Artist: Slash
Venue: Terminal 5 (New York, NY)
Opener: Unlocking The Truth
Date: 5/7/2015
Label: Dik Hayd Records

Now before I get started about this particular show I have to let the readers know that I have been a big fan of Slash and all his accomplishments with Guns n Roses in the past way up to the stuff that he has been doing with singer Myles Kennedy as a solo artist. Okay, I probably missed the boat on Slash’s Snakepit more based on what my interests were at the time, but I did enjoy his contributions to Velvet Revolver even though I was never more than a casual fan of the band and am simply knocked out by the collaboration with Myles that this show would be the focus on. Tonight’s show would be sold out and at Terminal 5 which is a massive event space way down on the West Side and 11th avenue. Opening up the show would be a solitary act, the young stalwarts of music and YouTube videos sensations, Unlocking The Truth. Here is how the event went down if you weren’t able to come out.

Unlocking The Truth: You might have heard about the young band Unlocking The Truth because to say that a LOT of press has been going around about them would be an understatement. However, if the name is still news to your musical database let me educate you quickly and say that the band is comprised of three teenage boys of color who quickly gained what is termed viral notoriety for setting up their equipment at busy areas of NYC and started bringing the Metal breakdowns and riffs to the masses. Sometimes they were shooed away and at other times were captured on video and hence the YouTube sensation factor. Anyway, they were soon signed to Sony Music for a whopping 1.8 million dollar contract if my research is on point and from there the rest is their own building musical history. Opening up for Slash was a great catch for such a band because it was almost always going to put them in front of a sold out room provided that most fans got themselves in the door early enough. Considering how many like to get “the best spot” for the main event this seemed to be the case for the young Brooklyn rockers. The three piece group is fronted by Malcolm Brickhouse who sings and plays guitar while Alec Atkins and Jarad Dawkins handle the rhythm section on bass and drums respectively. With no album to reference and being completely new to the band in the live sense I was not sure what to expect. My only background was these same YouTube clips that I mentioned and I had to say that from the moment the guys hit the stage they were jamming. They are roughly about 14 years old apiece I think but maybe one of them is 15 at this point and they do know how to play a lot better than the riffing in the clips online so that was cool. Glad that they are paying mind to their craft since this is a terribly competitive business even with a record deal behind you. I’m not going to lay down any super hard critique upon the lads because they are still going through the growing pains of being in a band together and trying to make this work out for them. I do wish them luck and hope it encourages many other young musicians to take up the craft. Just don’t’ block too many subway entrances when doing so alright. Now it was onto the main event, the one and the only Slash.
Continue reading Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Co-Conspirators @ Terminal 5 (5/7/2015) →