On Friday, December 2, I saw Guns n' Roses live at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. As you know, I was very excited for this show because I've never seen Guns n' Roses (okay, Axl Rose) live.
When the Glam husband and I arrived at the venue, he was less than pleased to learn it cost $20 to park, but whatever. I didn't want to walk far as it was cold.
We decided to go out to eat and skip the opening act D Generation. I do not regret this, even though I got a few emails saying how great the band was live. I'm sure they were, but I was just too wary of waiting and waiting and waiting. When we finally rolled up to the venue, it was just before 10. Instead of floor, I opted for the front row of the seats. This meant I was two inches from the floor but still had a seat to sit in while waiting for Axl. The air conditioning was cranked so high at U.S. Bank Arena that I shivered the entire time - my hair was moving the air was blowing so hard! That was a definite negative.
Axl's spirit must have moved him early - the band went on about 10:40 and I'm pretty sure that's earlier than any of the other tour stops. DJ Ashba has a lot of energy, but I've been a fan of his for a long time. He didn't disappoint while with GNR either.
There were lots of songs off Chinese Democracy, which is expected and I enjoyed. I really like the album but I still think the older GNR songs translate better live. Before the music started, I had told the Glam husband that the songs I wanted to hear most were "Estranged" and "November Rain." I was pleasantly surprised to hear "Estranged" so early in the set. It was awesome! Another song I really loved was "Don't Cry." That was probably my favorite part of the show. Here's something weird: Axl didn't banter hardly at all. He alluded to "the last time we were in Cincinnati..." and that was about it. And he told the story about Paul McCartney's kids saying "Dad, it's so cool you do a Guns n' Roses song!" -- a story I'd heard many times before.
I could have done without the AC/DC cover of "Whole Lotta Rosie" and preferred to hear something like "Yesterdays." I also think that the guitar solos in "Sweet Child O' Mine" came up a little short. Yes, I love DJ and yes, Bumblefoot is awesome... but they are not Slash and I felt like he was missing on that song. The Glam husband got annoyed by all the solos -- and I do agree. By cutting down on the solos, we could have had more GNR tunes, but Axl needs the time to rest, so it is what it is.
Now, for the bad stuff: Axl looked weird in all his various hats but that annoyance was nothing compared to the two people that were next to me. They came in late, so I was loving the show until they rolled in. Let's just say the girl leaned on the wall between the floor and the seats the entire time, shoving her butt into my hip... and her husband felt compelled to lean into her. Like, they weren't even facing the stage 90% of the time, so why pay for tickets? They necked, spit and swore incessantly... but the best part was when they chain smoked and tried to hide it. Ohio has a smoking ban, so lighting up at indoor venues is illegal. Because they were "sneaking" their smokes, they would hunch down, light up, take a few puffs and put out the cigarette. This went on for two hours and by the end of the show, my eyes were running from smoke. I was so fed up, the husband and I left right after "Nightrain" meaning we skipped the encore. I'm sad I missed "Patience," but I still feel like I fulfilled a dream. I've been wanting to see Guns n' Roses for more than two decades and it finally happened for me. If the Guns n' Roses tour rolls through your town, check it out. I just hope you have a better class of people in the crowd than I did. Geesh.
Want a copy of the new Slash double-live Made In Stoke 24/7/11? The title comes from a show Slash played when he went home to Stoke on Trent, England this past summer.
The disc features tunes from Slash's solo debut, his time with Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit and Guns n' Roses. Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge provides the vocals.
Here's the track listing:
1) Been There Lately 2) Night Train 3) Ghost 4) Mean Bone 5) Back From Cali 6) Rocket Queen 7) Civil War 8) Nothing To Say 9) Starlight 10) Promise 11) Doctor Alibi 12) Speed Parade 13) Watch This 14) Beggars & Hangers On 15) Patience 16) Godfather Solo 17) Sweet Child O’ Mine 18) Slither 19) By The Sword 20) Mr Brownstone 21) Paradise City
Looks good, right? I'm giving away three copies of the CD set and you can enter as long as you live in the U.S. or Canada. All you need to do to win is drop me an email to allyson@bringbackglam.com and leave your legal name, mailing address and telephone number. Winners will be selected at random draw. Put "Slash" in the email subject line. The contest is open through Wednesday, December 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Good luck.
Here's more information on Made In Stoke 24/7/11:
Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the U.S. release of Slash’s first ever live solo album Made In Stoke 24/7/11. The double-disc CD, and a special-edition 2CD+DVD package (featuring five bonus tracks and an exclusive interview with Slash) in stores now!
The iconic, Grammy-winning rock guitarist and songwriter Slash has perfected the science of the six-string for over 20 years as an integral component of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver and as a hugely successful solo artist. On July 24, 2011, he made a very special visit to Stoke on Trent, England, where he was raised, at the end of the 2010-2011 tour in support of his globally chart topping and critically acclaimed self-titled solo debut.
Captured at Victoria Hall as part of an intensive world tour, this 21-song set is a celebration of a legendary career. Joined by Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge on vocals, Slash ripped through cuts culled from his GN’R days, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit, and his solo album, (including the single “By The Sword”). His band line-up included bassist Todd Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz and guitarist Bobby Schneck.
With favorites like “Back From Cali,” “Slither,” “Sweet Child ‘O Mine,” and many more reverberating the crowd-filled rafters, this proved to be one rockin’ homecoming.
Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hamburg, & Paris.
I can't believe that I started this website on December 3, 2006 and now here we are, five years later. That is just insane to me. There's something like 2,500 articles across this website right now: that's a lot of Glam!
To celebrate my five year anniversary, the Glam husband and I saw Guns n' Roses last night in Cincinnati. Have no fear, a full review is coming!
Every year on December 3, I marvel at all the friends and connections I've made because of Bring Back Glam! It seems like each year I am blessed with more and more connections. Some of my very best friends came about because of this site - now I can't imagine life without some of you (and you know who you are!)
2010 saw the addition of two additional writers, our friends Christian and Brian. 2011 saw me struggling to find time to write BBG!, contribute to Noisecreep, work a demanding job and really ramp up my exercise regime. As you probably know, I never have a plan of what to write from one day to the next. I write as the spirit moves me. I'm now officially in marathon training meaning that after I work all day, run and then eat, I feel like a zombie. There are days when I feel like I can't string two sentences together, but I still try because I don't want to let you down. I still marvel every single day that anyone other than my own mother would care to spend time reading my blather. There are times when I think about my running hobby and realize that without music, I could never get through my runs. I can't get through my workday without music either. And each morning, I just instinctively Google search the Glam bands we love just to make sure I didn't miss something big over night. And yes, I still excited for festival season. What fun awaits us during this fifth year? I guess only time will tell!
And now, per tradition of every anniversary post on this site, I must say to all "Let's get rocked!"
Kids, the rumors were true! Last night on CNN, Piers Morgan announced that Motley Crue will do a residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The residency starts February 3rd and lasts three weeks. Tickets go on sale this Saturday via Ticketmaster. Pre-sale tickets are already available by using the code "SIN13."
Tonight Piers Morgan will feature the guys in Motley Crue for a special hour-long interview.
I won't be traveling to Vegas to see the residency. It's too expensive and I still think the idea is a little insane, but I bet the show will be over-the-top awesome like always. So, will you be flying to Sin City for a little Motley fun this February?
Motley Crue will announce something "big" tonight and tomorrow on Piers Morgan Tonight which airs on CNN (9 p.m. ET). The band will be at the Whisky a Go Go to make their big announcement via satellite on the show.
Robin Leach (yeah, from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) thinks the band will announce a Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel. Seriously. Leach reports the band will play a series of three or four nightly concerts a week in February... and that the deal could be repeated in 2012.
If this is all true, I think it's insane. And why announce something like a metal residency... on Piers Morgan of all shows? The residency could be a way to celebrate the band's 30 year anniversary. Las Vegas residencies and metal bands just don't seem to go together though. I mean, Vegas is more Manilow and less Megadeth... but I guess money talks, right?
The other piece of the puzzle is a big SIXX: AM announcement sometime in December, too. Could the two announcements be linked? Whatever the result, I'll post all the dirt up here.
To celebrate the last day of November, I'm giving away five (5) copies of Journey's Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2. If you'd like to win one of the five prize packs, all you need to do is drop me an email to allyson@bringbackglam.com - but you must put "JOURNEY" in the subject line! Please include your legal name, mailing address and phone number in the email. Rest assured, your information is never shared. Any emails that do not contain the proper information will be discarded. Winners will be chosen by random draw. Enter by Sunday, December 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Good luck. Here's information on both the discs:
GREATEST HITS VOL. 2, a brand-new collection of original recordings by the mega-platinum band Journey will be available as a single CD, digital download, and special gatefold double-vinyl edition (which includes a code for a free digital download of the vinyl remastered album), available starting November 1, 2011. This new package from Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, spans singles and album tracks recorded between 1978 and 1996.
Journey’s original Greatest Hits collection is one of the top-selling American rock albums of all time with worldwide sales in excess of 25 million. In conjunction with the double-LP version of GREATEST HITS VOL. 2, the original Greatest Hits will also be issued as a gatefold double-vinyl edition on the same date, November 1 (which also includes a code for a free digital download of the vinyl remastered album).
Journey, founded by guitar virtuoso Neal Schon in 1973, has achieved iconic pop culture status that has earned the band cumulative sales of more than 62 million albums, singles, and digital tracks in the U.S. alone. Their enduring appeal is affirmed everywhere from Rock Band to Tony Soprano’s musical daydreams on HBO’s The Sopranos, from Broadway’s Rock Of Ages to FOX’s Family Guy. Most notably, the cast of Glee celebrated Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the series premiere episode of 2009. The kids later paid homage with three songs on 2010’s Journey to Regionals (“Faithfully,” the medley of “Any Way You Want It / Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin’,” and the new Regionals version of “Don’t Stop Believin’”).
When asked about his experience in the remastering back to vinyl of the original recordings of the Journey Greatest Hits and the new GREATEST HITS VOL. 2, Steve Perry replied, “I truly forgot how sonically exciting and just plain better these Journey tracks sound back where they originally lived…on Vinyl. The stereo separation, the center imaging and the sonic depth of the tracks themselves is more true to what we all loved about these original final mixes. All the instruments and voices, to me personally, sound so damn good that all I want to do is reach for the volume and turn it up!”
“I’m very excited to be releasing this compilation,” said Neal Schon. “Many of these songs were written in our earlier days by Steve Perry and myself, and hearing them again brings back great memories. “Little Girl” has an extra special meaning for me because it’s one of the songs my father, who worked with us for many years, worked on with us. All our songs have stood the test of time, and I hope our fans will enjoy this collection.”
Jonathan Cain added, “Escape was my first album with Journey in 1981 and I never looked back. A lot of the songs in those days were in pieces -- like a puzzle to figure out. The connection we had was magic - and like a Super Bowl team - we always found a way to get it right."
Covering 18 central years in the Journey saga, GREATEST HITS VOL. 2 includes tracks from the band’s fourth album, Infinity (1978), produced by Roy Thomas Baker, which marked the entry of Steve Perry’s distinctive lead vocals into the lineup (“Feeling That Way,” “Anytime,” “Patiently”). Their next album, Evolution (1979) was also produced by Baker and features “Just The Same Way”. Departure (1980) was the first of seven consecutive studio albums by Journey to reach the Top 10, and platinum or multi-platinum, over the next 16 years (“Walks Like A Lady,” “Good Morning Girl,” “Stay Awhile”).
One of the cornerstone bands in radio’s new Album Rock format, Journey’s popularity was so overwhelming that they were able to release a single from their double-LP concert set, Captured (1981). “The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)” broke inside the Top 40, and was the #2 song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
Journey’s hold on the charts continued with Escape (1981), the band’s first #1 album. Escape spent nearly three years on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and produced four hit singles - “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms” (all on Greatest Hits) and “Still They Ride” along with the rock staples, “Stone In Love,” “Mother, Father” and the title track “Escape” (all on GREATEST HITS VOL. 2). Escape was produced by Mike Stone (Queen, Kiss, America and others) and Kevin Elson, who went on to produce the next album, Frontiers (1983). Frontiers(“After The Fall,” “Chain Reaction”) debuted the week before Michael Jackson’s Thriller hit #1 – thus the LP had the distinction of being one of many albums to occupy the #2 spot (for nine weeks) during Thriller’s reign at the top.
Raised On Radio was released in 1986, featuring an assortment of top studio musicians including noted jazz-funk-R&B bassist Randy Jackson (of American Idol) who went on to tour with Journey through 1987. Raised On Radio was another double-platinum album for Journey, spending 67 weeks on the album chart, and spinning off the Top 20 hit “Suzanne.”
In 1992, Journey became one of the first American rock bands to release a deluxe multi-CD box set, Time3. Comprised mostly of hit singles and key album tracks from the band’s first dozen albums, Time3 also contained a number of previously unreleased tracks and rarities. Among these was “Little Girl,” from the original motion picture soundtrack of Dream After Dream, an obscure foreign film whose entire score was performed by Journey, issued on Columbia in 1980.
A Journey reunion took place in the ’90s, and the recording of Trial By Fire (1996) was the result, with Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory, and Steve Smith all on-board for their first album together since Frontiers. Featuring “When I Think Of You,” Trial By Fire rose to #3 and continued Journey’s platinum streak.
GREATEST HITS VOL. 2 wraps up with a live concert version of “Mother, Father” - a highlight of Live In Houston 1981 - Escape Tour, a Columbia/Legacy archive release in 2005 which featured both video and audio versions of the same 75-minute program.
As Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild wrote, “Whether on the radio or on some stage, these well-built tunes remain sturdy crowd pleasers to this very day, in their second century of airplay. Some DJ is playing a Journey song somewhere right now and many more are out there singing along – you can bet on it.”
GREATEST HITS VOL. 2 by JOURNEY (Columbia/Legacy 88697 77986 2) Selections: 1. Stone In Love • 2. After The Fall • 3. Chain Reaction • 4. The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love) • 5. Escape • 6. Still They Ride • 7. Good Morning Girl • 8. Stay Awhile • 9. Suzanne • 10. Feeling That Way • 11. Anytime • 12. Walks Like A Lady • 13. Little Girl • 14. Just The Same Way • 15. Patiently • 16. When I Think Of You • 17. Mother, Father (Live In Houston, 1981).
Greatest Hits Vol. 2 vinyl and CD meticulously remastered to vinyl by Robert Hadley and Steve Perry at The Mastering Lab in Ojai, CA.
Greatest Hits Vol. 1 vinyl meticulously remastered to vinyl by Doug Sax, Robert Hadley and Steve Perry at The Mastering Lab in Ojai, CA.
We know M3 Rock Festival is slated for May 11 and 12 in Columbia, Maryland. Now we know the first confirmed band, too. Frankie Banali announced that Quiet Riot will play the festival. I'm sure this will get the tongues wagging. Whenever modern-day Quiet Riot comes up in conversation there's always a heated debate as to whether the band should still be performing without Kevin Dubrow.
Incidentally, I saw Kevin and the rest of Quiet Riot at the first Rocklahoma. That was the only time I ever saw the band. I have an open mind - I'll give Frankie's version of the band a chance at M3. Will you?
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 12:01AM 
