The Old Songs... live?

[Iconic Shawn]

No reunion. Unless by some mericle these guys suddenly let by gones be by gones, we (us the fans of the old band) are going to die never seeing that chemistry again and never being able to show our kids what Axl and Slash are capable of doing on stage together. With time as these aging guys worst enemy.. its not looking good at all.

So.. we all know how in here a lot of fans of the new band rip Slash, the old band, rock n roll, the music. How much they love their ballads and emotional song. How they can't get enough songs about breakups and heartaches.

Now that Axl has his own music and CD out, and since he has 3 disks worth of written material, isn't it time he stopped playing the old songs? Especially those on AFD? 

Here's my reasons:
 - He sounds like shit 50% of the time trying to keep up with them.
 - This new band knows NOTHING about Appetite for Destruction. They come across as a pontius cover band when they play them. Fuck it up. Have no attitude (cept Robin on the last tour).
 - Axl himself said he wanted to bury this type of music and let "Gn'R" evolve.


I know they'd have to play what have now been diluted to Gn'R jingles like WTTJ, SCOM, and Paradise City just because its expected..  but they really need to stop playing My Michelle, Nightrain (bastards know nothing of this song), It's So Easy (same here), Mr. Brownstone (BIG time same here), You Could Be Mine (because they butcher it each time) etc. Again, the band knows nothing of the meat behind those songs and just come across as cheap imitators of a lifestyle and rock band which was one of the most genuine known.

Not even Axl looks right singing that shit anymore. He can sing it. And sing it hard.. but we all know that its really not in him anymore.

*This is not about old VS new band. This is about the new band coming into their own light and seeing just how good they stand on their own two feet.

~S~

[Bigphil1]

I agree that now Chinese is out the band should lean more towards new material but no way should they stop playing the old songs.

Here's my reasons:
 - He sounds like shit 50% of the time trying to keep up with them.
 - This new band knows NOTHING about Appetite for Destruction. They come across as a pontius cover band when they play them. Fuck it up. Have no attitude (cept Robin on the last tour).
 - Axl himself said he wanted to bury this type of music and let "Gn'R" evolve.

-Whilst I agree that Axl has always been a bit hit and miss live, as time has gone on he's definitely improved and during the 2006/7 his vocals were better than ever.
- If this was 2003 I'd agree with you about the cover band thing. But I think that now the band has toured extensively they have done a good job of molding the older songs into their own style. Even with the lesser played songs like Don't Cry or Down On The Farm.
- I think that was a reference to albums not about song choices during shows.

In 2002 this band didn't feel like a band to me, now it definitely does. They've grown and improved so much and now like Axl said 'They can play the fuck out of the old songs.
So yeah, lean towards the newer stuff now it's actually released but still a nice selection of old songs. I strongly disagree about them messing up the old songs, have you heard them do Nightrain. And actually at the shows it's only the reunion blockheads who care that Slash and Duff aren't playing the AFD songs. The new band supporters like me think they rock the old songs and the casual gig-goer probably doesn't care that it's not the original line-up, as long as the voice is there.   

[mico.m]

Only the staples!
Now we have new anthems 

[Iconic Shawn]

I agree that now Chinese is out the band should lean more towards new material but no way should they stop playing the old songs.
-Whilst I agree that Axl has always been a bit hit and miss live, as time has gone on he's definitely improved and during the 2006/7 his vocals were better than ever.
- If this was 2003 I'd agree with you about the cover band thing. But I think that now the band has toured extensively they have done a good job of molding the older songs into their own style. Even with the lesser played songs like Don't Cry or Down On The Farm.
- I think that was a reference to albums not about song choices during shows.

In 2002 this band didn't feel like a band to me, now it definitely does. They've grown and improved so much and now like Axl said 'They can play the fuck out of the old songs.
So yeah, lean towards the newer stuff now it's actually released but still a nice selection of old songs. I strongly disagree about them messing up the old songs, have you heard them do Nightrain. And actually at the shows it's only the reunion blockheads who care that Slash and Duff aren't playing the AFD songs. The new band supporters like me think they rock the old songs and the casual gig-goer probably doesn't care that it's not the original line-up, as long as the voice is there.   

They don't destroy the old songs when they play them. Sometimes its off but like you said in the case of Nightrain, they do indeed play the fuck out of that song. However.. my thing is that the "band" knows nothing about the soul of those songs. They just feel out of place playing it. As if Linkn Park were covering Gn'R with Axl singing. Its like "get these fuckers out of here". At least thats how I feel.

In terms of solid band.. I think they had a more solid line up in 2002 than now. Back then didn't we all know for sure who's in the band?

I think if they play MUCH more new and a LOT less old it would be really good for the band. It'll let them come into their own and finally show the world what this new Guns N' Roses is about. And then we can judge them solely on them and not THEM trying to fill the void of what once was.

~S~

[antonyrose]

I agree most of the time with you Shawn, and I definitly see where your coming from.  But I think people would be pretty pissed off if they went to a GnR show and did not hear alot of the classic tunes. You remember in New York when the new stuff was played people responded but when the classics kicked in the crowd went nuts..  Even when I saw Velvet Revolver both times, it was the same reaction. When they played classic Guns songs the whole vibe of the crowd changed. I don't think you would ever be able to get that old attitude and swagger ever again even if the old band reunited.  I think people no matter what are happy to hear Axl sing the songs we all came to love.. 

[alix-rose]

i actually think that WTTJ (and some of the other old songs) safe his shows. i mean, Better IRS & Cathcer all sucked live (at least on RAM.

[Iconic Shawn]

i actually think that WTTJ (and some of the other old songs) save his shows. i mean, Better IRS & Cathcer all sucked live (at least on RAM.

Very good point.

~S~

[Bane]

I would agree with the staple songs being played (SCOM, PC), and certainly songs like My Michell and Out ta get Me should be dropped.

The band need to focus on their own material

[GunsNR]

i actually think that WTTJ (and some of the other old songs) safe his shows. i mean, Better IRS & Cathcer all sucked live (at least on RAM.

First of all,when the fuck did they play Catcher?
Secondly,IRS is absolutely amazing live.

[alix-rose]

oh snap, i meant Street of Dreams. i don't like either song really much so the names kinda flapped in my mind.


you are allowed to have opinions but i think IRS SUCKED live. (i've only seen the RAM version though. might have been worse then what you saw)

[GunsNR]

What's RAM though?

[alix-rose]

What's RAM though?

Rock Am Ring.

[GunsNR]

Ok,so why not spell it "RAR" like every other person in the world?

[alix-rose]

Ok,so why not spell it "RAR" like every other person in the world?

i've been calling it RAM for years, and i'm not the first nor last that has. it's like saying R.Am.R. but letting that later R go. but, whatever call it what you want.