Velvet Revolver and Alice in Chains at Coors Amphitheatre
Appetite for Constipation

On a cold and drizzly Monday night, we dropped by the Lighted Parking Lot, errr... Coors Amphitheatre to see an opening band. Sure, the marquee said "Velvet Revolver", but we were really just there to see Alice in Chains again.

Concert flyers also said that Sparta was the "special guest". So we assumed they were playing first and arrived a little bit late. But as soon as we walked in, Alice in Chains was already in the midst of their set, cranking out "Grind". Sparta may very well have been their as "special guests"... guests who hang out backstage or have VIP seats in the crowd. I know very little about Sparta, but I always see their name listed next to other Bands That I Like, so I was somewhat curious to check them out. If they did play, they went on stage incredibly early, like around 6:30pm.

Set List (I think) 02. Grind 03. We Die Young 04. Them Bones 05. Dam That River 06. Sludge Factory 07. No Excuses 08. Angry Chair 09. Man In The Box 10. Would? 11. Rooster

With the wide-open amphitheatre setting, Alice in Chains didn't seem as tight as they did last time. The outdoor setting may have had something to do with that. William DuVall was impressive again, yet it seems as if he's being allowed to do his own thing, now. That's a step in the proper direction, since it almost seemed as if he was doing a Layne Staley impression when they came though last year. There have been rumors that the band is recording new material with DuVall, so maybe his comfort level has increased.

From what I could remember, the video backdrops seemed identical to last year. This is essentially the same tour, so that's perfectly understandable. This show seemed to have a papered crowd with several freebie comp tickets given out, so it's good that some new people got to check out the "new" Alice in Chains. Most of the crowd seemed to be into them, with the lower seating bowl being packed. Highlights of the set were probably "Dam That River" and "Man in the Box". "Sludge Factory" has been added to the set and while it can be a plodding song at times, it's good for variety's sake. Otherwise, they'd be doing a 12 track set identical to a "Best of Alice in Chains" CD.

Other fans were complaining, but I think a lack of an acoustic set made their set seem compressed and almost rushed. "No Excuses" went by very quickly and seemed ordinary. Overall, it was an acceptable set, but not as engrossing as last year's.

Maybe it was the weather, but after Alice in Chains left, so did a fair portion of the crowd. Velvet Revolver, aka "the Band that is NOT Guns n' Roses and NOT Stone Temple Pilots" finally hit the stage after a roughly 45-60 minute gap. Comprised of Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum of Guns n' Roses, plus Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Some Other Guy on second guitar, they're like this decade's version of Alcatrazz (the band, not the prison). I was never a big fan of either STP or GNR, so there wasn't a nostalgic aspect for me. It's been well-documented that it's been 20 years since GNR first hit the ariwave, yet I'm STILL waiting for a second tune that can stand up to "Welcome to the Jungle". I would've been pleased if Gun n' Roses was a one-hit wonder, since aside from that one tune, I was never into their music. This was a band that put out TWO full albums of complete garbage in 1991, yet managed to make millions off of them. They're still riding the appeal of their first album.

Scott Weiland came out in a jacket and a ship captain's hat. He was strutting around the stage in his wiry form, looking like a spastic supermodel trying to unload the dishwasher. Every song seemed to be punctuated with several "yeahs". The music itself sounded like riffs Slash had made up in a jam session, then worked into "songs". The opening song started off with an intro that sounded like a lame copycat of the famous "Sweet Child o' Mine" riff. I wasn't impressed at all. I've had Velvet Revolver's debut CD, Contraband, sitting around my house for a few years now and I've always told myself "eh, someday I'll sit down and listen to it". Someday has no been transformed into "no day".

They had a stage backdrop made up of thousands of LED lights. A slight departure from the usual video screens, but it seemed like the set of the "Arsenio Hall Show" or something. Maybe "Club MTV" was what I was thinking of? They eventually worked in the STP song "Vaseline", but by that time we were already out of the gates. There was just nothing unique or exciting about the band and their music. Sure, I wasn't out there to see THEM...but I gave them a fair chance (7 songs) and they fell flat with me. I guess they appeal to hardcore fans of the old Guns n' Roses stuff. But for those fans, they're probably better off waiting for "Chinese Democracy". In other words, just forget about Guns n' Roses or "Shotguns n' Flowers" or "Guns n' Pilots" or "Slash's Jam Band" or whatever other coattail-riding project they'll come up with.

I haven't rated concerts in awhile, but I'd rate this one a solid "D".

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