The Chaotic Kings of Classic Rock

So popular are those old classics and power rockers that an extra sold-out night has been added to their Cape Town tour. Golden Circle and General Standing were chocca, though rather disappointingly quite still, well at least till those true rock classics such as Pour Some Sugar on Me and Paradise City were lavished upon the audience. Songs that we all should have, at least once, belted out through a Karaoke mike.

Matt Sorum

If you were rocking in the eighties ...

To witness super band Kings of Chaos is to witness history; the concert is an incredible bucket list ticker offer. Guns n Roses, Def Leppard, Collective Soul, Velvet Revolver and Deep Purple, we pretty much experienced all these legendary rock bands and gods live and all in one concentrated package. Transporting us all back to a time of teased hair, washed-out denim and studded leather.

Joe Elliott

Glen Hughes

After a brief intro by Cape Talk's John Maythem and mastermind behind the Kings of Chaos crusade to SA; Andy Mac of band MacStanly and director of AMP Events, our retro rockers hit the stage with opening track Highway Star by that glass-shattering piercing falsetto wonder Glenn Hughes. Keeping a frequent rotation of lead singers: Glen Hughes (Deep Purple), Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) these front men, despite their age and having played the same show the night before, kept the energy hyper throughout. Save for a stint of a more tuned down acoustic set where a couch was brought centre stage and the band gathered round for a rendition of songs like Mistreated and Falling To Pieces. Recreating the backstage just jamming feel the band obviously had enjoyed prior to their shows. This was a truly unique softer more hart felt side of the musicians we were lucky to witness.

Duff McKagan

Ed Roland

Demon "slashing" skills

One would think that with a band of nine, rock gods' egos and one-upmanship might come into play, but there really seemed to be a cohesive aim for all voices and skills to complement each other. No obvious upstaging noticed, unless you count Slash, but he upstages without even trying. Receiving the loudest shrieks whenever mentioned or entering the stage, his mad rock demon "slashing skills" as razor sharp as they were in his heyday, he shuffle bounced, back bended and sashayed across the stage playing all those classically nostalgic riffs that heat the blood and excite the feet.

Slash

Myles Kennedy

After the rather lengthy acoustic interval we were ready to get hand banging and devil horn throwing again. Last two songs followed through on that wish and then some. Myles Kennedy gracing us to an absolute pitch perfect rendition of Sweet Child Of Mine that could give Axel Rose a fair run for his money, followed by the last song of the night, and definite crowd pleaser, Paradise City, the only song that roused the seated off their lazy legs. And with an explosion of silvery sparkles from the ceiling, just like that it was over and far too soon, no opportunity for an encore or even an encore request as the Grand Arena lights flashed on and we all started the penguin shuffle out of GrandWest's narrow corridors happy that we has managed to catch this certain once-in-a-lifetime rock experience.

Catch Kings of Chaos at the Sun City Superbowel this Saturday and Sunday, 15 and 16 June 2013 at 8pm. Tickets available via Computicket.

www.kingsofchaosband.com

Photography by Warren Talmarkes sourced from What's On In Cape Town.