GUNS N' ROSES' appearance at the Reading festival earlier tonight (Friday, August 27) was cut short after the organizers pulled the plug on the band's performance due to curfew issues.
GUNS N' ROSES kicked off the show at 10:30 p.m. — over an hour later than scheduled — and managed to play the majority of its set until roughly midnight despite earlier warnings from festival organizer Melvin Benn that he would not tolerate the band playing past 11:30 p.m.
GUNS N' ROSES walked offstage after playing "Nighttrain" and tried to return for an encore, at which point the band's sound was cut. According to NME.com, the group "still tried to launch into 'Paradise City', though only the drums could be heard as all other instruments had been switched off. As the crowd started to sing the track, [singer Axl] Rose tried to greet members of the audience while singing through a megaphone." This went on for roughly five minutes, before the GN'R bandmembers came together on the stage for a final bow and walked off. NME
Axl's Mega Phone Rant - Reading 2010
Guns n Roses refusing to leave stage - Reading 2010
A fan comment:
"If the band was scheduled to go on at 9:30 and went on at 10:30 how is that "more than an hour late?" - apparently Blabbermouth staff fail at simple math/the ability to look at a clock these days?
Further, a fan with a guest pass for Reading (who posted photos of it) said Axl and the band were seen at the side of the stage ready to go at 9:30 and yet the band themselves were kept waiting for some reason or other.
Give the promoters constant chatter to the press in the days leading up to the show I wouldn't be surprised if this really was a grudge thing. Seriously the guy knew who he was booking then took every step possible to antagonize the band prior to the show by practically calling them out in interviews instead of handling it privately. The rest of the reading lineup is pathetic save for Billy Talent and Queens of the Stone Age (who are passable at best). This isn't a "rock" festival it's a hipster meeting.
Finally, as for no guiters, Ron Thal grabbed an acoustic guitar and played that, although it couldn't be heard past the first section.
FYI he's the one guy in the band who has complained to Axl in the past about late starts and was pissed enough with Axl being late that he walked off-stage at Sturgis - yet in this case he ran and grabbed a guitar and was pissed off at the festival boss. Makes you wonder what caused them to go on late, if Axl and everyone else was sitting stage-side ready to go at 9:30PM.
Alleged Ron Thal Tweet:
Hi honey, what a day at the office! Had the plug pulled on us, power shut off - I grabbed an acoustic, Deej turned his amp up, Ax grabbed a megaphone, told him I'd grab 10 random people from the audience and bring 'em on stage for a personal acoustic show, but shit was winding down, local security wasn't lookin' to help, had a bit of a Paradise City sing-along but finally we had to just bid farewell...
Another fan comments:
According to people there, Queens of the Stone Age over-ran by about 15 minutes and weren't off the stage til about 10 past 9. GN'R were scheduled for 9:30 - you see them being ready with equipment and boards switched, pyro set, etc in 20 minutes?
Seriously it's easy to bash the band for this shit but it seems like the entire thing was just very poorly managed as a whole, and I'm not talking just GN'R but the festival itself. You call out your headliner in the press days before the show, let a band going on immediately before the headliner run late, and book a band like this when you KNOW they have a history.
A promoters alley says:
you really are a fucking thicko, arent you?
firstly, the band came on so late last time they played the festival, the event organisers were fined heavily for the lateness of Axl Rose and circus
secondly, they booked the band because thats what organisers do, book bands and give them a allowed slot time and get paid for it
thirdly, they were PRE-WARNED not to be too late for their performance, as the festival organisers would be severly punished even more than the last time, to be precise, the fine would probably leave them out of pocket. what organisation/business does an event like this to lose money?
fourthly, this guitarist is a prick. why not turn up on time?
fifthly, you claim the dickheads were waiting to come on stage at 9.30, as if it was the organisers of the festivals were at fault? HELLO! come back down to planet Earth you fucking axl-arse wipe! do you honestly think the organisers would want to lose credibility WORLDWIDE for this farce? what a load of bullshit and you, thicko, fell for his words
sixthly, do you really think Axl Rose and circus really give a fuck about you? yeah? then why not turn up on time for their slot allowance, THEIR fans still have to travel back home(if need be), THEIR fans paid good money to see the band, the band were warned and still tried to push the barriers of tolerance back further..fuck them, fuck you and fuck Axl Rose and circus
Leeds festival fans are better off without this farce of a 'band'
Follow the whole sorry tale
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