1987.12.17 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, USA

Date:
December 17, 1987.

Venue:
Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

Location:
St. Paul, USA.

Setlist:
01. It's So Easy
02. Out Ta Get Me
03. Mr. Brownstone
04. Sweet Child O'Mine
05. My Michelle
06. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
07. Welcome to the Jungle
08. Nightrain
09. Paradise City

Line-up:
Axl Rose (vocals), Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitarist), Slash (lead guitarist), Duff McKagan (bass) and Fred Coury (drums).

Next concert: 1987.12.18.
Previous concert: 1987.12.12.

Ad in Star Tribune, December 11, 1987:



Guns N' Roses are not mentioned in this listing and in earlier ads, but they were added in later ads:



Source: https://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/07-timelines/18-ryfay.php

And obviously they played, since there is a bootleg recording from that show and we have the setlist.

I wonder if this show cold have been cancelled. Steven had broken his arm before the show on December 18 and Fred Coury stepped in and played this show. This should mean that if GN'R played this show on Dec 17, he broke his hand sometime after this show and the show the next day, AND they managed to get Coury to Chicago and play the next day's show (unless Coury lived in Chicago, that is).

I find it more likely that Steven broke his hand earlier, after the Dec 12 show. We don't have any shows between Dec 12 and Dec 17, which suggests the band couldn't play because of Steven's injury and that they needed these days to get Coury onboard and to Chicago for the Dec 18 show.

But, Coury did later say that he was on a flight to Minneapolis to play a show with them the very same day he got a call to step in...

Soulmonster wrote:I wonder if this show cold have been cancelled. Steven had broken his arm before the show on December 18 and Fred Coury stepped in and played this show. This should mean that if GN'R played this show on Dec 17, he broke his hand sometime after this show and the show the next day, AND they managed to get Coury to Chicago and play the next day's show (unless Coury lived in Chicago, that is).

I find it more likely that Steven broke his hand earlier, after the Dec 12 show. We don't have any shows between Dec 12 and Dec 17, which suggests the band couldn't play because of Steven's injury and that they needed these days to get Coury onboard and to Chicago for the Dec 18 show.

But, Coury did later say that he was on a flight to Minneapolis to play a show with them the very same day he got a call to step in...

There are bootlegs from this show, though, according to gnrontour and this list:

http://www.suicideshift.info/bootleg/bootleg1987.html

I see that Fred Coury said (Thunder Bay Arena Rock, Aug. 27, 2018) that he flew to Minneapolis to play his first show with GN'R. So I guess this show (as St. Paul is in Minnesota) was his first one.

Blackstar wrote:I see that Fred Coury said (Thunder Bay Arena Rock, Aug. 27, 2018) that he flew to Minneapolis to play his first show with GN'R. So I guess this show (as St. Paul is in Minnesota) was his first one.

Alright. Now it makes more sense. Then Steven likely broke his hand after the previous show, some gigs were cancelled, and Coury flew in for this one.

Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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