Photos by Jing Zhou.

Long the worst-kept secret of Lollapalooza 2008, rock guitar legend Slash joined festival organizer Perry Farrell, his wife Etty Lau Farrell and paparazzi-magnet DJ Samantha Ronson on stage Saturday afternoon for a rousing but technically-handicapped singalong performance of Farrell classic "Jane Says."

Lured by text-message alerts announcing the former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver guitar player's appearance, festival-goers packed into the tent shell where they first took in a DJ set from Ronson and a handful of techno-infused original songs performed by Farrell and his wife, a former backup dancer who worked the crowd in a saucy, leggy polkadot ensemble.

Slash emerged much later than expected, frustrating many, but delighting the anxious crowd nonetheless, judging by the roar that errupted as he strapped on his trademark black Gibson Les Paul, plucked a few chords and gave the audience a quick grin.

Slash kept to power chords and rhythm accompaniment for a techno-driven rendition of "Mountain Song," watching Satellite Party guitarist Carl Rotivo for the chord changes and puffing away on a cigarette as he played.  His one solo was less than memorable, but no one seemed to care.

Near the end of the tune, the sound system cut out on the group leaving the Farrells awkwardly singing into muted microphones while Slash played only through his onstage monitor.  Farrell motioned to cut the song short and they cleared the stage.

Chants of "Slash! Slash!" filled the tent until the performers returned to launch into "Jane Says."  But again, the sound system cut out, this time only about 24 bars into the tune. 

This time Farrell and friends rolled with it, motioning for the audience to sing along with them.  And they did, turning what would have been a minor disaster into a familial singalong of a classic song, led by its hip-thrusting, arm-waving pied-piper originator.

Unable to address the crowd through the PA at the end of the song, Farrell simply brought Ronson back onto the stage, where the foursome was joined by the Farrell's kids and Slash's as well, playing up the family vibe of the affair, before disappearing backstage, to golf carts and away.

While Slash sat waiting for his golf cart to take off, a fan shouted "Tell Axel to get his shit together," which drew a smile from the man who wrote the licks that drive classic Guns N' Roses songs like Sweet Child of Mine and Novemeber Rain.

More than one fan was less than impressed by the performance, complaining that he crowded into the bandshell to hear Slash and only got about 3/4 of a song from him.

If you were there, what'd you think?  Was it worth the wait?  Does Slash sound as good in person as he does in Guitar Hero?

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