One thing before I bust out my reviews..Going to these shows opens me up to so many more great people..And that becomes as much about the "review" than the actual "setlist", so my reviews will be more personally oriented..You can read a setlist..

I get out to Vegas the 28th..Staying across from the Hard Rock with Holtz and Jan (who decide that my arrival shouldn't detract from their 6 hour loitering session at the Gas and Sip parking lot (Say Anything)..So I really started out in a bad mood as the girl wouldn't let me in my own room after a 14 hour day in the air or airport..But them walking up made it all good as I was amongst my GNR peers..

The night of the 28th at the Hard Rock is like a gathering of the masses..Our "Boerio Crew" has now merged with the "Axlette Crew" as I was somehow involved in that..Her name is Eva and she is a badass fan (first in line both shows I think)..So our crew now consists of Myself, John M, Ravi, Holtz, Jan, Neil, Bryan from Philly (his buddy Ken would later fly out), Eva, Elaine and 2 newcomers Matt from New York (a 12 year old Matthew Broderick look alike with a full beard) and a guy named Todd from Alabama (who looked like he thought we were going to gang rape him when I asked him if he wanted to come back to The Amerisuites to sit down and talk about GNR)..I tend to invite people back to the room because I realized that if I just went to the shows last year and didn't hang out and interact with fans, that my experience would have been about half what it was and maybe not enough to bring me back this year, well I would have been back, just missed out on some great times..GNR carries me, but these guys make it 151% cool..

I would say the highlight of the 28th was us all sitting around talking (some of us drunk) to Jeff Boerio, Del, Robert John ("Hey Robert/Del have you lost weight?"), Dizzy, Paul Tobias, Robin when Matt from New York just deadpans "yeah, there goes Axl"..So we saw Axl get into his car probably heading out for a late dinner..I saw him but wasn't really sober enough to qualify it as an "experience"..

So the 29th, we all get in line around 5pm..You have all read the setlist reviews..Not their best show for reasons that didn't appear to be mostly GNR STAGEMEMBER faults..The band sounded TIGHT and the stage was BRILLIANT..People on this list who were not there are already criticizing Axl for no encore or anything..That is just great, but considering he played Silkeworms and Paradise City (the latter of which seems to end 90% of GNR shows) and he played for just over 2 hours, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Axl just spared us the 5 minutes of chanting "Guns N Roses" while already being squished like sardines..It appeared to me that he merely wanted to get through the show, put the songs out then fine tune them for New Years..Considering that they hadn't played live in a year I don't think he needs to be hit up for that, but he is Axl, so he will/has been hit up for it..Hello, Cleveland, you essentially got your encore without having to wait!!! My position was front and center about 3 feet from the barrier..My homie from last year John M decided to have a glass of wine (or was it Chardonnay) and stand in the back..This show was more than plausible for me, but not as good as last year..

The day of the 30th, Holtz, Jan and I decide to venture down to the strip in search of a buffet that would be better than "Terrible Herbs" and we are waiting at a large casino when 5 girls get in line behind us and ask us to take their picture..Of course they hand me the camera and I tell them to smile and say "Axl Rose is the greatest rock star of all time", to which they of course do..The girls are all very pleasant, Joya, Nadine, Sabrina, Carla and the lovely Miss Monica..All from the great state of California..We end up eating with the girls and they inform us that Brian Adams is playing that night, so of course I have to convince the guys to pay homage to one of my favorite childhood performers..I must thank them for going with me as I had to convince them and Holtz was a true sport for taking one for the team..Talk about a world of difference..Matt and I were in the Orchestra section and Brian called for people to come close to the stage, so there we were right at the mic stand (but this time there was no pushing and the girls seemed to be wearing clothing)..

So after the show Matt and I were walking down the Hard Rock hallway to look at the hotel when we passed the gym and I first saw how empty it was, which seemed a bit odd, and then I noticed a large black man just sitting there and some long hair with his back to me (Earl)..Matt and I looked at each other and he said "is it him?" and I said "Look at the wrist tattoo"..No sooner did I say that then the security guard screamed "Get yourself moving NOW"..(hey there big fella, little bit of advise from a guy who has been in law enforcement for 10 years, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A DEMEANING DICKHEAD TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS)..So Matt and I set up show just down the hallway through the doors to the elevator..I had a camera and thought this would be probably my only chance in life to get a picture with Axl..We waited for about 2 hours and he must have had a hell of a workout..We would have waited for another 2 hours but when Del walked by I tried to just patiently ask him if maybe he had a bead on Axl's mindset as to the possibilites of maybe taking a picture with us..I am not sure I asked Del the right way but he simply gave us an "it ain't gonna happen" and walked off..So we left..Our intention was not to simply "take" a picture of Axl, but to maybe just point to the camera and maybe somehow someway he would magically stop and pose for 2 seconds with us (a la Rio)..But we heeded Del's advise and left the premises..Matt had a good thought, when he said he was nervous doing it because he loved GNR so much that he was afraid that if Axl got mad at us, it would crush him..I kinda understood his train of thought, but we all know that AXLROULLEY.com won't really be complete until we have a picture of us standing together..

So later on that night, I see Earl and ask if I could take a pic with him, but he said no (hey at least he smiled and mumbled something)..So I walked back to the hotel dejected..I had no reason to be angry but I was..I told Holtz and Jan that I just felt that I wasn't out to harm anyone, just a fan with a camera and I felt "disillusioned" and unappreciated..I realize I had no right to feel this way, but I just felt sad..

So we wake up on the 31st and hit the line hard..Met a few new guys and a young girl in the line..I don't recall their names but one is a poor man's Billy Zane (he was from New Jersey)..There was also this pretty 18 year old girl from Michigan who came with her mom named Amanda..I always have mad love for any younger GNR fan, but it didn't hurt that this girl looked like a thing of beauty..I tried to coach her about the front row and that she was gonna have to stick up for herself and not get pushed around..While waiting in line I decide to run back to the hotel and get a towel and a permanent marker (possibly the best call of the trip) and I write the now legendary "Celebrity Deathmatch Was Fixed!!" on the towel.. So we get into the show around 9pm and my boys are all around me, with the exeption of Holtz, who is still front row, but closer to Robin's part..The NYE Crew now consists of me to the left of the stage, next to the barrier (one of the best seats as we were actually closer to the stage the way it was set up - great strategy for John M as he picked out that location)..John and Amanda had already been on the railing, so I decided John didn't need to stand next to Amanda, so I quickly took my place between them (to protect this girl from John M's libido and keep my promise to her mother to protect her because her mom wasn't coming up front)..So there we are..John and I reforming the Wonder Twins, with Ravi, Matt ("He (Axl)probably isn't even going to know what it (the sign) means") Jan and Neil behind us and the rest of the crew spread out..So we are enjoying the show fighting for the front (Amanda garnered quite a bit of attention from the cameraman and Robert John) and the show was simply brilliant..I thought there were no snafus..Axl seemed to be in a great mood, so I figured I would try out the sign, well my timing wasn't the best because he was doing the introductions of the band but he finally looked over and actually stopped and said, "Hey did you send that to me" and all I could muster up was a "yes sir"..and I threw it on stage and he seemed to enjoy it..Of course I didn't really "SEND" the article, I just contributed..I felt stupid for a minute, because I think I may have taken some of Eva's thunder..As I merely gave a small contribution and made up that "phrase", but none the less that moment with the Ax man will be frozen in time for me..Every bit of sadness I had felt the night before was turned back into instant euphoria, just for being able to convey myself to one of my boys..So Axl is down, now all I need is Don Mattingly, Evander Holyfield, Bruce Springsteen and Dan Marino..

Thanks Axl..

As far as the actual performance..I thought Axl and Tommy and Brain and Bucket were brilliant last year and had no complaints with Paul or Robin, but this year I thought they deserved an A+ also..I wish Buckets guitar was turned up more for that last solo in Paradise City though..It is so great..Top notch show guys!!!! On of their best I have seen (out of 6)..

PS..Big ups to Matt for defiling a girl in the dumpster area of the Amerisuites..