With Velvet revolver currently on the back burner Slash has proved to be mighty busy of late, releasing two acclaimed albums and touring any and every country with electricity. His live shows have been immense, not least because the hatted guitarist can draw from a back catalogue of material so utterly ingrained in the consciousness of all who love rock ‘n’ roll that if he so desired he could dispense with Myles altogether and simply let the audience do the singing. Not that Slash would, or indeed should, resort to such a measure. Slash’s band – very much presented as equals rather than minions – and Myles are a revelation, the former proving to be a skilled and versatile group of musicians who demonstrate both a simple passion and exquisite skill for playing rock ‘n’ roll; the latter proving himself more than capable of lending his own spin to songs as utterly familiar as ‘sweet child o’ mine’ and ‘paradise city’ whilst simultaneously belting out the newer material from Slash’s excellent solo record with a verve that has all eyes rooted upon him. He also proves quite handy on the guitar.
As brilliant as the record proved to be, however, Slash’s real place is on the stage and ‘made in Stoke’ captures the guitarist and his band in full flight back in 2011 as they take to the stage in town that Slash has never forgotten as home. It’s a warm and generous gesture from the guitarist who lived in Stoke for a comparatively short time and the packed venue is treated to an unforgettable show that combines the very best of Slash’s career into a two-hour-plus set that rattles the very foundations of Victoria Hall. We should, therefore, consider ourselves lucky indeed that the momentous occasion was filmed (and brilliantly so) for this stunning release which does much to demonstrate the stunning power of the Blu-ray disc and high definition sound and audio.
Available in a number of different formats (CD, DVD and the aforementioned blu-ray) it is to the Blu-ray that most fans will want to turn their attention. The detail is stunning. A full 1080p recording (in a resolution of 1.78:1) means that the screen sees everything from the individual sweat droplets rolling down Slash’s arms as he belts out his life-affirming solos to the minute particles of dust caught in the glare of the lights. Having grown up with VHS it’s hard not to simply bask in the glory of the filming and the quality of the presentation and although some grain is present in the shots where the most contrast is apparent, this has to be one of the most stable and well-presented music discs out there, with inky blacks and the glorious colours captured in magnificent detail. Of course, being a music disc, of equal, if not greater importance is the audio presentation. Here all bases are covered with the jewel in the crown being DTS master audio, ably backed up by a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM audio – crank up the sound on the foremost of those options and you’ll experience blistering sound quality that puts you right in the heart of the show, with a well-mixed soundstage delivering clear crisp bass, well separated solos and Myles’ stunning vocals right at the heart of the maelstrom. It’s of reference quality, and fans of hard rock music need look no further for a demonstration disc for their new system.
Technicality aside, all the hard work would be for naught if Slash failed to deliver, but this is a man who lives, breathes and sleeps rock ‘n’ roll and from the moment he takes the stage with his band to the moment he strolls off, stripped to the waist and covered in confetti, Slash and his band deliver a night of entertainment that must surely inspire envy in anyone who has not had the privilege of seeing him live. Guns ‘n’ Roses’ loss is surely our gain, as the band take the stage with the mighty ‘been there lately’, a choice cut (one of three) from Slash’s second solo album, ‘ain’t life grand’, which only goes to show that the album should have made far more of an impact than it did at the time. Tellingly it more than holds its own against a rabid ‘nighttrain’ which follows it immediately, the oh-so-familiar count-in inciting a foaming ecstasy in the roaring crowd. From then on it’s a non-stop ride that hits on high points from Slash’s self-titled record such as ‘ghost’, which sounds as fresh live as it does on record, the mighty ‘by the sword’ and the brilliant ‘back from Cali’; as well as the very best of G’n’R (’rocket queen’, ‘patience’, ‘Mr Brownstone’ and, of course ‘paradise city’) and even a rousing blast through the ever-green ‘slither’, the only nod (sadly) to Velvet Revolver.
Slash is every inch the rock god – calm, collected and utterly in thrall to the music, there is no evidence of the rampant egos that characterise G’n’R, and even his solo spot is short, to the point and a brilliant reminder of his abilities without disappearing into self-indulgence. As ever one is reminded of a Mick Wall article in which Mick recounts a conversation with Slash which went along the lines of Slash stating “I mean, look at me. T-shirt , jeans, boots, that’s me, man. That’s all there is.” For this most honest and heartfelt of musicians you know that there’s no artifice – he’s lived harder and faster than most and come out the other side with his integrity and his ability miraculously intact, and seeing him on stage you can see that he’s as fired by the muse that drove him to play in the first place as he ever was.
For high points, you need only look at the set list with the only slight mis-step being a run through ‘Civil war’ which, for all its power, lacks the lush orchestration of the original. In contrast, ‘patience’, now stripped of that horrible whistling that Axl inflicted on audiences night after night, sounds rejuvenated in its new incarnation. Similarly, a sign of the camaraderie within the band is when Myles leaves the stage so bassist Todd Kerns, a talented vocalist in his own right, can take to the mic for a bruised and boozy rendition of ‘Doctor Alibi’ (originally sung by Lemmy) that brings a punk rock vibe to proceedings whilst he joins the band on guitar for the unbelievably metallic instrumental ‘watch this’.
Overall fans of rock ‘n’ roll, of guns ‘n’ roses and of simply of Slash will find this to be an unmissable addition to their collection. The director, Russell Thomas, deserves unstinting praise for his brilliant filming work, capturing the band and audience in detail without resorting to cheap gimmickry, and the sublime audio mix (especially the beautiful DTS mix) could not be better. With a near-perfect set-list, blistering performances and a true sense of occasion, this is how all live discs should look and sound.
