Slash w/ Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators @ Hisense Arena, Melbourne (26/08/2012)
With Slash now making his fourth official appearance on our shores in less than five years (fifth if you count his guest song with Alter Bridge earlier this year at Soundwave), Melbourne was truly becoming a second home away from home for the man with the top hat.
This would be my third time seeing the rock legend perform, and going by past performances, my expectations were understandably high.
Arriving on stage to the theme from 'Prometheus,' Slash along with his band featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators waste no time in tearing Hisense Arena a new one, with 'Halo,' from Slash's latest album, 'Apocalyptic Love' leading the processions.
The first Gunners song of the night arrives second with 'Night Train,' followed by what is arguably Slash's best solo track, 'Ghost'. Myles Kennedy truly shines through here, the Alter Bridge vocalist giving the audience a rip roaring performance that almost steals the show early on.
The middle section of the set is a mixed bag of Slash's career, everything from Gunners track 'Mr Brownstone' to 'Beggars and Hangers-On' from Slash' Snakepit. These are mixed in between other songs from Slash's two solo releases, such as 'Not For Me' and 'Starlight' which draw as big a reaction from the crowd as the classics do.
A signature moment of the night arrived when Slash erupted into a frenzy of hypnotic guitar solos, which concluded with the theme from The Godfather. These are the moments that Slash (and guitar) enthusiasts were here to see; uninterrupted solos from one of the legends of the industry.
Of course, no Slash show is complete without the classics, and while it wasn't the first time I've witnessed it live, hearing the opening notes of 'Sweet Child O' Mine' echo through the arena is something that will never get old. While the crowd were well and truly lapping up the performance as a whole, this truly sealed the deal, while Myles most certainly gave Axl Rose a run for his money.
The main set was rounded out with Velvet Revolver track 'Slither,' before the bands encore which included a cover Rose Tattoo's 'Nice Boys' (with Angry Anderson on vocals) and the epic 'Paradise City'. A man of little words, Slash took the time to thank the crowd, and the Conspirators threw guitar picks towards those die hards in the front row.
Recent show reports claim that Guns N' Roses have become an embarrassing novelty act. And while Guns N' Roses have seemingly made a mockery of their own name, Slash has continued to gracefully wow fans young and old with his simple, yet energetic performances. I simply pose this question to my readers: Why hand over your hard earned money to see a Guns N' Roses show, when you can simply pay to see the legend that is Slash?
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter! - @lukesutton
This would be my third time seeing the rock legend perform, and going by past performances, my expectations were understandably high.
Arriving on stage to the theme from 'Prometheus,' Slash along with his band featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators waste no time in tearing Hisense Arena a new one, with 'Halo,' from Slash's latest album, 'Apocalyptic Love' leading the processions.
The first Gunners song of the night arrives second with 'Night Train,' followed by what is arguably Slash's best solo track, 'Ghost'. Myles Kennedy truly shines through here, the Alter Bridge vocalist giving the audience a rip roaring performance that almost steals the show early on.
The middle section of the set is a mixed bag of Slash's career, everything from Gunners track 'Mr Brownstone' to 'Beggars and Hangers-On' from Slash' Snakepit. These are mixed in between other songs from Slash's two solo releases, such as 'Not For Me' and 'Starlight' which draw as big a reaction from the crowd as the classics do.
A signature moment of the night arrived when Slash erupted into a frenzy of hypnotic guitar solos, which concluded with the theme from The Godfather. These are the moments that Slash (and guitar) enthusiasts were here to see; uninterrupted solos from one of the legends of the industry.
Of course, no Slash show is complete without the classics, and while it wasn't the first time I've witnessed it live, hearing the opening notes of 'Sweet Child O' Mine' echo through the arena is something that will never get old. While the crowd were well and truly lapping up the performance as a whole, this truly sealed the deal, while Myles most certainly gave Axl Rose a run for his money.
The main set was rounded out with Velvet Revolver track 'Slither,' before the bands encore which included a cover Rose Tattoo's 'Nice Boys' (with Angry Anderson on vocals) and the epic 'Paradise City'. A man of little words, Slash took the time to thank the crowd, and the Conspirators threw guitar picks towards those die hards in the front row.
Recent show reports claim that Guns N' Roses have become an embarrassing novelty act. And while Guns N' Roses have seemingly made a mockery of their own name, Slash has continued to gracefully wow fans young and old with his simple, yet energetic performances. I simply pose this question to my readers: Why hand over your hard earned money to see a Guns N' Roses show, when you can simply pay to see the legend that is Slash?
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter! - @lukesutton