IS AXL THE LIBERACE OF ROCK?
Guns N’ Roses solidify legacy as 40,000 fans roar in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — In just over two and a half hours of stage time, the 2016 version of Guns N Roses solidified its legacy alongside their own musical heroes The Rolling Stones.

Despite the snickers from those who chastised fans buying tickets to see a reunited lineup featuring Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan – “good luck seeing that,” “better see them sooner rather than later” – it’s already been three months since they first played the Troubadour, where GNR originally got their start back in the mid-80s.

Saturday night, in Nashville, Tennessee, was the seventh performance in a two-month long tour of U.S. stadiums.

From the bombastic opening of It’s So Easy to closing with an extended version of Paradise City, the band proved their 2016 trek is more than a so-called money grab.

Rose, at 54, and coming off his short-term residency with AC-DC, is not the immature frontman he was in the late 80s and early 90s.

Whether it’s the powerful delivery of You Could Be Mine and instantly identifiable screams from Welcome to the Jungle – “Do you know where you are Nashville” – or the vocal subtleties of Civil War and Estranged or even Coma, Rose’s range still cuts across the entire musical soundscape (with only a few discernable weak moments that faded with little notice).

An otherwise reclusive enigma, Rose commanded the stage and electrified more than 40,000 fans at Nissan Stadium, who reciprocated their appreciation that this summer’s most talked-about tour was anything but “Not in This Lifetime.”

With his numerous outfits – including a pair of cowboy hats, which proved apropos as they transformed Music City to Paradise City – and several oversized rings that adorn each hand, Rose is a little bit of Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger and whole lot of Liberace.

However, just as a Stones performance is masterfully built around the combination of Mick and Keith Richards, this summer’s highly-produced GNR production features the repairing of Axl and Slash (after more than 20 years apart).

Although Buckethead and more recently D.J. Ashba proved themselves as capable soloists over the past 15 years, it’s the return of Slash that lends credibility, excitement and curiosity to this year’s tour.

The 50-year-old guitarist, who recently described the shows as “surreal,” is as iconic a figure as Axl.

As a counter to Roses’ stadium-sized presence – he manhandled of every square foot of the stage – Slash was relatively stationary and yet manhandled the guitar parts from one song to another – none more so than the iconic opening riff to Sweet Child ‘o Mine, the band’s only cut to top the Billboard charts at No. 1 – without ever becoming distracted by the moment itself.

Be it guitar solos or instrumental moments, the crowd reciprocated it’s appreciation for the revered guitarist with several deafening roars of approval.

Another moment that brought a memorable roar of approval from the-already-standing crowd was Axl’s welcoming of an old friend—Steven Adler.

Having recently recovered from back surgery, the founding drummer played a pair of Appetite-era songs – Out Ta Get Me and My Michelle – for the second time in as many performances.

Steven Adler performs with Guns N’ Roses in Nashville

Aside from the band’s Hall of Fame performance, in which the founding member shared throne with Illusion-era drummer Matt Sorum, Adler last played with the band fulltime on April 7, 1990, (after which he was asked to leave because of his on-going drug addiction).

As heartwarming as it may have been to see Adler performing with Slash – his childhood friend – any grand illusions that he would be capable of maintaining the physical demands of the current workload three or four nights a week are fleeting at best.

In this case, the trio of Slash, Axl and Duff have found a perfect moment for Adler to significantly contribute to the set, while, at the same, receiving his just due as a significant member from its inception.

Adler’s appearance, after all, is the catalyst that carries the band and audience alike through last portion of a grueling set that began with the intro at 9:27 p.m. and didn’t conclude until they took their final curtain call at 12:10 a.m.

This leaves only Izzy Stradlin, who left the fold on his own accord in 1991, as the only member of the founding five yet to take the stage this summer. However, he has randomly made several appearances with Rose in recent years.

In his place, Rose introduced Richard Fortus, newcomer Melissa Reeves, 10-year veteran Frank Ferrer, longtime member Dizzy Reed and, of course, Duff McKagan.

McKagan and Slash last recorded with Axl, in 1993, on their covers album entitled The Spaghetti Incident.

Many believe it was McKagan, who orchestrated the reuniting of Axl and Slash – just four years removed from their awkward induction into the Rock N Roll Hall Fame, in 2012, and a year prior to the 30th anniversary of the release of their debut album Appetite for Destruction – and now his presence onstage provides much more than a foundation for the rhythm section.

The ease with which the 52-year-old bassist carries himself unconsciously provides the band and, as direct result, the fans with an overwhelming sense of experiencing something special—and making two-decades of rumors and uncertainty worth the wait.

In addition to his many side projects, McKagan also happens to be a two-time bestselling author and is currently penning a biography of fellow Seattle natives Alice In Chains.

With the set list numbering 27, the band selected ample songs from Appetite, Use Your Illusions I and II and even GNR Lies along with the lesser-known, but no less satisfying Chinese Democracy, a trio of covers – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan), Live and Let Die (Wings) and Attitude (The Misfits), which was recorded for their covers album The Spaghetti Incident – that have been prominently featured in the set since the early 90s and two notable additions from Pink Floyd and The Who.

There’s little doubt the band will eventually announce dates for both South America and Europe and with the reception they’ve received to this point, it’s also not unimaginable to think Axl, Slash and Duff could continue for the foreseeable future.

Truth be told, Mick and Keith are both 72, so – in reality – how much longer can The Rolling Stones continue what they’ve been doing in recent years?

Where would that leave Guns N Roses?

Yes, Rose was once the seemingly divisive frontman of what was often described as “the most dangerous band in the world,” and in some ways venerable vocalist is still an enigmatic figure, but he and the others are all grown up now—evident by their mature performance Saturday night.

As impressive as they’ve been the past three months – not a stretch for a band that has sold in excess of 100 million albums worldwide – the Guns N Roses of today is poised to cement their legacy in the pantheon of all-time greats.

Keith Ryan Cartwright can be reached at Keithryancartwright@hotmail.com