Guitar Hero Slash kicked off his 'The River is Rising' tour at the 3Arena in Dublin on Thursday night (28th March 2024), along with Myles Kennedy, and his Conspirators backing band. With a night focusing on material away from his day job in Guns n' Roses, there were also a few deep cuts in the two-hour set.
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
Slash is badass. From the hat to the shades to the hair and the low-slung Les Paul, the man born Saul Hudson is a certified icon. There's also, of course his staggering playing, which has seen him ranked among greatest of all time, alongside his heroes including Angus Young and Keith Richards, and tonight, we see it in spades.
It's fair to say that the Guns n' Roses man elicits a euphoric reaction whenever he appears, stage left from the wings. Adorned in a vintage AC/DC 'Fly on the Wall' European tour shirt - maximum kudos for proudly wearing a shirt featuring what many would label as the band's worst album - and dressed casually save for the Aviators and head gear, which stays on him for the entirety of tonight's set, he's entirely at home from the minute the rollocking 'The River is Rising' kicks in.
The last time Slash and the Conspirators set foot on a Dublin stage was a little shy of a decade ago, and since then he's re-joined Guns n' Roses. What this means is that Slash 2024 is a very different proposition to before he reclaimed his rightful place as Axl Rose's main gunslinger. Whereas back then his set was bursting with Guns' staples, tonight, there's just one deep cut, with the majority of the set populated by tracks from the Conspirators' most recent release, 2022's '4'.
With four albums' worth of material to choose from, what started as a solo project is now a band in its own right, and the first few tracks pick and choose from all of them. From 2014's 'World on Fire' we get the swaggering 'Too Far Gone', and later a stunning 'Bent to Fly'; from debut band release 'Apocalyptic Love' [2012] there's the heavy-as hell 'Halo'; and from 2018's 'Living the Dream', the grooving, riff-heavy 'Driving Rain'.
With a set of pipes that once saw him courted by Jimmy Page for a spot in a reactivated Led Zeppelin, Myles Kennedy lets his stunning vocals do the talking, while keeping the banter to a minimum. With a voice that simply soars, it's with the tracks that he first recorded with the guitarist that he really shines. An early outing of 'Back From Cali' elicits he biggest response. getting the crowd singing along to every word, prompting the singer to proclaim; "Dublin's got so much fuckin' heart!"
It's fair to say that the Guns n' Roses man elicits a euphoric reaction whenever he appears, stage left from the wings. Adorned in a vintage AC/DC 'Fly on the Wall' European tour shirt - maximum kudos for proudly wearing a shirt featuring what many would label as the band's worst album - and dressed casually save for the Aviators and head gear, which stays on him for the entirety of tonight's set, he's entirely at home from the minute the rollocking 'The River is Rising' kicks in.
The last time Slash and the Conspirators set foot on a Dublin stage was a little shy of a decade ago, and since then he's re-joined Guns n' Roses. What this means is that Slash 2024 is a very different proposition to before he reclaimed his rightful place as Axl Rose's main gunslinger. Whereas back then his set was bursting with Guns' staples, tonight, there's just one deep cut, with the majority of the set populated by tracks from the Conspirators' most recent release, 2022's '4'.
With four albums' worth of material to choose from, what started as a solo project is now a band in its own right, and the first few tracks pick and choose from all of them. From 2014's 'World on Fire' we get the swaggering 'Too Far Gone', and later a stunning 'Bent to Fly'; from debut band release 'Apocalyptic Love' [2012] there's the heavy-as hell 'Halo'; and from 2018's 'Living the Dream', the grooving, riff-heavy 'Driving Rain'.
With a set of pipes that once saw him courted by Jimmy Page for a spot in a reactivated Led Zeppelin, Myles Kennedy lets his stunning vocals do the talking, while keeping the banter to a minimum. With a voice that simply soars, it's with the tracks that he first recorded with the guitarist that he really shines. An early outing of 'Back From Cali' elicits he biggest response. getting the crowd singing along to every word, prompting the singer to proclaim; "Dublin's got so much fuckin' heart!"
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
Bassist Todd Kearns meanwhile proves the band's secret weapon, taking on lead vocals for a killer cover of Lenny Kravitz's 'Always On The Run' - a track Slash originally guested on back in 1991 - and sole Guns' number 'Don't Damn Me'. He also steps into Lemmy's cowboy boots for a rip-roaring 'Doctor Alibi'. Proving a fantastic front man in his own right and getting the audience firmly onside, he declares; "You know what kind of name Kennedy is; you know what kind of name Kearns is, right? This is my kind of people!"
It is however, Slash's night, and there's extended soloing on multiple occasions, with the guitarist getting lost in his own world and jamming out on some utterly stunning Gibson guitars, from a selection of Les Pauls to a rare Flying V to an vintage Explorer.
With the night nearing an end, the uplifting 'Starlight' proves another highlight, prompting another enthusiastic singalong , as doess the rattlesnake boogie of 'Wicked Stone', which follows.
"Hope you guys have had as much fun as we've had tonight", says Kennedy, as the night nears an end; "You guys have been amazing." With that, it's a change of gear for a shockingly great cover of Elton John's 'Rocket Man', before a triumphant 'Anastasia' brings the house down.
It is however, Slash's night, and there's extended soloing on multiple occasions, with the guitarist getting lost in his own world and jamming out on some utterly stunning Gibson guitars, from a selection of Les Pauls to a rare Flying V to an vintage Explorer.
With the night nearing an end, the uplifting 'Starlight' proves another highlight, prompting another enthusiastic singalong , as doess the rattlesnake boogie of 'Wicked Stone', which follows.
"Hope you guys have had as much fun as we've had tonight", says Kennedy, as the night nears an end; "You guys have been amazing." With that, it's a change of gear for a shockingly great cover of Elton John's 'Rocket Man', before a triumphant 'Anastasia' brings the house down.
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
Earlier in the evening, Mammoth WVH made their third visit to Ireland in as many years. Recalling their first gig on Irish soil back in 2022, main man Wolfgang Van Halen said; "Not too long ago we were in this building with Miles Kennedy and Alter Bridge". Going on to perform a short thirty-five minute opening slot that showed off Van Halen's incredible guitar chops, as well as deft song writing, the only shame was that there wasn't time for 'Distance'; his tribute to late father Eddie Van Halen.
Check out our gallery from the show below. All photos by Darren McLoughlin.
Check out our gallery from the show below. All photos by Darren McLoughlin.
