Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan has offered fans an early glimpse into the band’s 2025 world tour, which recently kicked off in Asia, notably marking their first live performances with new drummer Isaac Carpenter. In a video update, McKagan shared his enthusiasm for the initial shows and revealed a new venture as a columnist for the relaunched Hit Parader magazine, as the band continues its extensive global trek.
The ongoing world tour, titled the “Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things” tour, began on May 1st at the Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, South Korea. This concert was the first to feature Isaac Carpenter behind the kit, who stepped in following the departure of Frank Ferrer in March.
“These first few dates of the Guns tour have been f**king awesome, starting in Korea, which I’d never played before, in Seoul, which was super cool,” McKagan reported (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I really, really like that country. I like how they roll. It’s f**king awesome. The crowd was amazing. Back to Tokyo…”
Beyond his on-stage duties, McKagan is also embracing a new role as a writer. “I’m writing now for Hit Parader,” he announced. “Hit Parader‘s relaunching, so the first issue is [coming out] June 1st. And I’m a columnist for the new Hit Parader.” His first piece delves into a familiar topic from their recent tour stop: “I wrote an article — hopefully it’s okay — about sort of the rock and roll history of Tokyo and Japan. And then with my own experiences dating back to 1988, to now.”
While in Tokyo, McKagan enjoyed time with his wife Susan and daughter Mae, visited his favorite Harajuku punk rock clothing store Jim Sinn, and participated in a special event at the unique three-story Fender store. “Then at the Fender event, I had Isaac come and play,” McKagan shared. “Instead of me just playing bass and having like a clinic, I had Isaac come, and he played drums and we played little bits and pieces of a bunch of Guns songs. And it was super fun.”
After a stop in Taipei, Taiwan, McKagan confirmed the band was in Bangkok at the time of his update. The “Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things” tour now continues with an extensive run of dates across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Guns N’ Roses – Upcoming 2025 World Tour Dates:
Asia & Middle East (May):
- May 17 – Mumbai, India – Mahalaxmi Racecourse
- May 20 – Sakhir, Bahrain – Al-Dana Amphitheatre
- May 23 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Mohammed Abdo Arena
- May 27 – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Arena
- May 30 – Shekvetili, Georgia – Shekvetili Park (with Rival Sons)
Europe (June – July):
- June 2 – Istanbul, Turkey – Tüpraş Stadyumu
- June 6 – Coimbra, Portugal – Estádio Cidade de Coimbra
- June 9 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
- June 12 – Florence, Italy – Ippodromo del Visarno (Firenze Rocks)
- June 15 – Hradec Králové, Czech Republic – Park 360 (Rock For People)
- June 18 – Düsseldorf, Germany – Merkur Spiel-Arena
- June 20 – Munich, Germany – Allianz Arena
- June 23 – Birmingham, England – Villa Park
- June 26 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- June 29 – Aarhus, Denmark – Eskelunden (with Public Enemy)
- July 2 – Trondheim, Norway – Granåsen
- July 4 – Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena
- July 7 – Tampere, Finland – Tampere Stadium
- July 10 – Kaunas, Lithuania – Darius and Girėnas Stadium
- July 12 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
- July 15 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskás Aréna
- July 18 – Belgrade, Serbia – Ušće Park
- July 21 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Vasil Levski National Stadium
- July 24 – Vienna, Austria – Ernst-Happel-Stadion (with Sex Pistols)
- July 28 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Luxexpo The Box
- July 31 – Wacken, Germany – Hauptstrasse (Wacken Open Air)
