Guns N' Roses Pay Slane Tribute To Chris Cornell

Globally regarded as a kind of spiritual home of rock music on this fair isle, Slane Castle is positively steeped in history – and guitar heroics. This evening, in front of 84 000 or so pilgrims, the recently reunited Guns 'N' Roses aim to add to the mythos of the Co. Meath venue by proving they're still the “World's Most Dangerous Band.”
Having already performed there once before during their creative and commercial peak in '92, many, including this reviewer, are keen to see if the group's holy trinity of Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and the surname shunning Slash can match or perhaps better that iconic performance from the past.

But before we get our faces melted off with sleazy, attitude-drenched rock 'n' roll, there are some other tasty morsels to savour first. Looking and sounding at home on Slane's stage, Dublin's Otherkin put in a pleasingly pugilistic performance: their set is full of powerful, garage-infused goodness. These boys are in the ‘ones for the future’ file…
Erstwhile Screaming Trees singer turned solo bluesman Mark Lanegan is an unusual choice to support considering he rarely turns the amps up to the proverbial 11 nowadays. However, while his gritty – and inevitably grim murder ballads – don't quite connect with some of the crowd, I adore the man's inimitable bourbon-soaked bellow regardless of the setting.

Next up, it’s returning rockers Royal Blood, who have the masses in the palms of their hands throughout a punchy set that’s full of Zeppelin-informed riffola. Royal Blood have matured into consummate festival heavyweights since we saw them last, the likes of 'Figure It Out' and monstrous new single 'Hook, Line & Sinker' particularly impressing.

Next up, the head-liners! Much like the bus Hot Press got to Slane on, they've run into a few bumps on the road to get here. After trading their World's Most Dangerous Band nickname for the more apt tag of the World's Most Dysfunctional Band decades ago, it once seemed like former guitarist and bassist Slash and Duff would never play with Axl Rose again. However, hell has thankfully frozen over and their Not In This Lifetime tour sees the essential core Guns N’ Roses musicians back in the band once.

This evening's show is exactly what you'd expect from an act who helped give birth to the concept of modern day stadium rock. They've dazzling light displays, flames and fireworks that’d outdo Satan's boudoir and, more crucially, a back catalogue of songs which defined at least two generations. Though Axl does look like he got dressed in the dark, who cares about sartorial style when we’ve got a stunning opening salvo of ‘It’s So Easy’, ‘Mr Brownstone’ and 'Welcome To The Jungle' to sink our teeth into? Sounding every bit as ferocious as they did three decades ago, the songs haven't aged a day and are full of power. Rose, who gallops around the stage like a man half his age, delivers a commanding performance.

While it’s true that the vast majority of the sold out crowd are hungry for material from the evergreen Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion I and II, it's heartening to see the much maligned Chinese Democracy era isn't completely ignored: the hook-laden ‘Better’ fully deserves its spot in the set. They also deliver a poignant version of Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun', in tribute to the late, great Chris Cornell.

Although there are a few wobbles (the overblown 'Coma' and unconvincing cover of 'Live And Let Die' sound lumpen), Guns 'N' Roses' performance of the likes of the slinky 'Nightrain' and anthemic 'Paradise City' ensure their show was every bit the spectacle we hoped it would be. Fingers crossed we won't have to wait another 25 years for this version of the band to return.
Now, did someone say it rained yesterday?
EDWIN McFEE