Slash's Snakepit - 10.12.00 - Whisky Au Go-Go, Hollywood, CA.

Review written by: Ravi

Setlist:

Life's Sweet Drug
Been There Lately
Just Like Anything
Shine
Mean Bone
Back to the Moment
Serial Killer
It's so Easy
Landslide
Ain't Life Grand
Mr. Brownstone
The Alien

Encore:
Beggars and Hangers On
Speed Parade



At last, Slash's Snakepit album is released and these guys were really psyched 
for the show. Earlier in the day they even had a signing at Tower records with 
the entire band.  The Whisky is a small place, it might hold 250 people or so, 
and it has an upper level for a good view of the whole thing.  Unfortunately 
there were some idiots who were throwing drinks and other stuff on stage, which 
was not cool at all.

The show started later than expected, and I think there should have been only 
one opening band since it was the release show and all.  They played for about 
an hour and a half, and it could have been a bit longer if they started on time.  
The sound was pretty good overall, and very loud. The only problem was that 
sometimes I couldn't hear the rhythm guitar parts that well.  I could tell that 
everyone was excited about the show because they were all running around the 
stage as if it was an amphitheater.  Rod was in good form, and his voice sounded 
good throughout the show, he did mess up some lyrics a bit here and there.  Matt 
added a solid beat the entire night and was very impressive, although he didn't 
really have any short solos or anything like that.  Johnny was very energetic 
and was headbanging from the start.  He is always really into the show and that 
spills off onto the other guys.  I think he's very talented and its good that he 
is comfortable with fingerpicking and using a pick.  I think that they would do 
well on a Blues cover or two like they are known to do sometimes when jamming.  
Kerry also was really into it, jumping around on stage and taking some solos.  
Unfortunately it was harder to see him since he would be in the back or facing 
the side and also his sound wasn't that clear from where I was standing.  Slash 
played very well and pulled out some amazing solos and great crunching riffs.  
He had an interesting white Elvis shirt on.  Unfortunately he didn't really get 
to do a free form jam with the band, but since the show was meant to be hard 
drivin' it was all good.

The opening song, Life's Sweet Drug has a crazy drum rhythm that I loved. They 
immediately got to business and rocked out!  Later Rod introduces the song 
wrong, and says Shine instead of Just like Anything.  Mean Bone was very cool 
since they did a little jam in the beginning and Slash got a great solo in the 
middle of it.  Slash tells us to put up with the ballad, as it is Snakepit's one 
and only f'n ballad!  Rod thanks the record company and everyone for coming out 
and Slash also thanks friends who were there and who weren't, and family, and 
people who had birthdays and the company for doing the shindig.  Serial Killer 
was perhaps the best song of the set.  The acoustic intro sounded sweet on the 
12 string, and the solo part was incredible!!  where does he come up with this 
stuff??  Rod tells a little story about the song. It is about a friend of his 
who was on drugs and just went crazy and killed his girlfriend.. he said 
sometimes people do things and its hard to tell why.  It is an insight into 
someone's mind, I guess.  A herald to the old days, It's So Easy was really well 
received and many people were singing along.  Rod did a good job with it, but 
couldn't quite  duplicate the original, as with Brownstone.  Slash's guitar 
solos were incredible on It's So Easy.. it seemed almost like a flashback.  
Landslide was a great song too, the chorus is catchy.  The Alien featured the 
mockingbird which got a great sound, which was surprising to see actually since 
it wasn't played the last few times.  I liked Ain't Life Grand since Rod changed 
the lyrics and the horn section was very cool, with sax and trumpet.  The encore 
was total high energy.  Slash said hi to all the beggars and hangers and then 
they started.  It was better than I remember it, with some cool slide work.  
Speed Parade is awesome, everyone just went nuts.  Some guy even tried to start 
a mosh pit that angered a lot of people.  I think that if you're at a show you 
should let other people watch and enjoy it.  Rod did do a little crowd surfing 
though.  

Slash had a couple of new guitars:  A blueish Guild acoustic/electric doubleneck 
for Serial Killer, and the red BC Rich Mockingbird for the Alien, which had a 
nice biting sound.  Johnny had his normal bass with the Marley stickers on it, I 
think its a musicman and also a red fender  I believe.  Kerry used GMP guitars, 
I think.  The band is really tight right now since they have toured a lot before 
this so they will consistently put on a good show, and hopefully throw in some 
new songs or surprises into the set.  My favorites were Shine, Speed Parade, 
Landslide, and definitely Serial Killer.  Of course Brownstone and It's So Easy 
were awesome!  If you like a good rock show, then you have to catch these guys 
on tour!!

	-- Ravi