Guns N’ Roses turn London's Wembley Stadium into 'Paradise City'
Live Nation
Despite start-time confusion, the massive stadium filled up for the American rock gods
Guns N’ Roses took to the storied Wembley Stadium in London, England on Thursday (June 26th). Starting at an early-dusk 7 pm, the band powered through 30-plus hits and fan favorites over three hours.
Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, and company opened with a jet-fueled “Welcome to the Jungle” and kept the firepower up with “Bad Obsession.” The first slower song—if you can call it that—was a reverberating “Live and Let Die,” the hook of which seemed to run rings around the oval-shaped British landmark and its noted red seats.
All were in fine form. Axl’s voice—a source for many a debate—held out, especially in his higher register. Duff was a steady presence. But it was Slash who stole the show. His unmistakable shredding ability has not lost a step in over 50 years as a player.
But that’s not to say the others in this classic trio weren’t stellar. A stand out moment for Axl was his “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which had the whole crowd swaying in unison to the chorus. It was a beautiful moment.
Duff had a moment to shine on “Catcher in the Rye,” a thumping number from 2008 that came about mid-set.
On stage, the band kept it simple with two screens flanking them and a large back wall, with LED risers. Projected were skeleton-themed graphics and a dystopian world out of a video game. The show opened with a roulette motif as part of an intro video.
But it was the start time of the show that became a sticking point among fans. Even as late as last night when this reporter checked before flying in to Heathtow, it was listed as “TBD.” The time for the first act, the stellar Rising Sons from Long Beach, California, was announced as 5:30 pm by Wembley. GNR went on at 7. However, most thought they wouldn’t go on till 8:30 which meant the bowl filled up as the night wore on. Wembley, please do better at announcing start times. As an American not familiar with how you time out your shows in the UK, it’s important to be informed early.
Guns N Roses are hitting most of Europe and Asia this run. The mouthful name of this trek is called the Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things Tour. But in the case of this legendary band, what their fans want and need are exactly the same thing indeed.
