Slash Appreciation Time

[IncitingChaos]

I'm sure it exist already but can we get some appreciation for Slash going. We don't discuss his contribution nearly enough, I myself being guilty of being concerned with vocals and drumming and other nonsense...but this guy has been incredible! 

I was never really big on Slash until I saw him in Vegas for the first time in 2016. That man carried that show knowing Axl was down. And just seeing the difference he makes, his tone on guitar, what he can get out of a guitar is simply amazing. We may be witnessing the last true guitar hero...someone who was a part of something bigger than himself and still stood out on a larger than life scale. 

We are really quiet on his contribution here, but he's been worth the price of admission and has carried his part to perfection. 

Anyways I know you Slash fans have some great Slash moments from the tour saved so let's see them! 

I know there was one on the SA tour during Jungle right after the So Down part and Axl let's out that scream he goes into his solo and just has this huge smile on his face as he's grooving to how perfect everything is going...really cool moment that stands out to me. I can't find a good video of it anymore but I'm sure some of you will come thru with some great gifs

Like at 3:00 in this video but I think it was at a different show but this performance to me is just perfection from everyone and displays how awesome Slash has been.

[moreblack]

He's been playing out of his skin pretty much since the second Velvet Revolver album. Something happened, sobriety perhaps, but he's picked up the craft of guitar playing with more enthusiasm or something. He built on that for his solo albums, all of them have some killer riffs and solos. By the time he came back, his playing had been firing on all cylinders for quite a few years, and GNR could only benefit from having him fired up like that.

[Fourteenbeers]

@janrichmond I think this would be a thread for you? 

[blackrose87]

6 minutes ago, moreblack said:

He's been playing out of his skin pretty much since the second Velvet Revolver album. Something happened, sobriety perhaps, but he's picked up the craft of guitar playing with more enthusiasm or something. He built on that for his solo albums, all of them have some killer riffs and solos. By the time he came back, his playing had been firing on all cylinders for quite a few years, and GNR could only benefit from having him fired up like that.

Absolutey agree with this however I do think it's come at a loss of that blues sloppiness pre VR he was known for. I really liked that aspect of his sound. But no doubt that now he's a much better player technically.

[Tom-Ass]

He has certainly carried the two shows I have seen this tour. That said I feel his playing has taken a step back to what it was right before the reunion. He was absolutely playing out of his god damn mind with SMKC.. There have been too many times where his solos haven't sounded great with this lineup and I blame it solely on the forced lineup.. There really is no natural chemistry with Fortus and Frank and it really shows it's head at times. He is still an absolute beast and makes it work. Still more jaw dropping moments than not but I have been surprised by some lackluster solos in songs like Rocket Queen, Patience, November Rain (sometimes), Used To Love Her and Yesterdays for example.  He still slays on songs like Estranged, Don't Cry, Nightrain and Sweet Child which alone makes it all worth it.  Estranged being my favorite.. 

[Original]

Slash owned the Vegas shows last spring.  Esp with Axl in the chair, Slash really steppe dup and dominated.  Hard to imagine the clowns Axl used from '95-2015.  They couldn't hold a candle to Slash.  Even the CD songs sound pretty damn good with Slash. 

[AxlIsGod.]

Estranged is my favourite GnR song, I was pretty happy when i heard it live in 2012, but my god that song is as much slash's as axls. Hearing it live on this tour made me appreciate how important his sound is to that song.

[El Guapo]

I have to agree, seems like Slash is not 100% comfortable with Frank and/ or Fortus.

In general, he certainly is a lot better now in terms of technique but to my ears he lost a bit of balance between pure, raw emotion and technical playing. 

To me, his most inspired and interesting playing can be heard on the Illusion Albums and the Illusion tour.

Edited July 6, 2017 by El Guapo

[soon]

I agree with all posts thus far.  

Also, I gotta add that Its Five oClock Somewhere is for me the greatest hard rock album of all time.  And more objectively I think it should make a best of list at least.

When I saw him in VR supporting Contraband he was clearly strung out, unable to play and turned down (the irony!) so its awesome to see him playing at this level again.  Sobriety has done wonders, but yeah he seems to be at loss to fill in some of the void left by no longer playing sloppily on some of the classic solos.

Its just right that he be there, in GNR.  Thats the long and short of it! 

[IncitingChaos]

Interesting that many feel Fortus and or Frank are not complimenting Slash in a way that his playing deserves. For the guitar technical people do you feel Slash plays about the same or different when Steven was on stage for My Michelle and OTGM...would be interesting to hear how his playing is different or if we need a bigger sample size 

[moreblack]

26 minutes ago, Original said:

Slash owned the Vegas shows last spring.  Esp with Axl in the chair, Slash really steppe dup and dominated.  Hard to imagine the clowns Axl used from '95-2015.  They couldn't hold a candle to Slash.  Even the CD songs sound pretty damn good with Slash. 

I loved the moment on the first night, where he was delayed, and he was nowhere to be seen for the intro and first verse of It's So Easy, and when the crowd sees him come out, they cheer

 

[janrichmond]

Slash is my favourite member, I think he is an amazing guitarist. I do agree with @Tom-Ass that he was playing better with SMKC, maybe because that is HIS band, i don't know, he still gives a great performance and seems to enjoy 

his time back with Guns but i get the feeling he's not as 'relaxed' as he used to be. I went to 2 shows in London just to see Slash, had he not returned to Guns i would not have gone to any shows. That being said i really enjoyed the whole show

and IF they do an arena tour in the UK i will definitely go to those too. Slash is a God.  

Peace.

 

 

[Towelie]

Slash is literally the only interesting thing about this reunion. Same old Axl, same old boring setlist. Slash is the reason GNR are playing stadiums again. The general public simply did not buy GNR without him.

[moreblack]

It's a far cry from the show I went to in 09, the infamous Winnipeg show where the fat Axl photo was taken, and Slash shirts were banned from the audience supposedly.

[default_]

1 hour ago, El Guapo said:

I have to agree, seems like Slash is not 100% comfortable with Frank and/ or Fortus.

Maybe he is not confortable with the person who called him, you know, a cancer? 

[Tom-Ass]

1 hour ago, IncitingChaos said:

Interesting that many feel Fortus and or Frank are not complimenting Slash in a way that his playing deserves. For the guitar technical people do you feel Slash plays about the same or different when Steven was on stage for My Michelle and OTGM...would be interesting to hear how his playing is different or if we need a bigger sample size 

I wouldn't say those songs are great examples because they seem to nail Out Ta Get Me.. I haven't enjoyed My Michelle as much but that is mostly due to Axl's voice.  It just seems like some songs work better than others.  That said both those songs did sound noticeably better with Steven behind the kit for sure but I don't think Slash was really effected either way.

[jmapelian]

It's funny to hear the people that never saw Slash play before saying how much he adds to the sound and I'm saying to myself I've been saying that for as long as I've been on this board....lol

[IncitingChaos]

13 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said:

I wouldn't say those songs are great examples because they seem to nail Out Ta Get Me.. I haven't enjoyed My Michelle as much but that is mostly due to Axl's voice.  It just seems like some songs work better than others.  That said both those songs did sound noticeably better with Steven behind the kit for sure but I don't think Slash was really effected either way.

I thought Axl nailed My Michelle in LA and Arlington but has been lackluster since. 

Back to Slash though, it would be interesting to see how he makes slight changes with Izzy and Steven in there versus Frank and Fortus...I doubt we will get a chance to see an updated version of the AFD5 though 

[Marie82]

1 hour ago, Towelie said:

Slash is literally the only interesting thing about this reunion. Same old Axl, same old boring setlist. Slash is the reason GNR are playing stadiums again. The general public simply did not buy GNR without him.

I would say the combination of both, Slash and Axl, is why they are playing stadiums again but you're absolutely right. 

[Gibbo]

Yeah I agree Slash is defiantly not comfortable with Frank I dont think its so much fortus but I notice alot they go a little out of time in places. Even before this reunion started Slash & Duff werent happy with franks drumming and wanted Sorum, fortus even said about it in a Interview. Slashs band was alot tighter you would never hear timing problems

Edited July 7, 2017 by Gibbo

[Sunset Gardner]

Slash is rock n roll royalty.  I'm sad for him every time he has to play axl's solo material but I'm happy he's allowed axl to sing for him again.   I have no interest in any more solo material from slash.  Gnr only moving forward for everyone.  

[NicDwolfwood]

If it wasnt clear already, the man is a certified legend. He's the star of the show more times than not. 

 

With that said, the situation isnt perfect, but its alot better than it was pre NITL and it has room to be better if they(big 3) want it to be. I share the sentiment that a few people have here that he was playing out of his skin with SMKC, where his playing was augmented by a kick ass RNR rhythm section. 

[Naupis]

I think vocals aside the GNR songs sound better and closer to the original with Slash's solo band than they do with Slash in GNR.

With SMKC there is none of the weird noises that come from Dizzy/Melissa that needlessly pollute songs, and Fitz is a light years better drummer than Frank on the GNR stuff. Slash also seemed to just sound/mesh better with Frank than he ever has with Richard.

The maddening thing about the GNR reunion has been that musically it would be so far ahead of where it is if Axl didn't insist on keeping Frank/Richard and crew around to some how vindicate (in his mind) his past GNR incarnation despite the fact it makes the product suffer.

Slash is playing the shit out of his guitar every night but is being let down by Frank/Richard, who just don't sound natural with him. 

Watch some SMKC shows playing the same GNR songs (ignoring the vocals) and it is startling how much better the same song sounds musically by just having guys on stage he meshes with. Axl will continue to jam a square peg in a round hole because that is what he does. but it doesn't have to be this way.

[Fourteenbeers]

9 hours ago, janrichmond said:

his time back with Guns but i get the feeling he's not as 'relaxed' as he used to be. I went to 2 shows in London just to see Slash, had he not returned to Guns i would not have gone to any shows. That being said i really enjoyed the whole show

and IF they do an arena tour in the UK i will definitely go to those too. Slash is a God.  

Peace.

Slash is the main reason why this tour is happening. He is the one Axl needs to sell this band as Gn'R to the mainstream audience.  I'm an atheist, so I don't use the word "God" a lot. But in the world of rock, it's pretty safe to say that Slash is a God. 

[Sydney Fan]

11 hours ago, Original said:

Slash owned the Vegas shows last spring.  Esp with Axl in the chair, Slash really steppe dup and dominated.  Hard to imagine the clowns Axl used from '95-2015.  They couldn't hold a candle to Slash.  Even the CD songs sound pretty damn good with Slash. 

for the guitarists that were in Axls version of guns n roses, slash was-is- and always will be  - the benchmark.

Have always seen slash solo when he has toured in Oz since 2010. He certainly is the star of the show and you can see when he plays with SKMC band that he gells with all of them and in his mind I think he feels hes happy to be playing with a bunch of muscians on his level - he's found the right group of muscians to help push his solo material. However I think GNR is different . I think he is serious as wanting his playing to say "axl this is what guns could have been if you didn't push the band members away". Its his way of putting a stamp on GNR at this point in time and for him I think Guns has always been a case of unfinished business not only for himself but for all of us. Those of us who loved the AFD/Illusions line up and yes I agree that certain old band members should be there except for Richard and frank. Frank just comes across as having no rock n roll swagger and just a drummer for hire.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Sydney Fan