One of Hollywood's most iconic hometown guitarists, Slash, played a sold-out concert at the Palladium. Slash joined his longtime solo group Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators for the performance which also featured an opening set by his son London's band Classless Act.
The show Tuesday night, October 16 was packed with friends of both bands as well as adulate fans. The Palladium gig was the final show of a sold-out nationwide tour for the Conspirators. The group invited the Tuesday night fans to be part of their new music video by capturing the event on their cell phones and uploading their homemade videos to be added to a montage. Fans also received a free download of the bands brand new album "Living The Dream," included with the purchase of their ticket. The band's third album has just been released amidst great accolades by rock music critics across the nation.
The evening began with a short-spirited set by young rockers Classless Act. The band was founded in 2016 by childhood friend’s drummer London Hudson and lead guitarist Nico Tsangaris, who are now both 16. The Southern California band also features Derek Day on lead vocals, Dane Pieper on rhythm guitar and Franco Gravante on bass. It was the first time that Hudson shared the bill with his iconic father, Slash. The animated young group played a 30-minute set of original songs. Hudson, who is also apparently an accomplished skateboarder, played thunderous drums while Day pranced all across the stage like a madman. In the meantime, Tsangaris played piercing lead guitar riffs also thrashing about like a man possessed. Gravante and Pieper were the more grounded members of the band, stoically pumping out fierce rhythms while the rest of the band writhed about full of explosive energy. The young group may have a bright future keeping rock music alive for a new generation.
After a short intermission, Slash and the Conspirators took the stage two minutes ahead of their scheduled set time, an unusual occurrence for a rock band, underscoring their eagerness to play for the hometown crowd. It is worth repeating that Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are a powerhouse live hard rock act on their own. Adding Slash to the mix creates another dimension resulting in a wall of pure hard rock sound that few bands can match. Kennedy once jammed with members of Led Zeppelin and was considered as a replacement for Robert Plant on a possible tour. The Conspirators also feature, Frank Sidoris on rhythm guitar, Todd Kerns on bass and Brent Fitz on drums. This fantastic group of musicians created a wall of sound, surrounding the relentless guitar assault on the Palladium by Slash. The band hit the stage rocking, opening with a trio of original songs, "The Call Of The Wild," "Halo," and "Standing In The Sun." The evening featured a two-hour, 23 song setlist that featured mostly original songs from the Conspirators, some Slash solo tunes, a Velvet Revolver song, and a few much-anticipated Guns N' Roses songs. Kennedy took the lead on most songs exhibiting the vocal skills that piqued the imagination of Jimmy Page. But later in the set, Kennedy took a break, and bassist Todd Kerns took over as lead singer and brought a whole new sound to the Palladium crowd. Singing in a throaty rock tinged wail, he led the band in bluesy versions of "We're All Gonna Die" and "Doctor Alibi."
Halfway through the set, the band played the first of two Guns N' Roses songs, "Rocket Queen." Slash launched into an extended solo midway through the song showcasing his immense talent as a musician. The 10-minute guitar onslaught was nothing short of brilliant putting the top-hatted Slash in the realm of rock guitars greatest live moments. Visions of Alvin Lee jamming with Ten Years After, Marc Bolan ripping with T. Rex or Jeff Beck slashing with The Yardbirds came to mind as Hollywood's hometown hero astonished the crowd.
The band returned for a three-song encore at the end of the night opening with their second Guns N Roses song, “It's So Easy." "I recognize so many of my friends in the audience," Slash exclaimed as he returned to the stage. "One of my friends who just happened to be nearby is going to come up and play with us on this song, my friend Duff McKagan." The crowd erupted as the bassist for Guns N Roses joined the band for the classic rock hit. It was a perfect night of rock and roll better than any fictional Hollywood ending.
