Appetite For Disaster: Guns N' Roses Walk Off At O2 Gig [Updated]

Comments

• elky

  RIDICULOUS! Worst gig I have EVER been at. told by the staff and security the gig was over at about quarter past 11 so left. I hear now they are still playing! What a swizz.

  Posted 00:26 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Tom

  And therefore no refunds for anyone who left- was probably cheaper to take the breaking curfew hit then refund fans!

  Posted 00:34 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Samwhiplash

  If Axl had just said something about being late and apologised, i think the crowd would have been less blood hungry. Never seen anything like it in my life. We left about 15 minutes after the second announcement having asked the guy who was operating the lift was it over. Nothing except a full refund will do. Can anyone confirm who the promoter is so I can write an email. Thanks.

  Posted 09:46 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Sue B2010

  Real dissapointig n obvious dat the old s**t didn't wanna be there. Fair enuf d bottle throwing made things worse but common wot about d ppl dat paid hard earned cash n waited for 4 hrs to see em! gr8 voice but maybe he's getting to ould for it.. won't be seeing them again n atleast i have d memories form slane gig..

  Posted 10:16 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Sarah Belfast

  I was at the Belfast gig the night before - abs out of this world - they played from 9.30 til midnight - why cause people in the crowd had manners and respect - due to one complete TOSSERin Dublin, he ruined the night for everyone else not to mention ruining it for GnR!!!!! To that one tosser I would say - get a life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Posted 09:40 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• tomfriend

  It's pretty obvious that the only people behaving like babies at that gig were the Dubliners who were, literally, throwing their bottles out of the pram. Clearly these scumbags don't deserve a performance from someone of Axl's magnitude, or any other rock star for that matter. Guns N' Roses pretty much always hit the stage after 10, as anyone there should know. If that's past your bedtime, tough. The band don't need you, and if you're going to throw things and try to injure them of course they're going to leave. Perhaps if you all grow up a bit, and learn how to express yourselves in ways that don't involve throwing things, you might get a full gig next time.

  Posted 11:10 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• ph3n0m666

  just rememeber, at Slane 92, GnR were late hitting the stage aswell - but atleast we occasionally got told that they were on the way and that placated the crowd - there was no such information last night

  Posted 07:37 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• MovieBuff

  @Tomm65 What absolute rubbish. Dank Jones went off stage at 9pm on the dot! The crew were done 15 minutes later. I was right at the front and all the roadies were doing were killing time and trying to make it appear as if something was being done. You think professional rodies needed 90 minutes to change guitar racks and mics over? The man is attention seeking primadonna and never apologized to crowd for the 90 minute wait.

  Posted 04:52 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Paul

  They only have themselves to blame, be on time or people will get angry, Axl should've expected this. Just glad i didn't get involved. Elk, you could've got back in, if you have your ticket?

  Posted 00:34 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Paul

  @Tom, i think people should still be refunded, sure the concert is illegal now, it's well past curfew, they made fans wait, they should have to stump up.

  Posted 00:45 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• neelia89

  does anyone know the official conditions where you are entitled to get your money back? my boyfriend is still there right now.

  Posted 00:54 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Tomm65

  Fair enough there was a delay at the start of the gig, but to be fair Danko jones finished at 20 past 9. then the bands crew were working on the stage for a good half hour. when the stage was set up the band were on within 15 minutes. Now i wasn't watching the concert through rose tinted glasses, but when the first bottle was thrown it was completely unescessary the band were having a great time and Axl was enjoying himself, he gave fair warning and three songs later it happened again so its not his fault that he left. the people who were to blame are the idiots who decided to ruin a great concert by throwing bottles at someones who's notorius for walk offs! overall, any one who left i feel sorry for but thousands of us stayed to get official word from the stage they asked us to wait for word and if you left before that, its not really the band or the o2s fault. For once i can absolutely say Guns n roses were not to blame. I hope the idiots that threw bottles got tstrung up by there balls! Thanks again to Guns for coming back on against the odds and delivering a great 1 and a half hour extra of material!

  Posted 02:35 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• DreadlocksDublin

  have been to a fair few gigs in my time and no band has ever come on that late whatever about stage set up it was a foolish thing to leave a crowd to get p**sed and then come out way later than planned.... I don't think people were throwing bottles at the band it seemed like they were just baying for Axl's blood he didn't apologise and he stopped the song and walked off the stage after he didn't acknowledge the crowds unhappy but obvious mood so yep I agree with your statement " Guns n roses were not to blame." Axl Rose was.... he stood in the centre of the stage went through the motions of part singing songs and pretty much didn't budge an inch after they came back out and then pretty much dropped mike and walked off... it was clear it was his problem the band were all over the place they made up for his lack of energy and enthusiasm, maybe that was Axl's problem in the first place he just wasn't up for the gig who knows? but what was clear was that the staff of the O2 told people that the gig was over when it clearly had not been established in doing so sent a lot of very unhappy gig goers away from the venue... although anyone who is surprised at this performance needs to check themselves its Axl Rose for God sake! its expected!!!

  Posted 03:43 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• DreadlocksDublin

  sorry just a quick point whatever time Dank Jones? finished at is irrelevant they were really bad and people didn't even know who they were, they had come to see Guns n Roses 10:37 start which is the time I clocked them at... for any headline act is waaayyy too late to come on stage it was incredibly foolish or obviously planned to get the reaction it got... Axl Rose was told to go back on stage he looked like a bold child... he didn't get the outcome he was looking for I reckon...

  Posted 06:03 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• brownel

  Check out this link, someone took a pic of wikipedia before it got cleared, hard to read but you get the jist. Was a disgrace, we waited till 11.20 and then were told by security that it was over so left, bf is a bit p'vd we left since they came back on. He should've kept going as that other person said earlier, he was winning the crowd but when he stopped and moaned after one song, he lost the crowd again. The technical difficulties was the most ridiculous thing, trying to use that as an excuse! Plus, the guitarist who fancies himself the new slash was trying to do the playing the guitar with a cigarette hanging out his mouth but couldnt do both at the same time so threw it on the stage! Hope he gets his fine too! http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=l8y2e&s=7 http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=l8y2e&s=7

  Posted 01:41 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Penelope

  Look up Axl Rose on Wikipedia now - clearly some disgruntled fans have been busy...

  Posted 00:57 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Penelope

  Ah dammit, it's gone already. It was some very irate guy saying that Axl Rose is noted for having "stolen 80 quid off 10,000 Irish people" and wishing all manner of ills on him. Fun while it lasted

  Posted 00:59 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• KSMI

  Statement issued by Promoters MCD & the management of The O2 regarding the Guns N' Roses concert at The 02, Dublin, Wednesday 1st September 2010. Despite every effort being made by promoters to ensure Guns N' Roses would go on stage on time, they went on at 22.26hrs having been due to be on stage at 21.45hrs, support artist finished at 21:00hrs. During the second song Axl requested members of crowd who were throwing plastic glass's containing unknown substances to immediately stop or he would have no option but to leave the stage. He confirmed band's wish to perform stating "we want to stay..one more bottle and we go home". Despite his continued appeals, having tried to continue performing for 22 minutes, people continued throwing unknown substances leaving artist with no choice but to leave the stage. From the stage MCD Promoter Denis Desmond again appealed to audience to refrain from throwing items and stated that the band would be back on stage shortly. The artist was prevented from leaving the venue by the Promoter and following backstage discussions Guns N' Roses went back on stage at 23.20 hrs and performed their full set until 00.53 hrs. While the artist has a long history for being late on stage (Slane 1992 - crowd waiting 2 hours and last weekend's UK Reading festival), NO artist should be subjected to missiles and unknown substances being thrown at them. However, despite this the band went back on stage after people stopped throwing items performing their full set of songs in full. MCD and The 02 wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused due to late running of the show.

  Posted 12:01 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• KSMI

  "stated that the band would be back on stage shortly" - He didn't state anything. He said they were trying to get Axl to come back out. After 30 minutes people gave up when the main lights came on and left. Then all of a sudden the lights went off and they came back on stage. There was no information flow from O2 staff or promoters. This does not excuse the behaviour of the scumbags throwing bottles who ruined it for everyone.

  Posted 13:12 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Barbara

  The support act came on at 8.01 and finished at 9.10 and then we waited. Finally at 10.32 the grand Diva, or should that be Divo, came on stage. By now the crowd was in steady hiss mode and the booing was beginning to sound like distraught cows. It had to be obvious to everyone, even those that weren't quite sober, that this crowd was angry. An apology or some form of acknowledgment would have been the respectful way to treat fans who paid their hard earned money to keep Axl Rose in the style he would like to remain accustomed to. But no, he ignored the anger and ended up having 3 plastic bottle thrown at him. This was just too much for the little boy rocker and he exited stage left. The lights came on and O2 staff told us he had left the building. What a sham

  Posted 01:59 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Anthony

  I have contacted ticketmaster regarding a refund and they have replied to me that MCD have said, because they came back out and finished the set, there will be no refunds. Surely MCD ( or Entertainment.ie!!) could give something back to the fans??

  Posted 13:50 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• trisodioum

  true paul, I walked out about 5 mins after the lights came on... .MCD said nobody is getting a refund.. Everyone know's when the lights in a pub, club, theatre or arena come on... its either an Interval or shows over, MCD wont give a refund because they have no way of telling who left or who stayed till the death...!

  Posted 15:44 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• trisodioum

  @tomfriend... Im a fan of Guns 'N Roses... and I went to the concert last night knowing he might be late on... I didnt throw a bottle, But I did pay 70 odd euro for my ticket, I think people were right to throw bottle's... teach Axl a lesson..! Maybe he might stop being such a Diva... and get on with it! Magnitude....... Hah.. your gas!

  Posted 11:45 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Celticpussycat

  I am SOOOOOOO glad I didn't go to this gig. I was at Slane in '97 and when they eventually came on stage they were fabulous but the wait was excruciating and unfair. It was a VERY hot day and people were collapsing from the heat but no one seemed to care. I have subequently found out that while we were all waiting on them Axl Rose was still in his Dublin hotel on his exercise bike drinking Jack Daniels and refusing to perform. MCD clearly have no respect for the people who attend their gigs because if they did they would offer a refund. Disgraceful behaviour from both band and promoter.

  Posted 12:37 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• LisNolan

  That cant doesnt give a flying f**k about his fans!

  Posted 01:23 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Nuttyboy7

  To get back a refund state the main lights came on thereby telling the audience thr show was over, I work in the o2 and thats what security said to do

  Posted 13:17 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Paul

  @Anthony... Entertainment.ie could give something back to the fans? What are you talking about? What do those guys have to do with anything? How's any of this their fault? Seriously wish people would stop talking crap. The people who left, thinking the show was really over and caused no trouble are entitled to a full refund. The people who stayed and caused war or walked out during the show are entitled to nothing. Bands start late, Guns N' Roses have a history of being late for shows, it's no surprise. They should've shown up on time, but they didn't and they rarely do, once they play their show without being attacked, everyone should be happy.

  Posted 15:27 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• neelia89

  well then he's going to get a very angry fan mail letter! grrrr

  Posted 01:29 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• neelia89

  i just want my bf and his friend to get they're money back. couldn't give a f**k about the fire crotched c**t!

  Posted 01:14 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• AJD

  The concert was amazing in the O2.Axel had to walk off when some drunken "fans" started throwing bottles at the band. It wouldnt have been safe and couldve escalated. When they came back on everybody cheered and clapped for everything they did. Im glad they walked off,it showed the people set on making trouble that it wouldnt be tollerated and that the fans could enjoy the show if they wanted to. The second half of the show was electric as the crowd swayed and sang to every song,with people sitting on each others shoulders fully emerced in the bands performance. lets try and stop spreading false rumours just for the sake of it.

  Posted 14:53 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• Ciaran Flynn

  Axl is suppose to be a hard man of rock, they were a few plastic bottles for feck sake, if they were glass, fair enough, get the hell off, but they were plastic and the O2 dont even let you keep the tops of the bottles, so there is no force in them. Axl is a big p**sy boy either that or he just didnt want to play and this was his way of baiting the crowd and getting off. McCartney (age 68) in the RDS in June. Started at 8.15, finished at 11.10, played 38 songs non stop. take note Axl

  Posted 11:47 | Fri 3rd Sep 2010

• Ianla

  great gig in the end. some PR skills missing by a lot of those involved. successive governments and banks screw us over for many years to come what do we do? a rockstar turns up and hour late there's uproar

  Posted 16:31 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• una

  I feel really sorry for the GNR's fans that went to the gig last night. Having gone to loads of gigs in the O2 since it reopened, I have never yet been at a gig that went on past 11.15, Eddie Vaedar of PJ sang past the curfew time but only by one song, I would say that MCD don't have a leg to stand on as regards an artist coming on and playing til 1am when most of the people had gone home. I thankfully didnt go to the gig as I went to SLASH in Vicar Street in June. He was amazing, he had played at Glastenbury the previous weekend and still played to a very small crowd in Vicar Street. I would recommend his new album to GNR fans, time to move on.

  Posted 16:50 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• liam

  just to say i enjoyed the gig dispite the interlude. The o2 should have been selling glass bottles of beer in the crowd that was there mistake axl rose should have came on stage on time. its nothing new that he is late it is nothing new that he has a temper. my friends were up at the very and could see that there was some scumbags that want to cause trouble. oh and just for note there was plastic and glass bottles thrown some were river rock som were carlsberg. i know this because i could see very clearly from my seat aswell as the fact that the o2 had som poor guys carry cooler bags around full of bottles of beer. i seen a clip from the 90s where duff mckagan was knocked out from a bottle being thrown at the stage. anyway il go to see axl rose again but dont know where. i cant see him returning to ireland any time soon. well at least if has some sort of sense!!!

  Posted 20:36 | Tue 14th Sep 2010

• Sarah Belfast

  @ Celticp**sycat - I think you'll find the Slane gig was '92 - call urself a fan!!!!! A true fan would know GNR were always late, that's part of the craic going to a gig - shame on you NOT the band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Posted 13:09 | Fri 3rd Sep 2010

• Murph

  This was a complete farce and an insult to all those who attended. Gnr were 1 hr 20 mins late coming on stage. The scheduled start time according to the o2 information line at 3 o clock that day was 9 o clock (Gnr on stage). The support band finished at 9pm. During that time no announcement was made, no updates were given, nothing. The crowd was simply left to get angrier and angrier. Any promoter worth a Damn could have seen what was happening and at least addressed us. Mcd didnt. A group of 5 of us went to the gig and parked in the car park a few hundred yards from the o2 - on entering we were told that the car park was closing at 11.30pm There were hundreds of other cars parked there. Whether Gnr came back on stage or not was irrelevant to us and the thousands of others who had to leave to get their cars or buses/trains/darts etc. We could not have stayed even if we wanted to but, to be honest, we were glad to leave this excuse for a gig. When A. Rose came on stage he made no attempt to acknowledge the crowd's fury. Not even so much as a token excuse. Had he done so things could have been very different. He figured that we would calm down once the music started. He figured wrong. Between each of the 4 songs in the first set he was Booed vociferously by fans venting their displeasure, yet he continued to ignore these sentiments. This was akin to giving us the finger. The tension was very palpable. It was not a good atmosphere and it was not getting any better. Some water bottles were thrown on stage very early into the set. I dont condone this though I am surprised that that is all that was thrown, given the anger of the masses. Axl got upset and before they had even started the second song he was threatening to walk off. This really was not the best thing to say to a crowd who had just waited well over an hour. I have no regrets about missing the remainder of the show. I will never attend another Gnr gig again and would have reservations about attending any MCD event following their handling of this farce - both on the night and subsequently. Gnr's reputation for lateness preceedes them so for Mcd to stumble through proceedings as ineptly as they did, as though it was all totally unexpected, was very poor. An amateur promoter would have had contingencies. Hell, a kid with a banjo would have at least kept us entertained. So, If you are a kid and you own a banjo, give Mcd a call. If you are anyone else give Gnr a miss. A dissapointed Murph

  Posted 16:26 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• noniee

  guys hear is my story my hubby is a life long fan and im in love with the band and the music since first hearing it for gods sake we had a gnr song as our first dance at our wedding well last night was the bigest sham i have ever seen or heard he was a spoiled brat who was throwing his bottle out of cot well its not good enough im six months pregnant and we left after 35 mins when axl left the stage cause the crowd got very rowdy and both me and my husband were frightend of what would happen next the premoters were a sham so i for one think they should give a refund cause why did they turn on the house lights and not say anything for ten mins everyone assumed it was all over o well ya live and learn

  Posted 18:36 | Thu 2nd Sep 2010

• EBS

  I love Axl I've been a fan since i was a teen, but maybe he should start singing behind a fence at his concerts so that he can show up late anytime he wants, and not get hit with bottles, and at least finish his shows.

  Posted 01:52 | Fri 3rd Sep 2010

• EBS

  Ciaran Flynn- Maybe the bottles were plastic but I think if you throw a plastic one full of water hard enough (even with the top off) because you were waiting for a concert to start that was two hours late you could probably still do some damage even to a hard ass like Axl Rose.

  Posted 20:04 | Fri 3rd Sep 2010

• MaryL

  Sarah Belfast - I was at the gig, I stayed and it was good craic, but staying made me miss the last train home, it cost me €60 to get home on home on top of two tickets for €150 - these people are not gods, they are just normal people who have talent doesn't give them the right to treat people like crap!

  Posted 16:47 | Fri 3rd Sep 2010

Log in to leave a comment