Guns N Roses – The Maximum City Concert.

 

 

 

 

Music is in the air. The Heavy Rock variety. Guns N Roses variety, to be more specific. The God of Rock is gonna perform in Maximum City - LIVE. IN THE FLESH. For an entire generation, it is like a concert 15 years in the making.

 

I arrive at the concert locality, hunt for the venue, go through the motions of parking, ticket shicket and what not. Since there is a larger noble purpose that I am on today, I am not going to be bothered by these petty inconveniences. 

 

I join a mile long queue to the admission gates. That’s when I let my body breathe easy. And I start to look around. You suddenly feel you have arrived on a different planet. You are seeing a different civilisation here, and all united in its 'Rock' solid objective. Goatees, black vests, shaved heads, waxed legs, gelled hair, tattooed bodies, pierced body parts, pony tails, mascara-ed eyes, and what nots. It's a heady cocktail of personas, fashion, weird and whacky. This Rock music fraternity could be sighted as far away as from Jupiter. The collective twinkle of their eyes could light up the city tonight. The only connect to Earth seems A 'tea stall on cycle'-wala who is hawking chai n kapee to these urban sophisticates.

 

As the beautiful ochre glow on the horizon starts to retreat behind a curtain of dust, I enter the venue. Find my prime piece of half square feet. A few feet away from the stage. I feel like I am in my temple of Zen from where I will get glimpse of the God and hear Him chant.

 

Giant column of speakers are clearly telling you of what is about to be unleashed. Earthquaking sounds! Giant screen panel on the stage with fast moving images. Psychedelic laser beams of mesmerising hues dancing and twirling all around us to the collective rise and fall of musical strains. Light pods beaming rows of cool white lasers in sky unto eternity.

 

The warm up Opening Act is now on. The mind is drifting fast to Rock Land. I am on auto drive. Foot tapping, body swinging, head shaking in sync with bass guitar, drums, thick metal vocals. The fans continue to fill all around, and behind. Their collective energy seeking a release. In nirvana of rock.

 

The Opening Act lead vocalist just ended a brilliantly performed number. And then he announces he wants to do a dance number! Now this seems to be a looney thought, as swear words immediately fill the air. Some devotees of Rock are ready to get into fist fights with him. I mean we are on serious heavy rock business, mister, and you are talking about dance number. No sacrilege please, we are rock fans. I don’t remember what Opening Act did, it wrapped up quickly after that.

 

There is a certain calm now. Because thunder is expected next. Stage is being given last minute finishing touches by the firang crew. Equipments are being put through final testing that is equal in rigour of next rocket undergoing NASA pre-launch checks.

 

The crowd continues to swell, everyone is surrounded by a sea of rock fans. Some want to ensure that they go through the ritual - of inhaling whatever they want. Columns of aromatic trance inducing smoke here and there is gently riding up on mild winter breeze. Sweet dense heady aromatic fume hits my nostrils. The secondary fume is itself potent enough to uplift me miles high above the ground.

 

While I am seeking fulfilment, at that very moment, the lightning struck, and the earth shook. The symphony of music roared. The blast of music arrived like a deluge sweeping everyone in its wake. The thunder of drums, heavy strains of bass guitar and Axl Rose's signature vocals filled the arena. My Life suddenly seemed to have achieved a higher purpose. Here. Tonight.

 

For the next 3 hours you are hit by wave after wave of pulsating oncoming pure unadulterated rock music, that keeps rising to Anthem-ic proportions. The crowd is in deep trance - punching their hands in the air, the shake of their heads punctuated by each bang of the drum. Bodies swinging as if possessed. It's the fanatical tribal like celebration of Rock music. Powerful color beams and bundles of streaks, kaleidoscopic, pulsating and throbbing, enveloping everyone, booming in unison with the music.

 

The band keeps whipping up the frenzy. Every few moments, crowd is enticed to do sing alongs. The collective pitch of vocals could make Richter scale hit highs. Amidst this, Axl Rose finds time to pronounce dedicating the concert to Mumbai, India and Freddie Mercury. Exactly in that order. More approving and applauding roar from the crowd!

 

I am particularly impressed by Richard Fortus's act on Rhythm Guitar. It is just God-esque. He seems the Adonis who learned to guitar. Red trousers, lithe body, 6 pack abs with layers of taut belly skin, sleeveless open leathers, plenty of tattoos, long hairs flowing on the face. He could move, swing, shake, brood, stare, walk, jump, all while strumming his stringed rig. He keeps hitting the high. His body arced backwards. Guitar thrust out. The left holding the guitar, the right doing things with the strings. The kind of things that sends the crowd roaring. Suddenly his hand will rise in the shape of speeding arc, hitting the strings. And then it falls as swiftly, again hitting the strings.

 

Then there is the animal spirit of drummer. His objective clearly is to hurl exploding sound waves. Fast. Rhythmic. Wild.  The Bass guitarist is producing the noisiest melody, pounding on your ear drums. And Axl Rose’s vocals riding on top of all these. The collective sound is taking us Sky high.

 

Watching these guys perform you now are left with the feeling that playing Guitar or being a Rock Star is the ONLY higher calling in a mortal's life, leaving you seriously questioning your existence. Anything else is just a lowly form of life.

 

By the end, I am drenched in the magic, mystique and music of GNR. Sweet Child of Mine, November Rain, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, Paradise City, Don't Cry and the many many more that were belted out, they were sweet as smell of Roses, and as booming as victory Guns. Insanely fabulous, as someone said! And when the show concluded with the thick columns of paper confetti showered on us, we felt truly blessed.

 

PS: We missed Slash, ex-GNR, his signature hat, black glasses, curly hair. But I am told he is coming to India in February. Now that will be another episode to write about.

 

Cheers,
mg

 

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