Guns N' Roses return to the jungle

Guns N' Roses returned to the stage for the first time since December of 2002 on Friday night (May 12th), when the group opened a four-night stand at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. Original guitarist Izzy Stradlin' didn't materialize as rumored, but sole founding member and singer W. Axl Rose led his band through a two-and-a-half hour set mixing favorites with half a dozen numbers from the yet-to-be-released Chinese Democracy album. Replacing guitarist Buckethead, who left the group two years ago, was axeman Ron Thal of New York group Bumblefoot.

The rest of the lineup consisted of guitarists Robin Finck and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pittman and drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia.

The band took the stage at 11 p.m., opening with "Welcome To The Jungle."

A review in the New York Times called the new songs "a bit inconclusive," saying that the crowd "didn't go nuts for them."

Guns N' Roses plays the third of its four New York shows on Monday, May 15th, finishing on Wednesday (May 17th) before heading to Europe to headline major festivals as well as open for the Rolling Stones.