Source: Blabbermouth.net
Video highlights of GUNS N’ ROSES‘ April 16 performance at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California can be seen below.
For this, GN’R fourth and biggest appearance since the reunion of singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, Rose was still confined to a throne after snapping his metatarsal bone while singing during the Troubadour reunion show on April 1. It is apparently the same custom throne Dave Grohl used last year for FOO FIGHTERS concerts after breaking a leg
A sell-out audience of 100,000 saw GN’R‘s first Coachella performance, which lasted nearly two and a half hours and included “nurses,” three go-go dancers, choreographed pyro bombs and a graphic display. The included a mix of GN’R songs from every era, from ballads like “November Rain” to “Chinese Democracy” nuggets like “Better” and the album’s title track.
Coachella‘s biggest reaction of the weekend reportedly went to Angus Young of AC/DC who joined GN’R for fiery renditions of his band’s classic Bon Scott-era songs “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff”. The pairing came just a couple of hours after it was officially announced that Axl would front AC/DC on a 12-city European tour starting in early May.
Only Rose, Slash and McKagan from GN’R‘s “Appetite For Destruction”-era lineup took part in the four shows the band has played this month. They were joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.
GUNS N’ ROSES is scheduled to play one more show at Coachella next weekend and two gigs in Mexico City later this week. A full North American tour is on tap for this summer.
GUNS N’ ROSES is getting a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella and an average of $2.75 million per show on the tour.
By comparison, Rose‘s most recent pre-reunion lineup of GUNS N’ ROSES was getting somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 per show, according to Billboard‘s industry sources.
GUNS N’ ROSES has sold 44.5 million albums in the United States, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America).