Axl Rose performed for three hours with Guns N’ Roses at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium while still recovering from a recent procedure related to a temporomandibular joint disorder.
The 64-year-old singer discussed the condition from the stage during the band’s Aug. 12 show in East Rutherford, explaining that the left side of his mouth remained numb. According to PEOPLE, Rose described performing through the problem as “challenging.”
He also gave the crowd a vivid description of what happens while he sings. Rose compared the noises in his ear to Bugs Bunny chewing carrots and celery as things pop around, an unusual problem for a vocalist whose performance requires extensive movement of his jaw and face.
Rose said he had undergone the procedure only a couple of days before the MetLife concert.
Rose Says Singing Makes the TMJ Symptoms Hard to Ignore
Rose told the crowd that doctors and dentists cannot easily reproduce what his face and jaw go through when he performs. “None of the doctors, none of the dentists, there’s really no way to describe what you do,” Rose said, according to Billboard.
He joked about being told not to chew before pointing out that singing requires him to stretch his face in ways that can make every pop and movement of his jaw impossible to ignore.
Rose said the sounds can become alarming enough that he questions whether he should keep doing what he is doing in the moment. As Entertainment Weekly reported, he joked that it can sound as though his jaw is going to fall off, move sideways or become stuck. “Which, that would be pretty funny!” Rose added, drawing humor from a problem he had just described as physically challenging.
Part of His Mouth Was Still Numb From the Procedure
Rose said he had undergone a procedure only a couple of days before the concert. “I had to do a tube,” he told the crowd. “I had that done a couple of days ago.” He then explained that he had not completely regained sensation afterward. “So now, this side of my mouth is still f—ing numb,” Rose said while indicating the left side. “It gets interesting. It’s challenging.”
The temporomandibular joints connect the jawbone to the skull and help control jaw movement. The Mayo Clinic says temporomandibular joint disorders can cause pain or tenderness around the jaw, difficulty or discomfort while chewing and clicking, popping or grating sensations during jaw movement.
Treatment depends on the cause and severity. Options can range from conservative measures and physical therapy to medications and medical or surgical procedures.
Guns N’ Roses Still Played for Three Hours
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Despite the lingering numbness and the symptoms Rose described, Guns N’ Roses went ahead with a full-scale MetLife Stadium performance. The band played 29 songs, opening with “Welcome to the Jungle” and moving through a set that included “Mr. Brownstone,” “You Could Be Mine,” “Civil War,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “November Rain” and “Paradise City.”
The set also included “Nothin'” and “Atlas,” two songs released ahead of the band’s 2026 world tour. Concert timing recorded by Setlist.fm places Guns N’ Roses onstage from approximately 7:50 p.m. until 10:50 p.m., making the performance almost exactly three hours long.
The Tour Is Scheduled to Continue Through December
Guns N’ Roses remain in the North American leg of their 2026 world tour, with the band’s official schedule listing shows through Sept. 19 before the group heads overseas again.
Their next scheduled concert after MetLife is Aug. 16 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, followed by stops including Kansas City, Las Vegas, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Diego, Pasadena, Arlington and San Antonio. The North American run is currently scheduled to conclude Sept. 19 at Truist Park in Atlanta.
The international schedule then extends into Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Guns N’ Roses have announced a Nov. 25 performance at Singapore’s National Stadium before beginning an Australian run on Nov. 29.
Dates in Townsville, Brisbane, Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney follow in December, with the 2026 world tour currently scheduled to finish Dec. 17 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.