Guns N Roses are coming to South Florida at the end of October. UPDATE: PRESALE INFO IS AFTER THE JUMP.
They were the biggest, baddest band of the late '80s, and despite Axl Rose's biker shorts and baseball catcher fetish, the GNR of that era is one of the best live acts of all time. From Slash's cigarette dangling solos to Duff's mad sprints across the stage to the dozens of auxiliary musicians playing flutes, keyboards and tambourines, their live sets were totally worth all the BS Axl put the fans and the rest of the band through.
If we know anything about Axl we know that he is a stickler for perfection. He took 14 years to make Chinese Democracy. That seems a little crazy, but we're talking about a guy who swims with dolphins after diving into the ocean from an aircraft carrier. Axl does whatever the hell he wants, and he cannot be rushed.
Despite the mass exodus of all the original members, we still want to Axl and the new Guns play their classics live. If you saw them on the 2002 VMA's you may have noticed that music sounded perfect, and even though Axl didn't. He's definitely in better shape now, just check this video of him and the boys live at Reading last summer. His just-got-off-a-cruise braids are gone, and he's lost a little weight, and he's bringing back some of the signature Axl dance moves.
Actually, just getting to see Axl dance "The Serpentine," "The Kickstarter" or "The Winding Man" will probably be worth the cost of admission. Of course, GNR purists are bummed and upset that Izzy, Slash and Duff are not part of the team anymore. We have to admit, we wish they were there, too; but, that doesn't take away from the compulsion we have to see what Axl is like live.
The current version of GNR is an all star team of rockers. Dizzy's been tickling the ivories for Rose & Co. since '93, making him the veteran of the squad. Dude, they have Tommy Stinson from the Replacements on bass, we gotta see that -- damn, we are gonna blast "Kids Don't Follow" until we watch another Axl clip. Midi-control/computer wiz kid, Chris Pitman is on top of all the special effects, and this guy has worked Dr. Dre and Tool; too legit.
Slash's replacement Buckethead's replacement is Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. We'll just call him Bumblefoot or B-Face, he's a virtuouso from the Joe Satriani school of over the top shredding. He's even finger tapped all over a jam by Jessica Simpson. Drummer, Frank Ferrer has rocked with Love Spit Love and Psychedelic Furs, giving the beats and the band a little more street cred. Check all these dudes playing "Mr. Browstone" at the Rose Bar last year.
Another reason we want to go: we still do not know what to make of Axl Rose. He is intriguing, confusing and reclusive. We don't know what he's into, or if he even listens to any music that's being made today. We don't know if he's seen a movie since Terminator 2, or if someone brings movies to him, so he can privately screen them in the Axl compound. We do know, he dances like a sexy snake, has a voice like a warrior and will never stop being Guns N Roses.
Guns 'N Roses. Saturday, October 29 at American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets cost $39.50 to $79.50, and go on sale September 8 at 10 a.m. Click here, and enter the password JUNGLE. Regular sales begin September 9 at 10 a.m.
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