Here Today... Gone To Hell!

SOURCE
http://realvrfans.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=VelvetRevolverBoard&action=display&num=1104768509&start=0


Sorry if this has been posted before but I did not see it anywhere.  If you visit the link, there are also comments from Slash, Matt, Scott, and Dave.

  Re: Metal Hammer Interview
? Reply #1 on: Jan 3rd, 2005, 11:09am ?   

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We start off with bassist Duff McKagan, meeting him in his local coffee shop in the Studio City area of Los Angeles. Casually dressed in tracksuit pants and sneakers McKagan is obviously a regular here and even jokes about his credit being good when he realises he's forgotten his wallet. Perhaps with too much of a 'chemical' past to ever look the archetypal picture of health, he does look healthy and happy and is very keen to talk about Velvet Revolver.

"We treat it as a new, band, but I guess we have these massive parts,? he begins. "For me, Guns N' Roses was a long time ago, almost a lifetime. We all approached this as a new thing because it is."

But although, Duff insists that nobody would touch them when they first got together, it's not often that a band comes along with so much instant industry clout and interest that even the forming of the band has been filmed for a forthcoming documentary. And Duff says there were only a few changes made, "like a couple of parts where Scott was nodding out and no one needs to see that" says a lot about the honesty of the band. It also suggests that they've got a strong sense of unity - perhaps made stronger because they're all surviving nutcases.

"That's a good way of putting it," laughs Duff. "Guns were a bunch of nutcases and with the original band there was a real sense of family. When we had to let Steven [Adler, Guns N' Roses' drummer] go, which was moronic, we came to him and said, 'Hey, look who's telling you you're too fucked up! It's us! If we're telling you you're too fucked up then you're too fucked up!' With this band there's an unspoken wisdom because we have all died or should be dead. And we talk all the time so we don't have that thing that festers for three months. If it comes to the point where one of us wants to come to blows with somebody, we'll stop and go,'What's the problem?"'
More than anyone else McKagan has been credited for helping Scott Weiland get clean of a truly crippling drug addiction - even to the point of injecting Mr Weiland in the arse to help him get off heroin. But today he seems keener to relate that to the whole band and how they all keep each other on the straight and narrow.
"I think we do that to each other," he reasons. "We've created this thing and we're nurturing it along right now, kinda pulling each other up from the ashes. At this point nobody's gonna let anybody else down. Like, I can call any guy in the band right now if I have a problem. It's not like we go home and say,'see you next tour."'
Velvet Revolver is very obviously a new beginning. For a start McKagan gets a 'real' rush from playing now instead of some chemically induced blur. Today he appears not just coherent, but driven. He is also, against all expectations, surprisingly grounded.

"I've always been grounded," he shrugs. "There was a point really early on when Guns blew up, when I really thought that everyone finally got my humour and I was the funniest, best looking guy in the world. But that lasted about five months until I realised, with the help of my seven older brothers and sisters, that it was just because the band was big. They're like, 'Duff, you're not that funny or good looking!' People freak out at shows when we're signing autographs and we're like, 'hey, chill out. if you want an autograph we'll sign one. Let's just hang out:"

All the same there must be a part of him that misses that element of danger in his former life?

"Well if you're getting fucked up a lot that's just pure misery," argues Duff. "When it becomes a thing just to stay well, it's not fun any more.
There isn't enough of anything and you're spending every day in every town trying to cop. There's no real danger to that. It's just lame!

"With this band," he adds proudly, "the element of danger comes because Scott's really good at controlling a crowd, but the crowds we're getting are really young kids and there are near riots almost every night! The element of danger is the band! And this is not a band to fuck with! Three of us are martial artists and Slash is one of the strongest guys I've ever met. He's got a long fuse, but if you get to the end of it, you're fucked."
 

see just when i start liking Duff he goes and says shit like this and pisses me right back off again

Duff hello u stupid fuck u voted him outta the band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! get over it!

were u too fucked up and drunk to remember?

it wasnt moronic, at the time it was the right thing to do and what a slap in the face that is to matt

that post if u read between the lines is kinda putting matt down.

Duff's honest about it, it was kinda moronic to do... besides wasn't Axl the one who said, it's either him out or me out ::)

He's putting Matt down? With what? I think you're a little parano?d ;)

axl never said that

axl fought to keep him in the band

get your facts straight

see when Duff gives bullshit interviews like that it makes fans who dont know any better assume it was all axl who kicked him out and that isnt true in the slightest.

if he missed steven so much why didnt he hire him for VR instead of Matt?

You're right with the "him out or me out", that was with the Alan Niven situation and not Adler, my bad. But Axl fought to keep him in the band? That's bullshit.

They all voted him to get out except Izzy who would've prefered to continue working with him, it just didn't work for Slash to straighten him out he said.

Both Slash and Duff said firing Steven was a bad thing, cause with that and Izzy leaving the whole thing just turned into Axl's trip. At the time they thought they did the right thing, now they don't. There's nothing wrong with that.

What has this to do with Matt? Nobody's putting him down, Duff is very good friends with Matt and that's why he's in VR, cause the three of them played at that gig in '02 which all started it and not Steven.

You're just seeing ghosts...

 :confused:

Did he claim that he didnt?

The point Duff's trying to make is that when you look at how VR handled Scott's situation, Duff's probally thinking perhaps we should of handled Corky's situation differently too.

However, I do recall in Axl's 1991 MTV interview that he said they did try in get Corky help, and went as far as to threatened his drug dealers. Most importally Axl did said he tried to keep him in the band. He said because he wasn't in the studio with the guys he didn't see what was going on with Corky.

But hindsight is 20/20, and if Duff and Slash still wanted to play with Corky then they would of invited him to join VR.  That is a complement to Matt in itself.

Later,

Blair

First you imitate Axl with your remarks, now you copy Dubrow's.  Can't you come up with anything original?

First off I not imitating Axl. I'm just stating a quote from Axl that D and IzzyDutch are debating about. The fact as too weither or not Axl fought to keep "Corky" in the band.

With regards to my coping " Kevin Debrow" well I happen to like that name for stevie. I'm not a fan of "Corky", and I think it suits him just fine. 

But let me guess, if I called that sac monkey "popcorn" instead,  you would be perfectly fine with that.

Figures,

DH

Asshole Rose suits Axl just fine all around, but if I called him that, I'd get crucified by people like you.  Figures.

The whole interview was good, I dunno about that last part. Slash one of the strongest guys he knows and shit...I mean come on now!  ;D

That was funny! lol ;D "Near riots almost every night?" Is it kinda cool to have "near riots" or something?

FACT:
Axl wanted Stven out because it is rumored he shot heroin into Erin and had sex with her. I believe Axl refers to it in a Rolling Stone interview in '92 or '93.

I think what Duff was trying to say is that they pointed out to Stephen that they were all in a a state but able to play.  Steven simply had reached a whole new low when compared to the others.  As far as I recall, all members except Steven had quit heroin after the Rolling Stones gigs  (coke and booze is another matter) .  The band could play and work but Steven could not. 
Along with Axls personal anger over Erin their decision to let him go made sense at the time. They were probably under a ton of pressure to follow Appetite plus they were still very young and inexperienced.
They stuck by Scott because they are man enough to have looked at their pasts, acknowledged their mistakes and learned positive lessons from them.  I see notihing wrong with what Duff has said.
Also, if you read about Stevens continued bad behaviour by Kevin DeBrow it seems like his sacking was justified. Some people you just can't reach.
peace,
Intercourse.

Yeah, I read interviews during the UYI Era in which bandmembers said that Axl gave them an ultimatum: 'Steven or him'. BTW Steven was pissed off mostly Axl after having been fired. But it doesn't matter now.

I've read that, too.  I think there's a thread where Steven talks about that fairly recently in the Ex-Gunners section.

I think Duff has some regrets looking back, and I don't see why people feel the need to jump all over his comments, they seem fair.  He's looking back on his past and expressing his regrets over something that happened that he might wish hadn't.  I think he has that right.

Actually, it was weed not hard drugs that Steven was using during that tour.  Steven admitted he still smokes weed from time to time.  Dubrow is right, they could've all gotten into trouble because of Steven, but it isn't the same situation as GNR had with Steven.  That was an issue on whether or not Steven could play due to usage of hard drugs.

duff is a grown up with a clear head now, he most likely feels bad about what happened to steven, they were all drunks and drug addicts so why point fingers at anyone.. It's like a car thief telling a bank robber to turn himself in..

ANyways it's fucking 15 years ago already, who cares about this ancient crap..?

Well put, and that's exactly what Duff was trying to state.

Interestly enough there are many reasons as to why steve ( Corky) was sacked. steve shooting Erin up with a speed ball. steve being a complete mess himself, and the most intreging quote comes from Slash. Slash said stevie couldn't play the parts anyways.

Nevertheless the guys realize what they did/didn't do.

In this point and case they did the right thing with Scott.

LAter,

DH

You guys can come on here and make shit up all u want about an interview here or there

ive never seen it and ive never heard that

all i know, is on the BTM, ADLER blamed everyone, not just Axl.

So take it from Steven's own mouth, it wasnt only Axl, it was the entire band.

difference is Axl has always stuck to his version which makes me think he is honest.  Slash and Duff have changed their stories more times than teenage kids caught selling drugs and are being interrogated by the top police officers on the force.


Saying it was a mistake to get rid of steven and how that was the downfall of the band, is indirectly saying Matt sucks and did a poor job.  *reading between the lines of course* and since i think Matt sucks i have no problem with that statement!

So clearly it must not exist.   ::)


I'm not sure that's exactly what Duff meant ...

How many times did they change their stories?  Please cite examples.


 :hihi:

No, its not.  Its not saying anything about Matt.

In the article, he didnt say that he wasnt responsible (which is how youve seemed to interpreted it), in fact "If we're telling you you're too fucked up then you're too fucked up!'" explicitly acknowledges his responsibility on his part.  So he thinks it was "moronic" or hypocritical for a bunch of addicts to kick out another addict...Whats the big deal?

Before you come around here waivin' your "facts" around, make sure ya get 'em right dipshit.? :P

Here's the bit from the 3-part '92 interview with Del James you can find right here at HTGTH...

DEL: Want to talk about another former member of Guns, drummer Steven
? ? ? ? Adler?

AXL: The misconception is that we kicked him out for the hell of it, and that I
? ? ?was the dictator behind it. The truth is, I probably fought a little harder to keep
? ? ?him in the band, because I wasn't working with him on a daily basis like the other
? ? ?guys were. They grew tired of not being able to get their work done because
? ? ?Steven wasn't capable of it. I've read interviews where he's saying that he's
? ? ?straight. Most of the time he isn't. He's the type of person who wants everything
? ? ?handed to him, and he did get it handed to him. He got it handed to him from me.
? ? ?At one point, in order to keep this band together, it was necessary for me to give
? ? ?him a portion of my publishing rights. That was one of the biggest mistakes I've
? ? ?made in my life, but he threw such a fit, saying he wasn't going to stay in the
? ? ?band. We were worried about not being able to record our first album, so I did
? ? ?what I felt I had to do. In the long run I paid very extensively for keeping Steven in
? ? ?Guns N' Roses. I paid $1.5 million by giving him 15% of my publishing off of
? ? ?Appetite For Destruction. He didn't write one goddamn note, but he calls me a
? ? ?selfish dick! He's been able to live off of that money, buy a shitload of drugs and
? ? ?hire lawyers to sue me. If and when he loses the lawsuit he has against us, and
? ? ?he has to pay those lawyers, if he has any money left, it'll be the money that
? ? ?came from Guns N' Roses and myself. At this point I really don't care what
? ? ?happens to Steven Adler, because he's taken himself out of my life, out of my
? ? ?care and concern. I feel bad for him in ways, because he's a real damaged
? ? ?person, but he's making choices to keep himself in that damage. There's nothing
? ? ?we can do at this point. We took him to rehabs, we threatened his drug dealers,
? ? ?we helped him when he slashed his wrists. I even forgave him after he nearly
? ? ?killed my wife. I had to spend a night with her in an intensive-care unit because
? ? ?her heart had stopped thanks to Steven. She was hysterical, and he shot her up
? ? ?with a speedball. She had never done jack shit as far as drugs go, and he shoots
? ? ?her up with a mixture of heroin and cocaine? I kept myself from doing anything to
? ? ?him. I kept the man from being killed by members of her family. I saved him from
? ? ?having to go to court, because her mother wanted him held responsible for his
? ? ?actions. And the sonofabitch turns on me? I mean, yeah, I'm a difficult person to
? ? ?deal with, and I'm a pain in the ass to understand, and I've had my share of
? ? ?problems, but Steven benefited greatly from his involvement with me - more than I
? ? ?did from knowing him. Steven had a lot of fans, but he was a real pain in the ass.
? ? ?I need to keep him in my life for you? Fuck you!

Another way of looking at it, and i've read this statement before from Duff years ago, is that they confronted Adler about his drug use. Duff and Slash were fucked up. Fucked up guys in general with the drug n' drink.

And they, even in their state could tell how fucked up Adler was. "Man, wer'e fucked up man, but you Popcorn are fucked up". ?:o

And the most well known breaking point was the cival war messups. Seems as though duff and slash at least perform in the studio

Using your logic, that makes Steven 100% truthful as well, because he's never once changed his story.? Somehow I bet you feel differently about Steven sticking to the same story as you do Axl sticking to that story.

And as others have asked, name one example where Slash and Duff changed their stories on Steven.



See, that's what I am talking about.  Axl deceived people into believing that.  The reality is that Axl gave Steven a portion of publishing that Axl never earned to begin with.  Axl did not write "one goddamn note" on songs such as "Mr Brownstone" and "Think About You" and "It's So easy", yet Axl received a portion of the publishing royalties for them.

So Axl is lying and misleading people to believe that those publishing rights were all his, when in fact he gave Steven the same thing everyone else gave him, portions of songs that he didn't intially write.

im sayin steven didnt come on BTM and blame Axl, he called out the entire band, but people on this board are on here talking bullshit how axl said "him or me"

Jarmo has every single article on GNR just about

someone show me where axl actually said that and ill apologize but i dont believe it till i see that.

i have a guitar legends magazine where Slash talks mad shit about steven and talks why he was kicked out and slash didnt seem to have any regrets or problems.

I just want Duff to give it a rest, fuck it it happened almost a decade and a half ago

when Duff gives those interviews, misinformed people blame axl, just like a lot are on here.

im sure if i felt like taking an hour out of my time i could find tons of slash and duff flip flops but im not gonna waste that much time so 2 or 3 of u will read it.

It seems like youre the only one who  thinks he was somehow referring to Axl.


Just give a few...After all, they do it so much, and youve obviously taken notice many times...it shouldnt be that hard.

Relax dude. I agree you are being a tad paranoid. He isn't taking shots at Matt.  All he is saying that it was moronic that Steven got kicked out of a band for being so fucked up when the rest of the band was all fucked up too. Besides I have a feeling that the word is supposed to be Ironic....

You really need to relax. He isn't changing stories or blaming Axl.  Just because he said it was moronic or ironic doesn't mean he is denying doing it. He is just looking back.. I have looked back at plenty of things I have done in teh past and decided they were dumb. Doesn't mean I didn't do them......

i never said Duff was blaming axl but fans take that the wrong way and always seem to make axl the bad guy.

here in a little bit when i get some time i will sift through some articles. so just hold tight!

That was in BHM. In 1991-1992 when he reformed Roadcrew with Vain he blamed only Axl, because 'Slash and Duff were always my buddies, but Axl hated me from the first time'.


Unfortunately he doesn't.

u know something honestly

with all the circumstances of what happened with Erin, even if axl did say that, who could blame him?

am i right?

think if someone did that to your wife? what would u do?

probably a lot worse than wanting someone kicked out of your band.

I think its a ridiculous argument anyway

do u think if steven stayed in the band that somehow duff and slash wouldnt have signed their rights away?

do u really think anything would be different today if steven hadnt been fired?

so really all of this is for nothing cause he wouldve only remained in GNR the same amount of time as the others anyway so it isnt even worth arguing about.

I don't think we should argue about this, but we can talk  ;)


I've never said that firing Steven wasn't right. I've never said firing him was right. I only wrote about who wanted him to be fired the most. If Steven had done those things with Erin, then Axl could have done worse things with him.


For sure. But I don't know if it'd be better or worse. Maybe we wouldn't have the UYIs. Maybe only one album. Maybe 8 albums. We don't know.


I think it has nothing to do with Steven, although Izzy could have stayed with them a bit longer.

You should really learn to relax Phallus, this isn't a court of law just a shit shootin' gallery. Very hostile.....
Smoke a fatty and chill...

Untrue.? You're taking Steven's comments out of context.? The entire quote went on to say that he believed Axl hated him because Axl always walked up to him and kicked him in the balls for no reason, and did so all the time.? Saying Axl hated him does not mean he is solely blaming Axl for his termination.? He's always blamed the entire band and management for his firing.

Have you read that interview with him? He blamed Axl back then and didn't mention any kick in the balls or so. Please show us the context, if you have the original (English) interview.

to answer a previous question Gemini, no when i make decisions i stick with them for better or worse

i have learned the decisions u make shape and mold your life and get u to different points of your life.

Had that not happened with Steven, who is to say Duff would be having the great life he is enjoying now??


I come from a philosophy that everything, good or bad, happens for a reason.

Maybe Steven would be dead had he not been fired from GNR, maybe Duff wouldnt have turned his life around had things not transpired the way they did.

so i believe in no regrets, shit happens, u live with it and go from there.

Hindsight is 20/20 but can also lead to self destruction if u obsess on it too much.

Look at Dave Mustaine *i know this has nothing to do with this argument* but anyway he had great success with Megadeth but he always looking back in hindsight ruined his life and didnt allow him to enjoy the brilliant success he was having without those guys.

do u think Lars Ulrich couldve done that good solo? Kirk Hammett? Cliff or Jason?

hell no they couldnt have * i think james still couldve* but what im saying is Dave was so worried and obsessed with not being in metallica that he never has gave himself the enormous credit he deserves from still being pretty successful.

so Regrets only lead to self destruction.

make a decision, live with it, count your blessings.

Duff has a great life, great health and a great band.

firing steven wasnt moronic.? Duff and slash bowing down to axl was moronic.

Sorry.

I'm on this relatively new stuff...Lexapro...'er something.

Hasn't kicked in yet.

Hey no worries man, Lexapro takes 4 weeks to kick in. The first week is shitty enough, you'll be feeling jumpy and a bit sick. Any hives or itchy skin?
Take care man, we're all fans of GnR afterall.
Peace,
Intercourse.

While I hesitate to keep to this whole discussion going, I have to ask...

Exactly how or when did Slash or Duff ever "bow down" to Axl?

when didnt they bow down to axl?

thats an obvious easy one to answer

who owns the name?

how did that occur?

who came on stage and played whenever he felt like it?

3 instances right there

Sorry D, but I really can't understand the things you said in the last 1 or 2 weeks... Sometimes I get the feeling that someone else makes posts under your name

dude thats scary!!!!!!!!!


are u being serious or just fuckin with me?

No to my knowledge its been me. I may have been playing the other side of topics for awhile

see i have this crazy way about me where sometimes i like to argue one side of an argument

but then sometimes i like to take a completely different side and argue against normally what i believe.

i get bored what can i say!!!!!

You may be crazy, but we welcome it. You are capable of  argueing your point without being a toolbag? : ok: Rock On!

If I had a dollar for every time one of my good friends injected me in the arse...

Hey. Wait a minute.

u should  really ask for a raise :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

Axl Rose.


Depends on who you ask.? The specifics of that have been argued here endlessly for years...


Axl Rose.? One of the "fringe-benefits" of being a lead-singer.


Uh...ok.


By the way D, I'm confused.   That guy you have as "the greatest drummer ever" doesn't look like John Bonham.  No doubt an innocent oversite on your part though... : ok:

maybe i shouldve put best showman drummer

when it comes to showmanship i dont know anyone who surpasses tommy.

plus im talkin bout "in mylifetime"

D, I think you are completely over-reacting to this interview. You seem to think that Duff is blaming Axl or is blaming everyone but himself for firing Steve, which he isn't.

It seems as if Duff looks back on it now, as an older, wiser, and sober person and realizes they could have handled the Steven situation better. I think he realizes they should have had more compassion, especially since they were junkies theirselves. Steven claims the reason why he was barely able to record Civil War was because he was trying to get clean and the opiate blocker he was given made him very sick. If you believe him, then their decision to fire him was wrong because they didn't even give him the chance to totally get clean.

im not blaming Duff but ive already read some posts that point the finger at axl, all this axl said "him or me"

ive never in my life heard axl say that or read where he said that.


Some are also claiming Steven was the beginning of the end of GNR and i dont agree.

Some think if Steven hadnt been fired Izzy wouldnt have left but Izzy leaving was more to do with Axl's ego *goin on stage late,fines,riots, plus Izzy not liking how big everything got* Steven was probably a smaller fraction of that.

the problem with GNR was they didnt have any ego on par with Axl's to kind of balance things out.

with Metallica Lars was just as big as James and they balanced each other

no one had the ego or balls to ever call Axl's bluff on shit, therefore Axl became what he became

Steven couldve done nothing to stop Axl from getting out of control, i dont think anyone couldve.