Guns N' Roses - Living rock legends!

Take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green..., that’s exactly where the Guns N’ Roses show took me at Het Goffert Park in Nijmegen! I feel so blessed having seen these living rock legends for over three hours for the very first time. Still regretting I didn’t go to their show at the same spot 25 years ago, but now I’ve made up for it. ​From the first moment Axl took stage, the energy level increased. ​

Starting off as a 55-year-old diesel engine, ​gradually the oil was running through his throat and became better, higher, lower, and getting up to speed during my favourite song ‘Estranged’.  ​I used to listen to this song in bed at night, lights off and slowly fall asleep…Slash’s guitar riffs are so moving… And so was ‘Civil War’, a song that still resonates.

Another highlight was AC/DC’s Angus Young rocking the stage with ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’. How cool was that?! The crowd really hit if off by then. The whole setting felt like a festival. Wandering, eating, drinking, looking, listening, head-banging and watching as the gunners kept on playing and playing and playing. While eating delicious BBQ balls with smokey sauce Slash rocked out on his guitar, playing one of many awesome solos to come proofing he’s a true rock icon. And from a girly perspective, damn sexy!

At some stage, you do need to go to the loo…after holding it for 45 minutes as they kept on playing old time favourites, I finally ended up standing in line…listening to a live version of ‘Sweet child o’mine’ while going to the loo was quite the experience 😊 Followed by their funniest camp fire song ‘I used to love her’, we rocked out on the stairs overseeing the whole 'festival'. It was so amazing to look at 65.000 fans hangin’ out and having a great time! We all sang along at the top of our longs with ‘Yesterdays’ and ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’. That song always takes me back to the Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert back in nineties, still a vivid memory. And so, it did again.

Loaded like freight train…Flyin’ like an aeroplane…’ Night train’ was the perfect follow up song. And then as a worthy anti-climax, the first few guitar notes of the next song gave me the shivers…’Black Hole Sun’…tears in my eyes straight away. This tribute to Chris Cornell was truly magical and sung with so much respect by Axl.

Suddenly, I found myself standing on a pick nick table, rocking and headbanging to the remaining songs with some fellow fans. Whistling along with ‘Patience’, shouting ‘Well, well, well, My Michelle’ and jumping in my pink rain boots on the beats of ‘Paradise City’, the final big bang of an awesome, amazing rock legend night!

​Thanks Axl, Duff and Slash (and Angus Young!) for this once ‘in my lifetime’ experience and I’ve become even more appreciative of your iconic music. Another great thing I can cross off my bucket list!