Guns N’ Roses fans need a little Patience at Download Festival

Guns N’ Roses spoilt Download Festival with a three hour set that tested the resolve of even the more ardent fan

Jungles are wild, uncultivated and notoriously difficult to navigate, and that’s precisely what welcomed Download fans attending the Guns N’ Roses headline set.

In a era desperate for nostalgia and all the hits, GN’R are spoiling their fans but inadvertently turning them into ungrateful brats.

Sometimes less is more and, after playing a nearly three-hour set, it’s impossible not to conclude that maybe playing a bunch more covers isn’t what’s required.

For the opening 20 minutes GN’R delivered a masterclass strutting across the vast Donington stage to a robust rendition of Welcome to the Jungle, although Axl deadpanning how nice to have “a few of your close friends drop by” delivered dad joke vibes rather than swagger.

Nevertheless Bad Obsession, It’s So Easy and a raft of early material sounded sturdy, although Axl clearly struggled to hit the wildcat highs of You Could Be Mine.

But then came the slog, unnecessary covers like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sex Pistols rocker Black Leather with Duff on vocals and a major ‘why?’ moment when Axl sang Wichita Lineman.

A rendition of Velvet Revolver’s Slither did work but ultimately seemed hollow considering that band were merely filling a void when Slash and Duff were no longer in GN’R.

Speaking of Slash he’s fast becoming a living meme. Arguably the most photographed person at Download in his signature top hat, perhaps he could set up a selfie stall, but his solo-ing on stage was excessive, and that’s being kind. Endless blues runs, while impressive at first, you feared he may still be widdling away in November.

There’s been talk of a new album for the best part of a decade but if recent humdrum tunes like Atlas are anything to go by, they might be better off sticking with more covers.

The crowd was thinning out by the end and it felt like you were doing them a favour by hanging on for the inevitable finale run of Sweet Child o’ Mine, November Rain and Paradise City.

Perhaps Patience would’ve been a more appropriate encore but by now the hangover had already started to kick in.

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