A dark night for Rock Star Supernova

WORCESTER -- Sunday night at the DCU Center, Rock Star Supernova lived up to its moniker and imploded.

Unlike the rare celestial event for which it is named, however, the quartet emitted no bright light. Unless you count the elaborately blinding stage set.

The "supergroup" created by the CBS reality series of the same name proved neither super nor much of a group. The band's four members -- Gilby Clarke, short-lived interim guitarist for Guns N' Roses; Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee; onetime Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt; and singer Lukas Rossi -- exhibited zero chemistry in their incoherent 80-minute set.

Clarke, who sprayed journeyman leads over the band's bizarre mishmash of metal, grunge, emo, and roots rock, rarely even looked at Rossi.

Lee was his typical hard-pounding, goofy self. His intro drew by far the loudest cheers from the eclectic crowd of aging metal fans, teen reality show watchers, and, judging by the lackluster response of many, the merely curious who filled less than half of the arena.

Canadian Rossi was the ostensible "winner" of the tattooed and pierced version of "American Idol," but it turns out that Jason Newsted may be the most fortunate member of the band originally called Supernova until an injunction by an obscure California group forced the unwieldy moniker.

While there is certainly nothing lucky about the torn rotator cuff the former Metallica bassist suffered on the eve of the tour, at least his injury, which led to the inclusion of Colt, isn't being compounded by the insult that is the live version of this cringe-worthy group.

As on the series, Rossi was a sputtering, attitudinal train wreck. His curdled screaming sounded more like his voice was simply trying to escape his body than express any particular emotion. (It's worth noting that on the show Newsted was a consistent critic of Rossi's strangulated style.) Although he is capable of stunning, Jeff Buckley-esque falsetto notes, the skunk-haired singer preferred to shout and scowl and spew rock star inanities that he has yet to earn.

With only 2 1/2 decent originals to play from its mediocre album, including the sleazy T. Rex-ian boogie "Leave the Lights On," the band filled out the set with covers, including a garbled, metallicized version of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" and Rossi's lurching take on the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" complete with a female string quartet, familiar to fans of the show.

Comparatively speaking, opener Panic Channel was the model of cohesion. He may be a long way from Jane's Addiction, but the ever-shirtless Dave Navarro -- "Rock Star" host -- still brings six-string magic. Singer Steve Isaacs was over the top personality-wise but had a pleasing, powerful voice that recalled Robin Zander of Cheap Trick. Unfortunately there were no songs to go with those skills.

"Rock Star" runners-up Dilana, Magni, and Toby Rand also got a few moments to bask in the concert sun with brief opening sets.