Velvet Revolver
Live in Houston
Eagle Vision (EV303319)
Grade: 3

By Michael Popke

Back in 2005, Velvet Revolver was one of the hottest bands around. Loaded with rock gods – guitarist Slash, vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum – Velvet Revolver truly deserved its “supergroup” status. Not surprisingly, the Weiland-fronted version imploded amidst drugs and egos, but not before recording two decent albums, 2004’s “Contraband” and 2007’s “Libertad.”

This gig, filmed in 2005 on the “Contraband” tour, finds the band already starting to fray, with Weiland’s inane between-song drivel distracting from the band’s superior musicianship. But glimpses of Velvet Revolver’s unlimited potential still abound. And when it came time to perform cuts from band members’ previous groups, these guys were smart – choosing less-obvious Guns N’ Roses’ songs “It’s So Easy” and “Used to Love Her,” plus Stone Temple Pilots’ “Sex Type Thing.”

Interview snippets are inserted between songs and are almost as annoying as the outdated split-screen tricks.