Vegas review

**borndownriver** · February 17th, 2006, 01:24 AM

For those you haven't seen it, came across this today on the web...

LIVE: Social Distortion Rock Through A Broken Wrist
Monday February 13, 2006 @ 05:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

February 12, 2006
House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, Nevada
by Steve McLean

After doing the typical Las Vegas thing by seeing the Cirque Du Soleil production of O upon arriving here on Saturday, it was time to do something a little more punk the next night. Mike Ness' guitar tech was kind enough to put us on the guest list for the Social Distortion show at the House Of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. But as soon as I got into the venue and saw tuxedo-clad washroom attendants and found out a beer was going to set me back $7, I realized that this wasn't going to be a typical Toronto rock show experience. Luckily, the performance was more old-school punk than its surroundings.

Ness came out wearing a jacket and fedora, but soon shed them to reveal tattoo-covered arms, slicked back hair and more eye shadow than a man should feel comfortable wearing. After playing a few songs from 2004's Sex, Love And Rock 'N' Roll, the crowd really got into it during "Mommy's Little Monster," the title track of the band's 1983 debut album. Ness said that there weren't too many punks in Orange County, California in 1982, when he got beat up by five rednecks, which inspired him to write "All The Answers." In honour of Valentine's Day, Ness threw roses into the crowd at the beginning of "Sick Boys." That was followed by a revved-up cover of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb."

"There wouldn't be a Las Vegas if it wasn't for dreamers. Nothing's going to happen if you sit at home on your ass all day," said Ness before launching into a killer version of "Story Of My Life" to end the first part of the show.

He returned to the stage with the piano player a few minutes later to do a reserved rendition of "When The Angels Sing" as the first encore song. The rest of the band returned to the stage for "Crawl Into The Night" and a rowdy run through "Ball & Chain," which had the crowd vociferously singing along during the chorus.

"Even tough guys have to fall in love unless they want to die with their dick in their hand ? or even worse, dying with their dick in their best friend's hand," was Ness' romantic introduction to the night's final song, a blazing version of Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire." It was a great way to cap off a 90-minute show, and seemed entirely appropriate since I had watched Walk The Line on the flight down here.

Ness had broken his wrist in four places a few days earlier and could only sing. TSOL's guitarist filled in capably, but it wasn't quite the same as seeing the frontman wailing away on the six-string. It was the last of three performances at the club/theatre, which probably holds 2,500 people, and it was almost full. It's good to know that one of Orange County's original punk bands can still draw a crowd with their rockabilly-influenced punk rock, and it's even better to know that Ness can still deliver his should-be classic songs with gusto.