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With
a modest weekday crowd on the first 80-degree day of the summer the Poison show
kicked-off with a star spangled pre-amble and an opening set from Skid Row.
Lead by Texan Johnny Solinger,
held down by bassist Rachel Bolan and drummer Phil Varone, and energized by
guitarists Dave Sabo and Scotti Hill, the band quickly tore through a set of
early Skid Row hits like “I Remember You” and “Youth Gone Wild.” Though,
one stressed remark regarding the long-anticipated August 5, 2003 release of the
band’s knew album Think Skin, and two new cuts from the album, including the
first single “Thick is the Skin” (released last summer) and the raucous "New
Generation".
 Motley Crue
front man and reality TV star Vince Neil came back stronger on this
year’s solo tour with new additions Adam Vine on bass and Jason “Hook” on
guitar, and drummer Brent Fitz (who has been with Neil for a few years now).
While he still opts to sing
only portions of the lyrics, there were plenty of very eager fans on hand to
fill in the blanks. Not surprising, considering this is the first time Neil has
been back to Pittsburgh since playing with the Crue on the New Tattoo tour.
With intricate and noteworthy
soloing from “Hook,” a mid-set guest appearance from Mark Slaughter on guitar
and background vocals, and an arsenal full of Motley Crue hits to belt out,
Neil’s performance was refreshing in comparison to the unstable jaunt he’d had
last year. Neil treated the crowd to a sizzling version of Tommy Bolin's
"Teaser" during the encore which caused a big buzz to go through the audience
and its appreciation appeared to have been noticed by a smiling Neil.
Poison
later heated things up with a full-on pyro display and an instrumental
introduction that played off material from the band’s first album, Look What the
Cat Dragged In. With fan favorites like “Ride the Wind” and the band’s more
recent cover of “Squeeze Box” (which offers a dance move by vocalist Bret
Michaels that seems to be highly acclaimed by most female fans), the momentum
continued.
 While the majority of the
band’s set remained consistent with the greatest hits material fans have come to
expect, additions like an extended guitar solo by CC Deville and a re-vamped
version of “Stand” from the band’s Native Tongue album (which had featured
short-lived guitarist Richie Kotzen) were well-received. Perhaps in trade for
performing on a song he hadn’t originally been apart of, the boisterous Deville
offered up a fierce guitar extravaganza along with new material of his own and
the power-pop Poison tune “I Hate Every Bone in Your Body But Mine,” from the
Power to the People album.
The evening ended with a little
help from the black-n-gold as a few Pittsburgh Steelers took the stage and
helped the band out with the KISS classic “Rock-n-Roll All Nite.”
For those who missed this local
performance, Poison will be coming back around in August for a show in
Meadville, PA and Bret Michaels will be kicking off a solo theater tour as soon
as Poison wraps things up. Be sure to read our new interview with Michaels
regarding his solo album Songs of Life.
Band Links:
www.skidrowonline.com
www.poisonweb.com
www.bretmichaels.com
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