Guns N’ Roses Perform With Myles Kennedy At Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Guns N’ Roses Perform With Myles Kennedy At Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

April 15, 2012

Some of the key figures weren’t there, but those who were present at the 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night delivered a heartfelt and epic celebration — much to the delight of both the high rollers at the VIP tables and the 6,000 “real” fans who whooped it up in the Town Hall balcony, reports Billboard.com.

Much of the news leading up to the event focused on those who were skipping it, whether for health reasons (the Beastie Boys’ Adam “MCA” Yauch and the Faces’ Rod Stewart) or because of lingering issues with bandmates — most notably Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose, who was roundly booed by the crowd every time his name was mentioned during the evening. But disappointment and hard feelings were scarce throughout the five-and-a-half-hour bash, which was packed with enough verbal and musical highlights to give HBO’s editors palpitations as they hone it down to two-and-a-half hours for its May 5 broadcast premiere.

Green Day, there to induct GNR, got things off to a crushing start with “American Idiot’s” “Letterbomb” as Billie Joe Armstrong exhorted the crowd to “stand up…This is f—ing rock ‘n’ roll! This is not a f—ing party — this is a celebration, motherf—ers!” That set the tone for a night that mixed musical fireworks with warm and emotional speeches, putting plenty of heart in rock ‘n’ roll and reveling in past glories to, as Armstrong also said, “know where you f—ing come from.”

Despite what guitarist Slash called the “drama” surrounding GNR’s induction, the former band members who attended — original guitarist Izzy Stradlin and continuing keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined Rose as no-shows — credited fan support for their success, which was well received at Town Hall. Drummer Matt Sorum, meanwhile, spoke of being asked to join the group because Steven Adler had been kicked out for doing too many drugs. “I said, ‘In Guns N’ Roses, how the f— is that possible?!’ Steven Adler deserves an award for THAT.” Sorum also fessed up to bringing cocaine into GNR’s heroin-dominated drug mix; “I said, ‘You guys have to wake up and play some rock ‘n’ roll.”

The GNR alumni did just that, tearing through a three-song set fronted by Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, who also sings for Slash’s band, and joined by onetime guitarist Gilby Clarke, who was not included in the induction. Armstrong guested on “Mr. Brownstone,” while “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” had the Town Hall crowd on its feet and pumping its collective fists. The Faces skied in Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall — who’s been working with the group since 2009 — from England for a tight set that included the Small Faces’ “All or Nothing” along with “Ooh La La” and “Stay With Me.” And a consortium of the Roots, Kid Rock and Gym Class Heroes’ Travie McCoy — with the MCs in green Adidas track suits — paid homage to the Beastie Boys with a medley that included “Sabotage” and “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn.”

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com