Velvet Revolver - Rock 'N' F'n Roll Across The UK Tour 2004/5, Glasgow SECC, Scotland, 14/1/05, With The Datsuns. ------------------------------------ Velvet Revolver are on the road again in what I believe to be their second world tour, and I observed them on the UK leg of it. For those not in the know, the band consists of former Guns 'N' Roses members Slash, Duff and Matt, ex-Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and a guitarist named Dave Kushner. I had always imagined Velvet Revolver not to be known very well in the public, but I was proved wrong as I observed the SECC fill up with an audience of around 8000, consisting of fans all ages. After quite a while of waiting, New Zealand rockers The Datsuns took to the stage to a re-assuring cheer. The Datsuns can make an incredible noise, and their funky rock riffs certainly warmed up tonight's audience. Their frontman really got talking to the audience and involving them in the performance. It's a shame the same can't be said about Velvet Revolver. The Datsuns finish their powerful set which the audience greet with a roaring applause, and toddle off-stage, beginning the wait for Velvet Revolver to appear. They say Axl Rose of Guns 'N' Roses is constantly late on-stage. Velvet Revolver certainly took their time too, but the audience filled the time by singing along to Pantera's 'Walk' and Queens Of The Stone Age's 'No One Knows'. When they finally show their faces, the roar of the audience is earth-shaking. The members are cast in shadow to begin with, with bassist Duff McKagan stepping forward to greet the audience and introduce the band. The strobe lights burst into action, revealing Slash, Dave, Scott and Matt, and beginning a stampede in the crowd. No sooner had the lights gone on had the band launched into opening song, 'Sucker Train Blues', a very nice rocking song to open with. We are greeted by Scott Weiland and the concert is off like a Nightrain, rocking and rolling through a nintety-minute set consisting of songs from the Contraband album and old Guns 'N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots classics: 'Mr. Brownstone', 'It's So Easy', 'Used To Love Her', 'Crackerman', and 'Sex Type Thing'. The presence of the band is worth going along for itself. Before you are rock legends from the biggest rock band of the nineties, and an exceptionally talented grunge vocalist with a wide vocal span. And of course, Dave Kushner. Each member takes it in turns to come forward to the edge of the stage and show off during the set, particularly Slash. A Velvet Revolver logo is illuminated behind the band as they tear their way through the likes of 'Do It For The Kids', 'Big Machine', 'Set Me Free' and Scott's personal power-ballad, 'Fall To Pieces'. It's a cigarette lighter-triggering song. And after some acoustic jamming, the band end their concert with hit 'Slither' and bid farewell. The things that let this concert down were the lack of any audience interaction. No one had any idea what Scott was trying to convey, but we cheered anyway, and Slash just said 'thank you' a lot. The second was the sound quality: perhaps some roadies have to be fired, because the sound was truly dreadful tonight. It was loud enough, given, but the music just seemed to bland together into this can't-be-deciphered noise with Scott's vocals being hard to hear. It took a while to figure out what was being played when the song had not been introduced. However, nothing and no one is perfect, and there are more pros than cons here tonight. The Datsuns and Velvet Revolver made for a truly amazing, unforgettable show. I highly advise checking them out if you can. And come on - IT'S SLASH!