When VELVET REVOLVER hit the scene in the early 2000’s, many pegged them as a simple mashup between STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and GUNS N ROSES – and they were right. With Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum checking in from the ‘Guns camp, the band was fleshed out by guitarist Dave Kushner (Infectious Grooves, Wasted Youth) and fronted by STP frontman Scott Weiland.
While the band managed to put out two albums that were well-received by listeners, VR did little to make the naysayers wrong, breaking out the “greatest hits” from both GNR and STP in the live shows, and producing music that really did sound like late-era Guns with STP vocals on the top. But that wasn’t a bad thing at all, in fact, VR rocked hard.
While touring on their debut album CONTRABAND, the group did some filming, part of which emerged last month in the form of LIVE IN HOUSTON, a 2005 concert that captures the band on the heels of success, rocking out live on stage.
The lean 12-song setlist covers much of their 2004 album while sprinkling in some GNR/STP favorites. The performance is sweaty rock n roll perfection, but the DVD is not without it’s faults. The video quality is average, showing some artifacting here and there – especially when viewed on an HDTV. Curiously, the band also chose to break up the performance with a model dressed in pseudo-Nazi garb (a la Weiland’s choice of headwear) spouting nonsense while filmed against a plain red background.
LIVE IN HOUSTON is a piece for VR completists, hardcore fans of STP and (the real) GNR. Casual viewers may want to wait until it hits Paladia to catch it on TV before buying, as the presentation doesn’t accurately do justice to the performance.
SETLIST:
1.) Sucker Train Blues
2.) Do It For The Kids
3.) Headspace
4.) Crackerman
5.) Illegal I
6.) It’s So Easy
7.) Fall To Pieces
8.) Big Machine
9.) Set Me Free
10.) Used To Love Her
11.) Slither
12.) Sex Type Thing
Rating: 3/5
