Review and photography: Justin Gittins

It is Sunday night at the iconic River Stage in Brisbane, and we are eagerly anticipating a massive night of guitar fueled rock and roll.

Our headliner tonight is Slash, the iconic guitarist from Guns n’ Roses. His guitar playing is legendary and instantly recognizable. It blends elements of blues, rock, and heavy metal into a unique and powerful style. Complimenting the riff master on vocals tonight is his longtime collaborator Myles Kennedy, and there is honestly no one else that can make this gig more memorable.

The official name of the tour is “The River is Rising – Rest of the World Tour ’24” but let’s go with the catchy T.R.I.R.R.O.T.W.T.24 just to make it easier to remember.

Tonight, Australia is being represented by Rose Tattoo. They are the first band to hit the stage as the sun was thinking about setting. Angry Anderson is instantly recognisable as he takes the stage. He lives up to his name (and I am paraphrasing here) as a puff of smoke comes out of the smoke machine. “Turn that off or I’ll find somewhere to shove it!”

The first song would set the tone for the night as we were told that “Rock ‘n’ Roll is King” and given a taste of the “Assault and Battery” album from the early 80’s.

The crowd is entertained with high-energy riffs, bluesy solos, Anderson’s gravelly vocals, and lyrics that celebrate rock and roll spirit, rebellion, and the working class. We get a taste of the album “Scarred for Life” with the title track and Angry pumps up the crowd for the Aussie rock classic “We Can’t Be Beaten”. With four songs from the 1978 self-titled debut album included in the set, with “Nice Boys” wrapping it up, has left the crowd more than ready for what is to come.

Hailing from Derby, England is the high energy rock band The Struts. This would not be their first-time touring with Slash, as they were the support band for Gunners in 2016 on their “Not in This Lifetime” tour. There is still a bit of a glow on the horizon as The Struts hit the stage.

You may be wondering, “Why are they called ‘The Struts’?” The band name comes from a random comment made at a rehearsal. Lead singer Luke Spiller recalled in an interview “I was just moving around, and somebody was like, ‘you strut around a lot.’ From then on, we knew we had a great name.”

They are known for their high energy live performances. We were not disappointed tonight as Luke takes the stage to ask “Do-do you wanna feel Primadonna like me tonight?”. “Body Talk” gives a bit more of a taste of the 2018 “Young & Dangerous Album.”

As the awesome lyrics from the latest album fill our ears, we are told “Think I’m getting too good, too good at raising hell, but I’m wearing it well.” and “’Cause you’re pretty, pretty, pretty. Pretty vicious”

Slotting in a couple of songs from 2016’s “Everybody Wants”, signals the end of an epic set. The ever-charismatic Luke calls on the audience for some additional vocals of “Oh Yeah” in the song “Put Your Money on Me” and their hit “Could Have Been Me” leaves the audience singing and definitely wanting more of this guitar and drum fueled British rock.

Slash is a man that needs no introduction. His distinctive hair and top hat are instantly recognisable as he enters the stage. With his signature Les Paul slung off him, it is clear that we are about to experience a whole other level of awesomeness.

Myles Kennedy takes the mic as “River is Rising” starts off an epic set of 22 songs. On rhythm guitar is Frank Sidoris, and with Todd Kerns on bass guitar and Brent Fitz on drums it rounds out the ensemble perfectly. This gives Slash the freedom to mix it up and show off his iconic guitar playing abilities while being amongst such equally talented artists.

The latest album “4” embraces a more blues-influenced style of rock’n’roll and we are given a taste of this with seven songs included in the set. (Actions Speak Louder Than Words, April Fool, C’est la vie, Fill My World, Spirit Love, The River is Rising, Whatever Gets You By) Myles Kennedy shows off his vocal range which can go from soaring vocals of rock anthems to soulful ballads. If you haven’t seen Myles wail before, make sure you do. Simply awe-inspiring.

We would get a taste of the high energy rock of 2014’s “World on Fire” album with four tracks making their way into the playlist. (Bent to Fly, Too Far Gone, Wicked Stone and World on Fire)

As the night progressed, we find that some awesome cover versions are included in the line-up. Todd Kerns jumped on the mike for a guitar fueled version of Lenny Kravitz “Always on the Run” and later returns to the mike to blast out the Guns n Roses classic “Bad Apples”.

Elton John’s “Rocket Man” had the crowd singing as Myles Kennedy’s soulful vocals compliment the chilled vibe as Slash sits down at a pedal steel guitar for a unique sound.

We get to hear lots of covers of Slash’s early solo work including the crowd favourite “Back From Cali”. The big surprise for most of us was “By the Sword” when Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother is invited on stage to sing the vocals. This was definitely a highlight of the night, and he smashed it.

Throughout the night we are treated to many guitar solos from Slash which took the tracks to another level as he showed off his skills. We got to hear songs from “Apocalyptic Love” and “Living the Dream”.

And let’s not forget the rest of the band. The Conspirators are a great compliment to Slash and Myles as their tight musicianship and energetic performances add fuel to the fire and create a cohesive unit that makes for a powerful live show.

It was a great night of guitar-fueled brilliance with the spotlight shining brightly to highlight one of the world’s greatest guitarists and his awesome multi-decade spanning career.

If the “Rest of the World” tour makes it to a city near you, DO NOT wait to buy tickets, it’s a show you will never regret attending.