Slash at the Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas

Photos and Review by Ilya Mirman

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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/

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Set List:

  1. Driving Rain
  2. My Antidote
  3. Shots Fired
  4. Serve You Right
  5. Back From Cali
  6. Bad Rain
  7. The River Is Rising
  8. Whatever Gets You By
  9. Always on the Run
  10. No More Heroes
  11. Speed Parade
  12. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
  13. Fill My World
  14. The One You Loved Is Gone
  15. Call off the Dogs
  16. Doctor Alibi
  17. Rocket Man
  18. Nothing to Say
  19. You’re a Lie
  20. World on Fire
  21. Anastasia