There were a gaggle of models watching offstage, and enough pyro to scramble your mind.

Presentation-wise, Guns N' Roses's latest jaunt was very rock'n'roll, but the band's show proved surprisingly lacking in excitement at times.

A three-hour set might deliver tremendous value for money, but when padded out by extended guitar solos (including a go at Flower of Scotland), a couple of bloated numbers such as Street of Dreams and totally unneeded vocal turns from bassist Tommy Stinson and guitarist Bumblefoot any momentum tended to be disrupted.

Which is galling, because this eight-piece version of Guns N' Roses are a terrifically loud, striking outfit. There was real punch to a swaggering It's So Easy and thumping You Could Be Mine, while Estranged was epic in exactly the right, dramatic manner. As for Axl Rose, the man appeared in good spirits. Admittedly, by his combustible standards that can merely mean not picking fights, but he genuinely seemed to be enjoying matters, goofing about with a tech's hat at one point, high-fiving crowd members at another.

His voice wasn't always as powerful as it could have been, but substantial venom on a charging Nightrain and the inevitable Paradise City provided ample reward for passing the endurance test.

HHH