This review is pretty dead on..
http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/05/08/427eb38a55833VR Hits UMass:
Early into Velvet Revolver's nearly two hour set at the Mullins Center on Tuesday night, a black curtain dropped down from behind the drums to reveal a huge sign that read "Rock & F---in' Roll". Just prior to that, frontman and former Stone Temple Pilots singer, Scott Weiland, announced that the night was all about, well, "Motherf---ing rock'n'roll." And as the band ripped through a blistering set that contained nearly all of their debut album, "Contraband," as well as a few choice covers, it was perfectly clear that Velvet Revolver had hit the mark. Of course, few in the audience expected less; along with Weiland, the band is comprised of Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, better known as the backing band of Guns 'n' Roses, and second guitarist Dave Kushner, who has bounced around between many bands during his career.
Though unlikely, the pairing of Weiland - who comes from one of the bands that defined the grunge revolution that was the antithesis of decadent stadium rock - and the band that backed Axl Rose - the man most representative of the pre-grunge rock scene - works surprisingly well. From the first notes of the opening song, "Sucker Train Blues," the band was full of unrelenting energy and an obvious joy to be on stage. Though Velvet Revolver may be a big-name stadium rock act, they seem to care much more about the music itself than most bands that make it to that level. This may be bombastic radio rock but it's certainly not one-dimensional "corporate rock."
While the musicianship, especially Slash's fiery solos and huge riffs, is not to be overlooked, on closer inspection it is Weiland's energy and lyrical depth that really makes Velvet Revolver something special. However, it is odd that Weiland himself seems to be the first to downplay the seriousness of his subject matter. An infamous recovering drug addict who has also struggled with alcohol and has nearly seen his marriage crumble, Weiland dedicated "Superhuman" to "Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and you nasty ladies. " Sound like a fist-pumping anthem? Well, musically it is, but the chorus is a simple, blunt statement about the pain of the generic rock lifestyle: "Cocaine, alcohol, lady-lay, withdrawal." Doesn't sound as much fun as Weiland's description.
While the ballad "Fall To Pieces," which is dominated by a very Guns 'n' Roses-sounding guitar line, was the requisite "sensitive" moment of the set, which was otherwise dominated by hard rockers, most of Weiland's lyrics are set in a similar tone. Whereas Stone Temple Pilots wrapped Weiland's struggles in either dirty grunge or delicately psychedelic pop, Velvet Revolver has determined that scuzzy arena-rock provides the best balance. While there is no use comparing the bands, Velvet Revolver is on to something; meatheads can mosh and throw up devil signs to the deafeningly loud music and people looking for something more can find it in Weiland's often cryptic lyrics.
While the band's combination of styles and moods seemed to please the crowd, a lot of the biggest cheers came when Velvet Revolver dipped into their respective back catalogues. Early into the set, the STP classic "Crackerman" was played to great delight. Later on, the Guns 'n' Roses rocker "It's So Easy" was met with an even higher level of elation. And though an encore performance of the Guns 'n' Roses song "Mr. Brownstone" was met with cheers and applause, it was the STP song "Sex Type Thing" that seemed to get the greatest reaction. The particularly epic rendition found Weiland making his way up to the stands, surrounded by security, of course, and leading the stadium in a chant of the narrator's predatory mantra: "Here I come, I come, I come, I come."
Covers aside, the band proved to be well-loved, as the crowd sang along to all the songs, including standouts like "Big Machine," "Do It For The Kids," and "Dirty Lil' Thing." It was in these songs especially that the juxtaposition of Weiland's vulnerable, confessional lyrics and the madcap energy of the music and the performers created a very unique and special atmosphere. Following "Set Me Free," the song that introduced the world to Velvet Revolver, the band left the stage before returning for an acoustic performance of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and their own song "You Got No Right," which, with its subtle instrumentation, sounds like it would be more at home alongside Weiland's solo work (he released the trippy, underrated "12 Bar Blues" in 1998.) Following another encore break, the band took the stage once again to perform "Mr. Brownstone" and their hit single "Slither," and the band indeed went out with a bang.
There was one weak spot in the night, however, aside from the aforementioned instance of Weiland seemingly disavowing his own lyrics, which came shortly before Velvet Revolver took the stage. While rock shows have long been tied to corporate sponsorship and other blatantly un-rock-'n'-roll activity, the organizers of the tour have very possibly hit a new low in advertising. Right before Velvet Revolver took the stage the hanging video screens began to flash images that shortly materialized into a 5-minute advertisement for Robbie Knievel's new show. The fact that the booming music behind it was Velvet Revolver, and the fact that the song was "Sucker Train Blues," which the band would start playing just a few minutes later, was more Spinal Tap funny then irritating.
While concertgoers have had to suck down subtler - and even not-so-subtle - advertisements, the practice of airing an actual commercial before a show is deplorable and very anti-rock. Velvet Revolver may not be indie-art-punks starting a revolution but nonetheless, they should be far above this type of corporate shilling. While the band's claim to be real rock music was backed up by great songs and a great performance, this sort of lame tie-in definitely put a dent in their bid for authenticity.
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