Guns N' Roses June 19, 2007 Brisbane Entertainment Centre Brisbane, Australia Chinese Democracy Australian Tour 2007
Disc 1: 01. intro 02. Welcome To The Jungle (stopped) 03. Welcome To The Jungle - Restart 04. It's So Easy 05. Mr. Brownstone 06. Live And Let Die 07. Robin Finck Blues Jam 08. Sweet Child O’ Mine 09. You Could Be Mine 10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door 11. Dizzy Reed Solo 12. The Blues 13. Better 14. Richard Fortus Guitar Solo / Guitar Duet with Robin Finck (includes People Get Ready) 15. Out Ta Get Me 16. Jam
Disc 2: 01. November Rain 02. Jam 03. I.R.S. 04. Band Introductions / Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal Guitar (includes Back In Black & Don't Cry) 05. My Michelle (with Sebastian Bach) 06. Patience 07. Nightrain 08. Madagascar 09. Paradise City 10. Outro "Chinese Democracy" Final Version Demos 2006 11. Chinese Demoracy 12. I.R.S. 13. Madagascar 14. The Blues 15. There Was a Time
* The PA dropped out for a second 2 mins in. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recorded from the front section of the floor. I was mostly under the left speaker stack looking at the stage. Very nice sound quality, minimal audience noise throughout. Listen to the samples below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This show has been reported as the worst of the tour and Axl has copped plenty of very negative reviews in the Brisbane press over this performance. It was definitely a disappointing spectacle but this recording is really nice quality and proof that most of the bad reviews included false quotes and complete lies about what actually happened on the night. An interesting example of, “One of those nights,” as Axl said about this show.
To properly understand what really happened, a bit of perspective and backstory is required.
The Gunners last played Australia in January 1993 and when this Chinese Democracy tour went on sale a few months back, most cities sold out really quick. The 12,000 seat Brisbane Entertainment Centre was no exception selling out on the first day. A second show was announced but strangely the extra show was scheduled for the night before the first announced show. This new show sold poorly with the venue barely half full. This was after half-priced tickets were offered and many free tickets being given away to pad out the numbers. So apart from the handful of true Gunners tragics who went to both Brisbane shows, many in the crowd seemed to be those who were just curious and those on the freebie list. By their reaction, they certainly didn’t know what they were in for when the decided to attend a Gunners show.
I missed Rose Tattoo so can’t comment but the energy from the crowd during Sebastian Bach’s set was underwhelming to say the least. The venue had advised attendees that GNR would start at 10.30pm or 11.15 at the latest but by 11.45 with no sign of the show commencing, the crowd had become very restless and were booing each new song that was played over the PA.
It has since been reported that when Rose Tattoo opened proceddings, Axl was still in Melbourne - 900 miles south of Brisbane. Apparently his Lear jet left Melbourne airport at around this time while the GNR band sat backstage in Brisbane waiting for the man to arrive. The 2 hour flight plus the minimum 30 minute drive from Brisbane airport to the venue explained why the band didn’t come on til 11.55pm.
Possibly because he was napping, the lighting guy missed his cue and instead of walking out in darkness, Axl entered the stage all lit up. He walked to the front and before singing a note a punter up very close tossed a full cup of water all over him. Axl couldn’t have been showered better if 100 people had attempted the shot. As the band cranked into the intro for Jungle, Axl looked immediately deflated and extremely p1ssed off by what had just happened. Standing up close, it was very obvious to me that the only thought running through his mind was, ‘this show’s over, I’m outta here’.
He totally deadpanned the opening lines to the song (listen to the sample) then when another drink sailed past his face, Axl stopped the show to let the crowd know what the deal was. It was all pretty innocent and Axl may not have realised that having a drink thrown over him was culturally a very Australian response to being made to wait so long for the show to start. We’re an egalitarian bunch down here and no one is prone from a bit of disrespect when they deserve it.
So the show went on but Axl was largely not into it and only going through the motions. He smiled and danced a few times but his performance was largely a raincheck.
The lack of energy from Axl naturally resulted in a lack of responding energy from the crowd and so it snowballed for the whole 2 hour performance. Many people left throughout the show, mainly during the new songs, and there was a collective sense of disappointment every time that Axl ran off stage mid-song and during the four solos.
I've given this show the title "Let's See What Can Go Wrong Next" as Axl said this in introducing Ron Thal's solo. It was an apt description of the night.
