Two years after Guns N' Roses last attempted to break the curfew of every single venue they visited, resulting in various fines, forfeits and a few flung beer bottles, Axl Rose is bringing his catalogue of late-eighties rock back to these isles for a series of arena dates in late spring.

Guns N' Roses have never really split up, being a going concern of sorts since 1985. Many big names have come and gone from the line-up but the band remains Axl Rose's awkward, wilful, unpredictable child. Their fifth album, 1993's 'The Spaghetti Incident?' hinted at the discord within, packed as it was with cover versions. Work on the follow-up, 'Chinese Democracy', began in 1994.

The incredibly painful, tortuous path to that record's release is one of modern rock's great tales and it is completely and unapologetically Guns N' Roses. It has been claimed that the album cost more than $13 million in studio time and even the 'post-production' phase, confidently entered into in 2006, took two years to complete. With its roots in an altogether different era, 'Chinese Democracy' performed well but did not take the world by storm as Rose had no doubt hoped it would.

Four years later and after the PR car crash of their last UK tour (and last year's overrunning Reading Festival show), Guns N' Roses have, perhaps, reflected on their post 'Chinese Democracy' dawn and, one hopes, come back better than ever. There is, of course, as always only one way to find out.

Guns N' Roses' 2012 UK tour kicks off in Nottingham on 19th May, followed by huge shows in Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, before the final date announced so far at The O2 Arena on Thursday 31st May 2012.

The Manchester show went on sale last month and we still have tickets available from £40. We will have tickets for the remaining shows when they go on sale at 9am on Friday 2nd March, priced £40 for Newcastle and £45 for other dates.

Ahead of the UK gigs, Axl and friends return to Dublin (where, in 2010, they were bottled off stage) on 17th May 2012. We have tickets available now, priced €64.50 - €69.50.