Guns N'Roses blew Maiden off the stage. It wasn't a very big crowd for this show, maybe 5,000-6,000 people. This was the original line up of GnR with Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler still in the band. GnR put on an awesome show, with them performing a Nazareth song "Hair Of The Dog", Axl knew that Nazareth had just played Edmonton a few days before this show and dedicated the song to Nazareth for there 20 anniversary. GnR had played here about 7 months before with The Cult, but had a way bigger following this time through town.
My favorite memories from this show, other then music itself, was my brother and I hanging outside the Coliseum all afternoon trying to meet Guns N' Roses. We sat outside long enough to polish off a mickey of whiskey each before we finally saw their bus pull up. Even back then Axl had no time for anyone. he got off the bus, got on his skateboard and rolled on down the ramp right into the Coliseum, not even acknowledging my brother and I. But when Slash got off the bus, top hat on of course, he came right over to my brother and I and took the time to shake our hands and talk to us, I told him I had seen them open for The Cult and he thanked us for the support. He saw that I had a GnR bootleg album with me that I was hoping to get autographed, he was looking at it and about to sign it when their road manager came up and hustled him away saying they had to do sound check right away. So I never did get his autograph, which really sucked, but was still neat to talk to him.
Later during the concert, while Maiden was playing, my brother and I spotted Slash sitting in the penalty box watching the concert drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels right from the bottle. He had no security or body guards or anything around him, just sitting there watching the show. I was just about to go see if I could try and get his autograph again, when he got up and went back to the backstage area, shitty deal.
All and all this was a great show.
Front.
Back.
Front.
Back.
About a month after this show, Guns N' Roses were on the nationally syndicated radio show Rockline, which is a radio show where fans call in and ask the band questions. I was lucky enough to get through to ask a question, but they ended up running out of time before I got to ask my question. The producer of the show asked for my name,address and what my question was. A month later, much to my surprise I got an autographed album in the mail. How fucking cool is that.
Was a great show, but I just remember how small the crowd was, especially at the Coliseum.
ReplyDeleteGuns 'n Roses played the intro to "Only Women Bleed" as an intro to "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" if I remember right, and Axl saying that if it sounded like they stole this part, we were right. lol