May 15, 2005 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

[ back to Concert Chronology 2005 ]

General Information

Date: May 15, 2005
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Venue: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater; 3550 Cellar Door Way; Virginia Beach, VA 23456 [ Venue website ]
Box Office Number: (757)368-3000
Additional Info: Support Act: Modern Day Zero and Hoobastank

Thanks to Shobe 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 (8) [ send in your own review/pictures of the Virginia Beach show ]

Thanks to Ray: Amazing set, didn't actually like Velvet Revolver before I saw them, now I love them. Amazing live band.

And to the guy who said the sound kept dropping out, that wasn't the soundmans fault. The wind was affecting the sound.

Thanks to Jeff: Buy tickets now! This show was great! Slash was absolutely amazing and my favorite part of the show. And so was everyone else. They played all of their great songs along with others from Guns N Roses and STP. If you get a chance you should go to this show. It's a show that's hard to forget!

Thanks to Jeff Maisey from The Virginian-Pilot: NO LONGER chasing demons and drug dealers , the members of Velvet Revolver gave the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater an elementary lesson in Rock 101 Sunday by letting the music and musicianship stand on their own.
Unlike most large-scale metal productions, such as those staged by Metallica and Nickelback , Velvet Revolver never resorted to exploding fireballs or other gimmicks to dazzle the audience. Simple lighting and a Vegas-styled lighted logo were all the visual additives needed to support the perpetual motions of the aging but energetic and flamboyant superstar quintet.

Velvet Revolver is made up of former Guns N' Roses mates and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots fame, which meant as far as the set list was concerned, there were no real surprises. The band's one album, "Contraband," was nominated for a Grammy Award this year, and they performed nearly everything on it, including "Slither," the song that won a Grammy for best hard-rock performance.

Weiland used a row of floor monitors stretched across the front of the stage as a perch to balance and strut across. His last area performance was at The NorVa as STP's front man during an admitted period of drug abuse. Clearly, Weiland is a more captivating showman on the wagon, as witnessed Sunday. He effortlessly spun backward in circles around bassist Duff McKagan and lead guitarist extraordinaire Slash, who cradled his six-string with its head held high during his flawless solos. Whether sprinting through the audience with an army of security personnel trying to keep pace or with a bullhorn in hand barking lyrics into the microphone, Weiland was in command.

Before launching into "Fall to Pieces," Weiland announced, "So, I survived it," referring to his well-publicized battle with heroin addiction. The music video for the song, a staple on MTV2, is a touching autobiographical account of his struggle and the helping hand extended by his current band members.
Weiland wasn't the only shining member of the band. McKagan matched his enthusiasm, dashing from side to side and taunting the crowd to scream and shout. Then there was Slash, one of rock's all-time best guitarists. The big-haired ax man received jubilant applause during every solo, whether it was his melodic signature technique on "Fall to Pieces" or a masterful blur of fingerwork on "Sucker Train Blues." During "Illegal i Song," he simultaneously soloed on guitar and vocoder, a voice-altering instrument commonly associated with Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel." Other highlights included "Big Machine," "Set Me Free," "Dirty Little Thing" and a kicking version of the Guns N' Roses classic "It's So Easy." One of the surprising elements of this show was the low turnout - fewer than 5,000 - especially given the famous names, recent Grammy, radio and MTV play, and respectable album sales. But that certainly had no impact on Velvet Revolver's A+ performance. Hoobastank's appearance on the bill as the support act was designed by the label and management to boost attendance and draw a younger generation. The effort seemed to fail on both counts. In fact, the modern rock act, whose performance featured "The Reason" and "Crawling in the Dark," was a mismatch on every level.

The more impressive opening act was Mother Nature's fearsome display of lightning and rainfall. The circum-stances, though, benefited those with lawn-section tickets. The amphitheater staff considered the bad weather and disappointing sales and closed the grassy open-air area in the outfield, allowing those patrons to take seats under the roof.

Thanks to Cindy Quick: I took my 9-yr old daughter to the show. We are both huge Velvet Revolver fans. It was great to see them live for the first time. Slash was awesome! I love to watch him play because his heart and soul comes out of the guitar he is playing (any of his collection). Scott was great. He went out into the crowd to check it out. We didn't get close to him, but it was great. Our seats were on Slash's side and close enough we could see their faces. We drove 800 miles to see them and it was worth it. We will definitely see them again. Hopefully the next time will be closer to Indiana. By the way, Virginia doesn't show their emotions as much as we do at a concert in Indiana. We scream loud and let the band know we love them. I had a few people stare at me because I was so loud, but I didn't care. My daughter and I sang along with every song they performed! This band took me back to the way hard rock was played in the 70's (loud, hard and fast). Thanks for the memories Velvet Revolver!!!

Thanks to Andy: I was 8 seats away from Weiland when he stood on a seat, and performed for a few minutes. It was an absolutely amazing event, I don't know how to even describe it. It's a priceless memory I will never forget and I appreciate it so much, it was just incredible. Awesome show, I had pretty good seats and it was obvious that everyone was on top of it that night. Scott gave his heart out, Slash was ripping it like nothing else, Duff was tearing it up, Matt was right on top of things and looking like he was having an awesome time, Dave was just thrashing. A top notch performance, afterwards all you heard was how amazing it was and everyone's awe struck reactions. Best show I've ever seen.

Thanks to Shobe: The concert was amazing!!! Scott, Slash and the whole gang rocked the hell out of the ampitheatre. The Slither finale had everyone on their feet and Scott's run into the middle of the crowd during Sex Type Thing was def one of the top highlights. Def one of the best show I have seen!!! It was non-stop from beginnning to end. Scott was electrifying as always and Slash was just classic really no other way to describe it. I had an awesome time and recommend that anyone who can make to this show do so, it's an experience you will never forget!

Thanks to John Ramey: Best show I have ever seen. Hands down. I took my 9 and 10 year old sons and they thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Thanks to Luke: This show rocked, no if, ands or buts about it! Scott and Slash were absolutely amazing, Weiland even went out in the crowd. My buddy and I were right on the fence as close as you could get to the stage and we were well rewarded for the great location. With Slash on his knees with his eyes shut doing a trademark solo. Leaving the concert we were speechless both never seeing a better show, also because we couldn't hear so talking was pointless.