Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash discussed whether the band might pursue a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, similar to Metallica’s current run at the venue, in a conversation with Audacy.
Slash explained that while he is interested in seeing how Metallica performs at the Sphere, he has reservations about Guns N’ Roses doing the same thing. The guitarist said Joe Walsh had warned him about the limitations of the venue’s setup for live rock performance.
Question: “Would Guns N’ Roses be open to doing a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas?”
“I’m gonna go see Metallica over there,” Slash said. “That’s one of those things — I think Joe Walsh turned me off of it. [Laughs] Because it’s not set up where you can set up a bunch of amps and really play live like the way we normally do. It’s really about the production, and it’s not so much about the band, although the band is playing.”
“It’s really about the visual and all that kind of stuff. And we were talking about doing it last year before this tour, this U.S. tour that we just did, and we opted for just doing a U.S. tour and not just focusing on that one thing.”
“Anyway, so it might happen down the road, but it’s not something I’m aspiring to because I think it might be a little bit too controlled. But I’m dying to see Metallica do it. It’s hard to be beholden to a whole theatrical thing like that, especially for us. And also, the way Joe was telling me, is you have to put your amps somewhere else.”
“The Metallica guys use the — what do you call it? Amps. They’re not real. And so we don’t do that. And they gotta figure out some place elsewhere to put the amps and all that kind of stuff, and the more we talked about the details of it, the more, like, ugh. I don’t know.”
Slash made these comments while discussing Guns N’ Roses’ approach to live performance and how it differs from what the Sphere setup would require. The band’s preference for a traditional touring format means a residency at the venue remains uncertain.
Metallica’s “Life Burns Faster” residency runs from October 1 through March 13, 2027, with 24 shows and different setlists on Thursday and Saturday performances. The Las Vegas Sphere is a 17,600-capacity venue that opened in September 2023 and has become known for immersive entertainment experiences with its state-of-the-art 16K resolution wraparound screen and powerful sound system. Metallica’s residency marks the first heavy metal residency at the venue, which has previously hosted residencies from U2, Phish, Dead & Company and The Eagles.
The Sphere’s technical setup presents real challenges for traditional rock bands. Joe Walsh explained to Rolling Stone that the Eagles had to solve sound-delay issues caused by the venue’s 160,000-speaker configuration, which nearly became a deal-breaker before they worked it out with special in-ear monitors. Slash pointed out that the Sphere is not designed for bands to set up amplifiers and perform live the way rock bands typically do, because the focus is on production and visual effects rather than on the musicians themselves.
Guns N’ Roses chose to prioritize touring over a Vegas residency in their planning. The band considered a Sphere residency before committing to a U.S. tour but decided to pursue the traditional touring format instead. The group announced a 2026 North American tour in November 2025, marking their first U.S. tour since 2023.
