Not in This Lifetime... Tour

After their last tour ended in 2014, there was uncertainty surrounding the band, especially the guitarist situation. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal had hinted during the last part of the tour that these would be his last shows with Guns N' Roses.[3] However, after the tour ended, no official word on the situation was given from Guns N' Roses nor Thal himself. During several South American shows on the tour, Duff McKagan had filled in for bassist Tommy Stinson, who fulfilled previous commitments with his other band The Replacements.[4] Stinson left the band due to personal issues after the tour, stating "I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour.. my personal life was going to prevent me from doing... about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can't do 'em."[5]

Almost a year after the tour ended, on May 7, 2015, Slash revealed in an interview on CBS This Morning that much of the tension that had existed between Axl and himself was gone, saying: "Well, we haven't really talked in a long time. But a lot of the tension that you were talking about has dissipated. We don't have all those issues anymore." When asked specifically about the chances of Guns N' Roses reuniting, he said: "I gotta be careful what I say there. I mean, if everybody wanted to do it and do it for the right reasons, you know, I think the fans would love it. I think it might be fun at some point to try and do that, but it just starts to get into a whole complex thing. But anyway, it's really between the guys in the band."[6] This sparked the start of what would prove to be a long period of speculation on a reunion by both the fans and the media.[7] Slash later revealed that he and Axl spoke via telephone in March 2015.[8]

Suddenly, on July 27, 2015, the news broke that Guns N' Roses' co-lead guitarist, DJ Ashba, was leaving the band.[9] He wrote a letter explaining that he was going to focus his work on his other group, Sixx:A.M., which he had formed with bassist Nikki Sixx and vocalist James Michael in 2007. At the same time he thanked Rose for the opportunity he was given by playing with Guns N' Roses and it seemed like they had left things on good terms. While this news story was picking up, it was at the same time confirmed by a representative of Guns N' Roses that Thal was officially out of the band.[10][11] The leaving of both Ashba and Thal, combined with Slash's comments on a reunion only a couple months before, further fueled both media and fan speculation about a reunion being in the works.[10]

Furthermore, on August 22, 2015, Slash stated to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that Axl and he had spoken recently. This was considered a big news story because it was common knowledge that the two of them had not spoken since he left the band in 1996. When asked about the re-connection with Rose, Slash commented "it was probably way overdue".[12] Rumors of a reunited Guns N' Roses started to pick up more and more during late 2015.[13][14] More reports came in claiming to have a confirmation that a reunion would happen, but no official statement was made during this period. One of the questions on people's minds was if this was going to be a full reunion of the "classic line-up" or if it would be just one or two people from that line-up returning to the band. Steven Adler (the drummer from Guns N' Roses' "classic line-up") admitted during a radio interview with Eddie Trunk that he had not heard anything from Guns N' Roses about a reunion.[15] Classic-era member Izzy Stradlin later confirmed to Rolling Stone that he will have no involvement with the new lineup.[16] Former drummer Matt Sorum stated he was not asked to be part of the reunion,[17][lower-alpha 1] while departed guitarist Ashba claimed he was asked by Rose to be a part of the lineup but had turned it down, citing his commitment to Sixx:A.M.[19] Former rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke turned down an invitation for a guest spot.[20] Stradlin explained his absence on the tour stating "they didn't want to split the loot equally".[21] Ultimately, Chinese Democracy-era members Richard Fortus and Frank Ferrer remained with the band to fill the rhythm guitarist and drummer slots respectively.[22]

Vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan performed together for the first time in 23 years as part of the tour.

In late December 2015, the Guns N' Roses website was updated, scrapping much of the content and displaying the classic Guns N' Roses bullet-logo.[23] The logo had not been used in official promotion since the Use Your Illusion days.[24] Then, on Christmas Day, a teaser trailer debuted before the new Star Wars movie.[25] The 15-second video showed black and white shots of a concert audience with the opening words of "Welcome to the Jungle" played.[26] No additional narration or text accompanied the trailer.[26]

On December 29, 2015, Billboard reported that Slash was set to rejoin the band and a "reunited" lineup would headline Coachella 2016.[27][28] Rose was set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following week to talk about the future of the band, but his appearance was cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances".[29][30] Guns N' Roses were officially announced as the headliner of Coachella on January 4, 2016, with the press reporting Slash and Duff McKagan were rejoining the band.[31][32][33] The Coachella festival then confirmed via press release that McKagan and Slash were rejoining.[34] April concerts in Las Vegas and Mexico City were announced subsequently.[35][36]

The full tour announcement came on April 1, 2016, when the band announced 20 cities as part of a North American leg of the tour dubbed "Not in This Lifetime...".[37] The tour's name is a reference to a 2012 interview in which Rose, when asked about when a potential reunion would happen, responded "not in this lifetime."[37] The reunion was billed as a "regrouping" by the band instead of a full reunion, since Slash and McKagan were filling empty spots in the existing band lineup.[38] Additional dates in Chicago, New England, New York, and Los Angeles were announced on April 25 due to shows selling out.[39] On May 18, Alice In Chains and Lenny Kravitz were announced as openers for select shows of the tour.[40][41][42] Two weeks before the tour began, The Cult, Chris Stapleton, Billy Talent, and Skrillex were announced as additional openers for select shows.[43] On June 30, Wolfmother and Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown were announced for several shows.[44] Zakk Wylde was added as an additional opener to the band's show of August 15 in Glendale, Arizona.[45]

Additional legs of the tour were announced throughout the year, including Latin American, Asian, and Oceanian legs.[46][47] Babymetal was announced as openers for the Japanese shows in 2017.[48] In late November, commercials started airing in the United States with footage from the tour with the tagline "They're back for more in 2017", teasing a return to North America.[49] On December 5, the band announced 35 North American and European dates for 2017, including a return to St. Louis for the first time since the 1991 Riverport Riot.[50]

On March 7, 2017, the band was announced as part of the 2017 edition of Rock in Rio, playing on September 23.[51][52] A YouTube video was released promoting this announcement, revealing that the band would co-headline their day with The Who.[53] This marked the fourth appearance by Guns N' Roses with the festival in Rio de Janeiro, with the second edition in 1991 being their first time there.[51]

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young jammed with Guns N' Roses during several shows, while former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach joined the band on April 9, 2016 in Las Vegas. Former drummer Steven Adler joined the band for two songs at 5 shows of the tour, and Rose Tattoo vocalist Angry Anderson appeared on the show of February 11, 2017.

While originally slated to commence in Las Vegas on April 8, 2016, a previously unannounced warmup gig at the Troubadour in Los Angeles took place on April 1, 2016.[54] Rumors of the secret show had started the night before,[55] and fans were starting to gather outside the old Tower Records building at Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. Rumblings that a ticket sale for the show would take place there started a line of people that grew during the night and into the early morning of April 1.[56] Then, during the morning, the announcement came that the rumors were true and tickets for the club show would go on sale at 12 pm at the Tower Records building. They charged a $10 "retro" ticket price for the show.[57] Later in the evening, as the band took the stage at the Troubadour, it was revealed that Melissa Reese, who has previously worked with former drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia on several projects, had replaced longtime second keyboardist Chris Pitman for the tour.[58] Pitman quit the band two weeks before the tour began, he had previously publicly criticized the tour as a "nostalgia tour" and "a money grab" and later mentioned he "quit the oldies band".[59] During the show at the Troubadour, Rose fell and broke his foot.[60] For the following concerts, Rose was given Dave Grohl's customized throne that Grohl used to perform when he broke his leg at a concert.[61] The band's first scheduled concerts with Slash and McKagan took place at the newly opened T-Mobile Arena on April 8 and 9, 2016.[62][63] Alice in Chains were the opening act for the Las Vegas shows,[64] while The Cult opened the first two shows outside the United States in Mexico City on April 19 and 20.[65]

Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach joined the band on stage during the second of the two Las Vegas shows in April 2016, sharing the lead vocals with Rose on the song "My Michelle". Bach has guested on the same song in a similar fashion on many previous Guns N' Roses tours, but this was the first time performing it alongside the returned Slash and McKagan.[66] Rose Tattoo singer Angry Anderson joined the band onstage to help them cover the Rose Tattoo song "Nice Boys" at their concert in Australia in February 2017.[67][68] It was the first time that Anderson performed the song with Guns N' Roses since 2007.[69]

On April 16, 2016, just hours before their performance at the Coachella Festival's first weekend was scheduled to start, the news broke that Rose would be joining AC/DC to fill in as the lead vocalist for the remaining dates of their Rock or Bust tour.[70] Brian Johnson had to leave the group previously due to risk of hearing loss. During Guns N' Roses' show that night, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young guested with the band for performances of the AC/DC classics "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Riff Raff", giving the audience an early preview of how the guitarist's sound and Rose's voice sounded together.[71] Young joined the band for three more shows on the tour in early 2017, as well as a show in Germany in June and in The Netherlands in July.[72][73][74]

During the April 23 Coachella concert, McKagan had Prince's symbol featured on his bass guitar as a tribute honoring his death just days prior. Rose talked about them being fans of Prince, but did not have enough time to get together a song of his to perform in honor of him. Instead, they dedicated the whole concert to his memory.[75]

Steven Adler joined the band on stage for the first time in 26 years during the concert of July 6, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he performed "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".[76][77] The drummer's last performance with the band was at the Farm Aid concert on April 7, 1990, in Indianapolis, Indiana,[78] although he did perform alongside Slash, McKagan, Sorum and Gilby Clarke during Guns N' Roses' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, with Rose and Stradlin being absent from the ceremony. Myles Kennedy, of Alter Bridge and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators fame, sang in place of Rose.[79] Previously, Adler was rumored to take part in the surprise show of April 1, 2016 at the Troubadour before back surgery forced him to cancel.[80] Adler repeated his appearance at the concert of July 9, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Towards the end of the North American trek, Adler performed the same two songs at the second of the two Dodger Stadium shows in Los Angeles, California.[81] During the Latin American leg, Adler joined the band for a song each of the two nights in Buenos Aires.[82][83]

P!nk, Billy Gibbons, and Dave Grohl all performed with the band in 2017.

When the band and crew were traveling between Philadelphia and Toronto on July 15, 2016, they were stopped and detained at the Canadian border for having a gun on board their transportation. Rose revealed this while on stage in Toronto on July 16, saying "... so we weren't exactly arrested, we were detained", and further remarked of the customs officers "They were very nice. They were very nice". He then jokingly added "They were very understanding. You know, it happens – you can forget you had a f—in' gun". A band representative later confirmed the story while adding that the gun did not belong to any member of the band.[84] During a show in Mexico on November 30, the band invited several fans onstage to smash a large Donald Trump piñata.[85][86] Rose had previously altered lyrics to "Civil War" during a concert to reference Trump.[87]

During the show of May 27 in Ireland, the band debuted their cover of "Black Hole Sun" in honor of Chris Cornell, who had died just over a week before, on May 18.[88] Cornell had previously worked with both McKagan (in Mad Season)[89] and Slash (appearing on the song "Promise" on Slash). In a 1989 interview, Rose had called Cornell the best rock vocalist at the time,[90][91] and during the Use Your Illusion tour in the early 90s, Soundgarden opened for Guns N' Roses in both the United States and Europe.[92]

Sometime in 2017 during a show in the midwest, former rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin participated in a sound check with the group, with the intention of guesting during the show. However, former manager Alan Niven claims Stradlin walked out and "didn't want to have anything to do with it".[93] Stradlin had reportedly declined special guest appearances similar to the ones Adler had.[94]

On August 30, 2017, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – the band covered "Wichita Lineman", a song made famous by Glen Campbell.[95] That was the first live performance of the song by them, with Rose presenting it saying "We're going to play something we've never played before. It might not be your thing, but we're just trying to pay a tribute to someone. It's not what you think". After the song, he said "For Glen", honoring the country singer-guitarist who died August 8, 2017. Rolling Stone magazine described it as "their most unexpected cover of the tour".[96] During the same concert, the band also covered "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown for the first time since 2006.[97]

While playing "Patience" at their show of October 11, 2017 in New York, the band was joined onstage by P!nk who sang guest vocals.[98] Additional guest musicians were featured throughout the tour; Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top joined the band for "Patience" on November 10, and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters joined for "Paradise City" on November 14.[99][100]

On June 3, 2018, during a show in Germany, the band covered "Slither" by Velvet Revolver, a supergroup that Slash and McKagan (alongside Scott Weiland, Dave Kushner, and former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum) were a part of during their time away from Guns N' Roses.[101] On June 6, the band played "Shadow of Your Love" for the first time since the Appetite for Destruction Tour.[102] During the show of November 25 in Abu Dhabi, Rose cut the show short after 20 songs after battling an illness for several hours before the show.[103]

• Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano
• Slash – lead guitar, talkbox
• Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on Attitude cover
• Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals
• Richard Fortus – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion
• Melissa Reese – keyboards, synthesizers, sub-bass, percussion, backing vocals

• Sebastian Bach (performed "My Michelle" during the concert of April 9, 2016.)
• Angus Young (performed "Whole Lotta Rosie" and/or "Riff Raff" during the April 16, 2016, February 10, 11, 14, June 22 and concert of July 12, 2017.)
• Steven Adler (performed "Out Ta Get Me" and/or "My Michelle" during the July 6, 9, August 19, November 4 and concert of November 5, 2016.)
• Angry Anderson (performed "Nice Boys" during the concert of February 11, 2017.)
• P!nk (performed "Patience" during the concert of October 11, 2017.)
• Billy Gibbons (performed "Patience" during the concert of November 10, 2017.)
• Dave Grohl (performed "Paradise City" during the concert of November 14, 2017.)

The band continued, as they had done in past tours, to keep the core set which included their most well-known songs. The core set largely consisted of songs from their debut album Appetite For Destruction, namely "Welcome to the Jungle", "It's So Easy", "Nightrain", "Mr. Brownstone", "Paradise City", "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Rocket Queen".[180][185] The remaining core songs were tracks from the Use Your Illusion albums and Chinese Democracy. This included some of the aforementioned songs: the newly added "Double Talkin' Jive", as well as "Chinese Democracy", "Better" and "This I Love". In addition, "Live and Let Die", "November Rain", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Estranged", and "You Could Be Mine" were played at every concert (except "November Rain" and "Estranged", which were not played at the shorter club show at the Troubadour).[180]

In all tours from 2001 and on, Guns N' Roses had (with few exceptions) opened their show with either "Welcome to the Jungle" or "Chinese Democracy". For this tour, they changed things up, using the song "It's So Easy" as the opening song. "Chinese Democracy" and "Welcome to the Jungle" took the number 3 and 4 spots in the set, with "Mr. Brownstone" being the second song played, as was common during their older tours.[180][185]

In past tours, an extensive number of solo spots were a usual part of the setlist. They cut this down to a minimum, keeping the set quite tight with the performance of regular songs as the main focus. Slash did have a solo spot with "The Godfather theme", a guitar instrumental piece with the rest of the band backing up and functioning as a lead-in to "Sweet Child o' Mine". As a second new addition, Fortus and Slash were doing a guitar instrumental version of the Pink Floyd song "Wish You Were Here", which worked as a prelude to "November Rain". McKagan took the lead vocals during a regular spot in the set, singing a song from the Guns N' Roses punk cover album "The Spaghetti Incident?". From show to show, he alternated between "New Rose" – the debut single of the British punk rock group The Damned, "Raw Power" – a song by Iggy Pop and the Stooges which he had previously performed at some of the Guns N' Roses shows in 2014, and "Attitude"[192] – a Misfits song he played regularly on the Use Your Illusion Tour and in 2014.[193]

The band ended their concerts with the song "Paradise City", but the total length of the encore set varied. The songs included in this set, with the exception of "Paradise City", were different ones from show to show, including "The Seeker", "Patience", "Don't Cry", "Yesterdays", "Used To Love Her", "Catcher In The Rye" and "Sorry" in various combinations.[192][194]

Guns N' Roses posing for a Curtain call after a concert in 2016.