‘Guns N’ Roses: Live O2 Arena London’ Finds Ringers N’ Replacements Rocking With Authority

On April 23, 1985, the Coca-Cola Company announced it had altered the formula of the most famous soft drink in the known universe. It was replaced with New Coke, a sweeter version meant to compete with its main rival, the dreaded Pepsi. 79 days later, after a massive consumer backlash, they would bring back the original recipe and, much as the United States had done with the ill-fated Vietnam War, pretended it never happened. Similarly, in 1998, singer Axl Rose announced a new line-up of Guns N’ Roses, then the biggest hard rock band in the world, after founding members Slash and Duff McKagen finally got sick of his shit. They wouldn’t return until 2016, during which time a plethora of musicians passed through the band’s ranks, many of whom are now forgotten. 

Though the Axl-led GN’R faltered out of the gate, canceling myriad tour dates and taking a full decade before releasing 2008’s Chinese Democracy, they achieved a level of stability soon after its release. In early 2012, they embarked on the Up Close and Personal Tour, playing North America, Europe and Israel over the course of 6 months. That May, they arrived in the UK for a series of dates culminating in two nights at London’s O2 Arena. Their May 31st show was filmed and released internationally as the DVD Live From The O2 Arena London. It is currently streaming on Peacock under the title Guns N’ Roses: Live O2 Arena London and shows the 2012 lineup rocking with authority and keeping the previous incarnation’s legacy alive.  

Besides its mercurial lead singer, Guns N’ Roses at this point included none of its original members, though keyboardist Dizzy Reed had been with them since 1990 and still is. It took no less than three guitarists to replace the original one-two punch of Slash and Izzy Stradlin. While DJ Ashba competently aped Slash’s leads and wore an equally silly hat, experimental shredder Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and journeyman musician Richard Fortus (also still with the band) added new textures to the old material, giving them a 3-dimensional depth. Bassist Tommy Stinson had as much punk cred as predecessor McKagen, having started playing with legendary indie rockers The Replacements at the age of 11. Frank Ferrer has both the swing of Steven Adler and the power of Matt Sorum, which is probably why he holds GNR’s drum seat to this day. Chris Pitman filled whatever remaining sonic space with keyboards, backing vocals and percussion. 

After opening with Chinese Democracy’s title track, the band lays into three songs off their landmark debut, Appetite for Destruction, sending the audience into a frenzy. “Welcome to the Jungle,” the opening salvo, is so iconic, the band wouldn’t even have to play it very well in order to make an impact. In fact, the motley crew of Guns N’ Ringers tear into the material with professionalism and glee, effectively putting their stamp on the hard rock standard. If their image is all over the map, with each man having his own distinct look, they at least offer something for everyone, be it Bumblefoot and Ashba’s nu-metal vibes or the more traditional rock n’ roll wear of Stinson and Fortus. Founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin guests throughout the show, embodying the cool authenticity that dried up after he quit back in 1991. Axl, meanwhile, looks like a cross between the Cowardly Lion and a bedazzled Real Housewife — switching floppy hats, sunglasses and jackets every few songs — which is exactly what the frontman of a stadium-sized hard rock band should look like.  

“Axl Rose looks like a cross between the Cowardly Lion and a bedazzled Real Housewife — switching floppy hats, sunglasses and jackets every few songs — which is exactly what the frontman of a stadium-sized hard rock band should look like.”  

Much has been made of Rose’s vocals in recent years and their supposed degradation, with  YouTube filled with clips of him at his worst. I would argue that Axl’s vocals were always an acquired taste, and he still does what he does as well as ever. Halfway through the show, he sounds a bit ragged and pitchy but so would most singers after an hour’s worth of high decibel rock during which they covered the full extent of their vocal range. Most surprisingly, the infamously surly singer seems to genuinely be having a good time, before the finale joking, “I’m just here to help. I’m like Jesus. Only bad. Bad Jesus.”

Over the course of the 2 hour and 20 minute concert, the band play the bulk of the Guns N’ Roses songbook. The only albums not represented in the set list are those from the half live-half acoustic G N’ R Lies and the covers collection, The Spaghetti Incident?. Interestingly, the grandiose piano-metal epics of Use Your Illusion I & II are among the highlights, displaying an impressive musical scope and command of dynamics. In a sense, the band at this point was more The Axl Rose Band than Guns N’ Roses and you get the  impression that this was what he wanted all along, with prog rock and singer-songwriter influences standing shoulder to shoulder with the overlords of hard rock past.  

Unfortunately, my capacity to enjoy a two and a half hour rock concert in a giant sports arena waned long ago. However, if I was the type of person that was willing to shell out hundreds of dollars to see my favorite bands of yesteryear in a venue the size of a meteor crater, there is no doubt I would have left the show that night in 2012 satisfied that I had gotten my money’s worth. Is it as urgent and incendiary as Guns N’ Roses’ legendary performance at New York’s Ritz in 1988? No, but these are literally two different bands. While fans are rightfully thankful the core of the OG Guns lineup has reunited, Live From The O2 Arena London shows Axl’s interim outfit could deliver the goods, treating the classics with respect while at the same time offering something uniquely their own.   

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter:@BHSmithNYC.