Monday, June 14, 2004 | 8:14 a.m.
The loud chorus of boos protesting Velvet Revolver's late arrival Friday night begged an obvious question:
What act did those impatient folks think they had paid to see?
Perhaps they took a wrong turn on the way to Celine Dion. Because they clearly didn't know much about the band playing The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Three of Velvet Revolver's members were once in Guns N' Roses, a band infamous for tardiness and last-second cancellations, some of which prompted riots by incensed audiences.
And fronting the new hard-rock supergroup? Ex-Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland, a man whose history of drug abuse and arrests would seem to make him particularly ill-suited for a Las Vegas engagement.
Given that, a 50-minute delay -- the band was supposed to start at 9 p.m. and went on at 9:50 -- seemed a relatively minor offense.
Loyal fans of the recently formed band must have wondered if the irritable reaction by the sold-out crowd of 1,800 might compel Velvet Revolver to skip the show entirely and head straight for the after-party.
Instead, the quintet handled the incident with professionalism, serving notice that they might not be the ticking timebomb many assume them to be.
Weiland addressed the boo birds twice, first attempting to inject humor after finishing opening number "Sucker Train Blues."
"Didn't you get enough cocktails out there?" Weiland, dressed like the biker from the Village People, said. "They should get more cocktail waitresses."
The audience didn't seem amused, so the 36-year-old singer tried a more serious approach after the next song.
"I apologize for us ... for being late," he said. "A couple of us have bronchitis, which affects the vocal chords. So I was in the dressing room doing some vocal exercises so I could give you guys the best show I can."
That explanation seemed to satisfy most of the fans, apart from one guy who flipped off the band throughout the early part of the show.
"I'll deal with you later (expletive)," bassist Duff McKagan directed at the man, looking a bit too angry to have been entirely kidding.
Unfortunately, the vocal issues Weiland hinted at did plague his performance.
While the ex-GNR crew -- McKagan, lead guitarist Slash and drummer Matt Sorum -- thundered righteously on their instruments, Weiland struggled to be heard, even when he occasionally sang through a megaphone.
He also cut "Fall to Pieces," the power ballad on new Velvet Revolver debut album "Contraband," from a set that lasted just 45 minutes before the band returned for a 20-minute encore.
What Weiland lacked in vocal strength he nearly made up for in showmanship. He discarded his vest, shirt and hat early on, then slithered his tattooed body around the stage like some sort of reptile.
Slash also commanded the audience's attention, perching himself at the foot of the stage during solos and drawing cheers simply by tapping a microphone or putting on his trademark black top hat between songs.
The band's fifth member, ex-Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner, was largely overshadowed by the stars surrounding him.
Former Guns N' Roses' ax man Izzy Stradlin reportedly expressed some interest in filling Kushner's slot when Velvet Revolver was initially conceived. His songwriting skills might have made "Contraband" a bit more memorable, though the album is pleasant enough.
GNR's other famous alum, singer Axl Rose, likely wouldn't have been pleased to hear Velvet Revolver's versions of his old band's songs "It's So Easy," "Mr. Brownstone" and "Used to Love Her."
As it turned out, those old favorites weren't the night's best tunes. The true highlights capped off the encore, as Weiland seemed to gain strength for current single "Slither" and a monster version of STP's "Sex Type Thing."
That rousing finish demonstrated the tremendous live potential of a healthy Velvet Revolver.
It also finally coaxed some hearty cheers from the once-grumpy Hard Rock crowd.
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