GUNS N' ROSES
June 28 (Sunday), 1987
The Marquee Club, London, England
FIRST EUROPEAN DEBUT
June 19, 1987 - June 28, 1987
1. Welcome To The Jungle 4:57
2. Out Ta Get Me 4:56
3. Rocket Queen 7:10
4. Nightrain 3:59
5. My Michelle 4:22
6. It's So Easy 3:29
7. Mr. Browstone 4:02
8. Don't Cry 5:10
9. You're Crazy 4:25
10. Paradise City 6:51
- 1st encore -
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
11. Whole Lotta Rosie 7:37
- 2nd encore -
12. Knockin' On Heaven's Door 4:37
13. Move To The City 3:18
14. Mama Kin 4:22
The most complete recording of this legendary show, - only missing the first take of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - comes from the remastered Alan Niven master in addition with "Whole Lotta Rosie" restored to its worthy place taken from the bootleg "Live Samurai - Vol 2" as only this version proved to be the one suited in the sound quality presented by the main source. Another bootleg offering this show, titled "London Calling" was released by Metal Sword in 2006 and is based on the original master recording as provided by Alan Niven - also lacking "Whole Lotta Rosie". This is sourced from the same master recording, only it has been remastered and mixed at some point with additional (fake) audience noise. Originally uploaded by GNR4EVER69. - Buda
NOTES - As it turned out, Guns N' Roses' third and last show at the Marquee proved to be one of their most successful appearances the band ever gave with absolutely breathtaking performances following one after the other. The band is in peak form and playing in total unison resulting a slick and professional show. It's also a rare opportunity at a Guns concert for both performers and audience to interact and expand with each other and tonight both enjoyed the opportunity to really get into things.
As they walk out on stage, Duff welcomes the crowd "The Marquee, huh?!" while Axl shouts at them "How the fuck are you doing?" as if to say hello, then adds: "Welcome to the fuckin' jungle!" They pull off a vigourus and highly energetic version with Axl clearly singing out all the high notes and more. From then on they took control and didn't stop for a mere hour of glorious ear-splitting rock. "That's gonna be our next single!" Axl states as the song finishes off. After the opening attack he dedicates 'Out Ta Get Me'... "to the press, that don't like us!" He sings with great frenzy, emphasizing every given line. After the boistorous performance - which was later released on the "Live Are: '87-'93" double live album, - Axl goes on: "You people are fuckin' great! Now... about the press! That's why I wore this shirt. This shirt says... 'Opinions are like assholes. Everyone's got one'. Think about that next time you fuckin' put someone down or I'll kick your ass! This song is called Rocket Queen!" The only live attempt of the song during these Marquee shows comes early with a rousing and passionate performance dominated with its emotional second part much to the crowd's apprecitation. Then Axl informs the audience about the developments of his latest affairs: "If you happened to be at the last show..." to which the crowd answers with a big approval "...alright, anywhere else you may have heard about the shit that went down with Tower Records. I'm happy to announce it, everything has been sorted out. Got me a nice new jacket here you know... Tower Records is okay! This next song is for everybody out there who likes to drink a little too much. ... This is called Nightrain." The performance is tight and full of frenzy with all the members playing it exceptionally well. Instead of band introductions, Axl introduces his collegaues one by one during the coming songs' peak. Slash gets his right before his guitar solo in 'Rocket Queen'. Izzy's name is thrown in during 'Nightrain' also before Slash's going into his solo. In the beginning of 'My Michelle' which follows directly after 'Nightrain' Axl tells that... "You gotta be careful when you do too much of that cocaine and you're going end up like my friend Michelle." Axl: "Alright, I got some special news for you people... If you waited in the line, you might have saw a truck outside. We're recording you fuckers, tonight! The last two shows had been so much fun and you people have been so responsive that the record company decided it would be stupid not to record the show! Because of you! I wanna thank you for helping me make another fuckin' record! God-damn! Alright this is our single at the time now... This is called It's So Easy." The performance is received with great admiration and is even more intense than previously with Duff being louder on vocals and with Slash's impeccable playing which in all marks again one of the definitve highlights of the night. Someone shouts at Axl who forwards it to the audience: "He just told me something I didn't know. He said that London is rocking now..." then adds... "and if you need to come down of that cocaine maybe you get too involved with some' called heroin. This is called Mr. Brownstone." The performance is once again amazing and seems that the band can perform it blindfolded. Undoubtedly, tonight's surprise - dedicated by Slash to the band's road manager, Colin Gardner who's turning thirty-five - is an inspired version of 'Don't Cry' which the band has been playing occasionially for more than a year now and which is the very first GN'R tune penned by Slash and Izzy (first known performance dates back to January 18, 1986 at the Roxy in Hollywood, CA). Most of the show, as Axl is very much involved with the music, he's omni-present on the small stage - spinning, turning, dropping to his knees... the perfect foil for him to narcissistically weave between. It's no different with the following 'You're Crazy' which is merely vicious with the Gunners rolling at a remarkable speed. Axl: "Give us a minute with the guitars here... I wanna dedicate this song to you people of these last three shows... and bloody old England! This is called Paradise City!" Duff remarks: "You know what? I travelled six thousand fuckin' miles and there's no fuckin' circus at Picadilly. What the fuck?!" This drew some cheers but a heckler interjects something negative which earns a "Fuckin' asshole!" in return from Axl. 'Paradise City' is pompous and terrific. It's incredibly loud yet at the same time sparklingly clear with Slash chopping recklessly at the chords during the end. Axl finishes adding: "Thank you! Thank you Marquee! Fuck it!" GN'R leaves the stage to have some drinks and before they return to perform their encore, the crowd begins a football-like chant which later melts into a chant for 'Mama Kin'. Then, Duff returns to the stage and his respond follows: "Just give us a minute to tune up the guitars, we'll be back! Fuckin' make some NOISE!!!" They began with 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', then follow with AC/DC's 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. The band pull off the later with an amazing credibility to overwhelming success. As a result, the original UK "Welcome to the Jungle" single was backed with this performance. Before the second encore the audience starts to whistle, hoot and holler to sound their impatience. A minute later Duff asks the crowd "Hey, what the hell is a fuckin' bogroll?! I haven't figured fuckin' one out yet." Then Slash pipes up: "Alright, check it out, due to circumstances beyond our control you guys weren't loud enough so we're doing Heaven's Door one more fuckin' time!" Somebody yells in to which he prompts: "Yeah?! Well, then make some fuckin' noise!" The audience responds with overwhelming reaction. "Otherwise we play it again! We can go the whole fuckin' night!" then adds "If you guys sing along long enough during Heaven's Door we'll be doing Mama Kin last, alright?" When the tune starts Axl acknowledges that "You're part of history here!" right before Steven crashes in - whose overall performance during these Marquee appearances is seemingly the most effective the band could have had. The performance countinues to improve with every attempt they make along with Axl's more confident vocals. This version features a bit of an extended ending where he pushes himself so much that it feels like he's literaly singing his heart out at various points. 'Move The City' is fabulous and very much dominated with Slash's amazingly fluent and dynamic solo freed from his seemingly endless capacity of licks. 'Mama Kin' is a worthy set closer, a song that is rapidly becoming a live favourite. When it was over, the audience couldn't let their band go. The good rapport which had developed tonight between them has reached its climax. "You've been great London, we love you man!" Duff shouts at them as Slash snorts in the mic: "Yeah!" The crowd countinued to worship the band which made it hard to get off the stage. Duff: "Okay, goodbye!" Then Axl bids on a farewell: "You people been absolutely fuckin' great to us here or anywhere! We will be seeing you in September with Aerosmith! GOD DAMN!" They finished big and the crowd unwound with them. A triumphant way to end their European debut.
Despite that little variations occur in the set-lists, performing 19 different songs, total of 39 live renditions on three gigs proved to be worthy enough - in addition that GN'R didn't play 'Sweet Child O' Mine' nor 'Think About You' during their Marquee performances. Still, essentially the set for each night was as powerful as rock and roll ever gets as not one set was performed in the same manner and the delivery of the songs is never twice the same. - Buda
THE PRESS
Guns N' Roses Marquee, London (two nights)
Kerrang! No. 151 July 23-August 5 1987
LOOK, I read those reviews too Y'know, the ones written after Guns N' Roses' first-of-three shows at The Marquee Club, wherein the authors claimed they were 'disappointed' at a band who failed to live up to 'expectations'.
The general negativity in the media towards this five-piece following their debut British gig smacked of 'backlash' to me, but since I was absent from the date, I can't comment on the boyz' performance that night. But, hey, I was there on the succeeding two nights and if the second concert was sensational, then the final one was beyond even such a superlative.
You want me to describe the feeling and atmosphere on that final night? Try these adjectives for brain size: raw, savage, furious, emotional, dangerous, rebellious, vibrant, hungry, intoxicating . . . a mixture that I thought was supposed to define rock n' roll.
The Stones, Aerosmith, Rose Tattoo, Sex Pistols, Motörhead, AC/DC, yeah some have tried to encapsulate W. Axl Rose and his jetpack jousters as no more than clones of any or all of the above. In reality, though, Guns n' Roses might have influences drawn from such denizens yet they are very much individual in their stance, instantly recognisable and, at this point in time, without a peer.
There was an edge of the uncontrollable on this Sunday night that always threatened to take everybody over the sanity edge, a bourbon-fuelled spirit of the rollercoaster, which at any moment would career off the rails. But then, this is perhaps the ultimate fascination with all great bands, the passion and intensity is so overwhelming it comes close to engulfing us all, only being held at bay by that indescribable combination of charisma and musicianship, of which G N' R have plenty.
Izzy and Slash tore their flesh to golden shreds on the strings of their guitars as if ripping out a cat's innards and then streetorchestrating the screaming effect. Bassist Duff possessed a sunken, glowering glow, whilst drummer Steven Adler kicked against the skins as if attempting anchored surgery without anaesthesia.
And holding the instrumental plunder together is Axl, a born frontman who 'just' happens to have a positively schizoid vocal range. And those songs! It wasn't enough that we got staggeringly spectacular covers of Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door', Aerosmith's 'Mama Kin' and AC/DC's 'Whole Lotta Rosie', they also had to spice up proceedings with a selection of numbers from both the 'Live ?l*@ Like A Suicide' EP and their unbelievably depth-charged, totalitarian debut album 'Appetite For Destruction' , with the mescaline magnetism of 'Paradise City' proving to be the night's highlight, sucking everybody into the virile vortex of its already classic personality.
See'em in September/October when they return with Aerosmith.
MALCOLM DOME
Fingerprints or Checksums:
14 Mama Kin.flac:c0b238b7d884ca917e3efd0ab8822531
01 Welcome To The Jungle.flac:779ac600896bff272594cce8cc047307
02 Out Ta Get Me.flac:3d771643179714f405118486fdf6a3b0
03 Rocket Queen.flac:97074773fa1fc5b1bbb1a99dcaad0a8d
04 Nightrain.flac:8c626cacece6c3c4ad7b67aa2f9f2821
05 My Michelle.flac:7af4e486036e4d52433a6fc064078137
06 It's So Easy.flac:14be0dd2fe22bd16247ef4d6f76943a8
07 Mr. Brownstone.flac:91d14e9b8c32ef79afaadbc3aeb5d125
08 Don't Cry.flac:d39ff7dd0a5217ef1a7ae11a6b533391
09 You're Crazy.flac:48c00514322d3cea13f19b1ba140c6a5
10 Paradise City.flac:cb201fcfaea4d237cfe186a6470c6f05
11 Whole Lotta Rosie.flac:88d0038fd51a3165e2dc18177d04c27b
12 Knockin' On Heaven's Door.flac:c7dd2ed53dd90b3fa6e5a4b59e899ede
13 Move To The City.flac:bc626fe3bcfa28309d89a5c0ba782536
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Guns & Roses - 1987-06-28 - GUNS N' ROSES 1987 June 28 London, The M - Audio Soundboard - FLAC
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