Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
April 21st 1993
Review



Fernando Hernandez Barragan's Review

The famous “Charro hat” concert. This review is not “first handed”, it’s the result of me researching in magazines along with opinions from friends who were there and to whom I thank for their time. Everything to figure out what happened on that now long gone night in Guadalajara, an important city 8 hours by car from Mexico City (which was to be GNR’s next stop on the tour). This gig owes it’s name to the fact that in the music video for “Dead Horse”, there’s a part where you can see Slash wearing a “Charro” hat (Mexican folk outfit). Sayings are that Slash got that hat from a fan on this concert and weared it during for a few moments in the show!!

Almost 1 year since their last sold out show in Mexico, a country full of die hard GNR fans that deserved more concerts in more cities after the band’s successful shows in 1992. The venue, Jalisco stadium, magnificent home of local soccer teams and ´70 & ´86 world cups games welcomed GNR in their second coming to the country with a beautiful stage with the classic illusion covers on the sides.

This was the first GNR stadium concert in Mexico, more than 35,000 wild cheering fans awaited for almost 2 hours after giving warm support to Blind Melon, the opening band, which did quite well and connected with the crowd. The moment arrived, the lights went out and Welcome to the Jungle was the first song!!?? Such a great beginning! It was like a volcano inside the stadium, the fans gave big ovations to the gunners at all times. The following songs, “its So Easy”, “Mr. Brownstone” and “Live and Let Die” kicked Guadalajara’s rear. GNR seemed in a good mood and they where nice with the audience, who were reciprocal and very receptive with them. Axl weared a red Charles Manson T-shirt and white GNR short pants all concert long. An unusual “The Garden” surprised everyone followed by the Misfits’ cover “Attitude” with Mr. Duff on the microphone! The following songs “Yesterday” and “Nightrain” closed this rocking first part of the concert.

Then, they played a well received acoustic set with a couch onstage featuring “I Used To Love Her” “Patience/Imagine” a cool “new version” of “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” and “November Rain”, at the beginning of the song, rain actually soaked the crowd after the first notes! Such event set the mood for a magic atmosphere, this was probably the most emotive moment of the show with a crowd singing in every moment. This was the closing of this odd and cozy part of the show.

“You Could Be Mine” followed and it blew the venue, Matt’s drum solo and Slash’s solo where next and both got big ovations from the frenetic audience. The last song from the regular set, “Sweet Child O´Mine” sounded glorious. It was the beginning of the end when they came back onstage for a two songs encore featuring the beautiful “Don’t Cry” and the last song the iconic “Paradise City”, which ended this great GNR concert.

Definitely the band was in good shape and ready to take on the country playing in front of more than 100,000 Mexicans in their following shows in Mexico City and Monterrey on this round 11 of one of the biggest world tours in music history. Even if the show was recorded on tape this is a hard to find bootleg.