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Axl Rose Surprises Slash With a Birthday Serenade at Guns N’ Roses Tour Kickoff
Guns N’ Roses opened the North American leg of their world tour in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Axl Rose led a stadium-wide rendition of “Happy Birthday” for guitarist Slash. The moment, during a concert featuring songs including “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City”, highlighted the enduring appeal of the band’s classic-era members and gave fans a notable opening-night moment.
Slash appeared touched and slightly overwhelmed as thousands of attendees sang to him at Carter-Finley Stadium, while a video of the tribute gained more than 17,000 views online. The band also shared a birthday tribute on Instagram, and Slash thanked fans in a brief post, writing that they were “wonderful”.
In short
- Axl Rose led fans in singing happy birthday to Slash in Raleigh.
- The tribute took place at Guns N’ Roses’ North American tour opening.
- Slash thanked fans after the stadium celebration.
Explained simply
Guns N' Roses is one of the world's most successful rock bands, known for hits from the 1980s and 1990s including "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle". The band was centred on the partnership between vocalist Axl Rose and guitarist Slash.
The band broke up in the early 1990s due to conflict between Rose and Slash, and the pair remained apart for nearly three decades. Their reunion in 2016 surprised many fans who had given up hope of ever seeing them perform together again.
The band now tours extensively with both Rose and Slash, performing to large audiences around the world. These reunion tours have drawn fans across multiple generations, from those who followed the band in the 1990s to younger listeners discovering their music.