LOCAL fans of hard rock can look forward to American band Guns N’ Roses (GNR) in the flesh on Nov 14 at 8pm at the Surf Beach of Sunway Lagoon in Petaling Jaya.
Over 30,000 concert goers are expected to turn up at the Guns N’ Roses — Not In This Lifetime concert to see the band perform a slew of its hit singles and covers such as Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City and Knockin' On Heaven's Door.
Expect also the unmistakable strains of catchy melodies and gut-wrenching, heart-felt emotions on classic tracks such as Sweet Child O' Mine, November Rain, Don’t Cry and Patience.
The band from Los Angeles has had its fair share of ups and downs since its formation in 1985.
With the release of its debut album Appetite For Destruction in 1987, which sold over 30 million copies worldwide and made it the best-selling US debut ever, the band became a global phenomenon.
Vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler had set the world on fire with their rocking tunes, gruff attitude and unreserved stage swagger.
In 1991, the seven-time platinum albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II occupied the top two spots of the Billboard Top 200 upon release.
But at the height of the group’s grandeur, things took a turn for the worst. Rose, who also plays the piano, had a falling out with Slash in 1993 with the two only burying the hatchet 19 years later.
Their rebellious and wild rock lifestyle also took a toll on them. McKagan suffered from acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis, which caused his pancreas to swell to the size of a football, back in 1994 at the age of 30.
Although the band had broken up by then, the spirit of GNR lived on with Rose singularly keeping the flame alive as he performed with a roster of session musicians and other rockers.
A long-awaited sixth studio album that was eventually titled Chinese Democracy, was released by Rose in 2008. Malaysian fans got a taste of the Rose-led band in 2013, when GNR performed in a concert at the Sepang International Circuit.
But diehard fans of the band got excited after Rose had teamed up with Slash and McKagan to perform for the first time in years at an historic show in Los Angeles on April 1, 2016.
The location of the highly anticipated show at the Troubadour on West Hollywood was a very significant one, since it was that same nightclub that GNR had performed its first ever show, way back on June 6, 1985.
Aside from the three founding members, the rocking show was accompanied by circa 1991 GNR keyboard player Dizzy Reed as well as new musicians in the form of guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer and first female member Melissa Reese also on keyboards.
The Troubadour gig signalled a comeback for the seminal rock band as it was announced that GNR will be embarking on a world tour starting with Detroit on June 23, 2016.
Since then the hard rock outfit has played in 158 shows around the world. GNR had also featured former drummer Adler as a guest onstage for a few shows.
Other guest artistes who have performed together include Angus Young (ACDC), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and Pink.
The Not In This Lifetime world tour was reported to have been a major financial success, having grossed over USD480.9 million (close to RM2 billion) to date. It is considered the fourth-highest-grossing concert tour of all time.
For more info, visit https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyConcerts and www.galaxy.com.my.
Guns N’ Roses — Not In This Lifetime Tour in KL
When: Nov 14, 8pm
Where: Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon, Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, PJ
Admission: RM288, RM488, RM688, RM988 and RM1,288
Visit www.facebook.com/GalaxyConcerts and www.galaxy.com.my for more information.