Perhaps the most well-known guitarist in rock music probably needs to be introduced to few people. Curly hair, a big top hat, a golden Gibson Les Paul guitar, and the indispensable sunglasses, plus a couple of bagarettas from a few decades earlier. Slash wrote himself into rock history as a member of Guns N’ Roses for a lifetime, or rather for several generations –
it is also where you can claim one of the most famous band breakups.
However, if someone is a true icon, then the breakup of the parent band cannot stand in the way of his life path, as the fan of Les Paul guitars proved. Although there were one or two missteps or less successful formations in which he turned, his solo career and guest appearances kept the legend alive, which really revived after 2010.
His first solo album was released in the aforementioned year, which of course required a concert band. That time Slash album, which featured everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Adam Levine and Lemmy Kilmister to Fergie and Chris Cornell, brought a real blood renewal, a new breakthrough,
and from there they started hitting the road with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.
Four more discs were released Apocalyptic Lovefrom (2012) a 4 album (2022), reaching today, when it is no longer a challenge for Slash and his friends to push through a more than two-hour party without a break, with twenty songs, and not be dominated by Guns N’ Roses songs or covers , but their own work over the past decade and a half.
Extra for the Hungarian audience
Of course, a significant part of the current concert list was made up of songs from the new album, but well-known compositions from all albums came, even World On Firea Driving Rain or has now become a hit Anastasia. The songs from Slash’s debut solo album were also played now – as the biggest hits of the performance – which make up the regular concert set. This is how it was originally sung by Myles Kennedy Back From Cali and Starlightor the joint song with Lemmy Kilmister, who has since left, a Doctor Alibiwhich usually
performed by The Conspirators frontman Todd Kerns.
The bass singer also sang two other songs on stage: one of them was also popular Always on the Run From Lenny Kravitz, however, the other note was a real surprise.
17
Gallery: Slash concert mvm domePhoto: Kata Németh / Index
For some reason, international star performers often treat the Hungarian audience with some extra spice, which Slash didn’t miss. At each of their concerts, a Guns N’ Roses song usually comes up, the most common of which is Bad Apples or the Don‘t Damn Me is heard. Today was an exception. Even Kerns noted that there are lucky bastards in the Dome to hear a premiere,
because the band processed the Perfect Crimewhich was performed for the first time to the Hungarian audience.
Of course, the audience was not ungrateful, there was a roar of welcome. In addition, Todd Kerns brought Axl Rose’s screeching vocals with such force that our faces almost fell off – even the last sustained sound was frankly pinched, which is not a sponge cake. At this point, we have to highlight the performance of the bass singer, who not only stood his ground on his instrument, but his vocal abilities are also remarkable – in most cases, he provides the high vocals alongside Myles Kennedy, who also does not have a low voice. He also has that absolutely cheeky and cheeky rock star attitude, with which he twirls, spins and entertains the audience two hundred percent, non-stop.
Smart decision
The entire The Conspirators deserve an extra thumbs up, because they jokingly treated the Hungarian audience with a red-white-green flag with the inscription “DAMMIT” on stage, Kernsen wearing a tricolor T-shirt, and Bren Fitz, the band’s drummer, wore a red sports shirt with the Hungarian coat of arms. They didn’t save a single minute of energy. They ran around (of course not Fitz, with the drum), raged (well, so did Fitz), filled the party with all kinds of small show elements, from strumming each other’s guitars to the audience singing.
17
Todd Kerns, Myles Kennedy and Slash in Budapest, on the MVM Dome stage on April 19, 2024 Gallery: Slash concert mvm dome (Photo: Kata Németh / Index)
Myles Kennedy was also there, although the singer’s voice was a bit tired. However, this did not take anything away from the fantastic effect he was able to have on the audience, it was just felt that he saves energy on one or two high notes, subtly varies his singing – or leaves it to the audience. Even so, it didn’t make a single false note, so every little bit of rest,
what he gained with these techniques served the success of the concert.
Then of course – if the crowd of several thousand moved because of him – let’s talk a little about Slash. He appeared in the iconic set with the iconic instrument and took as much out of the party as he could decently while putting full energy into it. He was spinning so hard that he probably produced enough sweat for a football team alone, which even poured down his guitar.
He was jumping, spinning, the people saw more than one retired rock star.
Also, what was really nice was that, unlike most famous guitarists, Slash didn’t try to be overly virtuoso. Although almost every song had a solo part, these never came at the expense of the party or the atmosphere, never went overboard. In total, he was given more space twice to spin out what could fit on the pipe, despite the fact that more than 20 songs were played at the concert.
Once, in the middle of the party, he played one – here he soloed for about ten minutes, welding together all the technical skills he had picked up during his life – and then during the last song of the concert, Anastasia at the end. In this way, he was able to show that he is still the rock legend that he is, but he didn’t give the audience much of a chance to admire him. On these two occasions, Myles Kennedy also joined the guitar circle with a six-string to give the music some extra body and not just hang out on the side of the stage for almost a quarter of an hour.
Shine bright everyone!
The singer also made it clear in one or two places that his name is not so well known by chance. He saved his energy for these and performed all the feats flawlessly. Next to him, the drummer, Bren Fitz, also shone a little World On Firein, which didn’t even need sequins. It received a standing ovation that put drum solos to shame – just like when the Elton John cover (because it was one), the Rocket Man accompanied the band on piano instead of percussion.
17
Myles Kennedy and Slash in Budapest, on the MVM Dome stage on April 19, 2024 Gallery: Slash concert mvm dome (Photo: Kata Németh / Index)
The stage view was perhaps the most special during this song, but it is also relatively minimal here. The concert did not go to the big effects show. A piece of molino in the background, no more lights than what is really necessary, and it’s done. The entire scenery – apart from the Hungarian flag – was toys stacked on top of the amplifiers: a storm trooper figure with a nodding head, a Godzilla doll, rubber dinos,
and tiny Lemmy Kilmister.
The party is a Rocket Man after the usual hit of Slash’s solo career, that is Anastasia closed with the song After that, the well-known distribution of plucks and drums took place, some setlists were also released, and in a somewhat unusual way – if we could see it from afar – Fitz also distributed used drum skins.
The almost full house party – the arena was full, the stands were also crowded, only in the special standing section there was a ten to twenty percent minus of people – which was played in front of the Slashes by the Mammoth WVH, Wolfgang Van Halen’s band, can be enjoyed both in its atmosphere and sound , it was fun. For guitar-centric music, the “intelligibility” of riffs is a critical issue, but the Dome loudspeakers did a great job of this task. The vocals were also discernible, the bass sounded, and the drums seemed clear – at least that’s how we heard it from our sector 103.
17
Slash in Budapest, on the MVM Dome stage on April 19, 2024 Gallery: Slash concert mvm dome (Photo: Kata Németh / Index)
Perhaps the work of the cameramen alone can be called interesting at one point, let’s say. We got several super close-ups of Slash’s face, but even with the reflection of his sunglasses, he’s approx. what do you see. They gave an equally detailed view of the guitar legend’s sleight of hand, the facial expressions of the singers – and the full breasts of one of the ladies in the front row. An interesting move, but we won’t be hypocrites:
we burst out laughing loudly.
Apart from that, we got an almost flawless concert, which both the band and the audience obviously enjoyed. Getting in and out was quick and easy, an extra metro car arrived to disperse the crowd, and we also got a particularly attractive version of the plastic cups that were required to be purchased, matching the concert, with a cylinder snake pattern. Technically, everything was a given, from here it was just a matter of taste, who lived the evening and how. We had fun.
(Cover photo: Slash in Budapest, on the MVM Dome stage on April 19, 2024. Photo: Kata Németh / Index)
Follow Index on Facebook too!
I’m following you!
