Guns N’ Roses gave fans everything they wanted last night at Arrowhead Stadium

For a band that has released just four full-length original albums in 31 years, Guns N’ Roses looms massively over rock and roll. But that shadow is cast largely by the outfit’s original lineup, a quintet that practically defines the zeitgeist of the 1980s Sunset Strip: Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy and Adler. When even three of these men reunite — particularly when Axl and Slash are again onstage together, after many years of tiresome discord — it feels monumental. But would it sound monumental?

Well, yes.

Axl, Slash and McKagan (surrounded by musicians for hire) came off huge and vibrant at Arrowhead Stadium last night, with fireworks and flames and all the excess fans could have hoped to witness.

Thousands arrived hours early to the Truman Sports Complex for proper tailgating, barbecuing, drinking beer (lots of beer) and blasting Appetite for Destruction from their trucks, many donning Axl-like red bandannas. These were the fans you knew and hoped would come, despite the high ticket prices (perhaps too high for many the KC market — the top tier of the stadium remained empty). Ultimately, about 25,000 people streamed through Arrowhead’s gates.

My sister recently visited Kansas City from New York, and noted throughout her trip that “people here really wear a lot of Kansas City stuff.” And it’s true — everywhere you go in town, from bars to restaurants and businesses, you see KC hats and shirts. We perhaps don’t even notice that anymore, but walking around Arrowhead’s parking lot and inside of the stadium, it was abundantly clear that Guns N’ Roses fans are the Kansas Citians of the concert world. The GNR logos, new and old, were everywhere, and the longest lines of the night were at the merch tables, where T-shirts started at $40. I saw several people buy multiples (one, after all, does not mix up her Wednesday GNR shirt with her Saturday GNR shirt).

Axl Rose has a Lauryn Hill-like reputation for starting shows late, but last night the lights went down a full five minutes earlier than announced. On the massive LCD screens backing the stage, GNR graphics came to life, with pistols spinning and shooting as a form of curtain call. Somewhat perplexingly, the Looney Tunes theme rang through the speakers. But then came fireworks, and then the band, with the crowd raising devil horns and cell phones to welcome them.

Rose grinned like a conqueror as he stood on the stage monitors, wearing the first of his own many black T-shirts, ripped jeans and a flannel tied around his waist. He has trimmed down for this tour, and looks healthier than he has in several years. And his voice legitimately sounded great.

“Are you ready, KC?” he screeched. More devil horns. Flames erupted from cannons onstage. The band wasted no time, starting with “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” and “Chinese Democracy.” But the real party started with “Welcome to the Jungle,” punctuated with Axl’s lighting-quick na-na-na-na-na-na-na-nas, and of course, Slash’s riffs. Rose did his slithery snake dance and ran back and forth across the stage (did he really break his foot earlier this year?). It was loud and crushing — exactly what the audience had come to see.

The band’s performance of “Live and Let Die” featured blasts of fireworks and flames at the downbeats of the chorus, which actually was very close to the blasts and visuals that Paul McCartney’s show gave us two years ago at the Sprint Center. While McCartney will always win that matchup, the song holds up well to both takes, and the act of performing it is one of those things (like dunking a basketball) that I will never be able to do but looks like it may be the most fun thing in the world. We later experienced another cover, fronted by Duff McKagan, of Iggy and the Stooges’ “Raw Power,” which turned into one of the night’s best songs. McKagan, who also sported a large Prince symbol on his guitar, was excellent throughout the evening.

Yet no one, even Rose, could upstage Slash, who, though pretty expressionless throughout the evening, blasted the audience with dozens of lengthy guitar solos that even put Jack White’s endless noodling to shame. Slash, buried in hair and wearing his classic costume of sunglasses and top hat, seems ageless. The only thing noticeably absent now is the cigarette dangling from his mouth. He really is a guitar god, and whatever Rose had to do to convince Slash to come back was worth it.

Axl did not neglect to repeatedly shout out the rest of the band, including guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Melissa Reese (a new addition to the band this year), yet GNR’s history has made it nearly impossible for non-original members to break through. While the spotlight was clearly on Slash, McKagan and Rose, the band played the support role so well they were practically in the shadows. 

Perhaps the greatest highlights of the night were the band’s most iconic, including “Sweet Child O’ Mine”  and “November Rain,” which were performed exactingly, generating an extraordinary amount of (perhaps beer-infused) love from the audience. The band also closed with one off Appetite for Destruction, “Paradise City,” drowning the floor in a shower of confetti. For Guns N’ Roses fans, this was a dream show, and they clearly would have taken another couple of hours. Rose keeps promising new music. Maybe we’ll see it again.

“New” Alice in Chains singer William DuVall (he’s been in the band since 2006), along with Jerry Cantrell, headed up an admirable set of faithful-to-recording renditions of the band’s many hits. DuVall sounds incredibly like Layne Staley. And Cantrell, like Axl Rose, seems almost sweet now: “It’s great to be a part of your day,” he said. “I hope we do right by you.”

They did.

Guns N’ Roses:

It’s So Easy

Mr. Brownstone

Chinese Democracy

Welcome to the Jungle

Double Talkin’ Jive

Estranged

Live and Let Die (Wings)

Rocket Queen

You Could Be Mine

Raw Power (Iggy and the Stooges)

This I Love

Civil War

Speak Softly Love (Andy Williams)

Sweet Child O’ Mine

Coma

Better

Out Ta Get Me

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover, instrumental)

Layla (Derek and the Dominos cover, instrumental)

November Rain

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan)

Nightrain

Encore:

Jam

Don’t Cry

The Seeker (the Who)

Paradise City

Alice in Chains:

Hollow

We Die Young

Them Bones

Check My Brain

Man in the Box

Down in a Hole

No Excuses

Would?

Rooster