18 May,2025 01:16 PM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto
Slash and Axl Rose perform during the concert in Mumbai on May 17. Photo Courtesy: Guns N` Roses
Even before Guns N' Roses' took to the stage, there were signs of their arrival. Not only because a fan like Zeet Bora spotted Slash at Leopold Cafe two days before the concert but because the city experienced untimely rains as if to announce that it was time to let your hair loose and indulge in some good old rock music. It felt like the rain gods were poetically reminding every fan to sing November Rain as they trudged their way to Mahalaxmi Racecourse. After all, GnR, as they are popularly called, is coming to the city after 12 years.
The rain did try to play spoilsport with changes at the venue for entry. People had to wait in never-ending snaking lines that unfortunately made many miss watching the opening act by beloved Indian rock band Girish and The Chronicles who belted their biggest hits including Rock n Roll Is Here To Stay while tipping their hats to the likes Indian legends Parikrama, but not without warming up the crowd.
This time people not only witnessed the mastery of Axl Rose but also Slash as they opened with Welcome to the Jungle. While Rose dressed in an all-black ensemble brought out his signature theatrics, Slash, clad in a bright yellow printed sleeveless T-shirt of "The Evil Dead" and his hat, treated the audiences to his infectious riffs. There was also Michael Andrew McKagan, popularly known as Duff McKagan, Richard Fortus, Melissa Reese, Dizzy Reed and Isaac Carpenter. Mumbaikars and people from all over India, not only the northeast but also Gujarat, shook their heads, headbanged and simply swayed to the music - showcasing how much each one of them had missed the band, who are in the country for the second time.
This time, we got to see Axl Rose and Slash together as well. Carrying along rainwear, the fans sported every single kind of Guns N' Roses T-shirt to ever exist, and were treated to hits like Bad Obsession, Live and Let Die, Better, Civil War and Sweet Child of Mine in a show produced by BookMyShow Live, that lasted close to three hours.