Was Guns N’ Roses’ headlining set at Glastonbury 2023 the worst ever?
Of course not, but the criticism they’ve received has been a bit of an eye-opener to the world we live in today.
Guns N’ Roses are fair game for critics
What struck me, and to be honest offended me a little, is the way certain artists get away with criticism because of race, gender, sexual orientation, health/mental health issues, you name it. Case in point; Lewis Capaldi losing his voice. Now, anyone can lose their voice and nobody wants to see someone lose it in the middle of a gig, especially Glastonbury. Lewis seems like a thoroughly likable, talented chap too, but how come it’s wrong to criticise him and generally acceptable to criticise a bunch of alpha males (and a lady) rocking out spewing profanity and generally having a good time? But that’s exactly what’s happened, and that’s not because I’m a Guns N’ Roses fan as such.
Axl Rose, predictably, bore the brunt for much of it. How couldn’t he with his back catalogue of sex, drugs, male chauvinism, and homophobia? He’s made himself a soft target for the passive aggression of the millennials and Gen-Z.
Axl Rose is an incredible talent.
For some inexplicable reason, Axl Rose seemed to have had technical issues with his mic for over TWO HOURS on Saturday night. How come nobody noticed? How come nobody fixed it after 5 minutes, you know, like any other performer? Didn’t they want him to be heard? Didn’t they want him to give his best? For me, it didn’t matter. I know he’s not only a great vocalist, he’s also written some of the best songs of the late 20th Century, and no spotty-faced Glasto sound tech can change that.
Let’s talk about those vocals. Or should I say those vocals?
From the visceral, manic, screeching of Welcome to the Jungle to the heartfelt softness of Patience. Axl Rose’s vocal range is huge and his tone and delivery are unique. Nobody but him can do justice to the extensive list of Guns N’ Roses hits, as he’s indelibly stamped his trademark on all of them. But what really sets Axl Rose apart is his knack for writing some of the most complex, memorable (and sometimes multi-part) pieces of music in the whole of rock history.
Slash is one of the most underrated guitar heroes of all time.
Before we get onto the actual music of Guns N’ Roses and Slash for that matter, it has to be said that Richard Fortus, the mere rhythm guitarist, could run rings around any other guitarist at the event. He regularly stepped into the limelight to take a few of the tastiest lead breaks I’d heard in a long time. Hats off to him. And speaking of hats, there’s the main man, luckily unhindered by any technical issues.
I’ve spent a lot of my guitar-playing life learning Slash’s licks. To the untrained ear, it’s just bluesy pentatonic noodling, but musically there’s so much knowledge and depth to his memorable solos. Sweet Child O’ Mine is so simple, anyone could have written it, but he is the man that did it first, and created rock history. But it’s not just about phrasing and composition, it’s about his mastery of the Gibson Les Paul, in how he can manhandle and make it sing like no one else. It’s just effortless. emotive shredding, of the highest order.
The November Rain solo remains one of my favourites of all time.
The timeless music of Guns N’ Roses
Having established at least two musical star players in the ranks of Guns N’ Roses, it’s the music that has endured for over 30 years and counting. It’s true, artists like Sam Fender and Lewis Capaldi are very good singers, but for me, it’s always been more than that, even more than Axl Rose and Slash combined. What truly matters is the music.
From 1987’s Appetite for Destruction to 1991’s Use Your Illusion I and II we experienced probably the last period of truly great guitar-orientated music. In the same period, Metallica, Faith No More, and The Red Hot ChillI Peppers were providing the musical soundtrack to the hey-day of my late teens, segueing into Pearl Jam and then on a downward spiral into grunge, Britpop, Indie, and into the abyss of today.
Throughout, the swagger and almost cartoon-like imagery of Guns N’ Roses always cut through, but nostalgia aside, Saturday night reminded me of something else; the greatness of the songwriting, the complexity of the arrangments, or to put it much more succinctly, Guns N’ Roses wrote some of the best songs of all time.
Going back to November Rain as a prime example. Not many bands could come up with that, could they? Queen had Bohemian Rhapsody, Metallica had One, and at Glastonbury 2023 I waited with bated breath for this. What I love about it is the juxtaposition of a gentle piano part and Axl’s tortured vocals. It’s pain and pleasure, like a Margarita and salt, and all smoothed out by the strings. Even at this early stage, we’re way out of the four-chord loop so many fall back on these days. It’s all a bit overblown and self-indulgent, but I’m going to ignore that, just like I’ll ignore every else that doesn’t matter, like their age, their views and everything else I mentioned at the top of the article. All is forgiven by that iconic guitar solo anyway.
This sort of music doesn’t just fall into place by accident and it’s both the complexities and the nuances showcased throughout the two-hour+ set that still impresses today.
Guns N’ Roses. Worst Glastonbury headlining act ever?
Everyone has their own tastes, but how journalists can judge such an iconic band over an incompetent sound tech is beyond me. I personally feel a little sorry for Axl. Once a sex symbol of the late ’80s / early ’90s, whose only crime is he became a regular guy with a regular haircut. Maybe two hours of world-class musicianship, in the rock genre, wasn’t for everyone, maybe they didn’t appreciate the effort that goes into playing such a diverse set, some numbers at breakneck speed. Maybe extended guitar solos aren’t cool anymore? Maybe people don’t want to see Guns, explosions, trucks, and other blokey imagery. Each to their own, but if Guns N’ Roses are fair game, so should everyone else be.
So sorry Lewis, Sam, and the Artic Monkeys. I mostly don’t rate your music.
The following night. Elton John headlined. Word on the street is ‘He was great’, and that tells you all you need to know. The same goes for Rick Astley.
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