IT'S NOT EASY being a Guns N' Roses fan. That was made clear at Friday night's show at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Actually, it wasn't Friday night that was bad Saturday morning was the real killer.
After making fans wait for more than four hours, and sit through three opening acts, Guns N' Roses finally took the stage at 12:30 a.m. Some fans will have to take my word on that, given that many could be seen leaving the building well before the last opener, Sebastian Bach, finished his set.
You might say we were lucky the band took the stage at all in Oakland. Things didn't start off so hot in the GNR world on Friday, as vocalist Axl Rose announced earlier in the day that the group was canceling its shows next month, including a Jan. 10 date in Sacramento.
"Lucky" is an odd term to describe the situation fans found themselves in after GNR finally finished around 2:45 a.m. Indeed, many of these concert-goers, who could be seen yawning early in the set, were lucky just to get home safely.
That's business as usual in the wacky, mixed-up world of Axl Rose. Despite his overwhelming talent, both as a performer and songwriter, the 44-year-old rock star has managed to hold the heavily contested title of Most Messed Up Rock Star for more than a decade. Truly, he makes Courtney Love look like she's got her act together.
All of that would be fine, and we could just close the book on Mr. Rose if he didn't show occasional signs of brilliance.
In fact, there were times when all of the hassle associated with the Oakland show as well as the years of drama leading up to it felt worth it. One such moment came as the band performed the traditional opener, "Welcome to the Jungle," the lead track from 1987's stellar "Appetite for Destruction." Rose didn't hold anything back as he scratched and clawed through the number, and the rest of the band matched the front man's passion.
In particular, the three-guitar attack Robin Finck, Richard Fortus and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal did a great job re-creating original GNR lead guitarist Slash's memorable riffs. Attempting to satisfy fans' appetite for "Destruction" material, the group then performed solid, though unspectacular, versions of "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone.
" From that point, the band which features GNR vet/keyboardist Dizzy Reed, keyboardist Chris Pitman, drummer Frank Ferrer and bassist Tommy Stinson (of the Replacements fame) mixed old favorites such as "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "November Rain" with new tunes that will likely be on the next album. Of course, that's assuming there will be a next album. One of the most infamously delayed works in rock history, "Chinese Democracy" was originally scheduled for a 1998 release date.
Rose was aiming to release it by the end of 2006 but is now saying March. Want to wager on whether that will happen? Judging by the strength of the Oakland show, "Chinese Democracy" should be a good album when or if it comes out.
And that's what's so frustrating about this band. In some ways, GNR sounds better than it did back in its commercial heyday. The new band is strong in concert.
Rose has still got it. And, most amazingly, these fans still care even at 2:30 a.m.
GNR should be competing for greatest hard rock band in the world. Instead, most of its energy seems directed toward winning most annoying act in the business. And that's why being a Guns N' Roses fan is so hard.
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