Slash - London Review

Following Sylosis' sweaty and high-octane show at The Fleece in Bristol last Thursday, I headed back up to London for the second weekend in a row, via a delayed train thanks to on-going industrial action, for something rather grander in scale. In fact, Sylosis' show could not really have been more different than what followed - as I headed over to the OVO Arena in Wembley, via my Travelodge in Finchley, for a night wish the legendary guitarist Slash. Clearly Slash rose to fame as a member of Guns N' Roses in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but in recent years he has really established himself as a prolific and impressive solo artist - aided by Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy on vocals and backed by The Conspirators. Whilst this solo career has been put on the back burner a few times of late due the on-going Guns N' Roses reunion, it is clear that Slash's heart is still invested in his own adventure. I am sure he is enjoying his time playing stadiums and headlining festivals again with Guns N' Roses, and I am still hoping for a new album from them one day, but it is with Kennedy and The Conspirators where he seems to be the most creative. I first saw Slash live at the 2011 iteration of the High Voltage Festival in London; and I then saw him again in 2013 - as part of the touring cycle for 2012's Apocalyptic Love, the first album he released with Kennedy and the Conspirators. I have seen him twice since with Guns N' Roses, but I had not been able to make one of his solo concerts since that 2013 night in Nottingham. He has visited the UK as part of each subsequent album's touring cycle, but for whatever reason I have not been able to make any of the shows over the years. When the band's current European tour was announced last year, then, I knew that I had to finally make the effort and go - so I picked up a ticket for the Wembley show as it tied into some other existing plans yet to be discussed. Sylosis' show came later and tied in nicely, too, so the long weekend was planned and I was really looking forward to seeing Slash and his band again for the first time in 11 years. I was excited by the prospect of seeing a set which essentially just focused on Slash's solo work, too. When I last saw him, over half the set was made up of Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit, and Velvet Revolver material - but with three more albums having been released since then Slash now has more than enough material to fill a set without having to rely on old standards. That is largely what this tour has been about, then, despite the occasional hark back to the past, but it is right that Slash, Kennedy, and The Conspirators (who feel like a true rock band at this point) exhibit their ongoing collaboration in full. I imagine that this decision will have upset some of the casual fans, but they can go and see Guns N' Roses if they want to hear those songs - and let those of us who have really enjoyed Slash's solo career take in a full set of such material.

Before Slash's lengthy set, though, the growing arena crowd were treated to 30 minutes of music from Mammoth WVH - fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen. This was my third time seeing them live and I had not particularly enjoyed either of the previous sets - and my view this time was essentially unchanged. It is clear that Van Halen is both a talented singer and a talented musician, but I am not convinced that he is a talented songwriter. His band's two albums have been pretty well received, but to me they sound like they could have been released by any of the numerous and fairly bland American radio rock bands which are inexplicably popular over the pond. The problem with Mammoth VWH's material is that I just do not find it to be very memorable at all. Very few of their riffs are hooky and hard-driving; and I also find that none of their choruses explode with melody. They are not a stadium-ready band in that respect, at least in my opinion, and every time I have seen them live I have felt quite bored after hearing a couple of the songs - as everything sounds similar with no real dirt under the fingernails. Van Halen can certainly play the guitar, as a number of impressive guitar solos showed, but a guitar solo does not make for a compelling song on its own - and this set, like the others, just washed over me. Given his status and popularity, I imagine that this will not be the last time I see his band live, either. I first saw them in December 2022 with Alter Bridge and I have now already seen them three times. They are clearly being pushed in a big way, but I can only assume that I am in something of a minority - as they generally have received strong receptions whenever I have seen them. I think I just need to concede that they are not for me.

Thankfully, though, Slash does not trade in radio rock - and from 8:30pm to around 10:45pm the OVO Arena was treated to a fantastic, no-nonsense hard rock set from one of the best guitar players in the scene. With no arena trappings at all, Slash and his band just powered their way through a 22-song set with no real fanfare. Kennedy generally let the music do the talking and all of Slash's five solo albums were covered - with a couple of slight deviations from this theme allowing for the odd surprise. Early on, the bluesy, heavy riffing came thick and fast. With seven songs from 2022's 4 (which I reviewed here) included, the show kicked off with one of the best cuts from that latest platter - with The River Is Rising getting the show off to a fine start. I struggled with 4's messy production but each of the songs from it featured sounded much better live - and considering that I had missed the last two touring cycles, too, much of the set consisted of songs which I had not seen Slash do live before. The more anthemic Driving Rain was an early highlight for me, but it was the snappy Halo which really seemed to kick things up a notch. By this point most were on board - and it was great to see most around me singing along to the album tracks, and not seemingly waiting for the big hits which never came. Some of the older tracks did receive the biggest cheers, though, with the groovy Back from Cali in particular earning a strong reaction. This was also the case for the somewhat similar Actions Speak Louder Than Words a little later - which really came alive on stage. Given that 4 was opting for a live sound, it is ironic that an actual live sound made its songs tick. The track was a particular winner, with Kennedy and bassist Todd Kerns harmonising well during the rollocking chorus. Kerns was then responsible for one of the diversions - as he sang Always on the Run, a song which Slash wrote with and for Lenny Kravitz. The funky track showcased a different side of Slash's playing, and he teamed up well with Frank Sidoris (guitar/vocals) for the choppy rhythms. The set did not contain too many ballads, so the occasional slower numbers acted as great changes of pace. As such, the soaring Bent to Fly was a real highlight for me. It is one of my favourite cuts from Slash's solo catalogue, so it was great to finally hear it live, with the snappy and heavy metal-esque Avalon then bringing the mood back down to earth with a bump.

Despite what I said earlier there was one Guns N' Roses song present, but it was certainly not one for the casuals - with Kerns taking on the snarling Don't Damn Me which allowed Slash to play around with some sleazier tones. He also used the later, rawer Wicked Stone to experiment, too - this time with plenty of guitar soloing. I had expected a lengthy guitar solo at some point and it certainly was not as long as the one I remembered from the 2013 show - during which even drummer Brent Fitz looked quite bored. For me, elongated solos like this are something which should be left in the past - but Slash, being an old-school player, is certainly one to indulge on occasion. Following Wicked Stone, though, the set generally roared through to a powerful close. The gorgeous Fill My World is one of Slash's most stadium-ready pieces, and it really soared thanks to Kennedy's vocals, whilst Kerns took the lead one last time during the snarling Doctor Alibi which has become a setlist staple over the years. It was left to the big singles You're a Lie and World on Fire, the latter of which was stretched out to include more soloing and band introductions, to round out the main set - with Slash and the band receiving huge cheers as they left the stage. Following some additional equipment being set up, the band came back out for a two-song encore - which kicked off with one of the best live cover versions I have ever heard. I did not know that I needed to hear Slash covering Elton John's Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) - but his subtle pedal steel alongside Fitz on the keyboards made for a smouldering version of the classic track, which Kennedy owned vocally. I really hope this version of the song gets recorded one day, perhaps on their next album, but it was an unexpected highlight of the show - but the night then closed out on more familiar ground with a barnstorming version of Anastasia. The track seems to have become Slash's anthem now and it was a fine way to end the night - with Kennedy belting out the chorus with real power and Slash's hypnotic riff and closing solo bringing the house down. The setlist was:

The River Is Rising

Driving Rain

Halo

Too Far Gone

Back from Cali

Whatever Gets You By

C'est La Vie

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Always on the Run [Lenny Kravitz cover]

Bent to Fly

Avalon

Spirit Love

Don't Damn Me [Guns N' Roses material]

Starlight

Wicked Stone

April Fool

Fill My World

Doctor Alibi

You're a Lie

World on Fire

-

Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) [Elton John cover]

Anastasia

I think it can be easy to take Slash for granted, but seeing him live in any guise always makes me remember what a true talent he is. He might have made his name with Guns N' Roses, but I think that his solo albums showcase some of his best songwriting and in Kennedy he has found a true co-writer and right hand man. I will always look forward to new material from the two and I am really pleased to have finally caught Slash and his band live again after so many years - and to have seen a set filled with so many of his best recent compositions.