Dude, You Really Suck

August 29, 2002

OK, I’m used to the MTV Video Awards being a big pile of suck anyway, but usually there’s something goofy to watch. Tonight, the big thing was that the show closed with a performance by the newly reunited Guns N Roses.

Now, if you haven’t heard… the “reunited” Gunners are basically Axl and bunch of new dudes. (actually, I think Izzy’s back too but I’m not sure) That’s it. No Slash. No Duff. No… whoever the drummer was. I actually think I saw an ad for Steven Adler drum lessons a few years ago in the back of the LA Weekly.

Anyhow, as bastardized as this reunion was going to be, I figured they would at least show up and perform like a good novelty act should. But they were horrible. Axl’s voice was completely shot, and the rest of the band had none of the power and force that should come out of a band calling itself Guns N Roses.

Hell, I don’t even like Guns N Roses that much and that performance just made me furious. It was technically poor, and had no emotional punch to make up for it. It started with a limp version of Welcome to the Jungle, segued into a really bad power ballad and closed with a weak version of Paradise City. By the end of Paradise City, Axl’s voice was completely blown. The whole thing was just really sad, and made me realize I’ve seen better performances of those songs at karaoke.

For comparison, Bruce Springsteen knocked out a (admittedly average) performance to open the show outside in the rain, but then proceeded to play for another hour while the award show went on, just because there were people gathered in the rain to see him.

Posted in From Blown Speakers