Velvet Revolver performed at the Tweeter Center at the Waterfront on Monday August 20, 2007. It was a rainy, cold evening at the beginning of the week. This contributed to the lawn being nearly empty. Though this did exhibit a feeling of a more private show.

Before the band even took the stage Motorhead's Motorhead piped through the sound system. Just as that song was finishing the house lights went down and Niggaz With Attitude's (NWA) Straight Outta Compton blasted through the PA to announce the band was about to take the stage. The familiar voice boomed "There are a lot of bands out there and this is one of them. From Hollywood California, Velvet Revolver." 

The guitar of Slash screeched the opening riff of Let It Roll and then the drape covering the stage fell. The whole band was there except Scott. Scott waited until it was time to sing to come snaking onto the stage. I am not sure if it was really Scott or a fairly good Scott impersonator. I think the real Scott waited to show until about the sixth song Big Machine. He missed his cues several times and actually sang out of place on one occasion.

The band sounded sloppy. It didn't sound like they were ready to play tonight. I guess around Do It For The Kids, the band decided to say "We are sounding like crap. Let's turn up the volume and blow out their ears." This is where this band excels. Velvet Revolver never said they were a polished, studio-quality band. I almost expect them to play sloppy, but I didn't expect them to play so soft. That was until they kicked up the decibels and then it was time to kick ass. That is when I stopped listening for missed cues and started enjoying the performance.

VR powered through the first set quickly and then they decided to do a slowed down B set. The entire band sat in a line on stools with Matt behind a smaller drum kit on the right side of the stage. The B set started with their new single The Last Fight. VR moved onto their past with Interstate Love Song and Patience. The B set concluded with Gravedancer, a silky, haunting ballad about fading love.

The B set was a new, yet welcomed, change of pace. The only time the band slowed things down in previous concerts was Fall to Pieces.

The night concluded as most of the sets do, a cover song of a notable band and Slither. I enjoy this aspect as I feel it is a surprise. What song will they cover? I have seen them cover Nirvana's Negative Creep, Cheap Trick's Surrender, Aerosmith's No More No More, The Talking Head's Psycho Killer and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. I was hoping for something new, especially since they played Wish You Were Here last time they were in Philly. But WYWH is what we got.

The whole set lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes. That is one of the longest sets I have seen this side of the Rolling Stones who, at their age, play almost 3 hours.

I feel the need to make this comment and I will make nothing of it. It appears to me that Scott has fallen off the wagon. I have been privileged to see Scott on the drugs and off the drugs. When he is off the drugs the crowd interaction is held to a minimum and he does not preach. When he is on the drugs he tends to rant more. Well this show saw more of the latter. Combined with the off-performance and the weird fact he tended to shriek a lot, makes me think he has stumbled. I really hope not, because I have made it a point to see him every time he has come to town. I admire the man's commitment to getting clean for himself, his family, and the band. I really hope I am wrong on this matter. Maybe it was just them trying to show more crowd interaction and accessibility and they just had an off-night.

Set list: