My man Axl Rose -who managed to release the most underestimated album of last year Chinese Democracy, is touring Canada later this year behind is cracked metal masterpiece.
If I’d be posting last year I woulda written a lot about Axl. I saw him in 05, 06 -right at the front of the Hammerstein with Nicki and was sincerely blown away. Nicki was a big GnR fan and Axl greatest hit us and than some. If the question is how many times can you hear “Sweet Child O Mine” the answer is one mo’ ‘gain.
“I.R.S.” off Chinese Democracy was last years single best rock song -Rose voice was blistering, Rose could be compared to Robert Plant on this tour to force. And the guitars? So what if was essentially a studio production -if you’re gonna spend seventeen years putting it together it better be a studio construction. And, no, not even “I.R.S.” with its loud-low bridge and weird and paranoid lyric, was worth waiting seventeen years for but all the greats are out of their minds and this is the sort of insanity Brian Wilson could get behind.
The rest of the album is as good or better… “Prostitute”, “Shackler’s Revenge”. “There was A Time” (with its heavenly choir invisble opening before getting tough and blooded minded… these are all the best metal has thrown up in a decade. The best metal of the decade.
Axl waited too long and got too cute in promoting it and allowed it to peter out. His time had come and gone and Rose with his hair extension and botox and plastic surgery looked like a monster when he needed to look like a MONSTER.
The tour opens in Canada, goes to east Asia, and will be winding its way East you can bet on it. If you’ve seen GnR before you don’t need to be told, if not buy some songs off Chinese Democracy and rock your sox off.
January 2010
13 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – MTS Centre
16 – Calgary, Alberta – Pengrowth Saddledome
17 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rexall Place
19 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Credit Union Centre
20 – Regina, Saskatchewan – Brandt Centre
24 – Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum
25 – London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre
27 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
28 – Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
31 – Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Place
February 2010
1 – Quebec City, Quebec – Colisee Pepsi
3 – Moncton, New Brunswick – Moncton Coliseum
4 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Metro Centre