Guns N’ Roses Launch 2017 U.S. Tour With Triumphant Return to St. Louis
Guns N' Roses' Not in This Lifetime Tour has been all about a band making peace with its past and embracing its legacy on its own terms — so it only makes sense that the schedule would eventually include a return to St. Louis, site of one of the more infamous footnotes in GNR history.
The band opened the U.S. leg of its 2017 tour at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis last night, marking their first stop in the city since the 1991 show that ended in a riot and frontman Axl Rose's subsequent arrest. The long gap between visits added an intriguing narrative to the concert's buildup, but according to tour manager Dale "Opie" Skjerseth, it was all water under the bridge from Rose's perspective.
Saying there was "no reason" for Rose to say anything about the 1991 riot when he took the stage on July 27, Skjerseth told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the singer was "feeling good" about returning in the days before the show. "I don’t think there’s any ill feeling or sadness," he added. "I think he’s excited about coming back."
Ultimately, other than briefly noting that it was good to be back, Rose treated the St. Louis show like any other stop on the Not in This Lifetime Tour — which is to say he led Guns N' Roses through a tightly played, well-received set spanning 31 songs in all, including a handful of covers, among them a performance of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" in tribute to recently deceased singer Chris Cornell.
The band's nod to Cornell wasn't the only homage to the dearly departed. The band also took a moment to honor bassist Duff McKagan's dog Buckley, who earned a dedication during the night's rendition of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." And local hero Chuck Berry, whose death earlier this year was commemorated during Slash's guitar solo — which, as you can see in the fan-shot footage below, included a few moments inspired by Berry's classic "Johnny B. Goode."
Guns N' Roses now head to Minneapolis, where they're scheduled to play on July 30, and they'll remain on the road through at least Nov. 25, when they're booked for the second night of a two-night stand in Los Angeles. Check out the complete list of dates and visit the group's website for ticketing details.
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