Photos and Review by Ilya Mirman
This February, SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS (a.k.a. “SMKC”) released their highly-anticipated fourth album, titled “4” – and then embarked on their U.S. headlining tour and are visiting 28 major cities nationwide.
For a killer live set of the entire album, check out the YouTube playlist.
As an example of what you’re in for, here’s the River Is Rising track, performed live:
We at New England Concert Reviews have been covering Slash and the rest of the gang since they joined forces over a decade ago, so we naturally jumped at the chance to catch the 2/19/22 show at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. In a word – EPIC!
The band is tight, works amazingly well together, is a blast to see live, and offers much to the fans. Amazing guitar work by both Slash and Frank Sidoris, a fantastic foundation with Brent Fitz (drums, keys) and Todd Kerns (bass, vocals), and Myles Kennedy on lead vocals – arguably one of the best voices in rock today.
SMKC are terrific live – not just because musically they’re at the top of their game, but also the chemistry among the band members. There’s a clear camaraderie among the members, a brotherhood of sorts. And this makes it that much more fun to revel in.
The set list covers the entire SMKC discography. With four albums to choose from – plus Slash’s solo work – in two hours they cover decades of musical creativity. The songs handled by Todd are quite special – SMKC “standards” such as Dr. Alibi (penned with Motorhead’s Lemmy), and the Slash / Lenny Kravitz collaboration, Always On The Run.
A decade and four albums into their career, the new album was recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville, TN marks the first new music from SMKC in four years. The band laid down the tracks live in the studio–including guitar solos and vocals–a first for the group, revealing a stunning, vital sound and style all captured live.
4 is SMKC like we’ve never heard them before. A vibrant rock album fueled by memorable guitar hooks and compelling melodies, big choruses, and even bigger riffs. 4 hits on a wide range of sounds, styles, and moods in 10 songs, and does it all with laser-sharp musical focus and a lightning-in-a-bottle sense of immediacy.
The album kicks off with the opening track “The River is Rising,” one of the band’s toughest and most dynamic compositions to date, unraveling via a menacing, tightly-coiled riff and deep-in-the-pocket groove. From the deliberate stomp rock of “Whatever Gets You By,” the bright-toned heart-on-sleeve pop-rocker “Fill My World,” to the talk box-drenched guitar hooks of “C’est La Vie,” exotica-tinged psychedelic fever dream of “Spirit Love,” the anthemic swell of “The Path Less Followed,” to the cowbell-inflected boogie-shake of “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” the grimy Aerosmith-esque funk of “April Fool,” to the rampaging attack of “Call Off the Dogs,” and climaxing with the epic six-minute album closer “Fall Back to Earth,” 4 is an album that grabs hold and never lets go.
Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are a fantastic treat. They’ve played arenas, but the current tour gives us a chance to see them in more intimate settings. So if you love rock n roll, catch SMKC on this tour!
https://www.slashonline.com/tour/
Photo Gallery
Set List:
- Driving Rain
- My Antidote
- Shots Fired
- Serve You Right
- Back From Cali
- Bad Rain
- The River Is Rising
- Whatever Gets You By
- Always on the Run
- No More Heroes
- Speed Parade
- Actions Speak Louder Than Words
- Fill My World
- The One You Loved Is Gone
- Call off the Dogs
- Doctor Alibi
- Rocket Man
- Nothing to Say
- You’re a Lie
- World on Fire
- Anastasia