If you went on safari to see a leopard and it'd changed its spots to squares you'd be disappointed wouldn't you? Apparently, on the eve of Guns N' Roses first U.S. tour for five years, some rock fans want Axl Rose to change his spots and act like an academic should.
Guns N' Roses started the 2011 leg of their Chinese Democracy tour with a headline gig at the massive Rock in Rio festival, and will end it with the last concert of a long U.S.A tour in December. GnR played Latin America earlier on the current tour, along with Canada, but it is the first Guns N' Roses U.S. tour for half a decade. They did play one date in the U.S. during 2010: headlining the Sturgis Festival.
Guns N' Roses South America Tour 2011
The Chinese Democracy website announced that Guns N' Roses are playing ten dates in South America during October 2011. After Rio de Janeiro on October 2nd they are playing concerts in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Mexico.
They finish that leg of the Chinese Democracy tour on October 23rd in Monterrey, Mexico.
The Rock in Rio gig was marred by atrocious weather conditions, and Axl Rose's voice seemed out of sorts, but they ploughed on and completed the usual long set. Video evidence from the following shows suggest Axl is now warming up, and showing signs of his old greatness, as seen on a video from Chile posted on YouTube.
Guns N' Roses U.S.A Tour 2011
The Guns N' Roses American tour 2011 seems set to kick off at the Amway Center, Florida on October 28th, and the last date is at the moment pencilled in for the Covelli Centre, Youngstown, Ohio on December 7th. More dates may be added.
There are currently twenty-two dates confirmed on Ticketmaster.
Axl Rose Warns of Possible Onstage Lateness
Axl Rose stirred up some controversy during the tour by warning fans that the he and the band might be late on stage sometimes. They have had a reputation for lateness since the original Guns N' Roses started in the mid-1980s.
On Guns N' Roses facebook (October 9th, 2011) Axl Rose posted a message saying fans should expect a rock n' roll band to be unpredictable: 'Love it Hate it Accept it Debate it - You want 8 o'clock shows go find F-R-I-E-N-D-S or hit a cinema somewhere.. or you wanna be informed go catch the 10 o'clock news.. this is Rock N' Roll!...This is Guns N'Roses and when the time is right the stage will ignite...'
This provoked a strong debate on rock forums such as Planet Rock (October 10th), with supporters applauding Rose for telling it like it is, and warning fans who might not have time to attend late shows not to buy tickets; while critics accused him of arrogance and not caring about the fans.
There is likely to be more controversy as the tour heads north over the next couple of months, along with a helluva lot of great music.
Marc Latham - Doctor of Philosophy and experienced freelance writer searching for truth and meaning, and reporting it in clear and concise copy.
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