Use Your Illusion Tour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Use Your Illusion Tour | ||
|---|---|---|
| World tour by Guns N' Roses | ||
| Locations | America, Europe, Oceania, Asia | |
| Supporting album | Use Your Illusion I Use Your Illusion II |
|
| Start date | May 24, 1991 | |
| End date | July 17, 1993 | |
| Legs | 9 | |
| Shows | 192 | |
| Guns N' Roses tour chronology | ||
| Use Your Illusion Tour (1991 - 1993) |
Chinese Democracy Tour (2001 - 2010) |
|
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from May 24, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 192 shows in 27 countries.[1] It was also a source of much infamy for the band, due to riots, late starts, cancellations and outspoken rantings by lead singer Axl Rose.
[edit] History
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a promotional tour for the albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, although due to the scale of the tour, the term "promotional tour" is perhaps a trivialization. The tour started on May 24, 1991, approximately when the long-awaited follow-up to G N' R Lies was to be released, and ended over two years later. The release date of the album, or albums, since there were now two of them, was pushed back to September but the tour began as originally scheduled. The tour marked a high point in the popularity of Guns N' Roses, with a total of over 7 million[1] fans attending, and accompanied by high worldwide album sales.
Live recordings from the tour would later be issued as a two video/DVD set, Use Your Illusion I and II, featuring footage from a 1992 concert in Tokyo, Japan and would also provide content for the 2-disc set Live Era: '87-'93. The tour also provided a large volume of footage for music videos, including "Dead Horse" and their popular cover of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die". Also, at one time, footage of much of the tour was to be released as a documentary, titled The Perfect Crime. The footage consisted of Guns N' Roses' time on the road, concert footage, and information about the riots and other major events of the tour. It was never released and never spoken about after the tour. Slash mentioned in his biography that Axl is in control of the footage, and that Slash would be interested in viewing it, as he thought it captured some "killer moments" from the tour.[citation needed]
The conduct of the band, and particularly Axl Rose, during the Use Your Illusion Tour generated negative press, notably from the magazines Spin, Kerrang!, Circus, and Hit Parader. These magazines were mentioned in the song "Get in the Ring" where Axl Rose attacked writers who had written negative articles dealing with Rose's attitude.
The shows were all varied, as a set list was never chosen by the band. They did, however, usually open with "Welcome to the Jungle", "It's So Easy" or "Nightrain" and would shortly after one another play "Mr. Brownstone" or "Live and Let Die", and closed with "Paradise City". Each show featured many guitar solos from Slash and a drum solo from drummer Matt Sorum, usually 6 minutes in length.[citation needed]
The Use Your Illusion Tour was massive not just in the number and size of performances, but also in its technical aspects and the size of the crew. A total of 80 working personnel traveled with the band during the tour. The trade magazine Performance named the tour crew "Crew of the Year" for 1991.
[edit] Schedule
[edit] Rock in Rio II
1991.01.20 -Rock In Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1991.01.23 -Rock In Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
[edit] Warm-up shows
1991.05.09 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, California
1991.05.11 - Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, California
1991.05.16 - The Ritz, New York, New York
[edit] North America & Europe leg
[edit] USA, Mexico & Japan leg
[edit] European leg
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 1992 |  |
Slane | Ireland | Slane Castle |
| 20 May 1992 |  |
Prague | Czech Republic | Strahov Stadium |
| 22 May 1992 |  |
Budapest | Hungary | Népstadion |
| 23 May 1992 |  |
Vienna | Austria | Donauinsel Stadium |
| 26 May 1992 |  |
Berlin | Germany | Olympiastadion |
| 28 May 1992 | |
Stuttgart | Germany | Neckarstadion |
| 30 May 1992 | |
Cologne | Germany | Müngersdorfer Stadion |
| 3 June 1992 | |
Hannover | Germany | Niedersachsenstadion |
| 6 June 1992 |  |
Paris | France | Hippodrome de Vincennes |
| 13 June 1992 |  |
London | England | Wembley Stadium |
| 14 June 1992 | |
Manchester | England | Maine Road |
| 16 June 1992 | |
Gateshead | England | Gateshead International Stadium |
| 20 June 1992 | |
Würzburg | Germany | Talavera-Mainwiese |
| 21 June 1992 |  |
Basel | Switzerland | St. Jakob Stadium |
| 23 June 1992 |  |
Rotterdam | Netherlands | Feijenoord Stadion |
| 27 June 1992 |  |
Turin | Italy | Stadio Delle Alpi |
| 30 June 1992 |  |
Seville | Spain | Estadio Benito Villamarin |
| 2 July 1992 |  |
Lisbon | Portugal | Estádio José Alvalade |
[edit] North America stadium tour with Metallica
[edit] South American leg
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Caracas | Venezuela | Poliedro de Caracas |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Bogota | Colombia | Estadio El Campín |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Bogota | Colombia | Estadio El Campín |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Santiago | Chile | Estadio Nacional |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Buenos Aires | Argentina | Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Buenos Aires | Argentina | Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Sao Paulo | Brazil | Estacionamento Do Anhembi |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Sao Paulo | Brazil | Estacionamento Do Anhembi |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet |
[edit] Asia & Oceanic leg
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Sydney | Australia | Eastern Creek Raceway |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Melbourne | Australia | Calder Park Raceway |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Auckland | New Zealand | Mount Smart Stadium |
[edit] North America leg Skin N' Bones
[edit] European leg Skin N' Bones
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Tel Aviv | Israel | Hayarkon Park |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Athens | Greece | Olympic Stadium |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Istanbul | Turkey | Inonu Stadium |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Milton Keynes | England | National Bowl |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Milton Keynes | England | National Bowl |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Vienna | Austria | Praterstadion |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Nijmegen | Netherlands | Stadspark De Goffert |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Copenhagen | Denmark | Gentofte Stadion |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Oslo | Norway | Valle Hovin |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Stockholm | Sweden | Stockholm Olympic Stadium |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Basel | Switzerland | Fussballstadion St. Jakob |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Bremen | Germany | Weserstadion |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Cologne | Germany | RheinEnergieStadion |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Karlsruhe | Germany | Wildparkstadion |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Frankfurt | Germany | Commerzbank-Arena |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Munich | Germany | Olympiastadion |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Modena | Italy | Modena Stadio |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Modena | Italy | Modena Stadio |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Barcelona | Spain | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Madrid | Spain | Estadio Vicente Calderon |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Lyon | France | Halle Tony Garnier |
| Error: too many #time calls |  |
Werchter | Belgium | Rock Werchter Festival |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Bercy |
[edit] South American leg Skin N' Bones
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Buenos Aires | Argentina | River Plate Stadium |
| Error: too many #time calls | |
Buenos Aires | Argentina | River Plate Stadium |
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Main band members
- Axl Rose – lead vocals, backing vocals, piano (1991–1993)
- Slash – lead guitar, backing vocals (1991–1993)
- Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (lead vocals on "14 Years", "Dust N' Bones", "You Ain't The First" and "Double Talkin Jive") (1991), (1993 for a short time)
- Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals (lead vocals on "So Fine" and "Attitude") (1991–1993)
- Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1991–1993)
- Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, replacing Izzy Stradlin (1991–1993)
- Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, organ, synthesizer, backing vocals (1991–1993)
[edit] Additional musicians
- Teddy Andreadis – keyboards, backing vocals, harmonica, percussion (1992–1993)
- Roberta Freeman – backing vocals (1992–1993)
- Traci Amos – backing vocals (1992–1993)
- Diane Jones – backing vocals (1992 South American shows, replacing Traci Amos)
- Cece Worrall – horns (1992–1993)
- Anne King – horns (1992–1993)
- Lisa Maxwell – horns (1992–1993)
[edit] Notable events
At the June 10, 1991 show, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Axl requested that the crowd shout "Get In The Ring!" over and over again, as it was being recorded for the new album. This chanting was used in the the song by the same name on Use Your Illusion II.
On June 13, 1991, during the show in Philadelphia, Axl Rose erupted after a fan had gotten into a fight with Guns N' Roses' photographer Robert John when the fan kicked the camera out of his hands. Axl cursed out the fan, and challenged him to a fight. After the fan was ejected from the concert, the show continued.
On Tuesday, July 2, 1991, at a show at the Riverport Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Missouri, Axl spotted a spectator illegally recording the concert with a video camera, and jumped into the audience after him. After returning to the stage, Axl replied: "Well, thanks to the lame ass security, I'm going home!" then slammed the mic on the stage, sparking the infamous Riverport riot. Axl then stormed off the stage; some people thought when he slammed the mic, because of the noise, that he shot someone. Slash told them, "He just slammed his mic on the floor. We're outta here." The band followed. The band was looking to come back out and finish the show, but as the police and security were trying to calm down the audience, a riot broke out. The footage was captured by Robert John who was documenting the entire tour. Sixty fans were injured. The band lost most of their equipment and Axl was charged with inciting a riot. He was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
On July 29, 1991, the day the Illusion albums were finished being mixed, Guns N' Roses played the longest show of the tour and their longest show ever at the L.A. Forum. It lasted three and a half hours.[2]
On November 7, 1991, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit the band and on December 5, replacement rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke made his debut in Worcester. It was the first show after the release of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.
On April 13 and 14, 1992, two concerts had to be canceled when a warrant was issued for Axl's arrest due to the St. Louis show.
On April 20, 1992, the band performed at the The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, an effort for AIDS Awareness in London. Guns N' Roses were a controversial addition to the lineup, as many in the gay community were still angry over Axl using a gay slur in the song "One in a Million." The band opened with "Paradise City" and closed with "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." During the famous "Paradise City" opening, Axl pointed at a group of protesters in the audience and yelled "SHOVE IT!" He had planned to address the controversy between songs, but was asked not to by the band as it would pull the spotlight from Queen and Freddie Mercury. As Slash concluded a short cover of Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," bassist Duff McKagan kept an eye on Axl, who approached the front of the stage. When Slash finished the song, then strummed the beginning of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Duff walked over to Axl and shook his hand as an act of appreciation. Uncharacteristically quiet, Axl refrained from addressing the audience at all during the concert. Later in the show, Slash joined Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and the surviving members of Queen for "Tie Your Mother Down." Axl sung "We Will Rock You" and finished "Bohemian Rhapsody" with Elton John and Queen. The show was broadcast live around the world via satellite, gathering the largest audience for a music concert in history.
On August 8, 1992, in Montreal, Quebec during the GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour portion, Metallica frontman/guitarist James Hetfield's left arm was badly burned due to misunderstanding about some new pyrotechnics added to Metallica's set. Metallica was forced to end their set early. However, Rose refused to begin before Guns N' Roses' scheduled time leaving fans to wait hours before Guns N' Roses finally took the stage. A few songs into the very late Guns N' Roses' set, Axl stormed off stage due to vocal issues, sparking a huge riot that spilled into the streets.
On November 25, 1992, the band performed in Caracas, Venezuela, in front of a crowd of 45,000. Just two days later, the Venezuela Air Force launched a failed military coup, making it impossible for half of the band's crew and all of their equipment to leave the country.[citation needed]
On November 30, 1992, the band performed for the first time in Bogotá, Colombia. When they started to play "November Rain", a soft rain fell over the city and stopped right after they finished the song. Axl later stated this was a special moment for him because "November Rain" was #1 in Colombia for 60 weeks. Axl stated that the band were at risk of electrocution and must stop to dry the stage. The band moved backstage and returned to finish with "Don't Cry" and "Paradise City."
On July 17, 1993, the band performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina at River Plate Stadium in front of 80,000 people. It was their last show with most of the Use Your Illusion-era lineup (Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Dizzy Reed and Gilby Clarke). The tour was renamed the "Skin N' Bones Tour" for the last couple of legs and was a variation of the Use Your Illusion Tour, which included an unplugged performance in a living room set. A highlight of the night was Cozy Powell dressed as a Domino's Pizza delivery boy playing drums with Sorum.
[edit] Supporting Acts
[edit] Songs Played
From Appetite for Destruction:
- "Welcome To The Jungle"
- "It's So Easy"
- "Nightrain"
- "Out ta Get Me"
- "Mr. Brownstone"
- "Paradise City"
- "My Michelle"
- "Sweet Child o' Mine"
- "You're Crazy"
- "Rocket Queen"
From G N' R Lies:
- "Reckless Life"
- "Nice Boys"
- "Move to the City"
- "Mama Kin"
- "Patience"
- "Used to Love Her"
- "You're Crazy" (Acoustic)
From Use Your Illusion I:
- "Right Next Door To Hell"
- "Dust N' Bones"
- "Live and Let Die"
- "Don't Cry" (Original)
- "Perfect Crime"
- "You Ain't the First"
- "Bad Obsession"
- "Back off Bitch"
- "Double Talkin' Jive"
- "November Rain"
- "The Garden"
- "Garden Of Eden"
- "Bad Apples"
- "Dead Horse"
- "Coma"
From Use Your Illusion II:
- "Civil War"
- "14 Years"
- "Yesterdays"
- "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
- "Breakdown"
- "Pretty Tied Up"
- "Locomotive"
- "So Fine"
- "Estranged"
- "You Could Be Mine"
- "Don't Cry" (Alt. Lyrics)
From "The Spaghetti Incident?":
- "Since I Don't Have You"
- "Attitude"
Other commonly performed songs:
- "It's Alright" (Black Sabbath cover)
- "Dust In The Wind" (Todd Rundgren cover)
- "Theme From The Godfather" (Nino Rota cover)
- "Wild Horses" (Rolling Stones cover)
- "Dead Flowers" (Rolling Stones cover)
- "Imagine" (John Lennon cover)
- "It Tastes Good, Don't It?" (Unreleased original)
- "I Was Only Joking" (Rod Stewart cover)
- "Only Women Bleed" (Alice Cooper cover)
- "Mother" (Pink Floyd cover)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 372
- ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 342
[edit] External links
- GNRontour.com
- In depth info and tour diary
- Causes and the riot itself
- Review of Riot Concert Bootleg DVD
