When notorious front man Scott Weiland sang, “Pleased to meet you, nice to know me. What’s the message? Will ya show me?” near the end of their set in Biloxi, Mississippi, you knew you had just been eaten alive by a band that had been dead only a few years back. Resurrected back to life when Weiland rejoined its ranks, Stone Temple Pilots proved to all doubters that they were still a rock & roll tornado. Melded together in a tight cornucopia of camaraderie, their set smoldered with not a hint of bad vibes from the past. As one concert attendee said on his way out, “It was a lot better, surprised me”.
And so it goes that a band with as much inner turmoil as this one has had, has come together with a tour that sparks with vitality, perspiration and down-right, out-and-out rock & roll. Granted, the band was a half hour late hitting the stage, causing many in the crowd to become anxious. But once the lights went down and Eric Kretz slammed his sticks on the drums, STP were kicking ass from song one.
If there is one thing about Scott Weiland that remains from his earliest days with STP, it’s that he knows how to stimulate an audience. With lights flashing at a migraine-inducing speed, Scott stood tall, arms raised with bullhorn in hand, demanding attention. It’s the first thing you saw when the light focused. Larger than life and with enough slithery venom in his vocal chords, he went through “Crackerman”, “Wicked Garden”, “Vasoline”, “Heaven & Hot Rods”, and “Between The Lines” before taking a breath. He even pulled a leopard print hat from a fan to wear as only a cocky musician could get away with. Say what you will – STP is back.
You only have to sit through songs such as “Down”, “Sex Type Thing” and “Plush” to know the old codger hasn’t lost his verve. Drummer Eric Kretz proved once again to be one of the most underrated drummers in rock, as he crashed and burned on the new “Huckleberry Crumble” and “Silvergun Superman”. Guitarist Dean DeLeo weaved some bluesy nuances into “Big Empty”, “Dead & Bloated” and the haunting intro to “Still Remains”, while bassist brother Robert kept everything steady and steamrolling on every song. No spinning out of control for this band.
It was good to feel drained at the end of this show. STP went out bare-bones, with few amenities, ala the flashing lights and a bullhorn, and that proverbial rock & roll attitude that fans crave from their front men. And Weiland fed them well. He was slinky like a cool alley cat, prancing and spinning while giving the Zeppelin classic “Dancing Days” an STP treatment, and portraying the smarmy mofo while spitting out “Sex Type Thing”.
Coming back for an encore of “Dead & Bloated” and “Tripping On A Hole In A Paper Heart”, the fans in attendance were insatiable for more, singing to save their lives, throwing up hands in a fevered frenzy. And it was all there at the end, smiling faces on each band member, as they took a bow to those who had worshipped them. It doesn’t get much better than this.
SETLIST -Crackerman, Wicked Garden, Vasoline, Heaven & Hot Rods, Between The Lines, Hickory Dichotomy, Still Remains, Big Empty, Dancing Days, Silvergun Superman, Plush, Interstate Love Song, Huckleberry Crumble, Down, Sex Type Thing. ENCORE: Dead & Bloated, Tripping On A Hole In A Paper Heart.
Photos by Leslie Michele Derrough
