"By the Sword" Streaming Now

Check out "By the Sword" here.

Slash's New Single Debuts March 15

The first Worldwide single off Slash's forthcoming solo album, will hit radio on Monday, March 15.

Slash "By The Sword" (EMI)
FMQB

Slash Calls His Own Shots

LA Weekly
You also have a solo record coming out in April, Slash, and it's being described as your first true solo record. But you've done stuff before on your own, so why would this be the definitive solo record for you at this point?

I think when it comes down to it, inside of the first year I picked up a guitar I've always been in a band. Even when I had Snakepit, which was a band that originated with me, it was still treated as a band. It was five different guys who had equal input so it was a group situation, that sort of democracy that makes up a hopefully functional group [laughs]. After years of doing that and then the whole thing with Velvet Revolver and Scott [Weiland] and revisiting difficult lead singers again, I just needed to do something where I was calling my own shots. I needed to be able to do whatever music I wanted to do without having to worry about the other guys nitpicking it to death or rejecting it entirely.

Speaking of difficult singers, you definitely have worked with two of the more difficult in the industry -- Axl and Scott. On this solo album, now you've got a ton of singers you've worked with. You've got Iggy Pop, Ozzy, Fergie...

Rocco DeLuca. From Kid Rock to Ozzy, Iggy Pop, Lemmy -- those old school guys -- and then Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother and M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold, it's a real eclectic mix of vocal performances. But they were all great. Every single one of them was really professional, obviously really talented, but none of them gave me the impression of being highly volatile. It was a cool situation because it was only one song. It wasn't like it was their next big hit for their record that they had to worry about. It's just a song for Slash; no big deal.

Well, as long as it wasn't trading the difficulties of working with one singer for the difficulties of working with 12. You just like to up the ante don't you?

[Laughs] It was actually a very satisfying and worthwhile effort because it gave me a new lease on the whole lead singer reality. It's not as dramatic and hectic as my experience has been prior to this. It's given me a new attitude towards working with frontmen, with all due respect to Scott and Axl. Those guys are two of the most amazing singers and part of what makes them so great is their volatility. So I can't say anything negative. For this record, not knowing what I was getting into, it was really painless and easy -- the creative part of it.

You lie. That sounds too good to be true.

[Laughs] It was really a lot of fun. I just wrote music and demoed up 20 songs and sent them out to singers that I thought would be appropriate for any given piece of music. It didn't get complicated until we had to deal with the paperwork for each artist [laughs].

Were there any singers that you approached for this album that turned you down?

Two. And one of these was blown out of proportion. I did the record with Eric Valentine who is the most superb producer and the perfect guy for me; it was almost like match made in heaven for this project. Originally Mark Ronson was slated to do it and there was this one song I couldn't figure out who was going to sing it. He suggested Jack White and I thought that'd be interesting so he went to Jack White and Jack said, "I'll play drums on it, I'll play guitar on it, but I won't sing on it." And for some singers that's a very personal thing that they do within the confines of their own group. So that one didn't happen. Another one, there's an instrumental on the record, and Dave Grohl was playing drums and I originally wanted him to sing it as well but he was like, "I don't like doing guest spots. I suck at it," so we just made an instrumental out of it. There was one other guy I couldn't get because of contractual [reasons]. Everybody else I was really fortunate to get and for the song that Jack White was going to do, I ended up working with Myles Kennedy which was a blessing in disguise.

Was it ever a situation where you had all the singers in the studio at the same time? Were there any personality conflicts?

No, it was great. Iggy Pop set the pace for the whole record.

[Laughs] Doesn't he always?

Really, he flew in from Florida and I rented him a convertible and he showed up and it was just like, that was the way it should be done. That set the pace, like I said, for the way everybody else did it. Very spontaneous. Iggy came in and did his thing, then he flew back. Then we went on to the next song, recorded the music, then the next singer would fly in. The only time that I had multiple artists in the studio at one time was when we were doing "Paradise City." Fergie was there and the Cypress Hill guys. We all know each other, that's how that came together. Watching each of these individuals perform in their own element, even though it was partially my element, but still it was their forum to do their thing, was really engrossing. Working with any one of them, from ordering potato chips and Jack Daniel's for Lemmy, to hearing Adam Levine sing this high falsetto song in one take, there were a lot of experiences like that. Watching Fergie sing rock and roll for the first time on a record...

Where does the value in collaboration lie for you?

That's a good question. The value in collaboration is the broadening of your own horizons and working with different people in different situations, a lot of times by the seat of your pants, learning how to adapt and be able to synergize with different people no matter how different or off my beaten path. Staying in one group and doing one thing puts you in a bubble so I started branching out just for my own sanity. It's turned into something that's made me a much better player.

Slash to Dust Off GN'R Rarities for Summer Tour

LA TIMES
Slash will be taking the album on tour with singer Myles Kennedy, who fronted post-Creed band Alter Bridge. Once rumored to replace Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin, Slash promises that fans will hear him perform numerous songs from the Guns N' Roses days. While with Snakepit, Slash regularly performed such GN'R songs as "Mr. Brownstone" and "It's So Easy," and he said his summer tour will dig deeper into the catalog.

It's not, said Slash, an attempt for him reclaim the Guns N' Roses legacy. Under the Guns N' Roses banner, Rose last year released the long-awaited Chinese Democracy through an exclusive deal with Best Buy. The album was met with tepid reviews and lukewarm sales, and it failed to spawn a hit.

"You know, I think the legacy of the original band stands on its own, and it’s sort of an enigma," Slash said. "It’s more popular now than it was when it was together. But the rest of what’s being going on, I don’t have anything to do with, so I don’t take the perspective of judging it. It’s two separate entities."

So then why now? Why return to songs he hasn't played to large audiences in 20 years?

"More than anything, it’s because Myles is such a capable singer," Slash said. "He knows those songs, and he sings them great. A lot of those songs are in a register that most people can’t sing, and Myles can, and he can do it from the heart. That’s the real reason for unwrapping certain material that I haven’t played with anybody else."

Mr. Brownstone (Unreleased Video)

Guns N' Roses - Mr. Brownstone - unreleased video.

Shot at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, 1991.

As the band previewed material for their upcoming Use Your Illusion I&II albums.

Directed by Mark Racco.

DopeStoriesLAX

Guns N' Roses Confirmed for Sweden Rock

Axl Rose will bring their Chinese Democracy World Tour to the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg this June.

List of full lineup here.

Official website

GN'R at NYC Fashion Week

Guns N' Roses will play a secret gig at this week's New York Fashion Week in front of an elite crowd of only 100 people.

February 11, 2010 John Varvatos store (former CBGB), - 315 Bowery St, NY, NY

Setlist:

1:00 AM lights

You're Crazy
Mr. Brownstone
Used to Love Her
Welcome to the Jungle
Street of Dreams
Sorry
It's So Easy
band intros
Patience
Rocket Queen
Jam
Catcher in the Rye
My Michelle
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Whole Lotta Rosie
Paradise City
Sweet Child O' Mine
This I Love
Nightrain



Thanks to Here Today ... Gone to Hell for the updates.


Update: Still no Axl 12:26 AM EST
Update: GN'R is setting up right now 11:24 PM EST

First SLASH Tour Date Announced(!)

May 22 and 23, 2010 Rock on the Range, Columbus, Ohio.

More than 38 bands will once again come together to celebrate rock at the fourth annual Rock On The Range, set for May 22 and 23 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

The lineup includes first-timer "Rangers" Rob Zombie, Godsmack (in their first announced show of 2010), the return of Limp Bizkit and the festival solo debut of Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.

The two-day lineup for America's premiere destination rock festival includes some of the most rocking artists in music today. In addition, marking another first for Rock On The Range, Mistress Juliya of Fuse TV has signed on as the hostess and Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.

(via Blabbermouth)

SLASH Tour Dates
SLASH: Updated Album News

Slash's Super Bowl Spot

Right Music
Will.i.am and Slash teamed up to remix The Who's "My Generation."

It will make its premiere during the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 7, 2010.

“I altered the lyric to fit my generation now,” Will.i.am told Billboard, adding that Slash plays on the track. “It was awesome. I loved that song way before this even came up, and talking to Pete Townshend on the phone is like, ‘What?! I’m talking to Pete Townshend on the phone?!’ Those guys are just awesome.”

The reason behind the music is to raise money for the relief effort going on in Haiti right now. Any proceeds will be donated to that very worthy cause, so if you like the remix, I encourage you to purchase it on iTunes during or after the big game.

Axl Rose: American Hellhound

Salon, June 7, 2001
Axl Rose: American hellhound

He was a savior, dedicated to pure, authentic anger. In the '80s he burned holes in a culturally complacent country.

BY DAMIEN CAVE

Axl Rose has hit his own fans with glass bottles, told Jon Bon Jovi to suck his dick, compared Indianapolis residents to "prisoners in Auschwitz" and canceled concerts without warning. He has also paid out more than $1 million in legal settlements. Critics have labeled both him and his music racist, homophobic and asinine.

Many of Rose's former boosters now consider him a crybaby, an OK singer who cares only for himself and is unable to act his age. His two wives divorced him over claims of mental and physical abuse, while Slash, his former Guns n' Roses partner in crime, hasn't spoken to Rose in almost a decade. His fans aren't much kinder -- long before Guns called it quits in 1993, they'd started calling the band "Guns n' Poseurs," and when Rose returned to the stage last year in Las Vegas, most of the Guns faithful focused less on the music, and more on Rose's expanded waistline.

But forget all that. Rose's personal problems, legal travails and general immaturity can never overshadow his talent. Axl Rose kicks ass. He descended on the '80s like acid, burning holes in a country that had become culturally complacent. For anyone with angst, anyone who grew up under Reagan-Bush, hating suspendered suits, hair-spray rock and synthesizers, Axl Rose was a savior. His angry, paranoid lyrics, piercing screams and stomping stage presence all acted as antidotes for the made-up go-go conservatism of the time. He was the anti-Culture Club hero, the flat-haired, bandanna-clad bad boy who never played by the rules, never tried to look pretty -- the one guy who repeatedly made people listen, then told them to fuck off. Few rock 'n' rollers -- Johnny Rotten in his prime, Kurt Cobain -- have given the world a more sincere dedication to pure, authentic anger.

No one could have seen it coming. Rose, born Bill Bailey on Feb. 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Ind., enjoyed most of his boyhood without incident. He grew up in a strict Pentecostal home, but didn't seem to mind much, singing in the church choir and working around his mother's rule that no rock 'n' roll be played in the home.

Then, at 17, he discovered that his natural father -- a man named William Rose -- had abandoned the family when his son Bill was 2. Rose suddenly started to lash out. School and church mattered less and less and he began getting in trouble with the law. The infractions were minor -- shoplifting, public drunkenness -- but they foreshadowed the future.

They also led to Rose's flight. Fed up with Midwestern mores, he hitchhiked to Los Angeles in 1980 with dreams of rock stardom in his head. He soon hooked up with another Indiana native, guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and two other musicians, guitarist Tracii Guns and drummer Rob Garner. The latter pair left Guns n' Roses after the band failed to get a record contract, leaving room for Slash, drummer Steven Adler and bassist Michael "Duff" McKagan to join.

This second draft of Guns n' Roses had more luck, and released its first album in 1985, a live EP from Geffen Records called "Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide." The band's official entrance into the pantheon of rock, however, came two years later with "Appetite for Destruction." Here, it seemed, was something different. Guns rocked somewhere between punk and metal; fast but approachable, it drove listeners just crazy enough to keep returning for more. Even now, the album still hammers a nerve, selling an average of 9,000 copies a week, according to SoundScan.

Some credit for success should be shared. Slash, in particular, played an important part in forging Guns' hard-driving style. But while the songs were supposedly written by all members of the band, the lyrics reek of Rose. And more than anything else it's Rose's delivery -- the squelching engine of rage -- that makes Guns n' Roses unique.

Rose simply attacks the music. I'll never forget throwing on headphones and walking to seventh grade with "Appetite for Destruction" in my Walkman. Rose made me blast the volume and pick up the pace. He didn't so much sing as scream and I couldn't help yelling with him. By the time I got to school, I had beads of sweat on my forehead and a distinct desire to take over the world, to make it listen -- to be, no matter what anyone said.

It wasn't just the big hits -- "Sweet Child o' Mine," "Paradise City" and "Welcome to the Jungle" -- that grabbed me and so many other teenagers. It was the songs that never ended up on the radio, the songs that injected adrenaline into our lives, the songs with (gasp!) swear words.

Take "Out ta Get Me." Never mind that the song simply mixes tired Old West outlaw ideas with a guitar-heavy assault of sound. Never mind that it leads directly to Rage Against the Machine's "Fuck you/I won't do what you tell me." And forget the fact that Rose's paranoia may or may not have been justified. Just listen to the words:

"They're out to get me," Rose sings several times. "They won't catch me/I'm fuckin' innocent/They won't break me."

Talk about a contagious chorus. Who hasn't felt such paranoia at some point in his life? Who hasn't felt so wrongly accused that he wanted to scream? Who hasn't wanted to declare, "They won't touch me 'cause I got somethin' I been buildin' up inside"?

And yet, it's not just the content that's magnetic; it's also the development, the performance. Rose, at his best, can rival Robert De Niro playing Jake LaMotta in "Raging Bull," or Al Pacino in "Serpico." Rose draws you in with his sway, his simple wardrobe of jeans, T-shirt and a red bandanna -- and then he makes you watch and listen as he edges closer and closer to the abyss.

It's all the more exciting to experience because Rose moves so quickly between acting enraged and actually doing damage. Seeing Rose live is a "never know" proposition. You might see the best show of your life, or you might get three songs and the middle finger. But Rose will never put on a concert that's merely routine.

The mix of the sinister and the righteous seems too intense for Rose to suppress. The bitches' brew has only grown stronger over the years. "Lies," for example, Guns n' Roses' second album, which came out in 1988, contains several songs that twist contradictory emotions into a rough, intriguing thread. "I Used to Love Her" tells the story of what sounds like a murder, yet it's widely considered a song about Rose's dog -- which he loved but had to euthanize and bury in his backyard. "Patience" preaches virtue in ballad form, but Rose breaks down in the end; and then there's "One in a Million."

The hateful, six-minute rant filled with lines like "immigrants and faggots don't mean much to me" brought hailstorms of criticism. Yet it sounds a lot like a parody of the late-'80s political mood. Once you overlook the sheer offense of what Rose screams, which is no easy task, the song looks more and more like a documentary of discontent, the preface to the white male backlash that we now acknowledge exists thanks in large part to Susan Faludi's book "Stiffed."

Rose's later career seems to support the theory that he's not so much ignorance incarnate as he is perpetually immature. Writing last year in Rolling Stone, critic Peter Wilkinson may have said it best when he noted that Rose is "a complicated man who can be sensitive and funny but who is also controlling and obsessive and troubled."

Fame in particular seems to have changed Rose. By 1990, only three years after "Appetite for Destruction," he burned out. He didn't show up for studio sessions, cut concerts short and tended to be reclusive when he wasn't throwing temper tantrums. He even scared off his wife Erin Everly, who married Rose in April only to divorce him nine months later. She also accused him of beating her, which Rose denies.

Regardless, the music seemed to suffer. "Use Your Illusion I and II," and "The Spaghetti Incident" -- an album of cover songs, including one written by Charles Manson -- lacked the tight mix of sound and fury. There's a bit too much vengeance here, toward the press, toward fans and mostly toward women. Rose and the band spend too much time and energy settling scores. "Oh My God," the only song released by Guns since Rose and Slash parted (while Rose secured the band's trademark), also feels stilted.

But even in the midst of the mess, while Rose went through another rough relationship, this time with model Stephanie Seymour, and then found himself trampled by "alternative" rock, more lawsuits and depression, Guns managed to bang out a few gems. Rose may have been right last New Year's Eve when he told an audience, "I have traversed a treacherous sea of horrors to be with you here tonight," but throughout his rise and fall he has never lost his volatile brilliance.

It's the rawness of Rose that forms the core of his appeal. He may be a lot of things -- a brat, a prima donna, a seriously troubled, violent man -- but one thing he's never been is a fraud. He's always had his own look, his own vocal style, his own attitude and his own agenda. In the rock 'n' roll marketplace of the '80s and of today -- when consumers are given a choice only between overproduced pop and overproduced nü metal -- the sheer honesty of Axl Rose stands out. He's always given the world a piece of his mind. And for that, some of us will be forever grateful.

Happy Birthday Ax

W. Axl F. Rose — Date of Birth: February 6, 1962

In Tokyo, Axl said that last year was the "worst of his life."

Hopefully this year will be better!

Happy Birthday Ax!

Happy Birthday to the King of Beers (Duff)

The coolest guy on the planet.

Andrew "Duff" McKagan was born on this date, February 5, in 1964. Since then he has played on over 36 albums and is best known as the bass player for Guns N' Roses.

He wrote the GN'R songs "It's So Easy" and "So Fine."

Currently, Duff is rumored to be the bass player and writing partner for Jane's Addiction.

Duff will appear with drummer Dave Grohl on Slash's solo album, due out this April.

Happy Birthday Duff!

Help Haiti (Feb 4)

February 4, 2010 - Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California
"Help Haiti" benefit with host George Lopez

Mother Maria, Whole Lotta Love

(Slash with Beth Hart on vocals)

Photos: DuhKeeks, lucitaM

February 4 - Halifax (Tour Closer)

Local time in Halifax, NS

February 4 - Halifax

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Better
Richard Fortus guitar solo
Live and Let Die
If the World
Dizzy Reed piano solo
Street of Dreams
Jam
Rocket Queen
DJ Ashba solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
Jam
Axl Rose piano solo
November Rain
You Could Be Mine
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Shackler's Revenge
Patience
Nightrain

ENCORE

Liquor and Whores (with the Trailer Park Boys)
Paradise City

Thanks to Here Today ... Gone to Hell! for the updates.

Myles Kennedy Fronting Slash's Band

Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) is going to be fronting Slash's band for his upcoming tour.

Slash will announce the other band members shortly.

Twitter.com/SlashHudson

February 3 - Moncton

February 3 - Moncton

Local time in Moncton

Baz's set ended at 9:35PM
Guns take the stage at 11:01 PM

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Better
Richard Fortus guitar solo
Live and Let Die
If the World
Rocket Queen
Jam
Dizzy Reed piano solo
Street of Dreams
Jam
Shackler's Revenge
DJ Ashba solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
You Could Be Mine
Jam
Axl Rose piano solo
November Rain
Jam
Ron Thal guitar solo
Out Ta Get Me
My Michelle (with Baz)
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Nightrain

ENCORE

Madagascar
Whole Lotta Rosie
Paradise City

Thanks to Here Today ... Gone to Hell! for the updates.

Duff McKagan's Loaded Seeks New Record Label

via Blabbermouth
Duff McKagan's Loaded has parted ways with Century Media Records after releasing one EP (2008's Wasted Heart) and one full-length album (2009's Sick) through the label.

According to the group, "We have been writing new material and it is going fantastic. We have a shitload of songs demoed and now we are just looking for a lovely place for these songs to call home!"

"The addition of Isaac Carpenter on drums has taken us to some amazing places and we can't wait for you all to hear them... soon!"

Duff McKagan's Loaded's next live performance will take place on February 26 at the D&R Theatre in Aberdeen, Washington.

Carpenter joined Duff McKagan's Loaded as the replacement for Geoff Reading, who left the band last year.

Sick sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 43 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.



Sick was released in North America on April 7,2009 via Century Media Records. An e-card for the CD, which was produced by Martin Feveyear is available at this location.

In addition to McKagan and Carpenter, Loaded features bassist Jeff Rouse and guitarist Mike Squires.

Loaded released Live Episode (1999) and Dark Days (2001), before other commitments meant Loaded were put on the back burner to some extent, although they never split up.
Duff McKagan's Loaded's five-song EP, Wasted Heart, was released in September 2008 via Century Media Records

According to Jane's Addiction fansite, Xiola.org, Duff Mckagan has joined Jane's Addiction as their new writing partner/bassist.

Duff will also appear, alongside drummer Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) on track 9 of Slash's new solo album, "Watch This."

February 1 - Quebec City

February 1 - Quebec City

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Better
Richard Fortus guitar solo
Live and Let Die
If the World
Dizzy Reed piano solo
Street of Dreams
Jam
Shackler's Revenge
Rocket Queen
DJ Ashba solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
You Could Be Mine
Jam
Axl Rose piano solo
November Rain
Jam
Ron Thal guitar solo
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
My Michelle (with Baz)
Nightrain

ENCORE

Liquor and Whores (with Bubbles)
Madagascar
Whole Lotta Rosie
Jam
This I Love
Paradise City

Thanks to Here Today ... Gone to Hell! for the updates.

8:51am Mission Quebec City: Slept a couple hrs. Stuck in Montreal traffic. Everyone's asleep. Bubbles is on board. Show in Ottawa felt good, felt really animated, dug Scraped n' TIL. Bringin' little things learned along the way into the overall or the "whole"! Montreal was a monster gig, felt we tore the roof off!! Had guests from all over Canada, LA, San Diego, NY, Las Vegas, Florida, London, Turkey, The Philippines etc. Toronto had fans from around the globe as well! Bein' on the tail end of a 2 on 1 off n' where rt after w/the size of r show was tough on not just us but the crew w/load in' n' out etc. not taken into consideration by others n' all the bts nonsense across the board 4 months w/all sides. Still w/everyone feelin' like bein' on the wrong end of a beatdown the show went good. (Coulda been a lot worse). The people everywhere have been so great 2 all of us! A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped pull through all of that n' make 'em memorable! Parties were off da chain!! N' again peeps were so great!! Gots ta rage a bit where n' when ya can!!

Ozzy Talks About His Contribution to Slash's Album

via Blabbermouth
Although Ozzy Osbourne has been hard at work on his own new solo album for much of the past year, the Prince of Darkness did find time to contribute vocals to a song on the upcoming debut solo effort from guitarist Slash.

Ozzy told The Pulse of Radio how the collaboration came about. "Slash is a real good friend," he said. "He's a lovely, lovely man and his family's great as well. And he phoned me up and he says, 'I'm doing an album, would you be prepared to do — sing on it?' So he sent the tape over and I put a vocal on it and did some lyrics. It was kind of like an '80s vibe and I thought, 'He ain't gonna like this.' He loves it."

Ozzy's song is tentatively titled "Crucify Me Again".

Although the track was initially slated to be the first single from Slash's record, due to legal issues The Pulse of Radio hears that a song featuring Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows on vocals, titled "Nothing To Say", may now be the first one headed to rock radio stations.

Montreal: The Classic Rock Review

Photo: Jeff Lizotte
Text: Clay Marshall (Classic Rock)
“All I’ve got is precious time,” Axl Rose tellingly proclaims in tonight’s opening track, the title song of Chinese Democracy. After all, why else would he seem to revel in keeping fans waiting, whether for his infamously late on stage arrivals, an album of mythical proportions that was nearly two decades in the making, or – perhaps most curiously – the overdue kickoff of the subsequent world tour?

Although the timing is perplexing, coming more than a year after the record’s release, there is one upside – it calls for a fresh reconsideration of the album’s merits: the driving chorus of "Shackler’s Revenge;" the unmistakable vocal cadence of the verses in "Better;" and the heart-wrenching ride-out of "There Was A Time," among others.

It also, however, serves as a reminder of Chinese Democracy’s flaws – namely, the lack of timeless, memorable hooks that people will still pay to hear performed live in 23 years. That’s how long it’s now been since the release of Appetite For Destruction, the recording that rightfully made Guns N’ Roses an overnight sensation. Its material provides the brightest moments tonight, GN’R’s first performance in Montreal since a disastrous 1992 concert halfway through the marathon Use Your Illusion tour during which Axl left the stage after singing only nine songs, prompting a massive riot.

In contrast, tonight’s show – part of a winter tour of Canadian hockey barns, the group’s first performances in their home continent since the release of Chinese Democracy – goes off without incident. Openers Danko Jones, perhaps rock’s best-kept secret, deliver a libido-fuelled 30-minute set that drips with swaggering confidence, while ex-Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach – who seems content continuing to play a Robin- or Dr. Watson-like foil for Rose – gamely energizes the crowd with a 10-song performance culled primarily from his former band’s self-titled debut.

As for the headliner, it’s instantly clear that GN’R is now little different than any number of classic hard rock acts with only one remaining original member. Having surrounded himself in recent years with a revolving door of competent yet ultimately faceless replacements, Rose has, perhaps unwittingly, turned the spotlight even more on himself, no matter how many solos he lets his band members enjoy tonight. (His frequent wardrobe changes don’t help.)

Still, Rose – sporting a Fu Manchu, and flanked by video screens and LED back drops – admirably avoids the easy path of nostalgia taken regularly by so many of his peers, as tonight’s workmanlike, nearly three-hour set is split almost evenly between older and recent material. One only wishes he’d take to heart the most basic tenet of democracy: give the people what they want. All too often, the Chinese Democracy material falls flat next to classics such as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "You Could Be Mine," but the magnetic presence of the slithering, itinerant front man holds your interest nonetheless.

His only overt references to the riot come during "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" – “You fuckers just like to tear shit up,” he playfully prods the crowd before thanking them genuinely for their support – and after the show-closing "Paradise City," when he gives a tantalizingly cryptic tease before exiting: “You deserve the truth, but tonight’s not the time.” More proof that the King of the Jungle sets his own hours.

Classic Rock

Steven Tyler Threatens Lawsuit If Aerosmith Recruit New Singer

Rolling Stone
Steven Tyler’s new manager has sent a letter to Aerosmith’s management threatening legal action if the band makes good on their promise to tour with a new singer.

In the letter, manager Skip Miller asserts that Tyler is synonymous with Aerosmith: "Can you imagine the manager of the Rolling Stones calling for the replacement of Mick Jagger?" Miller writes. "Steven is Aerosmith, along with the others. He’s the guy the public knows. He’s the singer."

As Rolling Stone previously reported, prior to entering rehab for an addiction to prescription pain medicine, Tyler vowed to stay in Aerosmith, saying in a statement, "I wish to set the record straight and say that I have read reports of a rumored two-year hiatus and want to be clear that this is completely false and I will enthusiastically be writing, recording and performing with Aerosmith as soon as things are handled." Miller’s letter reiterated Tyler’s sentiment, noting, "Steven Tyler does not want lawsuits. We do not want to go in that direction. The direction we want is Aerosmith, with Steven Tyler, touring in Europe, touring Latin America, releasing a new album… This is the direction it’s all intended to go."

Tyler has made a few unexpected public appearances while in rehab, first singing at a local pub’s karaoke night and then surprising Home Depot shoppers with an impromptu performance over the hardware store’s loudspeaker system. His bandmates, meanwhile, are rumored to have asked vocalists like Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz (who declined) and Paul Rodgers to fill in for Tyler on the road while the frontman works on "Brand Tyler."

Miller has asked for a February 9 meeting to discuss the future of Aerosmith with all five members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band and asserted that their public singer search constitutes "acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members."

January 31 - Ottawa

January 31 - Ottawa

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle

"Ottawa ... You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby! You're gonna die!
It's gonna bring you motherfuckers down!"

It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Better
Richard Fortus guitar solo
Live and Let Die.

Axl says the reason GN'R did "Live and Let Die," was because the LA Times said it sucked, so Axl thought they should hear it a few more times.

If the World
Dizzy Reed piano solo
Street of Dreams
Jam
Rocket Queen
Scraped
DJ Ashba guitar solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
You could Be mine
Jam (Another Brick in the Wall)
Axl Rose piano solo (Someone Saved My Life Tonight)
November Rain
Jam
Ron Thal guitar solo
Out Ta Get Me
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Nightrain

ENCORE

Duelling Banjos
Liquor and Whores (with Bubbles - dressed in a space suit)
Patience
This I love
Shackler's Revenge
Madagascar
Paradise City

Thanks to Here Today ... Gone to Hell! for the updates.