September 2, 2004 - London, England - Hammersmith Apollo

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General Information

Date: September 2, 2004
Location: London, England
Venue: Hammersmith Apollo; Queen Caroline Street; London, W6 9QH England [ Venue website ]
Box Office Number: 0870-606-3400
Additional Info: Support Act: Backyard Babies. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and Queen guitarist Brian May were in the audience this night. Brian May also posted his thoughts about the show on his official website. Used To Love Her started with a 'Over The Hills & Far Away' (Led Zeppelin) intro by Slash. Negative Creep started with a teaser intro of Queen's 'Tie Your Mother Down' by Slash.

Thanks to Stonegrass for the set list. Thanks to Mick Rockster for the Photo Pass Scan.

Set List

• Sucker Train Blues
• Do It For The Kids
• Headspace
• Spectacle
• Crackerman
• Illegal i Song
• Fall To Pieces
• Big Machine
• Set Me Free
• Used To Love Her
• Slither
• Sex Type Thing
• It's So Easy
• Negative Creep

Reviews (28) [ send in your own review/pictures of the London show ]

Thanks to Big Cheese Issue 56 October 2004: It's great to see Sweden's finest rock'n'roll punks, the Backyard Babies (3 stars) back in front of a big crowd again and finish with the excellent 'Minus Celcius,' warming up the crowd for the main event nicely. A lot of people have been waiting a long time to see Slash and co in the flesh and as they hit the stage with the explosive 'Sucker Train Blues' the crowd erupts. Slash, Duff, Matt Sorum and new boy Dave Kushner all look far too healthy for guys that have 'all died a few times', as Scott Weiland announces. Tanned, muscled and tattooed, their rock God status remains intact. But what a strange trip it's been for Mr. Weiland, going from grunge rocker in Stone Temple Pilots to his latest incarnation as a camp-capped frontman in Velvet Revolver(4 stars). He never fails to hold your attention though, and his voice is in fine form tonight. Velvet Revolver's best song is the hard rocking 'Slither', but their big ballad 'Fall to Pieces' hits home too. With covers of Guns N Roses 'Used to Love Her' and 'It's So Easy' sitting comfortably next to newer numbers like 'Big Machine', the band fill their hour and a half with ease. Velvet Revolver look great and rock hard, but they still need a few more classic songs to make for a truly brilliant show. Still, it's early days and most people went home happy that they had finally seen some true rock n roll legends on this Hammersmith stage. Roll on next summer's festival appearances, because by then Velvet Revolver should be fully cocked and loaded.

Thanks to Carling Live: Holy rock and fuckin' roll. No more, no less. Tonight at the legendary venue in Hammersmith a piece of history went down to an amped-up and sweaty crowd bursting at the seams with energy. The place was rammed and rightly so, to watch five of the greatest showmen around strut their stuff and play some classic, pounding rawk.

Velvet Revolver can't get any slicker and any more experienced when it comes to musical stardom if they tried. An amalgam of former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, three former members of Guns n' Roses (guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum), plus guitarist Dave Kushner (ex-Wasted Youth guitarist), Velvet Revolver is definitely a supergroup with a line-up to be reckoned with. With the release of their debut album, 'Contraband', they've been on both a US and now a UK tour, putting the magic back into the madness and showing the rest of us how it's done. The gig consisted of every rock cliché in the book, all skin-tight leather trousers and studs, with Weiland pacing the stage, hand on hip complete with bawdy police cap. Skinny and toned, wearing his past with pride he climbed atop the monitors and lapped up the attention, more than at ease at the head of the stage. Slash had his moments of guitar solos, the audience listening with baited breath while he masterminded riffs, trademark cigarette hanging out his mouth peering from behind his monstrous locks. They played though tracks from their new album and let it rip for the latest single 'Slither', complete with moody riffs from Slash who battled the stage with fellow guitarist Kushner all night. The greatest response came though when they dipped into their extensive collective back catalogue and treated fans to some Guns n' Roses classics and Stone Temple Pilots favourites. 'It's So Easy' and 'Used To Love Her' formed the first part of the shirtless encore, then the final bullet in the gun was left for an awesome cover of Nirvana's 'Negative Creep' which left some of the crowd bewildered but transfixed nonetheless.

Sirens, noise and thundering drums; sweat, tears and white bright lights: this was a show of history, quite unbelievable to think that these middle aged guys are anything but at their prime. So at home in their star studded life, living every rocker boy's dream. Vintage legends of another worldly kind, Velvet Revolver are an entity within themselves, seemingly untouchable by the normalities of life. What more to say but fucking Hammersmith gooodnight!

Thanks to Grog: Amazing gig from currently the greatest band in the world. Never mind all this indie/nu wave bollocks, straight up 'rock and fuckin roll' is all we need!

The Backyard Babies were...obscure, nothing to rave about really, but did the job they were put there for and kicked out some serious sound.

The moment Velvet Revolver came onstage you could tell everyone in the room was ready for one hell of a night and at no point did Velvet Revolver disappoint (well, not myself or my friends anyway!)

Setlist was a great mix, (shame there was no Superhuman tho) and the teaser intros were an original way of introducing their songs.

Dave showed his talent as a guitarist; I've gotta give it to the man, he can play some badass guitar!
Great to see the ex-Guns in fine form both musically and health wise and it was a huge energy burst seeing Scott perform so damn brilliantly, gave it his everything.

Truly superb gig, great to see the guys doing their thing again, roll on album no. 2.

Thanks to Daniel Spencers: Was a great show, mainly because of the energy inside the venue which was derived from a croaw which was loving the gig and excellent stage presence/performance from the band.
Weiland stage act is just on the right side of gay, although he has enough stage presence to carry it off. Slash is just a rock god and could stand and play guitar on his own for 2 hours and everyone would go nuts - have to say disappointed in his playing - I either couldn't hear them or he wasn't playing very good ones - missed his blistering guitar solos and he was hit and miss on the solos he played. Duff was awesome - looks fit and great. Matt was good on drums, although he is a legend and Dave was putting lots of effort into guitar. Overall, a good concert, although really hate not being able to distinguish any sonuds. Inexcusable not being able to get the levels right so everyone can hear what Scott's singing. That's probably why Slash couldn't let rip on his solos - he probably couldn't hear what he was playing either.

Would definitely see them again - good to see them at the Virgin Megastore signing too.

Thanks to Brian May: It was a great show. Big vibes. Loud. Rude. Electric. Everyone got the feeling we would never see this band again in a small place...

I love watching Slash anytime .... a truly wonderful player .... uniquely welded to his guitars .... pure passion .... And the band is 'the one' for all those folks left dangling in the air after Guns'n'Roses split. It's NOT G'n'R of course .... but go get the album and you'll be there when they come back and do Wembley Stadium !! Interesting to note that there was another of those ignorant reviewers in The Times completely missing the point .... again ... I'm so ashamed of our English journalists ..... Luckily the guys or Velvet Revolver could give less than a shoot for any of 'em !!! GREAT !!!! Bri

P.S. Slash played a snatch of Tie Yer Mother! The guys know it just fine, but, as Slash explained to me afterwards, they were holding guitars with the low "E" string tuned down to D. So it would have been hard to carry on through the song .... IT was, for me, lovely to see Slash, Duff and Matt again... it's been a long time .... since I toured with them, as me and the B.M. Band all those years ago . They always treated me so kindly. I'm so happy to see them in great physical shape, totally present mentally and in a great situation again. Rock in 2004 doesn't get much better than this.

Thanks to Jade: I won a competion for the Carling Live show in Hammersmith, also got to meet Duff, Matt and Dave, Slash was asleep and Scott wasn't signing anything. I was happy enough as Duff is my idol, the man who inspired me to buy a bass and learn! I loved every minute of the show but it went far to quick!!!! All the songs were amazing, if anyone didn't get to see them I advise you all to go to the next one!!! You'll be missing out big time if you did. I also had a picture done with Duff but came out a bit blurry!

Thanks to Hayley: I'd like to personally thank Matt, Dave, Duff, Slash and Scott for making my ears ring, my hands raw, my head spin, my heart pound and leaving me weak at the knees. If you thought Contraband's a gas, wait 'til you see them live!

I'm certainly a massive fan of Gn'R, SS, STP etc for my age and especially of Velvet Revolver, never going a day without listening to them (I am now). This was my first gig and what an awesome one to pick!!

There were chants of 'Velvet Revolver', 'Slash' and 'Get In The Ring' before they appeared. They finally came on stage at about 21:15 to a roaring crowd. Scott's opening lines were something like this (can't remember exactly),"We're not Stone Temple Pilots, we're not Guns n' Roses, we're here to rock!" They opened with Sucker Train Blues followed by Do It For The Kids, Headspace and Spectacle. I think it was during Illegal I Song that they did an extension.

They had everyone singing along to the likes of Used To Love Her and It's So Easy for which Slash wore his trademark top hat. Their choice of STP song was Sex Type Thing and they ended the show with a cover of Nirvana's Negative Creep. Classic moment was during It's So Easy when absolutely everyone yelled 'Why don't you just, fuck off!' classy. Also, when I was standing right next to my dad screaming, 'It's so easy, so fucking easy!' with hundreds of others.

The Velvet Revolver T-shirt supporting crowd was kept alive the whole time with everyone on their feet and the band were throwing picks, sweaty towels and drumsticks into the audience. Scott's vocals were amazing, accompanied by his megaphone, and on several occasions he was standing on the speakers doing his human snake thing. He was 100% in control of the crowd, waving his arms about signalling for a roar at his command which was of course met. If you thought Axl's spin in the Knockin' On Heaven's Door video was impressive, think again! Scott span across the entire stage, from one side to the other and half way back and still managed to meet his next line perfectly.

A drum solo from Matt would have been the icing on the cake because I know he can pull off a phenomenal one even at short notice. Slash kept those lucky buggers in the front row in a trance with his incredible solos. Overall, all five members played astonishingly well together leaving the crowd screaming for more when they disappeared off the stage.

Hopefully when they come to Britain next time I'll be in the front row.

P.S. There was no competition at the K! Awards, we all knew who would win Best International Newcomer!

Thanks to Ravenheart: I'll keep it short. This was a bit of a disappointment. I was very much looking forward the show. And the posters all over the venue foyer with the set timings were very encouraging. Backyard Babies 7:45-8:30, and the mighty Velvet Revolver 9:00-11:00. Superb. Were they on at 9? No. Ten minutes late. Ah well, that's not too bad. Did they go off at 11? No they fucking did not. 10:30. Not impressed.
And what of the show? Well, blowing undoubted show highlight "Headspace" only 4 songs in was a mistake for a start. And why, in this day and age, do soundmen find it so hard to get all the intruments and the vocals clear in the mix? As it was, Scott was perfectly audible, Slash wasn't. And purely because, as so many rock soundmen seem to do, the bass and drums were too loud and the guitars were getting drowned out. Again, not impressed. Throughout the show Scott was superb. Pure entertainment. Slash, in contrast, was dull as hell. With solos in the Velvet Revolver material being so thin on the ground, and only playing 2 GN'R songs (one without a proper solo) he had nothing to do. And his solo spot was crap too. An entire guitar solo with a talk box? What a joke. The Negative Creep cover was crap. Headspace was superb. Set Me Free and Fall To Pieces were excellent. Slither was rubbish (seriously disappointing, I love that song). Scott was amazing. Slash sucked. The rest of the band were just... there. They didn't do anything of particular note. And the rest of the set was... ok. Great leading up to Headspace. The instrumetal break during Illegal i Song (or was it Spectacle?) was terrible.

And £20 t-shirts. Insane.

Thanks to Mike: I travelled all the way from South Wales, Newport to see this gig and I have never seen a sight like this ever before. The gig was out of this world! Before the gig, I doubted Velvet Revolver as a proper band and probably like most, went to see Slash, Duff and Matt. (their album is fantastic I might add) But after seeing the gig, I realised, they are the true band and exactly what a band should be. %hey kicked Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Piolts arse, and with the introduction to the band by Scott saying "we're Velvet Revolver, not Guns N Roses, not Stone Temple Piolts, it's rock n fuckin roll", was a sight that we should all worship. I didn't see one person sit down at all and I watched people who weren't fans originally become near devoted fans. Slash, Duff and Matt performed fantastically and better than they ever did with GNR, but too my suprise, Scott and Dave fitted in so well, probably matching their ex-GNR colleages. It was a wonderful sight to see the band come from a a mess about band to a proper serious band. And I witnessed this in london. If you didn't get a chance to see them in the UK, I seriously recommend that you fly out to their next gig. Your expectations and feelings towards the music industry will change inevitably (which hasn't brought out any classic bands for several years). Velvet Revolver are the next best thing to enter the hall of fame. And will out sell any GNR STP. I am eagerly awaiting what they have to offer in their next tour or album. I'm so impressed, Velvet Revolver have proved to me and many others they are a proper band and no joke and I wish them all the best!

Thanks to Cornish Ben: Well I made the trek from deepest darkest Cornwall for the gig and what can I say? I think the backdrop pretty much summed it up....Rock and Fuckin' Roll! The whole experience was great, I found the staff helpful and even the security were into the music! From the start of Backyard Babies' set to the closing chords of Revolver's last song, the show rocked me (and 3000 others) to our roots. Both bands were really into it, which is very refreshing, especially when you consider how many shows the members have played between them. I even managed to catch Backyard Babies' lead guitarist's whistle when he drop kicked it out. So on behalf of me and my mate who spent a lot of money (and time, probably should have been doing my extended essay for college), thanks to the bands and the venue for a great night out, which we'll never forget. Cheers.

Thanks to Mark Gower: Well I knew this was gonna be good having seen these guys play in GN'R in 91,92,93. Scott Weiland what a star he has an aura about him on stage I was in a trance watching this show, I agree with some of the others Slash's guitar seemed a little quiet but apart from that fantastic as usual. I hope Velvet Revolver are here too stay cos these guys rocked who needed Guns N' Roses although it was nice to hear a couple of tunes, and did anybody spot Brian May on the way out near the door for the v.i.p lounge yeah he was there. Until next time come back soon guys you simply rocked thanks for the best gig I've been too this year so far.

Thanks to Bob: What a gig! Wow! The setlist, I believe, was a little different to what's currently posted in that I'm sure Spectacle was played immediately after Headspace and not before. This is because I remember predicting the setlist up until that point and then being shocked by Spectacle's inclusion! Very very pleased! It's my favourite rocker (after the obvious Slither)! I love the solo section not just because of Slash, but also the rhythm from Matt is brilliant! And I'm gonna try not to use any more exclamation marks! lol! (Doh, too late)

Loved the dedication to Brian May, who was in the crowd. My friend managed to shake his hand and utter something cheesy. I think the band got confused at what Slash was doing though. (maybe they thought that Slash expected them to play the whole song?) Wish Brian would've jammed with them! Was a great rock show with a good mix for the venue (it's always tricky to get a good sound in theatres). Brilliant banner ("ROCK & FUCKIN' ROLL") which brought a laugh in the venue. Light show was phenominal! After the first song, Suckertrain Blues, Scott made a great point straight away:"We're not STP. We're not GNR. We are Velvet Revolver and we play ROCK N FUCKIN ROLL!" Scott was brilliant, well impressed and fits in perfectly. Band has great chemistry! Loved how he commanded the stage, particularly in Illegal i and how he stood on the speakers at the side of the stage.

Slash was nothing short of amazing, soloing behind his head and running about. Frequently chatting and lauging with the others. Scott started girating on the floor infront of Slash during a solo! Lol.

Duff was sounding and looking great. Matt was loving the crowd and milking every second! He is crucial to that band. Drummers are often forgot about unless they are bad. Solid backline, amazing drumming! And Dave was superb! Well impressed with his rhythm, effects and soloing!

Sorry for the huge rant, but I loved it!!

Thanks to Riffology: Amazing gig! Slash playing behind his head. Best gig ever been to. Shame bout the venue staff..where the hell was our water!!!!

Thanks to Jonny Rock: What an amazing, amazing gig last nite. Scott gave one of the best performances I've seen from any frontman and worked the stage and the crowd to the max, was superb when he climbed onto the speakers right in front of me. Every song was fantastic especially Sex Type Thing and was great that they played Spectacle which kicked my ass big time. Slash, Dave, Duff and Matt were all so tight and the crowd loved them but the show belonged to Scott no doubt, how the hell does he move like that? It was one hot, sweaty, hard n heavy gig and it blew me away. I want a megaphone now !!!! Keep on truckin'.

Thanks to Chris: Dude!!!! What an amazing show!!! You could tell it was going to be a special night even before the support band came on, when you saw they were selling t-shirts (just for this show) with "From Hell to Hammersmith - Sept 2nd 04" written on the back. We had amazing seats, front row balcony!

The doors opened around 7:05pm and the support band came on at around 7:45pm. The support band - Backyard Babies, were quite good, but you could definitely tell they were Finnish from their drummers predominant beard. Velvet Revolver hit the stage around 9:10pm. The crowd roared as the intro music played and the backdrop, displaying:"ROCK & F**KIN ROLL" on it was lowered. Then we heard the roadie!"London! A ban that needs no introduction...but gets one anyways! Velvet Revolver!!!!" Sucker Train Blues was amazing. Before Do It For The Kids, Scott said: "We are not Guns n' Roses, we are not Stone Temple Pilots, we are Velvet Revolver!" Spectacle was amazing, as it has not been played many times before. It's So Easy was played as the penultimat song again. And Slash did a strange intro to Negative Creep, which the rest of the band (especially Matt) looked very puzzled as to what to play to it. There was also an intro to Used To Love Her, which reminded me very much of a cross between the intro Slash used to do to Patience and Paradise City, during Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion Tour.

The concert ended at around 10:30. It was the best show I have ever seen, Slash, Duff, Matt, Scott and Dave were all in top form.

Thanks to John: Fantastic!! The best demonstration of why I learned to play guitar!! Totally rocked! Duff {hench as f**k} plays the best bass of his life. Dave rocked out. Matt smacked it on the drums. Scott {killer moves} & great voice. Slash {nuff said} the man. Met Brian May & caught a glimpse of Jimmy Page {hence the Queen & Led Zep intro's on 2 songs}. Overall 10/10.

Thanks to Macieks: Great performance from the people that know how to do it best. Slash and Duff obviously lived up to every expectation and the energy they put into the gig was remarkable. They really look like they're enjoying themselves again. Matt was also doing his best to smash through every drum he had. 'It's So Easy' was the high point of the night allowing the crowd to remember the good old days. High energy also on Slither and Set Me Free. Scott was a bit drowned out by volume and aggression of Slash and Duff. They still have to adjust to the fact that they no longer have the piercing domination of Axl to front them. Ticket worth every penny though. Looking forward to seeing them back in London again.

Thanks to Mintage: Wow....just wow, is there anything else to say? I was never a huge GNR fan, but, since Contraband came out I've been converted to the ways of Velvet Revolver.
The Led Zep intro and talk box performance just immortalised Slash even more (Illegal I Song), Duff was ripping out the backing vocals, Slither particularly! Matt was playing up the crowd, but I wasn't sure if the gong was needed! Dave Kushner never stopped, and Scott..well the hat alone got a cheer! He seemed to take an item of clothing off per song, but I've seen reviews that have knocked his vocals for being too low, well from where I was last night, they were spot on. A true front man! The Velvet Revolver experience is one everybody should have, and do what the hell you can to get tickets next time they are here! The lighting, the sound and the movement just seperates them from any other band in the world right now!

PS - Respect to the guy stealing the posters from the walls!

Thanks to Rob: Fucking amazing. From the moment Duff walked on played the intro and the front of the stage to the second they walked off the stage. The only thing that pissed me off was the group of people sitting next to me. They were constantly pushing the whole row and later stole my driver's licence from my pocket. Put a damper on the whole evening. Velvet Revolver rule.

Thanks to David McQueen: Wow!! What a show! Nothing short of an incredible-hair-raising-on-the-back-of-your-neck-goosepimples-on-your-arms-awe-inspiring type of badass-kickass-rock show that for some reason has not been seen for years.

Forget Guns'n'Roses (whom I love), Stone Temple Pilots and all because this was a great band in their own right. Not a supergroup formed for the sake of itself but a bunch of guys who when they first jammed together must have sensed the chemistry instantly and started to write songs for that reason. Playing songs that make you scream along to at the top of your voice and move to without realising it.

And what's more, Scott Weiland was immense. Any thoughts of Axl Rose were lost the second he started performing. Achieving the impossible by banishing all thoughts from the minds of the crowd of ever wanting a G'N'R reunion because it would mean the end of Velvet Revolver.
The crowd in Glasgow loved them and I think they knew it too. I hope they did, because it would mean their return. And if they do decide to return, I am certain that they will see that the crowd will no longer be wearing G'N'R or STP t-shirts but rather Velvet Revolver ones instead.

Thanks to Daniel: The guys put on an amazing show. There was a real excitement throughout, the band and the crowd were both electrifying. I went loving the group wholeheartedly, but having heard different things about Velvet Revolver or Guns or STP it was difficult to know what to expect. But these guys aren't just legends in their own time going through the motions - they really fucking mean it.

Thanks to Richard: Awesome!! First time I had seen Slash live and I loved it! He got his top hat out which sent the crowd wild and even played his guitar behind his head! A really good gig.......they even played a couple of G n' R tracks (Used to Love Her and It's So Easy).

Thanks to Rossco: One of the best gigs I've been to for a long time & loudest, they absolutely rocked the place. Slash was amazing, especially when he done a solo on his talk box and for them to play It's So Easy & Used To Love Her was amazing, the whole place went crazy. Scott was cool with his megaphone, Duff & Matt & Dave were brilliant as well. It was all I expected and more.

Thanks to Pistol: Fantastic gig! The whole band were excellent and full of energy! I second the fact that Scott's vocals and Slash's guitar were too quiet though! I also caught Matt's drumstick, which I'm well happy about!! Sucker Train Blues is such a killer opener! They even played 'Spectacle' which hasn't been on their set lists very much this tour!! I'm off to get my album signed at Virgin now!! Fucking quality! Hope they come back soon!!

Thanks to Paul the Don: The Backyard Babies were good and were on for maybe 40 minutes. Velvet Revolver came on at just after 9pm and rocked from start to finish. Before they took the stage a roadie placed Slash's top hat on the amp rack and the crowd went wild. Vocals were as other have reported a little low and you struggled to hear Scott at times. The guitar work from Slash was outstanding as was the rest of the band. Massive queue to get in and touts were selling tickets at a minimum of £100 a go. Velvet Revolver could fill Earls Court or Wembey easily, let's hope they do next time.

Thanks to GoDuffGo: 1st time I've seen them all play live. Before I got there at 1:00 and ate and waited around apparantly when I was having lunch Duff came out and said hello or something. Anyway it was worth the wait when the support band I thought they were quite good but nothing to what I was gonna see next, when the support band finished they dismanteled there stuff and set up Velvet Revolver's and when the covers came off the drums there were a massive rour of joy!! Then waiting time was up they were announced and they walked on and the noise of the crowd was amazing I had pretty ok seats but I stood up in the middle isle and no one was in the way!! So they played Sucker Train Blues 1st then Do It For The Kids and I can't really remeber the order after that, Scott vocals you could hear clearly well I could anyway and we was climbing all over the place, dancing etc, Slash spoke on the mike but I really didn't understand him, and while he was playing he rested his head on one of the staffs shoulders which was quite amasing. Oh yeah and he looked up with his hat on in the most funny way out of the blue. I loved the way they did Illegal i with the exended bit and everyone was singing along to mostly all the songs, Matt I think was so great on the drums he really made me laugh the way he lazeyly hit the symbols and jump up at end of each song, and he hit the gong at the end a couple of time which I didn't expect him to do. Well the main person I wanted to see was Duff coz he's been my hero for some time and he didn't dissapoint! Great show!!!!! Better come back to England very very soon!!

Thanks to A Fan: My ears are still ringing. The show lived up to all expectations and was the best gig I have seen in years. Agree that the vocals and Slash's guitar were a bit on the quiet side but other than that really good crowd and a belter of a show.

Thanks to Dan: Awesome stuff. Vocals and Slash's guitar a bit quiet, but the driving rhythms and bass were superb and just hearing Slash live again was a delight. Scott's dancing is brilliant and Duff is in amazing shape, who said drugs and alcohol were bad for you!

Crowd were in good form too, lots of smiles and no aggrevation down the front, well done everybody.

In 92 at Wembley I dropped Matt Sorums drumstick when he threw it in the crowd. Unbelievably tonight it landed in my hand with my eyes closed.

Thanks guys for bringing rock'n'roll back to life.