Guns N’ Roses dust off rarities at first show of 2023 world tour in Abu Dhabi

Guns N’ Roses have kicked off an expansive 2023 world tour in Abu Dhabi, returning a handful of songs to the setlist for the first time in decades.

• READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses – rank the albums

The band played Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates capital on Thursday night (June 1). Included among the more than 30 songs they played were ‘Appetite for Destruction’ cut ‘Anything Goes’, breaking the song out for the first time since 1988. They played ‘Bad Obsession’ from ‘Use Your Illusion I’ for the first time since 1993, while ‘Use Your Illusion II”s ‘Pretty Tied Up was performed for the first time since 1992.

The band played nine ‘Appetite for Destruction’ songs all up – including ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Mr. Brownstone’, opener ‘It’s So Easy’ and closer ‘Paradise City’. 2022 singles ‘Hard Skool’ and ‘Absurd’ were both performed, plus an array of other songs from both instalments of ‘Use Your Illusion’, 1988’s ‘G N’ R Lies’ and 2008’s ‘Chinese Democracy’.

The setlist also included a slew of covers. They debuted a rendition of ‘T.V. Eye’ by the Stooges with GNR bassist Duff McKagan on vocals, Wings‘ ‘Live and Let Die’, Velvet Revolver‘s ‘Slither’, Rose Tattoo’s ‘Nice Boys’, Jimmy Webb’s ‘Wichita Lineman’ and UK Subs’ ‘Down on the Farm’. See fan-shot footage of the show below, and read further down for the full setlist.

Anything Goes in Abu Dhabi! @gunsnroses #GunsNRoses pic.twitter.com/MMNtbryEV4

— del james (@deljamesgang) June 1, 2023

Bad Obsession live in Abu Dhabi. @gunsnroses #GunsNRoses pic.twitter.com/jorsUXE7pQ

— del james (@deljamesgang) June 1, 2023

Guns N’ Roses 2023 world tour continues this Monday (June 5) in Tel Aviv, before a European and UK leg that includes a performance at Glastonbury on June 24 and a headline show at London’s BST Hyde Park on June 30. The European leg extends into mid-August, when a North American run begins up until mid-October. Find tickets for the Glasgow and London headline shows here, European shows here and North American shows here.

Guns N’ Roses setlist at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi on June 1 was:

1. ‘It’s So Easy’
2. ‘Bad Obsession’ (First time since February 6, 1993)
3. ‘Chinese Democracy’
4. ‘Slither’ (Velvet Revolver cover)
5. ‘Pretty Tied Up’ (First time since April 6, 1992)
6. ‘Welcome to the Jungle’
7. ‘Mr. Brownstone’
8. ‘Hard Skool’
9. ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
10. ‘Reckless Life’
11. ‘Absurd’
12. ‘You Could Be Mine’
13. ‘Down on the Farm’ (UK Subs cover) (First time since December 20, 2006)
14. ‘Rocket Queen’
15. ‘T.V. Eye’ (The Stooges cover) (Duff McKagan on vocals, Live debut)
16. ‘Anything Goes’ (First time since August 1, 1988)
17. ‘Civil War’ 
18. ‘This I Love’ (First time since November 14, 2018)
19. ‘Live and Let Die’ (Wings cover)
20. ‘Estranged’
21. ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’
22. ‘November Rain’
23. ‘Wichita Lineman’ (Jimmy Webb cover)
24. ‘Street of Dreams’
25. ‘Nice Boys’ (Rose Tattoo cover) (First time since February 11, 2017)
26. ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ (Bob Dylan cover)
27. ‘Nightrain’
28. ‘Patience’
29. ‘Don’t Cry’
30. ‘My Michelle’ (First performance since November 29, 2017)
31. ‘Paradise City’