Just for a moment, lean your head back, close your eyes and let the music do all the talking. When Slash, who needs no introduction, leaned over his guitar and started going into a low down slow burn guitar instrumental just prior to ripping into his trademark “Godfather” theme, it swept over your skin like warm sunshine in an erotic shower. Every pore opened up and burst into flames and the sensation became overwhelmingly powerful. A definite shock to a system getting too used to the play-dough pop that has infested FM radio. In Atlanta, Slash poured some straight ahead rock semen onto it all and burned it to its misery. Thank heaven for pure ole rock & roll.
The sold-out crowd at Atlanta’s Center Stage was packed to the rafters with fans of all ages, all colors, all varieties. When Slash and his amazing band launched into “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, I looked into that crowd and every mouth was moving, singing in an ear-splitting prayer of unity.
Myles Kennedy, of the band Alter Bridge whose new album should be released sometime in October, and who has two songs on Slash’s new solo CD, cut right to the chase with “Ghost”, “Mean Bone” and a kicking hot “Nightrain”. Sin City Sinners Bassist Todd Kerns was all over the stage pumping out solid bass lines alongside guitarist Bobby Schneck who helped provide meat while Slash did what Slash does best. And drummer Brent Fitz was on top of everything, banging on the drums like a hyperactive mofo. Slash couldn’t ask for a more solid band to back him up on this tour.
In fact, speaking with fans after the show, many of them would love to see this incarnation record a full CD. Myles, especially, proved himself outside of his home band, being able to supercharge songs from GNR and Velvet Revolver, both bands with distinctive lead vocalists, but without their front man dramas, enabling him to forge ahead with a familiar tune while adding a bit of his own personal spin.
Taddy Porter, a hard rocking band out of Oklahoma with a new self-titled CD out, opened loudly and got this already ready-for-Slash crowd even more pumped up. I was especially taken with their version of the Beatles classic “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. Keep your eyes on this band.
But the god of the night was indeed Slash. When the band lit into back-to-back GNR classics “Civil War” and “Rocket Queen”, you would have thought the world was exploding from the decibel volume of cheers in this mid-sized theatre. And when they closed with “Paradise City”, well, the end of the world couldn’t have had a better soundtrack.
Myles formed a good rapport with this crowd early. He talked, he waved, he pointed, he sucked you in. Introducing “Just Like Anything” from Slash’s Snakepit album AIN’T LIFE GRAND, he happily announced that “this is good. I ought to just stay in Atlanta, have a residency right here every night.” Reiterating, Slash confessed that “a lot of cool shit has happened to me in this town” before bringing Todd to the front to sing the Lemmy foot-stomper “Dr Alibi” off the new CD.
“It’s nice and hot and sweaty in here”, Slash announced before cooking up the blazing instrumental “Watch This” about half-way through the 20 song set list. And when he said he was going to play a song from “awhile back” called “Beggars & Hangers On” and everyone cheered, he laughed. “You know this song? Really? Ah, you’re full of shit”.
Consisting of a good variety of songs from Slash’s career up to this point, this beast of a guitar player roared from the first note to the last, and made lots of new friends. If he missed a few notes here and there, nobody complained. His every drop of sweat was cheered but it was also good to see the other band members given such strong kudos.
Introducing “My Michelle” with “I think you will like this one”, Myles was just about ready to bring this puppy home. “Thanks for coming out to keep rock & roll alive in America”, he shouted following a rip-roaring climax of “Paradise City” in all its glory. Best show I have seen all year, hands down. The energy level, the songs selected, the men picked to play alongside him and the overall fun they brought to this Atlanta venue, Slash need not worry about his past or Axl or even Velvet Revolver. He is the undisputed god of rock & roll right now.
Setlist
Ghost, Mean Bone, Nightrain, Sucker Train Blues, Back From Cali, Civil War, Rocket Queen, Beggars & Hangers On, Do It For The Kids, Dr Alibi, Watch This, Starlight, Just Like Anything, Godfather Theme, Sweet Child Of Mine, Rise Today, Slither.
ENCORE: By The Sword, My Michelle, Paradise City.
