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Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
GUNS N' ROSES' production magager Dale "Opie" Skjerseth says that "there's no end date" to the band's "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour, with "plenty" of shows already booked for "far into next year."
"Not In This Lifetime" sees core band members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan on stage together for the first time in more than twenty years.
In a wide-ranging conversation with local media — including 11Alive WXIA-TV — on Tuesday before tomorrow's GUNS N' ROSES concert in Atlanta, Georgia, Skjerseth said that all members of the band are "getting along just fine" and has shot down speculation that the fact that they have separate dressing rooms means there is tension within the ranks, Skjerseth said: "Just because everybody's older, they carry their families with them. They all have to have their space.
"Everybody meets before we go on stage. It's a meeting point and that's where the chemistry happens.
Asked what brought the band back together, money or music, Skjerseth said: "I believe it starts with the love the band… And then of course — we all want money."
Regarding the band's future, Skjerseth said: "I've been told there's no end date, and I've seen plenty of dates going into next year, far into next year. Everybody's working together to keep a common goal and common direction: keep the machine going."
Skjerseth also talked about how Axl is managing to take the stage on time now as opposed in previous years when GUNS N' ROSES had a reputation for beginning concerts hours after its scheduled start time. He said: "We're all older and want to get to bed now.
"We were all young," Skjerseth said of Rose's behavior on previous tours. "Even I was young. It's his maturity and business and how it should be. Everybody feels good about it. He's here before the guys, the rest of them, some days. He comes in, he shows up, gets out of the car, goes on stage. Sometimes he stays on site."
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
In a wide-ranging conversation with local media on Tuesday, the band’s production manager, Dale "Opie" Skjerseth, offered the following:
Crews have been at the Georgia Dome since Sunday. There are three sets of steel that travel the county in anticipation of shows. While production put the finishing touches on the stage at the Georgia Dome on Tuesday, the other two sets were in Orlando and New Orleans, where the band will play later this week.
There are a total of 16 trucks that transport the steel, each accompanied by a 16-team crew, Skjerseth said.
A 125-person crew travels with the band on six tour buses and 20 truck. Another 125 local workers assist with constructing the stage
It takes about 8 hours to put up lights, sounds, video, pyro and other components of the stage once the steel has been set
It takes about 36 hours to put up the steel and other heavy construction.
Once the show is over, it takes about 2.5 hours to take down the production, and another 12 hours to remove the steel from the stadium.
The band will soundcheck early afternoon on Wednesday and it could last hours, Skjerseth said.
Fans will see pyro at Wednesday’s show. “We have an indoor show -- as we call it --that limits the heights and restrictions…It still looks big and boomy, but it won’t go to the ceiling.”
Skjerseth said he wasn’t sure when the band arrives in town, but said when they do, he expected them to head to a hotel and rest before the show.
The production manager said he sees the band “when they show up.”
Skjerseth worked with the band on the Use Your Illusion tour in the early 90s
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Skjerseth was the catalyst for GNR lead singer Axl Rose joining AC/DC. Skjerseth, who also works with AC/DC, said that band happened to be in Atlanta rehearsing when they got word that their lead singer, Brian Johnson, was forced to bow out of their tour due to hearing issues.
After hearing the news about Johnson, Axl called Skjerseth, who was in South America with the Rolling Stones. Opie then called AC/DC in Atlanta. Axl flew to Atlanta to audition and the rest is history.
In April, after Axl broke his feet in GNR’s first reunion gig, bassist Duff McKagen contacted Foo Fighters’ main man Dave Grohl to see about using a throne that he’d used after a similar fracture.
Skjerseth said all three members of the classic line-up (Axl, Slash and Duff) all had equal input in construction of the band’s current stage.
"We met in January, we all talked about it,” Skjerseth said. “The basic bottom line is: people want to see Guns N’ Roses. They don’t need flying pianos, they don’t flying lifts…they just needed a heavy rock n’ roll stage.”
“We wanted big video, big sound, big lights, big pyro and an exciting show for the fans of rock n’ roll music.”
As to how Axl is managing to take the stage on time now as opposed to years past, when the band often began performing hours after its scheduled start time, Opie said, “We’re all older and want to get to bed now.”
“We were all young,” Skjerseth said of Rose’s behavior on previous tours. “Even I was young. It’s his maturity and business and how it should be. Everybody feels good about it. He’s here before the guys, the rest of them, some days. He comes in, he shows up, gets out of the car, goes on stage. Sometimes he stays on site.”
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Skjerseth said the band is “getting along just fine.”
The fact that band members have separate dressing rooms isn’t a sign of tension within the ranks, Skjerseth said. “Just because everybody’s older, they carry their families with them. They all have to have their space.”
“Everybody meets before we go on stage. It’s a meeting point and that’s where the chemistry happens.”
All band members are taking buses to the gigs, but they do occasionally fly to cities.
“It’s business and everybody’s enjoying it.”
As to what brought the band back together, money or music, Skjerseth said, “I believe it starts with the love the band…And then of course – we all want money.”
On the band’s future: “I’ve been told there’s no end date, and I’ve seen plenty of dates going into next year, far into next year. Everybody’s working together to keep a common goal and common direction: keep the machine going.
Opening band The Cult will play about 50 minutes
Opie wouldn’t say if the band had any surprises – such as an appearance from a former band member – in store for Wednesday’s show.
The biggest change Opie’s seen of the band from when he first met them in 1990 and now: “Age. Our maturity. Everybody paying attention doing what they’re doing.”
Opie promised that everyone at the Georgia Dome would get a good view of the show – even those in the nosebleed seats.
20 trucks with the band, 16 other trucks riding steel to between cities. 6 tour buses - this is a 7-piece, so some have to share. Still, Guns seem to carry a pretty big entourage, as well.
- elevendayempire
- Rep: 96
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
Not gonna lie, I was hoping for time off & an album release next year, then a new tour announced.
This continuation sh!t could just on on indefinitely like the 2010ish CD GnR tours
Well, they might as well make hay while the sun shines – you only get one shot at doing the reunion tour. From a financial standpoint it makes sense to milk it for all it's worth in all the available territories (USA, South America, Asia/Australasia, Europe) and then do an album (and tour that!).
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
That's why I've been saying I would have liked a reunion album.
As logically after the usa this tour does south amercia, then asia, then europe, it will logically go on until early 2018.
Then they have to work up the album - which slash and duff could do in days with the CD songs but who knows if that will be the approach.
Then 6 months for the label to tool up for a major release.
So we're looking at 2019 for an album and that's if they take no down time. But lets face it - would be logical to give the market 12 months to reset between tours and the band take some time off - Axl to do other things - it could easily blow out to 2020 or longer....
Obviously looking forward to an aussie tour but I wish they'd opened with a record this time around.
Still the rumour is a GH record in december with a new song...that could keep us happy I guess.
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
PaSnow wrote:Not gonna lie, I was hoping for time off & an album release next year, then a new tour announced.
Well, they might as well make hay while the sun shines – you only get one shot at doing the reunion tour. From a financial standpoint it makes sense to milk it for all it's worth in all the available territories (USA, South America, Asia/Australasia, Europe) and then do an album (and tour that!).
It's one of those "it makes sense in the head but not in the heart" things.
That said, this news is unsurprising. The timeline just doesn't make sense. They're not going to release an album and hit a small portion of US dates in support of it. It'll be album released synced up to a U.S. Tour.
Maybe they'll play new songs in South America as prep work like they did in 2001-2002. Speaking of, the New GN'R lineups managed to make hay consistently in Europe and Asia, so you'd think they're going to make a killing with Slash and Duff back in the fold. So Fall 2017 at the earliest to even think about a new album, one would guess.
This assuming they want to release an album, have it ready to go, worked out whatever they're doing or not doing with the Chinese material, and the business side of things have been worked out.
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
There is video of this I was going to post in the Atlanta show thread so I typed many of the same facts in that thread. We need a new song or something. That said, the show in person is so fucking awesome.
Re: Guns N' Roses tour to continue through 2017(and beyond)
Cycle repeats again, Axl wil tour 3 or 4 years then when he gets bored, he will hole up in his mansion for 4 more years, then he will resurrect, tour again and again and again. Yes, sure, music is still a priority here.
