In a number of ways, it’s quite a miracle that Guns N’ Roses’ reunion tour activities have gone on without much of a hitch at all, considering the band‘s infamous fights, spars, breakups and the tabloid magnet persona that was Axl Rose in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
This weekend, GnR was in Abu Dhabi for a concert as part of the ongoing and highly entertaining Not In This Lifetime Tour, and Rose was pretty sick. So sick, he explained on stage, that he’d been “throwing up for about the last five hours”:
Rose, though, didn’t let that keep him from helping Guns N’ Roses power through 17 songs of their usual 28-song set … which is rather impressive.
The abbreviated, but still pretty meaty, set list from the night:
“It’s So Easy”
“Mr. Brownstone”
“Chinese Democracy”
“Welcome to the Jungle”
“Double Talkin’ Jive”
“Better”
“Estranged”
“Attitude” (Misfits cover)
“Shadow of Your Love”
“Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)
“Rocket Queen”
Slash Guitar Solo (incl. “Johnny B. Goode” jam)
“Speak Softly Love” (Love Theme From The Godfather) (Nino Rota cover)
“Sweet Child O’ Mine”
“Wichita Lineman” (Jimmy Webb cover)
“Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd cover) (Slash and Richard Fortus guitar duet)
“November Rain” (“Layla” intro, Axl on grand piano)
The show must go on, as they say.
After the gig, Rose’s band mates Duff McKagan and Slash couldn’t help but share their accolades for their leader to manage to power through that show, given his illness:
Thank you Abu Dhabi! @axlrose pulled a damn miracle…the man was beyond ill, and pulled off something I've never seen in my 40 yrs of playing. You all pulled him thru. Til next time!
— Duff McKagan (@DuffMcKagan) November 25, 2018
Abu Dhabi, you guys were fucking great tonight! Axl was severely ill. But you all were hugely supportive. Thanks for that. We'll see again next time! Cheers! iiii]; ) '
— Slash (@Slash) November 25, 2018