37. JUNE 2016-MARCH 2017: THE NOT IN THIS LIFETIME TOUR IS A SUCCESS

AC/DC and guest singer Axl Rose have announced the re-scheduled Rock or Bust U.S tour dates initially postponed when longtime frontman Brian Johnson had to bow out due to hearing issues.

The legendary Australian rock outfit — now on the road with a lineup of Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Stevie Young, Chris Slade and GNR’s Rose on the mic — will roll into the U.S. for ten final shows in August and September.

The newly-announced leg begins Aug. 27 at Greensboro Coliseum, NC and visits Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Columbus, Cleveland. Detroit, Buffalo, New York, Washington before wrapping Sept. 20 at Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, PA. Rose’s other band, Guns ‘N Roses, conclude their Not in This Lifetime comeback tour on Aug. 22 in San Diego, California, just five day before the frontman heads out with AC/DC.

With Rose inserted into the lineup, AC/DC’s Rock Or Bust stadium and arena tour resumed May 7 with a well-received Lisbon, Portugal show (although the rock singer was hobbled at the time). To date, the world trek has been attended by more than four million fans, according to a rep for the band.

The rescheduled AC/DC ‘Rock or Bust’ U.S. dates are:

Aug. 27 — Greensboro, NC, Greensboro Coliseum
Aug. 30 — Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BB&T Center
Sept. 1 — Atlanta, GA, Phillips Arena
Sept. 4 — Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena
Sept. 6 — Cleveland, OH, Quicken Loans Arena
Sept. 9 — Detroit, MI, The Palace
Sept. 11 — Buffalo, NY, First Niagara Center
Sept. 14 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Sept. 17 — Washington, DC, Verizon Center
Sept. 20 — Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center

OK, so now we have to ask: Why did that have to take so long, exactly?!

For the first time in 23 years, a Guns N’ Roses fronted by Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan occupied a Detroit stage, as the reunited band played an electric, vigorous show Thursday night at Ford Field. It was the kind of night that had rock magic pumping through the veins of the packed stadium — a high-energy 2½-hour affair that kicked off the group’s Not in This Lifetime Tour after a handful of April dates.

Before the doors even opened, this was the Motor City’s biggest rock event so far this year. GNR made good on the moment, conjuring the loose, tattooed, swaggering power of the band’s golden years without loitering in nostalgia and with just enough tattered edges to keep it all real. Thursday was a chance to reassert a brand of rock 'n' roll whose alpha spot in music culture has given way to newer sounds and trends. And the trio at the heart of the action — now all in their 50s — proved up to the task.

Showing up promptly as scheduled, just before 9:45 p.m., GNR hit the ground running with a potent “Appetite for Destruction” twofer, serving up “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” as Ford Field filled with the glow of cell phone cameras.

Slash and McKagan — absent all those years as Rose carried the Guns N’ Roses franchise —seemed game for “Chinese Democracy,” one of three selections from the Rose-crafted album of the same. But this was by and large an evening for romping in the band’s vintage repertoire, and by the time the set arrived at “Rocket Queen” and “You Could Be Mine,” the years had melted away.

Rose, nimble again after the broken foot that kept him chair-bound in the spring, was a visual focal point, scampering across the stage and working the staircase alongside the drum riser. And the newly minted AC/DC singer was in consistently solid voice, the bold scream that opened an early “Welcome to the Jungle” holding up strong as the night went on.
Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses plays to the Ford Field crowd

Spirits onstage seemed high, with plenty of grins to go with the familiar GNR imagery, from the snake-dancing Rose to the top-hatted Slash with his mess of curls and periodic double-neck guitar. At one point, both Rose and McKagan (whose bass sported a Prince symbol) were both onstage with T-shirts bearing the slogan, “Detroit: Where the Weak Are Killed And Eaten.”

“Out Ta Get Me” and “Nightrain” were high-flying highlights in a set that gave Slash plenty of room for guitar heroics, including the left-field treat “Coma” and an instrumental cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were” that paired him with second guitarist Richard Fortus. The show's most emotive moments came, as expected, from the assortment of "Use Your Illusion" material, including a sloppily started "November Rain" with Rose at piano and a sweeping "Don't Cry" to open the encore.

Fortus, making periodic forays up front to join GNR’s big three, was part of a solid supporting cast that included drummer Frank Ferrer along with keyboardists Dizzy Reed and newcomer Melissa Reese.

The Stooges’ “Raw Power,” covered by GNR on 1993’s “The Spaghetti Incident,” was fittingly wheeled out for this Detroit appearance, with McKagan getting his lead-vocal spotlight. It was among a handful of cover tunes on the night, with an upbeat encore rendition of the Who’s “The Seeker” to go with GNR staples such as Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and the pyro-packed take on Wings’ “Live and Let Die.”

A confetti-strewn, flame-filled "Paradise City" wrapped it all up with a bang, one last round of seasoned energy and attitude. Guns N' Roses may be older now, a little chunkier in the middle. The onstage camaraderie may or may not be forced, on a reunion tour that's dangling multimillion-dollar paydays. But for most of Thursday night, it was as if Axl, Slash and Duff had stepped right off a tour bus from 1993.

Guns N’ Roses started their set 15 minutes early? And other surprises

There must be a German word for something that is both a little silly and a little awesome. For the past 20 years, the lame nightclub act still using the name Guns N’ Roses was merely the former: A ridiculous shadow of its former self, the “Axl plus hired guns” lineup ran through the group’s standards with all the conviction and appeal of a GNR cover band. There’s nothing wrong with continuing to make a living by trading on your once-great band’s musical output—it’s called the state fair circuit, and it pays the bills for lots of acts who no longer feel the creative itch but want to put on a show—but there was something unseemly about seeing such a legendary band devolve into the Axl Rose Cabaret Show. It didn’t help matters that the acrimony between the other founding members of Guns N’ Roses was so public, let alone that the decade-plus wait for Chinese Democracy became an easy punchline for the dangers of superstar megalomania. (Even at the height of their success, Rose’s diva behavior was appalling, which is the kind of thing that comes back to haunt you when falling out of the public’s good graces.)

But along comes the Not In This Lifetime… Tour, which finally restores that missing element of awesomeness to the Guns N’ Roses equation. The return of the founding members of the group (save for Izzy Stradlin and long-disavowed original drummer Steven Adler) is the kind of feel-good “burying the hatchet” narrative that makes fans feel like something near to their hearts has been restored to its proper place in the universe. I went to the concert Friday night at Soldier Field in Chicago, along with A.V. Club Editorial Coordinator Becca James, and a couple of unexpected things happened: First, the band not only started on time, but 15 minutes early; and second, we really enjoyed a Guns N’ Roses concert in 2016. I really didn’t think that second one was possible.

So what made it so entertaining? It certainly wasn’t the fans. If you’re wondering who attends a GNR concert these days, it’s pretty close to the stereotype you have in your head. White people in their 40s and 50s, many in from the suburbs, who pulled their old concert tees out of mothballs and decided to make a night of nostalgia as close to a time machine journey to 1992 as possible. Picture the kinds of college bros who crush beer cans on their foreheads and girls who sit on their boyfriends’ shoulders whooping at festivals, and add a couple decades. It reminded me of Joan Cusack’s perfect line from Grosse Pointe Blank, about attending her high school reunion: “It was just as if everyone had swelled.”

[...]

Still, I had a great time. And it had everything to do with the earnest performance Guns N’ Roses put on. It was pure nostalgia, true, but it was a transformative nostalgia, a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the passing of time, that felt like a defiant middle finger in the air to the aging and death awaiting all of us. When Axl ran across the stage to jump on the monitors mid-song, or when he changed outfits, or played the piano on “November Rain,” there was an undeniable air of resistance in the face of change, a visible testament to how it was possible—even if only for the duration of a concert—to reject the progression of life. The entire stadium projected itself backward in time, and partied like it was 1989.

The show was mostly a greatest-hits assemblage, with the odd deep cut making an appearance (“Coma,” “Double Talkin’ Jive”) and a few nods to the other members’ subsequent work (Duff played a couple of punk covers, Slash got to do some solo guitar noodling). There were even a few tracks from Chinese Democracy, and honestly, they didn’t sound as shitty live as they do on record, though they were also clearly from a different era of band composition. But the hits just kept coming, a reminder of how ubiquitous the band was during its heyday. I quickly realized I didn’t just know the obvious touchstones—“Paradise City,” “Welcome To The Jungle,” “You Could Be Mine”—I knew every damn song from those landmark albums, within five seconds of the opening riffs. Appetite is wall-to-wall great, as close as you can get to a flawless hard-rock album, and every track from it still thunders with almost embarrassing catharsis.

Even the lesser songs from Use Your Illusion felt resonant in the wayback-machine atmosphere of the concert. I’ve never before felt so rocked by “Estranged,” and likely never will be again, but damned if Becca and I weren’t singing along that night. I didn’t even know I knew the words. (For the life of me, I can’t remember them now.) That’s the power of a great concert. It makes the silly sublime and the ridiculous raw, and the outdated and cheesy becomes timely and resonant, for those precious few hours in which it’s happening. It’s all a bit goofy, just like the crowd dressed up like they were in their youth, and it’s fair to cop to the dangerous sway of nostalgia in popular culture at large. But it’s also fair to admit that everyone needs a win now and then, and for the people who paid to see Guns N’ Roses kick some ass on Friday night, that was a win. The world may have passed them and their musical tastes by, but for a brief moment, everyone deserves to feel cool again. Except me. I had beer spilled all over me.

Steven Adler Reunites With Guns N’ Roses at Cincinnati Gig

The packed crowd at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, were already jacked to see the version of Guns N’ Roses they’d been promised — the reunited one featuring guitarist Slash, singer Axl Rose and alarmingly healthy looking bassist Duff McKagan. And through about their first hour or so on a muggy night in The Jungle (because that’s what they call the Cincinnati Bengals football stadium, after all), those fans had no complaints. Axl and three-fifths of the members of the once baddest band in the world rocketed through an opening salvo that included “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Double Talkin’ Jive” and an appropriately epic cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die.”

Slash played some fiery solos, Axl changed inappropriate t-shirts a few times and ran all over the stage showing no signs of lingering pain from a broken foot he suffered just before the tour kicked off. Oh, and long-estranged drummer Steven Adler came out and jammed on two songs.

Did not see that coming. “On the drums, you might know this guy. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Adler!” Axl announced to everyone’s shock and awe just moments after the band finished the one-two of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Better.” And there he was in all his glory, Adler’s voluminous blonde hair spilling out onto the shoulders of some kind of army jacket covered in patches, his signature crooked grin lighting up the stage.

It was the sight GNR fans had been waiting for since Rose announced the original lineup was getting back together for the Not In This Lifetime tour and everyone asked “but where’s Steven?” (and original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, but that gulf seems too wide to bridge.)

The energy in the crowd was electric as Adler bashed away on “Out Ta Get Me,” the grin on his face reason enough for think that some detente had been reached and Guns might be (nearly) whole again for the first time since 1990. Rose continued working his way up and across and around the ramps on the stage flanked by two enormous video screens, wearing a black “The Bitch Is Back” t-shirt, his red, shoulder-length hair held back by a red bandana. “I guess we should do another one,” Rose said, keeping touring drummer Frank Ferrer on ice for a few more minutes.

It was Adler’s first appearance with the band since 1990, but you wouldn’t have known it listening to “My Michelle,” which hit a groove early and ended with Slash, sweat streaming off his arms and dripping from his signature curly black mop of hair hidden under a top hat, hopping up to the riser to give Adler a hug.

Adler gifted his sticks to an audience member and Rose seemed to almost smile as he said again, “ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Adler.” And just like that, the dream was over again as Slash and Stradlin’s replacement, guitarist Richard Fortus, played a duet on Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” which segued into Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” and then an overstuffed “November Rain.” [...]

Guns N' Roses makes a welcome return to Philly

Axl Rose appreciates your patronage, but would find it perfectly reasonable if you had given up on him by now.

"Thank you so much for coming," the still-snake-dancing 54-year-old redheaded Guns N' Roses singer said to a Lincoln Financial Field full of fans Thursday night near the start of the hard-rock band's first Philadelphia show in more than 20 years with its "classic lineup." "I would have understood if you didn't."

Rose's empathy with the exasperation of his long-suffering fans was understandable as well. After a half-decade run - from 1987's Appetite for Destruction to 1993's cover collection The Spaghetti Incident? - the Los Angeles band married metal-edged energy with Stonesy swagger and, before they were swallowed up by their own excesses, were one of the most popular bands in the world.

Since then, not much. The 2008 album Chinese Democracy is underrated in retrospect, but it was rejected at the time by fans who correctly considered it to be the work of Axl Rose and a bunch of guys, rather than the genuine GN'R article.

In 2012, when Rose was asked whether the band's key players would ever make amends and get back together, he curtly replied: "Not in this lifetime."

But "never" never means "never" in the rock-and-roll reunion business. And four years on, here we are, with Rose, bass player Duff McKagan, and more crucially musically and visually, stovepipe-hat-wearing guitarist Slash, all buddying up to one another once again in what, naturally, has been branded the #NotInThisLifetime tour. [...]

On a South Philly night so sweltering that everyone would have welcomed a cold "November Rain" - the title of a grandiose Use Your Illusion epic the band got around to (complete with a "Layla" piano intro) toward the end of a two-hour-plus set - Rose performed with a level of professionalism that his younger self might not have recognized.

He's not capable of the screeching-cat vocal power that he had in his prime, and in his matador hat, ripped jeans, and dangling silver crucifixes, he's beginning to look like a Sunset Strip-rocker version of celebrity chef Mario Batali.

But Rose appeared punctually, instantly bettering the infamous no-show incident that caused a near riot when he blew off an arena show in South Philly in 2002, and sang in tune.  And with Slash joined by second lead player Richard Fortus, he moved around remarkably well considering he broke his foot in April and led the way through a career-spanning set that sounded undistinguished and sludgy at the start (when his lower register vocals were barely audible) but gathered force as the evening wore on.

In the band that included drummer Frank Ferrer and two keyboard players in longtime GN'Rer Dizzy Reed and newbie Melissa Reese, Slash (real name: Saul Hudson) took prominence. Long-lost guitarist and unheralded songwriter Izzy Stradlin, who is not on board with the reunion, is much missed.

But it's the interplay between Rose and Slash that people who've spent 20 years watching bad cover bands try their hands at "Welcome to the Jungle" came to see. And Slash, for his part, did not disappoint, playing by turns fiery and lyrical leads all night long. He cranked it up on a cover of Wings' "Live And Let Die" (sorry, not equal to the version Paul McCartney played across the street at Citizens Bank Park two nights before), teamed with Fortus on a crowd-pleasing guitar duet on Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and delivered a particularly enjoyable segue from "Speak Softly, Love (Love Theme From The Godfather)" into a sweeping and soaring "Sweet Child O' Mine."

Axl Rose battles rogue piano at Guns N' Roses Houston show

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose could only laugh as his piano went rogue during a performance of November Rain. Rose’s piano mysteriously starts playing unplanned high notes about four minutes and 20 seconds into the performance of the song at the band’s recent show at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. [...] The singer at first looks confused by the notes before realising there is a problem with the equipment, asking his stage tech: “What the fuck is that, can we stop it at least?” He sees the funny side, saying later in the song: “I don’t mind ghosts or gremlins, but they should probably learn the fucking song.”

Slash Is King as Guns N' Roses Returns to Houston

[...]

As convenient as it would be at this point to call the reconstituted Gunners' return to Houston a failure, it would also be dishonest. It was an almost three-hour show, long on crowd favorites, with only a few low points to offset the overall high quality of the show, quality which can largely be attributed to Slash.

Friday night's show afforded the guitarist numerous opportunities to show his stuff, which he did during blistering solos during the likes of "Estranged," "Civil War," and — curiously — the theme from The Godfather. With his signature top hat and Les Paul (only set aside for a handful of songs, one of which, amusingly enough, was "Chinese Democracy"), it was like being transported back to a simpler time, when gas prices were low and a Clinton was running for President.

It was refreshing to see everybody in relatively decent shape, as well. Axl galloped around the stage as usual, only a step or two slower than the old days, while Duff roamed the stage lean and mean, a walking memorial in his Lemmy T-shirt and sporting the Prince symbol on his bass. It was, by most measures, a triumphant return, with an appreciative NRG Stadium crowd cheering them on.

But let's be honest; there's no reason for this show to be pushing three hours. For starters, none of the three(!) included cuts from Chinese Democracy received anything but polite applause, and including one in the encore instead of "Patience" or "My Michelle" or any of a dozen better tracks is nigh inexcusable. Also, "Estranged" more than meets the recommended daily allowance of bloated cuts from the Use Your Illusion albums.

But as obnoxiously pretentious as "November Rain" is, you have to give Axl credit for rolling with the flow when the audio on his piano cut out. 25 years ago, he would have thrown the bench into the crowd and (probably) called us assholes. Last night, he only briefly halted the song before continuing with the muted keyboard. Lets hear it for maturity.

And no offense to Axl and his rotating retinue of former axemen, but without Slash, this is merely an above average gig, and "GN'R" is back playing to a two-thirds full Toyota Center.

Personal Bias: Not to get all inside baseball-y, but the Houston Press almost didn’t review this, thanks to GN'R’s publicist withholding press credentials because of “hurtful comments” yours truly made in my review of the band’s 2011 show. I’d like to point out two things: first, my review of that gig was a favorable one, and any “hurtful” comments were presented specifically to be countered later on. Second, in contrast, I slagged Mumford and Sons in their first Houston appearance, yet somehow they let me come back to review them again. Conclusion: Axl Rose is a bigger crybaby than Marcus Mumford.

The Crowd: How was there a GN'R show without any fights? You people are old.

Overheard In the Crowd: "Axl's great! Who cares if he's racist?"

Random Notebook Dump: "Slash and Mick Mars need to do a tour. Call themselves the 'Defibrillators.'"

Axl Rose fronted AC/DC leaves Greensboro thunderstruck

With Brian Johnson home nursing hearing problems – 46 years in front of Angus Young’s riffs blaring through a wall of amplifiers will do that to you – AC/DC enlisted Guns N’ Roses legendary frontman Axl Rose to lead the Aussie’s vocals on their “Rock or Bust” world tour.

A near sold out Greensboro Coliseum, donning red devil horns praised and bowed to the superstars in front of them. Axl – decked in his signature red bandana and diamond pendants swaying from his neck hardly hiding his erotic t-shirt – shined and presented his renowned squealing vocals while Angus – dressed in his famous blue velvet school boy outfit – shred on his black Gibson SG.

The two showman put on a remarkable performance, but it was Angus’ antics that stole the show. Between squirming on the floor, shuffling down the catwalk and ripping off his tie which he used to grind out guitar riffs, the 61-year old was jaw-dropping. It’s impossible not stand in awe as the co-founder of AC/DC mugs the audience while playing an incomparable 10-minute guitar solo.

AC/DC didn’t piss about and let their performance do the talking. Pyrotechnics spewing from the stage, a giant, inflatable “Rosie” and a train to hell set the mood while an all-encompassing 24-song set fulfilled the audiences’ wishes. From “High Voltage” to “Hells Bells” (which featured a giant bell that swung and clang from the ceiling) to “Rock or Bust,” AC/DC touched ’em all.

They even unveiled a once-in-a-lifetime treat for their longtime fans. The Aussies dusted off “Live Wire” from their debut album High Voltage and played the track for the first time since 1982. Fans welcomed the addition with massive praise and struggled to remain calm once they heard the tune. Perhaps AC/DC felt they owed Greensboro something special after rescheduling their original show date, further elevating North Carolinian’s anticipation.

Prior to heading out on tour, Rolling Stone asked Angus if this was the last hoorah for the hard rock band that’s captivated millions for over four decades.

"At this point, I don’t know. We were committed to finishing the tour. Who knows what I’ll feel after? When you sign on and say, ‘I’m gonna do this and that,’ it’s always good to say at the end of it, ‘I’ve done all I said I would do.’"

It surely didn’t feel like AC/DC’s swan song. It wasn’t a night of sorrow or sadness, but instead a night of thrill with masters of the genre. AC/DC gave Greensboro a night to remember and fans were left speechless and in amazement after what they saw – and heard.

“That was amazing! Maybe we’ll be able to hear by Monday!”

Angus Young and Axl Rose-fronted AC/DC deliver a spectacular marathon show

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mark Twain, had he survived, would be an AC/DC fan. Or at least the author of what should be the band's new motto: The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

For nearly 21/2 hours Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena, Angus Young and his surviving bandmates - superbly aided by fill-in frontman Axl Rose - gave testimony to the fact that MTV's Butt-head needn't toss his favorite band's T-shirt.

That's a hope, anyway. When this Rock Or Bust tour ends, bassist Cliff Williams will retire. With a severe hearing ailment sidelining singer Brian Johnson, Young's brother (and band co-founder) Malcolm fighting a losing war with dementia and ex-drummer Phil Rudd a persona non grata over drug charges, Angus will be the only original member of the band.

That won't be the first time it's happened in rock 'n' roll, and when it does, it's usually a sign to let it go.

Not. This. Time.

[...]

Going into it, every one of the 18,000 or so who packed The Q knew the biggest question was gong to be Rose.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer - inducted in 2012 with his Guns N' Roses bandmates even if he himself boycotted the ceremony - more than rose to the occasion. His trademark soaring vocals weren't Johnson, and they weren't they original AC/DC singer, the late Bon Scott. And that's OK, because it was like a natural progression for the band, segueing from Scott to Johnson and now Rose.

Here's the thing: It didn't sound like GNR covering AC/DC. Rose meshed perfectly with Young & Co. on just about every song, including "Shoot to Thrill,'' "High Voltage,'' "Live Wire," "Sin City'' and, of course, "Highway to Hell.''

Even better - and maybe a bigger surprise - was Rose's willingness to make it clear that this is Angus Young's band, not his. Rose didn't just share the spotlight; he turned the high beam on Young.

A frontman by the very nature of the job is the focal point of any concert, and Rose is hardly the shrinking-violet type. But his performance Tuesday night - his deference to Young AND to the AC/DC singers who came before him - raised him to new levels in the eyes of many who were at The Q.

Axl Rose, you rocked, and we salute you.[...]

Guns N' Roses: South American Leg Of 'Not In This Lifetime' Tour Grosses More Than $56 Million

According to data reported to Billboard Boxscore, thirteen concerts on the South American leg of Guns N' Roses' "Not In This Lifetime" tour yielded a total gross of $56.545 million and more than 565,000 tickets sold.

105,000 tickets were sold to the band's November 4 and November 5 shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with another 93,600 fans attending the group's November 11 and November 12 gigs in São Paulo, Brazil. The October 29 concert at Santiago, Chile's Estadio Nacional drew 62,375 people.

Guns N' Roses Sold Over 350,000 Tickets In Australia And New Zealand

Guns N' Roses sold a whopping 353,000 tickets during its recent tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The band also became the first international act to sell out the 74,000-capacity MCG in Melbourne. In addition, 85,000 people saw the band perform over two nights in Sydney.

Paul Dainty, CEO of TEG Dainty, said that he was surprised GN'R sold so many tickets this time around.

"Guns N' Roses has a huge fan base in Australia, but I would say it's now bigger than ever after this fabulous tour," he said. "Every night the band delivered its trademark sound and performance. I can't speak highly enough of their professionalism and passion. We would love to see them back soon."

Guns N’ Roses leads the latest slate of Hot Tours (see list below) with box-office grosses reported from stadiums in Australia and New Zealand during a three-week sweep through both countries in February. With eight performances in seven cities during the trek, the band added $38 million in sold ticket revenue to the Not In This Lifetime… Tour’s overall gross that now reaches $230 million since its April 2016 launch. (Note: This does not include revenue yet to be reported from seven Asian markets during the first quarter.)

The trek began on Feb. 2 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, the first of two New Zealand cities on the schedule. The venue hosted a sellout crowd – as did Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium two days later – to open the run. The first Australian performance was in Brisbane on Feb. 7 at the QSAC Stadium that held a crowd of 39,459. Sydney was the second stop in the country and the only market to offer two shows to fans. ANZ Stadium sold a total of 84,277 tickets for concerts on Feb. 10 and 11. The $9.2 million gross at the Sydney venue is the top grosser Down Under and the fourth-highest overall since the tour began a year ago.

The three stadiums that have grossed more than Sydney also hosted the tour for two shows, but they each surpassed the $10 million mark in ticket sales. MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area is tops with $11.6 million last July followed by double show stadium runs during the band’s trek through Latin America in November. Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires logged sales just over $11 million and Allianz Parque in São Paulo grossed $10.7 million.

After three decades, six studio albums and seven tours, Guns N’ Roses has made Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list of the world’s top-earning entertainers for the first time. The American band, which landed at No. 12, earned $84 million in the past 12 months, pre-taxes and management fees. That cash came courtesty of the five-continent Never In This Lifetime Tour, reuniting classic members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan for the first time since 1993.

Wellington jolted to life by a hard rock tour de force

Well, the Westpac Stadium (and Wellington) certainly needed that. After the depressing, tumbleweed scenes from the weekend, as the once mighty Sevens party was reduced to a sparse smattering of diehards, Guns N' Roses turned the dial up to eleven and jolted an exuberant crowd with a hard rock tour de force.

Even Mother Nature showed a modicum of respect: the diabolical Wellington summer rain abated a little at times, although the locals were prepared and determined to let their hair down, drenched or dry. It was reminiscent of when David Bowie came to town a decade ago and worked his magic in similarly inclement conditions.

After their meteoric late 80s, early 90s heyday, Guns N' Roses have charted a familiar rock 'n' roll stony path: separation, litigation, a long hiatus in creative output, until the eventual release of Chinese Democracy and its rather mixed reception.

After Axl Rose pulled out of the Hall of Fame induction a few years ago, the prospects of a reunion seemed dim. Then, as if to complete the fairytale cliché, the band's core of Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited in late 2015, followed by a swift announcement of this gargantuan tour.

Naturally, it had been a long time between drinks for most of the fans too. I fondly remember my long-haired, sixth-form self at my last GNR outing, nervously hoping to bluff my way into getting served at the bar. Twenty years on, the sight of the slightly balding and the rotund, clad in ill-fitting and faded original T-shirts and moshing with energy, was a reassuring plus ca change.

Mindful of the fact that there is no more powerful drug than nostalgia, the setlist was packed with those monster hits from Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion. First, they cruised into It's So Easy as if they really had never been away. The stunning backdrop and regular fireworks kept the momentum going, as the classic songs flowed effortlessly.

There was no interaction from Axl until a few warm-up songs in, when the instantly recognisable opening riff of Welcome To The Jungle fired up the faithful throng. The highlight, predictably, was Sweet Child O' Mine: the mesmerising virtuosity of Slash's solo undimmed by the passage of time.

The entourage reconvenes in Auckland on Saturday February 4 at Western Springs. This should not be missed.

Review: Guns N' Roses rock the MCG in front of 70,000 fans, despite wobbly start

MUSIC
GUNS N' ROSES ★★★★
Melbourne Cricket Ground, February 14

Test matches, Olympic and Commonwealth Games, grand finals and now Guns N' Roses.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has played host to some of the biggest sporting and cultural events in the city's history and Tuesday night it was rock 'n' roll with Guns N' Roses playing to a crowd of 70,000.

It was a wobbly start, as their adoring Melbourne fans were greeted as "Sydney" a few days after the band played two shows in the Harbour City.

Bemused looks briefly replaced the anticipation across so many faces and boos could be heard as the band bounced on stage cranking out It's So Easy, fireworks blasting from the side of the enormous stage as frontman Axl Rose began working the crowd into a frenzy.

It's almost 25 years since original members of the band - Rose, guitarist Slash and bass player Duff McKagan - were last here together, playing at Calder Park on a blistering summer day also remembered for thunderstorms that delayed the group's arrival on stage.

Tuesday had another wait, this time it was some 50 minutes after the scheduled 8pm start before the group appeared. The opening blunder and first song behind them, the Gunners then blasted through Mr Brownstone from 1987 album Appetite For Destruction and followed soon after with Welcome to the Jungle. In his familiar top hat and curly black locks, Slash looked much as he did when their debut album broke through, while Rose opted for jeans, an array of jackets, shirts and hats rather than the white lycra shorts he sometimes sported in the band's earlier days.

McKagan, who during the group's afternoon soundcheck tweeted "this place is absolutely massive!" to his almost 800,000 followers, looked happy to be on stage alongside his old bandmates, plus guitar slinger Richard Fortus. Frank Ferrer occupied the drumstool where Steven Adler and Matt Sorum had previously sat. Original guitarist Izzy Stradlin, well, he's clearly not coming back any time soon.

The two-and-a-half hour show featured all the Gn'R classics, Sweet Child O' Mine, November Rain with Rose at the piano, a ferocious version of Night Train that was among the night's highlights, Civil War from the 1991 Use Your Illusion releases, Rocket Queen and a cracking Double Talkin' Jive with an almighty guitar intro from Slash.

The truly memorable moments came from Slash's guitar work, while Fortus played a solid second fiddle to the legendary L.A. guitarist.

Another guitarist of some considerable repute, AC/DC's Angus Young, was welcomed on stage as he was last week in Sydney, to huge applause from the Melbourne crowd. Young owned his moment as only he can, playing Whole Lotta Rosie and Riff Raff from the AC/DC catalogue. Seeing Slash and Young together on stage was enough to make anyone forgive the unfortunate blooper from earlier in the night.

After a stage show that left most people gasping, it was showstopper Paradise City that finished the night in a blaze of lights, fireworks and one last costume change from Rose, who brings that extra bit of glitz to the most notoriously glamorous bad boys of rock n' roll.