Ever since Axl Rose ditched his plans to make Guns N’ Roses a commercial behemoth, the band have returned to their former glory. During his steroid induced ego mania period, GNR faded into obscurity, becoming a gaudy tribute to their former glory.
Now the band are back better than ever, and will be touring the US and Mexico in the Fall with an extension of their Not in This Lifetime tour.
Below is everything you need to know about the latest tour as well as a brief look back at the legacy of one of the world’s greatest ever rock bands.
The Not In This Lifetime Tour looked to have ended in Honolulu last year, but it’s back this Fall in North America.
When is the tour?
The first date of the extended tour is scheduled for September 25th with the finale in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 2nd.
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Where are Guns N’ Roses playing?
So far 15 dates have been announced for the tour although there could be room for an extra couple of gigs. Currently the confirmed tour cities are;
Charlotte, Louisville, Jacksonville, Austin, Wichita, Austin, Manchester, Lincoln, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Las Vegas.
How much are tickets?
Presale deals have been and gone leaving only the most expensive tickets available via Ticketmaster. At time of writing tickets for the final gig at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas start at $339 and go as high as $1,536.
Will there be new music?
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Rumors of a new album have been circulating for some time, with some sources claiming that a release could be scheduled for this winter. However Slash pored flames over those rumors last month when he claimed that the band had ‘only just started’ on a new album.
If by some miracle they manage to rush through the majority of an album in the next month then there may be an outing of one or two new songs at the final Vegas gig. Don’t hold your breath though.
What to expect from the tour
The new US and Mexico concert dates are merely an extension of the Not in This Lifetime Tour that has been played all across the globe in the past 18 months. Early and late reviews of that tour were not particularly flattering for the band.
According to a number of reviewers Axl’s voice started badly on the tour, improved during the middle and faded out at the end. Obviously an element of fading is to be expected as the band simply aren’t the same performers that they were in their thirties.
But if you’re planning to go to any of these tour dates and relive the past glories of the band, temper your expectations somewhat. Guns N’ Roses are still the band that we all love, but 30 years on from their peak they are slightly different performers.
It’s fair to say that GNR and Axl Rose have suffered with fatigue for some years now.
Guns N’ Roses Legacy
For years, even decades it seemed that Axl Rose was hell bent on creating a legacy for Guns N’ Roses. And in some senses, it worked. There are plenty of merchandise and products based on the band, a game based on them is even among the online slots by NetEnt.
Other merchandise included dolls, hoodies and videos. Although this isn’t the typical route taken by rock bands, it helped to ensure that their reputation is what it is today. In recent years, the band have returned to their roots and focused mainly on the music.
Although concert tickets priced at well above one thousand dollars aren’t exactly the hallmark of a band that has ditched its love of commercialism.
Guns N’ Roses Memorable Moments
In 2002 GNR disappointed UK fans by turning up 2 hours late to their set at Reading festival meaning they were only on stage for a short time before they had to leave due to strict curfew laws.
In 2010 the band returned to Reading and Leeds festival and were told in advance by organizer Melvin Benn that they could come on stage late if they wanted, but they would have no extension to play later.
At Reading GNR turned up an hour late and the following day at Leeds they were over an hour late. True to his word, Benn had to cut the music when the curfew hit, and the band went on to play a terrible acoustic version of Paradise City.
Brought to you by John Spender
