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Velvet Revolver – The Ambassador Theatre – March 12th 2008

Posted in Gig Review, Music with tags Duff, Guns N Roses, Slash, Slash ireland, Velvet Revolver, Velvet Revolver Dublin review, Velvet Revolver in Dublin on March 14, 2008 by Tickets There

Velvet Revolver landed in Ireland this month to play two sold out nights at the Ambassador Theatre in Dublin and Tickets There decided that Slash’s presence in Ireland deserved a mention (personal favourite ya see).

We wouldn’t really call ourselves Velvet Revolver fans. Their first album was half decent and we remember being pretty excited buying it just before heading to Alice Cooper in the Olympia a few years ago. The first full length collaboration with Slash, Duff Makagan and Matt Sorum, since the last Guns N’ Roses album (The Spaghetti Incident). The excitement managed to cover up the obvious flaws in the album for a few months. By the time their second album came out we’d had lost much of the original interest. We’d spent months following the silent goings on in the Guns N’ Roses world and the new Velvet Revolver album was the enemy, another barrier between the new Guns N Roses and the former band mates.

Liberty turned out to be one of the most over hyped pieces of rubbish we have ever had the displeasure of buying. Every song was a repetition of the track listing from the first album. Big Machine became She Builds Quick Machines while Fall to Pieces became Gravedancer’. It was so bad, it promoted us to write one of our first pieces, a short but scathing attack……and here we go again (thankyou Mr. Coverdale)

The gig was sold out, but there was no atmosphere. The crowd was at least 70% male and made up of ageing Guns N Roses rockers, extreme studiers (you know what we mean, the kind of guys who paid E175 to meet the band pre-show and get every album cover signed), Emo’s (four really annoying ones in particular) and kids…lots of kids.

Support was provided by Year long Disaster. At first they seemed like…well we don’t know what, just another post millennium metal band. Slow, meaningful lyrics, backed up hard, slow and BORING riffs. However, halfway through their set they really kicked things off, spiralling into classic Les Paul jams and spur off’s. ‘Y.L.D. proved to be pretty good considering…..considering they leave the nonsense metal out of it. Slayer did it as well as it can be done already so what’s the point?

VR came on stage about 9.30 hammering straight into Let it Roll, the first track from the last album. Let It Roll had all the trademarks of an incredible fast paced, slap in the face, rock anthem except it fails to deliver, much like the rest of the their catalogue.

I wouldn’t even bother describing the rest of the set song by song as it was all the same. Slash managed to get the loudest cheers every time he’d come to the front of the stage, Duff a close second, Then Scott. Rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner was seen occasionally hanging around while Matt tried desperately to perform strong enough so Slash and Duff wouldn’t wake up and realize their not in Guns N Roses anymore. Each song was delivered exactly the same except a quiet moment or two for the acoustics to be brought out. Even renditions of Guns N’ Roses classics It’s so Easy, Mr Brownstone and Patience didn’t manage to impress (us anyway, lots of other people were having a great time). We felt more disgusted that Slash and Duff would let Scott sing three of their greatest works.

There were a few highlights of the night. Firstly the presence of Slash and Duff McKagan (have I mentioned them yet?), Slash playing a double neck guitar during patience, The Ambassador’s smoking area and …..well, I’m sure there was any more.

Even the final song of the night Slither, their classic first single, was too far into the set to save the night. We’d already visited the cloak room before they had left the stage.

Set List: Velvet Revolver, Dublin, March 12th/2008,