Guns N’ Roses 2017 – Chicago
November 7, 2017 | Category: Concerts
Welcome to the Jungle, Baby!
The show begins with the gnarly bassline of “It’s So Easy,” the scratchy guitar of “Mr. Brownstone,” the late era “Chinese Democracy,” and the introduction capper “Welcome to the Jungle.” The latter elevated by digital imagery that played on the concept of the original video. Rose was a tad breathless by the end of that run, but after he disappeared under the stage his vigor was renewed.
At 55, he’s still capable of banshee wails and his scale-climbing caterwaul, which I imagined could be both a stress reliever or downright stressful given his facial expressions.
He showed restraint when he wanted to. Instead of imitating Chris Cornell on the cover of “Black Hole Sun” late in the set, he held back a bit during the song’s crescendo. The tribute to the Soundgarden frontman played under an image of the Seattle Space Needle (McKagan’s hometown) was a nice addition to the setlist, introduced by Dizzy Reed’s piano, and served as a musical answer to the preceding “November Rain.”
Of course, like Jagger and Richards, Tyler and Perry, Rose’s foil is as big of a star as he is.
That’s not lost on the frontman, who saved the guitarist’s simple introduction of “Slash” for last as he ran through the band’s members. Still shaded by curls and a top hat, Slash was at his best diving into classical influences during he and Fortus’ instrumental showcase of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and his own take on the love theme from “The Godfather” that segued into “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
Once plagued by Rose’s chronic tardiness and unpredictability and the other members’ substance abuse, the band now operates as a well-oiled team of pros with the help of utility players drummer Frank Ferrer, long-time guitarist Richard Fortus, and additional keyboardist Melissa Reese.
