‘Slash actually sang!’
came in with soaring vocals and Slash played a soft
arpeggio in the background. This gradually built up
into a passionate solo reflecting Slash’s deep hatred for poaching, love of animals and conservation efforts.
The lights went down and the drums started again as Slash did some improvisation (meanwhile Kennedy got
the crowd going) before breaking into the classic ‘Mr Brownstone’ riff. Slash and his Conspirator’s rendition
of the song was flawless and once again Kennedy’s vocals outshone Axl’s. The lights went down and the familiar bass riff rang out as the band gradually came to life to play ‘Rocket Queen’. The crowd went wild as
the recognisable verse started. As the song reached its peak, Kennedy let the crowd sing along to the wellknown chorus and then he took over: his nimble voice soaring like a kite. As the band grew quiet, Kennedy
left the stage and the other band members faded into the background.
It was Slash’s turn.
Slash during THAT solo
He dominated the stage and began his epic solo. A luminous emerald glow surrounded Slash as he expertly
handled his guitar: he was in his element. Meanwhile the crowd listened respectfully, in awe at the beauty and passion of his playing.
Although it went on for a long time (about 15 minutes to be exact) it definitely showcased Slash’s incredible talent and showed that he
hasn't lost his touch, even after his earlier years of drug and alcohol abuse. Slash is a great example that even if you make the wrong
choices in your life you can still recover and be whatever you want to be. When he’d finally finished his off-piste solo, he grabbed his
guitar slide and glided his way into the classic ‘Rocket Queen’ solo. Kennedy returned to the stage and the rest of the band moved forward as Slash finished the solo and the chorus started. Towards the end of the song the lead singer demonstrated his vocal skills once
again and confirmed that Slash’s choice of Kennedy to front his band was a good one.
The next song was much more quiet than the last one and started off with an arpeggio riff from Slash. ‘Bent to fly’ was briefly interrupted after the chorus as the frontman told the crowd that he couldn’t hear them. This created a burst of noise as the crowd assured
him that they were still there and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Then Kennedy, who was obviously very comfortable in front of a
crowd of around 13,000, took a seat at the front of the stage to sing to the front rows of the standing audience. The song had only just
finished when Slash came in with the rock n’ roll riff of the title track ‘World on Fire’. Kennedy got the crowd going as the band ploughed
through the start of energetic song and he let the eager audience sing for part of the chorus. Slash got down on his knees for the second
verse and the lead singer once again ventured off the side of the stage to greet the crowds near the edges. The man in the top hat then
stood with Kennedy on the platform and got the crowd clapping for the bridge as it built up and whipped the crowd into a frenzy for the
end of the song.
‘He was in his element’
Slash left the stage and returned with his double neck guitar over his shoulder. Deep crimson coloured smoke swirled around him as he
stood in the centre of the stage and played the acoustic intro to ‘Anastasia’. Gradually it built up to a crescendo: he switched guitar
necks and raced through the electric neo-classical riff. “I wanna hear Leeds scream!” Kennedy shouted as Slash prepared for his twisting
and turning bridge solo, reminiscent of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’. Later on it was up to Slash to deliver another spiralling solo which he
started on the acoustic neck. Meanwhile in the background, Kennedy who had picked up his rhythm guitar, stood with the rest of the
band as they left Slash to shine. The man with the top hat then lifted his guitar up as he switched expertly to electric and delivered a
mesmerizingly beautiful solo that oozed soul and passion.
The bouncers stepped forward, a signal that the next song was going to be big. After a pause, Slash strode on stage and looked like he
was going to introduce the next song. With a smirk, he decided against that and instead blasted out the recognisable riff to the
one and only ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’. The classic song got the crowd going and they knew all the words, especially at the chorus which
Kennedy let them sing along to, describing it as ‘beautiful’. “Let me see those hands!” Kennedy shouted as he got the crowd waving and
singing along to Slash’s guitar. Suddenly, the bouncers leapt into action as a man that had been crowd surfing came into reach. Somehow the man ended up doing a handstand against the front barrier and the bouncers dragged him out feet first, meanwhile the show
went on. The man had to be restrained as he struggled to make
contact with Slash and he managed to throw something at him
before being frogmarched