Guns N’ Roses live

Guns N’ Roses
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City
Sunday, May 14, 2006

The wait is finally over. Yes, Virginia, there is an Axl Rose. GN’R lives again in a real-life Miracle on 34th Street. Welcome to the jungle (for a New York minute, at the very least).

You’re probably thinking, will the “fun ‘n’ games” even last a week? It has been almost four years since the last GN’R tour attempt was derailed by no-shows and riots. It has been 13 years since the world has seen a new GN’R studio album. Infighting, hiatus, and obsessiveness have become synonymous with Guns N’ Roses over the course of at least a decade. Even if these problems have been resolved, significant challenges await.

It’s 2006. Isn’t rock dead? Will credibility tank now that myth is back amongst men? Will the new music be relevant? Will GN’R become a summer-tour dinosaur act? Is this karaoke?

“Welcome to the jungle/We take it day by day.” And on this day — the second of four intimate Hammerstein Ballroom debuts — the initial hurdle appears to have been cleared, and fans of rock ‘n’ roll have no choice but to treat this feat like a victory lap.

From the initial yowl of “Welcome To The Jungle,” GN’R and arguably glam metal itself were resurrected under the fresh cornrows of iconic frontman Rose. There was no Slash, but his spirit was there. It enveloped the dimmed stage — his trademark drone racketing around the 100-year-old ballroom — and lived on even after flashpots and bright lights revealed no Slash and no Izzy Stradlin. Frequent Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck stepped up as the surrogate Slash, shredding and stumbling alongside Rose at the front of the Vic-sized stage with an obligatory, roaring Gibson Les Paul.

In these opening manic moments, the general-admission crowd pushed and pulled with the industrial terror of a caged Ministry audience from 1990. As Rose sweated, his noticeably excited shriek cut through three guitarists, two keyboardists, a bassist, and a drummer: “In the jungle/Welcome to the jungle/Feel my serpentine/I wanna hear you scream!” It was piercing.

In less time than it took to determine who exactly was (and who wasn’t) onstage, the band burst into another Appetite For Destruction favorite, “It’s So Easy.” Rose’s primary strategy was unfolding: Stick to the hits, keep it simple, and keep it loud. “Mr. Brownstone” and “Rocket Queen” followed with little time to breathe. Shock and awe for GN’R, it seemed.

When the dust settled from this bombastic opening collage, a surprisingly sheepish Rose thanked the audience for revisiting “the oldies” with him. It appeared to be an acknowledgment of age from Rose, a man who is not known to have matured very easily. This may have signaled a humble turning point.

Still, Rose looked as glam as ever and well-primped for an HD era. He wore the jumbo jewels and hairstyle of an NBA baller half his age. Gone were the puffy sports jerseys of his 2002 appearances. Here, Rose donned heavy-metal denim and chest-exposing leather, his eyes often hidden behind sunglasses. A slender tone complemented the style.

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Category: Live Reviews, Weekly