The Kings of Chaos take the concept of a supergroup to an entirely new level. With a rotating lineup that reads like a VIP guest list for the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam of the last two decades, these guys blew the roof off of the legendary Fillmore last week and did it all to save the friendliest creatures in the sea. The show was a benefit to raise funds and awareness for the Dolphin Project and I would say that it was a tremendous success.
So who was there you ask? Where do I begin… Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Sammy Hagar (Montrose, Van Halen), Slash, Duff McKagan (GnR, Velvet Revolver) Matt Sorum (GnR, Velvet Revolver, The Cult), Billy Duffy (The Cult), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) and Gilby Clark (GnR). What did they play? A cornucopia of rock classics that defined a generation—and a setlist for the ages.
The man, the legend, the voice of rock opened the show with two Purple classics “Highway Star” and “Smoke on the Water” backed up by Sorum, Clark, McKagan, and Aldrich. The first thing that I noticed is that Glenn Hughes’ voice sounded fucking spectacular. He hit every single note effortlessly and commanded the crowd as if he were asked to lead this crusade personally by the gods of rock ‘n’ roll. (By the way Glenn formed a band called California Breed and released a brilliant album last year.)
After Glenn set the stage for the evening, he tagged in fellow rockers Sammy Hagar and Billy Duffy for two more staples, “Foxy Lady” and “Rock Candy.” Sammy is, of course, always a treat to watch perform—running across the stage barefoot in a Kenny Chesney shirt, he always feels right at home at the Fillmore.
Billy Duffy on the other hand was all business as he left his signature Gretsch on the sidelines and absolutely slayed on his Sonic Temple-era Les Paul. This guy is seriously one of the greatest guitar players on the planet, both stylistically and from a pure shredding point of view.
Sammy exited stage right and welcomed Myles Kennedy for an absolute stellar version of The Cult masterpiece “Fire Woman.” The band was firing on all cylinders, and up next—Slash would grace the stage by ripping right into “It’s So Easy.” Now, what we have here is the closest thing anyone is likely to ever see again of the Use Your Illusion-era Guns ‘n’ Roses. The only thing missing? Well, you know.
The rest of the night saw the return of Glenn, Sammy, Doug, and Billy rotating among a spectacular selection of Zeppelin classics and more than a few GnR numbers—along with a spirited rendition of “Love Removal Machine” by Hagar who admitted up front that he was going to wing this one.
All in all it was one hell of an all-star jam—and for a great cause. If you get a chance to see this supergroup in any form at all, I highly recommend it. Check out hi res photos in the gallery here.
