During the recent Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s annual Beastly Ball fundraiser, which took place on Saturday June 5, electric guitar greats Slash, from Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard’s Phil Collen teamed up with bass guitar supremo Robert DeLeo for a fierce cover of Jimi Hendrix’s classic track, “Fire”.
With Collen donning his signature Jackson guitar and Slash wielding his “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop, the pair traded wah-drenched licks and blistering pentatonic runs, staying true to the track’s blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll roots.
The Guns N’ Roses guitar guru was on hand to layer Collen’s vocals with a bed of decorative flourishes, and took first dibs on an extended six-string solo, reeling off a combination of Hendrix-inspired licks and Slash-style scale lines.
Both guitar players were given free reign to let loose on a series of quasi-improvised melodic fills by Stone Temple Pilots four-string maestro DeLeo, who was joined in the rhythm section by Delta Deep drummer Forrest Robinson. Their performance, which you can watch in full, begins at 41:50 in the video below.
In addition to Collen and Slash, this year’s Beastly Ball included performances from Weezer, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin and Poet Christopher Simms reading a poem.”
The Beastly Ball is the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s largest and most important fundraiser of the year. And, because it’s a virtual adventure, everyone’s invited! Join us for this very special live event in support of the Zoo’s innovative animal care and global wildlife conservation efforts. Hosted by Joel McHale, this star-studded evening of fun and philanthropy will feature fascinating animal spotlights, an exciting live auction, inspiring conservation stories, and performances from special musical guests.
Last year, more than 12,000 people tuned in to the livestream of the Beastly Ball program, with thousands more watching after the fact. The Zoo was thrilled to be able to share their message of impact, hope, and determination with such a huge audience.
