"Fans were screaming out "Fuck Axl" through much of the night..."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Guns N' Roses, Chili Peppers Bring Magic to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Fans boo Axl Rose, whose absence didn't dampen spirit of 27th annual ceremony

By
Andy Greene
April 15, 2012 8:30 AM ET



Walking into Cleveland, Ohio's Public Auditorium for the 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last night, it was hard to not think of the Titanic striking an iceberg on the very same day 100 years ago. In recent days Axl Rose and Rod Stewart, two of the biggest stars entering the Hall of Fame this year, pulled out of the show, making complete reunion performances by the Faces and Guns N' Roses impossible. Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante opted not to come, and the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch stayed home as he continues to recover from cancer.

One might think that these absences would sink the induction ceremony somewhere deep into the Atlantic Ocean, but it turns out they didn't matter much at all. In fact, it was one of the best Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in recent memory. "I don't know that it matters who's here tonight, because it's about the music that these bands played," Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan said during his induction speech. Minutes after making that point, McKagan walked over across to the stage to play an explosive three-song set of Guns N' Roses songs with Slash, guitarist Gilby Clarke, Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy and drummers Matt Sorum and Steven Adler.

Fans were screaming out "Fuck Axl" through much of the night, but the moment the group launched into "Mr. Brownstone," Rose and Izzy Stradlin's decision to not attend the ceremony was completely forgotten, and this previously unassembled lineup of the band proved they could revive the spirit of GNR on their own. Adler was grinning from ear-to-ear during a note-perfect "Sweet Child O' Mine," and the finale of "Paradise City" had nearly every single person in the audience screaming at the top of their lungs. A powerful singer, Kennedy hit every Axl-patented banshee wail perfectly.

The Faces also soldiered on without their lead singer, recruiting Simply Red's Mick Hucknall to fill his slot. He's done a bunch of shows with the group over the past few years, and he sounds exactly like early 1970s-era Rod Stewart. "Ooh La La" was a lot of fun, but they absolutely destroyed with "Stay With Me." Ron Wood played guitar with fiery passion, almost like he was trying to prove to Mick and Keith that he's in fighting shape for a Rolling Stones tour. Ian McLagan demonstrated that he's still one of the greatest keyboardists in rock and roll, and drummer Kenny Jones still has the chops that got him Keith Moon's old job in the late 1970s. Here's hoping that one day Rod comes to his senses and agrees to a tour with these guys.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/guns-n-roses-chili-peppers-bring-magic-to-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-induction-20120415

[LynneSin]

1. FUCK AXL

Shame the Beastie Boys couldn't perform but they opted not to because one of their members, Adam Yauch, is battling cancer. The band didn't want to perform without him.

[Tom Ripley]

2. I didn't know that Stradlin was also a no show

I never fell for Guns N' Roses, but I have always thought the Axl and Izzy story was the stuff of a great rock and roll novel.

[cbdo2007]

3. Love me some GNR.....but the band died long ago.

Who cares if Axl was there or not. He and Slash were the only two critical members to the band - they literally wouldn't have been legendary without either of them, so the other hangers on who were just lucky to be in the right place at the right time are gasping for their last bit of relevance.