• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Lieff Ink

TELL YOUR STORY

  • About
  • Services
    • Writing • Editing
    • PR
    • Writing Tutor
  • Words
  • Press
  • Blog
  • Clients
    • Client List
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Book
    • Accolades
    • Reviews

Guns N’ Roses: Not in This Lifetime

August 3, 2017

Three hours. 30 songs. What year is it? It’s 2017 and Guns N’ Roses, the band that before last year hadn’t played together since 1993’s Use Your Illusion tour, has been slaying arenas all over the world. Beginning in April 2016 and ending in November 2017, the tour is eight legs with 78 shows in North America, 16 in South America, eight in Oceania, nine in Asia, and 19 in Europe. That’s a total of 130 shows worldwide! Raking in $340 million, Not in This Lifetime was the highest earning per-city global concert tour of 2016 and, as of today, is ranked as the tenth highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Wow.

So how is this possible? Axl Rose is 55 years old, Slash is 52, and Duff McKagan is 53. It doesn’t matter. Last night proved that if you want to put on a spectacular arena rock show you can. And they did. Axl was literally sprinting back and forth across the stage while Duff and Slash shredded their guitars with a ferocity that kept a smile on my face all night. Dizzy Reed is still a piano wizard and even the new band members, Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Frank Ferrer (drums, percussion) and Melissa Reese (keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals), absolutely killed it.

Clad in black leather, studded boots, huge cross necklaces, his signature bandana, giant skull rings, and several different jackets (he made a few costume changes throughout the night) that featured fringe and studs, Axl Rose is the epitome of a rock and roll star. He didn’t do a whole lot of talking to the audience but he didn’t have to because they started on time and hit every note of every song they played. Pulling tracks from Appetite For Destruction, Use Your Illusion I and II, and Lies, the band sounded and looked like they were happy to be playing in front of 50,000 fans. Even their covers of Bob Dylan, The Who, and Soundgarden were incredible.

While Duff is definitely in the best physical shape of the three (he sang their cover of the Misfits song “Attitude”), Slash reminded every single fan in attendance why he is one of the best guitarists in the history of rock. Over the course of three hours, he played five different guitars (including a double neck) and, in his signature top hat, leather pants, and aviator sunglasses, was jumping off the stage while commanding it. Although Axl is without a doubt one of the best frontmen I’ve ever seen live, Slash stole the show. Watching the big screen close-ups of him moving his fingers up and down the necks of his guitars was mind-blowing. I don’t know how a person does that.

When I bought these tickets eight months ago (yes, December 2016), I knew that it was going to be a special show. I’d seen Axl and Dizzy play together with a few hired guns before, and I had seen Slash and Duff play with Velvet Revolver, but never had I seen Axl, Slash, and Duff together. To say I was excited was an understatement and this show lived up to every single hope, dream, and expectation I had for an incredible performance.

The Setlist:

It’s So Easy

Mr. Brownstone

Chinese Democracy

Welcome to the Jungle

Double Talkin’ Jive

Better

Live and Let Die (Wings cover)

Estranged

Rocket Queen

You Could Be Mine

Attitude (Misfits cover)

This I Love

Civil War

Yesterdays

Coma

Slash Guitar Solo

Speak Softly Love (Nino Rota cover)

Sweet Child O’ Mine

Used to Love Her

My Michelle

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover)

November Rain

Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)

Nightrain

Encore:

Don’t Cry

Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)

Patience

The Seeker (The Who cover)

Paradise City

If you’re a fan and haven’t seen them on this tour, please please please go buy a ticket. It is worth every dollar you spend to see the three biggest guns in rock and roll playing songs that future generations will be listening to for decades to come. I attended last night’s show with the biggest Guns N’ Roses fan I know – my significant other – who saw them on their Appetite and Use Your Illusion tours. 30 years later, he was still blown away. And so was everyone else there.

Laura

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shelly Bell says

    August 4, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    What a fantastic article, Laura! I really feel like I know exactly what the concert was like because your description is so evocative. I am also very grateful for the set list. This is AWESOME. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 6, 2017 at 11:00 am

      Shelly! Thank you so much for reading! Please go see them live if you have the chance.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Blog Archive

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010

Footer

Laura Lieff was named Colorado Mountain College’s 2017-2018 Part Time Staff Member of the Year for her work as a writing tutor and teaching assistant.
Laura Lieff was named Colorado Mountain College’s 2017-2018 Part Time Staff Member of the Year for her work as a writing tutor and teaching assistant.

Work With Me

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
lieff-ink-logo_updated-2
  • About
  • Services
  • Words
  • Blog
  • Client List
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · PO Box 1228 Edwards CO 81632 · info@lauralieff.com