RAGINPIT MAGAZINE

Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan has an impressive career. Thirteen years of Guns N' Roses, and since 2002 Duff is the bass player of Velvet Revolver, although I doubt that this band will release anything new soon, let alone do any live performances.

“Duff McKagan’s Loaded” is less hard rock than Guns N' Roses or Velvet Revolver and more into punk rock. (One of the songs he did tonight was “Attitude” and that explains a lot.) Besides, Duff has the looks of a healthy Iggi Pop and is as a singer much better than that person who still is a member of Guns N' Roses these days.

This was the last gig of the tour to promote Loaded’s latest album Sick. The last month Loaded has done a lot of gigs all over Europe and the day before Loaded did a gig at Graspop Metal Meeting sharing the stage with bands like Lacuna Coil, Monster Magnet, Slipknot, Korn and Dead Angel before some 40,000 visitors.

The Loaded gig at the Melkweg was scheduled in the big hall of the venue, but moved to the small hall instead so the gig was nowhere near sold out. An example, Dimmu Borgir, Suicidal Tendencies and Therion had a crowded Main Hall while bands like Korpiklaani and Delain had a too crowded Small Hall. However, the small hall fits the punk style of Loaded perfect: it’s a dark, hot and sweaty hellhole.

Personally I’ve never been the biggest Roses fan - I prefer Iron Maiden - but Velvet Revolver was (or, if they still exist, is) a good band. I had my doubts. This gig could go two ways: we could have the boring “Rock Star” who is angry at playing before only 300 people while he used to stand before a sold out Amsterdam Arena or Heineken Music Hall or we would see someone who does not care and would give 150%.

The signing session at the local music store (the Fame) was not too promising. The other band members of Loaded appeared enthusiastic towards the fans who were standing in a long line to get their goodies signed, but the man himself seemed to be a bit absent minded. It is less than two hours from the Graspop site to Amsterdam so this was not because the long voyage from Belgium. This changed when I took some photos from him and my mates. Clearly he did not really like my camera, a simple little compact.

Duff McKagan’s Loaded is:
Duff McKagan - vocals, guitar (and some bass with the Roses songs today)
Mike Squires - guitar
Jeff Rouse - bass
Geoff Reading - drums, backing vocals

And yes, one and a half hours later at the Melkweg, big signs warned us not to take any photographs, but we, the citizens of Holland just smile at those nice little “do's and don’t(s)” and it did not stop a single person from photographing this gig. It might have driven Duff’s manager crazy, but what else do you expect in Amsterdam where every single person has a "F**K the rules" attitude? Besides, this is a punk gig and the security was nowhere in sight.

Since there was no opener today Loaded had the stage for themselves. This seems to be the new trend at the Melkweg because the Delain and Solange gigs also had no opener. Did the audience care? No! What we got was one and a half hour of rock ‘n’ roll. Lot’s of Loaded songs, some covers like the song “Attitude” I mentioned before and medleys of Roses and Velvet Revolver songs.

It was awfully hot inside the venue and the roadies kept mopping the floor. There is an air conditioner at the Melkweg, but apparently someone forgot to switch the damned thing on until halfway through the gig. At some point the other members of Loaded were walking around with towels wrapped around their heads, like some Taliban rock crew, to keep things dry. Not Duff. Although he must have lost some gallons of sweat during the show he kept doing his thing and it was good. It took a few songs to get the audience in the right mood, but after that it was rock ‘n’ roll all over.

It was clear that this band has enjoyed their tour in Europe and at some point even the roadies doubled as extra guitar and bass players. One of the fans at the front row, the kind of a bit nerdy, a little overweight and wearing an actual “Loaded” shirt was invited to go onstage for a lap dance. Against his better judgement he agreed because the lap dance was done by one of the roadies, some guy who was by hetero and homo standards not good looking. Well, better him than me.

The gig ended with “It’s so Easy” driving all the Guns N' Roses fans crazy.

Conclusion: this was a good gig and it deserved a bigger audience.

http://www.duff-loaded.com/
http://www.myspace.com/loaded