By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators’ The River Is Rising Tour – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida – March 25, 2022
It is always nice to see well-known musicians collaborate with each other to allow creative expression. Slash (Guns n’ Roses) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) have been collaborating as a songwriting team since approximately 2012 when From Apocalyptic Love was released. Calling themselves Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators (or SMKC for short), the band has been actively producing albums and touring since then. On February 11th, the album 4 was released however the tour initiated The River is Rising Tour in Portland and February 8th and ended on March 26th in Orlando, Florida.
Rock At Night caught them at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida, before the end of the tour. The support band for the evening was provided by Tash Neal, a talented singer/songwriter who has supported the likes of The Who, Slash, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks, and Lenny Kravitz. A great choice, Tash Neal and his band provided their brand of hard rock and a rousing rendition of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” which earned them a standing ovation.
SMKC came out on stage performing a couple songs “Driving Rain” and “My Antidote” from their previous collaboration Living the Dream. Kennedy sounded superb as Slash wearing his usual top hat, long locks, and aviator shades, walked from side to side on the stage. Brent Fitz was perched upon a high drum riser and Frank Sidoris (guitar) and Todd Kerns (bass) held down the rhythm section. The band sounded awesome and the people were lapping it up.
We photographers were standing in the rafters (about 150 feet away) attempting to take photos while the audience was on their feet. Nevertheless, you can see some photos in the gallery.
SMKC entertained the crowd with songs from 4, including “Spirit Love”, “The River Is Rising”, “Whatever Gets You By”, and “Always on the Run” to name a few. The band performed a hard rock version of Elton John’s classic “Rocket Man”, songs from Slash’s other projects like “Doctor Alibi” and “Nothing to Say”, as well as a great Lenny Kravitz cover “Always on the Run”.
Check out the photos below:
PHOTO GALLERY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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