It's certainly a cliche to say rock 'n' roll will never die, but these oft repeated truisms exist for a reason -- they ain't all wrong. Rock might morph, the aesthetic applied may forever be in a state of glorious flux, but it will always survive.
More importantly, it will always survive with similar motivations to those that spawned it: A good time above all, a bit of rebellion, and the pursuit of infinite youth. This era is a rather scary one for the genre in the classic sense. We're losing our original rocking heroes on a daily basis.
But at least we still have Slash, a true icon and a vigilant keeper of the rock 'n' roll flame.
The former Guns N' Roses guitarist and top hat connoisseur hasn't missed a beat since the band essentially took over the world with its 1987 release, Appetite for Destruction. The riff machine once known as Saul Hudson is an absolute force of nature that continues to exemplify what a proper rock star should be.
And despite the circus that surrounds the current, entirely depressing iteration of "Guns N' Roses" that Axl Rose put together, Slash has remained focused on one thing: Ripping on the guitar while looking cooler than anyone else in the game.
The guitarist is currently touring behind his new album, World on Fire, his third solo release and the second to feature the Conspirators and lead singer Myles Kennedy.
The album is business as usual for the guitarist: A slice of filthy, gutsy, obviously burning rock that is as much a testament to the staying power of a Les Paul through a dimed Marshall as it is a confrontation to the current crop of indie-rockers tinkering away at Talking Heads ripoffs.
Slash and his band of young guns will be bringing the truth to Hollywood's Hard Rock Live on August 29.
Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, 8 p.m., August 29, at Hard Rock Live, One Seminole Way, Hollywood. Tickets cost $54 plus fees. Call 954-797-5531, or visit hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com.
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