Guns n' Roses rock the Olympic Stadium: Axl Rose's voice holds - classic for the Munich fans

Created: 07/10/2022, 04:45 am

By: Dominik Goettler

Rocked Munich: Guns n' Roses singer Axl Rose (left) and guitarist Slash.

© Kc Alfred/dpa

Welcome to the Munich jungle.

Guns n' Roses play the classics from over 30 years of band history in the Olympic Stadium - and Axl's voice holds.

Munich – If Guns n' Roses fans have learned anything over the past few decades, it's: wait.

In the heyday of their hard rock heroes: waiting for frontman Axl Rose to finally take pity on the stage.

In the crisis: Waiting until Rose and guitar legend Slash pull themselves together again after years of the Rose War.

And finally: wait until the planned European tour finally starts after several corona cancellations.

But the wait was over on Friday: five years after their last guest appearance, the Gunners are back at the Munich Olympic Stadium.

Guns n' Roses in Munich: Axl Rose is fit again after the concert cancellation in Glasgow

Armed with cowboy boots, sunglasses and his obligatory bright red microphone, Axl Rose stormed the stage - and was greeted by a cheering stadium.

It starts with "It's so easy".

And after just a few songs, a bloodcurdling scream: "Do you know where you are?" Of course, the audience knows.

Welcome to the jungle!

The first proof.

The voice is oiled again.

The fans had to worry in advance whether Rose was really on stage in Munich.

Because at the performance in London last weekend, it was indicated that the Gunners frontman was struggling with his voice.

"Welcome to the world of the baritone," Rose reportedly said at the performance after being forced to change pitch because of vocal problems on the Guns n' Roses classic Civil War.

The concert turned out to be much shorter than the previous gigs of the tour.

And the stop in Glasgow scheduled for Tuesday was promptly canceled entirely – "due to illness and medical advice," according to the band's social media channels.

Rose only gave the all-clear for Munich on Thursday.

Guns n' Roses in Munich: Slash doesn't seem to be aging

In the Olympic Stadium, too, he occasionally drops down an octave – and of course, he no longer rattles the scales up and down as effortlessly as he used to.

But other than that, the redhead, who recently turned 60, is in a good mood and busily sweeps across the stage.

And his chief guitarist Slash?

Unlike Rose, he doesn't seem to age.

With top hat, curly hair and aviator glasses, the veteran star casually fires his solos out of his fingers – while the Ukrainian flag waves in the wind on stage above him to “Civil War”.

Guns n' Roses have hardly any new stuff in their luggage this time either.

Since the reunion in 2016, a meager EP with two songs has been released, which was also recycled from old material.

But it doesn't matter, in Munich the stadium guests love to sing along to the loud classics from "Paradise City" to "Sweet Child o' mine".

So that the Tollwood guests also get something out of it.

Even bassist Duff McKagan gets to mic for his Stooges cover "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

After almost three hours of play with a furious finale including a birthday song for Paul McCartney, it's over.

And what about refills penned by Slash and Rose?

Could there be sometime, Slash has recently repeatedly hinted at something cryptic.

Until then, the only thing that helps, you guessed it: wait.

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