SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators Tour 2014 / 2015

[Rovim]

As a guitar player myself, it's impossible not to see how Slash has improved over the years, not only recently but since the UYI years. People criticize him for being this monotone blues-based hard rock guitar player but he's so much more than that, specially after VR and his first solo record. Slash can play and write some soulful bluesy stuff, some badass Drop-D modern guitar riffs, pop music, atmospheric dark acoustic pieces, shredding heavy metal solos, etc. I think I saw him doing some 'Sweep Picking' on those recent DTJ videos, and I admit that was the first time I saw Slash doing it.

There's a good couple of new tricks in his arsenal these days. It's great to see someone that established and let's be honest, someone with nothing to prove to anyone by now, still growing as a player.

But as a whole his live playing and studio material don't quite reach the same highs of what he did years ago. He recycles a lot of shit and sometimes it sounds generic. Like most of AL for example.

But there are amazing guitar moments here and there like By The Sword, Anastasia, Wicked Stone, Safari Inn (imo) that show his potential. You sound different as a player depending on the people you work with and also you know...if you're hungry. Slash is comfortable right now and that's not a negative thing at all, but he doesn't push himself anymore like he used to or there is no one there to do it or in a position to do it in his current band.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Rovim

[moreblack]

But there are amazing guitar moments here and there like By The Sword, Anastasia, Wicked Stone, Safari Inn (imo) that show his potential. You sound different as a player depending on the people you work with and also you know...if you're hungry. Slash is comfortable right now and that's not a negative thing at all, but he doesn't push himself anymore like he used to.

You say that, but he is pushing himself in different ways, it's not like he's gonna reinvent how rock is played. But what he is trying to say with the guitar, based on the new stuff he's learned, he has more ways of saying it, and much less likely to mess it up now that he's sober, because that way of playing definitely demands more accuracy than he was capable of executing up to about 2005.

[Rovim]

But there are amazing guitar moments here and there like By The Sword, Anastasia, Wicked Stone, Safari Inn (imo) that show his potential. You sound different as a player depending on the people you work with and also you know...if you're hungry. Slash is comfortable right now and that's not a negative thing at all, but he doesn't push himself anymore like he used to.

You say that, but he is pushing himself in different ways, it's not like he's gonna reinvent how rock is played. But what he is trying to say with the guitar, based on the new stuff he's learned, he has more ways of saying it, and much less likely to mess it up now that he's sober, because that way of playing definitely demands more accuracy than he was capable of executing up to about 2005.

His bag of tricks grew. Some songs on World On Fire do have cool twists and turns that are new to Slash's playing. I know what he's doing now and I know what he did then. The progression is not as significant as you present it to be imo.

That's not huge steps of growth. And it has nothing to do with what can be done within his chosen genre. Not about reinventing, just not stagnating. Just look at Jeff Beck for example. Bucket is another.

He essentially remained in the AFD plus a few ballads with some metal here and there realm, and he didn't say anything as good with his guitar as what he said in those albums imo.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Rovim

[moreblack]

Whether or not it's interpreted as big or small growth, it is growth and it has definitely made a difference. It can't be thrown aside because he didn't turn into Vai all of a sudden. There's so many players that do far less with far more chops.
Jeff Beck is a prodigy, but he definitely gets good collaborators to help him make the most of his playing. I think the last time Beck drove his own ship was Beck Bogert and Appice along with Jeff Beck Group. From Blow By Blow onwards, whether it's George Martin, Max Middleton, Tony Hymas, or Jan Hammer, Beck pretty much plays his widdly stuff over other people's compositions. Or he does covers. I was so bummed last time he came thru town, all he did was covers, and songs he didn't write from his own albums.

Bucket is a prolific writer, but he's a guitar instrumentalist, much like Jeff to an extent. That's a whole other avenue, which Slash has poked around a bit, but not to any great extent, just he odd song here and there.

What was the last decent hard rock song Bucket or Beck did that they themselves wrote?

As for what he's saying now, all I'm saying is he can say more articulately, accurately, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the popular stuff.

[Rovim]

Whether or not it's interpreted as big or small growth, it is growth and it has definitely made a difference. It can't be thrown aside because he didn't turn into Vai all of a sudden. There's so many players that do far less with far more chops.

Jeff Beck is a prodigy, but he definitely gets good collaborators to help him make the most of his playing. I think the last time Beck drove his own ship was Beck Bogert and Appice along with Jeff Beck Group. From Blow By Blow onwards, whether it's George Martin, Max Middleton, Tony Hymas, or Jan Hammer, Beck pretty much plays his widdly stuff over other people's compositions. Or he does covers. I was so bummed last time he came thru town, all he did was covers, and songs he didn't write from his own albums.

Bucket is a prolific writer, but he's a guitar instrumentalist, much like Jeff to an extent. That's a whole other avenue, which Slash has poked around a bit, but not to any great extent, just he odd song here and there.

What was the last decent hard rock song Bucket or Beck did that they themselves wrote?

As for what he's saying now, all I'm saying is he can say more articulately, accurately, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the popular stuff.

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but do you honestly believe that with a more open approach to writing and recording, and maybe with other musicians helping him to come up with let's face it, better songs, he can't get much closer to the quality of what he did in the past? I think he's really into what he's doing now, and I hear an improvement over the last album with WOF, but if I'm really harsh, I can say it's a waste of time for someone like Slash to send out fully formed ideas to other band members to write the drums, bass, vocals, and lyrics on top of it.

Why is that a waste of time? cause Slash is not a great songwriter, and Slash is not a natural band leader, and his greatest talents are his riffs, melodies, leads and solos. He doesn't give the freedom to other band members to fully inject themselves into his ideas, and his ideas do not stray too far from how they were conceived in his head. So it's not really the vision of the band, it's his vision without the crucial element he always needed to come up with really great shit.

His solos probably improved a lot just cause he let Elvis push him to invest more time and effort. His ideal way of working is not ideal for the material imo. That's the thing about real bands, and band members that push each other to make it more then the sum of it's parts and fill each other's shortcomings with all the improvements they can bring to the table with what only they can do musically. Their musical outlook on your idea, and the interaction that follows with how you change that idea with your own, and it works if there is good chemistry. (like it did in old Guns)

Edited November 26, 2014 by Rovim

[jonah]

As a guitar player myself, it's impossible not to see how Slash has improved over the years, not only recently but since the UYI years. People criticize him for being this monotone blues-based hard rock guitar player but he's so much more than that, specially after VR and his first solo record. Slash can play and write some soulful bluesy stuff, some badass Drop-D modern guitar riffs, pop music, atmospheric dark acoustic pieces, shredding heavy metal solos, etc. I think I saw him doing some 'Sweep Picking' on those recent DTJ videos, and I admit that was the first time I saw Slash doing it.

There's a good couple of new tricks in his arsenal these days. It's great to see someone that established and let's be honest, someone with nothing to prove to anyone by now, still growing as a player.

But as a whole his live playing and studio material don't quite reach the same highs of what he did years ago. He recycles a lot of shit and sometimes it sounds generic. Like most of AL for example.

But there are amazing guitar moments here and there like By The Sword, Anastasia, Wicked Stone, Safari Inn (imo) that show his potential. You sound different as a player depending on the people you work with and also you know...if you're hungry. Slash is comfortable right now and that's not a negative thing at all, but he doesn't push himself anymore like he used to or there is no one there to do it or in a position to do it in his current band.

I feel roughly the same. I like world on fire as an album but as a Slash album I think it sucks. Theirs no kickass riffs or solos. And some of the solos seem forced. I still enjoy the songs I just think slash could of produced a better album on his end

[moreblack]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but do you honestly believe that with a more open approach to writing and recording, and maybe with other musicians helping him to come up with let's face it, better songs, he can't get much closer to the quality of what he did in the past? I think he's really into what he's doing now, and I hear an improvement over the last album with WOF, but if I'm really harsh, I can say it's a waste of time for someone like Slash to send out fully formed ideas to other band members to write the drums, bass, vocal, and lyrics on top of it.

Why is that? cause Slash is not a songwriter, and Slash is not a natural band leader, and his greatest talents are his riffs, melodies, leads and solos. He doesn't give the freedom to other band members to fully inject themselves into his ideas, and his ideas do not stray too far from how they were conceived in his head. So it's not really the vision of the band, it's his vision without the crucial element he always needed to come up with really great shit.

His solos probably improved a lot just cause he let Elvis push him to invest more time and effort. His ideal way of working is not ideal for the material.

One of the first things you say there is there's been an improvement from AL to WOF, that's progress. Surely that's a sing that things are going in the right direction, or at least a positive one. However, I seriously doubt he creates in a vacuum. Nobody knows better than Slash what being dictated to does to a band. Besides Myles and Todd are both writers, it's very likely they have had more of an influence now, which I suppose would account for the improvement we were talking about. I think he does give the other band members a good degree of freedom to inject themselves into the material to be honest.

But it's a balance, on GNR he was on the other side of things, like Jeff Beck contributing to other people's ideas, and adding his own now and then, on Snakepit it was more of him, on VR it was much more of a compromise split 5 ways, first solo album was all him except vocals, AL was more collaborative, and I'd say this one was probably a more even split than the last one was. His solos have improved a lot because he's worked on playing better, not necessarily because of any one producer, because whether it's Nothing To Say, Anastasia, or Beneath The Savage Sun, you can tell he's going for it, and there's more of it for him to aim for than there was before.

[Rovim]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but do you honestly believe that with a more open approach to writing and recording, and maybe with other musicians helping him to come up with let's face it, better songs, he can't get much closer to the quality of what he did in the past? I think he's really into what he's doing now, and I hear an improvement over the last album with WOF, but if I'm really harsh, I can say it's a waste of time for someone like Slash to send out fully formed ideas to other band members to write the drums, bass, vocal, and lyrics on top of it.

Why is that? cause Slash is not a songwriter, and Slash is not a natural band leader, and his greatest talents are his riffs, melodies, leads and solos. He doesn't give the freedom to other band members to fully inject themselves into his ideas, and his ideas do not stray too far from how they were conceived in his head. So it's not really the vision of the band, it's his vision without the crucial element he always needed to come up with really great shit.

His solos probably improved a lot just cause he let Elvis push him to invest more time and effort. His ideal way of working is not ideal for the material.

One of the first things you say there is there's been an improvement from AL to WOF, that's progress. Surely that's a sing that things are going in the right direction, or at least a positive one. However, I seriously doubt he creates in a vacuum. Nobody knows better than Slash what being dictated to does to a band. Besides Myles and Todd are both writers, it's very likely they have had more of an influence now, which I suppose would account for the improvement we were talking about. I think he does give the other band members a good degree of freedom to inject themselves into the material to be honest.

But it's a balance, on GNR he was on the other side of things, like Jeff Beck contributing to other people's ideas, and adding his own now and then, on Snakepit it was more of him, on VR it was much more of a compromise split 5 ways, first solo album was all him except vocals, AL was more collaborative, and I'd say this one was probably a more even split than the last one was. His solos have improved a lot because he's worked on playing better, not necessarily because of any one producer, because whether it's Nothing To Say, Anastasia, or Beneath The Savage Sun, you can tell he's going for it, and there's more of it for him to aim for than there was before.

Good points. I think one thing that prevents me from being totally satisfied with Slash's efforts in recent years is that even though Myles, Todd, and Brent were a part of the artistic process, and the outcome is a good album imo, it still shares the same problem with AL and even his first solo album: it sounds like Slash came up with a riff and then everything else was tacked on it or taken a back sit to what he's doing and it's mainly there to serve the main purpose which is to highlight his amazing playing.

It's been a problem since Snakepit. It was less of an issue for everything but Slash's guitars in VR. It actually had a major flaw in that there wasn't enough Slash there. So that balance is very important, and when he tried to give more control to Scott with Libertad, it was a disaster cause Scott doesn't really do the type of hard rock Slash wants to create imo. but it goes both ways, and Slash is not the kind of guitar player that sounds the best when you build everything, the songs around his strengths. It's when you use Slash and his expressive way of playing to take the song higher, and it has to stand on it's own first and to perfectly mesh with Slash's initial ideas and fully mix with them in the writing process to create a song that is a shared vision of all involved.

Why not at least let Myles come up with ideas first as well, and not always be the one that brings song ideas to the table? if Myles is the right man for this job, then let's hear what they really sound like together. Myles can totally do that in Alter Bridge. I don't understand why not. Now, that they had the time to establish their musical bond, the next album should, imo, reflect them even more as a band. If there is good writing chemistry there, there is no reason it won't click, so why not at least try is what I'm saying.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Rovim

[moreblack]

Why not at least let Myles come up with ideas first as well, and not always be the one that brings song ideas to the table? if Myles is the right man for this job, then let's hear what they really sound like together. Myles can totally do that in Alter Bridge. I don't understand why not. Now, when they had the time to establish their musical bond, the next album should, imo, reflect them even more as a band. If there is good writing chemistry there, there is no reason it won't click, so why not at least try is what I'm saying.

I'm curious to see what they did on Myles' solo album together, and how it differs approach/sound-wise with the SMKC band. But, we'll have to take it one step at a time, there's probably a long tour for WOF still to come, and probably another AB album and tour. But I could see that musical bond you mention growing between the 4 guys from album to album. Time will tell.

Edited November 26, 2014 by moreblack

[Slash2baz]

Myles' solo album is very stripped down, laid back, no hard or metal just a lot of acoustic guitars. I didn't hear a single note of it that's just what he told me. Same old story he has to find a window to release it cause he wanna tour after that in small clubs just him and his guitar.

[Axl_morris]

I really wish slash played Simple Man again.

Any more secrets you keeping slash2baz?

Cant wait for Fri and Sat.

[Slash2baz]

I really wish slash played Simple Man again.

Any more secrets you keeping slash2baz?

Cant wait for Fri and Sat.

yes a lot but i can't tell! you'll see during the tour, anything can happen!

In Paris they played a little bit of "Feel Like makin' Love" as intro of "Slither": They rehearsed the song and that came out from nowhere, just the feeling of the moment !

Yesterday in Belgium, no DTJ motherfuckers !!!

[WFA]

I really wish slash played Simple Man again.

Any more secrets you keeping slash2baz?

Cant wait for Fri and Sat.

I believe Jacksonville was the only time he's ever played it? That was fucking awesome to see

[jmapelian]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but do you honestly believe that with a more open approach to writing and recording, and maybe with other musicians helping him to come up with let's face it, better songs, he can't get much closer to the quality of what he did in the past? I think he's really into what he's doing now, and I hear an improvement over the last album with WOF, but if I'm really harsh, I can say it's a waste of time for someone like Slash to send out fully formed ideas to other band members to write the drums, bass, vocal, and lyrics on top of it.

Why is that? cause Slash is not a songwriter, and Slash is not a natural band leader, and his greatest talents are his riffs, melodies, leads and solos. He doesn't give the freedom to other band members to fully inject themselves into his ideas, and his ideas do not stray too far from how they were conceived in his head. So it's not really the vision of the band, it's his vision without the crucial element he always needed to come up with really great shit.

His solos probably improved a lot just cause he let Elvis push him to invest more time and effort. His ideal way of working is not ideal for the material.

One of the first things you say there is there's been an improvement from AL to WOF, that's progress. Surely that's a sing that things are going in the right direction, or at least a positive one. However, I seriously doubt he creates in a vacuum. Nobody knows better than Slash what being dictated to does to a band. Besides Myles and Todd are both writers, it's very likely they have had more of an influence now, which I suppose would account for the improvement we were talking about. I think he does give the other band members a good degree of freedom to inject themselves into the material to be honest.

But it's a balance, on GNR he was on the other side of things, like Jeff Beck contributing to other people's ideas, and adding his own now and then, on Snakepit it was more of him, on VR it was much more of a compromise split 5 ways, first solo album was all him except vocals, AL was more collaborative, and I'd say this one was probably a more even split than the last one was. His solos have improved a lot because he's worked on playing better, not necessarily because of any one producer, because whether it's Nothing To Say, Anastasia, or Beneath The Savage Sun, you can tell he's going for it, and there's more of it for him to aim for than there was before.

Good points. I think one thing that prevents me from being totally satisfied with Slash's efforts in recent years is that even though Myles, Todd, and Brent were a part of the artistic process, and the outcome is a good album imo, it still shares the same problem with AL and even his first solo album: it sounds like Slash came up with a riff and then everything else was tacked on it or taken a back sit to what he's doing and it's mainly there to serve the main purpose which is to highlight his amazing playing.

It's been a problem since Snakepit. It was less of an issue for everything but Slash's guitars in VR. It actually had a major flaw in that there wasn't enough Slash there. So that balance is very important, and when he tried to give more control to Scott with Libertad, it was a disaster cause Scott doesn't really do the type of hard rock Slash wants to create imo. but it goes both ways, and Slash is not the kind of guitar player that sounds the best when you build everything, the songs around his strengths. It's when you use Slash and his expressive way of playing to take the song higher, and it has to stand on it's own first and to perfectly mesh with Slash's initial ideas and fully mix with them in the writing process to create a song that is a shared vision of all involved.

Why not at least let Myles come up with ideas first as well, and not always be the one that brings song ideas to the table? if Myles is the right man for this job, then let's hear what they really sound like together. Myles can totally do that in Alter Bridge. I don't understand why not. Now, that they had the time to establish their musical bond, the next album should, imo, reflect them even more as a band. If there is good writing chemistry there, there is no reason it won't click, so why not at least try is what I'm saying.

I hear what you mean working on Myles' Idea's but that may tie into the arrangement with alterbridge and his splitting time. I guess the best indication would be if Myles ever puts out his solo album, as slash mentioned he plays on it.

[smoking guns]

Slash is a more technical live player now. He did have the chops back then in the studio however. Just listen to the Paradise City outro which is probably his most insane guitar piece ever.

The one complaint I have is now he resorts to shred more where before each note counted more...

[Lio]

We didn’t get DTJ in Brussels yesterday, but we did get a great show! Slash was awesome (got goosebumps when he came up), the band was great and Myles didn’t annoy me, although I like Todd Kerns better on vocals. They just look like great guys having lots of fun on stage, so that was cool.

We got half of AFD (NT, OTGM, Brownstone, RQ, SCOM and PC) and YCBM from GNR. Not a bad thing at all to me, since this was my first time seeing Slash and it was great hearing him play those songs I love. Not bad for my husband either, because he doesn’t really know Slash’s work outside of GNR. (Although I made him listen to the new album yesterday.) So he was pleasantly surprised by the number of songs he knew.

We got WOF, Automatic Overdrive, Bent to Fly, Too Far Gone, Beneath the Savage Sun and Avalon from the new album. No Unholy, sadly. But Beneath the Savage Sun is my second favourite from the album, so can’t complain.

For the rest You’re a Lie, Halo, Back from Cali, Ghost, Dr. Alibi, Slither, Anastasia.

I warned husband when RQ started that the solo would go on for ages, but it didn’t bother me. After all, we were there for Slash, so it was great to hear him soloing, solo alone was over ten minutes though, I think close to 15.

The crowd’s response throughout the concert was great, most people around me seemed to know and dig the new album too. I was like 10 to 15 m from the stage (right side, of course), so not front row by any means, but rather near the stage anyway.

Overall, would certainly go see them again when they come back, we saw a great show with a good mix of old and new, Slash’s awesomeness, a band on fire and never a dull moment, two hours of pure fun.

[Rovim]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but do you honestly believe that with a more open approach to writing and recording, and maybe with other musicians helping him to come up with let's face it, better songs, he can't get much closer to the quality of what he did in the past? I think he's really into what he's doing now, and I hear an improvement over the last album with WOF, but if I'm really harsh, I can say it's a waste of time for someone like Slash to send out fully formed ideas to other band members to write the drums, bass, vocal, and lyrics on top of it.

Why is that? cause Slash is not a songwriter, and Slash is not a natural band leader, and his greatest talents are his riffs, melodies, leads and solos. He doesn't give the freedom to other band members to fully inject themselves into his ideas, and his ideas do not stray too far from how they were conceived in his head. So it's not really the vision of the band, it's his vision without the crucial element he always needed to come up with really great shit.

His solos probably improved a lot just cause he let Elvis push him to invest more time and effort. His ideal way of working is not ideal for the material.

One of the first things you say there is there's been an improvement from AL to WOF, that's progress. Surely that's a sing that things are going in the right direction, or at least a positive one. However, I seriously doubt he creates in a vacuum. Nobody knows better than Slash what being dictated to does to a band. Besides Myles and Todd are both writers, it's very likely they have had more of an influence now, which I suppose would account for the improvement we were talking about. I think he does give the other band members a good degree of freedom to inject themselves into the material to be honest.

But it's a balance, on GNR he was on the other side of things, like Jeff Beck contributing to other people's ideas, and adding his own now and then, on Snakepit it was more of him, on VR it was much more of a compromise split 5 ways, first solo album was all him except vocals, AL was more collaborative, and I'd say this one was probably a more even split than the last one was. His solos have improved a lot because he's worked on playing better, not necessarily because of any one producer, because whether it's Nothing To Say, Anastasia, or Beneath The Savage Sun, you can tell he's going for it, and there's more of it for him to aim for than there was before.

Good points. I think one thing that prevents me from being totally satisfied with Slash's efforts in recent years is that even though Myles, Todd, and Brent were a part of the artistic process, and the outcome is a good album imo, it still shares the same problem with AL and even his first solo album: it sounds like Slash came up with a riff and then everything else was tacked on it or taken a back sit to what he's doing and it's mainly there to serve the main purpose which is to highlight his amazing playing.

It's been a problem since Snakepit. It was less of an issue for everything but Slash's guitars in VR. It actually had a major flaw in that there wasn't enough Slash there. So that balance is very important, and when he tried to give more control to Scott with Libertad, it was a disaster cause Scott doesn't really do the type of hard rock Slash wants to create imo. but it goes both ways, and Slash is not the kind of guitar player that sounds the best when you build everything, the songs around his strengths. It's when you use Slash and his expressive way of playing to take the song higher, and it has to stand on it's own first and to perfectly mesh with Slash's initial ideas and fully mix with them in the writing process to create a song that is a shared vision of all involved.

Why not at least let Myles come up with ideas first as well, and not always be the one that brings song ideas to the table? if Myles is the right man for this job, then let's hear what they really sound like together. Myles can totally do that in Alter Bridge. I don't understand why not. Now, that they had the time to establish their musical bond, the next album should, imo, reflect them even more as a band. If there is good writing chemistry there, there is no reason it won't click, so why not at least try is what I'm saying.

I hear what you mean working on Myles' Idea's but that may tie into the arrangement with alterbridge and his splitting time. I guess the best indication would be if Myles ever puts out his solo album, as slash mentioned he plays on it.

Can't wait to hear it, how it sounds and how Slash sounds on it as well. I just think an all acoustic album with no hard rock/metal-ish material can't help me understand what a real hard rock record will sound like with more artistic freedom given to Myles.

I think there is a good chance Slash will give him a little more freedom on the next one cause it looks like he really trusts him as a musician and they're friends, which is great, but I want something like Blackbird for example: doesn't have to be in the same style obviously, and I'm not expecting Myles to do a solo, but Myles should be given the chance imo to bring in his own ideas cause who knows what can come of it. Maybe things that will inspire Slash in new ways. (Brent and Todd are great musicians, my guess is they can do more as well)

Btw, I'm not saying Myles's solo album is not as good of a collaboration with Slash potentially (even if he probably just played on one or a few songs) as Slash's albums, it's just that Slash's main thing is hard rock and I want to know what a hard rock Slash and Myles album sounds like with more freedom given to Myles to really express himself like he did in Alter Bridge and other projects, and not just work within the boundaries of Slash's vision.

Having said that, World On Fire showed Myles can do cool stuff that I didn't think he could do with Slash when it comes to hard rock.

Wicked Stone is especially convincing to me, and Myles said he had a bunch of different ideas for the chorus and it changed multiple times. So...maybe that's a good way of doing it: Slash can give Myles a more central role cause it could do wonders for the material, and Slash can always reject it, but only after really going for it as a band, which I hope will happen.

I still can't relate to most of his lyrics though, and I'm not a fan of his voice when he screams, but on some songs I'm on board, and my guess is the next Conspirators album will be even better.

Even though I prefer Scott as a singer, I think Myles is better suited to what Slash is trying to do. (can't believe I just said that)

Edited November 27, 2014 by Rovim

[ToonGuns]

It was a bit fast, but then again the original felt like it dragged on too.

Great solo though. I always liked the vocals in that bridge section.

Didnt realise they played a "faster" version... which tour was that on?

[Rovim]

We didn’t get DTJ in Brussels yesterday, but we did get a great show! Slash was awesome (got goosebumps when he came up), the band was great and Myles didn’t annoy me, although I like Todd Kerns better on vocals. They just look like great guys having lots of fun on stage, so that was cool.

We got half of AFD (NT, OTGM, Brownstone, RQ, SCOM and PC) and YCBM from GNR. Not a bad thing at all to me, since this was my first time seeing Slash and it was great hearing him play those songs I love. Not bad for my husband either, because he doesn’t really know Slash’s work outside of GNR. (Although I made him listen to the new album yesterday.) So he was pleasantly surprised by the number of songs he knew.

We got WOF, Automatic Overdrive, Bent to Fly, Too Far Gone, Beneath the Savage Sun and Avalon from the new album. No Unholy, sadly. But Beneath the Savage Sun is my second favourite from the album, so can’t complain.

For the rest You’re a Lie, Halo, Back from Cali, Ghost, Dr. Alibi, Slither, Anastasia.

I warned husband when RQ started that the solo would go on for ages, but it didn’t bother me. After all, we were there for Slash, so it was great to hear him soloing, solo alone was over ten minutes though, I think close to 15.

The crowd’s response throughout the concert was great, most people around me seemed to know and dig the new album too. I was like 10 to 15 m from the stage (right side, of course), so not front row by any means, but rather near the stage anyway.

Overall, would certainly go see them again when they come back, we saw a great show with a good mix of old and new, Slash’s awesomeness, a band on fire and never a dull moment, two hours of pure fun.

Cool little review. Many loving couples that went to a show are probably divorced now thanks to Slash's Rocket Queen solo.

[Intercourse]

Absolutely awful. Wish I had never read Nosaj's status update so I could have spared myself from checking it out. My bad though, I should have known better.

I'd love to understand just what is so "awful" to you about this compared to the old version. Its really not that different.

Not a Myles fan myself but your allergy to absolutely every note that comes from Slash post-GNR leaves me intrigued.

I'm not here to convert you, each to their own for sure, just interested to know what happens to your ears when post-GNR Slash comes your way.

I kinda get where you are coming from, I despise ABBA but cannot explain why (maybe not your problem and you know why you hate all of Slash's solo/VR work), their music makes me really really angry and a bit ill and I just don't know why. Its great pop music and as a musician I should appreciate musical craft but in their case I'd rather take an axe to the fuckers.

PS: Note the only member who liked your post. Hence my intrigue, I'd never associate you with that person's mindset.

I don't make posts for likes and I don't care who does or doesn't like them. I'm not hearing this resemblance to Axl that others have alluded to. I'm hearing and seeing the same nasally and uncharismatic oaf that I see and hear every time I convince myself I should give them another shot. Slash sounds nowhere near as good as he used to either so he isn't even a saving grace. IMHO this is the absolute worst version of this song in existence, so awful is a very fitting description to me.

Thanks for getting back to me.

Just to continue on with this, if you're up for it...

In what way is Slash "nowhere near as good" to you? Writing? Playing? Take for example DTJ here, Slash is essentially playing mostly what he originally wrote...does it now sound wrong or lower in quality to you compared to what he was doing in the nineties?

Just interested to know as I don't think I've read a mail from you where you fully set out your stall as regards the whole GNR bubble and all who came and went today and yesterday. I'm sure you have explained your position before but I'm not that long around here to have seen it.

PS: I'm not having a go at you over those who share your opinion, to me you're mostly an equal opportunities hater and include yourself (often hilariously) when you're dishing out the jabs. I'm just interested to know how you could have liked a band enough to bring you here, to keep supporting this forum so generously in several key ways over the years but have such a visceral reaction to absolutely everything Slash now does.

You're not an apologist for anyone yet the guitar guy gets the hardest go.

Just askin' as I've fuck all else to do while I'm drinking my morning coffee. If you don't want to play ball, fair enough.

I'm not a guitar player myself so I don't know exactly what it is, but to me it seems like Slash has lost a lot of the feel that he had when in Guns. It's not just that I don't like the guy because I still watch plenty of videos from the classic lineup and Slash still gives me goosebumps every time. That Slash is still my favorite guitar player in the world. There is just something missing now. He doesn't seem anywhere near as passionate as he used to be and it makes his guitar sound flat. Notes that used to (and still do when listening to a younger Slash) cut right through me seem to falter as soon as they're made. That's the best way I can describe it.

I completely get where you are coming from.

It was the same with Stevie Ray Vaughan, when he got sober he played better technically but the whiff of madness that made his blues playing so exciting was gone because the manic influence of the drugs and booze were gone. Many were like me and missed the old Stevie but understood he couldn't live as he was to play as he did. My own local hero Rory Gallagher actually did die young because he continued to live the lifestyle so he could continue to play as himself.

Like you, I just fucking adore Slash's work with GNR as to me, his playing back then was perfectly balanced on a knife edge between his chaotic lifestyle & supreme talent - each polar-opposite effect pushing and pulling against the other to deliver his unique and stunning results.

Slash is technically better than ever these days but because his hands can do so much more I think he has recently moved towards the more heavy metal style of playing with classical music influences in his solos etc to challenge himself. Someone mentioned seeing him sweep picking, that's pure heavy metal /classically trained guitar player stuff right there and something he has never done before.

I am very impressed with his latest work but I don't flat out adore it like I used to. Slash is obviously threading new sonic waters to keep himself engaged and good for him but I always will want "Coma" or "Locomotive" over anything on WOF. That said, seeing the man play in the flesh today is still up there for me as one of the most impressive sights and sounds in rock. You should go and see him to see if it moves you at all. I think you might be pleasantly surprised...or not! Slash live is a towering presence.

Finally, I guess we all age, weaken and loose the shine of youth. I think Slash, like U2 is railing against that inevitable force but I'm not sure it always makes for the best music.

[gunsfanoldie]

A very special happy birthday to Mr. Myles Fuckin' Kennedy! I think we should all give thanks for that god of a man.

And have you seen him shirtless? Yowza. Its like when a girl holds out on sex for months and then finally she relents and you're like "yes."

[moreblack]

That said, seeing the man play in the flesh today is still up there for me as one of the most impressive sights and sounds in rock. You should go and see him to see if it moves you at all. I think you might be pleasantly surprised...or not! Slash live is a towering presence.

And that's really where his newfound bag of tricks come in handy most of all. He's been playing out of his skin live for the last 3 tours pretty much.

[Axl_morris]

Slash - Phones 4u Arena, Manchester

Hi there,

Quick update about your event!

The shows coming up soon, so the venue have been in touch to let us know that security will be performing full pat downs before Friday's show.

[Huge fan]

I keep hearing word that Slash is going to be on Chris Jericho's podcast, Talk Is Jericho, soon. That's pretty cool. I hear it's a two-parter so I'm sure there's bound to be a lot to talk about, not just music in general.

http://www.podcastone.com/pg/jsp/program/episode.jsp?programID=593&pid=457952

[Anguyen92]

I keep hearing word that Slash is going to be on Chris Jericho's podcast, Talk Is Jericho, soon. That's pretty cool. I hear it's a two-parter so I'm sure there's bound to be a lot to talk about, not just music in general.

http://www.podcastone.com/pg/jsp/program/episode.jsp?programID=593&pid=457952

Yeah, saw it, last week. Great episodes going into all the aspects of Slash's life (music, horror, dinosaurs, etc.).