Well, I have never been a true fan of Guns N’ Roses but like many avid music listeners, I am familiar with specific hit songs off of their ‘Appetite for Destruction’ album, such as “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” Since the original group’s full demise in 1996, fans have been torn between the media-filled controversy over why the group broke up, and why Axl Rose was able to obtain naming rights of the group’s name. Without ever getting too much into the reasoning, lets reflect on present day.
Last night, I was granted the opportunity to work the Guns N’ Roses concert at the Amway Center, in Orlando, FL. Pre-event, all workers were warned that the concert could lead well into the morning, which it did. We were to report to the Amway at 7 p.m. for a 9:30 p.m. Showtime. It was rumored that Axl Rose would be late but it was undetermined how late. I was warned that this type of behavior was common for the rock star, but what a selfish act. In the meantime, fans piled into the venue as the opening act, Buck Cherry took the stage. There were a few sound issues with the production, which left fans extremely irritated. They complained a lot! They also became uninterested in the concert and requested to watch the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Texas Rangers World Series game. Really? Guns N’ Roses Fans Like Major League Baseball?
In fact, they are as passionate about Major League Baseball (MLB) as they are for the grungy, Rock N’ Roll sounds of Guns N’ Roses. The request for the game to playing during the opening act was plentiful. There is a concert venue rule at the Amway that prevents any house television screens to be operating once the show has started. Being one of few people, who had to relay this news to guests, was not the favorable highlight of my night. There were many angry fans. Who would have thought? After many requests, the North Club Level Bar was kind enough to display the game on one television screen, away from the concert action. The bar was packed! Hold on, did you all pay $100 per ticket to watch the World Series or to rock out? Either way, disappointed concert fans turned happy, thankful MLB fans. Go figure.
As the St. Louis Cardinals went on to win the 2011 MLB World Series, there was still no Axl Rose. Concertgoers became weary and bored because the game that had been occupying their time while waiting on Axl, was no more. What now? Ultimately, the main event that was scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. start was finally in progress at 11:30 p.m. At that point, St. Louis Cardinal fans were prepared to celebrate the victory over the Texas Rangers. Texas Ranger fans were just ready to forget the game even happened and took kindly to the Guns N’ Roses show. In the end, I learned that grungy Rock N’ Roll fans are passionate about MLB. Besides, it being the World Series title game probably had a lot to do with the hype also. You think?
