"Appetite for Destruction" tribute at the Viper Room

This past weekend was the 25th Anniversary of the release of "Appetite for Destruction."  So I went out to check out a "Tribute to Appetite" show at the Viper Room on Sunset.
I assumed the place would be full of GNR fans, the usual types that I see at the "Tribute Band" concerts. So I put on my denim "GNR Vest" with a  head band and headed out the door.

Randy Orton's favorite place.

 What I didn't realize that the show wasn't a "tribute band" but more of a "tribute to the band".  So the band playing was a little younger and hipper than the usual vibe I was used to. Their would be no "fake Axl" and no "fake Slash." So basically I looked like a complete moron with my vest and headband on hanging out with a bunch of people in their early 20's that only know 3 GNR songs.  But I have enough GNR street cred to rock on with confidence.

Embarrassment sold separately.

The show actually kicked ass.  They played the whole "Appetite" album and had a rotating cast of lead singers taking turns on a few songs each. After they went through the whole album they went into some ACDC, Zepplin and others.  They ended up taking requests at the end of the night and played well past the Viper Room's curfew.  One person that was great to see at the concert was Colby, the lead singer of the GNR tribute band "Hollywood Rose."  He hopped up on stage and sang "Sweet Child of Mine", "Your Crazy" and "Anything Goes" with the band, bringing his "fake Axl" vibe that I always love.  His band will be back in town next month.  I saw them on my birthday at "The Whiskey" earlier this July and they ruled.  You can usually see Colby rocking it out on stage, or at the Cheeseburger stand after the show.

Colby from "Hollywood Rose" doing the heavy lifting.
Then he's gonna lift some cheeseburgers.

Near the end of the show, all of the singers got up on stage and shared the mic, belting out tunes like "Rebel Yell", "Crazy Train" and other classics.

"Lead Singer's Disease", times 10!

During the show they had an on-going slide show of classic pictures of GNR.

"Hey, down in front!" "I'm trying to watch the slideshow"

If you ever get a chance to see a GNR tribute, or a GNR tribute band, don't pass it up.  It may seem corny but its a great time and it's cool to see the way that all of those classic songs hold up to this day and how they have affected so many people through the years.  On average I hear about 7 GNR songs a day and I, like most fans agree,  it never gets old!