May 3, 2005 - Amherst, MA - Mullins Center

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General Information

Date: May 3, 2005
Location: Amherst, MA
Venue: Mullins Center; 200 Commonwealth Ave, Amherst, MA 01003 [ Venue website ]
Box Office Number: 413-545-3001
Additional Info: Thanks to Mike for the set list!

Set List

• Sucker Train Blues
• Do it For The Kids
• Headspace
• Superhuman
• Crackerman
• Illegal I
• Fall To Pieces
• Dirty Little Thing
• Big Machine
• It's So Easy
• Sex Type Thing
• Set Me Free
• Wish You Were Here
• You Got No Right
• Mr. Brownstone
• Slither

Reviews (19) [ send in your own review/pictures of the Amherst show ]

Thanks to Chris and Kristin: We drove for 2 hours to get to this show and after it was over we agreed that we would have travelled half way around the world to see this unbelievable rock show!! This was our second time seeing Velvet Revolver and they did not disappoint! With the exception of the Pink Floyd cover, Dirty Little Thing and You Got No Right, the setlist remained the same and it left us with our jaws hanging off of the ground. The band came right out swingin with Sucker Train Blues and from then on the energy just never stopped. The music is truly amazing but I think it is their energy that places these guys in a category of their own. Scott Weiland is hands down the best front man I have ever seen in my entire life. Every second of the show his charisma and energy just flowed from him onto the screaming crowd of thousands. Slash let his guitar do all the talking as every riff screamed into the hearts of the crowd. A major highlight was Scott walking through the crowd and up into a section of the bleachers during Sex Type Thing. He would scream Here I come I come I come and the crowd would yell back. I got to get right near him and he looked right into my eyes and yelled here I come!!!! And I got to scream it back at the very top of my lungs. Other crowd pleasers were Crackerman (of course), Mr. Brownstone (enough said), a great and surprising cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, and an unbelievable finish with Slither. Halfway through the show Scott said "do you know what that is? that is fuckin rock and roll!!!" As long as these guys are carrying rock's torch, rock will continue to burn brighter and brighter for many more generations to come. Thank you guys for another unforgettable show!!!! "here comes the water, it comes to wash away the sins of you and I".

Thanks to Traci Coolbroth: I am greatly disappointed......I drove for over 6.5 hours (I live in Maine) to see this show as I have loved Slash since I was 7 (when GNR first came out). I was sitting in the bleachers when Scott Weiland was coming down the aisle between the mosh pit and the bleachers. I was sitting on the end seat on the left of the aisle and he was not quite on the floor in front of the right aisle when I got out of my seat and went down 2 steps. 2 STEPS ONLY!!! - I was 6 rows into the bleachers. An ARENA STAFF (yellow shirt) grabbed ahold of my right arm above the elbow and physically threw me into my seat. I ended up with a black and blue the size of a golfball on my arm that did not go away for 26 days. There was no need of him doing that.....I am very upset and have been since. The band should hold my control over who they hire and don't.

Thanks to Nick Romanow from the Collegian Staff: 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 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 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 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.

Thanks to tomass74: What fucking show last night. This has been the fourth one now and they keep getting better every time. That is the honest truth too. I was in section F if anyone was there. The place was only half full which I think was about 7,000 fans. The place didn't sell beer which kinda sucked but was also good at the same time. The crowd could have been better at times too but everyone seemed to enjoy it and there were times when everyone went nuts. I had a couple beers and we brought in a little Captain Morgans but for the most part I was sober and actually remember the whole show. They started off with that Evil Kenevil thing which I really didn't get. The band was fucking tight last night though and were all over the fucking place. Slash ran around like a maniac all night, the most I had seen him ever do.. Duff was also all over the place constanly jumping up on the drum risers. They played 3 songs that I hadn't seen them play in the previous shows which was really cool too. Scott was AWESOME last night, he was hitting all these harmonies and throwing in these cool octaves all night.

Illegal I this is always one of the highlights for me, I love the song anyway but live they really do it up. The jam out for awhile during the middle breakdown and Slash does a long ass voice Box solo which was awesome....

Dirty Little Thing this song fucking rocked, it was the first time I got to see them play it live and I was pumped bacuse it's one of my favorites. I noticed Slash played most of the solo down by the 12th fret. The tabs I had seen were a lot different...

Sex Type Thing I think the crowd went the most nuts for this one, STP is pretty big around here. There was a breakdown in the middle and Scott went through the crowd up into the lower level seats and did a song along which was pretty cool.

Set Me Free they jammed out pretty damn hard in this song and Slash and Dave had some cool ass dueling guitar solos at the end. Props to Kushner, he had some stuff.

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd Cover) this was fucking awesome. Slash was using a double neck and started it off with a little solo which was sweet. I hadn't ever seen them play this so it was another treat. They seem to have replaced this for Used To Love Her and to be honest, it was a lot cooler.

You Got No Right never saw them play this either and it was fucking intense and fit perfectly after WYWH.

Mr. Brownstone cool intro.

Slither ruled. They jammed it out with some added parts and which was really cool. I know they always stretch it out, but this time I think was a tad longer...

Well, it was a great show and I assume it will be the last time I see them until they are touring for their next album. Like I said they seem to have gotten tighter each show and really have gelled as a band. I can't wait to see what it's gonna be like next time around.

Thanks to SlashFan86: That show was fucking awesome!!! I had front row right in front of Slash!!!! I was eye to eye with his wah wah pedal, no more than 10ft away!! This was my first concert and it's def not gonna be my last, I wanna see em again!! I can't believe how awesome Slash is! If anyone was in the floor near the front I was with my buddy and we were the only 2 that were all the way up front stage left by Slash that had lighters on during the slower songs, FUCKIN YA Slash!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!! HE FUCKING ROCKED!!!!

Thanks to Ambrosia: It was fantastic when Scott came out in the crowd, he really connects w/ the audience.

They're the very best & each time I see them I'm reminded why I love them live. YGNR was especially incredible - thrilling. Slither live is even more rocking than the video. I can't wait for the new CD. Love Velvet Revolver, long live Velvet Revolver.

Thanks to Mark Bishop: I tell ya these guys are like a fine wine, they get better with age. Slash, Duff, Matt, Scott and Dave are fuckin awesome. I mean the sound was 100 times better than the Verizon Wireless Arena (in New Hampshire) my favorite song played was Set Me Free. Slash as always is a guitar god. As always keep up the excellent work guys.

Thanks to STEPHEN OBRIEN: Hey what's up? The best band live that I've seen and best period! Went to the show in Worcester, Mass. on 11/9/04 and they were wonderful and decided that I would see them again, and I'm glad I made the choice. The setlist was pretty much the same as Worcester (with the exception of one or two songs) but just the same as they rocked the DCU center they blew the Mullins Center to pieces. They got louder and better with each song, and also played exstended versions of some of the tunes and played a cover of PINK FLOYDS "Wish You Were Here", which was a treat because that's my favorite Floyd song. During the song "Sex Type Thing" the band seemed to make the crowd want more and more as Scott jumped in the crowd and made his way through the Velvet Revolver gang and went up to the stands and hung out with the crowd and said "this is rock & fuckin roll man". The only low note on the night was that the fuckin place wasn't sold out, which to me was a loss to the band and to all the fuckin retards who didn't get a ticket. Well they missed out on the way music in general (not just rock) should be played. In closing, I'm glad to say that members from my top 2 groups (which I never saw live), could get together and make the music that is nothing but RAW ROCK & ROLL TO THE BONE. A GREAT ADRENILIN RUSH! Sorry about if I spelled anything wrong, but I think I got my point across and that is that Velvet Revolver is the best band live and will blow your fuckin world away. Thanx to all the people who make these shows possible and most important thank you to the TALENTED and GIFTED GUYS who make up Velvet Revolver- Dave, Matt, Duff, Slash & Scott. Thank you, Steve. Keep rockin and please don't fuckin break up.

Thanks to Holly: The concert was freaking awesome. I saw them in November that was good but this was better. They sounded great. They played Wish You Were Here and it was amazing it sounded so good. They put on the best concerts ever. This concert was just amazing.

Thanks to Mike: During the part when they slow down Sex Type Thing Scott jumped down from the stage (just like he did with STP) and walked into the crowd on the left hand side of the stage. Walked up the stairs, climbed up on one of the rails while he was held. I ran from my seat and and got up close and personal with Scott while he contined to sing here I come I come I come. Amazing show.

Thanks to Steve: Ok 1st the setlist was the same as the night before. This was my 1st time seeing Velvet Revolver and Slash and Duff live. I've been a GN'R fan since I was 9 so being front row to see Slash and Duff was nuts! Scott rocked he jumped in to the crowd and was in front of me. lol That was cool. I seen him live a few years ago on the last STP tour. Before he played Wise You Were Here, he threw the red bull in to the crowd. And my girlfriend got it and we had a drink lol. Yeah she passed out with 2 songs to which sucked. Yeah after It's So Easy the crowd started AXL SUCKS! AXL SUCKS! AXL SUCKS! and Slash was like ok ok ok stop lol Slash did a lot of his solo in front of me!
God it was mindblowing! It's one of the best concert I've been to. And I've been to alot in my 22 year old life. And YES Matt PLAY YOU COULD BE MINE!!! And Nightrain! haha cya

Thanks to Sara Perrone-Rinaldi: Oh my god is all I have to say. The concert was amazing. I was right in the front and Duff looked at me 4, yes 4 times and he smiled right at me. It was the coolest
feeling ever. Slash is just amazing. I'm in awe of his abilities. And Scott, what can I say, probably one of the best frontmen ever....EVER!

Thanks to Jason: There were 2 other concerts before this one in the last 4 days. Attendance was low. Intermission was an hour. Those are the bad things. And someone starting saying Gun n Roses after It's so easy. That sucked. But then Scott did a STP song and that was the biggest crowd pleaser. The whole concert rocked. They played for about an hour and a half. That ruled. Lights were great. Sound was very good. I do wish that they would do one big solo. Starting with drums, then bass ( Duff does great solos ) back up then lead guitar. That would make the concert only that much better. Matt does awesome solos as well. Scott had the energy of any 20 year old. This band will be around for a while if they choose to. Hope to see more music and PLEASE come back to Amherst MA........

Thanks to Dylan: The show was amazing. I have seen them twice now, last time when they were in Worcester, MA. This show was easily better. The crowd was full of college kids who were bigger than me, so I sacraficed a bit. Anyway, Scott might be the most entertaining man to watch in the world. Slash was in a bad ass mood. Duff was Duff :). Dave was a little quiet even for him, which was weird, but he still rocks. Matt was excited and happy as always, and he climbed over his drum set for his solo. They played more songs than before, Wish You Were Here was awesome. You Got No Right was great. Seeing Slash with his double neck guild (which he designed) was incredible and the little bluesy riff him and Dave did before Wish You Were Here was great. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN Slash FINGER PICK!!! Hoobastank was ok...at least they new they were a little out of place...a "little". SO the show was amazing, loud, energetic, violent, peaceful, it was rock n fucking roll.

Thanks to Ben Briggs: All I can say is WOW! The guys were so tight, this was a killer show! I was surprised to see the place half full but oh well. Those of us that were there got a crazy rock show! The setlist was the same as usual, with the newly introduced cover of "Wish you were here". I brought in my 35 mm camera (in fear of my digital being found and taken away). Got some great pics that I'll post as soon as I get the film back. There were a lot of college meatheads there that felt as though they needed to have mosh pits and start fights. I even saw one girl stripped of her skirt as she crowdsurfed. The band was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. Slash was amazing as usual. I had GA tickets on the floor so was about 5 rows from the stage. Duff and Slash would frequently come to the right and it was just amazing to see them in person. I'd been to a few GNR shows way back when but never really had good seats. A note to all: if Velvet Revolver is coming to your town...go to the show! You will leave in awe as I still am. Picture to post will be up with the week!

Thanks to Snide: Show was awesome....Wish You Were Here cover was amazing. Hoobastank got a luke warm reception, but when Velvet Revolver came out the place went nuts. Slash has still got it and Scott's energy is unparalleled. Great show.

Thanks to Tiana (antisocialxgrl): The show was incredible. :) I personally liked Hoobastank, but the crowd didn't. Poor guys. It was odd to see commercials on during a concert! But it was neat how right before Velvet Revolver appeared, they played a snippet of their video for 'Dirty Little Thing'. During 'Sex Type Thing' Scott came out into the crowd! I absolutely loved Slash's double-headed guitar and their cover of Pink Floyd's, "Wish You Were Here". "You Got No Right" was definitely awesome, they should play it live more often! Gotta love the teaser to 'You Could Be Mine' that immediately goes into 'Mr. Brownstone' thanks to Matt.

Oh, and I met Slash. :) A bunch of us waited by the tour bus and he came over and signed some stuff for us. Some tour bus people also gave us pics! Awesome show! http://www.livejournal.com/users/antisocialxgrl/267207.html?#cutid1

Thanks to Jesse Ian: I wasn't really sure what to expect going in, especially if Scott would be in a good frame of mind to put on a good show, but everything went smooth. Right before Mr. Brownstone Sorum did a drum solo/montage where he started to play "You Could Be Mine" by GNR and it was an awful tease, but I guess Brownstone was a good tease.

Thanks to Colin: We are Velvet Revolver and we play Mother Fuckin Rock n' Roll- Scott Weiland. That is exactly true! I just got home from the show it was absolutly amazing! I went to the show in Worcester last year and that was great but this show in Amherst was 100 times better. The Mullins center had great sound too. You could hear everything so clearly! Unlike the Worcester Centrum. I went with 2 of my buddies and it was awesome! Were all 14 and that is the best show we have ever been to. And that is the best show I will probably ever go to! Unfortunately we didn't get tickets on the floor but we fuckin lucked out. During Sex Type Thing Scott Weiland started to walk through the crowd and he came up our row. I was literatlly less than a foot away from him. It was fuckin ridiculous! That was definetely the highlight of my night! You could hear every single one of Slash's solos which was great! When Slash played the doubleneck for Wish you Were Here and You Got No Right that was definetly a highlight. Duff was also great I could feel the bass in my chest. Matt's drum solo was awesome! There was not one single flaw in that whole concert! It was just an awesome fuckin concert! Every single song was a highlight for me and seeing a bigger crowd there made me happy to. It was definetly worth the 2 hour drive from Bedford. I'm just speechless. So all I can say is Rock N' Fuckin Roll! And come back to the Mullins Center next year!