Cold .45
Velvet Revolver aims and misfires
You could hear many of them in the line outside the Avalon on May 3rd, last Thursday. Espousing the "great man" theory. Thee gods of guitar and drum: "I betcha if John Bonham were around today, he'd be sitting in with Pink Floyd, man! And then there'd be another supergroup with Gilmour 'n' Keith Emerson 'n' Chris Robinson and ... !"
This kind of fan was here on this night because Velvet Revolver is a group more famous for who they are than for what they've done. Consisting of former Guns 'N Roses playaz Slash, Duff
McKagen, and Matt Sorum; ex-Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland, and adept-if-anonymous rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner, Velvet Revolver is about to release its second album of hard-charging rock and roll, Libertad, and Thursday's showcase event - rock photogs from around the globe were out in force to document every larger-than-life gesture and current band-member hair-style - was the first time the new songs would be aired for the public ear.
First up was the Actual, a quartet of West Coast-based melodic alternative rockers, who were clearly well-versed in the catalog of ye Foo Fighters. Frontman Max Bernstein shares vocals with able guitarist Ben Flanagan; young Max also plays guitar, and his dad is Carl Bernstein, formerly of The Washington Post, who not only married Nora Ephron but also helped sink the Nixon presidency ... so, basically Max's really gotta accomplish something with this rock 'n' roll lark or every Chanukah with the family from now on is really gonna suck. Promisingly, the Actual's upcoming album was produced by Weiland (who signed them to his Softdrive Records imprint), and the tunes ain't bad at all. The band's rousing cover of Cheap Trick's "Dream Police" didn't hurt matters, either.
The problem with supergroups is that they exist in their own little bubble. Tonight, that bubble kept itself floating around backstage for more than an hour and 15 minutes, and a clearly irritated crowd was having none of it. By the time the CD over the PA had spun itself through twice, fans were starting to mutter if it was really the famously tardy Axl Rose who was running this show. So much for the "great men" theory: Judging by the boos that occurred at around the 60-minute mark, this was not an audience to be trifled with.
When the Revolver was ultimately taken from its holster, it was admittedly impressive at first gaze. In particular, both Slash and Duff still command attention: lean, leather-clad gods from a time long passed. The axe-man with the ever-present top-hat-and-curls can still rip out a solo like he really means it, and when locked in with Kushner, the band's twin guitars roared and snarled like a ... well, like a real band was performing in front of us, and not a waxwork replica. Still, the crowd heartily cheered versions of S.T.P.'s "Vasoline" and the Gunners' "Used to Love Her" because those other, better bands had done them first.
It was Weiland's night, but not for the right reasons. Dressed provocatively in his usual "gay cop" drag, the frontman paid tribute to his late brother, Michael, who passed away during the making of Libertad. When the band performed Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" in his honor, the singer sang facing a screen showing home movies of his deceased sibling. You could hear, in the occasional wavering pitch of his voice, the message loud and clear: There, but for the grace of God ... .
The near-hits from the Contraband debut were aired: "Fall to Pieces" brought out the lighters; and "Set Me Free" and "Slither" made a few fists pump. The newer songs weren't really announced, but upcoming single "She Builds Quick Machines" doesn't sound like it's gonna rise to the top of the pops anytime soon. A cover of Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" was a nice surprise, however, particularly because it was transformed by Slash into a stinging slide-guitar workout.
The not-easily-impressed audience yelped and howled only a little between encores. Fooled twice, shame on Velvet Revolver.
Published: 05/10/2007
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