Guns N’ Roses Kick Off 2025 World Tour in South Korea With New Drummer and Powerful Setlist

Guns N’ Roses Launch 2025 World Tour With Electrifying Show in Incheon, South Korea

Guns N’ Roses officially kicked off their 2025 world tour on Thursday, May 1st, with a powerful performance at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, South Korea. The tour, titled Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things, marks the beginning of another chapter in the legendary rock band’s live legacy.

This opening night was notable not just for its high-energy execution but also for debuting new drummer Isaac Carpenter, who stepped in following the March departure of longtime drummer Frank Ferrer. Carpenter brings prior experience with GN’R bassist Duff McKagan’s side project Loaded, having performed with them from 2009 to 2011 and contributing to their 2011 album The Taking.

A Setlist Full of Classics and Surprises

The band delivered a 22-song set that leaned heavily on their groundbreaking 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction, featuring seven of its twelve tracks, including staples like “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Mr. Brownstone,” and the show-closing “Paradise City.” Notably, the concert opened with “Welcome to the Jungle” for the first time since 2012, replacing the usual opener, “It’s So Easy,” which was moved later into the set.

Selections from Use Your Illusion I & II made a strong appearance, with epic fan favorites such as “November Rain,” “Estranged,” and “Coma” highlighting the band’s dynamic range. The show also included the Use Your Illusion-era deep cut “Bad Obsession,” further pleasing longtime fans.

From the 2008 album Chinese Democracy, Guns N’ Roses performed “Chinese Democracy,” “Better,” “Sorry,” and the title track. Among the band’s post-reunion releases since 2021, only “Perhaps” was featured in the set.

While GN’R is known for including a variety of cover songs during their live performances, this show kept things relatively focused, offering just four: Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” and Velvet Revolver’s “Slither.”

Full Setlist – May 1, 2025 – Incheon, South Korea

1. Welcome to the Jungle

2. Bad Obsession

3. Mr. Brownstone

4. Chinese Democracy

5. Live and Let Die

6. Slither

7. Perhaps

8. Estranged

9. Double Talkin’ Jive

10. Coma

11. Sorry

12. Better

13. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

14. It’s So Easy

15. Rocket Queen

16. Slash Guitar Solo

17. Sweet Child O’ Mine

18. November Rain

19. Wichita Lineman

20. Patience

21. Nightrain

22. Paradise City

Tour Continues Through Summer 2025

Guns N’ Roses’ 2025 tour will continue throughout spring and early summer, with the final currently scheduled stop taking place on July 31st at Wacken Open Air in Germany. As of now, there have been no announcements regarding North American dates, but fans can expect more news as the tour progresses.