Reading & Leeds boss will end GN'R's set if they are too late

[Queenie]

Reading & Leeds boss will end GN'R's set if they are too late #1    Use Your Delusion 1 
 
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Posted Today, 04:42 AM

Melvin Benn, the boss of Reading & Leeds Festival has revealed if the headliners Guns N' Roses take to the stage late, he'll pull the plug on their set.


The boss of Reading and Leeds festival has told the BBC, (here), he has told the band he will pull the plug on their set if they arrive on stage late, as they did at Leeds in 2002, and more recently at their first Stateside concert appearance in four years at the Rock 'N Rev Festival in Sturgis, South Dakota where the band kept the crowds waiting for two hours after the previous act.

The band's appearance at Leeds eight years was over two hours late and landed the festival in trouble with the local council. Melvin Benn is quoted as saying, "If Guns N' Roses decide to take to stage as late as they did in Leeds some years ago then the performance just won't happen. I've had a very heavy warning from the local councils. There is a curfew - it's a very strict curfew."

He adds, "We got away with it once. We won't get away with it for a second time. Unfortunately, if the band chose not to take to the stage on time there's really nothing I can do. I won't be allowed to break the curfew."

"The truth is - it's threatening the viability of the festival. It threatens the licence. It really is quite important."

Last week the festival had to stop rumours that Guns N' Roses had cancelled their performance after a hoax tweet penned by someone who hacked into Rose's account.

Reading Festival happens at Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, and Leeds Festival, at Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, both happen from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August.

Guns N' Roses are joined on headlining duty by Arcade Fire, and Blink 182 at both festivals. Also appearing on the main stage over the weekend are 'special guests' The Libertines - at Reading on the Saturday, and at Leeds on the Friday.

The line-up also includes Queens Of The Stone Age, Biffy Clyro, Lostprophets, Nofx, Gogol Bordello, Billy Talent, Dizzee Rascal, The Cribs, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Paramore, Weezer, Cypress Hill, Limp Bizkit, You Me At Six, All Time Low, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Mumford & Sons, Delphic, Yeasayer, The Big Pink, Two Door Cinema Club, Pendulum, Enter Shikari, Crystal Castles, Frank Turner, Klaxons, We Are Scientists, Foals, Band Of Horses, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), and The Drums.

The festivals will feature a full line-up of over 150 acts over the weekend on six stages. For the line-up details, stage splits, days where available, and the latest rumours please click here for Reading and here for Leeds.

Tickets were priced at £180 for a weekend ticket and have sold out for Reading.

LINK: http://www.efestival...0/100824b.shtml

[Streetchild]

Oh my god, they actually did it
GNR was over an hour late, and they cut the power during the show.
Axl really knows how to fuck up his career. Wouldn't surprise me if some members walk out very soon.

What a joke

[Streetchild]

Apparantly they played a drum only version of paradise city with a megaphone.
That would actually be cool to see. Hopefully someone filmed it

[Streetchild]

Axl with a megaphone after the show claiming they won't be at Leeds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOpEiwl99ts

[shadow]

This is what Ashba had to say on his twitter:

"READING FESTIVAL - Apparently the promoter has had a personal grudge with GN'R stemming from 8 years ago, if this was the case why book the band? He knows our show. Let me guess... To take our fans money and then not allow us to give them a show that they payed for. This was clearly not a curfew thing because after cutting our power like a selfish money grubbing prick, he allowed music blasting through out the venue till the early morning. For us this was all about the fans, the show and the music. For the promoter it was all about the money and not about the fans or the music. The promoter was already being a cocky f$#k in the press before we arrived, so yes we went on a little late, and for this we apologies. However, our fans payed to see a show, and that's why we showed up, too give them just that. Sad that this promoter's music festival has little too do with the fans or the love for music. Last night was insane! They pulled the power, but failed to kill the connection as 90,000 people sang Paradise City. Much love to you all!!!"

[Streetchild]

Bullshit.
They we're warned in advance.
Axl should really stop acting like a diva and start acting like a grown man.
Can anyone still blame Slash or Bucket for walking out?

But yeah, of course, it's never Axl's fault

[Queenie]

merry christmas,  


GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist Says READING Festival Promoter Is 'A Selfish, Money-Grubbing Prick' - Aug. 28, 2010
GUNS N' ROSES guitarist D.J. Ashba has slammed the organizers of the U.K.'s Reading festival for forcing the band to cut its performance short last night (Friday, August 27) at the event, allegedly due to curfew issues. In a Twitter posting, Ashba writes, "Apparently the promoter has had a personal grudge with GUNS N' ROSES stemming from eight years ago [when the band last played the Leeds festival]. If this was the case, why book the band? He knows our show. Let me guess... To take our fans' money and then not allow us to give them a show that they paid for. This was clearly not a curfew thing because after cutting our power like a selfish, money-grubbing prick, he allowed music blasting through out the venue 'till the early morning. For us this was all about the fans, the show and the music. For the promoter it was all about the money and not about the fans or the music. The promoter was already being a cocky f$#k in the press before we arrived. So yes, we went on a little late, and for this we apologies. However, our fans paid to see a show, and that's why we showed up, to give them just that. Sad that this promoter's music festival has little to do with the fans or the love for music." He added, "Last night was insane! They pulled the power, but failed to kill the connection as 90,000 people sang 'Paradise City'."

GUNS N' ROSES reportedly started its Reading festival performance at 10:30 p.m. — more than an hour later than scheduled — and was given an extra half hour to play, until roughly midnight.

In a statement to BBC News, the Reading festival organizers said, "GUNS N' ROSES wanted to 'extend' the new agreed curfew but were prevented from doing so in order to comply with the entertainment licence issued by Reading Council."

GUNS N' ROSES played the final song of its set, "Paradise City", with no guitars and the crowd shouting along despite the lack of sound with Axl Rose singing through a megaphone, according to BBC News.

Eight years ago the Axl Rose-fronted band was over two hours late at Leeds, and it landed the festival in hot water with the local council.

As previously reported, GN'R's late start at the Rock 'N Rev Festival in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 13 — where the band came on at around 1:00 a.m., nearly two hours after previous act ALICE IN CHAINS — was apparently due to a technical issue and not Axl Rose's well-known tendency to start shows hours behind schedule.

According to the Rapid City Journal, festival official Dan Catullo said that a switchover from festival sound equipment to GUNS' own gear took longer than anticipated and also caused complications with the festival's video crew, who were filming the event.

Catullo said that Rose, who is notorious for showing up late or not at all for concerts, was "the most insanely professional gentleman that I ever met. He came and did his job exactly as contracted."

The long delay led to a large portion of the crowd leaving before GUNS came on, while others hurled beer cans and other objects at the stage.

source: http://www.roadrunne...wsitemID=145230 

[Queenie]

anybody recording this who knows how?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/festivals/readingandleeds/2010/

[Queenie]

  's RT: i'm watching the high quality MPEG rip on QUICKTIME of the songs streamed so far on BBC. jungle. SOD. TIL. NR. i'm not feeling  and bumble. they don't have chemistry. GNR seems dead on its feet. what was bz thinking when he wrote his review? gnr had more energy and were wide awake with  and tommy running the show. 2010 gnr live seems dead in the water. 2006 gnr live was better with robin and tommy as the core.

download and see what i mean:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DYGPVBG6

[Bill Bailey]

You know how you can tell someone doesn't like a band? It's pretty easy. They don't scour the internet for every review, audio and video file of every one of their tour dates.

[Bill Bailey]

From Axl:

Don't know what it is w/us or these last 2 shows. Takes the fun out it 4 everyone fans, band n' crew alike but whatever.

So u know, we allegedly had a deal in place pre show w/the city at least at Leeds to do a bit longer performance that was either miscommunication, someone wasn't informed, changed their mind, didn't care or was a con. Regardless the nonsense just seems so unnecessary but w/out real management or industry presence is unfortunately beyond r control.

We hope the fans feel they got at least what they could from us under the circumstances as 4 us all things considered that's the main thing. The rest is filler. Anyway, enough rambling. Peace, thanks 4 understanding n' what we did manage to get done out there was a blast! The crowds n' fans were amazing!! And in r opinion (not that apparently it means much) u deserved better!!

Thanks again!!
Axl

[Queenie]

axl's full of so much crap..makes my stomach turn  

this isn't a band..what in the world was bz thinking?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXCkESvC7_k?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_GB" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/iXCkESvC7_k?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_GB</a>

[Bill Bailey]

That crowd is going

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iXCkESvC7_k?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_GB" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/iXCkESvC7_k?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_GB</a>

That video is awesome. The crowd singing Paradise City for Axl since his mic is cut, the security guys scrambling to keep the fans from going wild, Axl paying respect to the fans personally, the roar of joy when the guitar kicks back in, and the singing, cheers and applause as they walk off stage... I wish I'd seen that in person.

[shadow]

I just think its so cool that Axl is almost 50, yet he's still as much of a rock n' roll rebel as he ever was. I really think this is one of the coolest things he's done in a while. Sure, showing up late isn't cool, but I agree that those promoters are money grabbing sleazebags.

[Queenie]

honest promoters doing their jobs..axl should try it some time