GUNS N’ CLOTHES: AXL ROSE SQUEEZES INTO JOHN VARVATOS

At the very end of his recent vitriolic, expletive-laced rant on a Guns N’ Roses message board, Axl Rose added the words “For the rest of you… Surprise gigs comin’!!” almost unnecessarily. However, it seems he wasn’t just blowing smoke. As it turns out, in the wee hours last night, the band played an extremely intimate surprise concert at John Varvatos’ clothing store on the Bowery in New York City.

You see, Fashion Week just kicked off here in the Big Apple, and it seems Axl, eager to follow in the footsteps of Velvet Revolver, aligned with the man who turned a punk rock landmark into a high-end boutique. The good folks at BrooklynVegan report that attendees waited for hours for Guns N’ Roses to perform (shocker!). Yet we have to give credit to Axl for putting on a full 90-minute show instead of a truncated mini-set for an audience that included Sebastian Bach and Kevin Bacon. Though I have mixed feelings about the whole Varvatos/CBGB’s thing (as someone who spent quite a bit of time in that venue in his teens), I’m pretty fucking bummed that I wasn’t there for this.

Below you’ll find some (very) amateur video footage of the performance, as well as the full setlist.

1. You’re Crazy
2. Mr Brownstone
3. I Used to Love Her
4. Welcome to the Jungle
5. Street Of Dreams (The Blues)
6. Sorry
7. It’s So Easy
8. Band intros –> Patience
9. Rocket Queen
10. jam –> Catcher in the Rye
11. My Michelle
12. Knockin on Heavens Door
13. Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)
14. Paradise City
15. Sweet Child of Mine
16. This I Love
17. Night Train

-GS

[Gary Suarez usually manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No. He recently quit Twitter.]