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Velvet Revolver in New By Debby Rao, Boston Contributor Friday, January 11, 2008 @ 11:34 PM
The East Coast is known for it's mega New Years Celebration and this year was no exception. Usually, Boston has been pretty good in ushering in the New Year with top name acts but this year was a little bit different with no major attractions insight.
Velvet Revolver ushered in the New Year at the Hammerstein Ballroom with their raw, skull crushing set that revisited the legacy of Guns N'Roses and also offered a variety of Stone Temple Pilot hits and new tunes off of, "Libertad".
I must admit this was my second time seeing the band perform and definitely my favorite of out of the two. Last time I saw Velvet Revolver was at the DCU Center, with one of their first live appearances. I immediately thought they sounded like a great GNR cover band back then without Axl Rose. It took me some time to get use to Scott Weiland singing GNR songs. On New Years Eve at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Velvet Revolver gave a stellar performance that was tight, exhilarating, and featured a vast array of tunes that spanned the bands roots and legacy.
Last time I was at the Hammerstein Ballroom was to see Guns N'Roses. So I was clearly looking forward to hearing Velvet Revolver perform tonight. The band hit the stage at 11:20 with Scott Weiland donning a winter parker, and sunglasses that was a bundle of energy from the beginning of the set to the closing encore. Scott, who has a punk rock style also revisited his early days with Stone Temple Pilots during the song, “Interstate Love Song“.
It was refreshing to see the band had changed around the set list since the last time I had seen them perform with new songs off of,“Libertad“ including, “Let It Roll“ and “She Builds Quick Machines”. One of the highlights of the entire evening was the performance of,“Patience“. Scott proved he also has a melodic side, to one of my all time favorite GNR songs. The party was just getting started, as it was about to turn 2008.
The man, who stole the show, was guitar legend Slash who issued in the New Year with a blistering guitar rendition of Auld Lang Syne. As the Green Ball dropped on Times Sq, confetti and balloons covered the Hammerstein Ballroom. It almost looked like a Winter Wonderland full of confetti.
Next up, my favorite Velvet Revolver tune,“ Fall To Pieces“. Very few bands can carry off of being melodic and able to rock hard at the same time. Slash sizzled as Scott showed his softer side on the chorus and love-gone bad inspired lyrics.
The backbone of Velvet Revolver that holds the beat together bass player Duff Mckagan and drummer Matt Sorum proved to be a ferocious force of nature. Laying down the pulverizing rhythms that ever so reminded me of early GNR. Duff dressed all in black, captivated the heavenly dominated girl audience.
The band didn't forget their roots, as they jumped into the rockin,“It's So Easy“. Next up, “ Set Me Free“ and the classic GNR hit, “Mr.Brownstone" with Scott slithering around the stage like a snake.
During, “Sex Type Thing", Slash showed his Keith Richards roots adding a “I Can't Get No Satisfaction" solo to the mix, as the band ended the light with,“ Slither“.
Tonight's Velvet Revolver performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom proved it was Ok to revisit to the 80's, as the band members reflected on their roots launching them into 2008.Velvet Revolver performed the classic GNR hits with a new modern style that they clearly made all their own, infusing a new found passion of new songs that launched the sold out crowd of die hard fans into 2008.
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