Filmed in Houston, Texas on their first tour in 2005, Live in Houston marks the DVD debut of hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver. The band garnered quite a bit of attention when they first formed, as the original line-up consisted of former Guns 'n' Roses members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass/vocals), Matt Sorum (drums), former Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland, and rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner.
Of course, we all know by now that Scott Weiland is now no longer in Velvet Revolver and has rejoined Stone Temple Pilots, leaving his former band mates still searching for a new lead singer, but that's a story for another day. Live in Houston documents a pretty raucous show in front of a rabid audience, as the band played a healthy dose of their debut album Contraband, plus a few GnR & STP selections.
Sometimes it's hard to live up to the pedigree of your former bands when putting together a group such as this. Unfortunately, Velvet Revolver, on this performance anyway, kind of miss the mark, and that's mainly due to Scott Weiland. The controversial singer, who has had numerous run-ins with the law due to drug related issues, really isn't that good of a vocalist, and he shows it here. Other than strong performances on "Sex Type Thing" and "Crackerman", two STP favorites, his vocals sound sloppy and uninspiring, and the use of the megaphone on way too many songs is just tiresome and puzzling. The rest of the band for the most part are fairly solid, with Slash delivering plenty of sizzling riffs and solos, especially on "Slither", "Fall to Pieces", and the GnR staple "Used to Love Her". Throw in some solid backing vocals from Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum's always solid drum work, and you have a band that's trying hard to really give their crowd their money's worth here, but are somewhat hindered by their limited & troubled lead singer.
The audio is pretty good here, though for some the camera work, quick edits, and split screen effects might grate on your nerves a bit. Some brief interview segments have been added in throughout the concert, so you can hear first hand from the band how they assembled the line-up.
For Velvet Revolver fans, this will be a must have, though be warned it's probably not the band at their best.
Track Listing
1.) Sucker Train Blues
2.) Do It For The Kids
3.) Headspace
4.) Crackerman
5.) Illegal I
6.) It's So Easy
7.) Fall To Pieces
8.) Big Machine
9.) Set Me Free
10.) Used To Love Her
11.) Slither
12.) Sex Type Thing
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