Prozac and Whimsy

Supergroups are an odd thing. I went to school with, and then worked opposite shifts to, a lad who got  “Audioslave” tattooed across his midriff before the debut album even came out. It was done off the back of Cochise alone. I spend far too much time thinking about that to be honest, certainly more than I think about the band in question anyway.

On paper Audioslave should have been the greatest thing to ever happen to the weird world of alt-grunge-metal. Massive riffs, thunderous rhythm section and then Chris Fucking Cornell wailing over the top in his glorious haunted megaphone way.  But they were just alright weren’t they?

Did you know they did a third album? I didn’t until just now and I went to see them (Wolverhampton Civic Hall 2005, Trail Of Dead as support) I bet Steve knows, you have to fully commit to a band once you have them inked on you and I should know as I have Three Colours Red’ debut album seahorses tattooed on me.

The year was 1998, I lived in a haze of drunken self loathing and sober self loathing during work hours until I figured out you could go for a pint during lunch. I bounced from one disaster to a next with just the thought of the next gig being enough to get me through it all. How I latched onto 3CR in the fashion I did is a bit of a mystery looking back, they were alright like, really good at B-sides, but not desecrate your body brilliant or anything. Maybe Steve feels the same about his life choices?

Velvet Revolver were another supergroup that didn’t set the world alight, they took the best bits of Guns N Roses  and replaced the screeching vocals and unpredictability of Axl with the smooth stylings and unpredictability of Scott Weiland from off of Stone Temple Pilots and then added some other dude on guitar. Again I went to see these (Cardiff Arena 2005, Datsuns as support) and they were alright.

I think the problem with supergroups may be the expectations placed on them before a note has even been played. It may be the pressure to do covers of the bands you all came from. It may be that Audioslave and Velvet Revolver just weren’t that great and it was no ones fault.

I saw Them Crooked Vultures (Birmingham Academy 2009, Sweethead as support) and while I can, and will,  gripe about their billing as a trio doing Alain Johannes a tragic misjustice (The man is a GOD!) They were magnificent but given their parts how could they not be?

I imagine the Travelling Wilburys would have been the same but I never got to see them but I do know Ken Wilbury was Gary Moore and I saw him not once (Aston Villa Leisure Centre 1990, Larry McCray as support) but twice (Birmingham NEC 2006, supporting BB king)

I’m not really sure what the point of this entry is but I’ve been listening to Audioslave and the one outstanding memory I have for them, other than Steve’s tattoo, is when Like A Stone was played on the PA before seeing Sheryl Crow (Birmingham NEC 2004, Natasha Bedingfield as support)

It’s weird the things that stay with you isn’t it?