Carrie Underwood showcased her incredible versatility and undeniable talent with a slew of electrifying rock covers during the kick-off of the Guns N’ Roses Tour on Saturday (Aug. 5) at Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium in Moncton, NB, Canada.
“Rockstar Dreams” Comes True
Living out her “rockstar dreams,” Underwood captivated the capacity crowd with her show-stopping renditions of iconic rock hits. From Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” to Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” she flawlessly channeled the spirit and energy of these legendary rockers.
The surprises didn’t end there as Carrie Underwood delivered powerful performances of Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll,” among others. Each note she hit and every lyric she sang exuded confidence and a deep appreciation for the rock classics.
Donning an all black leather ensemble with silver accents, Carrie Underwood also delighted fans with a nostalgic reprise of an iconic cover she first performed on American Idol: Heart’s “Alone.”
See Underwood’s Epic Cover Of Motörhead’s “Ace Of Spades” Below
But the highlight of the night came when she fearlessly tackled Motörhead’s “Ace Of Spades” as she used the same song as the hype anthem and the tune that played prior to her taking the stage on her headlining Denim & Rhinestones Tour earlier this year.
Known for her powerhouse vocals and country anthems, Underwood delivered epic renditions of the rock hits. Her performance allowed fans to see that not only is she a force to be reckoned with in Country music but also a massive fan of rock n’ roll.
18-Song Set List
Throughout her 18-song set, Underwood delivered performances of “Last Name,” “Undo It,” “Church Bells,” “Blown Away,” “Flat On The Floor,” “Somethin’ Bad,” and of course her chart-topping hit, “Before He Cheats.”
She also performed a handful of tunes from her upcoming project, Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition), including “Crazy Angels,” “Hate My Heart,” “Poor Everybody Else,” “Velvet Heartbreak” and “Out Of That Truck.”
Underwood also joined the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame members for a pair of performances, including “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City,” both of which appear on Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, Appetite For Destruction.
“Country Girl Living Out Some Rockstar Dreams”
Underwood was admittedly nervous to perform in front of an audience of rock fans rather than country fans.
“Just a country girl living out some rockstar dreams… I want to say a HUGE thanks to @gunsnroses for having us out on tour, as well as their amazing fans!” she wrote on Instagram. ”I was super nervous playing for another band’s crowd (of a completely different genre, no less) but you all made us feel so welcome!!!”
“A Lot Of Surprises” In Her Set
Ahead of the show, Underwood teased that she had “a lot of surprises” in store for her set.
“I wanted to be me, but I also wanted to bridge the gap between me and Guns N’ Roses a little bit, so we’re just having a blast with it,” she said of her setlist. “I’m doing some cover songs of some rock stuff that I love. I’m mashing up some of my songs with some other songs. We just look at it as an opportunity to be creative and get to do something we’ve never done before; just have a good time with it.”
She hopes her fans enjoy the chance to see a unique show from her.
“My fans that are at the shows will see things that they’ve never seen and hear things that they’ve never heard in a really cool way, and then also even if there’s people out there who have no idea what I do, hopefully, they’ll really enjoy seeing us before Guns N’ Roses and just have fun with us too,” she shared. “So, it’s an opportunity for new creative things to happen, and I’m excited about it.”
Massive Fan Of Guns N’ Roses For A Long Time
The opportunity to tour with Guns N’ Roses is something Underwood doesn’t take lightly. She has been a fan of the iconic rock band for quite some time.
“I think the things I look forward to most are obviously, like watching their show (laughs) and being around them, but it’s just such a fun vibe,” Underwood shared with her record label prior to the tour kick off. “Their fans are absolutely incredible and so supportive and just have been so much fun, everything that I’ve seen from them.”
The Oklahoma native and Guns N’ Roses’ frontman Axl Rose, who Underwood previously dubbed a “dream duet partner,” first joined forces for a star-studded duet during Underwood’s headlining set at Stagecoach in 2022.
She also teamed up with the popular rock group in London in July of 2022, surprising the crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Axl Rose Helped Underwood Find Her Voice
In 2015, Underwood, an avid fan of classic rock, told E! Online she found her voice from listening to artists like the Guns N’ Roses’ singer.
“I’ve covered enough Guns N’ Roses stuff, and it was people like him who taught me how to sing,” Underwood previously shared. “I look at people like him and Freddie Mercury, those people who were doing all these crazy runs. It was so different.”
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2020, Underwood opened up about flying to Las Vegas to see her “favorite band,” Guns N’ Roses, for the first time and she declared it was “one of the best nights” of her life.
“We were nowhere near Las Vegas, so naturally I said, ‘Let’s go to Las Vegas with the band and go see GN’R play,’” Underwood told Fallon at the time. “It’s kind of a life-long dream of mine I never thought would happen. Couldn’t waste that opportunity, so I abandoned my husband, abandoned my children, went to Vegas, and saw Guns N’ Roses. Amazing.”
Additionally, Carrie Underwood’s extremely limited run of shows with Guns ‘N Roses includes two more dates: Tuesday, August 8 at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal, QC and Saturday, August 26 at GEODIS Park in Nashville, TN.
