II1991) with the band’s performance, followed by an endless solo by Slash to begin — perhaps the song that drew the most screams from the audience — “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (Use Your Illusion II1991).

The end of the presentation was “Civil War” (Use Your Illusion II1991), “November Rain” (Use Your Illusion I1991), “This I Love” (Chinese Democracy2008), “Human Being”, cover of New York Dollsand two of Appetite For Destruction (1987): “Nightrain” and “Paradise City”.

Among tattooed grown men, preppy girls and old rockers, the Guns N’ Roses it pleased everyone, especially children who were at a show for the first time (I heard about three parents comment on this). And as I promised, I will not speak of the voice of Axleven because in the vast majority of the songs you could barely hear the quarrelsome blonde’s vocals, so much did people sing along with the band.

More than we read (and see) out there, age comes to everyone, and seeing a band of this level live is chilling. I remember the commercial Terminator II in which “You Could Be Mine” played while a truck blew up a bridge in pursuit of Schwarzenegger’s character, and I was dying to know who was playing it.

THE Guns It may seem like a band formed by your primary school teachers, but it’s really worth it, and, quoting my bench colleague, Igor Miranda, who wrote in another article: “Axl Rose continues to suffer from vocal inconstancy perceived over the last two decades, with more bad nights than good ones, but still with a high level of delivery”, I’m glad I had a good night.

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