Flashback: Guns N' Roses Rise From the Ashes at Rock in Rio 2001

[Sosso]

A great deal of mystery surrounded Guns N' Roses when they emerged from an eight-year hibernation in January 2001 to play Brazil's Rock in Rio and a warmup gig at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Axl Rose had been almost completely off the grid since the end of the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993, popping up in the press only when he parted ways with members of the band and when he got arrested at the Phoenix airport in 1998 after threatening a security worker. There were reports he was working on a new album, but the only thing to emerge was the underwhelming "Oh My God" from the End of Days soundtrack in 1999.

GN'R fans were ecstatic when they learned the group was going to play Rock in Rio, and tickets for the Las Vegas show disappeared within seconds. Even with Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke out of the band, people were just happy that Axl Rose was going to play live again and they were curious to see this new lineup. It included Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia and guitarists Robin Finck and Buckethead, who played with a mask over his face and a KFC bucket on top of his head.

Contrary to much speculation, the Axl Rose who emerged from the shadows for these shows wasn't bald or fat. He stormed onstage at Rock in Rio at 2:00 a.m. in front of 190,000 screaming fans that had just sat through sets by Papa Roach and Oasis. "I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people you came to know and love could not be with us here today," Rose said. "Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that unlike Oasis, we could not find a way to all get along."

Their 25-song set opened up with "Welcome to the Jungle" (which you can watch right here) and focused largely on the groups hits, though they did preview three Chinese Democracy tracks that wouldn't be officially released for eight years. While everybody missed the old lineup, critics were largely impressed by the show.

"About 10 minutes into their set, it became clear that the new GN'R is a rock & roll event of the sort that a lot of people (well, me, anyway) have been waiting for for a long, long time," Kurt Loder wrote. "Where the reigning rap-metal acts of the moment ? Korn and Limp Bizkit and their ilk ? get over quite successfully on murk and muscle and pure sonic wallop, the new GN'R ? with only one-month's worth of rehearsal (this was their second gig) ? already played with a passion and precision that's unlikely to be matched in any other quarter anytime soon."

They could have used this momentum to launch a world tour, but instead they disappeared until a pair of shows at the Joint in Las Vegas nearly a year later. There wouldn't be an actual tour until the summer of 2002, and despite repeated assurances, Chinese Democracy was still a long ways away. By the time it came, the lineup of the group had already shifted around quite a bit. Like Axl says, it's too bad they find a way to get along as well as those guys in Oasis.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/flashback-guns-n-roses-rise-from-the-ashes-at-rock-in-rio-2001-20150324

[D-GenerationX]

Pretty amazing night.

I scoured Kazaa and WinMX like a motherfucker in the weeks after trying to get all the tracks.

Jesus, I'm old.  Who here even remembers those services?

[Bridge]

I scoured Kazaa and WinMX like a motherfucker in the weeks after trying to get all the tracks.

Jesus, I'm old.  Who here even remembers those services?

Oh I do.  I was on Kazaa 6 times a day back then looking for rare stuff.

[jarmo]

Did you find My Fellow Americans or Cat's In The Cradle?

 




/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

Did you find My Fellow Americans or Cat's In The Cradle?

Hahahaha

And that well known Guns N' Roses tune 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'.

[Sosso]

Rock in Rio III was just amazing. The band delivered a tight performance and the audience was epic. One of my favourite GN'R gigs.

[Spirit]

Pretty amazing night.

I scoured Kazaa and WinMX like a motherfucker in the weeks after trying to get all the tracks.

Jesus, I'm old.  Who here even remembers those services?

Damn, I had totally forgotten about WinMX. It's all coming back to me now... 


I DO remember downloading video from RIR in .rm (RealMedia) format. Not exactly HD..

Exciting times however.

[sky dog]

I didn't know hardly anything about the internet back then so I went to my friend's house to hear whatever I could. Needless to say, I was blown away by Madagascar. Still my favorite performance of that song...studio or otherwise. Bucket kills and the rest of the band is just spot on....fuck, they all killed it. Reminded me so much of hearing Civil War at Farm Aid for the first time. Just awesome....maybe one day they could be AC/DC! Ha...suck it!

[TheBaconman]

I still show this concert to anyone that will watch....  Usually have to feed and give them drink   haha.   

But it is my example of how this band should of been......

[NaturalLight]

Even today I still hear "never mind" when I play the studio version of The Blues (SOD). LOL. They really gave it their all for this show (not they don't usually, but I think they really stepped it up).

[D-GenerationX]

I didn't know hardly anything about the internet back then so I went to my friend's house to hear whatever I could. Needless to say, I was blown away by Madagascar. Still my favorite performance of that song...studio or otherwise.

Me too.  I was hooked right from those opening chords.

My favorite version as well.  When I make playlists, I use this.

[Sosso]

I hate the fact that recordings from the December 2001 shows are not available.

[D-GenerationX]

I hate the fact that recordings from the December 2001 shows are not available. 

Really weird they never came out.  Either show.

First one sounded like it was a clusterfuck, but that second one would be awesome to have.

[GNR2014]

The 2001 lineup was like having King Kong, Godzilla, Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster all on the same stage.

[Ginger King]

What a great night!  The story (assuming it's true - not sure where I read about it) of Axl flying above in the helicopter and being in awe that so many people came out to see him is awesome.  And, all things considered, the jungle scream is one of my favorite.  The speech with Beta at the end speaks for itself.  Very heartfelt and amazing.

[italian queen]

He screamed so much that then he sang the rest of the sing in a bad way

[TheBaconman]

Robin has his best ever solo durring this concert

Best ever guns line up ever

Last time I saw Axl runnimg the stage with a open shirt

Best band of this weekend was silverchair.   And unlike you all seem to be.  I was very keen to the Internet in the early 2000s.  And had many babes at my knees.   To the song miss you love.     Perfect song   Perfect setting

[TheBaconman]

I am still watching it right now

The crowd is is still bouncing 1 hr 30 mins in. 


Def not a concet from the USA    M. M

Rio gets it

[TheBaconman]

Ok I fast forward kohd

Can't stand that song

[sky dog]

I love that version...nice and simple...to each his own.