May 7, 2007 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Music Club

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General Information

Date: May 7, 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Venue: Showbox Music Club; 1426 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101; U.S.A [ Venue website ]
Box Office Number: (206) 628-3151
Additional Info: Special Guests: The Actual.

Set List

• Let It Roll
• Do It For The Kids
• Sucker Train Blues
• Superhuman
• The Last Fight
• She Mine
• Big Machine
• Fall To Pieces
• Vasoline
• Get Out The Door
• She Builds Quick Machines
• Set Me Free
• Wish You Were Here
• Used To Love Her
• Psycho Killer
• Slither

Reviews (8) [ send in your own review/pictures of the Seattle show ]

Thanks to Isabelle_guns: Before proceeding with the review, I want to set the record straight that I've always been a fair objective fan who believes in constructive criticism. I'm not a certified journalist or someone who pretends to know everything about the music industry.

The first disappointment was with the venue which had poor sound quality. The drum mix sounded "off". Matt himself played great, however, it was frustrating watching him physically play but not hear the echoes. The vocals were also under mixed. Once again, I could see Scott sing, however, didn't hear as much as I was supposed to.

Second disappointment was with security or lack of. This prevented me from giving the new material a proper chance as every time the mosh pit simmered, it gave drunk assholes an excuse to beat on the girls, which security witnessed and didn’t care.

The third disappointment was with the crowd and their reaction to the new material. I can understand that it can be difficult for someone to get into a song they’ve either never heard or only heard a few times, however, there’s a difference between being unfamiliar and being closed minded. I'm one of those U2 fans that stuck by the Pop album and kept an open-mindedness when U2 decided to think outside their box/comfort zone. Most metal/hard rock fans, though my experience, have an issue when it comes to coming out of their comfort zone in terms of sound.

I've accepted it a long time ago that Libertad wasn’t going to be another Contraband, just something that both the fans and the band can be proud of, chart numbers aside.

The band’s stage presence while performing the new material spoke volumes in regards their confidence in the new songs. It was as though they were unsure about challenging the audience. Duff who’s usually energetic looked as though he was in a firing squad line and Scott wasn’t as energetic. The confidence level when performing the Contraband material shot through the roof in comparison. Being unsure makes the audience unsure, it’s a natural chain reaction. If you believe in something, people around you will as well.

After each new song or so, the band went into some older material. Although the diversity in the set list was appreciated, once again the audience reaction disappointed me. It was as though VR were forced to play in the above pattern just to keep the momentum of the audience up. Because of this set list structure, there was no build up to the finale.

American mosh pits are rougher than Canadian ones. We’re polite and just want to have a good time where as the American pits, through my experience, they come in with the intention of literally hurting people. There were a few in the audience who took it upon themselves to protect me, especially since security refused pull me out. A local metal fan protected me from behind making sure that not too many knees were going up my ass. There was also the kindness of one lady who, I later found out was Duff's sister, who was able to get security to finally remove this one drunken 200 lb asshole. During the final song, when the mosh pit started to get really ugly, Duff's sister wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me closer so that I would survive without feeling as though I was in some torture devise. It's kind examples like this that have made my visit to Seattle a pleasant one. I have nothing but kind thoughts to the people who Aaron and I met during our vacation.

Although I wouldn't rate this as the most impressive of the VR shows that I've attended, forgiveness is given. We all have bad nights. U2 on opening night on the Vertigo tour was a disaster and even Bono walked off for a second in frustration. This was just one of the few warm up gigs. One “off” show isn't going to prevent me from going to the next VR concert. They’re still one of my favorite live bands and my main inspirations for keeping an interest in modern music. They did an awesome cover of The Talking Heads Psycho Killer, one of the best covers I’ve heard in a while.

Thanks to Spin.Com: As a leather-clad Slash doled out dozens of string-ripping solos, a shirtless Scott Weiland wriggled on stage at the Showbox Monday night (May 7), belting out familiar Velvet Revolver favorites and new songs from the band's forthcoming effort, Libertad.

Much like the biographies behind the band, Velvet Revolver delivered a solid mix of pop-metal with a healthy dose of rock star showmanship. "Do It for the Kids," from their debut album, Contraband, opened the evening as Weiland's shaky howl and Slash's statuesque guitar riffs stole the show -- over and over again -- winning over aged metal heads and veterans of Seattle's flannel days who were the obvious target at the sold-out show. "The Last Fight," one of Libertad's many maverick standouts, resonated with concertgoers in the same sort of way Stone Temple Pilots incorporated American folk into "Interstate Love Song" just over a decade ago.

Thanks to Skunker: Hello everyone. Well this is my take on the gig, it was just about perfect for this venue, usually the volume is turned up to 15 but this time only 9. Lmao, anyways the wife and I had a great time getting rammed in the ass, ribs, back, beer spilliage, some pretty good smelling weed also, cheap bastards did not pass it around lol. I kinda got to meet duffdiver, Isabell I was the guys behind you know who, blocking all the body shots, in the Loaded loud as fuck T shirt, I wanted to get more of a buzz on but you know duty calls.

As for rating the band's preformance, they were the shit!!! I liked the new songs and when I was leaving some guy was asking me how I like the Talking Head song, hell who are they I said lol. A very fun night out.........

Thanks to rhyte: Okay, after 16 hours of sleep, I am now capable of writing.

First, one of the sweetest things about this whole adventure has been hanging out with folks from the forum. In L.A. it was SourGirl23 and Trist805#2, in SF Evakinevil and Calisky3, and in Seattle DD!!!! Fan-fucking-tastic! Thanks to you all for hanging with me and being fabulous!

Now about Seattle! This venue wins. Counter to what you have read, I know, but here is the thing it was so f*ing small, it wins. It has to, how can it not when you can see everything from anywhere in the building.

The pit was rough, I have the bruises to prove it but who cares. It was very punk rock and that in Seattle is a props being Duff's hometown and all. Crowd surfers, moshing, it was certainly its own unique show and I love that about it. I have been through worse mosh pits, since no bones broke I am calling it a good night!

As for set itself...

The new material is the adventure in the show, the tiny venues and the new material are the reasons for going to see these particular shows! It is the anything could happen element, they are after all, working out the way in which the material will be delivered/received so they could try anything and that is f*ing awesome!!!!!!!

They weren't into it? Duff was playing to his sister, laughing his ass off and very Duff like in his strutting and teasing of the crowd. I note this because he absolutely was not that Duff in the prior two shows.

Dave lit up during the new material. They guy plays the new songs in particular with a sense of ownership and command of the material that I never saw him express on the Contraband tour. He is a bad ass and it shows every time he strikes a chord. What's more he knows it, every time he strikes a chord.

Slash is god. If I am sad about anything it is that the stage was so f*ing small that he stayed on his side to much. Sad. I will miss him. Until August!

Scott ran up the front of a speaker stack and launched himself off of it! Scott ran up the front of a speaker stack and launched himself off of it! Scott ran up the front of a speaker stack and launched himself off of it! Energy anyone? Yeah his mic did cut out and that was not venue specific, that makes three for three shows where Scott's mic has completely failed.

Matty kicked my ass, I don't know how anybody could not have heard that. He also made me forget the lyrics to “Psycho Killer” I can honestly say that, that might be the first time in my life that I ever made direct eye contact with a drummer during a set. What the hell?

Was it the best show? No. SF wins. Was it my favorite show? Damn near, need more Slash. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

Thanks to Duffdiver: Ok! Am finally back in my correct time zone! What a freakin show! I am going to do a quickie post about the show and the fans and the venue since I have to unpack and go to work later today to pick up my stuff for tomorrow!

I think that I was about 3 or 4 people over from Isabelle towards the middle of the stage.

I did not think that the sound was muffled at all (I was directly in front of Duff's mic stand) and as for the crowd not being into the new material....welll again, I have to disagree because I was getting slammed into the rail during Let It Roll and Get Out the Door. As for SBQM, the crowd was pretty into and Last Fight is a more mellow song so there wasn't quite so much moshing.

My bruises and scrapes are most definitely from Vasoline and Slither. I finally gave up at the end of Slither and stood up on my tiptoes, prepared to be slammed into the rail, to the point that I thought I was going to have a cracked rib. However, I was rewarded for my efforts when Duff put his pic in the palm of my hand at the end of Slither!

The venue was sooo tiny that I could tell whether Slash had his eyes opened or closed through his glasses! And Matt could see us too!

The set list included "Just 16" but right before it Scotty ran around to all of them in hushed whispers and they went right into SBQM.

Oh..and the set list also indicated that DIFTK was supposed to be the opener with Let It Roll second, I was freaking out b/c as much as I love DIFTK I just don't think it's a good opener....right before they came on, Matt's tech went around the stage and drew a line with arrows on it next to DIFTK and LIR switching their places in the set list.

Oh! This was hilarious! The Actual are playing their opening set, I don't remember if it was the second or third to last song (their closer is an awesome cover of the Dream Police by Cheap Trick, I love that song!) We are all rocking out and all of a sudden here comes Scotty and Rocco (camera in hand) in the space between the stage and the rail and they stand right in front of Max (the lead singer) put up the devil horns and start rocking out! It was priceless!

I think that someone mentioned that Kim Thayl from Soundgarden was there...Sean Kinney (I think that's his name) the drummer from AIC rolled up on his hog while we were standing outside the venue.....didn't see him inside though.

It was an awesome show...the crowd was insane! (I have the scrapes, bruises, and soreness to prove it) As Duff was tossing his pics and Matty was chucking his sticks, (this is one of my fave moments of the night!) Slash takes his guitar off, holds it by the end and the neck and acts like he's going to toss it into the crowd and then laughed and stuck his tongue out before setting it down on the monitors!

After the show, saw Matty upstairs in the bar and told him that never in my life did I ever think of Psycho Killer as a sexy song. Their version...fucking sexy. Matty laughed and said that they toned it down that night b/c Scotty likes to get his groove on.

No cameras allowed at all (no throwaways or digital) only saw one pro camera there in the pit area (not a single person shooting in the space b/t the stage and the rail, except for Rocco who came up for part of one song and then switched the camera on the crowd). Thinking that the photographer was from the venue bc security didn't stop her from shooting.

I agree that security was a tad lax when I actually had to wave my arm to get the attention of the dude while some drunk fool was attempting to plow his way to the front. He redeemed himself by giving me a bottle of water during the encore break and said that he was impressed that I stayed up there..no pain no gain!

Thanks to Bman: The Showbox is an incredible venue and what a place to see VR. They put on a great 90 minute set. Crowd was into every song and the band was hitting on all cylinders! I have seen Slash in every band he is been in since GNR and he puts on a great show every single time. Scott's voice was great. Only disappointment was Scott never addressed the crowd, band just kicked ass.

Thanks to Chris Reyes: Awesome show last night. They started right around 10:00 p.m exactly. The Actual opened the show. They are actually quite good I thought. My only major set back is that I have seen them about 4 times and the I did not think they were loud enough. The club they played at did not carry the sound well at all. Crank up those speakers Slash!!! The band sounded tight. The new songs rocked especially Get Out The Door. Towards the end you can hear Matt sinking a harmoney on the chorus. It was really good to hear the live version. The stuff on YouTube does not do it justice. I know other people have commented that they previously played Vasoline and that it did not sound tight. Well let me tell you, tonight they perfected it. Was one of the highlights of the night. Superhuman and Big Machine got the crowd going. Another set back was that the crowd just kinda rocked and nodded their heads most of the time. I have been to alot of different shows of theirs and most of the time people are practically killing each other in pits etc. Maybe it's just a Seattle laid back thing. Scott did mention to the crowd to give Libertad a chance because it would test us as listener. "It's different than Contraband" he said. Pretty excited about the new album from what I saw from them live on the new songs. I too was stuck by a bouncer coming out from the bathroom. Matt and Slashed walked right by me on their way to the dressing room. All in all the show rocked. This new album should put these guys right back at playing arenas.....and loud as hell too!

Thanks to Caveman: What a great show! The band was on fire and the crowd was pumped. The Showbox is such a personal venue and the band is never too far away. Kim Thayil from Soundgarden was there! I also got pushed out of the way on the way back from the bathroom because Duff was being led backstage at the time! Security guard apologized though, didn't expect that. I'll give the setlist a try, not sure of the order, but Big Machine was played. The new songs were so awesome, The Last Fight being my favorite. Thanks for a kick-ass show VR, can't wait 'til next time around!!