You put Slash at the Roxy with gold-throated Myles Kennedy singing and the band the Conspirators behind them, you can pretty much be assured that you’re going to get smacked in the face with a brilliant night of hard rock. Such is the case with Live At The Roxy 9.25.14, available on DVD, LP and CD from Eagle Rock.
The Guns N’ Roses classic “Nightrain” really gets the party started as Kennedy runs the lyric around Slash’s single-string melody. It’s hard to ignore the catchy chorus chant and Slash’s leads but the tune really belongs to drummer Brent Fitz. A picked opening and Todd Kerns’ slip and slide bass feeds into “Stone Blind,” one of the loudest tunes on the set. The rush of the KISS-like “Doctor Alibi” and “You’re Crazy,” with Kerns on lead vocals, provide a heavy punch.
On the blistering “World On Fire,” the title track from this unit’s 2014 studio album, Slash and the Conspirators sound like a great big rock band firing on all pistons. The tune chunks along with a snapping big beat from Fitz. At this point, the band is getting more comfortable and into a groove.
Of course, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is here. This version has less swing to it than the original, but the band is tight and Kennedy has no problem making it his own. A stab at Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” has Kennedy introducing the band before a Slash solo over a tribal backbeat and into the snake-like rhythm of what might be the best tune of the set.
A sloppy fast but fun “Paradise City” finishes the night. As to be expected, Kennedy is able to match Axl Rose’s screeching vocal and he does so almost note for note. The good thing about Slash, Kennedy and this band is that you know exactly what you are going to get, but they deliver it with measurable and authoritative aplomb. Yes, the bulk of the material doesn’t stray from the blueprints, and there is little nuisance in what they do. Slash, Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators are powerhouses all the same and truly create a rockin’ night on Live At The Roxy 9.25.14.
~ Ralph Greco
