Velvet Revolver Added to US Virgin Fest

Q: What do you get when you mix one part Stone Temple Pilots with three parts Guns n' Roses?

A: A band that looks kick ass on paper.

I loved STP back in 1993 and 1994. Back then, I was listing Plush as my favorite song of all time. Listening to it now still immediately takes me back to those good ol' days of pumpkins, chains, and blowfish. They had so many hits: Interstate Love Song, Vaseline, Creep...it seemed like they were on modern rock radio constantly. I would even dare to say I liked them more than GnR. I just connected with them more.

When I first heard about Velvet Revolver, I was super excited about these guys. Couldn't wait to hear what they were capable of. When their first single Set Me Free came out, I thought it not only fell short of my expectations, it was actually bad. In my opinion, they've yet to live up to the supergroup hype that initiated with the annoucement of their formation. And at this point, I don't think they ever will. I wholeheartedly accept that the members of this band are immensely talented, but for some reason they haven't and won't reach their potential.

That being said, I'm not so closed-minded as to not give them a shot as a live band if I were to see them in person at the V Festival. I did however see them perform on TV in their tribute to Van Halen at the Rock Hall induction ceremony this year, and it did nothing to raise their stock with me. They came across cocky and unprepared. Here's to hoping that STP and the original GnR get back together someday so that these guys can get back to being in a band that doesn't suck.

Listen to still one of my favorites of all time, STP's Plush: