just got back from watching the velvet revolver live at the supertop, ericsson stadium (AKA the boiler room during big day out). going to this concert was a last minute sort of thing for me. twiddle thumbs got in touch with alpha tom, who's now back in new zealand for a brief period to sort out some paperwork, then it's back to america for him as he will try to make a new life for himself there. last night we met up after the film for a drink. went to an irish bar where a cover band was playing various rock tunes, including "sweet child o'mine" by guns 'n' roses. an appetizer to tonight's show you could say.

it was an expensive ticket, cost me $85 kiwi. one of the most expensive concerts i've ever been to. i don't really even like the band either. it was more just to hang out with friends and at the same time check out the band. i skimmed over the cd when i was in japan in august 'cos one of the music shops i visited had a listening station. the songs didn't stand out. i've heard the single/seen the video. doesn't stand out.

the d4 opened up. saw them at big day out. they still suck. plain rock n' roll. that's not for me. the velvet revolver are also plain rock n' roll. it's just not my thing. rock for the sake of rock. it's just cliché music.

after we arrived, we went to the right of the stage to be on slash's side for alpha tom. i brought my digital camera with me but it's not a very good concert camera. we were maybe 20 feet from the stage. maybe less. before the show even started, people were cutting in and pushing from behind. assholes. once the show started, the pit was an intense ocean. not stage-diving/crowd-surfing, just an ocean. massive waves of people going 10 feet one way, ,then 10 feet the other. my feet were on one side of the tent and my head on the other side. i could only ride the waves so long before i had to get out of there. i tried to take some pics and get some (shakey) video footage.

the pics below give you sense of how close i was when i was engulfed in the pit.

'scott rose'

slash is still looking very slash

after getting out of the pit, i tried to watch a few songs from towards the back but i was too hot and too sweaty (70% from other people, yuck!) so i went outside the tent. AIR! i could breathe again. i hung out there for awhile. then went back inside. then went outside again when i was too hot to stand it. then back in again!

they played old songs from gnr and stp. "it's so easy", "mr. brownstone", "i used to love her", and "sex type thing". i have never seen gnr live and i loved them back in '89 when i was in jr. high. axl can't sing for shit anymore so i don't care about if i ever see him. when izzy left, gnr was over for me anyway. the band played the songs well because it's their songs and they're professionals, blah blah blah. i just felt like there was no soul to it. when i saw stone temple pilots back at the weenie roast a few years ago, i was blown away. i am not into their studio recorded songs but live they were fuckin' good. it made me want to buy a live album on the spot. at the vr show, scott weiland had the rock moves down, maybe he was even charasmatic, but he just wasn't hypnotic like he was at the weenie roast. i wasn't into any of the velvet revolver songs. so for all those reasons i was disappointed.

a lot of people were wearing gnr shirts. (don't they know the 80s are over?) i don't think i saw a single stp shirt. they really loved slash tear it up. i was surprised i guess at how much the kiwis love slash. for me it's like he's done 2 good albums in my past but they're not part of my musical bible. i think those there were those who subscribe to the gnr musical bible. i think for a lot of people there, this must have been something on their list of dream concerts to see in their lifetime. it wasn't for me. that's probably why i was bored. also, i couldn't help thinking how when i was in LA they played for free in a parking lot or on the roof of some building downtown. i didn't go 'cos i was tired that day. i kept thinking how i was ripped off. that's not something that helps you enjoy a concert!

setlist:
sucker train blues
do it for the kids
headspace
superhuman
crackerman
illegal i
fall to pieces
dirty little thing
big machine
it's so easy
sex type thing
set me free

encore:
used to love her
you got no right
[you could be mine drum intro]
mr. brownstone
slither