Rainfox's Review

It was Gentofte Stadium in Copenhagen. It was around 28,000 capacity (22,000 had tickets).

GNR came on 2 hours (!) late.

Arriving in black mini vans backstage in their "stage" gear and running straight from the cars and on stage. Was this a circus act? Before that (an hour or so) a helicopter had teased the crowd circling the venue several times. Crowd chants of "Axl Axl Axl" started. It later turned out to be a camera crew for the video for Estranged (although they ended up using footage from a Germanh show) and also for the so called "movie" (road movie?) they were supposedly working on (Duff's drunken blabber on MTV).

Openers Suicidel Tendencies and Blind Melon (although I enjoy both of those acts normally) SUCKED big time. Lousy sound, lousy interaction. They also didn't enjoy the venue or crowd. Who gave them a chance actually.

So finally... GNR come on. Still daylight. Bad sound. Axl all in red. There's a kind of "hit and run" feel to the show. Everything felt REAL fast. Last time Guns N' Roses had been here was in 1991 (a classic CLASSIC show), and many remembered that show (I guess). Axl doesn't really address the crowd until 4 or 5 songs into the show. It doesn't get dark until late into the show. There's a bit of a "festival" feel also.

Like it's not really getting started. Not really getting off the ground.

The sound and intensity gets better but Axl looks like he's clearly bored. He's singing well, performing well, but there's hardly any edge left. Going through the motions here. Then.... Axl: "Good Night!" ....... What?

The band then come out 2 minutes later, and before they're even in place, Slash raises his hands to the crowd, smiling (he was the only one who by now LOOKED as if he felt that they had ONLY by NOW captured the crowd and to end now would be a CRIME), lit a cigarette and hit Paradise City. One, two, three, bam. Over.

Axl swirls his mike through the air. Bump! Turns and walks backstage. His mike hits the sound tower mid-field. Some big biker dude gets it (from the hands of this little sweet girl, ahhhh). End of show.

What?

Hundreds of Swedish fans (leaving for their busses - it's a 4 hour bus trip Sweden to Denmark) start chanting - REAL LOUD - "Axl, we will, we will, FUCK YOU! Axl!, we will, we will, FUCK YOU!" - Freddie style. And on and on.

People are pissed. Most of the 22,000 strong crowd feel cheaten. They look around at each other. Startled. It's only dusk! GNR had played for an hour and 25 minutes only.

Next day in all the papers: lukewarm or bad reviews. Last time GNR brought down the house in critical praise ("real rock n' roll" blah blah).

The country's biggest morning paper at the time - BT - has a picture of Axl in his red Manson outfit, during It's So Easy (the first or second song), during his "....and you, you can FUCK OFF" -, where he gives the finger.

The headline (with Axl and his finger on the whole front page!) translated: "Axl Fucks Over Crowd At Show"

Ah man.

The end of GNR in Denmark at the time.

The show had many good moments (even for non-GNR fans) and nice performances, but it was only a shadow of the 1991 show. And of what GNR was and should be. Not just a drugged and bombed out reckless rock n' roll band like in 1991 - but a band with passion, grit and (by now) maturity. You don't do a show like this (fastpaced, crowd not into it, rushed and safe) and not - at least - address the crowd. And then stop at an hour and 25 minutes. Whoa.

There was an extreme interest in Guns N' Roses regarding the Roskilde Festival in 2001 though. That really surprised me. That was nice. Ofcourse, they cancelled (as you all remember), and now it's like "Guns who? Oh, Guns N' Roses, yeah sure. Bring them on. But no big deal, mkay?"