Slash @ HMV Picture House, 1 July

“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate, some men you just can’t reach.” The sampled dialogue from Cool Hand Luke is missing from Civil War’s intro tonight, but its irony is omnipresent, just as songs like Nothing to Say – from Slash’s recent ‘solo’ LP – only amplify the tragic stagnancy of his relationship with Axl Rose over the last 14 Years (no, he didn’t play that). Like some re-enactment of the Use Your Illusion tour video’s best bits – right down to the Godfather solo – our guitar hero in residence embarks on a balls-out trip down memory lane in lieu of any reconciliation with the Mick to his Keith.

Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy looks the part of lank-haired Rock God – eagerly stripping down to the full Cornell just three songs in as he tears through GN’R’s Nightrain and Rocket Queen as well as Velvet Revolver’s Slither and Sucker Train Blues. Trapped by the demands of fans, he imitates their maker rather than owning them himself. Paradise City takes us home – the sight and sound of Slash ripping through the classic rock standard sating the appetite of the rammed Picture House. It’s just a shame he’s still Estranged, so to speak, from his dear old pal. [Bob Morton]