I don’t know if it’s a facet of social media culture that we have become so used to tearing down our idols, or if we’ve just reached a point where iconoclasm comes as second nature, but reading the coverage of Guns ‘n’ Roses’ performance at Glastonbury was something of a wrench. While Axl’s vocals have long been divisive, the online venom spewed in his direction frequently misrepresented subjectivity as fact, and seemed to rely more upon personal bias than the views of those who were there.
While we were not at Glastonbury and cannot comment (although it’s worth noting that those who believe the BBC broadcast was somehow representative of the quality of the sound at the event are badly mistaken), we were present at the band’s epic showing at Hyde Park, where the band played a remarkable three-hour set absolutely packed full of highs.
BST
Appearing as part of the British Summer Time season, Guns ‘n’ Roses take to the stage to find Hyde Park is packed front-to-back with enthusiastic fans. While received wisdom says you shouldn’t wear the t shirt of the band you’re watching (whatever), the crowd have clearly not got the memo because roughly 2 in every 3 t shirts are from one G’n’R tour or another. In other words, the site is packed with fans, and it makes for a fantastic atmosphere.
The Hyde Park site itself has been upgraded over the years, with a great selection of food stalls and bars (although the choice and price of drinks leaves a little to be desired), reasonable toilet facilities with relatively fast-moving queues, and a cracking stage with great sound. Certainly, the number of delay towers and screens has grown since last we were here, and there’s no corner of the main arena where you can’t see or hear the band pretty clearly. With a veritable army of fans and a decent site, the band respond in kind, and Axl is in a particularly good mood, laughing and joking with the crowd regularly throughout the night – even when a wet patch on the stage causes him to slip over. Where, once, this sort of mishap might have derailed things, tonight Axl is letting nothing ruin the show, and the crowd is his to command.
G’n’R
The first thing we note is that Axl has learned to pace himself. Bearing in mind that few bands have either the stamina or the back catalogue to play for three hours, Guns ‘n’ Roses are very much outliers in this regard. Sensibly, they open with songs that play to Axl’s lower register strengths, with It’s So Easy, an amazing Bad Obsession (resurrected for the first time since the mammoth Use Yr Illusion treks of the 90s), and Chinese Democracy all easing us into the show, with Axl barely troubling his upper register until the end of Mr Brownstone. It’s a solid opening, the band playing with power and precision, while Axl hits the notes with ease.
However, the band are just getting started and Axl, for all his good humour, is merely toying with us. Having comfortably warmed up, he takes a deep breath and literally screams the introduction to Welcome to The Jungle with a power and presence that few expected. As Axl notes, you should be wary of what you read, because from hereon, Axl puts on a performance that ranks among the best I’ve heard from him. Reckless Lifeis delivered with sneering abandon, Double Talking Jive is fired off at breakneck pace, while the surprise inclusion of Pretty Tied Up gets a rapturous response from the crowd. It’s great to hear G’n’R airing a few tunes that have long been absent from the set, and it makes the night all the more exciting because the order is not predictable.
It’s not all classics, either. New tracks Hard Skool and Absurd are both delivered with the bruising attitude for which the band is known, and Absurd is given an additional dose of venom, when Axl dedicates it (albeit obliquely) to the poison-pen critics so eager to gain brownie points by slagging off the band’s festival slot. While this might have been a fun chance to dust off Get In The Ring (a song that is admittedly better musically than lyrically), Absurd makes its point nicely. Offering a change of pace, the band follow it with an epic Estranged, Slash’s sublime guitar work as on point as it was when the song was written. There’s also the mass singalong that is Live and Let Die and, while it misses the gargantuan explosions used to frame the stage during the song on previous tours, it’s still a highlight of the first half.
With the audience responding enthusiastically, the band continue to play their hearts out. Duff, still exuding an effortless cool, shines in the spotlight for Iggy’s TV Eye (although it’s a shame he doesn’t belt out Attitude), while Slash and Richard Fortus show their impressive chops for an extended Rocket Queen that sees the band jamming wildly. Then there’s Axl who, exceeding all expectations across the show, is at his imperious best on November Rain and Don’t Cry, both sung with an emotion sometimes lost amidst all the explosive riffs and soaring solos. Of course, hearing an entire field sing along to Sweet Child O’ Mine is always an emotional moment, while Paradise City sits alongside Whole Lotta Love and Sabotage as one of the best set closers of all time.
There are a few minor stumbles along the way – Coma, a metallic epic, seems to lose focus, with the band slipping in and out of time, and Slither is competently rather than brilliantly executed, perhaps appearing to early in the set for Axl to really belt it out. It’s also a shame Better didn’t make the cut, as it really is a cracking track and a highlight of Chinese Democracy, but with such a back catalogue from which to draw, these are minor gripes and the band’s showing is otherwise exceptional.
Guns ‘n’ Roses in 2023 are in better health than they’ve been in years. With Axl more relaxed, he delivers a brilliant performance; while the band, free from the arena gimmicks that so often distract from great rock ‘n’ roll, seem to be genuinely enjoying their time in one another’s company. While Guns ‘n’ Roses have had a storied history and would likely admit that they have made their fair share of mistakes, here, in Hyde Park, the only thing that matters is the music and the audience and the connection between the two is nothing short of magical. With the crowd rabid from the off, Guns ‘n’ Roses at Hyde Park is the opportunity to witness one of the last great rock ‘n’ roll bands absolutely nailing three hours of great music – here’s hoping the next time they tour, it’s with a new album in tow, because on this showing, the spark is still very much alight.
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