EDMONTON - Guns N' Roses named its tour after an album that's, so far, just a rumour.

So, some added pre-show drama and attention seemed only natural. A press release this week promised a late start for Thursday's Chinese Democracy tour stop at Rexall Place. And considering the manic and dramatic ways of frontman Axl Rose, we're lucky he showed up at all.

The only original member of the band won't give the world his new record, but he still knows how to entertain, pulling all the stops with grand pianos, pyrotechnics and plenty of praise for Edmonton.

Rose appeared to a restless arena at 11:55 p.m., an hour after Skid Row's ex-frontman Sebastian Bach left the stage.

The long break saw 15,000 fans split into two camps - bored senseless or completely inebriated.

Eventually, the lights went out and Rexall Place exploded with cheers, almost drowning out the tribal bass beat and echoing guitar riffs belonging to just one song - Welcome to the Jungle.

Surrounded by an Asian motif, Rose materialized in large, dark shades and a black leather button-up shirt, the first of six diva-like wardrobe changes during the two-and-a-half-hour set.

All appearances spoke to the advent of a new era for the band - Rose's new, yet questionable hairdo, GN'R lineup and Asian obsession. Yet an inescapable musical tether leads back almost two decades to a time before some of Thursday night's audience members even existed.

GN'R's debut album, Appetite for Destruction, has sold more than 20 million copies since its 1987 release and is solidified in rock history as the best-selling debut of all time. It's also the source for the band's most popular and recognizable songs and Rose skimped on none.

Interspersed by numerous guitar solos, Live and Let Die, Sweet Child O' Mine, It's So Easy, Out Ta Get Me and Nighttrain all appeared, with Paradise City as a closing finale to a well-planned encore. Other decade-plus hits delivered were November Rain, Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door and the lighter-triggering Patience.

GN'R's simultaneous 1991 followups Use Your Illusion I & II were the group's last original studio recordings. Since then, Rose has been working on Chinese Democracy, with a reported $15-million production price tag. Rumoured to arrive soon, the release date has again been pushed to next year, but Rose proved new music does exist. Three confirmed tracks on the album were performed as well as the title track, which kicked off the 2:15 a.m. encore.

People were slowly filtering out all evening, some even before GN'R hit the stage. But most stayed to at least determine one last rumour about Rose's on-stage guests for the show. And again, the rumours were true.

Following a duet with opening act Bach, Rose introduced his new pal, Mike Smith, known to most as Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys. A musician before he was an actor, Smith and his guitar took centre-stage for his new, catchy hit, Liquor and Whores, and most of the arena joined in.

Rose didn't spare a drop of drama for his departure, exploding tissue rose petals with air cannons over the crowd as he lingered in the atmosphere he obviously loves so much.