Three Hours of Rock Legacy and Raw Energy… With Room to Breathe
Review By Mark Pitfield
Guns N’ Roses’ return to Wembley Stadium on the 26th of June was a reminder that this band still operates on their own terms. After all these years, they’ve earned it. With a sprawling 34-song set, clocking in at just over three hours, the band pulled deep from their discography, threw in fan-favourites, and treated the crowd to some true curveballs – whether you wanted them or not.
From the moment “Welcome to the Jungle” blasted out over the PA , there was no easing in. The band charged in with “Bad Obsession” and “It’s So Easy,” letting the music do all the talking. And that was the tone for the night – very little crowd interaction, just song after song, like chapters in a living jukebox. Axl Rose gave a few nods here and there, but mostly stayed focused on the delivery. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t cozy either.
Despite the minimal chat, Guns N’ Roses gave us everything else. Each band member had their own moment to shine – solos all round, with Slash’s guitar work as dazzling as ever and Duff McKagan taking the mic for a gutsy cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Thunder and Lightning.” The set was peppered with these surprises, including two tour debuts: “Anything Goes” and “Dead Horse,” which went down a storm with die-hard fans who revel in hearing the rare cuts live.
Covers featured heavily, and for once, felt like purposeful inclusions rather than filler. “Live and Let Die” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” remain essential GNR staples, while their takes on “Down on the Farm” and “Human Being” offered gritty punk edges that reminded the audience just how far their influences stretch. The Velvet Revolver nod with “Slither” added another texture, while “Wichita Lineman” and “Civil War” slowed the pace and let the emotion soak in.
That’s not to say the energy dropped – far from it. “You Could Be Mine” and “Hard Skool” kept the adrenaline levels peaking, while the one-two punch of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “November Rain” delivered the anthemic bombast that many in the 90,000-strong crowd came to hear. “Rocket Queen” and “Nightrain” reminded us why GNR still hold a throne in the hard rock kingdom.
One of the biggest talking points was the absence of real spontaneity. This wasn’t the kind of show where the band bantered, told stories or reacted to the crowd much. Instead, it felt like a professionally delivered, precision-engineered set – and while that disappointed some expecting a looser rock ‘n’ roll vibe, others appreciated the non-stop nature. No meandering, no filler talk – just riffs, solos, and raw power.
Sound-wise, it varied depending on where you stood. Those closer to the stage praised a thick, full mix, while fans higher up and on the flanks noted a patchy experience at times, particularly with vocals getting lost in the stadium echo. But none of it seemed to faze the crowd, who remained firmly locked in from start to finish.
By the time they launched into their encore – capped with “Paradise City” and a cinematic closer in the form of the “Severance” TV series theme – it felt like we’d been taken on a journey that spanned not just the band’s career, but decades of rock evolution. That final track, haunting and stark, was an unexpected closer but somehow fitting: a reminder that Guns N’ Roses, while still capable of fireworks, are also masters of mood and tone.
Final Thoughts
This Wembley show was a celebration of legacy, not reinvention. Guns N’ Roses didn’t come to prove anything – they came to remind us. Remind us why those iconic tracks still pack a punch. Why Slash remains one of the most mesmerising guitarists on the planet. Why Duff’s punk roots still matter. And why Axl, love him or hate him, still has the charisma to command a stadium with presence alone.
It may not have been intimate. It may not have been flawless. But it was undeniably Guns N’ Roses – a no-frills, three-hour monster of a rock show that very few bands on the planet could pull off.
Setlist Highlights:
- Tour debuts: “Anything Goes”, “Dead Horse”
- Covers that shone: “Live and Let Die”, “Thunder and Lightning”, “Wichita Lineman”
- Classics that crushed: “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, “You Could Be Mine”, “November Rain”, “Paradise City”
A relentlessly long, occasionally indulgent, but fiercely committed performance from one of rock’s most enduring giants.
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