Monsters of acoustic rock. (Photo by Denise Truscello. Additional photos by Anna Dobrijevic)

When you write guitar riffs as nasty and sleazy as “My Michelle,” you don’t spend just one day celebrating your birthday. Those are the rules. We don’t make them up. If there’s one thing Slash is all about, it’s following the rules.

Day two of his 43rd birthday extravaganza started out with dinner at Stack inside The Mirage, and then segued into a show of Love with 60 of his friends and family, including wife, Perla, sons London and Cash, comic Tommy Davidson, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard.

Also at Love, for non Slash-related purposes, were gajillionaire Bill Gates and actress Ali McGraw, producer Robert Evans and their son, actor Josh Evans.

Finally, the night concluded with an acoustic performance at Jet that included Morello and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, doing Alice’s “Got Me Wrong” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” prompting a singalong in the club. Yet another guitar-and-top-hat cake followed, and will.i.am. of the Black Eyed Peas jumped on the turntables afterward.

By Jason Scavone

Billy Gibbons made his bones when Slash was going out with cheerleaders. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna; Denise Truscello)

Oh, buckle up, kids. Slash celebrated day one of his two-day birthday extravaganza at the Mirage’s Bare last night, bringing in an epic roster of talent that hasn’t been seen since one of the Live Aids. Or maybe it was a Farm Aid. Definitely an Aid of some sort.

During the 90-minute set, Slash did songs with Fergie and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Perry Farrell, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Spacehog’s Royston Langdon, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill.

Farrell warmed the crowd up before the show with a DJ set, and Fergie closed things out after Slash got his Les Paul-shaped cake with a cake for her father, Pat Ferguson, who shared in the birthday festivities. The party moved over to Revolution Lounge and will go again tonight at Jet for an acoustic set, with will.i.am DJing this time out. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Is it is, or is Slash slowly evolving into a Delta bluesman? (Photo by Scott Harrison | Retna)

It’s hard to imagine, but it was 43 years ago tomorrow that little Baby Slash, top hat, sunglasses and all, came into the world. It’s true, though, and for two days across three venues, it’s nonstop leather pants and wailing Les Pauls.

First, Bare Pool Lounge has Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction on the turntables to warm up the crowd at 9 p.m. before Slash and surprise guests put on an outdoor show. We’re kind of hoping the surprise guest rhymes with “Bizzy Bradlin.”

From there, around 12:30 a.m., the party moves over to Revolution Lounge for the back half of Rocket Wednesday.

Then on Thursday, Slash will do an acoustic set at Jet and will.i.am. of the Black Eyed Peas follows with a go-round on the wheels of steel. We sincerely hope Slash doesn’t give in to what the crowd expects and turns in a rendition of “Patience.” We’d much rather hear the gnarliest acoustic version of “Mr. Brownstone” ever. After all, he won’t leave us alone.

By Jason Scavone

Don’t let anyone lie to you, kids: Smoking makes you cool. Cool like Slash. (Photo by Scott Harrison)

Slash stepped up Saturday for the launch of Bottle Rock It, the new poolside concert series at Red Rock Resort wherein wine, rock and environmentalism all come together. Really, though, just the wine and rock is plenty. Anything else seems like overkill.

The Velvet Revolver, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Snakepit guitarist brought Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Jason Bonham and Royston Langdon of Spacehog along for the show. The quartet also stopped by to take in Katt Williams’ act at The Pearl inside The Palms. We weren’t actually sure Jerry Cantrell ever smiled, so the news comes as much of a surprise to you as it does to us. It’s not like Alice in Chains ever did a video featuring a creepy monk with his eyes stitched together like upholstery or anything.

Slash delivered a slew of classics, performing the blues standard “Born Under a Bad Sign,” Steppenwolf’s “Pusherman” and BB King’s “The Thrill is Gone” before bringing up Jason Bonham for “Bring it on Home,” which Led Zeppelin covered on their second album. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Slash and, uh, Mrs. Slash? (Photo by Scott Harrison)

In these times of global warming, energy concerns and environmental uncertainty, there’s only one man qualified to step in and get something done. There’s only one man who can salve the wounds of a troubled planet. There’s only one man who can rock hard enough to make the flowers bloom again and the rainforests grow back. That’s right: Saul Hudson.

Slash, people. Slash.

The top-hatted half of Guns ‘n’ Roses’ twin-guitar assault steps up Saturday at Red Rock Casino’s pool Saturday night to launch the Bottle Rock It poolside concert series that will run every Saturday through Sept. 27. Along with the show is an organic wine tasting event to benefit The Springs Preserve. Slash and booze. It’s like they’re custom tailoring events just for us.

Tickets are $30 at the door, and the wine tasting is another $20, but, for a limited time, if you act right now, the first 10 e-mailers to tips-at-dailyfiasco.com will get their very own specially numbered collector’s edition entrance into the event! Don’t wait! We guarantee that tickets will run out sometime before Chinese Democracy is released. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Until we see top hat, we’re assuming this is an impostor. (Photo by Scott Harrison, additional pictures by Harrison and Erik Kabik)

Guns ‘n’ Roses and Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash dropped in on Symbolic Gallery (4631 S. Dean Martin Drive, Suite 100) Friday night for the opening of Mick Rock photography exhibit Rock N Roll Eye. In a hugely disappointing twist, however, he wasn’t wearing the top hat.

Honestly, it was like seeing the Hulk without purple pants. It was wrong. We’d always assumed the top hat was the true source of Slash’s power, without which, he lost the majesty of rock. He did at least make his way to Agave (10820 W. Charleston Blvd.) on Saturday night for tacos and beer.

Rock himself was on hand Friday night for the opening, which featured about 20-plus photos, mostly from the ’70s, of icons such as Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Rod Stewart, Deborah Harry and Queen. Rumors that he spirited away Slash’s top hat before the opening and plans to form a guitar-driven supergroup that embraces the sleazy soul of the Sunset Strip are as of yet unconfirmed.

By Jason Scavone

First Axl, then Scott Weiland. Slash hopes to next work with someone easy, like Charles Manson. (Via VelvetRevolver.com)

Opening at Symbolic Gallery (4631 S. Dean Martin Drive, Suite 100) this Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. is a new exhibit by rock photographer Mick Rock, “Rock N Roll Eye,” which is not to be confused with “Electric Eye,” the completely awesome Judas Priest song. Easy mistake to make.

Rock got his start shooting Bowie (David, not Zowie) in 1972 and has shot Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Talking Heads, The Strokes, Michael Stipe and The Chemical Brothers. While all that is well and good, the important thing to note here is that expected to attend the opening are ex-Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash, fellow former Gunner Matt Sorum, Motley Crue bassist and former heroin enthusiast Nikki Sixx, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 and — naturally, because he’s omnipresent — Criss Angel.

Does anyone give an event instant rock cred the way Slash does? We’re pretty sure Slash could hang out in the children’s ward of a major hospital and by the end of the night there would be six skanky groupies hanging out and a shady dude dealing PCP from behind the dialysis machine — which is just the way we’d want it if we were a terminally ill fifth-grader.

By Jason Scavone