In 1993, Guns N’ Roses released their album The Spaghetti Incident? featuring the band’s different covers of songs from multiple bands that have inspired them and their work. This Tuesday night, they performed one of these songs “Human Being” live for the first time ever at a performance at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Among the different bands songs covered in The Spaghetti Incident?, include the Stooges, The Damned, Dead Boys, Sex Pistols and Misfits. This album was made as a tribute to the band’s that have inspired the artists and work from Guns N’ Roses. The bands whose songs they covered may not have been the most obvious, or even most popular choices, but that is what makes the tribute album so thoughtful. The song they finally performed live, “Human Being,” is from the punk rock band New York Dolls. 

The frontman of New York Dolls, David Johansen, passed away earlier this year at the age of 75. Johansen was the last surviver from the original members of the New York Dolls. Although it was not directly said at the performance, it can be inferred that this long-awaited live performance of one of their songs from 1993 was done so as a tribute to Johansen and his impact on the punk and rock community. 

This Abu Dhabi performance comes before the Guns N’ Roses European tour that starts in Shekvetili, Georgia on May 30th. The tour will take place in 22 different European countries and ends July 31st in Wacken, Germany.