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Twenty-five years ago there was no bigger rock band in the world than Guns N’ Roses.

And on this day in 1992, the raucous five-piece group from Los Angeles rocked out in downtown Gateshead.

This was a time when the town was a regular stop-off for the world’s major rock acts. Only four days earlier, Dire Straits had performed a classy set for a sell-out crowd.

As for Axl Rose, Slash and the lads, they were in the midst of their 194-date Use Your Illusion Tour and the June 16 date at the International Stadium was one of three outdoor shows in the UK, the other two being at Wembley Stadium and Manchester City’s Maine Road.

With 25,000 in attendance, the show kicked off with It’s So Easy, Mr Brownstone, and their lively cover of the Wings’ classic, Live and Let Die.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Our reviewer declared enthusiastically: “The crowd exploded with excitement as Guns N’ Roses fired off both barrels.

“The music was so tight and highly charged that the band looked like snapping - working to a frenzied perfection their classics Paradise City, Sweet Child O’ Mine, and Welcome To The Jungle.

“Guns N’ Roses may look every inch real life victims of rock and roll, but they proved they’re working to perfection.

“The band - obviously loving the crowd and atmosphere - sang, played and ran their hearts out for two and a half hours with Slash saying ‘It’s crowds like you who make it all worthwhile’.

“With a fearsome support from the brilliant Faith No More and Soundgarden, the fans were left exhilarated and exhausted.”

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

If the show went well, there was the usual array of gripes and mishaps.

The Chronicle reported the day after how “fans wilted in the heat - and others got hot under the collar at bad language from lead singer Axl Rose on the stage.”

A police spokesman said: “We got telephone calls from people in Newcastle saying they could hear bad language floating through the air, but we do not intend to take any action.”

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Meanwhile, we revealed Guns N’ Roses had been unable to secure their first choice of overnight accommodation in the North East.

The band and entourage had turned up at Lumley Castle in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, demanding 28 double rooms, 24-hour room service and round-the-clock security for three nights, but the hotel were unable to manage and the group decided they’d stay in London.

Finally, one beneficiary of Guns N’ Roses’ Tyneside show was a Whitley Bay tattooist who reported a rush in trade from people wanting to copy rock wildman Axl Rose’s distinctive body artwork.

He told us: “Business is great. There are loads of fans wanting tattoos of him, or roses entwined around guns.”