Velvet Revolver, Carling Academy

Mar 26 2008 By Colin Stoner

FORGET about Dr Seuss and his Cat in the Hat on the big screen, welcome to the technicolour world of rock's coolest cat in a top hat.

Guitarist Slash, with his trademark shades and black curls hanging from his black topper, came to rock and the sell-out Academy wasn't disappointed.

With Slash and former Guns 'n' Roses band-mates Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums) plus former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner, VR are a supergroup for the 21st century.

They relive the days when soaring guitars, thundering drumming and a frontman just this side of sanity provided rock's heartbeat.

Two albums - Contraband in 2003 and Libertad from last year - have provided searing guitars and fist-waving anthems, with a brilliant Fall To Pieces, Sucker Train Blues, Last Fight and Slither earning the biggest cheers.

But the masses - a mix of fortysomethings and their children to teen guitarists watching a true genius - roared their approval even louder for three G'n'R favourites, Patience, It's So Easy and Mr Brownstone in a rousing encore.