Velvets make triumphant return to T.O.By JASON MACNEIL -- Special To Sun Media
TORONTO - The last time Velvet Revolver played Toronto, it was more like watching Stone Temple Roses or Guns N' Pilots, a "supergroup" with a new album but primarily armed with a slew of previous hits by their previous bands. At the sold-out Kool Haus Sunday evening, the group showed they have definitely come into their own.
The band, featuring three former members of Guns N' Roses and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, rarely reached back into the past during the blazing 17-song, 90-minute set.
Starting off with the powerful garage rocker Let It Roll off the upcoming sophomore album Libertad, Velvet Revolver rarely let off the gas early on. Weiland, who initially appeared looking like the long lost Amish Blues Brother, often whirled his bare-chested frame around the stage when not standing atop the riser delivering lyrics.
Following the strong one-two punch of Do It For The Kids and Sucker Train Blues, Weiland announced they were here for some "mother f------ rock and roll."
And while they generally provided that, songs like Fall To Pieces and the mid-tempo The Last Fight tended to temporarily take things down a gear or two.
As for the six songs performed off Libertad, which will be coming out in early July, Let It Roll and the equally frenetic and punk-ish Just Sixteen were highlights. The first single She Builds Quick Machines is also sure to be a tune cranked on many car stereos this summer.
But like most audiences, the crowd responded best to the songs they knew, resulting in the 2004's Contraband tracks getting the bigger reactions. A good example of this was Set Me Free which closed the main set. Here bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum propelled the song along while Slash displayed some showmanship by playing his guitar behind his neck.
Fans thinking they were going to hear some Guns N' Roses staples like Mr. Brownstone or Paradise City were sadly disappointed. After touring South America earlier this year, the group has decided to put most of those to rest. The lone exception was Used To Love Her which caused some crowd surfing.
Velvet Revolver did reach back though for the Stone Temple Pilots hit Vasoline which seemed to draw the biggest reaction of the night. The grunge-laced number had Weiland being drowned out by the audience early and often.
Prior to closing out the show with their first big hit Slither off their Contraband album, Velvet Revolver nailed some choice covers. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here had Slash putting his own stamp on David Gilmour's signature solos while all five members, particularly Slash and fellow guitarist Dave Kushner, tore into the final frenzied moments of Talking Heads' Psycho Killer.
If you didn't happen to catch them this time on their small club tour, summer North American dates with Alice In Chains are slowly leaking out and a Canadian tour is also in the works.Opening for Velvet Revolver were The Actual, a band who actually didn't come across too badly. Although relatively unknown, the California group, signed to Weiland's own label Softdrive Records, closed with a decent rendition of Cheap Trick's Dream Police.
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