Date: Monday, May 18, 2015
City: Chicago, IL
Venue: Concord Music Hall
Opening act(s): Fozzy
Headlining act: Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators
Slash Setlist:
You’re A Lie
Nightrain
Avalon
Back From Cali
Standing In The Sun
Wicked Stone
Automatic Overdrive
Double Talkin’ Jive
You Could Be Mine
Doctor Alibi
Welcome To The Jungle
Beneath The Savage Sun
The Dissident
Rocket Queen
Bent To Fly
World On Fire
Anastasia
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Slither
———————
Paradise City
Notes:
- Second time seeing Slash with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, third overall after seeing Slash with Velvet Revolver in 2005. First time seeing Slash w/ Myles & The Conspirators headline.
- First time seeing “Avalon,” “Wicked Stone,” “Automatic Overdrive,” “Double Talkin’ Jive,” “Doctor Alibi,” “Welcome To The Jungle,” “Beneath The Savage Sun,” “The Dissident,” “Rocket Queen,” and “Bent To Fly” live.
- The setlist was comprised of seven Guns N’ Roses covers (“Nightrain,” “Double Talkin’ Jive,” “You Could Be Mine,” “Welcome To The Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Paradise City”), one Velvet Revolver cover (“Slither”), two songs from Slash’s 2010 solo album (“Back From Cali” and “Doctor Alibi”), and 10 songs from the two albums Slash has recorded with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators.
- Bassist Todd Kerns sang lead vocals on “Double Talkin’ Jive,” “Doctor Alibi,” and “Welcome To The Jungle.”
- Show #1 at this venue.
Videos:
Review:
The plan was exactly the same as it was back on December 14 when we went to Chicago to see Steel Panther: stop in Bloomington for some Potbelly, then drive the rest of the way to Chicago.
I’m starting to think that isn’t a good plan.
The drive to Bloomington was quick and uneventful. We had lunch at Potbelly, which was amazing as always. I once again allowed myself to indulge in soda to complete my meal since that place is special and it was my last day of a very short ‘vacation.’
I peed, then we hit the road for Chicago.
Again, it was rather uneventful… Until we could see the city. At this point, I became suspicious of my body. Back in December, when we went to Potbelly in Bloomington and then drove to Chicago, I had a near peemergency as I damn near had to piss in soda cup in the back seat of Brittany’s car while stuck in traffic in the city.
Despite peeing at Potbelly a mere two hours before we entered the Chicago city limits today, I once again found myself having to pee really badly. Naturally, entering the city had to take five times longer than it normally would thanks to heavy traffic (typical) and construction (typical but worse than I’ve seen it in a long time).
The time dragged on and on and my bladder was pulsing. Any other time, I can go hours and hours and hours without having to pee. But there’s something about Chicago that just makes me have to piss like hell at the worst times. This time was even worse than the last, as I legitimately thought I was going to pee my pants. I was clinching it and feeling like I was going to lose control any second. I had to have Brittany pull over at a McDonald’s less than a quarter of a mile from the venue so I could run in and pee. Yep. So close, yet so far.
It was such sweet relief once I was finally able to piss. Then on the way out, I was walking behind a guy and his two kids and one of them threw up all over the sidewalk. So… There was that.
I never would have made it to the venue to pee, because finding a parking spot was a bitch. The show was sold out, and the venue was right down the road from the old Congress Theater, where me and Brittany saw Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors back in 2011. Turns out the place is closed now since the roof is falling in. Yikes.
We eventually got lucky/risked getting a ticket by parking on the street right across from the Concord Music Hall. The doors had already opened, so we were able to get in pretty quickly. Brittany took her turn to go to the bathroom, then we made our way into the actual concert hall in the venue.
It was a small place which holds no more than 1,600 people. It was quickly filling up. I would have liked to have gotten a spot on the balcony or the area directly behind the bar, as those spots would have allowed for clean views with ledges where I could have easily filmed a handful of songs without being disruptive or distracting myself from the actual show in front of me. As much as I want to have some footage to remember the show, I don’t want to take myself out of the moment.
Since it had taken so long to get into the city, there wasn’t much time to wait for the first band to hit the stage. Tonight’s opener was Fozzy, a band fronted by former ‘pro-wrestler’ (I use the term loosely) Chris Jericho. I have no respect for the WWE as a sport or any sort of entertainment, but I respect the guy for his musical aspects. The band took the stage around 8:00, with the guitar players & bassist facing the amps until Jericho took the stage in a light up jacket.
Some of their stuff was surprisingly decent, other stuff… Not so much. Opener “Do You Wanna Start A War” was kind of good. They played for a half hour, which also included songs like “Bad Tattoo,” “Sandpaper,” and an odd cover of ABBA’s “S.O.S.” that came off as a perfect fit for their sound.
The stage change took roughly 20 minutes, and the lights went down just before 9:00. After a few minutes, the band appeared on stage in the midst of a ton of smoke. Just like the last time I saw them, they opened with “You’re A Lie” from the Apocalyptic Love album and had the crowd going right from the start.
They kept things going with the first ‘cover’ of the night, Guns N’ Roses’ “Nightrain.” That’s one of my favorite GNR songs, so I was happy to see it in the set. I believe it’s one of Slash’s favorite songs to play live, so it’s no surprise that it remains in the set.
From here, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Slash has been back on the road in the US with his band for the last few weeks, but I have avoided setlists to savor any and all surprise and enjoyment out of this show. I enjoy concerts so much more when I don’t know what’s coming next. It helps that Slash likes to swap out a song or two from night to night as well, so while I knew the basic skeleton of what would most likely be played, I didn’t know exactly what to expect.
One of the reasons I’ve been dying to see Slash with Myles & The Conspirators headline a show is to see more songs from their most recent album World On Fire. When I saw them in 2014, the album was just under two months away from release, and they were opening for Aerosmith, so only the title track (and first single) was played. I was certainly interested in picking up Slash’s recent solo work after that show, but I had no idea that the World On Fire album would not only win the 2014 Album Of The Year Award, but it would also become one of my absolute favorite albums of all time.
The third song of the night was “Avalon,” a fast & furious song from the second half of World On Fire. It ranks near the bottom of what that album has to offer for me, but the album has no bad songs, so it was still cool to see.
Next came “Back From Cali,” one of the two songs on Slash’s 2010 self-titled solo album to be sung by Myles Kennedy. It’s a highlight of that album and an awesome live song.
Perhaps my favorite song from the Apocalyptic Love album, “Standing In The Sun,” followed. That’s one that doesn’t get played at every show. In fact, it hadn’t been played since the band’s show in Monterrey, Mexico on March 28 and had yet to be played in the US in 2015. So it was a lucky break to catch it at this show.
I only got more excited from there, as the next song was “Wicked Stone,” one of my absolute favorites from World On Fire. I love the way the chorus builds throughout the song, and Slash gets a chance to really go off on his guitar during the extended outro.
The band stuck with the new album, playing “Automatic Overdrive” in a setlist spot that seems to rotate between new tracks.
Two more GNR covers followed, being “Double Talkin’ Jive” from Use Your Illusion I and my personal favorite GNR song “You Could Be Mine” from Use Your Illusion II.
Myles then introduced bassist Todd “Dammit” Kerns, as he would be handling lead vocals for the next two songs. First up was “Doctor Alibi,” a song from Slash’s 2010 album that was sung by Lemmy. Then came another GNR cover, “Welcome To The Jungle.” Switching from Lemmy to Axl is a crazy jump, but Todd nailed both songs.
Myles returned to the stage for two more World On Fire tracks, “Beneath The Savage Sun” and “The Dissident,” another one of my favorites that was made to be played live.
Yet another GNR cover followed, as the band launched into an 18 minute version of “Rocket Queen” that saw Slash play an extended guitar solo. I’m all for solos from a guitarist of his caliber, but I do have my limits. Hell, not even Eddie Van Halen plays a solo for this long. An 18 minute version of this song was pushing it, but I’d rather have a solo be part of a song like this than just a guitar player by himself on stage.
The band returned to World On Fire, playing the album’s first two singles back to back. Myles kicked off “Bent To Fly” while seated in front of the crowd, and the song led directly into “World On Fire.”
Slash strapped on his double neck, half acoustic, half electric guitar for another Apocalyptic Love highlight “Anastasia.” This was another one of the songs that really grabbed me the first time I saw them and I’ve only grown to love it more since then.
Unfortunately, it was the last ‘original’ tune to be played, as GNR’s “Sweet Child O’Mine” followed.
The band introductions were done during an extended intro to Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” as usual before the band left the stage for a brief encore.
They returned to close the show with a high energy performance of GNR’s “Paradise City,” complete with Slash confetti shooting out from the side of the stage.
Just like that, the two hour show was over. It was even more amazing than I had anticipated, especially with seven songs from World On Fire being in the set. Despite the fact that a few of my favorites (“Too Far Gone,” “30 Years To Life,” “Stone Blind”) went unplayed, I was thrilled to see so many in the set.
My one complaint about the show would be that the setlist is too Guns N’ Roses heavy. I realize I’m probably in the minority in saying that, but I think seven GNR songs is too much. In all honesty, I’d be perfectly happy only getting “Nightrain” and “You Could Be Mine,” with no other GNR songs being played. I would rather hear more Velvet Revolver tunes than GNR songs. At least get “Sucker Train Blues” in there!
I guess I’m just suffering from overexposed-hit-fatigue, as I could go without hearing “Welcome To The Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” or “Paradise City” ever again. But the upside is that I would much rather hear Myles Kennedy sing GNR songs than Axl, whether it’s 80’s-prime Axl or what’s left of him today. I enjoy the GNR songs being played by this lineup way more than the studio recordings.
Fewer covers would also open up more spots in the set for songs from Slash’s self-titled album and Apocalyptic Love. Hopefully someday I’ll get to see songs like “Ghost,” “Promise,” “Starlight,” “We’re All Gonna Die,” “One Last Thrill,” “Halo,” “Bad Rain,” and “Shots Fired” played live. The list goes on and on.
Another complaint about the show was people with their cell phones and/or cameras. I’ve taken photos at plenty of shows, and I always try to be as discreet as possible. I keep my arms down and the camera in front of my face so that the only view I’m obstructing is my own.
This show was one of the worst I’ve ever been to when it comes to people sticking their shit up in the air and blocking views. Perhaps it was because I was on Slash’s side of the stage, but it was ridiculous. And honestly, it mostly came down to two douche bags causing all of the distraction. The two older folks in front of me were dumb enough to let these pieces of shit cut in front of them, and they BOTH were constantly taking photos. The one on the right at least had a camera, but the one on the left was using an iPhone 4. First of all, you’re never going to look at these damn photos, but second… THEY AREN’T EVEN GOOD PHOTOS. I repeatedly fantasized about knocking that damn phone out of the guy’s hand.
Regardless of that, it didn’t take away from what was an amazing show. I couldn’t have asked for a better one for my 70th (!!) concert. Thankfully Slash has already announced plans for he, Myles, & The Conspirators to return to the studio in 2016 with the same guy that produced World On Fire to record a new album. These guys have quickly become one of my favorite bands and I won’t pass up the chance to see them again in the future. Even if that means venturing into downtown Chicago while nearly pissing my pants.
Media Review:
Concert Review: Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
Backed by Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash performed in support of his latest project World on Fire Monday night at a sold out Concord Music Hall…
Perhaps moreso than any guitarist in rock history, Slash has watched successful bands crumble under ego (and more) time after time.
So it’s a pleasure to watch him perform with what seems to be more than a modicum of comfort onstage now with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.
A relationship that began on record following vocal contributions from Kennedy to the guitarist’s star-studded, 2010 self-titled album grew in 2012 as the collaboration turned into a full partnership that now spans two studio albums: 2012’s Apocalyptic Love and September’s World on Fire (a brisk recording and touring clip that pretty much always seemed unthinkable in any of Slash’s other high profile projects).
While it makes sense to bill this effort as “Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators,” under the heading of its most well-known participant, it can be misleading of the performances themselves. Make no mistake – this isn’t a backing band for Slash as much as it is a showcase for a fully realized band performing their own music. Monday night at Concord Music Hall, over the course of two hours, Slash was more than happy to cede centerstage to his bandmates opting himself for stage left with no need for a mic.
Until he introduced Kennedy to the crowd before the show’s encore, Slash chose to let his guitar do the talking. Performing songs from his first proper solo record alongside those from two albums with Kennedy and the Conspirators (plus GNR hits and even a Velvet Revolver sampling), Slash’s penchant for creating sleazy, but catchy, blues infused riffs was apparent throughout.
A show that began Monday night with The Conspirators track “You’re a Lie” really piqued the crowd’s interest with the underrated Guns N’ Roses track “Nightrain” following immediately thereafter. Digging deep into a Guns catalog chock full of hits really set the tone Monday night with tracks like “Rocket Queen” amongst the night’s most well-received.
But it was three tracks in particular that really acted as centerpieces for Slash’s incredible virtuoso guitar playing skill: “Wicked Stone ” (one of the finest moments on the latest Conspirators album) alongside GNR deep cuts from both Appetite for Destruction (the aforementioned “Rocket Queen”) and Use Your Illusion (“Double Talkin’ Jive”).
In a decade full of filth, nobody in the 80’s did it better than Guns N’ Roses – and the oft-discussed studio history of “Rocket Queen” may have been the epitome of it. Monday night, Slash strapped on the slide for a drawn-out, rolling solo that told a story of its own – while the extended intro on “Double Talkin’ Jive” was a sort of metal meets flamenco cacophony of sound that, twenty-four years after its release, remains virtually unparalleled in contemporary rock.
Which is kind of what makes the live and studio work of the Slash/Kennedy partnership so interesting: Slash, as part of both Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, paired with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge (Creed minus troubled frontman Scott Stapp) boast resumes featuring work in some of the most high profile rock acts of the last thirty years.
That type of history breeds expectation.
But the music Slash has created with Kennedy and The Conspirators sounds nothing like that of their previous acts. Sure, Slash’s sound/tone is unique enough that you recognize it immediately. And obviously, on stage, Kennedy is covering the vocal parts of both Axl Rose and Scott Weiland at times (the band performed a raucous rendition of Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” to close the main set) – but he somehow manages to pull it off as Myles Kennedy without ever aping either of the two, creating in the process a unique take on a wide scope of storied rock songs. The original tracks more than stand up against the covers.
And what’s more? The band looks like it’s having as much fun as the fans.
In a set full of standout moments Monday night, perhaps the most impressive is that, for a change, it seems Slash may have finally found a band that allows him to follow his muse, free of expectations, without the risk of imminent implosion.
By Jim Ryan @ ChicagoNow.com, 2015
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