Velvet Revolver Lucky The Not-Lame Weiland Showed Up

Kool Haus

Toronto, ON

on May 13 2007

Andre Mihsin (CHARTattack)

05/14/2007 4:30pm

In 2002, former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against The Machine formed Audioslave and released their self-titled debut record. Another two albums and five years later the project was mercifully put to bed, with the proverbial final nail in the coffin coming in the form of an eagerly anticipated Rage reunion.

In 2004, the exact same scenario played out for former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and ex-members of Guns N' Roses when they formed Velvet Revolver and released their spectacularly mediocre debut, Contraband. Three years later, with most of their interviews focusing on Axl Rose more than anyone or anything else, are Velvet Revolver destined to suffer the same fate?

Just like the first time they booked Toronto's Kool Haus, Velvet Revolver sold out the venue the day tickets went on sale and the capacity crowd were all decked out in new VR merch without so much as a peep about the other bands the guys used to be in. They were, indeed, there to support Velvet Revolver.

The success of this show would depend on which Scott Weiland was going to show up. Would it be the androgynous heroin-chic model or the charismatic rock star who slithers and pirouettes around the stage? Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner, who were note-perfect all night, hit the stage first followed by Weiland, who was dressed in a sharp suit and undone tie ensemble with a hat and aviators. Yes, the cool Weiland was definitely in the house.

The material from Contraband sounded a lot better live than on record. I don't know if it was because Weiland did his vintage singing through the megaphone, but "Sucker Train Blues" rocked. The fourth song was a catchy number that I thought I hadn't heard before, only to realize when I got home that it was Contraband's "Superhuman." "Set Me Free" and "Big Machine" both got the entire crowd jumping, while ballad "Fall To Pieces" generated a surprisingly loud singalong. The Contraband songs were even better received than the covers, which included STP's "Vasoline," GN'R's "Used To Love Her" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here."

Realizing that both GN'R and STP both had major pop appeal, it seems like Velvet Revolver's forthcoming record, Libertad, won't be hard rock-heavy, but will instead rely on catchy, radio-ready tunes. It sounded that way live, anyway, with "She Builds Quick Machines," "Get Out The Door" and "She Mine" all featuring bouncy rhythms and contagious hooks. "The Last Fight" is prepped as this album's "Fall To Pieces." I'll give Libertad and the band another shot with the hope that they sound as good in the studio as they do live.

So will Velvet Revolver suffer the same fate as Audioslave? The answer is a resounding no — for now. An original Guns N' Roses reunion will only happen if the rest of the band give Axl 100 per cent control (don't hold your breath on that one). And with no talk of a Stone Temple Pilots reunion, it looks like Velvet Revolver — for at least another album — are here to stay.