Slash 9/20/10

Starting his career in the mid eighties, becoming famous basically over night, doing every drug under the sun, losing bands and starting new ones, almost dying from heart complications and having a pace maker installed...  and he still seems like a 22 year old on stage.  Saul Hudson (aka Slash, guitarist from Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit) just recently put out a solo album with a compilation of singers and is now on tour.  He blasted on stage with "Ghost," the first single from his self-titled disc and that was almost the only one from his latest project.  The night was filled GNR hits like "Nightrain," "Civil War," (which was pretty surprising) and "Rocket Queen."  Not to mention he threw some little known SS tunes and a few VR hits in the mix from the first album and none from that sophomore disappointment, Libertad.  They played more songs from his other bands than they did from his new album which must have been taxing on Myles Kennedy, the vocalist on tour that recorded with Slash on two songs from the disc; "Back From Cali" and the semi-ballad "Starlight," both of which they performed.  Slash, as usual, was adorned in dark pants, black muscle shirt, black and white Converse canvas sneakers, and of course, his trade-mark top hat which he some how stole from a leather shop in the early GNR days.  It really seemed like he hadn't aged a day, especially watching him strut rapidly around on stage while jamming flawlessly on his Gibson Les Paul.  Much to my chagrin, he did include "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" in the set list.  I've seen him 5 other times with SS and VR and he never lowered himself to perform those overplayed, now redneck anthems.  He, himself, has said that he could go the rest of his life without playing them, but I guess you gotta give the drunken, mindless masses what they want.  Luckily, "My Michelle" and "By the Sword" made the encore and VR's "Slither" sent us all home smiling.