24 Years Later, Guns N' Roses Prepare for Foxborough Return

FOXBOROUGH, MA — It takes a lot to turn Gillette Stadium into Paradise City for two upcoming Guns N’ Roses shows, but for production manager Dale Skjerseth, it’s just another day on the job.

As the man who ran the band’s Use Your Illusion tour in the early 90s and now the Not in This Lifetime... tour, Skjerseth is certainly no stranger to Axel Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan. While over two decades have passed, not much has changed, Skjerseth said.

“We're all older and more mature. We have a better idea what we’re doing,” Skjerseth said Monday afternoon.

There hasn’t been much time to get ready for the band’s return to Foxborough. On Friday and Saturday, Luke Bryan performed at the stadium, cutting down on the time to set up. While the stage from Bryan’s show was left behind. A 28-hour shift was needed to adjust the set. By 6 p.m. Monday evening, everything was ready to go.

According to Skjerseth, they have a crew of 125 workers on call, with 125 more local workers at the show. 20 trucks and 16 more for steel are needed to produce a Guns N’ Roses show, he said.

A veteran of the business, Skjerseth has been working on shows since 1979. The Use Your Illusion tour, which ran from 1991-93, was Skjerseth chance to become a production manager. His previous Gillette Stadium shows include last year’s AC/DC concert. Perhaps that is why the tour has been going smoothly.

“Couldn't be happier. Everything has shaped together really quickly Shows have been starting on time. All around been working well. The band is happy and haven't had to change a thing,” he said.

Creative control for the show goes to the band with some input from Skjerseth. If the band wants to do something that is dangerous, Skjerseth will jump in with an alternative idea that they’ll go forward with.

After Foxborough it’s off to East Rutherford, then Atlanta, then Orlando, then eight more cities until the South American tour, with no end date in sight. That’s ok for Skjerseth, who said he’s happy to do the tour as long as the band is willing to.

Guns N’ Roses take over Gillette Stadium on July 19 and 20.