Guns N’ Roses with Ghost Hounds

From Rachmaninoff to rock, my tastes in music are diverse. I often struggle to answer the question about what type of music I like because I don’t have a single type. I love music that spans a wide spectrum of eras, genres, and artists. And so it is that I found myself at the Guns N’ Roses concert last night at the Delta Center. A rock and blues band named Ghost Hounds opened for them. I was equally excited to hear Ghost Hounds perform live as I was Guns N’ Roses. I discovered Ghost Hounds while casually scrolling Instagram reels during the summer, and their current single, “Last Train to Nowhere” hooked me instantly. I found more of their discography on YouTube and Spotify, and I have been listening to them consistently ever since. I eagerly watched online for concert dates, and I was elated to see that they added a show in Salt Lake City, opening for Guns N’ Roses. As a member of GenX, rock and pop from the 1980’s and early 1990’s shaped my musical tastes, so Guns N’ Roses is a band I have always liked. That made last night’s lineup a perfect pairing.

Ghost Hounds started promptly at 6:30 p.m., and they performed a handful of their songs. These included “Make It Shake,” their cover of Cliff Richard’s “Devil Woman,” “Between Me and the Devil,” “Half My Fault,” ” Last Train to Nowhere,” and “Dirty Angel.” The band sounded great, and frontman Tré Nation delivered excellent vocals and lots of charisma. Lasting only thirty minutes, though, their set felt incredibly short. It seemed to end as quickly as it started. I loved everything that I heard them play; I just wanted more. Having produced four studio albums in four years, Ghost Hounds has plenty of amazing options from which to create a longer set. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future, hopefully evolving into a solo act.

Guns N’ Roses took the stage just before 8:00 p.m., opening with “It’s So Easy.” Axl Rose has received a lot of criticism online for the inconsistency of his vocal performances over the last few years. At 61 years old, his voice bears the signs of age and a lot of wear and tear. As a result, he no longer sounds like he did in his twenties when Guns N’ Roses was at the height of its popularity. I went into the concert fully knowing that Axl might struggle with his voice. He did struggle at times, but in other moments, he sounded great. He deserves credit where credit is due. He also brought an incredible amount of energy to his entire performance, running the length of the stage all night long. Axl sounded particularly good singing “Civil War,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “November Rain,” and “Patience.” The staging of “November Rain” was particularly poignant as Axl played the piano at center stage, and Slash took his position in the center of an elevated platform for his guitar solo. For a few moments, it was just the two of them center stage, two icons of 80’s and 90’s rock who have endured their share of strife and estrangement, back together for as long as it lasts, bringing fans the music that they love and remember. The moment itself felt iconic.

Slash and the rest of the band delivered solid, energetic performances that formed the heartbeat of the show. Slash treated the audience to numerous guitar solos, some of which rocked hard with grit and soul, and others which were smooth, sultry, and tender. It was a pleasure to see and hear him perform live and witness the versatility of his talent. After introducing the rest of the band, Axl introduced Slash and gave him an opportunity to show the range of his skills. The solo began slow and bluesy, but it evolved into a hard rock swing rhythm. Slash followed this with the iconic introduction to “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” which brought the crowd to its feet. His guitar solo in “November Rain” resonated with melodic passion and emotion. During the band’s encores, Slash, Izzy, and Duff entered the stage alone and performed a sultry trio. Finally, also during the encores, Slash performed an acoustic solo during “Patience” that was incredibly sweet. These solos were the highlights of the night for me.

When it was all said and done, Guns N’ Roses rocked the Delta Center for three solid hours, giving fans a mix of iconic favorites, deeper cuts, nostalgic lyrics, and solid instrumentals. The band as a whole delivered a great performance, and I was thrilled to be there to experience it.