Copenhagen Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark
August 19th 1991
Review



C's Review

The show in question is one of the greatest ever live performances by Guns N` Roses on their 4 year world tour. I`ve seen them live 2 times, and know many others who have followed them like me; and when all is said and done, the live shows was always the "cutting edge."

This show was after St. Louis, after 2 soldout megashows in Stockholm, before the Illusion albums, when the band were at their most mythical : Would they last? Was Axl okay? Would a riot ensue? Would Slash be sober? What about the sound?

Everybody and their mother had goose bumps that night. The Forum was completely sold out. Tickets were going for 4000,00 Dk kr. (around $571), and people had made campfires outside. The whole media was there, and it was a frenzy. Germans, Norwegiens and Swedes flocked the streets with cans of beers, among thousands of Danes, anxious to see this "thing." The band living on the edge. Right here, right now.

And who would have thought that little Denmark (Forum, 6000 capacity) would turn everybodys heads?

A happy and playful Axl Rose ran onstage to thundering ovation, as the band kicked into Nighttrain. The crowd went completely mad, stomping and screaming. Followed as always by Mr Brownstone, Axl smiled before he spoke : "Whoa, feel like I`m in Texas." Izzy took the rails for Dust N` Bones and the rambling kick-ass beat stuck with us all night.

Axl seemed to have a cut electrified wire in his white bicycle shorts, and gave it all out. Slash amazed everyone with his bluesy, curly licks and while Sorum pounded away, McKagan dished out the bass lines. This was one tight band. Goddamn. And it sounded so alive, so real, so "now." No set list (Axl : "We do Michelle? No? Ok, Jungle")

Then it happened. Under Sweet Child, the crowd got a little too into it. Some bumf**k threw a firecracker towards Rose, and it ignited a few yards from him. On my tape it sounds like a Scud missile going off.

"You wanna play games like that, we`ll go home, it`s not a problem," Rose sputted while the song continued. Then, as he probably saw no security did anything, he halted the show : "Stop, stop, stop…*the band stopped playing gradually*…I didn`t come here for anyone in my band to get hurt or for any people in the crowd to get hurt, because somebody wants to be an asshole. *Pause* (Rose talks to Stradlin). In fact, we are gonna leave for a bit, untill you find the guy." And off they went.

Now, how they avoided a riot I do not know. The crowd went ballistic. Poor guy who did it. After 15 minutes or so, the band returned to chants of "Kick him out!, kick him out!, kick him out!" from a roaring crowd, ready to go off. But nobody could find the guy in question.

Rose looked pleased : "Some sorry guy turned himself in, although he didn`t do it. Nice move. But do me a favor? If you see somebody acting like that, everybody around him, kick his f**kin ass, would you?" - to deafening cheers the band kicked in to Sweet Child where they left off. It was mindblowing. Total trip.

The show went on, and the crowd went even more crazy. During Heavens Door, the band funked it out and Axl tiptoed around like a ballerina, all shit-eating grin. The crowd began to chant "knock, knock, knock," and Rose, taken aback by this, laughed "Oh yeah, but you gotta wait for me."

Finally, last encore, Rose came out and stood on his Telecaster. I`ll never forget that look on his face. He looked so pleased, so happy, so relieved. The band had overcome (for once) trouble without everything going out of hand and making headlines, but more importantly brought back the "feel" to rock n` roll in the flesh, on the stage in it`s purest form. He knew, as we knew, that they were homefree, having won over both critics and fans. As he stood there the crowd silenced, and all one could hear, was one`s own sweat dripping on the ground. Sighs went out all over the Forum. He smiled, as he spoke to his lead guitarist; "Slash?...take us on home, buddy." And Paradise City began. Good f**kin night. Amen.