GUNS II: New guitarist . . ....

GUNS II: New guitarist . . . same old antics.

Guns N’ Roses may now be performing with guitarist Gilby Clarke in place of Izzy Stradlin, but everything else appeared true to form as GNR rolled into New York’s Madison Square Garden last Monday for the first of three shows.

The band went on late--nearly 11 p.m.--and played until 1:30 a.m., which was well past the union curfew. Typically, Axl Rose turned this into a bond with the fans as he bragged about having to pay hefty union fees for running late. “You people are worth more than the $24,000 we’re paying in overtime,” he told the crowd.

Rather than have Clarke or Rose take over the lead vocal on the songs that Stradlin had sung on earlier legs of the tour (“Dust N’ Bones” and “14 Years”), the band just skipped the songs. Bassist Duff McKagan, however, did sing lead on his own “So Fine.”

This tour leg is scheduled to run through early February with shows in San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix expected to be announced shortly.