Rattlesnake Remedy
Belfast, Empire
21.01.06
As the large majority of the crowd had never heard of the band and were there to see the UK Guns N Roses, no-one was paying particular attention at the start... that didn't last long. As soon as the guys broke into 'Drag you Down' people started to take notice and soon the floor was filled.
I have to say that my favourite song was 'Reach for the Line' (for all of you who love the nose-candy), however 'Hangover Blues' and 'Killing Time' went down best with the crowd. One exclusion from the set list which i would have liked to have heard live is the bands ballad 'Angel Eyes'.
The bands playing was solid and guitarist's Ben and Mark deserve a particular mention for the perfect sound produced from their Gibson's.
However one thing about this band stands out above all the rest. That is the vocals of Lee Stone. Standing with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, this man hit notes and held them for longer than even the most experienced frontman.
There blend of bluesy Rock is something that is gladly welcomed in the UK's rock scene and if you can imagine Guns N Roses meets The Black Crowes on speed, that would be pretty close to Rattlesnake Remedy's sound. Their live show has clearly become a well oiled machine from all the touring, but the band are as enthusiastic as if this was their first ever gig. By the time they were finished I think some people had forgotten all about The UK GNR and were completely shell shocked by the blistering show they had just witnessed from Rattlesnake Remedy.
They have a song about sex, they have a couple of songs about drugs and they are Rock N Roll.
7.5/10Kerri
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This was the second time HMI had seen UK Guns N' Roses (formerly Bad Obsession) and so we knew what to expect, and weren't disappointed. They always put on a good show, and can fill this venue easily. Kicking off with Nightrain, they played both all the big hits such as Welcome To The Jungle and Sweet Child O' Mine, as well as lesser known tracks like Double Talkin' Jive and Get In The Ring. Also played, which we were extremely surprised about, was Velvet Revolver's Slither. So HMI were in the bizarre position of hearing this song with Axl-style vocals. 'Axl' is always good fun to watch, as with the real Mr Rose, he changes into an array of outfits throughout the performance- the classic kilt, lycra shorts, leather waistcoat, and most bizarrely a t-shirt that proclaims 'Nobody knows I'm a lesbian.' 'Axl' has clearly studied all the moves and performs as well as sings like the real thing. Highlight would be Civil War, and the closing number Paradise City. It was also good to hear November Rain, as last time HMI saw UK Guns N' Roses they were still without a keyboard player. It was a good rendition and we hope 'Axl' wasn't too put off by the girls beside us who were trying to grab his kilt as he sang the first verse. Let's hope that next time the lads come over to Belfast they play Estranged as well. So, all in all a thoroughly enjoyable gig, and
special mention must go to the crazy girl in the front row, who,
having spent the entire gig with her hands either clasped as if
in prayer, or trying to touch 'Axl' and 'Slash' while looking on
the verge of tears, eventually made it onto the stage for the last
two songs, where she stood, completely unembarrassed and unhinged.
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