Guns N’ Roses at 1st Bank Center – 12-11-11
by Corey Blecha
Photo by Storm Gloor
A Stream of Consciousness Timeline
10:30 – East entrance has at least 10 decked-out tour buses. I guess it is Guns N’ Roses. …
10:45 – Media enters to a half-full venue of mostly middle-aged diehards. We are told, “They will be on when they’re on.” Typical Axl … not on time.
10:52 – I was really curious as to how the crowd and turn-out for this show would be, and judging by this, less people than expected. Let’s hope the music is a little more fulfilling. …
10:59 – Eastern intro music, crowd screaming, cougars coug-ing.
11:06 – You’re in the jungle, baby!!!
11:18 – Aaaand the drunk guy gets taken out by five security guards as he runs towards the mixing table, sending beer flying everywhere!
11:27 – After ripping through about five or six songs rather easily, you can tell Axl really benefits from his new, youthful backing band even though it sucks Slash isn’t on stage, and I don’t know any of the other musicians names . . .
11:34 – Why does the keyboard stand keep wobbling back and forth? How the hell does he play accurately like that??
11:45 – I didn’t come here to watch the unknown bassist play an unknown song with the rest of the unknown musicians. . . where’s Axl?
11:52 – Way too many pyrotechnics, but the crowd loves it.
12:08 – A lot of filler material, introducing band, playing covers, Axl leaving the stage to do who knows what. Strong start, weak finish?? Let’s hope not. The covers have been pretty awesome, though, I must say.
12:15 – After about a 10-20-minute break, Axl is back on stage to finish a song (I am hoping these are all only wardrobe changes? But wait! He’s left again, only to return to side step, mic-stand hop across the whole stage! He’s still got the pipes and he’s still got the moves!
12:18 – More people getting kicked out of an already smallish crowd, probably more than most college-crowd shows I go to. Interesting. Everyone likes to party, I guess.
12:20 – The supposed-to-be “Slash” guy is very energetic and nimble, jumping all over the stage.
12:22 – I’m going to guess that about 25% of the show has consisted of rather aimless soloing from one of the three guitar players who were trying to make up for no Slash, and Axl seemed to be off the stage often during the middle of the show. People would’ve paid 75 dollars for him alone, but not more than 15 to see the back-up band play at Larimer Lounge. At an average ticket price of about 60-80 bucks, it’s something interesting to think about.
12:28 – Knew it was coming, that “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Sidenote: The drummer looks like Rick Ross, yes, the Miami rapper who hustles every day.
12:35 – “Just Another Brick in the Wall” with Axl on piano!!
12:39 – Into “November Rain”!!
12:48 – “Pink Panther” Theme? How is this going to end?!
12:53 – “Don’t Cry.”
12:57 – Zach Wilde from Black Label Society joins the band for a Metal song that’s loud and in your face, the way Metal should be. But are four guitarists really necessary?
1:10 – “Knockin’ on Heavens Door,” huh? Ok, it’s what I was hoping for . . .
1:12 – Did Axl just flip someone off??
1:15 – Seriously, gotta get out of here before I get attacked by a cougar . . .
Category: Planet Buzz