ACL Artist Spotlight: Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses is ready to bring you to your sha na na na na na na na na knees. Austin City Limits will be playing host to one of rock’s greatest this October (4-6 and 11-13), and we are more than ready for it. 

On the off chance that you’ve been living under a rock for the past 30 years, Guns N’ Roses is a rock band born of California’s Sunset Stip right between the fall of hair metal and the rise of grunge. They took the best of both worlds and added a touch of their own. This resulted in catchy songs that packed enough of a punch to resonate with rockers across the board.

The band didn’t pull any punches with Appetite For Destruction, their 1987 debut, arguably the strongest in music history. With hits like “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child ‘O Mine,” GNR set the bar too high to reach without a step stool. 

The most dangerous band in the world continued to put out successful album after successful album throughout the 90’s. But internal problems within the band caused a mass exodus of founding members in the early 90’s. This left vocalist Axel Rose to fend for himself, holding back for 6 years before releasing Chinese Democracy in 2008 to a lackluster reception. 

2016 saw Slash (lead guitar) and Duff McKagen (bass) rejoin the band for the cheekily-named “Not In This Lifetime” tour. Alongside some multi-talented additions, the band continues to tour today. 

Although fans are unlikely to see Steven Addler and Izzy Stradlin rejoin the band by ACL, the gift of having a band like this still performing is undeniable. As someone who’s experienced GNR live, I can tell you their showmanship goes far beyond what most can do. Their set lists are crowd pleasers, with a few covers and deep-cuts thrown into the mix. You will not leave disappointed. 

The Toyota Center’s floor seats near the front cost me $240  last time I was graced with Slash’s presence. And yeah, I’d be willing to pay it over again. So imagine the value you’d get if you went to ACL. Not only would you see Guns N’ Roses, but over a hundred other greats as well. Buy your tickets soon!