Axl Rose Joins Billy Joel for Final MSG Residency Performance

On Thursday night, Billy Joel welcomed a special guest during the grand finale of his Madison Square Garden residency in New York City: Axl Rose.

The Guns N’ Roses frontman joined Joel later in his 25-song set, delivering powerful covers of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

Joel, naturally, treated the audience to several of his iconic hits, including “New York State of Mind,” “Allentown,” “Vienna,” and “Uptown Girl.” You can find a complete set list along with videos of Joel and Rose’s performances below.

“There’s no place like this,” Joel remarked to the crowd, referencing Madison Square Garden. This concert marked his milestone 150th performance at the storied venue.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon also made an appearance to present Joel with a banner commemorating the moment.

“Congratulations,” Fallon said. “I love you. New York City loves you. The world loves you. You’ve given us all great memories of being here. And now we get to watch you get a memory. You’re never going to forget this night here.”

Although Joel’s MSG residency has concluded, he has no plans to retire from live performances. He has several concerts lined up through the fall, including a show with Rod Stewart in Cleveland and three shows with Sting in St. Louis, San Antonio, and Las Vegas.

Watch Billy Joel and Axl Rose Perform “Live and Let Die”

Watch Billy Joel and Axl Rose Perform “Highway to Hell”

Watch Billy Joel and Axl Rose Perform “You May Be Right”

Billy Joel, Madison Square Garden July 25, 2024 Setlist:

1. “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)”
2. “Pressure”
3. “The Entertainer”
4. “Zanzibar”
5. “Vienna”
6. “My Life”
7. “An Innocent Man”
8. “The Downeaster ‘Alexa'”
9. “Don’t Ask Me Why”
10. “New York State Of Mind”
11. “Allentown”
12. “This Is The Time”
13. “Live and Let Die” (Wings cover with Axl Rose)
14. “Highway to Hell” (AC/DC cover with Axl Rose)
15. “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”
16. “Only the Good Die Young”
17. “The River Of Dreams”
18. “Nessun dorma” (Giacomo Puccini cover)
19. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
20. “Piano Man”
21. “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
22. “Uptown Girl”
23. “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”
24. “Big Shot”
25. “You May Be Right” (with Axl Rose)