April 25, 2005 - West Valley City, UT - The E-Center

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General Information

Date: April 25, 2005
Location: West Valley City, UT
Venue: The E-Center; 3200 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, UT 84119 [ Venue website ]
Box Office Number: (801) 988-8888
Additional Info: Support Act: Hoobastank

Thanks to Jeremy for the setlist!

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 (12) [ send in your own review/pictures of the West Valley City show ]

Thanks to Jimy: All I have to say is that my dream came true, I was first row, in g.a. and Slash played the solo for Slither right in front of me. When I say right in front of me, I mean I could see the sweat on his forehead, that's how close I was. And Dave talked to me! Seriously! Awesome show!

Thanks to Travis: I have been to a number of concerts such as Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Styx, Metallica, Godsmack and more. Velvet Revolver had to have been the all around best show I've ever seen. Slash, Duff, Matt and Dave play the music and Scott carries it directly into the audience.

Thanks to T - Bone: Holy that show rocked, I can't believe how good it was all of the songs sounded great the only minor problem was that the P.A. for Scott's microphone was turned down low but I think that the reason for that was because he sang into the mic with a megaphone so that would have been way too loud. Other than that it was so cool and I would know because me and my friends were very front row right in front of Slash's talk box mic stand and it was cool how the band threw out all of their picks and drum sticks. I almost got a couple of pics and I got Matt's attention to throw a drum stick in my direction but sadly it didn't make it. But after the show I stayed around and I got the set list from off the stage.

Thanks to Chris Holt: Amazing show Velvet Revolver puts on the best show out of any band I have ever seen. It was incredibly loud and sounded pretty damn good Scott was very good with the crowd and he even got off stage and went into the crowd. No one was sittin down there was too much energy in the room like Slash said "I think everyone is wondering where the fuck they are right now!" Which was true because I was in heaven Slash is one of my all time heroes I wish I could have met him somehow. I saved up all winter to get backstage pass and was a little short in money so it didn't happen if they ever come again I try again. Anyways the whole band was amazing they worked their asses off to perform an amazing show and that's what they did. Whoever was mixing it I wanted to go down there and mix it from them because it was kinda hard to hear Scott. I am definitly goin to the Ozzfest to see them again. HEY AND IF ANYONE HAS PICTURES FROM THIS SHOW PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Thanks to Dan Nailen from The Salt Lake Tribune: Nobody said it was going to be easy.

When one-time members of Guns N' Roses recruited former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland for a new project, they dedicated themselves to returning glammy hard-rock to prominence on the American music scene.

That project, Velvet Revolver, has largely achieved its intended purpose. The band has sold a few million copies of its debut, "Contraband," won a Grammy and packed concert venues around the globe.

All that still wasn't enough to draw more than a couple thousand people to the E Center, making the room feel almost empty as the band gamely tried to get the energy flowing. It was a futile effort. The vast empty spaces decimated the sound quality throughout most of the show, turning songs into a muddled drone. There was some enjoyment for fans itching to see guitarist Slash tear through guitar solos in his distinctive top hat, or Weiland do his patented snake-like dance all over the stage.

Still, there was an overriding feeling of disappointment. In a smaller room or theater, the same show could have been a killer. The disappointment was no fault of the band itself; Velvet Revolver delivered a rambunctious, visually stimulating set as advertised, but the cavernous room sucked the life out of the show.

Opening with drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan pounding out the intro to "Sucker Train Blues," the band lit up the stage as Weiland shimmied, sang and barked through a megaphone, a prop he would return to throughout the show, and one that didn't help the sound quality at all. Guitarists Slash and Dave Kushner fought to get their instruments heard through McKagan and Sorum's din, a battle that would continue all night.

Songs from "Contraband" came rapid-fire early in the show, and it become clearer with each one that the sound was amiss. When Slash managed to get one of his stinging solos heard, like on the fourth song, "Superhuman," it was cause to rejoice. Too bad it was such a rare treat. And Weiland had a difficult time getting his pliable voice heard, too.

The best songs, soundwise, were the ballads and acoustic cuts. Hit single "Fall to Pieces" hit its mark, and an acoustic interlude late in the show of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and their own "You Got No Right" worked well, too.

Aside from Velvet Revolver's songs, the band did a couple of songs from the members' old gigs. The Stone Temple Pilots' songs - "Crackerman" and "Sex Type Thing" - were welcomed by the crowd (such as it was), but the Guns N' Roses tunes in the set list received a much more raucous ovation. And both "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone" showed why fans still pine for the days of G N' R; they are both more dynamic songs than anything on Velvet Revolver's album.

Ending with an encore including the "Best Hard Rock Performance" Grammy-winning "Slither," the band looked spent. Too bad they exerted so much energy for so few people.

Thanks to zaoshu: My night at the Velvet Revolver show: First off, I never worry about getting tickets, someone always gets them for me, this time the 'E' Center comped the ticket. My seat was right in front, stage right where the band enters and exits. Which was great. Then the event staff manager surprised me by pulling me to the side and giving me a GA pass, which was great until I had beer thrown all over me.. ewww! Then the Velvet Revolver tour manager Tim... or Tom I don't recall was talking to me and said to wait there and he would come grab me soon to go backstage. YAY! Then mid way through Velvet Revolver's set a photographer, Karl Larsen pulled me aside and handed me a backstage pass. WOO HOO!!!

After the show he took me to a room backstage with about five other people to meet the guys, we were just across the hall from the band. I was introduced to Duff who graciously said hello and shook my hand. Then I saw Slash but didn't talk to him. He left not long after. I didn't see Dave at all. Matt came in and said hello he was in such a great mood, he was being silly and we took several pictures together. I told him he made up for Scott having skipped out early. He said "hey, *shrug* oh well" then he and his cute girlfriend left. I did see Scott before he left, he saw me, did a little step back and a half wave. That was it. Then his assistant grabbed his things and they got on the bus. Some of the crew told me that Scott usually doesn't stick around or take pictures or anything so I didn't want to bother him. The band played well, they were smiling and laughing. Slash made a comment that Utah is definetely " the place". Scott ran out into the crowd for a while and got the crowd going crazy. They played a Pink Floyd song, it was awesome. I had a great time and I hope you all get to see them soon.

Thanks to headspace27: I was there too, awesome concert! Left side, row 10 or so. Slash was obviously drunk when he introduced Illegal I, he mentioned something like: "you guys are loud but I think you guys are a little confused about where you are right now!" Me and my friend joked about maybe it was him who was confused! AWESOME. Great set, played perfectly with alot of feeling. But did anyone know what they thought of the crowd and such? Scott seemed agitated alot to me, maybe that's just me. His voice was perfect, the sound was very good with everything at the perfect volume. Awesome show!

Thanks to stonetemplerevolver: I was at this show as well. Hoobastank pretty much stunk, but Velvet Revolver rocked the house.

Our seats were 12th row on the left side... second section from the stage.

I was surprised to see it not packed... but it was nice to see a decent amount of people there.

Loved the set list, although was hoping for "Used To Love Her", but happy to get "Wish You Were Here". "You Got No Right" was amazing live. All other songs were well done and Slash continues to amaze me. Some of those video shots showed him looking a bit old these days.

But Scott was in perfect form....and this was the best performance I've seen him do (saw STP three times before - 1993, 1996 and 2000). My g/f thought Dave Kushner was a hottie. I thought he looked a bit like The Edge from U2.

Thanks to Rick: The show went off without a hitch, unlike when I saw Guns and Roses in 1989. Weiland looked good and sang good. His mike was turned down slightly which made it hard to hear him on some of the songs with lots of bass. Slash looked good and was in good shape. They played the whole Velvet Revolver album, two guns songs and two STP songs. The only thing missing on this show was a guitar solo! How the hell do you have a show with Slash playing without at least one guitar solo? The crowd loved the show but the crowd was small. For some reason the band had a hard time selling out one third of the arena seats. The only thing I could suggest is put in a few more Guns songs and a solo. Some of the fans at the shows have been waiting for close to twenty years to see Guns and Roses, since this is the closest they will ever get give them a couple more songs.

Thanks to Travis P Miller: Duff rocked...same with the rest of this awesome band. Wish You Were Here (a Pink Floyd cover) was a major highlight. Of course Slash and Scott and the rest of the band rocked. They dominated the stage and were better than any G-n-R or STP show. Velvet Revolver ROCKS.

Thanks to Lonn Phillips: AWESOME SHOW! I saw about 4 cameras at the front of the stage and the screen showed some pretty awesome shots of the stage, crowd, etc. Scott was top notch but didn't really connect with the crowd (even though we were loud as hell!), Slash seemed drunk and introduced "Set me Free" and "Illegal I Song" and played his ass off, Duff was awesome running from one end of the stage to the next and said bye to the crowd before the encores, Matt was amazing on drums and his timing was perfect-very good at backing vocals too, Dave was great and his solo during I think "Set me free" was awesome and he was just rocking out. Everything seemed awesome and it was. But the only bad thing was there was this stupid nosy security guard looking at me and my friend all the time and made us worried that we'd get kicked out instead enjoying the songs (he ruined "Dirty Little Thing" for us). But all in all, an awesome show. Hoobastank has always sucked in my opinion, but they were very classy in what they said: "I'll be realistic, you guys want Velvet Revolver and we're going to warm up for you? Is that okay?" And that was something I liked, but there music sucks. Crazy moshes, although half the floor wasn't even full. Great show. THEY BETTER COME BACK!

Thanks to Utah Jim: Just about the same setlist as the rest of the tour. The only complaint I have is the sound of Scott's vocal was terrible, you could barely hear what he was singing. Overall I give the show a killer two thumbs up! Can't wait for the Velvet Revolver appearance on the Ozzfest this august!