As a teenager Guns N' Roses were never my favorite band. I knew one or two songs I had heard on the radio. To be honest I only knew them because of my then boyfriend’s interests. I hadn’t heard of the song “Welcome To The Jungle” until I was a senior in high school when someone had carved the lyrics “Welcome to the jungle we got fun and games we got everything you want honey, we know the names.” At the time I was more fascinated with the fact that all of that could be carved on the desk with an ink pen, or yet carved all that and not be seen by the teacher. As I sat in that desk every day, I read the lyrics over until I knew them. What I hadn’t known was the lyrics to follow and that sound Axl Rose made with his tongue, you know the one I mean: “shun n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n knees, knees”.
Moving on…
As time went on and G&R become more worldwide, I became more knowledgeable of their music, but just the ones that were radio played. I could identify the main two members of the band, the writing team, Axl Rose and Slash. Beyond the dance that Axl was famous for and of course his ability to emphasize a word faster than the speed of light, I personally always noticed Slash. How could you not? He had a signature look, long black curly hair covering his face entirely, a black top hat and playing the guitar like the devil was after him. He wasn’t a front man, I don’t think I ever saw or heard him sing but Slash was no second, never “just the guitarist”. Slash spoke volumes through his playing. And when Guns N' Roses broke up the last time he kept going, he built bands around him and his guitar.
Which brings us to today and why I am telling you all this. (for the backstory that leads to this current story please read https://www.theomahaview.com/post/taddy-porter) Nine years ago I began a little blog site. Penny Pepperstein’s Rock Bloggin’ The Big O and my first article was intended to be about Slash with an interview. I knew in my heart that talking to Slash was a pipe dream. But I tried to stay positive. Of course, I never did get the interview, but what I did get was a descent first start to the blog. I talked to the band that opened that night, Taddy Porter, and wrote a small piece that proved Penny’s (pseudonym) existence as a writer. A good one too.
I am writing this now very late article on a musician I hardly knew, that I never got to interview and fell back-ass-wards into an amazing article. Accept this time, I got to be the reporter I wanted to be nine years ago. I didn’t get the interview but what I did get were some outstanding photographs (something I thought I would never get to do). My little blog site I started way back when is now a full online magazine, The Omaha View. Slash and his guitar have brought me full circle in my career, but no way am I done.
Slash and Miles Kennedy have good music chemistry, Miles Kennedy started the night off with “Call of The Wild” and without pause went directly into the next song “Halo” a song about avoiding regrets.
The best part of the of the performance was the song “Wicked Stone” in which Slash plays a nearly 13-minute guitar solo. I couldn’t move, it’s possible I stopped breathing as I watched what he did to that Les Paul. Slash solidified his talent with me at that moment. All that I didn’t know about Slash or Guns N' Roses was no longer an issue, because right there in front of me was thirty-five years of education in less than thirteen minutes. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
The night ended with a one song encore of Anastasia. A song about running from a bad mistake and leaving behind the girl he loves. The night was a good time and an awesome opportunity.