Slash, The Struts, Rose Tattoo @ Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide 22/2/2024
The river is not the only feeling rising tonight as rock guitar legend Slash starts his Australian tour in support of album 4. The temperature, the drinks consumed, the audience’s excitement and anticipation have all been rising since the tour was announced.
Opening for the GNR legend is an iconic Australian band that has its influences deep in Slash’s back catalogue on his very first release back in ‘86, Rose Tattoo.
Whether it’s the foot tapping Sweet Love (Rock N Roll) or the famous anthem Nice Boys, Angry Anderson and his Aussie rock group are every bit what was great about the storied days of Aussie pub rock. Gritty, real, and a dangerous attitude despite their advancing years that the audience relates to.
British dirty rockers The Struts are just that, dirty low down rock stars. Singer Luke Spiller gyrates, snakes and claps his way across stage like the bastard child of Axl Rose and Mick Jagger. Dude can sing too. Put Your Money On Me becomes an epic crowd duet moment that’s Spiller conducts while Could Have Been Me rocks like classic British rockers from the 80’s. Swagger, style and about to ask you to buy a pint.
Opening with the title track of the tour The River Is Rising, Slash leads the band out tight and ready to roll. Myles Kennedy continues to charm the audience with his crooning powerful vocals and demeanour, Todd Kearns strides to all corners, hair drooped over his bass as the band exude a vision of how a rock band should look.
Driving Rain immediately comes in before the bluesy riff driven Halo and Slash is a man focussed as his solos hit the mark of your heart each time as Back To Cali sways in with the refrain ‘Adelaide has so much fucking heart’ to cheers.
Myles Kennedy, is affable, the guy you would take home to your mother even, as he talks with the crowd and makes you feel this show is being played in your living room not a theatre. Slash mean while jumps across the stage continually, a clear indicator the man is enjoying himself up there.
Always On The Run, a track Slash did with Lenny Kravitz back in 1991, is godlike. That bluesy swinging riff is hard and epic, the rhythm pounds, absolute cracker of a track. Deep GNR cut Don’t Damn Me sounds as snarling as when it first landed and, in the encore, a serenely soft Rocket Man displays Kennedy’s lullaby vocal range exquisitely.
Anastasia and the trademark Slash solo jig finishes a show that surprises me. Often guitarists can get lost in showing off however tonight Slash’s solos fit the time perfectly, displaying what we already know, how the man’s work can touch your spirit and set it free.
The outro music is Sid Vicious singing My Way and tonight, this is the way that Slash does his shows. two hours of all killer, no filler, rock n fucking roll.
Live Review By Iain McCallum