Guns N' Roses Perform 'The General' Live for the First Time Audio Ink Radio

Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘The General’ Live for the First Time

2023-11-04

Slash – Story by Cat Badra, photo by Anne Erickson

Watch Guns N’ Roses perform “The General” live for the very first time via fan-filmed footage here

Guns N’ Roses played a much-anticipated set at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday night (November 2nd) in Los Angeles, and they served up an extra big of goodies for fans. During their performance, the longstanding rockers debut the new song “The General.” It’s the first time fans have heard this version of the track.

The band performed “The General” amid a handful of other new songs: “Perhaps” and “Absurd.” Right before Guns N’ Roses launched into the song, vocalist Axl Rose said, “We’re gonna try a new song” and warned that it “could be very interesting.” It was, as the first time a band performs a new song live, it’s always an intriguing experience.

Earlier this year, the B-side to the recent physical release of “Perhaps” brought us the studio version of “The General.” The song is one of four new tracks that Guns N’ Roses have released since the return of classic members Slash and Duff McKagan in 2016. It’s worth noting that all of these songs were reworked from earlier demos, many of which originated from the “Chinese Democracy” sessions. Those sessions were originally recorded with Rose and other players, but now that Slash and McKagan are back with Rose, they’re fleshing out those “Chinese Democracy” songs.

Guns N’ Roses have one more show to play in 2023, and it’s Sunday (November 5th) at the Hell & Heaven festival in Mexico City. Right now, Guns N’ Roses don’t have any tour dates or one-off shows booked for 2024. But, that doesn’t mean band members are taking a break. Slash, for example, will embark on a major tour in 2024 with his band Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. Also, it’s early, so I would be surprised to not see any GN’R shows on the books for 2024 in the next few months.

Check out fan-filmed footage of Guns N’ Roses performing “The General” for the first time below. As you can tell, the song is a ballad of sorts, featuring some lighter passages that show off Rose’s range and epic guitar work from Slash.

Author
Recent Posts

Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.