Is Industrial Society on the Verge of Collapse?

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

19. Just, wow

My teenage sons play the guitar, and this was almost less GnR than it was about Slash.

Long concert - 3 hrs, no breaks, and some new releases from the day before.

Guns N’ Roses has been solid musically since original members guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan rejoined the band in 2016. (That’s also the last time they played in Pittsburgh, when they visited Heinz Field for the Not in This Lifetime tour.)

Slash, who turned 58 last month, unleashed fiery solo after solo throughout the night, with “Double Talkin’ Jive,” “Chinese Democracy” and “Mr. Brownstone” among the highlights. Decked out in his trademark top hat and sunglasses (even at night), Slash’s guitar theatrics/heroics propelled the band through a three-hour spin through all their hits.

McKagan served as a steadying force, helping to fill in the gaps on vocals. The rest of the band — guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and keyboardist Melissa Reese — kept the music sounding like classic Guns N’ Roses. The stage set-up was fairly straight forward, with two giant video screens flanking the stage
With only three albums by the classic band lineup, their debut “Appetite for Destruction” appeared prominently Friday, with eight of 12 songs played. Other highlights included “You Could Be Mine,” “Estranged” and “Civil War,” which featured Rose wearing a T-shirt with a Ukrainian flag. (That was just one of at least 10 minor wardrobe changes for Rose.)

Of the band’s 27 songs played Friday night, five were covers. Of those, “Live and Let Die” by Wings and “Slither” by Velvet Revolver — which included Slash and McKagan — were the high points, while Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” seemed like it went on a bit too long. McKagan sang lead vocals on the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye,” and, for the U.K. Subs’ “Down on the Farm,” Rose busted out a faux British accent, much like he did on “The Spaghetti Incident?” album version.