Guns N’ Roses Break Tradition With Setlist Surprises in Istanbul
Guns N’ Roses turned heads during their June 3 performance in Istanbul, Turkey, as the iconic rock band made two bold setlist decisions that fans haven’t witnessed in over three decades. Playing at the massive BJK Tupras Stadyumu, the band made waves not just for their classic catalog, but for shaking it up in ways that haven’t happened since the early ’90s.
The biggest surprise of the night? The omission of “It’s So Easy” — a long-standing concert opener and staple of nearly every GNR setlist since their 2016 reunion. For the first time since 1993, the gritty, snarling anthem was left off entirely, replaced by the high-octane power of “Welcome to the Jungle,” now reclaiming its spot as the show’s kickoff.
But the setlist shakeup didn’t stop there.
Midway through the show, GNR ripped into “Out Ta Get Me,” a track from their 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction that hadn’t been performed live since 2017. The return of the song was a nostalgic gut-punch for diehards, bringing the kind of raw aggression that defined the band’s early days. A fan-shot video of the performance has already begun circulating online, sending the GNR fanbase into a frenzy.
This tour, officially titled Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things, has already lived up to its chaotic charm. Earlier stops have included surprise covers like Thin Lizzy’s “Thunder and Lightning” and the New York Dolls’ “Human Being.” GNR also brought back the G N’ R Lies favorite “Used to Love Her” and played their first show with zero tracks from Chinese Democracy since 1993.
With the European leg running through July, including a final show at Wacken Open Air in Germany, fans are now watching closely to see what other curveballs the band might throw next. So far, Guns N’ Roses is proving that even legends can still keep us guessing.
