Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators at The Whisky

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, The Whisky, September 13, 2018

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators made their grand return to the Sunset Strip, performing two very special shows at the notorious Whisky A Go Go! Selling out within minutes, this show was indeed the hot ticket of the year, and Slash and his partners in sonic mayhem certainly presented a duo of sets that would be remembered for a lifetime. Celebrating the imminent unveiling of Living The Dream on Snakepit/Roadrunner Records, Slash and his co-horts played a dazzling two hour extravaganza that thoroughly enraptured the over-capacity crowd. Highwire Daze would catch the band on their second night, and what a powerhouse performance from each and every member – not to mention the tidal wave of adoration the audience sent back to the stage. Slash and his fans were about to participate in what would be a concert of legendary and epic proportions.

Kicking off the set with a slamming one/two punch of Avalon and Halo, Slash and company sent the room spinning with a staggering amount of skill and precision. One notices at once why Slash is considered one of the greatest guitarists on this Planet Earth – exuding an overpowering amount of star appeal while presenting wickedly imaginative solos that set the imagination in flight. Slash possesses absolutely phenomenal showmanship, and has amassed a collective of musicians whose talent is just as limitless and inspiring.

Up front and center is the one and only Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge fame, whose spirited vocals and massive charisma launched each and every song into the stratosphere. Kennedy’s vocals are filled with passion and conviction, emitting an intensity that is always stunning to witness. The rhythm guitar work of Frank Sidoris vibrantly compliment’s Slash’s own trademark delivery.  Todd Kerns is certainly the master of any instrument he plays, and his thunderous bass work and backing vocals are thrilling and magnetic. Kerns even had a chance to shine on his own, assuming lead vocals duties on Doctor Alibi and hitting it way out of the ballpark. And then bringing it all home was drummer extraordinaire Brent Fitz, performing with a ferocity as exhilarating as it was unearthly.

When you have tunes as compelling as the creations of Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, there is no need to look at the past and previous bands for material. Although the response to Rocket Queen by Guns N’ Roses was euphoric, the audience reaction to the selections from Living The Dream was equally as ecstatic. Brand new songs such as Mind Your Manners, My Antidote, and Driving Rain showed a band at the very height of their creative energies. When World On Fire was unleashed towards the end of the set, the anthem about seeking your dreams sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Was the audience tired and ready to go home after a two hours set of Slash madness and intrigue with the Midnight hour upon them on a weeknight? I think not! The very loud demand for an encore resulted in Slash and band returning to the stage, bestowing upon the crowd sparkling renditions of The Call Of The Wild and Anastasia. If you missed these two local club shows, no need to despair. Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators will return to the City of Angels, headlining the venerable Hollywood Palladium on October 16th!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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