NighTrain Station Guns N' Roses

GUNS N' ROSES CHARMED BY BERGEN



Monday night Guns N' Roses will kick off the European leg of the "Chinese Democracy World Tour" in Vestlandshallen, before they continue in Oslo on Wednesday. Reed is among the few in the band who has been in Bergen before.

- It's nice to be back. I've been here once before, doing a sideproject. It was February and really cold and dark I remember. We played a small place called... Hulen? It was fun, definitively worth the train ride, Dizzy Reed tells NRK.no.

Practiced without Axl.
The keyboardist of Guns N' Roses came to Bergen together with the rest of the band - minus Axl Rose - on Thursday, but the 46-year-old haven't had the time to see much of the city.

- I wish we were in the middle of the tour because I love Bergen, and I would want to see more of it. Hopefully I'll be back sometime on vacation, and will get the time to see the city and the fjords. That would have been really cool, Reed says.

NRK.no got to take part of the rehearsals in Vestlandshallen on Sunday afternoon. Frontman Axl Rose weren't present but will probably be there for the final checks before the concert on Monday afternoon. Keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal substituted on the vocals in some parts, other than that, the band went through the songs instrumentally.



The songs played while NRK.no were present were "Live And Let Die", "Sorry", "If The World", "Prostitute", "Rocket Queen" and "My Michelle". For those who are wondering: Guns N' Roses 2010 is an extremely competent and tight hard rock band!

The worst question
Dizzy Reed is the only one left in the band since they were really big in the early 90s. The keyboardist joined the band in 1990, and he has seen people come and go in an impressive tempo ever since. The break with Slash is a subject the band don't want to talk about, and Reed doesn't want to rip-up in the downfalls of the band before they reached a stabilized new group of musicians.

- What question regarding Guns N' Roses are you sick of?

- «Where is Axl?» I've gotten that one for ages. So much for a while I almost thought it was my name. But I don't know, don't ask me, the 46-year-old chuckles.

New axeman
The latest member of the band is named DJ Ashba, and is the bands third guitarist. A spot he shares with Richard Fortus and Ron Thal. Without there being any chaos on stage, shall we believe the 37year-old.

- We share the songs amongst us. I do 80-90 percent of the Slash-bits, Ron does the Buckethead-parts and Richard does a lot of what Izzy did. Whatever fits our own style. We are very different guitarists, and do what feels natural, the guitarist tells NRK.no.



- Is it correct that the band performs without a real setlist?

- Yes, and that's what's cool about Guns N' Roses. I've never been in a band like this before. You have to be on your toes the whole time, because it all depends on the feeling Axl has each night. Usually he calls out songtitles, sometimes in a completely different order than the night before. I love it, and first of all great for the audience. You'll never get the same show twice. That way, we keep the spontaneity, says Ashba.

- Jam!
On the latest tour the group have played around with many cover songs, for example "My Generation" (The Who), "Sonic Reducer" (Dead Boys) and "Whole Lotta Rosie" (AC/DC). The last one is a song GN'R often played in the start of their career, and they blowed the dust off it right before christmas when the band played in Japan.

- It was Axl idea. Sometimes the guitarists just throws out a riff, and sometimes he joins in, like he did that night. We ended up with a real cool jam, and since that we've been playing it from time to time, Ashba says.

The concert in Vestlandshallen Monday night is the tour opener for Europe, and this marks the first time they've visited Bergen. Dizzy Reed promises the fans will get their money worth when Guns N' Roses takes the stage.

- A lot of good songs, spectacular entertainment, lights and explotions.. Quality entertainment!

Rejects reunion
- If I was to bet on the classic line up to reform, what would you tell me?

- If I was a bookmaker, I would definatenly take your money. But don't. You would have lost. Guaranteed.




http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/hordaland/1.7145662