2017.07.27 - The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, MO, USA

Marc Schneider wrote:No Riot Act: Guns N' Roses and St. Louis Hug It Out at First Show Since 1991

"The last time we were here was half of my life ago... Half of my freaking life ago. It's good to see you again."

Axl Rose got through "Rocket Queen" without starting a riot on Thursday.

The last time Guns N' Roses visited St. Louis, way back on July 2, 1991, the Los Angeles hard rock band was in the middle of the Appetite for Destruction corker when a hot-tempered Rose dove into the crowd to confront a camera-wielding fan before storming off, thus setting off what's now known as the "Riverport Riot."

More than a melee, angry fans reacted to Rose's leap by tearing up the then-new Riverport Amphitheatre, leading to dozens of arrests and injuring 65, including two-dozen police officers. He was later arrested, charged, found guilty and fined, followed by civil lawsuits that ended in undisclosed settlement amounts.

Rose dispensed some justice of his own over the years, via a shout-out in the Use Your Illusion liner notes ("F-ck you, St. Louis") and by wearing his "St. Louis Sucks" t-shirt and, of course, steering clear of the Gateway City during the few occasions the band has played North America.

It's an ugly chapter in the band's history, but one that Rose and company finally decided was time to move past.

"The last time we were here was half of my life ago," Rose said during Thursday's return concert, held at the cavernous Dome at America's Center. "Half of my freaking, fu--ing life ago. It's good to see you again."

And Rose really seemed to mean it, leading the nation's top touring act through a marathon 31-song set that included early rockers ("Mr. Brownstone," "It's So Easy," "Nightrain"), strut-and-sway ballads ("Patience," "Don't Cry," "November Rain"), faithful covers (Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie," The Who's "The Seeker") and all the greatest hits you'd expect, nee demand at a GNR show, with a few Chinese Democracy tracks thrown in for the completists. Rose maintained his familiar high-growl the entire night -- aided by frequent breaks and years of conditioning -- and the band was as tight and relentless as you'd expect.

What Rose (or Slash or Duff McKagan or even Dizzy Reed -- all GNR members back in 1991) didn't do on Thursday was hammer the Dome audience with many direct references to the riot, its aftermath or all those hurt feelings over the years. They cliché-edly "let the music do the talking" -- a wise move.

That said, there were a few very subtle nods to 1991 and its legal fallout. Introducing Slash, Rose snickered, "Ladies and gentlemen, my partner in crime, as we return to the scene of the crime."

And setting up the Use Your Illusion II classic "Yesterdays," Rose noted the earthy aroma in the air: "We're all law abiding citizens here... I know I am. So that smell must be... somebody must be having a medical emergency. Let's make sure they're okay."

The band also dished out some t-shirt diplomacy, which may have gone over the heads of many in attendance. McKagan, for example, wore a tee from Streetside Records, a beloved-but-defunct local music store chain; Rose donned a shirt with the Coral Court Motel, a long-gone Route 66 motor inn known for its art deco stylings; and in a sincere (and very cool) gesture, guitarist Richard Fortus, who lives in St. Louis, wore a shirt from Kennedy's, an also-gone rock club where his old band (Pale Divine) used to play. "He fu--ing lives here!" Rose said in amazement at one point of Fortus, "inviting" the crowd to his house for the after-party.

Slash went with one shirt the entire night, but he did give St. Louis a nod during his solo, which included a portion of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."

Fortus, who played with Richard Butler in Love Spit Love and later Enrique Iglesias before joining GNR, didn't say much the entire night, but his joy in playing in front of family and friends in a massive hometown stadium show was evident.

(In a recent profile in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fortus recalled playing a gig the night of the 1991 riot. "I remember people coming in from the riot with pieces of chairs," he said. "I didn’t realize the scope of it until later. I would have been there if I wasn't working.")

The band chose their long-awaited return to St. Louis as the launching pad for the next leg of their North American "Not In This Lifetime" tour. Through 23 shows, the tour has grossed a tick over $99 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. The band's reunion has also helped its promoter, Live Nation, maintain a dominant position among its competitors -- the concert giant has grossed more in the first half of 2017 than the seven next biggest promoters combined.

Twenty-six years is a long time to wait for a GNR show, but the "truce" between band and city on Thursday seems to have changed that. "We hope to see you soon," Rose said before walking -- not storming -- off. "Hopefully a lot sooner."

Mike Sorensen wrote:CONCERT REVIEW: Guns N' Roses in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS - “Seems like just yesterday we were here!” came the booming voice from the public address system, generating a roar from the crowd at the Dome in St. Louis.

Everyone was in on the joke – 26 years ago was the "yesterday" being referenced.

It's a date known well to fans and stars alike.

But that was in the past, and Thursday night, Guns N' Roses showed that's where they were going to keep it. And the crowd answered in a like fashion, welcoming back Axl, Slash, Duff and all their friends.

Right up front, I would like to address the fact that some people are saying this isn't a “real” reunion because Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler aren't there on guitar and drums, respectively.

That particular incarnation of the band lasted for one full-length album and one EP that was released before changes started. To be fair, Guns N' Roses has always had a fluid line-up. But the core – Axl Rose, with Duff McKagan on his right and Slash on the left – is what the reunion is about. That's not to devalue the contributions of anyone in the band, past, present, or future, that's simply what the “Not In This Lifetime” tour is all about.

All on the same page?

Okay!

One other disclaimer – I was there to shoot photos for the show, which meant I was there for just three songs, then it was on the road home. I would have loved to have stayed, but that's not what I was there for last night.

So this review covers those opening songs, and not the other 27 (THIRTY SONG SET??) that came after.

With all of that out of the way, what a return to the Gateway City this was.

Right out of the gate, no punches were pulled, with “It's So Easy” kicking things into the highest gear from the get-go. These guys played like they'd never spent a day apart.

Slash, along with Richard Fortus on rhythm guitar, bring that killer two-guitar sound to every inch of the venue, while Duff and drummer Frank Ferrer hold everything together as the monstrous rhythm section. Rounding everything out are Dizzy Reed on piano, keyboards, and percussion, and Melissa Reese with more keyboards, synthesizers and sub-bass.

These six are joined by the master of ceremonies himself, Axl Rose. After more than 30 years, Rose still sings these songs like they're fresh and new.

There has been some concern that his vocals might not be up to par for such a long set, but that doesn't seem to be an issue. While he definitely doesn't sound like Pavarotti or Ol' Blue Eyes, he never has. That's not his style, not his sound. He sounds like Axl, and he sounds like he did on the legendary album 30 ago – gritty, grimy, and, well, like Guns N' Roses.

“Mr. Brownstone” followed as the second number, with “Chinese Democracy” next at the plate. From the first album to the latest, both songs sounded great with this band.

Rose's vocals and Slash's six-string are what Guns N' Roses fans have longed for over the last couple of decades, and they still make a perfect pair. Even on songs that aren't his (“Chinese Democracy”), Slash plays every note like it may be the last he'll get out of the strings, and he shows them no mercy. Trading in his signature Les Paul for a wicked BC Rich for the third song, he showed that if it has a few strings, he can make anything sing.

With pyro blazing and the crowd roaring, there was no doubt at all that St. Louis is still a Guns N' Roses town. They came in to bury the hatchet, and the audience welcomed them back with open arms.