Power Trip 2023: Guns N' Roses put on phenomenal retrospective of rock 'n' roll hits

In contrast to the theatrical and profound thought style of Iron Maiden’s performance on Friday at Power Trip, Guns N’ Roses’ set didn’t come close.

But Guns N' Roses put on a phenomenal show of heavy rock 'n' roll hits and treated festivalgoers to highlights of the band's career, even paying tribute to Sir Paul McCartney's 50th anniversary of the James Bond anthem "Live And Let Die." The three-hour set was full of stunning video production and lasers, but notably no pyrotechnics until the very end.

Even though the band was 40 minutes late for its headlining performance, the crowd was calm and there were no signs of the old days when the band would appear hours late or not at all. When the festival went dark and the band's strange animated psychedelic visuals appeared, the crowd was on its feet, screaming in anticipation.

Starting with "It's So Easy," frontman Axl Rose appeared like a lightning rod and the rest of the band, which also features original members guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, were precise in every note.

By 1998, Rose had fired McKagan, Slash and former drummer Matt Sorum and reformed the band with new members and spent a decade recording the album "Chinese Democracy," which appeared early in the set, even though McKagan and Slash didn't perform on the song. But Rose sang "Slither," a song recorded by Velvet Revolver, which was a supergroup featuring McKagan, Slash, Sorum and late Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland.

Power Trip 2023: Guns N' Roses setlist

As Rose sang hits such as “Mr. Brownstone” and “Welcome to the Jungle,” his voice remained high but less throaty. He harnessed his vocal prowess for when it was needed and sang high from his diaphragm, often sounding operatic or falsetto. Rose didn't make any complaints about the desert affecting his voice, but Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson expressed his displeasure with the triple digit temperatures earlier in the evening.

The band also covered UK Subs' "Down on the Farm" and McKagan sang lead vocals on Iggy & the Stooges' "T.V. Eye." McKagan, the punk rocker of the band, has become known for writing messages on his bass. Even though his bass was bare during Power Trip, "LAMF” was stenciled in pink on his black leather vest, a nod to The Heartbreakers' album "L.A.M.F."

But more of classic vocal style started coming out later in the set during "Civil War" and "Sweet Child o' Mine."

"Yes, may I help you? Can I take your order?" Rose asked a fan during a break late in the set before starting "November Rain."

During the final part of the set, Rose sang a few lines of the song "Wichita Lineman" made famous by Glen Campbell before going into the band's cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Patience" and "Coma."

After performing "Nightrain," Rose mentioned the band had been informed of the curfew at 12:55 a.m. and said "parting is such sweet sorrow." The band closed out the two-hour set with "Paradise City."

As Guns N' Roses have made up for lost time since reuniting in 2016 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the band's lengthy tours have been featured in stadiums and arenas around the globe and are attracting new generations of fans who didn't experience the "Appetite For Destruction" and "Use Your Illusion" eras.

But Rose performed the two-and-a-half-hour set at Coachella during both weekends with a broken foot sitting in a throne loaned to him by Dave Grohl. Getting to experience the band's full vigor and a more animated Rose on stage again during Power Trip was a treat.

Power Trip live: Concert reviews, festival information, photos and more

A previous version of this article included incorrect information about the length of Guns N' Roses' Friday night set and has been corrected.

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Power Trip 2023: Guns N' Roses perform a phenomenal set of hits