The fall weather came to South Florida as the rain tried to keep the crowd away from The Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Only a Cat 3 or higher hurricane would have kept the fans away on this rainy Thursday evening. Great White and Slaughter were in the house with some great 90s rock-n-roll, and nobody was staying home. These two bands have been touring non-stop for over a year, and Florida welcomed them again for the third time in 13 months.
Slaughter started the show at 7:45 PM with an intro of “Highway To Hell” by AC/DC. The band has been touring on the legacy of their multi-platinum 1990 debut album, Stick It to Ya. The ageless Mark Slaughter fronts the band with original member Dana Strum, lead guitarist Jeff Blando, and the ever-so-energetic drummer Jordan Cannata.
The show is a wonderful copulation of hits and showcases of each band member, from Mark Slaughter solo in”Days Gone By,” Strum stalking the stage banging the bassline all evening, Blando ripping the heavy guitar riffs and showcasing a cello bow solo à la Jimmy Page, to Cannata defying gravity behind the drum kit, launching into the air. This show is highly entertaining; even after seeing it multiple times, it still feels new.
The audience always gets fully engaged for “Fly to the Angels” as the stage lights are turned off and the theater is lit by individual cell phone flashlights. It’s a very warm moment as you can’t help but remember those that have passed, and the crowd is always fully united. It’s a great moment in every show. Then the evening comes to a great ending with the sing-along, “Up All Night” and just when you think it’s over, the band injects “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who to leave everyone wanting more. Then with a couple of waves to the audience, Slaughter is gone.
Slaughter Band:
Mark Slaughter – Vocals/Guitar
Dana Strum – Bass/Vocals
Jeff Blando – Guitar/Vocals
Jordan Cannata – Drums
Setlist:
Intro: Highway To Hell (AC/DC)
1.Mad About You (With Intro) *
2. Burnin’ Bridges *
3. Spend My Life (Mark guitar solo intro) *
4. Unknown Destination (Followed by guitar solo)
5. Eye to Eye (With Drum & Guitar solos) *
6. Days Gone By
7. Real Love *
8. Fly to the Angels (Extended) *
9. Up All Night (With “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who snippet) *
* From “Stick It to Ya”
With the theater settled in, Great White blessed the stage at 9:15 PM and opened the show with “Call It Rock N Roll” off their 1991 album, Hooked. Vocalist Brett Carlisle brought all of the energy, as his youth is the shot in the arm that keeps this 49-year-old band going. Mark Kendall has been with the band since its inception, and he’s a cool customer on the stage, wearing a hat and shades as his fingers do the talking on the fretboard.
Their show on this year’s tour has had a few variations on the setlist, but it always ends with the big three, “Save Your Love,” “Rock Me,” and “Once Bitten Twice Shy” the Ian Hunter cover. This is a high-energy band, and we have covered them multiple times recently, but things seemed a bit off as the energy wasn’t on “11” like past shows. I guess touring with as many shows as they have done in the past year, it’s bound to show in a show or two. Thank God for Brett Carlisle!
Great White Band:
Brett Carlisle – Vocals
Mark Kendall – Guitar/Vocals
Michael Lardie – Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals
Scott Snyder – Bass/Vocals
Audie Desbrow – Drums
Setlist:
1.Call It Rock N Roll
2. Lady Red Light
3. Stick It
4. Mista Bone (With intro jam)
5. House of Broken Love (With Mark Kendall guitar seque)
6. Desert Moon
7. Gonna Getcha
8. All Over Now
9. Big Goodbye (Album version)
10. Save Your Love
11. Rock Me (With Mark Kendall guitar seque)
12. Once Bitten Twice Shy (Ian Hunter cover) (With Band Introductions; Extended)
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.