Slash shows Indy some Apocalyptic Love

by Reggie Edwards When Slash comes to town you can expect one hell of a show. When you throw in Myles Kennedy, the front man of Alter Bridge, you’re packing a punch that’s hard to top. Teamed up with The Conspirators, Slash and Myles Kennedy have put together one of the best side projects ever, not to mention one of the most successful, and they recently brought their show to Indianapolis’ Egyptian Room at the Old National Center, and they definitely put on a performance that will not soon be forgotten. Let’s start at the beginning, though. The night started with the doors opening significantly early…earlier than I’ve ever seen- but they didn’t let people into the concert hall, instead they let them into the bar, and only the bar. By the time the doors to the show actually opened, half the people there were already drunk, setting the stage for one wild night. After one of the worst sets from an opener I’ve ever seen in Rauchenstein (they’re not German or foreign in any way…in fact they’re from Cincinnati and their front man looked like a horrible M. Shadows impersonator), I couldn’t wait for them to get done. Not to mention the atrocious “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” and “Man in the Box” covers they threw in for no apparent reason, I couldn’t help but take them as a joke. Next up, though, was Foxy Shazam, one of the most entertaining and energetic bands I’ve ever covered. Front man Eric Sean Nally entered the stage via summersault, stood up, looked at the crowd and simply said, “We are Foxy Shazam and we are a very dark band who sings about very dark things.\” Thus the show was on. Not to mention they were the most interesting-looking band I’ve ever seen- Nally with newly blond hair and a bushy blond mustache, pianist Sky White with a shaved-bald head and one of the longest black beards in the music industry (it’s like what Scott Ian of Anthrax might look like if he let his beard grow), trumpeter Alex Nauth with skin-tight jeans and a vest, and a bassist and guitarist with very noticeable mustaches. The craziness and randomness of their look matched their stage presence. While the opener lacked stage presence in every way, Foxy Shazam made up for it with more stage presence than expected. There was never a dull moment in their set, with front man Nally saying off-the-wall comments throughout the night. “When I was born, I came out of my mom, the doctor took one look at me and said ‘What the f**k!’” Nally said at one point. “If it were legal to shoot people…I’d be dead,” he threw in later on in the set. However, probably the most epic comment made was the last thing we heard from Foxy that night. After a huge solo and jam session to end the last song, Nally looked at the crowd, simply screamed “You’re all pregnant,” and the band left stage. Even though it was insane and crazy, Foxy Shazam’s set was everything you want from a band opening for someone of Slash’s magnitude. They got the crowd interested, riled up, and got ‘em pumped up for Slash. Hell, I’d say Foxy should be a headlining band on their own- they have what it takes. The night was far from over at this point. Now it was time for what everyone came for. It was time for the man, the myth, the legend, the Riff Lord himself, Slash. Slash’s current project is one that you absolutely have to check out if you haven’t yet. Why? Because it features Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, so it’s like a mini-super group. Slash opened with “Halo” from the latest release, Apocalyptic Love and played quite a few songs from the record, including “Standing in the Sun,” “Anastasia,” “Not for Me,” “No More Heroes” and “You’re a Lie;” He also played some tunes from the first solo record such as “Starlight,” “Back From Cali,” “Not For Me,” and “Doctor Alibi” with bassist Todd Kearns on vocals rather than Kennedy of Lemmy like on the studio recording.” Slash even reached back into the vault (Not for GnR or Velvet Revolver- that’s coming, don’t worry)- I’m talking about “Mean Bone,” from way back in the days of Slash’s Snakepit. But yes, Slash did pull out a couple Velvet Revolver songs- “Fall to Pieces” and the ever-popular “Slither.” He also did a couple Guns songs as well, which is to be expected; “Civil War,” “Out Ta Get Me,” “Rocket Queen” and “Nightrain,” all found their way into the setlist…oh yeah, so did “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Paradise City,” which closed out the night with a sea of confetti showering down on the crowd. The best part of the night, in my book at least, is the fact that Myles Kennedy’s voice has a vague resemblance to Axl Rose’s, giving the Guns n Roses tunes they performed a nostalgic feel. Any fan of Slash, Myles Kennedy, Alter Bridge, Velvet Revolver or Guns n Roses would absolutely love Slash live. But then again, that’s to be expected as Slash is one of the best musicians in the history of rock.