Watch Guns N’ Roses Debut ‘The General’ At Final 2023 U.S. Show

When Guns N’ Roses announced they were releasing a seven-inch single for “Perhaps” in August, fans were surprised to learn that its b-side was a new song titled “The General.” The song, which was written during the Chinese Democracy sessions and has been the topic of discussion by fans online for nearly two decades, was finally unveiled on Thursday night at the band’s show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Introduced by Axl Rose as a song they hadn’t played before and that “it could be very interesting,” “The General” is a slow-building hard rocker.

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Watch fan-shot footage of the song below.

Guns N’ Roses’ two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl was the first time the band performed at the venue, which is the neighborhood where the band formed in the 1980s. The shows were the band’s final U.S. dates of 2023. On Sunday, the band is performing at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in Toluca, Mexico. After that festival date, Guns N’ Roses does not have any tour dates scheduled.

Recently, Duff McKagan released his latest solo album, Lighthouse. Slash announced that he is hitting the road in 2024 with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators beginning in January.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.