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SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators
“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.”
You have no idea how good a guitar player Slash is until you see him live and in a smaller venue it was easy to get within smelling distance. The entire band was very tight. A great song list and great energy. Miles is a better singer than Axle ever was.
was totally worth the money to go. if you never got to see G n R back in the day then this was something worth checking out. slash is totally amazing at what he does but i still dont get how he keeps that top hat on all show and not falling off with how much they sweat on stage
Unbelievable show. Slash is an amazing legend. Loved the songs and the venue.
I went with 3 other people and we all agreed what an awesome show. Great variety of tunes from G'N'R, VR, SP, stuff from the new album, and one Led Zepplin cover. Would strongly recommend seeing this show.
Arguably the best show I have seen in 30 years! Slash and co. rocked the Kool Haus in amazing fashion. I will see Slash when I get the chance in the future.
LOVED!!!!! Great set list, great energy and involvement with the crowd. Loved it sooooooooooooooooooo much went to Belleville the next night to do it all again. May do Edmonton show too.
Awesome show, Slash brought his A-game. The band was excellent too, notably Todd Kearns and Myles Kennedy.
You could feel it as you entered the premises; as Tim Curry would purr in that famous cult film, " ... with An-Ti-Ci----PayShun!" Bought the t-shirt, of course. No dates on the shirts, or programs this time around. Cool print of the album cover on the front of the T. Over the two hour show, the band remained tight, and Myles Kennedy makes the rabid crowd feel instantly welcome as the band starts out with 'Ghost'. The set list included tunes from G'NR, Slash's Snake Pit, Velvet Revolver and Zeppelin cover. Much respect from the crowd is rewarded, with a kick ass show. Near the end, Slash stepped up to the mike and gave props to Toronto, about always looking forward to playing here. Yes, he may say it again to another town, but that night those words resonated, just a little longer.
I was waiting for this concert since I have learned that Slash is preparing solo project. My expectations were high before the concert and I was a little afraid that I will be disappointed (it happened to me in the past whenever I had high expectations of something), but Slash and his band delivered awesome show.
The skill level was of the chart. Just high energy killer guitar start to finish. Who is cooler than Slash!!!!!!
Went to see Slash on Friday Sep 10 at the Kool Haus. It was an AWESOME concert! Slash looked and played AMAZING and Myles Kennedy was sensational! I would definitely watch Slash again next time he's in town. I think he finally found his replacement for Axl!
Excellent time at the Kool Haus finally got to hear good GNR tunes. I walked out of the GNR show at ACC, never been to a concert at a stadium that didn't start till midnight! Slash and Myles Kennedy are a great team. Near the end of the show myles was losing his high vocals, but the crowd still had a great time singing along.
The godfather has a new meaning now. Guns n'Roses is something that now you don't think as annoying as usual. Snakepit is the kids new playground. Slash with his band of cool types told us his stories in form of hard rocking beats ans kickass soloes. Myles Kennedy really pulled it off, Axl who? All new songs are full of life and they give the old gunners songs a new fresh twist that even the real Gunners couldn't do. Then arrives the moment of Slash's solo moment, first with his bluesy cool piece and then getting on with the Godfather, and he took us all with him in his over the top trip, just fantastic. It tells you why Slash is one of the greatest guitar heroes of all time, and he manages to pull off Led Zeppelin like no other. Overall this was just one of the best rock concerts of the summer, forget Kiss, forget WWE, forget TIFF, the real party was at the KoolHouse with the Slash guy and his band of pirates. Vote 10/10
Excellent show! I would recommend anyone that has a love for great rock and the best damn guitar playing in the world go see Slash. I missed the GNR show back in the day and I feel I finally got to see it, but better. The vocals were awesome...Myles Kennedy is amazing.
Oh man what a show!! Volume was 20 out of 10, perfrmance was 10/10 and the encore was insane!!!! I would go again in a heart beat! Great Venue, Great artists, Great music! what more can you ask for!
Best concert I have ever been to. The Kool Haus was a great venue for this show, it was very up close and personal with the best guitarist ever! The entire band was rockin out, such amazing stage presence from them all. I was totally blown away by not only Slash (obviously) but his lead singer Myles Kennedy. What an overlooked rockstar! He was belting out all the tunes, new and old and was really into the crowd. I'm so excited that I go to see my favourite guitarist play so up close. If you haven't seen Slash live yet, you don't know what you're missing!
First all, the venue was perfect for the concert... Small enough to still see everything... With 6 Marshall amps stacked on stage right, we knew where to stand!!! The energy that Slash, Myles and band delivered all night was amazing! Pure Rock and Roll!!! There was no fancy screens, no fancy pyrotechnics, just simply Slash in his Top Hat, Myles as an amazing front and the bass player kicked some serious ass! The drummer was flawless!! After over an hour and 45 minutes Slash and the boys briefly left the stage and returned moments later for their 3 song encore... So next time Slash is in town, forget to buy tickets so that I can get as many as possible ;-). Ok really... Get those tickets quick... Slash is an amazing artist and doesn't hesitate to deliver one bad ass show after another!!!
This show was amazing, the crowd was pumped. Slash and band played all the great hits from G N' R and Velvet Revolver. They did 6 songs from his current CD. My girlfriend and I lost our voices singing and screaming so much. The smaller venue like the Kool Haus was the best way to see Slash. Myles Kennedy did a great job of singing. I had seen VR twice and met Slash briefly in Apr 2005 at the Toronto airport. He was coming into to town to play the home opener of the Blue Jays. Great guy and great guitarist. I was hooked to his sound the first time I heard Sweet Child of Mine on the radio back in 1988.
This was an amazing concert . I enjoyed every minute of it, the more i see him the more i love it he is an amazing musician. And having Myles Kennedy as lead singer was an excellent choice he sounded great with the variety of the songs he was awesome
This was a perfect rock show; Myles Kennedy sounded amazing and made you think...Axl who? Slash was at his best as he played a wide variety of GNR, Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit and his new album. If this show is coming to your town...go see it!!!
