Guns N' Roses
Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
Mike Millard Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 245
16/44 Edition
Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder
JEMS Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassette > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Audacity 3.1 capture > iZotope RX > iZotope RX8 Advanced and Ozone 10 > MBIT+ resample to 16/44.1 > xACT 2.50 > FLAC
01 Introduction
02 Mr. Brownstone
03 It's So Easy
04 Out Ta Get Me
05 Move To The City
06 Patience
07 Guitar Solo
08 Rocket Queen
09 Sweet Child O' Mine
10 Only Women Bleed Intro >
11 Knockin' On Heaven's Door
12 Welcome To The Jungle
13 Guitar Solo
14 Paradise City
Known Faults: None
Axl Rose - vocals
Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar
Slash - lead guitar
Duff McKagan - bass
Steven Adler - drums
Introduction to the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Series
Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77. For the complete details on how tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' long history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=142055.
Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.
That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.
Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.
The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?
The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.
The full back story on how Mike’s master tapes were saved can be found in the notes for Vol. 18 Pink Floyd, which was the first release in our series transferred from Millard’s original master tapes:
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=156400
Guns N' Roses, Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA, October 19, 1989
After the controversy and (near) breakup of the band on night one opening for the Rolling Stones in 1989, Guns N' Roses ostensibly recommitted to each other on night two. The show opened with a quasi apology from Slash about the dangers of heroin and drug addiction, admitting he had struggled himself. This was all at the request of Axl Rose who insisted on the guitarist's act before taking the stage, which he did after Slash's speech, after ranting about drug issues within the band on opening night.
"GN'R did turn up in the end," a review in the Altoona Mirror read, "and Slash accepted responsibility for the band's erratic performance the previous night. No, they didn't sound any better this time out." The latter comment surely says more about the writer's overall opinion about Guns N' Roses than this particular performance.
With his mea culpa out of the way, "the second show was fine," Slash writes in his autobiography (quoted on the informative GN'R website Appetite For Discussion).
The night two set list shifted slightly from night one, both in terms of the order of songs and the omission of "My Michelle." "Move To The City" again features Matt McKagan (brother of Duff) and the Suicide Horns.
GN'R hadn't played a concert in ten months save for two warm-up sets the week before the Stones run. They wouldn't play another proper show until the start of 1991, so effectively these opening sets were the only Guns N' Roses gigs for nearly three years.
Millard's taping position is a row closer than he was night one, but the move to row two seems to have brought with it a slight challenge in picking up Rose's vocals from the PA. We've done some work in mastering to help correct for this. That minor issue aside, this is another big, bold capture. Samples provided.
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JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard's historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.
We can’t thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike’s precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim’s memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike’s incredible audio documents.
Once again we thanks Rob S for his tape transfer; Professor Goody for pitch prescription and mjk5510 for taking care of post production and CD artwork despite a challenging week personally.
Finally, cheers to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.
BK for JEMS