Guns N' Roses
Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
October 22, 1989
Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 254
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 It's So Easy
02 Mr. Brownstone
03 Out Ta Get Me
04 Welcome To The Jungle
05 Move to the City
06 Patience
07 My Michelle
08 Slash Guitar Solo
09 Rocket Queen
10 Only Women Bleed Intro >
11 Knockin' on Heaven's Door
12 Paradise City
Known Faults: Rocket Queen cut/splice
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 22, 1989
The final night of Guns N' Roses opening for The Rolling Stones was also the final proper concert by the original lineup of the band. The next time they would perform in January 1991, drummer Steven Adler had been replaced by Matt Sorum.
So it was on an unusually rainy SoCal evening and after the controversy with which the run began on October 18 that GNR mk1 signed off. Slash's autobiography calls the fourth show at the Coliseum "fucking amazing-we were at our best." Adler's book recalls that at the end of this set, for the first time ever the band members put their arms around each other and took a bow, going on to write, "that was the last real Guns N' Roses concert ever."
While the mood is certainly lighter, it would be challenging to distinguish the band's performance here from the other two sets recorded by Mike "The Mike" Millard on October 18 (Vol. 228) and October 19 (Vol. 245). In truth, it's almost uncanny how similar the performances are of the songs, if you set the on-stage banter aside.
All three of Millard's GN'R recordings sound similar in quality. On this one, Axl Rose's voice seems louder in spots than others, but it is another undeniably excellent 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.
Our deepest appreciation goes to Rob S for his tape transfer; Professor Goody for pitch checking and mjk5510 for his steady handed post production and CD artwork.
THIS IS THE LAST LOST AND FOUND SERIES TITLE ON TTD. We have come to the end, at least for now, of the series and we'll wrap things up back where we started on DIME. There remain confirmed Millard recordings that JEMS does not possess and rest assured we will continue efforts to track them down with the goal of releasing all 300-ish shows Mike recorded.
Finally, cheers to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.
BK for JEMS