GNR Shambles at O2??

RVD420

tl;dr, but I was at this gig tonight....

I'll post (but just ever so slightly censored) what I posted over on a GNR forum, on my take on tonight's gig:

Dont wanna get banned etc, just tellin it like I saw it:

the boo-ing before the band even arrived on stage was a bit much....
And when they did arrive, they were met with a chorus of BOOOOO's

no need for that.

Ashba did his usual "Hulk Hogan Ears" trick....a BOOOO for each ear....

2 verses into Jungle, Axl stopped the song, said something...and continued....

We got about 3/4 more songs, and then some f'n imbecile decided to hurl a glass bottle at the stage.

Axl saw red (and I agree 100%) and said it was all over.

I was disgusted at the so-called "fans", but reckoned the gig was done.

approx 45 mins later..... "LIVE AND LET..."

OMG THEY'RE BACK ON!!!!!

ran back in, get a savage spot near the stage, and the gig rocked on.

Axl was motionless from then onwards, but gave the vocals his all (he was on fire tonight), but he never engaged the crowd....no showmanship etc.... He wasn't in the mood, and that was understandable....

Axl was there to "do a job", and he's damn right on that one imo....

The guitar players....they saved the night from total chaos...

It was a shuffled-setlist, but such a great performance.

I'm ashamed that it had to play out like it did, and Axl is totally right to be pissed off, but hopefully they saw the good fans outweighed the bad tonight. Haters gonna hate, but those who truly love this band....and waited around, cos they absolutely love this band (or just couldn't find a taxi quick enough...lol j/k ), were rewarded....

Just after the "Ballad of Death" by DJ Ashba, some rednecks tried to chant "We Want Slash", I (extremely drunkenly) roared back at em "NO WE DONT!!!"
Not too many arguments on that one....

Axl sang so good but there was no love in his performance tonight....and I wouldn't blame him tbh.... but the 3 guitarists had the crowd eating outta their hands, amazing stuff.

I hope in some bizarre way, that someone associated with the band is a lurker on this forum, cos I'll say this, and i dont care if i'm flamed for it....

The way the Irish fans welcomed GNR here tonight was a total f-ing disgrace.
I was sick to the guts as people started boo-ing even before the gig.
It was, by no way, any reflection on those of us who were here tonight to see our favourite band of all time....
We'd crawl through a mile of shy-t, just to hear the opening chords of Chi-Dem title track....but the thing is, there's always gonna be c***s, no matter what....
Haters gonna hate...and all that jazz....

Axl was spot-on to perform as "contracted"....he still sang f'n amazing.....

And if anyone...ANYONE.... on any internet forum, or even in "real life" wants to hate on DJ Ashba anymore.....lemme tell ya, I've seen Robin Finck, and the great man "Slash" try dance the GNR dance, and DJ fcukng owns all their asses.

RANT OVER.

Max_Damage

I would have had to leave early regardless as the car park was shutting up shop at midnight. If those clowns started on time none of this would happen.

Axl is a pathetic wash-up.

scudzilla

RVD420 wrote: »

And if anyone...ANYONE.... on any internet forum, or even in "real life" wants to hate on DJ Ashba anymore.....lemme tell ya, I've seen Robin Finck, and the great man "Slash" try dance the GNR dance, and DJ fcukng owns all their asses.
RANT OVER.

Complete and utter BOLLOX IMHO

This DJ guy is not a member of the band, he's a hired session musician, a band member will have a say in thing, DJ does not, A band member would stand up when the fans are being taken for a ride by another band member, DJ does not.

RVD420

Max_Damage wrote: »

Axl is a pathetic wash-up.

Bollocks, pal.

RVD420

scudzilla wrote: »

Complete and utter BOLLOX IMHO

This DJ guy is not a member of the band, he's a hired session musician, a band member will have a say in thing, DJ does not, A band member would stand up when the fans are being taken for a ride by another band member, DJ does not.

Right...ok. So going by your theories.... That leaves one "member of the band"....Axl. Tell me how the others are not, as you say, "hired session musicians"???? Who's been there from Day 1....hell, since Chinese Democracy???

DJ lit that crowd up tonight, along with the other "nobodies" in the band, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal and Richard Fortus.

The fans were not "taken for a ride" tonight. Some moron, sorry, so-called "fan" decided it'd be a great idea to fcuk a glass bottle at the band. Axl said enough was enough, show over - and he was damn right! No one should have to take that.

The only one "taken for a ride" tonight was the damn band themselves. They could've easily just walked away....but I guess the "nobodies" somehow convinced Axl to soldier on......

scudzilla

RVD420 wrote: »

Right...ok. So going by your theories.... That leaves one "member of the band"....Axl. Tell me how the others are not, as you say, "hired session musicians"???? Who's been there from Day 1....hell, since Chinese Democracy???

DJ lit that crowd up tonight, along with the other "nobodies" in the band, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal and Richard Fortus.

The fans were not "taken for a ride" tonight. Some moron, sorry, so-called "fan" decided it'd be a great idea to fcuk a glass bottle at the band. Axl said enough was enough, show over - and he was damn right! No one should have to take that.

The only one "taken for a ride" tonight was the damn band themselves. They could've easily just walked away....but I guess the "nobodies" somehow convinced Axl to soldier on......

You call having a support band play for 90 mins and GnR not bothering showing up till 10.30 NOT TAKING THE FANS FOR A RIDE??

How you can still support them after this i'll never know, i gave up a long time ago.

And i seriously doubt that the nobodies talked him back on stage, i think that would have been due to a large number of legal threats from the Promoters and the Gardai trying to avoid a riot

tororosso

Riddle101 wrote: »

Ok I was at the Guns 'n' Roses gig at the O2, so I will give my detail of the events.

(1)Guns 'n' Roses came on and started playing Welcome to the Jungle first. But during the song, some bottles were thrown at them which Axl took excecption to. Axl Rose then stopped the the song and said not to throw anything at the stage, and warned them all not to. Which is perfectly exceptable because G'n'R don't need to take that kind of sh!t.

(2)GnR then preform songs, such as Mr Brownstone and some Chinese Demoracy songs, and then somone again throws another bottle at the stage. GnR then walk off stage and proceed to leave. Again, it was not GnR or Axl Rose's fault, it was the audience and the idiots who decided to throw sh!t at the stage, because they had already been warned beforehand by Axl, but they didn't listen.

(3)Hell breaks loose. The crowd is p!ssed off this stage, with a few people trying to hop the fence at the stage and trying to start something with security. Needless to say they were dragged away.

(4)A half an hour later, Guns 'n' Roses return to the stage, and proceed to perform again. This was around 11:00pm or 11:15pm, and they played right through to 1:00am with no problems whatsoever.

So at the end of the night. The only people to blame for this, are the idiots who decided to throw bottles at the stage. Axl and Co. were well in the right to do what they did, because a lot of the people just didn't understand the concept of "don't do that again" The worst part about this is that, the people who did throw bottles, are basically ruining it for the rest of the people, because we paid to see Guns 'n' Roses, and wanted a great night. Yet some people nearly ruined it for us and decided to throw bottles and hense might have ended the show on bad terms.

Axl Rose does not deserve to be blamed. He told them beforehand not to do so and they didn't listen, and anyone who is a Guns 'n' Roses fan should know no to fcuk around with Axl or test him because he means what he says. Axl was in the right to do what he did tbh.

Absolute nonsense about Axl not deserving the blame. He is responsible because he is an ignorant (not going to insult him here) individual who decides that his fans can wait for a ridiculous amount of time before coming out on stage. Apparently it was nearer to 11pm when he came out for the Belfast gig. This is not a once off from him on this tour and if you treat your fans with such disrespect without even acknowledging it with an apology or explanation of course the crowd will turn nasty.

Another thing is that this gig was over. The stewards and security were telling people that it was over too so them coming out again was an attempt to prevent people from getting their money back. Of course this wouldnt be the first time that people have thrown bottles, shouted "Boo-urns", or even rioted following an Axl Rose crazy show...the common equation here is one man: Axl Rose.

RVD420

scudzilla wrote: »

You call having a support band play for 90 mins and GnR not bothering showing up till 10.30 NOT TAKING THE FANS FOR A RIDE??

How you can still support them after this i'll never know, i gave up a long time ago.

And i seriously doubt that the nobodies talked him back on stage, i think that would have been due to a large number of legal threats from the Promoters and the Gardai trying to avoid a riot

Ok, I agree with some points made there, but disagree with others.....
How I still support them is cos, I've loved this band in all its incarnations throughout the years, regardless....

The support was always gonna suck...simple... C'mon, 'Danko Jones'....wtf?

GNR arriving late on stage.....par for the course tbh.... The pre-show boo-ing may somehow be justified, but ya'd expect once they started rocking, the boos would cease, and the "fans" would just enjoy the band they paid to see....? But no. The boos got louder.....culminating in some twat throwing a glass bottle at the band...and Axl was 100% in the right to walk away from that.

I do agree with the legal threats being the reason to return to the stage ....his (Axl's) ass would've been sued to the high heavens if he walked out tonight....but at least the other band members gave the crowd the show they paid to see. Axl was not interested in showmanship tonight, but sang amazingly....

Not trying to be a smart arse, but were u at the gig tonight? If so, do you think they deserved that reaction from the crowd? Ok, they were late, boo that. But even when the gig kicked off, and they were firing on all cylinders? Would you honestly boo how they played those songs?

scudzilla

RVD420 wrote: »

Ok, I agree with some points made there, but disagree with others.....
How I still support them is cos, I've loved this band in all its incarnations throughout the years, regardless....

The support was always gonna suck...simple... C'mon, 'Danko Jones'....wtf?

GNR arriving late on stage.....par for the course tbh.... The pre-show boo-ing may somehow be justified, but ya'd expect once they started rocking, the boos would cease, and the "fans" would just enjoy the band they paid to see....? But no. The boos got louder.....culminating in some twat throwing a glass bottle at the band...and Axl was 100% in the right to walk away from that.

I do agree with the legal threats being the reason to return to the stage ....his (Axl's) ass would've been sued to the high heavens if he walked out tonight....but at least the other band members gave the crowd the show they paid to see. Axl was not interested in showmanship tonight, but sang amazingly....

Not trying to be a smart arse, but were u at the gig tonight? If so, do you think they deserved that reaction from the crowd? Ok, they were late, boo that. But even when the gig kicked off, and they were firing on all cylinders? Would you honestly boo how they played those songs?

Yeah, the support act sucked, and they made people sit through 90 mins of them.

Why should it be Par for the course for them to come on late? After all the crap that has happened to the band lately, all Axl had to do to prevemt ANY shiit goin down was to make it onstage for 9pm.

He's not an amateur, he knows all about touring europe and would have been well aware in advance that the curfew would have been 11pm, so why go on at 10.30??

I saw the original line up back in '88 and to this day Appetite remains one of my fav albums of all time, i stopped likingthem as a band after the Illusion tour, yet still like there early music.

No, i didn't go last night, i posted here as soon as the gig was announced that i would not be parting with 150euro for a pair of tickets as AXL is too much of a tool, guess i was proved correct.

The last time i saw them was when they headlined Download, the guy walked off stage twice because his dancing area by his mic was wet!!!!

RVD420

scudzilla wrote: »

Yeah, the support act sucked, and they made people sit through 90 mins of them.

Why should it be Par for the course for them to come on late? After all the crap that has happened to the band lately, all Axl had to do to prevemt ANY shiit goin down was to make it onstage for 9pm.

He's not an amateur, he knows all about touring europe and would have been well aware in advance that the curfew would have been 11pm, so why go on at 10.30??

I saw the original line up back in '88 and to this day Appetite remains one of my fav albums of all time, i stopped likingthem as a band after the Illusion tour, yet still like there early music.

No, i didn't go last night, i posted here as soon as the gig was announced that i would not be parting with 150euro for a pair of tickets as AXL is too much of a tool, guess i was proved correct.

The last time i saw them was when they headlined Download, the guy walked off stage twice because his dancing area by his mic was wet!!!!

Axl arriving late is to be expected imo. He's been spinning this "fashionably-late" yarn for many years, but tonight it bit him in the ass. My point is that, the utter disrespect the "fans" paid him tonight was way out of order. Boo-ing before the gig, cos he/they're late....fair enough. But once they get goin, booing all the way through the first 2 songs, throwing bottles at the band with only one intention, is bang out of order imo. No self-respecting band would/should have to put up with that. Otherwise, it'd be shades of the Blues Brothers, and bands would just perform behind chicken-wire.
When GNR went off stage (and rightfully so, imo) I was disgusted. Other "fans" bitching about GNR screwing them etc... Disgusted at how this band was treated once they started playing. But F-it, fair play to em, cos when they came back on stage (albeit an hour later), they put on a performance that many so-called bands doing the rounds nowadays, could ever only dream of. Axl was like a statue for the rest of the gig (awesome vocals tho), but the 3 guitar players just set the place alight.

All in all, a great gig imo...
Ups and downs, but we got there in the end.

Catchin some Z's ftw.
G'night.

Motley Crue

o1s1n wrote: »

Just back now. Shambles is too nice a word. I've never witnessed anything like that before in my life.

I'll add to that, it was an absolute joke, and I would consider myself a hardcore fan of the band

It's simple, plain and simple, MCD and Ticketmaster MUST issue a refund, they have an obligation - and I think a pleasant message from everyone here to MCD's Feedback page on their website will show strength in numbers.

I'm disgusted by Axl Rose's behavior last night, disgusted by the 02 for not putting a complete stop to the gig after a certain amount of time and disgusted by the late start.....

metzengerstein

jaysus ,glad i saw them last time in rds good gig that one ..... and didnt go to this .i had heard reports like this about a gig in uk but wanted to think it wasnt true ,

RVD420

Motley Crue wrote: »

I'll add to that, it was an absolute joke, and I would consider myself a hardcore fan of the band

It's simple, plain and simple, MCD and Ticketmaster MUST issue a refund, they have an obligation - and I think a pleasant message from everyone here to MCD's Feedback page on their website will show strength in numbers.

I'm disgusted by Axl Rose's behavior last night, disgusted by the 02 for not putting a complete stop to the gig after a certain amount of time and disgusted by the late start.....

They eventually came back on stage and totally kicked ass.....

/sleepin.

G'night lads n ladies.

Motley Crue

RVD420 wrote: »

They eventually came back on stage and totally kicked ass.....

My point. There was no way I was able to wait until nearly midnight to see a gig resume that had already had a late start. And a lot of the crowd supported this idea with their feet as well. And I didn't have a car, how was I supposed to get home with no buses, trams and other services running....are MCD gonna cover my 20 Euro taxi fare if I'd stayed?

bohsboy

Gone are the days of treating a load of teenagers like ****e. This crowd were a lot older and in no mood for the utter contempt they were treated with by Axl who left everyone standing and shuffling around for 75 minutes after the support act.

People were just getting angrier as they were left waiting and there was a lot of people seriously drunk, I was surprised for such a gig.

I passed by the wheelchair area and it was heartbreaking to see people who had gone to such obvious trouble to get to the concert having to be brought out so disappointed. There were a sursprisingly large amount of kids with the GNR regalia on who had been looking forward to a great night being led out not knowing what had happened.

I was near the front and there was nothing made from glass thrown at Axl, they were the plastic Carlsberg and Smirnoff ice bottles that look like they are made of glass. Whatever fool or fools were throwing the stuff really needs to pop down to their doctor for a test on their head. I can understand Axl being peed off and maybe the front area of the main body of the crowd should have been flooded with staff and a zero policy taken with any offenders, no matter what was thrown.

Still, it was dissappointing to finally see Axl, after being a hero of mine since 1988 and to be treated like a piece of crap.

A dreadful experience.

o1s1n

RVD420 wrote: »

They eventually came back on stage and totally kicked ass.....
.

Yes, at 11:30pm, half an hour after the venue curfew and after all the house lights had been turned on and we were told the concert was over and left.

I do not have time (and have better things to be doing) then to be waiting around till all hours of the morning 'just in case' a diva bitch decides to come back on stage.

**** that.

bohsboy

RVD420 wrote: »

They eventually came back on stage and totally kicked ass.....

/sleepin.

G'night lads n ladies.

I heard they were dreadful when they came back out?

Princess Zelda

bohsboy wrote: »

I heard they were dreadful when they came back out?

I thought the band themself were excellent when they came back. Axl was just standing there still and performing. But the guitarists were fantastic and it was a good finish. I would think the people who said they were dreadful were looking through red mist tbh.

BostonB

Going to a GNR gig expecting it to start/finish on time is a bit unrealistic. Axel has always done this from the very start back in the 80's.

That said if bottles are being thrown, I can't blame him for walking off. He gave a warning. You've really only got the muppets throwing stuff to blame. At least they came back on, though I'm surprised they did.

boredatwork82

This was a disgrace. And its a shame, because GNR started so well, and Axel's vocals were way better than the last time in the RDS.
Savage start to the gig with the guitarist with the hat up against the red screen!

I was under the impression, as was everybody else that the curfew was 11 o clock. So when he didn't start till 10.30 I was seriously pissed off. My car park closed at 12.30 and would have had to leave early then.

Anyways I didn't realise someone threw a glass bottle at him. No need for that. Thats down to the security in the arena. I just walked in, no frisking or anything. I know its impossible to find everything, but the O2 didn't help themselves. The staff there are idiots.
A few plastic cups thrown on stage would have sufficed to voice our discontent! But I have a feeling he was never too interested in putting on the show.

Early on in the evening there was a spillage on the floor, before Danko Jones.
3 Guys stood around the small spillage (half a pint) and radio'd and waited 7 minutes for a floor cleaning to come with a mop. Use a bit of cope on .......1 guy get a mop the other 2 stand over it! With poor security and guys like this working inside, this was a recipe for disaster.
O2/MCD really need to accept some responsibility for the poorly run show.

No informing the crowd, leaving them standing there. when he walked off stage for 20 mins. Hoping everyone would leave so they wouldn't have had to pay the refunds.

After the first bottle issue, axel should have apologised for been late, tore into the classics (paradise city, sweet child etc.) and win the crowd over, and they would have been in the palm of his hand, but playing that depressing song with a video of a drunk mother beating her kid, was the final straw. He needed to win the crowd over, and falled to do so.

MCD refunded Barbara striesand tickets, so the precedent is to refund our tickets.


Axel/GNR need to go to ACDC and see how to put on a class unbeleivable, on-time rock show.
Only for the crowd last night was so tame there would have been riots.
If that was a hardercore rock crowd they would have been fooked. Thank god for GNR having a massive main stream appeal as well as hardcore rock fans.

cournioni

I find it unbelievable that RVD420 has found it in himself to back up this diva. I was not at the gig last night, but from reports and what I've seen on you tube there is only one person to blame and that is the loonatic on vocals (please note that I am avoiding his name, and that I am avoiding calling that group last night Guns N Roses).

Bands have an obligation to be there on time for every show. They owe it to their fans who have paid €70+ for each ticket and have either come from a long hard day at work, taken time off work to see them or are out of work and cannot afford to be throwing about €70+ for a second rate concert. Yes fans were wrong to throw bottles (in the minority I'm sure, otherwise there would be 10000 bottles on stage), every band or performer gets that no matter where they go, there will always be one or two idiots around. Its part and parcel of being a performer, you have to get on with your job and entertain the other 9,999 paying customers in the crowd. Without them, the vocalist last night would be a nobody.

As for saying that fans were wrong to boo after the band turning up an hour and a half late?! Have you lost your marbles altogether?! How is that in any way acceptable? It is completely ignorant towards those paying customers who payed alot of money to be entertained, not to stand around waiting in ridiculously expensive dump for an hour and a half.

To say its ok for the band to show up that late because "it is to be expected"?! I'm gobsmacked. How can you possibly make that statement?! If someone was mugged and raped by a known rapist, should they lie down and just take it? No they shouldn't, they should have known better to stay away from the rapist, but it still doesn't make it in any way right. Thats what happened to the people that went to the concert last night. Mugged for €70 and left waiting for a washed up diva to show up and act like an asshole.

I wouldn't go to see that band again if I was paid, I've better things to do with my time.

cournioni

BostonB wrote: »

Going to a GNR gig expecting it to start/finish on time is a bit unrealistic. Axel has always done this from the very start back in the 80's.

It doesn't make it acceptable. You're not paying €70 to put up with that ****e, you're paying to see a show.

stbrennan

darrenw5094 wrote: »

http://www.state.ie

Its was a www.state.ie!!!


Axl Rose has singled handedly ruined their comeback tour...
They were hanging on a thread as it was due to there being no Slash, but if fans and going to be expecting a bitch fit that would make Big Brother, then who is going to go??

Ash.J.Williams

First and most importantly:

If you throw anything at bands you are scum...you are...you're a scumback knacker and you deserve to have an accicdent after the gig. Absolute lowest form of life, if you've ever done it ....you're a dick....simple.

Secondly:
Axl got his ass handed to him last night and i hope it makes him wake up, rock n roll antics are fine when you're a nobody, but when 14 thousand people are waiting since 7,after spending 70 euro to see you (after everyone else gave up on you) then you really should get your ass out of the hotel and get to the gig, we'll allow you a few minutes like a bride at a wedding, but 30 mins would suffice....

Finally:
Really, axl should have apologised for being late? cmon.....who do you think you were going to see pixie lott?

Ash.J.Williams

cournioni wrote: »

It doesn't make it acceptable. You're not paying €70 to put up with that ****e, you're paying to see a show.

Doesn't make it acceptable, but it was deffo going to happen, absolute 100% fact that gig was not going to go to plan, and everyone surely knew that...............

Ash.J.Williams

Also i hear people talking about "nobodies" and "hired" musicians.........
Bumblefoot is one of the absolute top guitarists on this planet, you were very lucky to be in his presence last night.

cournioni

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Doesn't make it acceptable, but it was deffo going to happen, absolute 100% fact that gig was not going to go to plan, and everyone surely knew that...............

Didn't happen in the RDS a few years back, so definately not 100%.

Princess Zelda

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Doesn't make it acceptable, but it was deffo going to happen, absolute 100% fact that gig was not going to go to plan, and everyone surely knew that...............

I cringed when I saw the first bottle going on stage cause I guessed he would walk off then (has before threatened in other shows to walk off). I just think there should be a clear distinction from being rock and roll late and absolutely taking the piss.

cournioni

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Also i hear people talking about "nobodies" and "hired" musicians.........
Bumblefoot is one of the absolute top guitarists on this planet, you were very lucky to be in his presence last night.

Never heard of him, what songs has he written?

grames_bond

Motley Crue wrote: »

It's simple, plain and simple, MCD and Ticketmaster MUST issue a refund, they have an obligation

Erm no they don't, the only obligation they had was to have Guns n Roses play a gig in the point....and they did.....yeah axl's premadonna attitude meant that it finished way too late but that's not MCD's fault, i personally think they did a good job getting him back on stage, and Dennis Desmond himself was the guy on stage telling us they were trying to get axl back, so under the circumstances i think they did well!

bohsboy wrote: »

I heard they were dreadful when they came back out?

the band were amazing, the three guitarists absolutley kicked ass, AXL's voice was perfect but he didnt give 2 shiney sh!ts when he came back out! no showman ship at all and no good night even!