Slash, Brand New Sin, Hillbilly Herald ~ Concert Report
The hardest and most important part of putting on a good show as far as being on stage is starting the show. I look at it like jump-starting a car. The car being the crowd, and the jumper cables; the starting band.
The first band needs to have that energy that sonically grabs you by your ears and shakes you around and doesn’t let go. Hillbilly Herald does that to the crowd and they did it to us. When you capture a crowd the way Hillbilly Herald does you can lose your worries and just get lost and listen to the pure, clean hard rock they put out; and we’re talking authentic hard rock.
My son and I are of different age groups but we both love Hillbilly Herald’s music. And looking out at the crowd you can see a mixture of teens to people in their 50s all being drawn to Hillbilly Herald’s music.
It’s been said, that a true test of a band’s performance is its sense of timelessness. When a band captures the attention of the crowd so much that it allows you to put your worries aside and forget about them completely that’s some powerful rock music. This band just gave everything to the crowd and the crowd responded by loving them all the more. Hillbilly Herald captured the crowd completely.
Hillbilly Herald is the band that keeps the pure hard rock blood pumping and inspires other groups to do the same by the show they put on.
Hillbilly Herald Interview with Adam Wolf and Jimmy Herald:
DS: Who inspired you to play music?
Jimmy Herald points to the stage, where Slash is playing while we’re interviewing him. “Slash, Gun ‘n’ Roses and AC/DC,” says Herald who also mentions that “pure hard rock and roll is hanging on by a string with Slash, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and AC/DC.”
DS: My son and I feel that Hillbilly Herald and New Found Sin are both worthy to carry the hard rock torch.
DS: Do your friends and family support your music?
Jimmy Herald mentions that his best friend from high school is at the show. His mother and other family and friends supported him when he was just starting out in garage bands all the way up to now.
DS: What musical influences do you have?
“Guns n Roses, AC/DC and Elvis,” Jimmy Herald replies.
DS: I truly think that adding Elvis was a great response to the question because if you like rock and roll you have to admit Elvis inspired millions of musicians. But that’s just the way my son and I feel.
DS: Do the arts flow through other family members?
DS: We had to agree with what he mentioned, because you need to capture and steal the crowd’s attention. No matter what it comes down to, you have to figure a way to keep the crowd interested.
When composing music, what comes first the riffs and chords or the words?
Adam Wolf and Jimmy Herald both agree that sometimes it is riffs first then words. When Adam is playing some riffs Jimmy may come up with words. Adam mentions that after a while you hear the words and easily come up with the riffs. So it happens either way but with the bands’ input on the music.
Adam also mention he creates without formal training and Jimmy with formal training. We thought of it as yin/yang a perfect balance to create the music. And my son and I could relate to this and shared that we create and play guitar, music, art, and write poetry without formal training.
The Sleep On It Test
What song would you say out of all your songs is most memorable?
We mention that all their songs as an artist/musician are special but the most important one that stands out and pounds in their heads and never leaves? Jimmy and Adam both agree that it is “Dead on the Money” because it was one of their earliest songs.
Cruise Test:
What songs can you cruise to and play loud and proud?
With this question everyone agrees that all the songs would work perfectly.
Gym Workout Test:
Can you workout at a gym to your music?
“We never tried doing that so we don’t know,” Jimmy Herald replies. But I have to say that listening to their music all the songs would keep you rocking and moving to get a good workout.
The Party Test:
Can you play your music loud and proud at a party?
We all agreed that all the music could be played loud and you would have a good time rocking out.
Brand New Sin:
After Hillbilly Herald jump-started the crowd Brand New Sin kept the hard rock engine running. The band before the Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators comes on has the important task of grabbing the crowd by their ears and keeping them interested.
They took the crowd by storm getting the crowd going with hard rock pure and full of energy. I never in my life have heard this band before and they really sounded great. I’d like to hear more of them as well as Hillbilly Herald.
Both my son and I enjoyed their show for they captured us sonically, kept us wanting more and before we knew it three songs were over and we had to leave.
With their last song they had the crowd going crazy and ready waiting for the headline show Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.
Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators:
At first I didn’t know what to write. I was thoughtless at where to start. How could I start to express how my son and I felt being at this show? We got to see one of our favorite guitar heroes.
I remember playing against Slash on the Play Station game. He is that much of a guitar legend that he is in a game that people play around the world. When you see a logo of a face with a top hat and sunglasses with long curly hair and a guitar you automatically think of Slash.
So I’d have to say for teens to the older rock crowd alike, seeing this show was like a dream come true, and I had to take a moment and soak it all in. I wanted to absorb and savor the moment and watch the crowd respond.
If you never have seen Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators live you are missing out on a moment of a lifetime. Slash is a true hard rock artist/musician that inspires millions upon millions around the world to pick up a guitar and play.
My son and I have so many feelings to express by seeing this concert that we can’t fit it all in words. If we did it would be too long and many people wouldn’t want to read it. So I will keep it short and sweet and from the heart.
This show is the total package from the first two bands to the headliner. The show is well worth seeing, like a dream come true. If these bands come around again I will go see them again and again and again. But don’t take our word for it shut off the television set and see them live.
The true test of all bands is seeing them live. Even when I watched Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators on the television it didn’t compare to it live. Absorb what I’m saying live.
The concert took place at the Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, Michigan on 05-17-12. This was a smaller venue but enjoyed the chance to be by the stage. The crowd was able to see the total show up close and personal which made it enjoyable for all.
Report by Nosforotu Poet (Dan Spratt) and assistant reporter Andrew Spratt
05-19-12
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