2022.06.18 - Letnany Airport, Prague, Czech Republic

Frank is injured.

Duff and Susan in Prague:

The show is over now. Frank played despite his injury.

First time of Street Of Dreams being played with Slash and Duff (and Melissa).

I just heard Street of Dreams, really great vocals from Axl.

Street of Dreams:

From Beta's instagram:

Review on Czech website Novinky.cz, June 19:
https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/kultura-recenze-guns-nroses-jsou-v-dobre-kondici-prestali-se-ale-vyvijet-40400542

Translation with Deepl:
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REVIEW: Guns N'Roses are in good shape. But they've stopped evolving

By Jaroslav Špulák

No delayed start, no cheap gestures, no mannerisms, it was rock and roll. The American band Guns N'Roses performed Saturday night at Prague's Letňany airport in good shape and excited. Lead singer W. Axl Rose traditionally struggled with his intonation on stage, but he also joked with his band mates and his techs, for example provocatively jumping in their way when they came to remove the piano from the stage after the song November Rain.

Axl seemed generally relaxed and happy. His between-song banter was stark, his occasional use of profanity was primarily a reminder of the journey he's been on and what he and his band mean to rock history, and above it all was the zest for singing and passion for the work that Guns N'Roses has accumulated over thirty-seven years of existence.

But those years weren't always rosy, especially when it came to personal relationships. Axl still fronted the band, but guitarist Slash, another key figure alongside him, was absent from the band for twenty years (1996-2016). It's hard to say what the relationship between the two is like today. On stage, however, they seemed to be close, and Axl put his hand on his bandmate's shoulders several times.

Of the old bunch, the current line-up still includes bassist Duff McKagan, who was absent from the band for nineteen years from 1997, and then returned. In Prague, he sang I Wanna Be Your Dog, a cover version of a song by the American band The Stooges, with a punk edge.

Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who has been a member of the band since 1990, had his birthday on Saturday, so after a cue from Axl, the audience sang him Happy Birthday To You. The youngest member on duty, keyboardist Melissa Reese, both played and assisted in the backing vocal parts, and her voice was a perfect match for Axl's. She is a great professional and visual asset to the group.

For over three hours.

The Guns N'Roses concert lasted more than three hours. It was rockin' in every way, with all the pros and cons. The band's music is essentially (with regard to style and lyrics) "dirty", and it remained so in Letňany. The sound was at times less clear, rather bad at the beginning, and lead singer Axl often went beyond the boundary of intonation certainty, which is a hallmark in his case. Yet it must be added that at some moments he shone again, especially when he rose to impressive vocal heights or engaged his famous sword-like expression.

All the musicians in Guns N'Roses are of infinite quality in their field. Guitarist Slash, on the other hand, is a legend and has been given the space to prove it several times. The solo he played wasn't just a display of finger speed. It was traditional, played with contemporary flair, dynamic and not tiring for the listener. He interspersed great moments with even better ones, and then when the instrumental duel between him and second guitarist Richard Fortus occurred, it was one of the highlights of the evening.

A selection of songs from the band's entire history was played, which is what every tour since 2016 has been about. The band released its last album Chinese Democracy in 2008 and the audience is waiting for really new songs. Honestly, the live set would benefit from two or three new releases. As is, Guns N'Roses are a band that has stopped evolving.

Thirty songs were performed in Prague, including Don't Cry, a hit that the band played for only the second time on the current tour. You're Crazy was performed in an electric version known from the Appetite for Destruction album (1987), the encore Street of Dreams was performed live for the first time since December 2012, and the set included cover versions of songs by AC/DC, Bob Dylan (Knockin' On Heaven's Door, of course) and Wings.

The choice to use the visual projections only as background music, not as content that completes the song, turned out to be a positive one. True, when rain fell during November Rain and the song Nightrain was accompanied by footage from a night train ride, it smacked of cheapness. But this band was all about a true rock concert, where everything else goes by the wayside. And that's what they achieved. To the satisfaction of the people present and obviously themselves.

Axl's voice really works on such early bangers.

Pictures by Kat Benzova:

Dizzy's instagram:

Absurd:

Axl talking about Putin, band introductions and singing happy birthday to Dizzy:

More pictures from the band's official account: