Slash joined Alice Cooper on stage Wednesday night (October 28) at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles to perform the classic track "School's Out."
According to Examiner.com, Slash played the song on his red sunburst Les Paul, as Cooper strutted on stage in a glittering suit and matching top hat. Cooper then proclaimed, "Happy Halloween."
Read a review and check out photos of the concert at this location. (via Blabbermouth)
In other news, Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has confirmed that he was being considered for the singer slot in Velvet Revolver.
Speaking to Altitude TV (see video below), Taylor said, "I had a meeting with those guys, we did some demos together, and it just didn't work — for whatever reason."
He added, "It was just really cool. It was one of those things where it's like I could have got to jam with legends, man, in my opinion. But, you know, it was cool, and I still know those guys, I still hang out with them, and I still have nothing but respect."
Slash was asked a few months ago by the webmaster of his official fan site if there was any truth to the rumor that Taylor was going to be the next VR singer. According to a posting on the site, Slash "said it looked like it for a minute, but they had decided against it."
Slash will appear on George Lopez' new talk show on TBS November 16.
You can watch Slash N' Friends playing "Immigrant Song" and "Highway to Hell" from the 'Jason Cam' below (Kristiansand, Norway June 30, 2009).
Andrew Stockdale, lead singer of Melbourne rockers Wolfmother, spoke to the BBC News about a track he recorded with guitarist Slash.
The song will be included on Slash's forthcoming solo album which is tentatively scheduled for release in February or March 2010.
Stockdale, who lends his vocals to the untitled song has described its sound as "relentless".
He added, "Slash is an iconic figure in rock 'n' roll history ... It's an honor."
Explaining about how the collaboration came about Stockdale said, "at the start of the year Slash contacted my manager and asked if I was interested in singing on his record. Maybe because I've got that old school delivery it matches what he was trying to do. Guns N' Roses in the '90s, they brought back the danger in rock 'n' roll."
Ozzy Osbourne, and Blink 182's Travis Barker are also scheduled to take part.
Slash will appear at West Fest, a free concert to be held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on this Sunday October 25. Ray Manzarek from The Doors, Denny Laine from The Moody Blues, and The Alameda Allstars, Greg Allman’s band are also scheduled to perform.
via Blabbermouth According to Dagbladet.no, Slash was paid 10 million Norwegian kroner (approximately $1.65 million) for his headlining appearance at this year's edition of the Quart festival on June 30, 2009 in Kristiansand, Norway.
Quart festival manager Arild Buli would not comment on the report when contacted by Dagbladet.no, calling it "an internal matter" and expressing his concern about "confidential information" being leaked to the public.
Try as I might, I can't seem to find much information on Dizzy Reed's shows at the Viper Room.
I was able to find this blurry picture from his performance there last Saturday night, but that's it so far. Apparently, he's showcasing some new songs from his "upcoming" solo album. I haven't been able to find out any song titles yet.
I also found this:
August 15
Summer Fest 2009 featuring Natasha Bedingfield, 3 Days Grace, 7 Bridges, Draw the Line, Tessane Chin, Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus of Guns N' Roses and Secret Po Po at the National Stadium. General admission $75, $105 reserved on the field, and $205 VIP. Doors open at 5.30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Go to www.bdatix.com for tickets. (The Royal Gazette)
Slash just recorded a guitar part on a song for the British singer Estelle. He also revealed that Velvet Revolver is having a meeting next week. I expect them to announce Franky Perez as their new vocalist. Franky will replace Scott Weiland who left the band last Spring to reunite with Stone Temple Pilots.
Izzy Stradlin's new album is due to be released on iTunes any day now.
After that Gilby's doing a three-week stint at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, CA on July 11, 18 and 25.
Gilby will also host & perform at the Storm Stadium Rock Fest in Lake Elsinore, CA on August 15. Adler's Appetite, Warrant, Great White, and KOTTAK are also playing the festival.
Robin Finck and Nine Inch Nails have announced NEW FINAL DATES.
They're going to play a handful of shows in NYC, Chicago and LA starting August 22. They will be informal affairs in medium to small venues with longer set-lists, possible special guests, cool openers and other surprises. In NYC they'll be playing Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall and Terminal 5. In Chicago, the Aragon Ballroom. In LA they'll be at The Wiltern, The Henry Fonda, The Palladium and The Echoplex. These should be cool, unusual and unique final shows for Nine Inch Nails.
Finally, DJ Ashba will chat live with fans (and non-fans, I suppose) next Wednesday, July 15 at 7 PM Pacific / 10 PM Eastern Time at AshbaLand.com
You will need to download and install Palace chat software to join in.
Backed by an all-star band including Jason Bonham, Chris Cheney (formerly of Jane’s Addiction), guitarist extraordinaire John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), and star-in-the-waiting Frankie Perez on vocals, Slash & Friends played a 19-song set of rock classics that, in a strong summer of classic rock events, stands as one of the highlights of the summer.
It started with Slash, Bonham, 5, Cheney and Perez ripping the arse out of "Immigrant Song." Perez, a Las Vegas rocker who’s done his own solo album and worked with System Of A Down side-project Scars On Broadway, is the perfect fit – amiable but bad-assed and blessed with a voice that can handle a Led Zeppelin classic as easily as AC/DC’s "Highway To Hell" or Nazareth’s "Hair Of The Dog." His take on "Slither and "Fall To Pieces," meanwhile, surely marks him out as the frontrunner for the vacant Velvet Revolver spot. (Backstage Perez and Slash revealed to Classic Rock that Frankie had been working with VR post-Weiland, before Slash’s solo album and Duff’s Loaded commitments put it all on hold.)
For "Nightrain," McQueen’s Leah Duors takes over on vocals. Slash has long championed the all-girl band and Duors shows why, with a vicious Axl-with-PMT vocal, and a stage presence that belies her current little-league status.
After Leah, it’s time for the big guns. Rumours were that Ronnie Wood had fallen off the wagon again. It’s possible, but you can’t tell. The tracks Woodsy joins them for – "Honky Tonk Women," "Stay With Me," "Knocking On Heaven’s Door" (cheekily – or sincerely? – dedicated by Slash to Michael Jackson) and "It’s Only Rock’n’Roll" – were custom-built for sloppy, boozed-up playing. Teddy Andreadis plays piano and sings in a great Dr John meets Joe Cocker voice. It’s a riot.
Black Eyed Pea Fergie is next up. Cynical? Don’t be. She looks like a rock goddess, and she sounds like a rock god, taking "Black Dog" by the scrotum and hitting high notes that Mr. Plant just can’t anymore. By the end of it the audience is a huge braying horny mass of Viking puppy dogs, with its tongues out and eyes on stalks.
Fergie: “How do you feel?” Crowd: “RAAAAAARGH!” Fergie: “I said how do you feel?” Crowd: “ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
The last time I saw Ozzy Osbourne perform was with Black Sabbath at Download 2005. Sabbath were sluggish, dreary and at the end of their tether. Tonight, by contrast, Ozzy is a ball of energy. “Lemme see your hands!” he shouts, and the whole field sways. The guy next to me starts walking around, randomly humping the legs of strangers. “Let’s go fucking crazy!” You’ve heard it a million times, but seeing it work like it does today is a sight to behold. John 5 brings Randy Rhoads back to life as they plough through "Crazy Train," "War Pigs," "I Don’t Know" and "Paranoid." The sound is so big I swear it created a new fjord behind us.
Then he’s off and Frankie and Fergie are back on for "Whole Lotta Love" and "Paradise City." The show ends, Fergie writhing on the floor, Frankie leading the charge, Slash soloing into the night. “This is one of the best gigs I’ve had in a very long time,” says the man himself.
Franky Perez and Dave Kushner of Velvet Revolver have been working together in the studio on some material. "We've been writing some great songs and the collaboration has been amazing. I'm exited about the possibilities and I hope to post some new music soon."
Duff McKagan's Loaded has been added to Crüe Fest II's second stage. As a result, Loaded's previously announced short run of US club dates, which was scheduled for later this week, has been canceled. Crüe Fest 2, features additional support from Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool and Charm City Devils.
Slash and John 5 (guitars), Chris Chaney (bass), Jason Bonham (drums), Franky Perez (vocals), & Teddy 'Zig-Zag' Andreadis (keybords). Featuring special guests Ron Wood, Ozzy Osbourne, and Fergie.
"Immigrant Song" "Highway to Hell" "Hair of the Dog" "Fall to Pieces" "Black or White" "Slither" "Nightrain" "Honky Tonk Women" "Stay With Me" "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" "It's Only Rock N' Roll" "Sweet Child O' Mine" "Barracuda" "Black Dog" "War Pigs" "I Don't Know" "Crazy Train" "Paranoid" "Whole Lotta Love" "Paradise City"
I don't have any audio or video of the set yet, so in the meantime, if you like, you can try out this pair of Snakepit shows from this same weekend - 14 years ago.
Opening the show today will be Melbourne, Australia-based band Juke Kartel.
Hand-picked by Slash himself to open the show "Juke Kartel is about one thing only. Forget the branding, strip away the hype. All that matters is the music.Rocking loud and hard, with a respectful nod to the blues, Juke Kartel is a charismatic blend of talent, passion and dedication with a downright mischievous streak."
Next up is Skambankt, a Norwegian hard rock band from Klepp.
They play a mixture of classic rock'n'roll, punk and hard rock in the tradition of bands like Motörhead, AC/DC, Sex Pistols, Ramones and The Stooges. All the lyrics are in Norwegian, and they convey the real spirit of punk: against the state, against the system, against corruption, capitalism, monitoring, religious fanaticism, and generally hate and treachery. (Wikipedia)
Playing the penultimate slot is Brighton's own McQueen.
One of Slash' own personal favorites, in 2008 McQueen signed-up with new Manager Tom Zutaut, former head of A&R at Geffen Records and the man who signed Guns N' Roses.
"Zoot" wasted no time getting McQueen on the bill with Velvet Revolver for their UK tour before shipping the band out for a bullet tour of Australia and New Zealand, supporting Finnish band HIM.
Slash told Classic Rock Magazine that "the main band that I am excited about at the moment is McQueen. They’re one of those off-the-wall sorta left-field bands, all-girls, sorta heavy metal, but they’re really fucking committed - they take their shit very seriously. I played Nightrain with them in Nashville - and I haven’t played that song since before I left GN’R - and the singer, Leah, sang Paradise City at a Camp Freddy gig. It was impressive - she sang in key; there was no auto tuner on her voice. They have a lot of attitude, but if you don’t fuck with them, they’re very well behaved!"
However, the biggest star of this show may be the stage itself. The largest stage ever built in Norway - 576 square meters not including support stages or ramps - is situated at the base of the "Amfiet," a 10 acre lawn with spectacular view of the skerries outside Kristiansand.
Via his Twitter account, Slash posted a recent picture of himself and his mother Ola Hudson. Great shirt Slash, and thanks for being so open with your fans during such a difficult time.
Slash is scheduled to play Norway's Quart Fest on June 30.
Canadian guitarist and vocalist Rob Lamothe just the posted MP3s of his Velvet Revolver audition on his official site.
Meanwhile, former Velvet Revolver vocalist Scott Weiland recently told ARTISTdirect that Stone Temple Pilots has "18 songs written, and vocals are written on about 10 of them."
Former Velvet Revolver bass player Duff McKagan was interviewed on June 10 at the Caribana festival in Switzerland. The interview focused mainly on Duff's new disc with his band Loaded. According to Duff, "it's a straight-up Rock 'n' Roll record."
Next week I'll be publishing my belated review of the album - Sick.
An extended video of Adler's Appetite playing this past Monday night at the SoDo nightclub in Colorado Springs, is embedded below.
Their set: Nightrain, My Michelle, Civil War, Mr. Brownstone, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Rocket Queen, Mama Kin, Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City, Welcome To The Jungle.
Finally, thanks to the kind folks at ChopAway.com, I was able to put together this video slideshow of Izzy Stradlin performing "Battleship Chains" live. I'm guessing that the recording is from his 2000 European tour. Thanks for the audio guys. Enjoy.
Hey all, how's it going? I've been really busy with recording etc, I haven't been keeping in touch.
Outside of working on the record things have been quiet. No VR updates as of this writing, but I'm anxious to see something happen with an amazing frontman for the band in the not too distant future, whoever that might be.
My gig at the Quart Fest is coming up in Norway, June 30th. Which, is starting to come together. I'll post who all's playing next week, but it's a great line-up & the songs so far are shaping up to be a really great set.
As far as the record goes, we're almost done with vocals, 2 more songs left & a couple odds & ends. Then, I can stand back & see what we've got. It is a fucking awesome ensemble, that much I do know, with brilliant performances from each & every singer. I do hope to have a release date soon, but I can assure you, as I said before, it won't be this year. It will, most definitely, be out be very early in the new year. Even though the recording process is almost done, the legal logistics involved with so many different artists takes a minute to iron out.
When the record is released I plan on posting what gear was used on what songs; guitars, amps etc. Although, most of it was done with one guitar & 2 amps. A lot of interesting mike set-ups though. The record is being recorded anolog as well, this might be one of the last rock & roll records to be recorded that way, no joke. So, of course, I have to release it on vinyl, as well as cd.
Right then, I guess that's it. I'll have the Quart Fest line-up for you guys next week & anything else that comes up as well, have a good one.
