Scott Weiland the frontman for Velvet Revolver at the Saddledome last night. (SUN/Robin Kuniski)

CALGARY - Slash and Scott or Jake and Elwood?

You can understand the confusion considering in an interview with the Sun, prior to last night's Saddledome show by American rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, guitarist Slash talked like a Blues Brother.

His band is, he seemed to indicate, on a mission from God.

The mission?

To singlehandedly save rock 'n' roll.

The means?

A band featuring members of two premiere guitar-rock acts of the past

20 years -- '80s metal kings Guns N' Roses and '90s grunge heroes Stone Temple Pilots -- and a handful of songs.

Judging solely by Velvet Revolver's debut CD Contraband, you might think it was mission impossible.

The album, despite the pedigrees and hard-rock habits of its very hairy members, was missing that sloppy, dirty something it needed to succeed. (It did, after all, earn them a Grammy.)

But live, well, live is where they were expected to fulfil that prophecy and provide the salvation rock 'n' roll and the 7,500 or so local lovers sorely need.

While it wasn't a case of mission entirely accomplished, there was enough on display last night to at least give you hope.

The quintet, featuring GNRers Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, as well as STPer Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner, were a loud -- I mean loud -- and proud pulsating sonic onslaught.

There was nothing subtle or artistic about it. It was no-frills, ham-fisted and in-your-face, which is how and where Velvet Revolver's music is most effective.

Frontman Weiland, with megaphone and Freddie Mercury ensemble, rose above the muffled arena sound to prove a worthy rock focal point.

And the rest of the skinny, sweaty, tattooed frontline of Slash, Duff and Dave also proved a convincing crew of missionaries. Laying down a wall of relentless racket. Bullying you close to rock rapture. Contraband's Illegal I was a skronky, beautifully moronic jam and the ballady Fall to Pieces had more mass to it than a bloated Axl Rose.

Again, it wasn't rock 'n' roll nirvana but for those who love it heavy, loud and lummox-y, Velvet Revolver gave you at least a glimpse of hard rock heaven.

Opening up the show -- 40 minutes after it was scheduled to get underway -- was sludgey, musically uninteresting rock band Three Days Grace.

They are disappointing to watch, really, because the Toronto-based quartet puts such incredible amount of energy into sounding like so many other acts with their dark, one-note anthems of disaffected youth.

Sure, it was great they previewed some songs from their forthcoming sophomore CD, but if you could tell the difference between those and the ones from their self-titled debut -- save maybe for their angry hit I Hate Everything About You -- then you truly are an aficionado of teenage Canadian mope metal.