Guns N’ Roses headlined on Saturday night at the Coachella music festival in Indio, California, to the delight of many.
Of course, this being a gigantic music festival intended to have something for everyone, there were just as many people disappointed by what they witnessed: an injured Axl Rose looking constipated on what looked like a giant electronic toilet. Maybe it only looked like that to me because my brain was fried from constant exposure to the sun and too much lager.
Even if I, and quite a few of my fellow festivalgoers, weren’t satisfied by the long-awaited reunion of Axl, Slash and Duff McKagan, there were plenty of folks who were. Before their performance, I went in search of the men and women who braved overpriced tickets, overpriced beer, overpriced food, overpriced parking, and vomit-inducing toilet odors to experience a small piece of rock’n’roll history.
Darryl, 39, and Lloyd, 33, had come from Chicago to see GNR. Even though they only cared about one band, they had to pay for all three days. Fortunately they made the trip worth it, as Darryl dressed as Axl and Lloyd dressed as Anchorman director Adam McKay in a top hat. Darryl and Lloyd said they attended the Chinese Democracy tour, the ill-fated attempt by Axl to use the Guns N’ Roses name in conjunction with a brand-new lineup which included Buckethead – a man who plays guitar while wearing a bucket on his head.
“It was good, but it wasn’t the same,” they said. And what of Buckethead? Will he be missed at Coachella? “He’s awesome. He wears a bucket of KFC on his head. What else is there to say?”
Indeed.
Jasmine, 24, and Juan drove down from the Bay Area and staked out a spot close to the stage early in the afternoon. By “afternoon” I mean a solid 10 hours before Guns N’ Roses were scheduled to play. Their plan was to switch off going to the bathroom, getting drinks, and procuring food. “We don’t care, we wanna see them,” Juan said of the half a day’s worth of sitting in the desert.
The trip to Coachella was a gift from Jasmine, so they wanted to get their money’s worth. “I was gonna go to Vegas, and she was like, ‘Don’t go, I got a surprise for you.’”
Matt, 28, and Kaitlyn, 25 were from Perth, Australia. They’ve been living in Vancouver for the last six months and lucked into tickets thanks to a friend who couldn’t attend. So, at the last minute, they drove from Canada to Indio, which takes about three days by their estimation.
Since their presence at the festival was a bit of happenstance, who are they there to see?
“So, I’m more electronic. I’d like to see Ice Cube as well,” Matt said.
For Kaitlyn, “My No1 is Chvrches. Hallsey as well. And Ice Cube tonight.”
What about Guns N’ Roses? “Not personally, no. It’s a bit out of our age bracket.”
I stumbled upon a pack of proper dudes from Orange County, California – Curtis, Kenji, Wesley and Brian – all wearing shirts with banana prints on them. Needless to say, I had to stop and ask them the meaning of life. They looked like they had some answers.
Curtis, Kenji and Brian were all thrilled to be there for Guns N’ Roses. Wesley, the clear black sheep of the crew, dissented. He was all in for Elle Goulding on Friday, which drew hearty jeers from his fellow bros.
“They don’t appeal to me as a person, musically,” Wesley said of GNR. “There’s plenty of rock’n’roll artists from that era that are better.”
The subject of Axl’s injury came up, which led to a discussion of Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who suffered a similar injury. That really set Wesley off.
“Dave Grohl is like twice the rocker, dude. He’s the only person alive who makes legit rock’n’roll. That guy’s got so much energy. He’s off the charts, man.”
In order to soothe the savage bro beast, I changed the subject. What’s with the bananas, guys?
“We love bananas. We wanted to have a matching set. We know how alluring it is,” Kenji told me. I turned to a couple of women sitting on the same park bench. I asked Sammy, 30, from Houston if she was talking to these dudes because of their shirts. “Yeah. They drew us in from their banana shirts.”
Lesson for future festival attendees: never underestimate the power of the banana shirt.
In the same beer garden, I spotted a girl carrying a Bernie Sanders sign – a giant Bernie head, to be exact. Sarah, 22, Rachel, 21, and Aaron, 24 are siblings from Oak Park, California, in the San Fernando Valley. Coachella is something of a tradition for them. It’s Aaron’s seventh year at the festival and Sarah’s fifth. This year, they brought along their friend, Savannah, 22.
Who were they most excited to see? “Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.” And Guns N’ Roses? Did they care?
“I’d say you’d be crazy not to be. That era of music is insane, though. One of the best time periods for music. The vibe the music gives people brings people together,” Sarah said.
What possessed Sarah to bring a Bernie Sanders sign to a music festival?
“This is an informal form of propaganda. I’m an avid Bernie supporter. I think he’s someone you can believe in, someone you can trust. Hillary Clinton contradicts herself a lot. Her stance on gay marriage changed a lot in the last few years, and I think that’s terrifying, the thought of our president being someone so blatantly dishonest.”
Before I left, I had to ask which is a better festival experience, Coachella or a Bernie rally. Sarah didn’t hesitate. “Coachella’s got nothing on Bernie, but I think the crowd is pretty similar. A lot of dirty hippies.”
Slash cosplay was not uncommon. Besides my new friends from Chicago earlier in the day, I met Gio, 35, from Los Angeles. His costume might not have been as elaborate as Lloyd’s, but it was certainly heartfelt.
Gio was sitting with his friends David, 30, and Alex, 39. They’ve all been fans since they were teenagers. Alex, being the oldest, has the most vivid memories of the band, though he’s never experienced anything close to the classic lineup.
“I’ve seen Slash before, but not the whole group. He sucks by himself. It’s the chemistry [that’s missing].”
But this isn’t even the true classic lineup, as Izzy Stradlin, the guitarist, is still holding out.
“I really think that’s gonna be a big issue. I think Izzy was the most underrated part of the band. He’s gonna be missed. I know he’s not gonna be there, but I wish he was.”
As the hours ticked away, I began to wonder when all these superfans would make their way to the main stage. Would Gio, David, and Alex be grabbing spots like Jasmine and Juan? They’d be staying put.
“We’re big guys. We push everybody out,” Gio said.
A family from Indio – Michelle, 47, Kevin, 50, Logan, 15 – entered the festival. I never went to a music festival with my father growing up, but I can’t say I’d be totally stoked if he showed up with his shirt off. Granted, my father wasn’t totally ripped like Kevin. I asked Logan if he was excited for Guns N’ Roses.
“I like rock’n’roll, but I mainly just listen to EDM.”
Are his parents trying to get him into GNR?
“I try. He listens to it indirectly.”
Before walking off, Michelle stops me to jump into what sounds like a paid advertisement from festival producer, Goldenvoice.
“This is the best music festival ever. They do it all right. I’ve been here for 10 years, and its better every year. They provide so many great amenities here.”
If only they provided flushable toilets. Maybe that’ll be next year.
As the sun set, I spoke to one final couple: Jacob, 24, and Jasmine, 23, from San Diego. Jacob’s originally from Tennessee, and said his parents got him into Guns N’ Roses. So, there must be hope for Kevin and Michelle as they try to indoctrinate their little Jack U/Calvin Harris fan into the rock world.
I ask Jacob and Jasmine if they bonded over their shared love of Guns N’ Roses when they met.
“No, we met on Tinder.”
I wonder if they know a lot of fans their own age. Jasmine chimes in: “For me, it’s half and half. I was talking to one of my co-workers and I was super stoked on the lineup and the reason why they didn’t come is because they said, ‘Oh, Guns N’ Roses is gonna be there. Nobody cares.’ Excuse me? No, this is history.”
With my day behind me and the night of heavy metal debauchery ahead, I endeavored to brave the onslaught of Disclosure fans and find a spot near the main stage. On my way there, I met a man named Lance who didn’t seem at all interested in Guns N’ Roses. Curiously, he seemed more interested in the legal status of one Orenthal James Simpson.
I didn’t get into his reason for believing OJ is innocent, as I didn’t want to wreck the good vibes of our photo shoot, but his purpose for wearing the shirt to the festival – beyond the obvious attention it brings – isn’t all that different from the folks rocking GNR shirts. It’s all nostalgia, after all.
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