Slash, Steel Panther @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (26/02/2015)
Steel Panther powered through their excitingly lengthy 1.25 hour set. They told some similar jokes to their Melbourne Soundwave spot a few days earlier, but it's to be expected from having to play so many gigs in a row. Mostly, it was all new, naturally hilarious, and unabridged smut throughout from our notorious Glam Metal favourites.
Mid-set, guitarist Satchel delivered a roaring guitar solo. It blared lovingly across a few obvious influences, including Van Halen, and obviously Slash himself. As always, there was a lot of titty worship and obliging female nudity, always met with gargantuan applause. A sincere nod on behalf of the whole crowd to the dude with his girlfriend who bashfully declined showing her tits on stage out of respect for him, until he thumbsed-up and began to film the whole thing from the front row. The band also thanked him for being such a cool mother fucker. The crowd dug material both new and old, but especially lit up for Asian Hooker, and Turn Out The Lights from The Panther’s first album. Punters didn't fully recapture the epicness the festival audience afforded at Soundwave Melbourne a few days earlier, but it might just be because Festival Hall is a glib and hollow venue. Judging by the response, it’s obvious Steel Panther should have headlined their own gig. “Thanks to all the old mother fuckers sitting down, too. Finding a babysitter to come rock out at a Steel Panther gig. You’re all gonna get your wrinkly dicks and pussies fucked for this!”, proclaimed Satchel at one point. |
Here’s hoping, as the raucous Steel Panther did more than amply warm up the crowd for Slash and his crew.
Lots of gnarly older dudes and chicks in the crowd who definitely saw The Gunners live in the 80's and 90's were already drunk, stoned, or simply ready to party before Slash came on. The 125 buck ticket would be more than worth it to them just to see the man in action, but for others who paid the same amount for a whole day at Soundwave that included him and dozens of other bands, it certainly seemed a very steep price tag.
There’s no denying why everyone was really at the gig. Despite the success of Slash's recent album, and it’s solo predecessors that have seen enough coverage to warrant a Soundwave spot before, it was classics his three-decade dedicated followers craved. Luckily, they weren’t disappointed. A warbling circus accordion intro burbled out of the PA, before Miles Kennedy, his backing band The Conspirators, and Slash appeared on stage. Met with a huge roar, they kicked off with a newbie, before bringing the house down early by playing Night Train almost right off the bat. A big swathe of recent solo material to which I am regrettably and completely ignorant to followed, and was rapturously received.
Miles Kennedy is a pretty fellow that does a smack-bang impression of Axel Rose. He’s a confident and commanding stage presence, belting out classics and contemporaries like Slash’s ex-front man hasn’t done for twenty years. The same can be said for the rest of the conspirators as well. Slash first really big solo was a muted, bluesy affair that began as purposefully underplayed and quite amazing. It built steadily, and eventually roared into You Could Be Mine, and by God if it wasn’t complete magic. A couple of more new tunes followed, followed by what was easily a sublime, entrancing twenty minute guitar solo. Anyone believing Slash to be little more than an 80’s novelty in the same stupid hat need only bare witness to the raw, unbridled mastery the man can unleash from a guitar at a live show. Then there was a double guitar, followed by Sweet Child Of Mine. The joint exploded, and no one in the place wasn’t completely hooked. A cover of Bad Company’s Feel Like Makin’ Love was a welcome surprise, as was the Subsequent cover of Velvet Revolver’s Slither.
An ear-shattering, foot stomping encore followed, including Led Zepplin’s barraging Immigrant Song, and finally Paradise City. The two were paired perfectly for a immeasurably grand finish. May Slash rock the fuck on with whoever he chooses for another forty years to come. Maybe 125 bucks wasn’t so much money to get that type of gig after all?
Todd Gingell
Lots of gnarly older dudes and chicks in the crowd who definitely saw The Gunners live in the 80's and 90's were already drunk, stoned, or simply ready to party before Slash came on. The 125 buck ticket would be more than worth it to them just to see the man in action, but for others who paid the same amount for a whole day at Soundwave that included him and dozens of other bands, it certainly seemed a very steep price tag.
There’s no denying why everyone was really at the gig. Despite the success of Slash's recent album, and it’s solo predecessors that have seen enough coverage to warrant a Soundwave spot before, it was classics his three-decade dedicated followers craved. Luckily, they weren’t disappointed. A warbling circus accordion intro burbled out of the PA, before Miles Kennedy, his backing band The Conspirators, and Slash appeared on stage. Met with a huge roar, they kicked off with a newbie, before bringing the house down early by playing Night Train almost right off the bat. A big swathe of recent solo material to which I am regrettably and completely ignorant to followed, and was rapturously received.
Miles Kennedy is a pretty fellow that does a smack-bang impression of Axel Rose. He’s a confident and commanding stage presence, belting out classics and contemporaries like Slash’s ex-front man hasn’t done for twenty years. The same can be said for the rest of the conspirators as well. Slash first really big solo was a muted, bluesy affair that began as purposefully underplayed and quite amazing. It built steadily, and eventually roared into You Could Be Mine, and by God if it wasn’t complete magic. A couple of more new tunes followed, followed by what was easily a sublime, entrancing twenty minute guitar solo. Anyone believing Slash to be little more than an 80’s novelty in the same stupid hat need only bare witness to the raw, unbridled mastery the man can unleash from a guitar at a live show. Then there was a double guitar, followed by Sweet Child Of Mine. The joint exploded, and no one in the place wasn’t completely hooked. A cover of Bad Company’s Feel Like Makin’ Love was a welcome surprise, as was the Subsequent cover of Velvet Revolver’s Slither.
An ear-shattering, foot stomping encore followed, including Led Zepplin’s barraging Immigrant Song, and finally Paradise City. The two were paired perfectly for a immeasurably grand finish. May Slash rock the fuck on with whoever he chooses for another forty years to come. Maybe 125 bucks wasn’t so much money to get that type of gig after all?
Todd Gingell