The Ritz 88

[Anonymity]

Every time I watch The Ritz I'm amazed by the energy the guys had. For me, it captures what the essence of what GNR brought back: raw and honest music. My favorites there are Rocket Queen and Paradise City. How do you think each of the classic 5 would now feel looking back at that footage?

[bran]

that concert is something magical. axl jumping into the crowd, and slash laying on his back playing at the end of paradise city was just unreal. the energy was off the charts.

[classicrawker]

And that was not even considered one of their better shows from the era. i was at the first Ritz show in 1987 and IMHO it was a much better show then the 88 Ritz show so imagine how good they were on a great night..............

[jman2000]

One of GNR's great shows. The band said the gig was terrible, but it wasn't to me. I think it was a good gig, even though still no UYI songs.

[GnR Chris]

Yup, classicrawker, I heard the same thing: That Ritz 88 wasn't even one of their better shows. I think Slash himself said that too. So imagine ... wow.

[PerthGNR]

Lol at Axl going MIA throughout RQ

[Daedalus]

“The live concert we did for MTV,” he relays one of those uh, experiences, “you couldn’t hear shit! It wasn’t so much that you couldn’t hear shit, it would have been better if I couldn’t hear anything. Instead, I heard spaceships landing onstage, echoes on my voice that were twisting everything. There’s never any echoes when I’m singing. I couldn’t tell what was coming out of my mouth onstage. They had Slash’s guitar cranked up a few times, so loud, and then other times it was Duff’s bass, and then it was no bass at all! It made it very hard to act like we were having a good time, and to give the people a good show. If you watch the concert, there’s a point where I throw the microphone down when we end one of the songs, but actually, I left the stage three times during the show. I nailed Doug, our tour manager, with the microphone while I was trying to hit the monitor man.”

“It’s kinda weird when you’re filming a major television thing and you got some guy who doesn’t know how to run monitors. I think we could have done a lot better for ourselves, but at the same time I feel we should be able to give the people of Anaheim (one of their best shows to date - Ed.) every time we play. I don’t think that interviews, or photo shoots, or anything should get in the way of that. That’s the priority for me, that people get what they paid their money for. Not, ‘Yeah, you pulled it off man. They didn’t even know you couldn’t sing, and your voice was thrashed.’ Well, my voice shouldn’t have been thrashed, and the monitor man should have known what he was doing, and I should have been able to do something special for these people.”

Rock Scene - April 1988

[GNRfan2008]

And that was not even considered one of their better shows from the era. i was at the first Ritz show in 1987 and IMHO it was a much better show then the 88 Ritz show so imagine how good they were on a great night..............

I am just glad we got a pro shot concert of the AFD/club era. Even if it's a supposedly sloppy performance by the band, these are some of Axl's best live vocals ever (especially on a song like SCOM, which he has always struggled with live). The pure energy that the entire band brings to the table is awesome to watch. This concert also has the best version of Knocking On Heaven's Door. Wish they hadn't added so much crap to the studio version on UYI2. My "Ultimate GN'R Playlist" includes the Ritz KOHD but not the UYI2 version.

[alfa75]

Best version of KOHD caught on film. Freddie Mercury concert being 2nd.

[James Bond]

I'd agree that it's not one of the better shows (Axl has sounded better, out of tune guitars, Slash seeming really out of it, and so on) but the magic of it is being able to see the band at that stage. It's one of the most raw shows I can think of from any band. Having it in great quality really adds to the appeal as well. Musically speaking, the London show at The Marquee from 1987 is superior, and thankfully we have a soundboard of that as well.

[classicrawker]

I'd agree that it's not one of the better shows (Axl has sounded better, out of tune guitars, Slash seeming really out of it, and so on) but the magic of it is being able to see the band at that stage. It's one of the most raw shows I can think of from any band. Having it in great quality really adds to the appeal as well. Musically speaking, the London show at The Marquee from 1987 is superior, and thankfully we have a soundboard of that as well.

No doubt I am not saying the show sucks just that it is not the best. It is amazing we even have anything from that era in that quality and the performance is not bad by any means so I am not complaining.

And there is supposedly a bunch of video that was shot during that 87 Marquee tour in the vaults which will hopefully see the light of day someday

[izzydoezit]

the energy was off the charts.

[Crash Diet]

Best version of KOHD caught on film. Freddie Mercury concert being 2nd.

this

This was my first GNR live video i ever saw. maybe this show is a major influence that i am a GNR fan for nowadays

That’s the priority for me, that people get what they paid their money for. Not, ‘Yeah, you pulled it off man. They didn’t even know you couldn’t sing, and your voice was thrashed.’ Well, my voice shouldn’t have been thrashed, and the monitor man should have known what he was doing, and I should have been able to do something special for these people.”

yeah, oh the irony nowadays

Edited January 14, 2013 by Crash Diet

[James Bond]

I'd agree that it's not one of the better shows (Axl has sounded better, out of tune guitars, Slash seeming really out of it, and so on) but the magic of it is being able to see the band at that stage. It's one of the most raw shows I can think of from any band. Having it in great quality really adds to the appeal as well. Musically speaking, the London show at The Marquee from 1987 is superior, and thankfully we have a soundboard of that as well.

No doubt I am not saying the show sucks just that it is not the best. It is amazing we even have anything from that era in that quality and the performance is not bad by any means so I am not complaining.

And there is supposedly a bunch of video that was shot during that 87 Marquee tour in the vaults which will hopefully see the light of day someday

Indeed. It's nice that we've got a pro-shot of a show that's decent rather than one that was totally awful during this period, like Donington 1988 for example where Axl sounds horrible.

I'd bet there's even more than that in the vaults. Unfortunately, we probably won't see it. At least we've got our bootlegs!

[F*ck Fear]

Its a great concert video. I wish they would have aired the full thing a few times more so we'd have a better recording of it.

[DieselDaisy]

How do you think each of the classic 5 would now feel looking back at that footage?

They would think, ''christ, my career has gone down the toilet''.

[T.wa.T]

Knockin at Rock in Rio in 1991 on the 2nd night is my favorite. Along w the Ritz and Freddy tribute. My all time fav not captured on video is from the Marquee in 1987.

Best version of KOHD caught on film. Freddie Mercury concert being 2nd.

[T.wa.T]

If you haven't, check out the gig from Middletown,NY 1988. Video is ok, n the audio is decent. I live about 20 mins from there.

I'd agree that it's not one of the better shows (Axl has sounded better, out of tune guitars, Slash seeming really out of it, and so on) but the magic of it is being able to see the band at that stage. It's one of the most raw shows I can think of from any band. Having it in great quality really adds to the appeal as well. Musically speaking, the London show at The Marquee from 1987 is superior, and thankfully we have a soundboard of that as well.

No doubt I am not saying the show sucks just that it is not the best. It is amazing we even have anything from that era in that quality and the performance is not bad by any means so I am not complaining.

And there is supposedly a bunch of video that was shot during that 87 Marquee tour in the vaults which will hopefully see the light of day someday

Indeed. It's nice that we've got a pro-shot of a show that's decent rather than one that was totally awful during this period, like Donington 1988 for example where Axl sounds horrible.

I'd bet there's even more than that in the vaults. Unfortunately, we probably won't see it. At least we've got our bootlegs!

[jman2000]

I like a lot of the 1988 gigs. I think those and the 1986-1987 ones were some of the best. The Marquee is one of my favorite shows also. The band was great, and full of energy.

[T.wa.T]

Yeah,were real lucky Marc got those shows on tape. Is there alot of audio bootlegs from the classic era from when they toured Europe. Besides the Marque shows and Japan.

I like a lot of the 1988 gigs. I think those and the 1986-1987 ones were some of the best. The Marquee is one of my favorite shows also. The band was great, and full of energy.

[classicrawker]

Yeah,were real lucky Marc got those shows on tape. Is there alot of audio bootlegs from the classic era from when they toured Europe. Besides the Marque shows and Japan.

I like a lot of the 1988 gigs. I think those and the 1986-1987 ones were some of the best. The Marquee is one of my favorite shows also. The band was great, and full of energy.

Yeah but very few of Marc's tapes have seen the light of day and none are from 87 or 88 as far as I know

[T.wa.T]

Yeah,were real lucky Marc got those shows on tape. Is there alot of audio bootlegs from the classic era from when they toured Europe. Besides the Marque shows and Japan.

I like a lot of the 1988 gigs. I think those and the 1986-1987 ones were some of the best. The Marquee is one of my favorite shows also. The band was great, and full of energy.

Yeah but very few of Marc's tapes have seen the light of day and none are from 87 or 88 as far as I know

Thats true. Do you know if there are any GnR bootlegs from their first European tour? Besides the Marquee, and the Japanese Incident? I think there might be one from Hammersmith Odeon, But Im having trouble thinking of others.

[jman2000]

I'd check this out. http://www.suicideshift.info/bootleg/

Check out all the bootleg labels and they also tell if it's soundboard or not. I know there are a lot of 87, 88, and 89 bootlegs under Aces High Sound Production.

Edited January 29, 2013 by jman2000

[dalsh327]

I've been curious if the Rolling Stones had videotaped their opening acts, but would Axl want that footage released? Donington is probably another one that exists, but I think the deaths will keep that one from ever being released, except in a documentary.

The footage shot for the "Paradise City" video in New Jersey - Marc had videotaped it, but I wonder if they filmed the whole show? It looks like it was shot on film.

Back then it was more of a distraction for bands to have cameras, once videoscreens became commonplace, recording the shows wasn't such a big deal anymore. Anyone who went to the show they shot in 3D in Vegas or at the O2, did they feel the cameras were in the way of the audience?

There's probably stuff out there they forgot about, stuff LA news or public access at the time may have caught (Street Scene?).

[T.wa.T]

There is more video of what you are asking,below is one of the Stones gigs. Sorry I dont know if this is the one where Axl reams out Slash. He might fall off the stage in this one to, during Outta Get Me,again sorry Im not sure.Also there is video of Donnington but not very good. Paradise City Show I believe there is audio not sure about video of whole set or song.There is a small clip of the Street Scene youtube Guns n Roses Street Scene 1986.