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SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators on Tour
“I think it’s time to set this world on fire/I think it’s time to push it to the edge/I’m so f---in’ bored so trip the wire/It may never be this good again”
--From the opening power chords of the single and title track of WORLD ON FIRE
WORLD ON FIRE is the new album from SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, and it comes on full throttle and in-your-face, a hunk of burning rock ‘n’ roll that takes no prisoners. Intensifying the band’s sound and vision, it marks the follow-up to their succesful and acclaimed 2012 debut, Apocalyptic Love, also released on SLASH’s own indie Dik Hayd International label distributed through Caroline.
“We’ve been playing together for awhile and I think it’s gotten to the point where everybody’s comfortable in our own skins,” says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist SLASH, who has amassed album sales of over 100 million copies, with seven GRAMMY nominations, a GRAMMY award and countless accolades. “It turned out to be a very easy process. We definitely had chemistry from the very first time we entered a room together. It was instantaneous magic.”
WORLD ON FIRE represents that chemistry, as SLASH, vocalist MYLES KENNEDY, bassist TODD KERNS and drummer BRENT FITZ blaze through 17 songs that run the gamut of topics, some derived from tour bus conversations between the singer and guitarist. These range from the pointed sexual politics of “Battleground,” “Dirty Girl” and “Stone Blind,” the anti-war sentiments of “Dissident” and the coming-of-age saga “Bent to Fly,” to such charged issues as elephant poaching (“Beneath the Savage Sun”), child abuse in the Catholic Church (“The Unholy”), addiction (“Wicked Stone”) and the perils faced by females of a certain age in show business (“Withered Delilah”). There’s also a song inspired by Mad Men’s Don Draper (“Shadow Life”) and a rockin’ instrumental (“Safari Inn”).
“There are lots of different stories and themes on this album,” says KENNEDY, the vocalist for Alter Bridge who first played on SLASH’s self-titled 2010 debut solo release, and became an instant fit. “When SLASH sends me a chord progression or a riff, it’s like hearing music to a film. Ultimately, I am writing the script for the composition with lyrics and melodies inspired by what he sends me musically. I do my best to keep the story congruent with the mood of the track."
Unlike Apocalyptic Love, which was essentially recorded live in the studio, WORLD ON FIRE began with jamming by SLASH, KERNS and FITZ, who sent the results to KENNEDY. Produced by Mike “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling in Reverse, Incubus, Iggy Pop, Chevelle) in his Orlando-based Studio Barbarossa and at L.A.’s NRG Studios, WORLD ON FIRE finds SLASH playing all the guitars this time around.
Make no mistake about it, though. This is no solo project, but a rock ‘n’ roll band, with all four members contributing their strengths to the whole.
“I was influenced by the group ethic as a kid coming up,” admits SLASH. “I would buy live records because that was the energy I craved. As soon as I picked up a guitar in junior high school, I started a band. That’s the vibe I’m looking for, the interaction between musicians. Having a singer whom I know where he’s at, and writing with him in mind, my songwriting skills have gotten a lot better.”
Those arrangements range from the acoustic strumming and “la la la” chorus of “Battleground” and the epic build of “Bent to Fly” to the distinctive SLASH guitar riff which opens “Iris of the Storm,” the wide-screen scope of “The Unholy,” with its sounds of children in the playground, and the jungle boogie instrumental of “Safari Inn.”
“I’ve learned a great deal through the whole process,” says KENNEDY, who splits his time between The Conspirators and Alter Bridge. ““Everybody’s on the same page and we’re all very proud of what we’ve done as a band on this record. There's a great chemistry between the 4 of us that continues to evolve with each recording.”
WORLD ON FIRE comes on the heels of the success of Apocalyptic Love, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and produced SLASH’s first-ever No. 1 U.S. Rock radio solo hits in “You’re a Lie” and “Standing in the Sun.” With the release of Nothing Left to Fear last year--SLASH’s initial foray into horror pictures, co-produced by his Slasher Films--he began to broaden his horizons, a development which could be heard on WORLD ON FIRE, particularly on the very cinematic set-piece, “The Unholy.”
“That comes from an entirely different side of my brain,” SLASH admits. “I never usually write like that for a band, but I thought it would be pretty cool.”
KENNEDY, who comes from a Christian Scientist and Methodist background, based the song on what he was hearing from Catholic friends. “It’s not as silent as it once was,” he says of the institutionalized child abuse he tackles in the lyrics. “It’s really sad and heartbreaking because these are people you look up to, clergymen, who betray that trust.”
The lyrics of “Shadow Life” come from Kennedy’s fascination with the TV show “Mad Men” and the duplicity of its main character Don Draper. “That character fascinates me because the dark secrets he keeps, as well as the double life he leads, ultimately make his existence more complex and difficult."
“The Dissident” is about a soldier who comes to the realization that he no longer believes in what he is fighting for, while “Withered Delilah” gets inside how the entertainment industry can chew up and spit out women when they no longer have a use for them.
“This is basically a happy record with some dark subject matter,” acknowledges SLASH. “It ends up in a positive place, but it also leaves you with the idea not to get too comfortable.”
For SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, there is no time for that, as the band will intersperse their own headlining dates by appearing with Aerosmith on the celebrated “Let Rock Rule” tour in North America this summer, a jaunt they previewed with a surprise performance at the Whisky a Go Go earlier this spring.
“I’m really excited about it,” says SLASH. “There are not really too many bands I can feel comfortable partnering up with. When I first picked up the guitar, they were a huge influence my favorite band at the time, bar none. The Rocks album was a catalyst for me to pursue what it is I do now. Guns N’ Roses toured with them in the ‘80s. They always represented a certain kind of attitude, brashness and realism in rock ‘n’ roll I still to this day subscribe to. We fit together really well.”
MGM Northfield Park is an awesome place for a show!! Great staff, helpful peeps, clean organized event. Oh and SLASH with Myles Kennedy put on an epic show! LEGENDARY!!! ❤️🤘🏻
You would think that the sound would have improved after MGM took over this venue but you'd be wrong! The hard rock bar stage is 1000 times better and prices for the short shows there are crazy! Dirty honey (opened) sounded garbled and Myles also sounded terrible but Slash did a good job jamming so I guess that I will just have to stop going to shows at that awful venue and requst that they come somewhere else on their fan page or go to my local bar and support local bands!
A great show good sound great crowd agreat venue to see a show seen at least 20 concerts there love the venue everything about it makes it an awesome time plus Slash is amazing
This band is always a pleasure to see. Sadly, the sound system was awful and really affected the quality of the show. I’m not sure I will go back to the MGM Northfield for another. There is no excuse in my mind for this to happen.
This was the best concert I’ve seen! Everyone was was very nice and helpful! A great experience!
Great performance!! Slash is more amazing now than ever! Myles, what a wonderful talent! Ticketmaster, no hassles from purchase to event! Thank you!
General admission, was able to get up near the elevated stage and had a great view. Myles and Slash are a treat in person!
Great show and Slash rocked. We were surprised to find out that no food or drink of any kind was allowed within the seating area. Not even bottled water. It didn't ruin the show, but we sure did get thirsty. Oh, and what's with Seattle fans? Why does nobody stand up? We stood most of the show and felt like we were an island of nuisance by those around us. It's a rock show people - stand up and show some energy!
My original ticket (at time of purchase) said the show was at 7:00 at the Showbox in south Seattle. When I arrived, the venue was locked up and deserted. I was not the only fan who showed up at this building. Someone else spotted a flier for the show on a nearby wall advertising it for 8pm at Paramount. We all left to drive for the "real" venue. Advice: * If the venue had changed for some reason, I would have expected an email notification of some sort, instead of finding out the hard way. The second problem I encountered was with my account. On trying to view my ticket to verify the location, both the phone app and the website wanted my password. I have hundreds of accounts across different websites and services, and I don't typically have the passwords memorized or written down in my pocket. I tried a few guesses which didn't work and then tried the "forgot password" link. I never received the email to reset the password even after multiple tries. The only email I finally received after 15-20 minutes was one saying my account had been locked, and that I should (ironically) reset my password. I had to call in and wait on hold for what felt like a very long time (20-30 minutes) to have my password reset by a human. He said the reason I never got any of the reset emails was because the account had already been locked from the failed login attempts. Advice: * If a failed login attempt locks my account, the UI should indicate to me that my account has been locked, so I'll know to stop trying. * I should be able to reset my password via email even if the account is locked. Otherwise, what is the point of having email verification or the account lock process? As a result of those two issues, I ended up missing part of the concert, but I was able to catch the last hour or so. It was a VERY good concert, so everything turned out alright in the end.
Everything was perfect. Slash is like a dream. Music has never been better.
Great musicians without a doubt. More GNR would be nice. One of those solos went way too long..
The concert volume was too high and didn't need to be quite so loud, but then again this was a hard rock concert. The sound quality was pretty good, but I think it would have been better had the volume been turned down a notch or two.
Big city fun. Parking garage closed at 8 p.m. I parked for the event at 7:50, oops. I chose that over 40$ event parking in a lot. Nice building employees, let us in through the front to access the parking garage , awesome! The actual event was marvelous. After you set aside the seating issues. My first time attending an event at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Evidently they prefer their festival seating verses actual seating chart arrangements. People taking other people's seats when the get up to have a drink or use the restrooms. No real etiquette. I chose to buy isle seats because I need room to move around due to a medical disability. Turns out picking a seat was a joke. So had to sit wherever I could find seating for my three tickets. Then someone came with the employee telling us those were their seats, lol. Ok, so besides the people standing up in front of us while we were trying to get some of the comfort of the seats we "found" ya, great show... I have seen hundreds of concerts. I've seen many bands multiple times. When I go to a great Theater like this I marvel at the beauty and craftsmanship. If the seating chart is taken advantage of it makes for a more tame experience but produces a much better ability to enjoy the performance. The band deserves it. So do the fans. Slash rocked! They chose a great warm up band. Myles Kennedy is a great singer and performer. We have seen him in his other bands and he's a great musician too. The Conspirators are totally awesome as well. Wow, what a energetic guitar solo! I didn't get to see that when he toured with Guns and Roses a few years ago. All said, I'll return to the Paramount Theater and I'll put up with first come first serve seating. Thanks for bringing Slash to the best city of the great Pacific Northwest.
From opening Band to the end they all killed it and Slash solos were clean and amazing....... Crowd was into it and it was $$$$
I love this venue because it’s small and it makes a show feel much more intimate. Slash -Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators were incredible and everyone played their souls out!
Great show at a great venue. Band was loud and good. Fun to see Duff join in.
the guitar playing was over the top , I couldn’t believe it
I had a great time, brought a friend with me and it was unexpeding to see slash’s sons band and perform so it was really cool.
As always SMKC never disappoint! Opening act Classless Act, awesome!
Great show. Slash and the band are great. Palladium is perfect place to see a show.
