Guns N' Roses Live in Saratoga '26: Review | Ep. 572 - Appetite for Distortion

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the first time I've ever been at a
show where I had no idea what their set list
was gonna be.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yes, Welcome to the podcast Appetite four Distortion, Episode number
five hundred and seventy two. My name is Brando. Welcome
to the podcast. I kind of just call you Paradise Smitty.
I like saying that rather than Brad me it does.

(00:27):
That's why I go by Brando instead of Brandon Brandon Weisler,
although it does say Brandon Weisler. Everyone knows my name anyway.
Three tickets VIP. Look at that. This was the envelope
given to me I'm doing. This is gonna be a
show and tell episode as we're doing a review of

(00:48):
Guns and Roses and Saratoga Springs, which happened on Sunday,
July twenty sixth at a speck. It's so interesting my
first time there, and I had done four years of
radio in the Hudson Valley and I commuted, so I
had never really been to a concert in the area.
So Brad is a listener of the podcast. We may

(01:10):
do some things behind the scenes with the podcast. Together,
we'll see what happens. But Brad alongside let me not forget.
Shout out to not just you, Brad, because we got
to meet at the show, but shout out to Mason
who was there. Mason, as I said, I'm gonna do
show and tell he's from Boston, Baston, but he was there.

(01:32):
He gave me a coozie. He's just walking by. He's like,
love the podcast and just gave me a world tour
a couzi. So thank you. It doesn't it doesn't fit
on my current drink, so it doesn't matter.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's okay.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
I don't know. Maybe what do you think? Should I
put this on the microphone? Should I make it like
a makeshift Mike flag?

Speaker 3 (01:50):
Now I like it?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, all right, maybe one of these days I should
get a Mike flag and appetite for the source of
Mike flag and shout out to So I was the
say Brad, Oh my god, why am I forgetting your name?
I want to say Jason Seagull because he looks like
John John, because he looks like just like the actor
Jason Seagull, and he knows that. So John from New Jersey,

(02:14):
who went up there. He stopped by my wife and
my son Harrison aka Baby Brownstone. We stopped by I
think it was the Henry Street tap room before and
then let you know that too, and to see if
you were able to meet up before any let I
posted it. Yeah, he came in and he wanted to
meet you know, and it's so funny. He's like, oh,

(02:35):
baby Brownstone, I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity. My
son has no idea what's going on, of course, uh,
and he admittedly knows he looks like the actor Jason Seagull.
So I just wanted to give those guys who took
time out of their guns and roses day, including you,
just to say hi to me. And there are many
of you who are following along on social media with
the live streams, so this is a review for all

(02:59):
of us. Just happened to be there, Brad. So where
did you commute from? Before we go into the VIP stuff,
the actual show, public, aaemy, all that stuff. So where
where did you commute from? And what GNR show number
is this for you? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, so I commuted from Rochester, New York, so about
about four hours away from search Toga and this was
show number eight.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay eight, No, that's nothing to sniff at because I
think this was only I would say, only my twelve.
It's only you're a few years younger than I. So
the only opportunities, the first opportunities we had really started
in two, right, So every was that your first chance?
So two or six?

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, I think my first show was twenty eleven.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Okay, see, it takes It took time, and that's what
I think. It's so funny now that everybody that not everybody.
There's a section of fans that all they do is tour.
There was a very very long period there where they
did not tour. That's why my wife was able to
see and tonight as we're recording this, she's going to

(04:11):
see her eighty eighth Dave Matthew's performance. Yeah, she had
those opportunities to see them. We we did, and so
that's why every chance I can get to see guns
of Roses I have and I will continue to do so.
So that's cool, man, I appreciate. And you came with
your your brother. I got to meet your brother, right, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, came with the family. Actually, both my parents came.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
I was supposed to have a couple of friends come,
they weren't able to make it, so it ended up
being in a family affair, but that was that was
one of the coolest things I noticed about the concert
was you know how eclectic guns and Roadses fans are.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
You know, there's people there, you know, all ages.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
There was a you know, a group of women in
their sixties maybe even seventies there that were there for
a birthday party. There was a frat party that was there.
There were kids there there, you know, people of all
So that was one of the coolest things that I
noticed is it comes through its kind of kind of
transcends generations, especially now, I think.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
So I agree with you, yes, not just my My
son was not the youngest one there. Three I feel
like I saw someone either around his age or even
younger in the pit with of course with headphones on
with there and yah yeah yeah. A little girl who
looked like, I mean, Harrison's a boy. She's a girl,
but like both long blonde hair, so it kind of

(05:30):
looked like Harrison in like five years she had her
been like nine. She was like if you didn't hear
the music, if you just saw a video of this
little girl dancing, you would have thought she was at
a Taylor Swift concert. That's how into it she was.
I'm like, Wow, this is so cool. So kudos to
those parents. Is little blonde girl like eight, nine, ten

(05:51):
years old maybe just rocking out as soon as Ginar started.
It was incredible and it made me smile so much
to see that that I was just the only parent,
you know, bringing their kids and they're all rocking out
and uh, one thing, a couple of things. I will
tell you. That's that's funny too, because I think that's
awesome that you went with your parents and they have
that experience. You know, I had gone to some concerts

(06:11):
with my dad. Uh, it's that fact. I can pay
it forward with my son. Even though he's not going
to remember any of these. My wife and I will
will tell him stories of how he slept through Paul
McCartney and guns and roses. He's like, I slept through
these things. Yeah, well, we'll let him know in the future.
But I saw you because you were actually because I
had good seats. Courtesy of Richard Fordace. You were like

(06:35):
in the pit, and I once you met and came out,
I saw where you were. You were closer than I was,
and I saw you talking to an older woman and
I thought like, oh, look at you go, I know
that was your mom.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
I thought you were Yeah, yeah, no, yeah, my mom,
my mom's and my stepdad have been fans for a
long time.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
So yeah, Like, you know, it's funny. Guns and Roses.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
One of those bands that you know, it's kind of
your parents band, but they're not, you know, they kind
of transcend that a little bit. So, but yeah, no,
I think that's my parents third time scene gin R two,
which is kind of cool. And and you know you
comment about your twelve time or your wife's eighty eight,
which eighty eight times. Seeing Dave Matthews, that's that's just

(07:22):
remarkable to me. That's amazing. That's like, but you know,
it's always it's always about perspective.

Speaker 3 (07:27):
I always feel weird telling people you're your average person.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
If I tell him I've been to Guns and Roses
eight times, I always feel like that's excessive. And then
I'll talk to like Rush fans, Dave Matthews fans, and
they've been like thirty, forty, twenty, fifty.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Times, eighty eight times.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
So it's it's funny, depending you know, it's all it's
all about perspective.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
But you're right, in perspective is a word I've brought
up before, and it's going to come up again as
we during this review. Uh and yeah, and I'll say
shout out to Marco the she runs the not in
this lifetime fan page on Facebook. She's been to over
one hundred Guns of Roses shows. You talk to a
fish fan, forget about it, like forget about it the
amount of shows they've been to. So while we might

(08:12):
think eight and twelve is a lot, there are people
who still have never seen Guns and Roses. So yeah,
I mean, it's all perspective. So as long as they
keep touring, more and more chances we get to go see.
So when the tickets went on sale initially for this
North American run is spac Is this the closest one
to you? Like, where did you decide where you were

(08:34):
gonna go? And how did you say? Did you know?
Because you get uh.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
So this, Yeah, this would tell it was technically the
Well now, so technically I think, are they coming to Toronto?

Speaker 2 (08:46):
I want to say yes so off the top of
my head, but I'm not sure.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
So I believe they are.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
That would technically be the closest I didn't really want
to mess around with the whole border right now and everything,
and I don't have meaning I have to update my passport.

Speaker 3 (09:02):
I haven't done that.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
Sure, that's another thing.

Speaker 3 (09:06):
Yeah, waited looked at.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
Either go to Saratoga or to matt Life Stadium.

Speaker 3 (09:15):
I almost call it Giant Stadium.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
Always be Giants Stadium to me, but you and.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Me both, my friend, Yeah, No, it's the way it
always is, just like how SPAC is technically the Albany
Medical Health System at SPACK. Like it's just everything is,
you know, advertised or whatever. So yeah, when it was announced,
of course we were going to go. My wife and
I even discussed going to the European tour briefly, like

(09:40):
oh what if we go to Poland or you know,
like where are my family's from, And we discussed it,
but I guess it would have been too difficult to
do that with Harrison now, so but we we knew
we were going to go somewhere. So when the North
America tour was announced, and I I think I've told
the story now, I just was hesitant for a while
because I didn't know what quote unquote permissions I had

(10:02):
to share stuff. So when I'm talking to people like
you on Instagram, they announce it like, Hey, Branda, where
do you want to go? I'm like, I don't want
to go to New Jersey again. I've been to Met
Life more than enough times. It's too big. I want
to see them in a different place. Maybe I'll go
to Saratoga. Maybe I'll go to Hershey Park again. Because
I got to see them after they came back from
COVID there. It was like, Okay, we were talking off

(10:23):
the air that you felt like it was circus, Like
I feel like it's a little I remember everything being
so slanted there in Hershey. I'm like, I don't know, yeah,
but I'm like, oh, maybe we'll spend the weekend there,
take Harrison to Hershey Park whatever. So where it decided?
So Richard by this time, you know, he had been
following me on Instagram. He acknowledges that he had listened.

(10:45):
I don't know if he listens to every episode, but
he listens to the podcast amazing. And then he just
randomly inboxes me, if you want to go to Saratoga
Hershey Park, let me know I can get you and
your family tickets. Well really like, and I'm still checking
if this is coming from his official accounts, Like no,
one's punking me. So that's the way I think so awesome, awesome,

(11:08):
and I want to I didn't want to say anything,
but not he didn't never said anything like it's like, hey,
don't tell anybody. But in my mind, I'm like, what
if I have Alan Niven on again and he says
something stupid and they pissed off GNR and he's like,
I don't wonder if I get this guy tickets? Not
like that would ever happen, but that's how my psycho
brain thinks. Or I didn't know if if I said, like, hey,

(11:31):
Richard Ford's got me tickets, I wouldn't want like haters
of mine to be like, oh, he doesn't say really
negative stuff about the band often. Now I know why.
He's like he's part of you know, he's in their
pocket or no one has. I didn't see anyone that
said that, But that's again, that's how my brain thinks.
So I'm like, are people going to think differently about me?

(11:51):
So neither again, just because I'm psycho. So as we
got closer, Okay, I even asked Ford this, I'm like,
do you mind if I thank you probalyublicly and to
show how nice he is. He's like, he goes why
he didn't competes, like to thank you, to say how
nice you are. He's like, Oh, you don't need to
do that. I just you know, happy to do it.

(12:11):
It doesn't even cross his mind. So he didn't do
it for any sort of like, hey, let's just get
this podcast or to talk nice about us so I
get some good press. He didn't do There was no
It was just like a nice thing that Richard Fordace
did for me and Baby Brownstone and my wife, Like
there was like no alterior So it's just again how
I think about it, why I didn't say anything for
the longest time and now I'm not gonna be able

(12:33):
to shut up about it because it was just a
great experience. So we didn't know where we were gonna sit.
Richard tells us that and he's like, I don't know
until you get there, right, So I'm like, okay, So
there's a certain level of anxiety with me. I'm like,
as long as there are handicap seats, adya, you know
American Disability Act seats, cool man, Because now I only

(12:56):
go to concerts in a wheelchair. I just can't do
just embrace and can anymore, and there's too many there's
too much stuff, too much people, and it's too especially
with my son. Risk of falling not even a risk,
not worth the risk anymore, so wheel chairing it. I'm
cool there. Uh After I meet John aka Jason Siegel

(13:17):
in the bar, we like, we want to go there
early enough. We know we have a three year old. Right,
we were at the pool earlier, shout out to I
want to say her name is Tina who She was
from Brazil. Her young daughters were playing with Harrison by Uh.
We stayed at the Hotel Saraatoga. We say we stayed there. Sorry,

(13:38):
I had to say it like that. And so he
was playing with the pool that day, so he had
like a full day already, and this his day was
typical other than the fact that he was wearing headphones
and saw a band. So he just didn't want to nap.
We weren't going to force it. It was what it
was something that happens with him at times. So we

(13:59):
when wet, we go there to the box office and
then they give us this envelope. Right, I'm like thinking,
just tickets are going to be in there, So it
says three tickets VIP Brandon Weisler, and there are tickets
in there, right, but there's also in here. I guess
said show and tell VIP stickers. They have RF on
them and I have putting one of them back there,

(14:22):
so you know three was three VIP. So Harrison was
also a very important person before I forget because I'm
wearing my march. Wearing the march, I got a long
sleep Guns of Roses World to our shirt.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
Yeah, I love that shirt.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
It's like cool stuff in the back on the stuff
on the sleeves. I wanted to initially get their zip up,
but it was too My wife called it ed hardyish.
There was like too much going on. I want to
cool Guns of Roses like zip up, hooey. But it
was one hundred and twenty five bucks. This long sleeve
of tea was much like it was half that. So anyway,

(14:56):
we go in. Oh, I shout out to Joey Boots
radio personality up there. I stopped by your tent and
you were talking to somebody, and then Harrison was getting antsy,
so I couldn't. Sorry, we had to go in. I'm
trying to give a shout outs to everybody. Brad because
I felt like I felt like this was a joint
concert with not just me and my family, but everybody

(15:17):
that follows Appetepe distortion. So we go in Harrison's with me.
We got this VIP thing. We're not sure what it means.
We stopped by this big it looks like a VIP
building and you ask them, not expecting, like this is
where we go? What does this mean? And they said
where they were was kind of more for the people
who worked at the park. People who worked there special

(15:40):
really special VIPs, which I think means like Duff mccagan,
because if you saw his stories, he was looking out
at the crowd from like a suite, like everyone just
walking around on the dirt and the gravel, so I
think he was like hanging out up there. So I
wasn't in the Duff mccagan VIP, so like they like
go to the this white tent and I didn't understand him,

(16:03):
Like am I watching this from a tent? I really
didn't know what VIP meant. Oh, also was the other
in the what we didn't mean? In the envelope they
gave us guitar picks, right, so I'm like, whoa guitar picks?
Like somebody else Harrison could play with distract him. That's
really kind. We know what it meant. We go into

(16:25):
this tent. Music is so loud, so loud to playing
like Guns of Roses and Cheap Trick and a bunch
of other sweet classic rock music. Jack Harrison, he's fine,
big ass headphones, He's no problem. We learned that the
picks are actually drank tokens, so my wife was very
happy to get some free drinks the Mazzarella sticks, and

(16:47):
my son was so happy. They had video games there.
Pinball possibly the first pinball machine he's ever played, like
the old school gn R pinball. He's trying to figure
out yeah, oh yeah. He's a code designer. He was
recently inducted into the UK Pinball Hall of Fame. If
I'm if I believe so, and he yeah, and Og

(17:10):
wants to take part in this. Uh look at this guy.
Do you see this? It is this is Og. I
told you off my cat, one of my cats. He
looks like my cat who passed away GB. So we
called this guy Og and I told you off the air.
I tried recording part one of a review of just
like This VIP stuff and then Harrison, and this guy

(17:32):
just kept jumping on my laptop. I couldn't get through it.
Like it's kind of funny. But at the same time,
I was like, this is this is a catastrophe. I
need to do this over again and help me. Brad. So, uh,
we go in there. So he's playing the pinball. One
of the arcade games is just a howled out, I thought,
because it's like Guns and Roses arcade game. I'm like,

(17:54):
is this gonna be a street fighter with gene R characters?

Speaker 1 (17:57):
What is this?

Speaker 2 (17:58):
It was pac Man and definitely the first time my
son played pac Man, and the other one in typical
g and R fashion, no offense was just not working.
He just wasn't I don't know what. It could have
been another pac Man. It could have been Centipede. I
don't know what it was. But what's cute is Harrison
being three years old in twenty twenty six. Somebody who

(18:19):
knows how to use a remote control already, somebody knows
that to use an iPad and a phone and all
that stuff. He's like, I want to play another game,
thinking that there are other games on these machines that
could pop up like you would on an app or
a phone or so like, no, it's just pac Man.
All you got is pac Man. That's all you could play,
you know, So it was it was cool. He was happy.

(18:39):
So again, it was just very cool, loud music. It
wasn't a lot of people in there, but made me think,
which wakes me think that we could have spent more
time in there.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
We did.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
Again, we didn't know what VIP meant. We were VIP
just was really okay cool. Did we hear fifteen minutes
to go, last call whatever? My wife gets her last
white claw and then we start to hear Public Enemy.
I'm like, oh no, I'm like no, I want to
be in my seats already, So like we she finishes
her drink. Harrison hates his last Mazzarella stick. I ask,

(19:12):
was it case of Dia for Casada's there or whatever? Oh,
you can take pictures there. There was like a place
where you can play guitar, like little kiosks of stuff,
but it was mainly a place just to drink and
have some finger foods before you go to the show.
But I'm like, oh, I want to see Public Enemy.
It's half the reason why I'm here. So we got
to go there. And man, I don't know, are you

(19:33):
a Seinfeld fan at all?

Speaker 1 (19:35):
Not? I mean I appreciate it, but not enough to
know a lot a ton of references.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
Well, if there's a reference of when Kramer dated a
girl in a wheelchair and he wanted to get her,
you got her a cheap wheelchair and the brakes didn't
work and she just starts going flying down the ramp.
That did not happen to me. However, it felt like
it because it's the same thing in P and C
Bank Guard Center. There's actually a park near us, and

(19:59):
sometimes if you're the way they make these handicap ramps
is clearly after the fact. So the way to get
down there, instead of just making a straight ass drop
like a roller coaster, they have to make it windy,
but it's still pretty fucking like Harrison's in my It's
like we were on a roller coaster. My wife had
control of it, and she already was like a little buzz.
At this point, I'm like, are you okay.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
Like, don't let go.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
She's like I'm fine, I'm fine, I have you, And
we just kept going lower and lower and lower. So
I didn't know what these seats were, so thank you,
Richard Fordis. We were on like the right side, maybe
a couple sections back. As close as I've been to
see GNR, I'm always in the nosebleeds. Close as I've
ever been was AXL DC or a Velvet revolver. I've
never seen guns of roses as closes as I've seen them.

(20:42):
The only part that stunk, whether it be Velvet with
Public Enemy or GNR, is when people stood up. I
can get out of my wheelchair, and especially since it
was a railing light right there, I had my cane.
I just didn't want to stand up for a long
time and I'm tiring, so I could really only watch this.
I watched this screw me a lot that that was
the only downside of where I was sitting. But I

(21:03):
know everybody was great. Please stand up because there all
I see a lot of criticism, like all these fans
are are they just standing up? Are they sitting down?
You know, Brandon a other than maybe Brad who's younger,
we're all older. Not everybody wants to stand up in
mash And also these are not I would bucket list
man to see a show in Brazil or Argentina or

(21:26):
like where it's like a one. It's like where where
it seems like it's just a one piece of matter.
It's like they all turned into one. It's just it's
like incredible, like a human wave. Uh see what.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
I'm too old to my My marching days are over, Brenda.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
I know, I know. I was like you being in
the pit. I'm like, I see that. I'm like, I
don't even I don't even want to do that. I
don't want to do that. So I was happy for
my chair.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
Again.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yeah, I could have stood up more if I wanted to,
but I give you know, Harrison a chance to sit
to me, and especially when he fell asleep halfway through,
and uh so it was cool, it was. It was
still very very grateful for that. What other Oh, so
I got the VIP stuff and so Public Enemy? What
did you think?

Speaker 1 (22:08):
Let me?

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Where did you let me transition there? Because I got
to get like my VIP story out and that's why
I wanted to do this initially in two parts. But
as I said, my cat.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
And no no, so I missed Public Enemy.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
So you did.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
He came in so correct me if I'm wrong. But
Guns and Roses came on early.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
So they thought that I can't share a picture as
per Dell James. I let Dell know. I'm like, hey,
not that I expected to meet him either, but I'm like, hey,
since there was some report there, Hey, I'm going to
be at the show. H Richard gave me tickets if
you If you're able to meet, great if not, just
thanks again for being on the podcast. And it was

(22:47):
like that, and he sent me which she posts a lot.
I'm surprised he didn't post it this time around. I
don't know why. Honestly, I don't know why it was
an issue, but I didn't. He sent me, like the
set the time list of when everyone's going on. The
door's open and public Enemy and Gene are So Guns
of Roses went on at seven point forty exactly, but

(23:07):
like maybe seven thirty nine, and the security guard goes
next to me, she goes, oh, they're on early. They're
on about twenty minutes early. So she was told something
and I was like, oh no, I was actually sent
this by their tour managers showed her and she said, oh,
thanks for showing me. So Guns of Roses came on
right on time. And that's what's crazy. So that's why
we weren't ready for Public Enemy. We missed like the

(23:28):
first song and a half. Maybe they were awesome, So
let me just say that. And Chuck d retweeted me on.

Speaker 3 (23:35):
Twitter that's awesome.

Speaker 2 (23:37):
And I'm hoping knock on wood I'm supposed to. I
was trying to make it happen before the podcast. Now
I'm jinxing at whatever. I'm hoping to get flavor flavor
on the podcast. I'm in talks with the publicist. I
was trying to make it happen before we were leaving.
So part of my pitch was to hype up the
Saratoga show with the ultimate hype man. And they got
back to me and like, oh, he would be he's interested,

(23:57):
and he just did this this she we with the
women's hockey team, and he's doing a lot of He's
a very very busy guy. He's obviously on tour. I
think I'm only asking for twenty minutes. So he's like,
it's gonna you know, yes, Like everything seems like it's
just gonna happen. It just didn't happen before the show.
I'm happy to talk to him.

Speaker 1 (24:14):
He got connected with he got connected with somehow with
the US women's hockey team. He's done a lot with that.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
He is just really out there with the community, and
it seems like disenfranchised stuff like he helped Red Lobster
when they were going on your bankrupt. The women's hockey
team was getting unfairly pooed on by certain politicians and
you know, weren't getting the respect that like the men were.

(24:42):
So that's what slave does. You know, Sometimes he sees
a cause he's like, yeah, yeah, I just wanted to
be part of that. So I don't know, maybe he
saw that was like I got to help be on
this gem in our buck. I'm not gonna do an
impression of him.

Speaker 1 (24:54):
Well, I know people think really highly of Chuck Dee
from a musicians standpoint. I saw Richard did Richard. I
don't want to misquote anyone or quote it. I thought
he referred to him as a Sinatra of hip hop.
He did. He did quite the compliment he did.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
I know he was. I posted just a couple of
short clips and a terrible photo of my phone sucks.
I have an all to my phone twelve, but just
to say, hey, Public Enemy were awesome, Like my first
time seeing them. I want to see them again. I
kind of wish they'd played longer. They did a cool
cover of Back and Black Flave is just entertaining. At

(25:31):
the end, he had a cool message about, you know,
fuck racists, like you know, he hate racists. We're all
the same race, you know, and everyone's It is very funny, though, Brad,
to see a bunch of Look, we're a bunch of
white people. We all have different backgrounds, but we're all
doing Yeah, fight the power. We're all doing that. I
just think that's funny. But everyone did. Everyone was doing

(25:52):
fight the Power went along with with Lave and Chuck
d who Chuck's voice sounds great like they were just
cool as hell. I go to my wife check out
the dancers, and she's like where where. I'm like, you
don't see them. She was looking for like women dancers.
They were dressed up as correctional officers and they were
doing like little small like dances and stuff like that.

(26:14):
I thought that was cool. She's like, oh, I couldn't
see them because they were I was looking for some
crazy dancers and they were just correctional officers dancing for
public enemy. So yeah, they it was just super cool
and they were hyping us up for Guns or Roses,
and so, yeah, please see public I mean, because I
know there were some g n R fans that were like,
they were good. Yeah, but they were like, oh, Public Enemy,

(26:34):
I'd rather see a rock band or no, the Public
Enemy is like seeing a rock band. I'm sorry, it's
just they're they're great, so please do.

Speaker 1 (26:41):
That's why when I said they were good, that's what
I got. All the feedback that I've gotten was that
they were good. I was we were late a little bit. Well,
I thought we were. We're gonna be on time. I
thought we were gonna be there. I thought that by
being there seven thirty ish, we would be finally halfway
through Public Enemy set, maybe catch the tail end of

(27:01):
it and then but no.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
No, it's a different Guns of Roses. And the show
ended at a time where they would normally go on
back in the day. It gets absolutely crazy as they
take a simple.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
Yeah, and they played what three hours almost.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
I would say maybe five minutes, four minutes, shy three hours,
so you know, as Public Enemy is happening. Though, in
this transition into Guns of Roses, Harrison's just playing on
the iPad. We have two headphones. I have one around
me that's connected to the iPad if he wants to
listen to that and the sounds on that, or one

(27:37):
that's completely noise canceling. So we were prepared. We brought cheese,
it's we had milk. We got him popcorn because we
were just like, he's going to get tired, Like he's
not going to stay awake until eleven, especially if he
had a nap, so he's going to fall asleep. He's
falling asleep and my wife does her dance competitions for
her students and stuff, and it's all loud. He falls asleep.

(27:59):
He's used to that, he is, so his luck would
have it. And I don't know what I was romanticizing
or expecting. I know he joked about maybe this would
be Harrison's first memory. I never really believed that, but
he was starting to get cranky. I thought maybe he
would go because he recognized his slash. I thought he'd
be like, oh, Slash. I thought maybe that would happen.

(28:21):
I tried to get him to put on a bandana
like Axel Rose beforehand, because I thought he would look
cool with his long hair. He didn't because I shouldn't
have a picture of Axel but he goes, I don't
want to look like Axel Rose. He's a wrestler. He thought,
for whatever reason, because he knows I watched wrestling. Maybe
he thought he looked like Seth Robins or something like that.
I don't know. So he's like, and I put it.

(28:42):
I'm like, oh, daddy will put it on it. He's like, no, don't, Daddy,
don't be Axel Rose. I wish I had that on camera.
I was like, okay, I'll try. So he just had
an appetite for destruction shirt we got online or you know,
or not from the store if which is a random
toddler store. So anyway, he starts to get cranky and
all right, my wife takes him. She's completely fine. I

(29:04):
keep waiting for my is she my wife's gonna be unhappy?
Is my son going to be unhappy? Is this completely
gonna blow up my face? I told them both, and
the same thing with Paul McCartney. This goes south, we'll leave.
We'll leave. Guns and roses is not important than my
son's quality of life. You know it. Well, I've seen
them before. We'll leave, So that crossed my mind, but
not hers. She looked me like, no, it's okay. He's

(29:27):
just he just needs to fall asleep and he's just cranky,
and he will and that's the way he always is,
whether there was a concert going on or not. So
I think he fell asleep. Ironically, during Sweet Child of Mine,
I was filming Summer some of that. There was some
of a I did some live streams, which was not

(29:47):
the plan, by the way, because my phone isn't that great.
But with my son sleeping and I just all of you,
included Brad, everyone being so supportive of this trip and
of me, I wanted to share my experience. So that's
why I decided to do some live streams, and I
panned over to Harrison sleeping on my wife during the
Sweet Child of Mine. Just very funny, but I'm telling you,

(30:10):
it was amazing when Harrison was sleeping on me during Estrange.
It really was. It was just one of the best
moments I've had out at Guns of Roses concert. And
I know what everyone wants to hear, and you'll tell me,
You'll tell me your opinion is Axel Rose's voice. How
did he sound? That's the best what everyone wants to
know about Guns of Rose. That always seems to be
so you tell me what you thought, and then I

(30:34):
can share my thoughts after.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
Yeah, I thought he sounded solid. I thought he sounded so.

Speaker 1 (30:40):
He always sounds better live than he does in recordings.
So then that's, you know, always an important thing. Being
down as close as I as we were, it sort
of was hard to hear his voice at times over
the over the band. I don't think he's as strong
as he.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
Was.

Speaker 1 (31:01):
He's not as strong as he was in nineteen ninety one.
But I think it'd be foolish to expect him to,
you know, to no one is right. I think Axel
was such a talented singer and set the bar so
high in his heyday that maybe in ways he might
have set himself up for failure in later years because
he set the bar, you know, so high that you know,

(31:23):
you know, I went and saw you know, the band America.

Speaker 3 (31:27):
I've gone and sorrow.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
I went and saw Joe Jackson, you know, acoustic style shows,
and they're a couple of years older than Axel. That
style music, you can, you know, age more gracefully. You
can't run around at sixty five and sing. You could
be mine and expect to sound like you did when
you're twenty five, So all things considered, I thought he did.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
He did he did the songs justice.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
And that's how I feel, honestly solid as a fine
answer you want to say, I don't want to be
because if I say he was amazing and all I know,
there's a section of fan being like, what are you
talking about? A what you said about There's a difference
between online and in person one hundred percent. So there's
a bit of guilt that I'm sharing this stuff online

(32:14):
because I'm like, this isn't while you're watching my point
of view, you're kind of hearing what I'm hearing, but
it's really not completely accurate at all. It's like you're
trying to find you're trying to start to date somebody online.
You could talk to them, you can FaceTime them, you
can have hours conversations into the night until you meet them.
It's just it's not going to be the same. So

(32:35):
it's you have to be there. It's a one hundred
percent better when you're there. It's he was solid. Some songs,
he was incredible, he really was, I can use that word.
And there was some songs I'm like, Okay, maybe it's
just not what it was, you know, and I will
say I feel like he improved as the show went on.
Welcome to the Jungle. It's that song. I think is

(32:56):
a good example because my wife, who isn't the GNR
a fan like us, obviously Dave Matthews forever. When we
went to go see them at Metlive Stadium last time,
when there was a surprise appearance by Andrew Dice Clay,
she was going to take a video Welcome to the Jungle,
and I think I've said this story and he starts singing,

(33:18):
and she goes and she puts it down and she's like,
that wasn't never very he was off and it's okay
to be off. Michael Jordan had off nights, Kobe had
off nights. People have off nights. It's okay. So but
she didn't this time around. She's like, this was so
much better than last time. I thought maybe, if anything,
Welcome was the weakest song for him. And now is

(33:40):
the beginning. Think about if you're a pitcher, right, if
you could be the best picture in the world. Those
first three pitches you may you may throw a strike,
you may throw a ball. You're taking a warm up pitches,
just like he's rehearsing in the back. It's just they're
doing a three hour there were no breaks. There were
no breaks, really, there was no.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
How there was no break. And it's the songs that
are in So the songs that I think he struggles
with are the ones that are in the higher register
that requie a rasp. So I thought, you know, like
yesterday's wasn't a strong Sweet Child, the Mind's not as
strong and Welcome to the Jungle, And those are songs

(34:22):
that are in the higher register with the rat they
were quite that we expect to hear more of a
rasp out of Night Train, Dead Horse. Mister Brownstone, better
try to go through the list of songs that's.

Speaker 4 (34:41):
All.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
A lot of those songs that are that are in
the lower register or in the medium register that he
has a rasp or fine. What confuses me the most
with Axel's voice is I've seen quotes and interviews where
he said that it was a choice for him to
sing in a clearer tone so to not have as

(35:04):
much rasp. So I don't know if it's a capacity
issue or if it's a choice. And I don't mean that,
I mean that like I genuinely don't know.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
That you're basically saying how I feel too, because I
don't know if it's a stylistic choice. And when if
you remember when they played Madagascar on Sunday, which was
a highlight for me, he said something and I didn't
quite get it when I first heard it because there
were some sound issues there. He mentioned about how he
was reading an Old Man in the Sea a lot,

(35:36):
and people were criticizing his old man voice on Chinese
democracy for Madagascar.

Speaker 1 (35:41):
I was like a sizer laughing. I was like, because
when I was put versary, I was literally old man.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
So I was like, and I do remember being thrown
off by that. I'm like, why did he choose that
voice when I first heard it. Now it's like, now
I know there are some stylistic choices that he's making.
So that's why I don't like to going forward, I
have talking about his voice. I had to do separate

(36:16):
episodes talking about perspective because I'm just so sick of
the haters of it. Yeah, it just gets distracting. It
gets we're focusing on it too much of the overall
wonderful experience of it. So that's why, Yeah, we could
talk about Axe a little and his voice until the
cows come home. But it doesn't change anything and also
didn't change my experience. I told you my wife who

(36:37):
would be honest with me, because she's not. She likes
guns and roses. She's gone every time with me willingly,
and she doesn't. She's not like it's like with me
and Dave Matthews. I'm like, I've had enough. That doesn't
happen with her. She would tell me. She's like she
just flat out would tell me if it was bad.
And speaking of setlist, though, during the show, some the

(36:59):
security guard I was talking to the one that thought
they came on early. She gave me a set list.
I don't know a whole I don't know whole thing's
up to the camera. I'm like this, I'm still not
like a content creator by trade, I know. So here
here's the set list. I put it online. It's totally
out of order all songs.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
I have a question, Brandon or how many all songs
are on there?

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Okay, all right, let's let's good to count.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
All right.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
So well, so I'll have to preface it with this,
because this is the set list. This was not the
official set list, meaning this was not the end of
the show set list. There were songs out of order
or not played. There's songs in that they did play
that weren't listed. And so I asked the security guard
who sent this, thinking maybe Richard Fordes did. I'm like,

(37:45):
I don't know who else knows I'm here. She's like, oh,
they had a security So in my my line of thinking,
maybe he's like, oh, give it to the kid in
the wheelchair with the baby. He looks like he's struggling
a little bit, you know, make him feel good or something.
So I think, and somebody commented on sorry, I'm not
forgetting your your name on Facebook, that this might be

(38:05):
the set list that's given to the texts just so
they have it, which makes sense because that's kind of
something similar I do in radio because I'm not the performer,
but I'm a tech in the back doing stuff and
we need to have a set list of And it's
like when you see the I still see it on
my fucking Instagram. There was a viral picture of the

(38:27):
teleprompter for Welcome to the Jungle, and there are people
who think Axel needs a teleprompter like that he knows
the fucking words to Welcome to the Jungle. He knows it.
It's for everybody else. It's just a professional thing to have.
So anyway, So all songs all right here one, two, three, four, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty,

(38:49):
twenty three, thirty four to thirty five, twenty five, twenty
five allt songs which could have been.

Speaker 3 (38:53):
And then they played more or less thirty songs, right,
give or take.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
I think twenty seven, I think so, I want to
say twenty something like that.

Speaker 1 (39:03):
So there's over fifty songs that the band has ready
to go, ready to play down pat Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
And so when people complain about the setlist, it's like,
what are you talking about? What are you talking about?
They are playing like if you don't like songs, if
you prefer other songs, fine, But the fact that they
change it up so often this tour, this with this
list kind of confirms to me is what Fordes has
said in a recent interview about they know the first song,

(39:32):
they know the last song, Welcome Paradise, everything else. Axls
is calling it as it is. Maybe, yeah, there is
a chunk where Axel's cool with a stretch like, yeah,
bad obsession, mister Brownstone, It's so easy right after they welcome,
but the rest of it, like it just didn't make
any sense, Like it just doesn't make any sense. As
I'm following along with this, I mean atlass is listed,

(39:53):
they didn't play that, whether it is listed as an
all song, they did play that. Matta Gascar is not
even listed, and they played that. The General is listed
as they you know, a song they were going to play,
and they did not play that. That would have been
my first time hearing that. It was my first time
hearing Junior's Eyes. The Black Sabbath cover, it was solid,

(40:16):
but uh, I'm obviously I'm a Sabbath fan. I mean
who isn't, But i just don't go deep in their catalog.
So I'm just I'm unfamiliar with that and never say die,
you know, obviously the Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. I'm talking about
the songs that they cover, So just unfamiliar with it.
But they think they did a good cover, Wichiton Lineman man,
So yeah, let's let's get there. So I see, I'm

(40:39):
on Facebook and social media throughout talking to people having
the experience. Look, I'm everything that that Bruce Dickinson hates
the person that that's on the phone all the time.
But I'm like, I'm a podcast post. It's different. I'm
enjoying it with everybody there. So I see a comment
that says Tommy Stinton is here, I'm like, oh really.

(41:00):
When I see that, I look up and I see
him coming out of the backstage area. So Tommy, I
see Tommy Stinton walking out. I'm like, oh my god,
I recognized Tommy. Of course, I met him randomly on
vacation with my wife once. I've interviewed him a couple
of times. That said, I do not expect him to
recognize me. I don't expect that ever. I'm not that

(41:20):
kind of person. But it's loud. It's like I'm like
a guy at a bar talking to a girl. Like
it's like that those memes. I feel it's weird. Hey Tommy,
you know you Tommy sin saying yeah, yeah, smile, he's
cool to meet me, or he believes meet me for
the first time, and I was like, Hey, I don't
know if you remember me. I'm Brando. I do this podcast.

(41:40):
I've interviewed a bunch of times. We met randomly once
around your hometown. I'm sorry, I do a lot of
these interviews. I'm like, oh, I'm just like four years ago,
we I had my son in my chest. You know,
I thought maybe you would remember doing an interview with
a baby. He goes, He's like, I quit drink four
years ago. That might have had something to do with

(42:02):
it that me not remembering. I'm like, it's okay, no
worries about him. Like, can I take a picture with you?
And he's like, of course. And then you came by.
That's when I met you, and you're like, where's Tommy
Stinton at I was like, right over there and he's
taking He's taking a picture during Wichiton Alignement. So I
love that song. So it is Tommy Stinton and a
funny thing after if you saw if you were looking

(42:24):
at Tommy's social media, he said it was great to
catch up with some old friends, and Ford's commented he
was like, it was great to see you in the
highlights of the tour. By the way, it's so cool
that you took a video of Slash during my solo
of Wichiton Alignement.

Speaker 1 (42:43):
I think that's funny.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
He's like, oh, sorry, I just wanted to take a picture.
You know of Slash playing the slide the steel pedal
guitar that he does during that. So I just thought
Forest's comment was funny, like, yeah, thanks, it was my
time to shine. But you're still everyone's taking a picture
of Slash, so even you, Tommy. So I just thought
that was super funny. But Tommy Stimpson being there again

(43:05):
to meet him again, it was an awesome experience. Glad
you got your picture with him. I was like, worry
he was he was cool. I was like, oh my god.
I was like, Brad, wait till the song ends. Don't
bother him, now, wait till an end.

Speaker 1 (43:18):
Yeah, No, And I did. Yeah, And I went up
and I said to him, you know, I didn't want
to blow up your spot.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
No one was, you know.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
As soon as he looked over, I was like, oh,
don't get me, don't get me, don't don't don't.

Speaker 1 (43:28):
I didn't notice, so like I didn't people. I don't
think a lot of people recognized him. He his hair
is a different color. He he looks a little bit different.
It looks great, but he looks a little different. And
I think he, you know, kind of unless you're a
die hard fan like us, you know, but he lives
in the Hudson Valley. Yeah, and I never knew that.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
That's uh, that's how I met him. And I randomly
when my wife work and I because she loves to travel,
but also I think he was my first interview with him.
He was promoting something like, uh, he was helping out
a charity softball or a charity little league in the
Hudson Valley there, and I was like, oh, I I
could talk about that too. I did radio there, So yeah,

(44:14):
he's he's close with that community and in very very
cool that he was. He was there. I mean, I
don't know if he would have done a guest spot.
I mean, I don't know, but it's awesome still to
see that.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Here's my reporters in journalists like yourself. Will you guys
like to speculate that?

Speaker 2 (44:31):
Sure, I know, I try not go ahead.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Sorry, A speculative question is you know so Tody, you
know I believe Tommy Stinson was in twenty fourteen, he
had some obligations where he couldn't tour. I don't know
if they're I don't forget if they're personal or if
he was back with the replacements perhaps, but that's what
brought Duff back into the fold right. Originally, my question is,

(44:56):
and I don't know it is, does the guns and
Roses readn't happen if Tommy since and doesn't kind of
bow out.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
I don't think it does, because, uh, I don't. I
think tom We spoke about that on the podcast because
Tommy he had to do something with his daughter and
that's why he'veventually left, you know, take care of his daughter.
And he said something about, I mean, obviously they're cool
now if he's able to go, but like Axel kind
of being upset and being like I need you, and

(45:24):
he's like really, uh so he's like, Axel should actually
be thanking me for leaving, because me leaving got them
was the catalyst for them getting all back together.

Speaker 5 (45:35):
I can't help but think that if he would look
back now and look at what he did and what
he's done since I quit, he might kind of be
like glad that happened, you know what I mean. I
mean for him to go out and tour with ac

(45:56):
DC was a huge thing in the rock in the
annals of rock and roll anyway, But I can't imagine
him now looking back and going I wouldn't it probably
had had done that, had Timy not quit and we'd
just done those tours and kept on colling, getting the
old band back together wouldn't happened, at least not then

(46:19):
might have maybe out. But I think everything's rocking and
rolling for him pretty good. I can't imagine him, you know,
not being a bit grateful.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
So yeah, I I you could play that game. I
wouldn't argue with you, you know about that, because.

Speaker 3 (46:33):
You know, if he and Axel are on good terms.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
It's always hard to say with Axel, I'd like to
say if yeah, if he was there, if he was backstage.
I mean, I don't know if they're because as tight
as maybe him and Fortis are, or him in dell
Ares or seemingly, I don't know the level of friendship,
but I like to think that there's a friendship there.
He only speaks positively about Axel in interviews. It was

(46:57):
just that one time with me that they maybe brought
it out of him where he was just like he
sees like me holding my week's old son. Yeah, being
like actles like he should have let me go home,
like you know, he let brain go home, but that
Brain was only supposed to be out for two weeks
and then Frank came in and stayed for nineteen years. Also,
this was my first time seeing I think for you too,

(47:19):
Isaac Carpenter, who with my angle, it was really hard
to kind of like watch and focus on him. Yeah,
because the screen mainly showed the big three guys, I mean,
forrest them, and they showed everybody but h yes, Og
this is He's gonna be my co host from now on,
Baby Brownstone and Og Kadanobe.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
So no, I think he's Isaac Carpenter's great I think
he has and again I'm not as sophisticated of a
you know, musician enough to notice a lot of some
of the things that a lot of people do, I
mean neither.

Speaker 3 (47:51):
I do think he has a little bit more swing.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
I think he's closer to Adler where you know, Frank,
he's you know, they call him the thunder Trucker, So
you know, obviously I don't know who knows what happened there.
But what's cool about him is he just seems so
like a kid in the candy start to be playing
with guns and roses.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
Yeah yeah, yeah, you.

Speaker 1 (48:09):
Know, he looks like I think he's forty, but he
looks twenty. You know, it's funny. He just looks he
just looks extremely extremely excited to be there. So you know,
that's cool. I did. I don't know about you, but
I missed Melissa releases backing vocals. That was a noticeable

(48:32):
something that was noticeable. I guess for me that was missing.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
I'm glad you brought that up. And just to wrap
up the Isaac thing, I mean, he it is cool.
I'm a fan of Frank. Of Frank being New Yorker,
came on the podcast. I'm not sophisticated enough either to
note the difference, but with the drumming and stuff like that,
but he held it down, man like he was back
there like a machine Isaac. But yeah, with Melissa, certainly
noticeable because they play less Chinese democracy stuff because she

(49:00):
does all the like a lot of the programming and
computer stuff that Duff was carrying heavier load with the
backup vocals, and his voice is obviously much different than Melissa's.
So because my wife's like, where was the girl? So
I had to tell, you know, well, right before the
tour she I think she's dealing with some health issues.

(49:21):
So yeah, that was noticeable and I like watching her
up there, she brings in another great energy but at
the same time, so it's like it goes to show
with me. I'm cool with it all. If they are
a five piece like Appetite, if they had the full
band like a User Illusion, I'm cool with it all.
I do like the smaller because they feel like more
of like a tight knit group in band. I know

(49:43):
it would just be adding an extually, you know, Melissa,
one extra person, but it just made them feel like
more of a tight set, a tighter knick group. And
it didn't have more stuff going on on the stage,
So there was a good if you want to call
it that, there's pros and cons. I guess. I mean,
I would welcome her back, of course, but it was
just it was a unique experience to see it without her,

(50:04):
And yeah, it was noticeable, especially with the backup vocals.
And I think it just shows a how much Duff
does and the whatever you want to say about Axel like,
it's just what he's able to do. It's sixty four
sixty three.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
Yeah, insane.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
He doesn't look winded. He looks like but he always
did when he's singing, like he's about to rip at
his throat's about to explode. He's always been that way.
That's the way it is.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
There's an intensity to him.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
There's an intensity, and it's it's still there. I will
say he's in the best shape that I've ever seen
him in. He's in incredible shape. I will I'm not
I'm not Joan Rivers. I'm not going to talk about
clothes like that because I know some people like to
criticize what he wears now. But I'll just say it
through the lens of my wife, because he wears those
like those flannels, those sparkly flannels now that I don't

(50:59):
remember the name, but like the supposed bitcoin like a
founder on the back of it, like yeah, name, And
she's like why, She's like, well, I'm like those shirts
like two thousand dollars, like I don't know, they're like
they're very expensive. And then when he gets into just
like the all black, she's like, I like that. He's like,
She's like, I like when he wears all that.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
So, uh, yeah, he doesn't do as many costume changes anymore,
you know. I remember, like the first time I saw them, well,
the first time when they got back in their union,
he changed his outfit. You know, he would come on
and do bink and yeah, he didn't do that at all.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
He doesn't need to. Like it's I didn't stand there,
I know. But he likes with everything. He doesn't need
to put it on a three hour show. This is
just this is just what he likes to do. And
I like seeing it. I like witnessing it. And so
what were part of the performance for him? It is
part of the performance for him performance.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
I mean he would come out knocking to have his
door just as a cowboy, right, It's like it's part
of it's it's the performance. Or he would always, you know,
throw on the bandana for certain songs. He always, forever
reason for years when I saw him, he always used
to throw on the white cowboy hat, right you see,
Child of Mine.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
I missed the bandana though, I really do, because you
used to.

Speaker 1 (52:14):
Yeah, that's uh. He doesn't really rock the bandana. My
favorite look that he'll rock sometimes is the uh or
where's the bandana under the backwards trucker hat?

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Sure.

Speaker 1 (52:24):
I just think it's so cool that he could rock
that at his age.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
Sure, And I feel like he's the only one I
know no offense to anybody else because I've tried that
look too. I mean, Axel is just the guy who
does it. But I don't know, maybe Brett michaels like
he just officially took the bandana look over and that's
just what it is. So, uh, what were some of
the let's bring it around town because we can't stay
here forever because we can be doing this review forever

(52:48):
and I want to get it out quick because the
Guns and Roses tour is continuing right.

Speaker 1 (52:52):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (52:53):
What were some of the show highlights for you?

Speaker 1 (52:56):
So, like song wise or yeah, song it could.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
Be anything song wise, something you saw person you connected with,
a moment with your parents, you know, anything.

Speaker 1 (53:07):
It was really cool being there with the family. You know,
music's important to me. That's my favorite band, so it's
cool to share with my family. It was really cool
a meeting you. It's sort of surreal because we've been
talking for a while and I just kind of, in
my my style, I just kind of literally ran into you.
Just showed up, right, I did it. I think I
said I was looking for you. You texted me ticket

(53:28):
A your ticket, and then I don't like probably forty
five minutes later, just showed up. So I met you
and then met Tommy Stinton. Know, that was cool. As
far as songs that they played, I thought dead Horse
was really well done. I think that was a cool
moment that was sort of, you know, unexpected. I liked.

(53:52):
I was totally This was the first time I've ever
been at a show where I had no idea what
their set list was gonna be, because you know, it's
the second show of the tour, and they just went
from the second song and they went off script of
what I thought they were gonna be playing. I thought
they were gonna go Jungle Bad Obsession. So it's kind

(54:12):
of that that was the one of the first shows
that didn't, you know, have a pretty good idea of
what song they were gonna play next. I don't know
if you saw. One of the coolest things. So I
stayed down by Broadway in Saratoga. I don't know if
you saw. So I went to this ice cream shop.

(54:34):
So I actually went to this ice cream shop like
a couple hours before the day before we were down there.
So that was kind of cool.

Speaker 2 (54:43):
Yeah, these I don't know how I feel about. I know,
I'm weird. I'm the guy who I mean, I'm sharing
pictures of Tommy Stinton taking pictures of GNR, so you know.

Speaker 1 (54:51):
Yeah, that's different. I thought those are off security.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Cameras though, those are what kind of weird look?

Speaker 1 (54:56):
Yeah, if I if I was in his camp, I
would feel like that's sort of an invasion of privacy.
I don't know how it got out, because there's some
I think some college girl that I think, what again,
I don't want to This is what I heard was
that she took a I don't think she knew he was.
He was just a really nice guy and they gave
him a tour and she told him that he was

(55:18):
a musician and took a picture with him, and I
think she went home and told her dad, and her
dad was like, that's Axel Rose. Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
That was I briefly read this story that he decided
to look at the closed circuit uh, you know, cameras,
and like, that's that you the nice guy that you
conserved gelato too? That Saxe Rose. So yeah, I know
we were we were talking about it before when we
were like, okay, we're both going to Saratoga. Hey, where
do you think they're going to be? And I don't
want to be I know there are fans that like, Okay,

(55:46):
what hotel, I don't want to be there. I mean,
i'd be lying if I wasn't hoping that all of
a sudden, you see a Slash go into the Hotel Saratoga,
I would run into them or something like that. But
uh no, nothing to be I was. I mean, he
was also hoping that they would play for the first
time getting the Ring, because that's where they get in
the ring chant is from ye. I will say there

(56:10):
were definitely sound issues because I don't know what happened
during Double Talking Jive. I don't know, perhaps somebody else
who's there, or even Richard who wants to tell me.
I don't know if Axel missed a Q or the
mic was cutting out something. There was a verse that
was completely missed and which was ended up being great

(56:33):
because Slash and Duff they're just doing that intro, that
hard ass intro to Double Talk and Drive, which is
one of my favorite Guns and Roses songs, especially live.
It's so good. I wish it was longer like Thoe
of those songs. So they was just doing more of that,
you know, and I'm like, Okay, this is still cool.

(56:53):
But I can't sing along. What's what's going on here?
But that's rock and roll man who gives a shit.
So I think sometimes bands are a little too critical
about like this song, that song. So that's why I
don't want to break that, even though we did a
little bit just to acknowledge it. But breaking down. Okay,
how does Axel sound on this? How does he sound
on that? But yeah, he sounded incredible. Hold on, I

(57:14):
got to take the setlist from under OG's butt. You
can stay here, he's sitting next to you.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Well, I think if I remember correctly. So they played
Sarah talg about three years ago. Okay, Axel was in
the middle of the really bad flu virus and he
didn't sound up to par, and he even said that
from the stage. I think he apologized at the show
because he had the flu last time he was in
Sarah Toga. I don't know if you happened to read

(57:40):
the Albany Times Union.

Speaker 3 (57:42):
Did a review.

Speaker 2 (57:43):
No, I didn't read that one though.

Speaker 1 (57:45):
Now they mentioned that how they said that he sounded spectacular,
and they had referenced how he sounded a lot better
than the last time he was there.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
So it all, it all depends man, it's not like Okay, yes,
things can go wrong with the tech, with something with
your guitar, guitar strinker pop, You're it gets out of
tune somehow. Your voice, Man, my voice if you go
back to the first episode of Appetite for Distortion, I mean,
I'm sure I still sound like a talkody long Island

(58:14):
jew to. But at the same time, I like to
think I've changed a little bit. Your voice changes over time,
So that's why I bring the same heat comfortable, right,
and I brought the same heat uh To. I think
his name is another brad on on social media that said,
uh something about Axo sounded good. He's no a bon Jovi.

(58:38):
Stop bon Jovi. I support him. I know he had
to stop one of the shows early at his MSG
residency because he used had to sign his infection. But
they finished, they finished it, the residency came back and
he did whatever. I'm not the biggest bon Jovi fan.
Uh David Lee Roth, he just had to cancel most
of his tour. People say low tickets. I don't know

(59:01):
why I support David Lee Roth. Vince Neil say whatever
you want about Vince Neil, looks I support Vince Neil,
like I support Mick Mars as well, but something if
there are fans out there, they're bringing happiness to they
hear these songs live, and these performers are still enjoying it.
I know, Vince Neil, I mean he's had a lot

(59:22):
of health issues, man, I don't mean he's coming back
from strokes, so he's gonna They're all different, varying, varying
degrees of voices. And you can't compare Vince and Axel
because ax is running around three hour show. But I'm
talking about just with support as long as they want
to do it and perform these songs, these awesome rock

(59:44):
and roll songs, let them do it until they don't
want to anymore. Let them go perform and so you
know what, Mick Jagger's eight eighty three mc Jagger's let
them keep going because once they're gone, they're gone. That's it.
Who are the next rock stars?

Speaker 1 (59:59):
So yeah, no one's forcing you, you know, forcing you
to you know, And I've kind of evolved on this topic.
I used to probably even five ten years ago, I'd
be like, you know, hang it up before you know
or you know, who's going to see this band without
X y and Z members.

Speaker 3 (01:00:20):
I think you keep the music going.

Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
I think we will see in the next twenty years
lots and lots of bands that will continue without any
classic members.

Speaker 2 (01:00:34):
The Quiet Riot are definitely setting it out President for
that President for that uh kiss problem, Foreigner on Foreigner.
So it's going to happen because the music is so big.
I can't imagine Guns of Roses ever doing anything like that.

(01:00:54):
But but who knows, because Axel's still got to be there.
But would he do something differently? But I'm also at
the same what you mentioned earlier about I would love
to see Axel do and gin R do a more
script down set acoustic things that really fit his voice.
That's why I love which Tom Lyneman so much. I
think it fits the band so well. But there are

(01:01:17):
so many songs that he sounds. I thought nothing it
was my first time hearing nothing live sounded really good.
Nothing was great live, So there were a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
Of nothing was great. You know what song they really
need They've never played live and would be perfect for
his voices, don't damn me?

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Oh maybe maybe it will be because I know they
did that with Slash and Miles Kennedy, who I should say,
Slash and Todd Kerns. Todd did that. Yeah, so they've
been rehearsing that, so who knows when they may pull
it out.

Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
So it would be but that's his lower register.

Speaker 2 (01:01:48):
And that's very quick. It's also very quick though, so
it's pacing, it's breathing. There's so much that goes with it.
Who knows, I don't know. That's what I mean. Speculates,
so we can speculate until the cows come home. Yeah,
I'm a journalist, whatever, but I speculate. I like to
think within reason or until like I annoy myself by speculating.
It's like what am I doing? Because I love sports radio,

(01:02:08):
But half the time it's a speculating. It's guys, like,
shut up, you're not in the locker room. It's like, enough,
we speculated this thing to death. It's over with. We
either enjoy it or we don't. So I'm enjoying it.
I want to go back. I can't wait to see
guns Road. That's how I felt while the show ended
at ten forty. More or less, I didn't fall asleep
until two am. I just couldn't Like I was amped.

(01:02:32):
I can't wait to see this band again. I don't
know if it would be again on this tour, but
I hope they they keep doing it and I go
back every year with Harrison and my wife like, that's
what I really want to I want to do, and
that's what the show left me feeling, and that's that's great.
People talk about new music. Look, I heard stuff that
I hadn't never heard before, you know fact, Yeah, nothing

(01:02:54):
could be an old song whatever. It was awesome hearing
you know, bad Obsession was so good live. I mean,
they're just the songs. I was just so happy and things.
I believe he performed better, not just the song better,
but songs. I think he performed better than when I
had previously heard them. I think we're better versions, like
one of my favorite. I think he did November Rain better,

(01:03:17):
just certain things. I think he was just in a
really good spot for being sixty something at that ye
And it was interesting where my wife's like, no, no Encore.
I'm like, no Paradise City, that's it. She's like what.

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:03:30):
I'm like, she's like, I'm shocked if they don't come
out again. I'm like, look, it would be news breaking
if they came out again and they did something after
Paradise City, they just gonna come out. She's like, but
there there's lights is still on. They're gonna just come
out and do the bow. That's it. Something with the
Sydney Ordinance there was no breaks. So from seven forty
to ten thirty five, Like you saw the buses waiting

(01:03:52):
the whole spac crew as soon as they got off,
or taking things apart, putting amps away, all that stuff.
What a well oiled machine man. Everything to go clicking
right and then you can't mess up. And the sound
of it was fixing those things on the fly. I
see actually talking into the mic, but no sound coming
out because he's talking looking to the side, talking to
his crew. So many moving by arts.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Did you see after Welcome with the I don't know
if it was after Welcome to the Jungle or I
don't know something happened he was He seemed pretty upset
with someone on the side. I thought, I don't know
if there was a sound issue too.

Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
That's not something.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
But he seemed what's that.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
Well, that's what I'm saying that there was something going on.

Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
Do you see that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:35):
He was yelling and pointing his finger.

Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
I didn't see the actual I saw him looking over.
I didn't see the actual pointing of the finger, but
I saw him.

Speaker 1 (01:04:44):
He was like not like point not like you know,
not like yelling at someone, but like, I don't know,
like pointing to If I had to guess, it was
like something looked like like some some area wasn't polished
right or something, but I I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:05:01):
Well, my wife said the same thing that you did,
where which I thought it might have been a choice
where sometimes the music would be so loud you wouldn't
hear Axel as well, and I thought maybe that was
I hate to say it, like a compensation where it's
kind of make him into the mix, so people, you
know where maybe where there's still problem areas, or was

(01:05:22):
it this actual technical thing where they just the levels
were not right. And that's again as someone who's not
I'm not on that level. I don't know how to
do it for music, but for just for Mike's getting
our Mike's level. And I've done live events where music
is involved. It's difficult. It's a difficult job when it's
on the fly. Yeah, you could sound check and sound

(01:05:45):
check and sound check, but until it's live, it's just
not gonna you don't know until and then you just
you just don't know. Like you can practice and practice
and practice if you're an athlete, but until you're in
the game, it's it's it's just not going to be
the same. So that's why I just don't look at
it as some fans really want to break it down

(01:06:05):
like it's a sporting events and just now, man, it's
a rock and roll show. Things should be going wrong.
They're perfectionists on stage. They want to get it right. Great,
that's what I want to I want them to have
that level. That's what people tell r if you sorry, no,
you got yeah, if.

Speaker 3 (01:06:22):
You had the guests, how many years?

Speaker 1 (01:06:25):
You don't like these kind of questions, but someone this
is what my parents asked me at the end, is like,
how many more years than they're going to do this?

Speaker 2 (01:06:32):
Well, you know, Slash and Duff are going to want
to perform until they're dead. That's how I believe they're
going to perform until late. They literally get there in
wheelchairs and hooked up to an oxygen mask and all that.
Axel is just an interesting case because you went away
for so long, came back strong, blew everybody away with

(01:06:52):
ac DC last few years with these vocal issues. You
just don't know, and I want them to keep doing it.
As somebody who didn't get to see them in the nineties,
you know obviously the eighties as well. I want to
go every year. If I could afford it, I would go.
I would follow them around. If he transitioned to a

(01:07:14):
more stripped down set, maybe like what they used to
do in the middle of the Skin and Bones tour
with the couch and they had kind of like an
acoustic set, you know, he could he could do it forever.
Man that that lower register is as good as ever.
His lower registers is better than most voices. So it's

(01:07:36):
just like he still has great voices in there. There
are moments of brilliance in there. But like you said,
you've been screaming bloody murder for four decades and it's
not a guitar, it's not a machine that could be refurbished.
It's your voice. And look at the work that bon
Jovi has put into it, and he's honest. Kudos to
him for being so honest about it. Kudos to David

(01:07:58):
Lee Roth, who is that must be what to do
to get those backup singers for him and just to
say like, okay, I need help. And I thought that
was such a cool idea. Honestly, I was like, that's cool.
And I don't care if he's like singing talking throughout.
I'm watching David Lee Roth. I don't care if he's
up there just doing kicks and other people are singing.
I'm watching the guy. I'm watching the guy. Same thing

(01:08:21):
with Axel. I don't want to have somebody who sounds
better than Axel. I want Axel. That's what I want.
So I just want him to look. When I saw
them for the first time in two thousand and two
at MSG, I'm like, I don't know if I'm ever
gonna be able to see this guy and perform ever again,
because at that time he hadn't been seeing had performed
for several years. So that's how I always feel. Keep

(01:08:44):
doing it, man, I'm gonna keep supporting it. I enjoyed myself.
I'm not I'm honest with what I see and what
I and again, my wife is she would tell me.
She'd be like, you know, maybe should just stick to
the records that never happened. And even if you don't like, oh,
I'm the biggest guns and Roses fan, but I can't
support what they are now. They've listened to the records.

(01:09:06):
The records will always be it does what.

Speaker 1 (01:09:10):
Well A lot of the people that are clamoring for
the nostalgia, for just the appetite or for eazy and
we're talking about a lineup that made one record. I mean,
when people talk about Guns and Roses eight Day or
what have you, we're talking about a five or six year,
seven year span, right, we're talking eighty I mean, they
really didn't hit unless you were in LA until eighty eight,

(01:09:30):
so they're really popular from I mean, they've always been popular,
but eighty eight to ninety five, ninety six, and they
kind of dissipated at that point.

Speaker 2 (01:09:40):
I know.

Speaker 3 (01:09:41):
So the current incarnation has been excellent.

Speaker 1 (01:09:44):
Slash and stuff have been back together longer than they
were together during their really their hey day.

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
I know, I know. So it's just like how I support.
I support all versions, you know, I wish I got
to see the appetite version. You know, is these songs
or forever are the ones unusual illusion or forever. But
that should not take away from Richard Fortis. And I
don't say that because he gave me tickets. He's he's
what a connection between the Chinese Democracy era and now?

(01:10:13):
And he is he's on Chinese democracy, he's on these
newer songs, and look, would is he get me free tickets?
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
Is he who where's reached? I don't see is he
reaching out to people on Instagram?

Speaker 3 (01:10:27):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:10:27):
I could be wrong, but he doesn't see it. I
think he had an Instagram for like one minute.

Speaker 2 (01:10:31):
But maybe I know he he had that Twitter, which
he doesn't have anymore. But regardless, I mean, look, I
support everybody, pastor and present. I think it's a it's
I'm a Guns of Roses fan. I think they've had
you know, obviously there's the axle of the slash, the
duff of it all. But I love whether it's Dave
Navarro's contribution, Buckinghead to Isaac Carpenter, you know everybody, you know,

(01:10:56):
all of them. I think they've all throughout the years,
they've gotten cool people. I've never been that person like
with the Chinese Democracy era that people just like, oh
who is this? I love Buckethead, Robert Fink oh Man incredible,
Tommy Stint's an incredible but so I it's all somehow
spearheaded by Axl Rose. So maybe I'm an Axl Rose
fan first and foremost, but uh, as I'm petting my

(01:11:17):
cat here, I'm like doctor claw.

Speaker 1 (01:11:20):
Uh well, you know, i'd like to see you know,
there's a part of me that wishes that when they
got back together they did more, you know, like I
wanted them to like maybe like play the super Bowl
or do you know, when they first got back together,
do some of these bigger events or bigger you know,
main stage. But for whatever reason, they don't seem to

(01:11:42):
shine in those moments. That's not them.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
Yeah, so those I got a text from ras Q,
I'm gonna get him a shot out, So I didn't
know if it was like important or not what you
were saying. I ain't like completely get uh the screen.

Speaker 3 (01:11:55):
No, no, no, you're good. No, I'm just saying like and.

Speaker 1 (01:12:00):
Yeah, I just I don't think it would be good
for their brand to do those type of things. That's
just my take.

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
There was a long time I wanted Guns of Roses
to play the super Bowl, and I thought it was
like it was the coolest the idea, But after seeing
what they do with the super Bowl halftime show, whether
it's from the packgeantry, to it not really being live
as far as like the instruments and stuff, to the
criticism it gets, like, no matter how popular the artist is,

(01:12:31):
is going to be a section of people just hating
on it. I don't want Axel on that stage for
the Super Bowl. I just don't think it would There.
There are people like us who get it, but there
I mean, and he's dealt with this for his entire life,
But just the amount of haters it would get, I think,
which is like, it's not something I want for him.
I hate to say it like that, but I just

(01:12:52):
don't think it wouldn't do anything good for Guns of
Roses to do that. But you know, Metallica would have
been cool ac DC. But now I'm like, you know what,
I don't give a shit who plays the super Bowl
halftime show. That's something I used to care about when
I was younger, when I had nothing else going on
in my life, or I would go to Super Bowl
parties unless the Giants are in the game. I don't

(01:13:12):
care put it that way about the game anymore. I
guess I just don't care what.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
I used to think. Like, you know, the super Bowl
is obviously the most watched event one of them in
the world, right, so one of them, you know, like
you know they have like the who play Bruce Springsteen play.
But I think now they're trying to get use the
super Bowl halftime show is a way to market to
fans that wouldn't necessarily watch super Bowl. Yeah, you know,

(01:13:37):
your average Guns and Roses fan is going to watch
the super Bowl. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're a football fan.

Speaker 2 (01:13:42):
And there I've said this before. Their music is going
to be heard during the game anyway, because Welcome to
the Jungle is going to be played probably Paradise City
on the on the loudspeaker, so they they're the soundtrack,
regardless of what they put in the halftime show or not.
But obviously when they were union asides things like that,
and oh and he as far as like you never know,
because I was there for the debut of Absurd and

(01:14:06):
Hard School, I believe I saw I think I saw
both of those being debuted. Definitely hard School, Like would
they debut another something else? Look, I know Slash recently
had another one of those new music is coming situations.
I believe him it'll happen. So I don't know, like
you mentioned that they're going to keep touring. The only
reason I could see them stopping would be like, okay, Axles, Like, Okay,

(01:14:27):
I've done the touring thing. That's out. I mean, now
let's just focus on the music stuff. Like I like,
you can't do both at the same time. I really,
I don't know. That's just against speculation. I don't know.
So that's why I'm just enjoying what this band has
given us over the past decade, which has allowed me
to do this podcast for a decade, which ten years

(01:14:47):
into it allows me to get VIP and tickets from
a band member. So I mean, it's right, keep exactly
just keep going, guys.

Speaker 1 (01:14:56):
If I had to guess, purely speculating, think till tour
for another five to ten years. At least, I can
see them slowing down maybe and doing maybe more like festivals, headlining,
maybe not doing like full tours. Right, But I don't think.
I don't you know, ax there's still relatively young too.
In the grand scheme of things, you know, can.

Speaker 2 (01:15:18):
You picture like this seven? I mean, what will happen
one day a seventy year old Axl Rose saying out
to get me? But it's so.

Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
He's gone six years away.

Speaker 1 (01:15:26):
I mean, I know COVID was six years ago, right,
So six years from now he's gonna be the time
that between now and COVID, that ten period went by
like that, he's gonna be seventy. He's sixty five, He's
gonna be right.

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
How the A I thought he was sixty four sixty
four when I was because I think I made the
joke about I wonder if he's listening to the Beatles
song today you know.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
He is sixty four.

Speaker 2 (01:15:51):
Yeah, well you still love me when I'm sixty four.

Speaker 1 (01:15:53):
Six six years from now, he's gonna be seventy years old.

Speaker 2 (01:15:56):
I mean, it's if all the time comes from us
all Ten years ago I said this to my wife
where I finally got to see Axel and Slash on
the stage together, when I went to MetLife Stadium with
one of my brothers and some friends, and then flash
forward ten years. I'm with my wife and my son.

(01:16:16):
So much can happen in ten years, So enjoy it.
Just enjoy it. People, stop being a hater. The set
list change. Axel looks and sounds great. It's not two thousands,
it's even not even twenty sixteen. Anymore because people talk
about that voice, like with ac DC, A lot can

(01:16:36):
happen in ten years. Man, just enjoy it while it's
still here. I know I did. My wife, I kept
saying I'm that. I'm like, are you okay? Do I
feel it's so bad? I'm like, are you enjoy yourself?
Because you know you're you're kind of taking care of
Harrison more than I am right now. She's like, no,
I had a great time and Harrison while he slept

(01:16:56):
through all of it, and I'm like wondering, like, is
he gonna what's he gonna think about it? He wakes up,
pops up the next day, happy as a clam. He
won't remember any of it, I'm sure. But he loved
the video games, he loved the day with mom and
dad going to the pool. I don't know. Maybe this
will be he'll remember this is why he hates guns
and roses when he gets older. I don't know. But

(01:17:18):
it was just a good time had by all. Again,
it was so awesome to meet you, Brad. You should
have You'll be on the podcast again. But you have
to wear one of the shirts that you got off
my website.

Speaker 3 (01:17:30):
Okay, yeah, no, it's funny.

Speaker 1 (01:17:32):
So I was when I was contemplating what to wear today,
I was like, I was gonna wear Guns and Roses
shirt and I'm like, nah, man, you gotta wear another
band shirts so you don't wear the Yeah, we were
talking about that you're not supposed.

Speaker 3 (01:17:46):
To wear the bands.

Speaker 1 (01:17:48):
It's kind of like one of those rules, right, you're
not supposed to wear the bands.

Speaker 2 (01:17:51):
Let me say this. Let me say this. My wife
caught it and I did not. So when we were
at that tap room and meeting John aka Jason Seagull,
there was I don't know four or five people that
seeze next to us, and I don't think they were
going to the concert because I saw some of other
people there in GNR attire and they must They clearly

(01:18:12):
were talking about us. And I don't know if they
were quoting PCU, which is what you're doing now about
with Jeremy Piven about not wearing the band of the
shirt that you're going to see, and they were talking
about us. I'm in a GNR shirt, my wife Harrison,
and I'm like, I don't want to turn to the
angry dad and being like, you know, I don't want
to say a band example being like, what the fuck
is wrong with you guys? Shut up? I think it's

(01:18:33):
a stupid I love that movie. Yeah, but it's stupid.
It doesn't make any sense. It's like if you go
to a Yankee game, are you gonna wear a Texas
Rangers jersey? You wear a you show support? Yeah, if
you want to go. Hey, these are other bands I
like too, or because my wife had the best defense,
because she has a million day Matthew's shirts. Oh you

(01:18:55):
want to go see them on that tour? Oh you
got that shirt? Oh I want that shirt?

Speaker 1 (01:18:59):
Oh where do you get that?

Speaker 2 (01:19:01):
So it's the dumbest rule. Those people who criticize us
at the bar, you all can get bent. Uh So yeah,
I just thought that was so anyway.

Speaker 1 (01:19:10):
You no, and I you know you're probably right. I
just and I ended up buying it guns and Roses
T shirt. I usually wear guns and Roses T shirt
when I go shortever, reason this time I wore something else.

Speaker 2 (01:19:22):
You should get dressed up. People get get dressed up
as slash an Axle, Like, it's all part. That's all
along the same lines.

Speaker 1 (01:19:28):
It's all part. You know. That was a I was
thinking about that about being famous and being a rock star.
I think there'll be a lot of things you just
kind of get used to. I can't imagine ever getting
used to someone dressing up as me for Halloween.

Speaker 2 (01:19:42):
Yeah, I can't remember it, but I think there's this
slash's spoken about that, because I mean, yeah, that's gotta
be so.

Speaker 1 (01:19:50):
Look, imagine like if people started to recognize you because
of your podcast and the restaurants. It would be cool
and it'd be you know, you'd be like, all right,
But if like next two years from now, on Halloween,
you see a bunch of people.

Speaker 2 (01:20:02):
Shaved heads, glasses and bear well, I could go out
anywhere and uh in Brooklyn and see that.

Speaker 1 (01:20:10):
I forgot who was some celebrity. I was listening to
an interview and he like was in Hollywood. He went
to a party and there was like three people, different
people dressed up as him for Halloween. I just don't
know how I would read.

Speaker 3 (01:20:22):
I just can't imagine being in that position.

Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
I would handle. I was glad that only three of
you came up to me, because I would handle fame poorly.
I'm just like, really, you want to take a picture
with me? I'm like, no, but but you I've learned
to say thank you and take people's compliments and so
all those nice words you've said to me on and
off the air, uh and John and Mason who came
up to me, it means the world. It really does

(01:20:45):
mean the world that you guys and everyone on social
media saying that I quote unquote deserved this the take.
I don't deserve anything, but the fact that you feel
that way, the many of you feel that way about me,
makes me feel good and that these last ten years
of doing this podcast has not been a waste, because
it certainly hasn't, because so certainly did not expect when

(01:21:06):
I started to get.

Speaker 3 (01:21:07):
Over You're you're genuine, it's yours.

Speaker 2 (01:21:10):
I try to be authentic passion.

Speaker 3 (01:21:12):
I try to be your authentic passion.

Speaker 1 (01:21:15):
People know that there are.

Speaker 2 (01:21:16):
A lot of people in who these talking heads in
social media try to act like they're authentic and they're not.
And I got really turned off by that. That's why
I have these voices, not real legitimate voices on I
had about like what I see about other content creators,
about like them incorporating their children. I'm like, I'm not,
like if I really incorporated Harrison, like a real content creator,

(01:21:37):
I'm like, would I even be a father. I just
feel like I'd just be telling him to do stuff
and spending time to edit, Like, no, he's just here,
He's just happens to be here. So uh yeah, So
I appreciate that you recognize it. So, yeah, next time
you're on you got to wear the next tea the
Appetite for Championship that I.

Speaker 1 (01:21:57):
Made with I know I had to. I should have
worn that.

Speaker 2 (01:22:00):
With the help from Yeah, so we I was just
gonna say that. Well, I just want to say before
I forget, I want to say thanks to coma AI
for for making that. Uh yeah, oh he was clean up. Sorry,
one of another one of the guitar picks that my
son was just playing with the pick.

Speaker 1 (01:22:19):
Yeah, so we retweeted your Oh.

Speaker 2 (01:22:21):
I said, I don't know. I forgot who gave that
to me. It might have been from Mike Squires when
I interviewed him few years ago. Sorry, I'm talking to
my wife. Go ahead, Brad.

Speaker 1 (01:22:28):
Sorry, you know no, so I mentioned so, I'm sorry.
I'm not good with social media, but I reposted your Instagram.
I think the Appetite for distortion right after the Nicks
had won the championship and that like by far to
this day is the most view like most views, likes
and any posts I ever got.

Speaker 2 (01:22:46):
So if people want to buy I I asked, I
don't support AI like that, but I just this guy
who does great AI guns and roses related work, Like
nothing defamatory or misleading, just super creative, like really using it,
Like if you use it as a creative tool, like

(01:23:06):
anything like pro tools or anything, it could be used correctly.
So I think he uses it correctly. So I had
him make me an apple the type of destruction logo,
but with like Knicks players on it, you know, Brunson,
Josh Hart and Obie Kindanobi or obi Oji Adanobi. I
called him my cat's name. So does the appetite for

(01:23:26):
the championship shirt on afdpod dot com. You also bought
Nobody Knows I'm a lesbian. I have that up there
too the show.

Speaker 1 (01:23:33):
I did that. Yeah, I was gonna wear that to
the show.

Speaker 4 (01:23:36):
Should but I was like, in twenty twenty six, yeah,
just the way that I yeah, who just the way
that I look and come across my haircut.

Speaker 1 (01:23:48):
I just thought that me wearing that would not have
gone over well. So yeah, I just I just but
it is a Guns N' Roses, you know, if you're
an insider fan, obviously it's a actual reference. I just
I don't know why. That shirt just makes me laugh
so hard.

Speaker 2 (01:24:04):
I love that shirt too.

Speaker 1 (01:24:05):
Funny shirt just it's yeah, I mean just the fact
that straight guy whereas it's funny. But something about that,
like the not anything that's nobody knows on a T shirt.
To me, it's just hysterical.

Speaker 2 (01:24:16):
I told you, if you go to a ftpod dot com,
there are you know, Appetite of Distortion March, there's that
Nick's crossover if you're that section of fan like I am,
and someone like reprints of what G and R, Slash
or Axle used to wear back in the nineties. So
one of them is that nobody knows I'm a lesbian
shirt and I would have ordered it for myself, but
my son is learning to read, and I really don't

(01:24:38):
want to have to explain that to him, you know
what I mean. I I just don't want to have
to do that. Daddy's I don't want to do that.

Speaker 1 (01:24:49):
I don't Did you catch that in the show Actuel
said to something. I don't know if it was a
slash that he had a shirt like that in seventh grade.

Speaker 2 (01:24:56):
I don't remember that. I don't know, I don't remember.

Speaker 1 (01:24:59):
Yeah, I think it's I shows has interest like kind
of like very uh sophomoric male humor t shirts anywhere
during the shorts. Sometimes.

Speaker 2 (01:25:08):
I think one of the ones we have up there
is where it looks like the Ford logo but it
says fuck. So we have that.

Speaker 1 (01:25:13):
Yeah, Like I'm loving it with McDonald's when it's the
woman's legs.

Speaker 2 (01:25:18):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Slash gets away with the
slash cats.

Speaker 1 (01:25:23):
He's got a bunch of Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
He's a funny guy. He's he's definitely a funny a.

Speaker 1 (01:25:27):
Lot, but he's just a rocker. It's just like they
wear tank tops that'd say funny. You know.

Speaker 2 (01:25:32):
That's how I grew up. I always before guns and
Roses fan I'd always have like weird saying and I
always the weird kid. I'd have like far I remember
I had a far side Gary Larson. I had a
couple of those like shirts and people girls will look
at you weird, Like I was always the kid that
wore weird shirts. So I've always been the same. So
that's why you know, I loved one of the reasons
why I love this band is that they wore weird shirts.

(01:25:54):
I'm like, that's cool as hell. I wear weird shirts.
Cool man, It's it's not all about designer wear. Yes,
actual wears designer stuff now, but you know what I did.
So anyway, it was just like it was an incredible time.
We can keep going chapter and verse with this, but
I gotta we have to talk of like an hour
and a half and I gotta go play dad a

(01:26:14):
little bit. I'm always squeezing. That's why I wanted to
bring Harrison, Like even with these interviews, like this is
just my life now, squeezing these little interviews or conversation
around him. Sometimes, he joins, I want to go to
concerts with him. I would not have enjoyed myself as
much if he wasn't there. Even though he was upset
for a little bit, even though he did phil fall asleep,

(01:26:35):
He's not going to remember this have it again. Having
him on my chest during Estranged is something I'm gonna
remember forever, Like it was just you know, all that
heart twenty eight and me being clinically depressed at twenty eight,
you know, just thinking I'm going to die alone, and
here I am with my three year old son on

(01:26:55):
my chest and I'm seeing Slash and Axel on stage
to do with this this song, and got these tickets
courtesy thank you of Richard Fordis. So it was just
a special night for me. I'm I'm glad I got
to meet you, because there are plenty of plenty of
other listeners out there that I've spoken to a lot
over the years, and I just don't have that opportunity

(01:27:16):
to meet. And I know a shout out to Steven
who did, who was on our five hundredth episode, who
wanted to meet with his family, but he got there late.
So sorry Steven that we didn't get to meet. Hopefully
there's this more in the future. There was some other
I forgot. I'm getting your name. She was like, she's
from Jersey. She's like, one day we'd have like a
Guns and Roses like meet up down here and like barbecue.

(01:27:40):
Like I'll do that. I'll do that even if there's
not a show day. If you just want to get
a bunch of fans together and just hang out, listen
to Guns of Roses music, my life loves traveling, we
would do that, you know, just so lots more to
come on Appetite for This Stortion. Brad will be back
on again. We're trying to figure out. I'll put it
like this, here's a sales pitch. You could be like

(01:28:03):
my Noah's Arcade, right, like I'm Wayne's World, your No's Arcade.
So if you want to advertise on this podcast, you
should contact Paradise Smitty on Instagram and it could be
whether on the actual podcast, it could be on the website,
it could be on posts on social media. I mean,
we could come up with creative ways to promote your business,

(01:28:26):
your product. If you want to be involved in Appetite
for Distortion in some facet you want to you know,
guest co host, you know things like that, just open
the doors for that. Just contact Paradise Smitty and he'll
help you, will help you try to make that that happens.
You know, the driving force of this podcast has not
been about money. It's been about passion. But as I

(01:28:48):
see Harrison and I keep buying merch maybe a little
bit of about money. So it would be nice to
make something off this after a decade. So anyway, Brad,
any there, Yeah, No, it'd be good. Any party words, Yeah,
any thoughts on that, any party words.

Speaker 1 (01:29:07):
No, you know, like I said, I've been listening for
a few years. It's good that you and I. You know,
I think you and I connected by about six months ago,
now maybe.

Speaker 2 (01:29:14):
Maybe a little less sounds like that, started.

Speaker 3 (01:29:16):
Talking and then you know, it's as we're going there.

Speaker 1 (01:29:19):
You know, it's just cool. We just have a lot
of similar interests. And then obviously you know, we bonded
over GNR and music in general. So like you said, it,
it's just sort of like a natural passion for me.
It brings out the kid in me. You know, it's
music and talking about guns and roses and these type
of topics. It's just it's just fun for me. It's
just a pure, pure bliss. So it's really good to

(01:29:44):
be a part of this. And I'm we're really blessed
to be on the show. You know, to be interviewed
on the show, or you've interviewed like a lot of
people with actual like accomplishments, achievements, you know, it's pretty
cool to so I can say that was interviewed on
the same podcast as Alice Scooper.

Speaker 2 (01:30:01):
But well, it's funny. I appreciate that, and I'll read
it goes into this text, I guess guy from raz
who I don't remember this, so shame shame on me.
Like Vicky Hamilton is like Gunzer was his first manager,
but Raps was like I was, so I got to
like look into more. Maybe that's a fact I knew

(01:30:21):
at one point, but or somewhere stories are mixed up.
That's the whole thing with doing this podcast for so long.
We don't know stories or stories or or we know
half the stories. Anyway, he goes, you know, it's been
years since I listen to your podcast, because him and
I just recently connected about because he's building up his website.
He goes up. The last week I checked out the
Alice Cooper One and Tracy One's You've become a much

(01:30:41):
a much better interviewer. Keep it up so so, like
I said at the beginning, in relation to Axo's voice,
whether it's what I'm doing with my voice or what
he's doing with his time makes a difference. It's it's
not the same, you know. So anyway, thank you for
being here. Thanks for everybody, whether I met you at

(01:31:01):
the show or you were just being so kind to
me on social media. Uh me sharing photos of Harrison
at the concert and you know, playing guns and roses pinball,
and you know, not everyone wants pictures of other people's
kids in their their feet, but everyone really seemed to
enjoy it. So just thank all of you bad Apples,
thank you so much for being a part of this

(01:31:22):
podcast for ten years. And we're going to keep going.
As I'm recording this, I should be getting Bootsy Collins
on again. We're going to talk about his new album
with Buckethead and again I'm hoping for flavor Flave, trying
to get him so more cool ass interviews to come.
Man that it doesn't end, it doesn't end, So I'll

(01:31:47):
talk to you soon, Brad. So that does it for
this episode of Appetite for Distortion. When we see the
next one, in the words of Axo Rose concerning Chinese democracy,
I don't know as soon as the word, but you'll
see it. Thanks to the lame mass security, I'm going home.

All Episodes

Guns N' Roses Live in Saratoga '26: Review | Ep. 572

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

The Bobby Bones Show

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Guns N' Roses Live in Saratoga '26: Review | Ep. 572