I went to see Guns N' Roses last Wednesday! I'd advise those of you who don't like them to just delete this journal, since this'll be my 'gig-log' of it.

I'd come back from uni the day before, having finished work, and the weather was absolutely stunning. I was totally unprepared for this. (As I'm writing, the sun has not let up, but fortunately I have been reunited with my shorts!) I spent most of the day around the house by myself in a black vest and black cutoffs, which were not ideal considering how sweltering it was, but better than the jeans and t-shirt I'd put aside for the gig ...

Amy had an exam that afternoon, so we had to wait until she was finished with that to set off. I picked up her stuff, and my t-shirt (having changed into jeans and Converse, which was not comfortable in the heat) and drove into town. I stopped off at Tesco for some cash, then waited for her outside college. She reckoned her exam could've gone better, but also could've gone worse, so she wasn't freaking out. She had to pop to Tesco too, though, because she'd laddered her tights really badly and wanted some new ones.

She changed into them in the car on the way there, the mentalist. In fact she changed her whole outfit! The drive wasn't too bad - I didn't get lost or go wrong, and although it was quite busy nothing happened to particularly freak me out, and we arrived in one piece.

We went to McDonald's for tea. I'm never really hungry on gig days but I enjoyed my chicken salad sandwich from the deli menu. We touched up our make-up in Amy's mirror, because there were none in the toilets, before heading to queue outside. There was a fair line, but nothing like the scale of the one (or two, even, stretching in both directions round the arena) for Iron Maiden, so we were happy. The exterior doors open before the interior ones do, anyway, so once we were in we could re-queue for those and be nearer the front.

I looked longingly at the merch stall once we were in, but I'm trying to quit buying shirts and things now. Mansize t-shirts are not flattering on a woman and I already have a GnR tour shirt. I just want them, I don't needthem. Besides, I'm pretty poor at the moment - though that is entirely my fault!

We did indeed queue at a second set of doors, down a corridor and near to the stage. We'd been advised to go there if we wanted a good chance of getting to the front. Whilst waiting, we got talking to an older lady and a bloke with longish blonde hair, discussing past concerts, music, etc.

We were let in earlier than we'd expected to be, and made it onto the barrier without much fuss, a little to the left of the middle. Here was our position, if we believed the stories from earlier gigs on the tour, for the next six or seven hours ...

The wait wasn't too terrible, though. Me and Amy just talked about stuff the whole time. I guess we had a lot to catch up on because I hadn't been home for nearly a week, but talking about bands and concerts and things while you're waiting at a concert is always a great way to kill time.

We watched the stage being set up, wondering what times the bands were all going to come on. We couldn't figure out how many support bands there were going to be - we'd heard Black Spiders were going to be there, but it looked as though the roadies were getting ready for Thin Lizzy.

They were - at around twenty-five to nine, Thin Lizzy came on. I'd seen them before at the start of last year, but Amy wasn't there then. We both thought they were brilliant. Viv Campbell isn't with them any more but the guitarist who's there instead was really good. They did a similar sort of set to the one I saw last time, including one of my absolute favourites, Angel of Death. It somehow hasn't quite got the same vibe live, I'm not sure why, but it's still pretty creepy. [link]

During Dancing in the Moonlight Ricky Warwick pointed and smiled at Amy on the line 'but I asked you for a dance'. The perks of being at the front!

Obviously, then, there was only going to be one support band! That suited us. We watched the roadies strip the stage of Thin Lizzy's gear. There wasn't a whole lot left. A couple of riser-type things at the back for keyboards and the drums and things, but not much in the way of stage setting. I said to Amy they were maybe going to have lots of stuff happening on screens.

They came on at about twenty to eleven to this RnB-type song and I have no idea what it was so I'm afraid I can't be more specific than that. Well, I say came on, that was like their intro when all the lights went down. I forget how intense the atmosphere can get at big concerts at that point! It makes my tummy flutter just thinking about it. Some weird noises then started up: the beginning of Chinese Democracy, and it was then that the band made their way onto the stage. Even Axl came on before he was due to sing, and I pointed him out to Amy in the shadows and started squealing like a stuck pig. I love Axl Rose. I know full well he's a tit - I think I'm more qualified to that opinion than a non-GnR fan because as a fan I read all the relevant literature, interviews, etc. that tell of his antics - but I don't even care. It's terrible. But I will do anything for that man.

They played that, and then Welcome to the Jungle which sent everyone mental, so Axl asked everyone on the floor to step back a bit to stop us at the front getting squished. It worked way better than I'd thought it would - we didn't have any problems throughout the rest of the gig!

A gig which was three hours long. I shit you not. no breaks, no nothing, except three hours of solid Guns N' Roses. It was absolutely mint. Axl was in high spirits and pretty good voice (he did try and strain himself from time to time but overall he sounded mint).

In true Axl fashion he changed a few times, ran around and up and down ramps at either side of the stage, chucked a couple of mic stands, and took regular offstage breaks during solos and things. I think he had an oxygen tent on this tour. People have been badmouthing him for that but he wasn't using it when he was meant to be singing (although he came on late in the intro to Sweet Child O' Mine so for a second I thought he'd bailed!) so I don't see what their beef is really!

The stage was mainly set off by lights and other visuals such as trippy patterns and videos on-screen, for example dolphins swimming around during Estranged (YEAH Estranged!) But the main part of the show that blew us away was the pyro: they'd had fireworks and stuff at Leeds but we were much, much closer to the fire this time! Phwoar! I had to block my ears during Live and Let Die because it was so loud, and the flames gave off a massive amount of heat! But it was so cool.

Being at the front was mint. Last time we saw them was at Leeds festival, so we were among a crowd of mostly student indie kids who didn't want them to be there, but jumping around on the barrier with tons of other fans rocked. Axl kept standing near us and we'd scream and wave our arms around and both me and Amy got smiled at by him at one time or another. It was one of my life-defining moments: I made eye contact with Axl Rose. Fourteen/fifteen-year-old Sarah would've been going absolutely crackers. She might even have passed out. I don't know.

That was a nice little moment, actually. It was during a cover of Whole Lotta Rosie they did during the encore - my favourite song, as you all well know. On the 'she ain't exactly pretty' line I sort of shrugged in an action-type imitation of the lyrics, and Axl looked down at me and shrugged too. We then exchanged a sort of 'what're you gonna do?' smile before he carried on singing.

Even writing that is making my mouth smile of its own accord!

They played basically any staple classic GnR you could wish to hear, and a few surprises (Civil War, anyone?) and unfortunately my least favourite GnR song ever (Madagascar) but my personal preference can't be helped. It was amazing. I'm still feeling a bit of post-gig syndrome - I forgot how good big rock concerts are, it's been nearly a year since my last one! (All the others have been small, pop concerts, or both in the meantime).

Also, being at the front got us on-camera twice! Me and Amy were featured singing along during Knockin' on Heaven's Door, then again just generally jumping around being rockers to Whole Lotta Rosie. It was after that, though, that on-camera antics started getting a bit weird, mainly in the boobs sense. Is it really necessary? It makes me angry. I think most of the crowd there were actually women, too. I hate the idea that the only way I'm going to get any attention at a rock concert is if I flash.

The woman to my left also got a VIP pass from some sleazoid during the encore. I don't know who puts them up to this giving out of passes, but she was clearly chosen because she was very slim and pretty, and she was wearing a crop top. (I did mention earlier how hot England is at the moment, didn't I?) Bless her - she was bewildered! She'd come with friends and was talking to them for ages about whether she should go or not, she seemed quite nervous and unsure of what they were going to do with her once she got there. She was really nice too, she'd asked me earlier in the gig if she could possibly squish next to me because she was being jostled a lot behind me - most people don't bother, they just shove you out of the way.

Don't judge a book by its cover, creepy sleazy roadies: just because a girl is hot, does not mean she's easy. And please consider the self-confidence of the girls you don't dish out passes to!

It finished at about twenty to two. Because we went into town for a bit to avoid traffic, and because we were diverted twice on the way home, it was nearly four o' clock by the time we got into bed. The sun was coming up and the dawn chorus was so loud I had to put my headphones on for a bit!

Guns N' Roses, of course.