Guns N’ Roses were forced to cut their concert in Abu Dhabi short on Sunday night. Unlike the famous rock band’s early years when their concerts would abruptly (or start extremely late) due to egos and band infighting, Guns’ performance at Du Arena last night didn’t quite make it all the way to the scheduled end due to singer Axl Rose apparently being “severely ill,” according to his bandmate and guitarist, Slash.
“Axl was severely ill. But you all were hugely supportive. Thanks for that,” Slash told fans in a statement shared to his Twitter following the 17-song performance, which probably seemed like an eternity for his sick bandmate. According to reports, Axl made it about two-thirds of the way through their scheduled set before having to call it a night, but not before powering through a setlist that included “Mr. Brownstone”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and even a cover of Pink Floyd‘s “Wish You Were Here”. The performance would come to an end following the band’s performance of their 1992 power ballad, “November Rain”.
“They’ve got me on IVs and a bunch of injections, ’cause I got sick today, I’ve been throwing up for about the last five hours,” Axl confessed onstage. “So, instead of cancel, I’m gonna do the best show we can do for you.” You can watch a clip of Rose’s announcement below:
Axl Rose Addresses Audience in Abu Dhabi – 11/25/18
[Video: BBQBall Variety]
Bassist Duff McKagan also chimed in with kudos for his tough singer, adding, “[Axl] pulled a damn miracle…the man was beyond ill, and pulled off something I’ve never seen in my 40 yrs of playing. You all pulled him thru.”
The veteran rock band has been touring across much of Asia throughout most of November. The fall 2018 leg of their ongoing Not In This Lifetime Tour is set to come to an end following scheduled performances in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 29th, and Aiea, Hawaii on December 8th. With the band now having a few days to rest before taking the stage again later this week, Axl should be refueled and back in proper health by the time Guns N’ Roses hits Johannesburg.
Guns N’ Roses have not shared any new material since Slash and Duff rejoined the band back in 2016, but they did release a deluxe reissue box set of their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, back over the summer.
Wish You Were Here live From Abu Dhabi #GNRinAbuDhabi https://t.co/4sP3Lw31bt
— Guns N’ Roses (@gunsnroses) November 25, 2018
Thank you Abu Dhabi! @axlrose pulled a damn miracle…the man was beyond ill, and pulled off something I’ve never seen in my 40 yrs of playing. You all pulled him thru. Til next time!
— Duff McKagan (@DuffMcKagan) November 25, 2018
The post Guns N’ Roses Power Through Shortened Gig Despite Axl Rose Being ‘Severely Ill’ [Video] appeared first on L4LM.
