Here Today... Gone To Hell!

DUFF MCKAGAN Says AXL ROSE 'Sounds Amazing' On 'Chinese Democracy' - Dec. 12, 2008

Bassist Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, LOADED, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) was interviewed this morning (Friday, December 12) by "The BJ Shea Morning Experience" on the Seattle station KISW 99.9 FM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On whether he's heard the new GUNS N' ROSES album, "Chinese Democracy":

Duff: "I have, yeah. I think Axl [Rose, vocals] sounds amazing. You know, I'm glad he put out the record he wanted to put out and I think it's gonna be successful, him going out and touring. People have been talking how the record's doing. I think it's a longevity thing; it will do fine for him. And I wish him the best of luck."

On whether there is any truth to the rumors that Axl Rose tried to reunite the original GUNS N' ROSES lineup before the release of "Chinese Democracy":

Duff: "I think all of it's rumors. It makes for good, you know, talk around the water cooler, but I don't think much of it is based on any fact."

On whether there's been any communication between him and Axl and on the possibility of a future reunion of the original GUNS N' ROSES lineup:

Duff: "No, there has been no communication. I've grown up. There are so many other things that made me realize, in my life, that made me realize, 'Oh, you're an adult now,' you know? Petty things just go by the wayside. I don't really have time for any of that stuff anymore. As an adult, I see what you guys see. Like, OK, well, everybody is alive and perhaps one day. And if we did it, it would be a blast. It's not anything, by any means, that I sit around and wait for or hope for. If it happens, it happens, and if not, that's fine too."

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=110748

Well said.  : ok:

I'll give you an appetizer:

here he goes about the reunion again, talking about it like it's all like gonna happen and he and Axl are best friends. well you know what, it fucking won't! Robin Funck rules!
ah, these ex-gunner washups, they have to draaaaaaaaag Axl into every single interview don't they? how pathetic! they can't get create enough buzz for themselves, so they gotta ring up magazines and go like "yeah hey, its like Duff, can you gimme an interview? I promise I'll talk about Axl!"

yeeses, gimme a break. they're whoring themselves these ex-gunners, that's what they're doing...whoring themselves!
Im glad Axl doesn't hang around with whores anymore and make music with people that want to make music with Axl that wants to be in GN'R and wants to play in the band that wants to play by the rules and be tight as a band and promise not to quit before they've been in the band for 2 years and be real loyal out of loyalty, yeah.


now D, does this sound kinda like one of your suspects? ;D

Really cool of Duff to say this  : ok:

I have always said it and it's highly unlikely that I'll be proven wrong, Duff is a great guy and a class act. Very diplomatic and tactful.

And I 100% agree with him, Axl sounds amazing on CD.

Yeah, there is nothing negative to take from these comments. You can tell Duff is a good guy indeed.  : ok:

I'm glad he's giving cd good publicity.

Actually, the most recent lawsuit filed by Slash and Duff (the one we have any info on from Axl himself as per what he said last night) happened due to actions taken by Merck of which Axl had no knowledge but would apparently be held accountable for as he, at this point, is Guns N' Roses. If Duff and Slash were fucked over by people representing Axl but not by Axl himself, legal action is still unavoidable and surely regrettable as it would land on Axl's shoulders, but who's to say they didn't have a reason to sue? It sucks, sure, but beyond the music aspect, GN'R was and still is a big and very profitable corporation of which Slash and Duff were are huge part. If they have legal rights to residual royalties pertaining to certain GN'R related material and or merch but don't get paid, then litigation will ensue.

But we really have no intimately detailed information on the various lawsuits or litigation regarding Axl, Slash and Duff and their business, so to pretend to know that either party were in the right 100% of the time is not possible and so I don't judge any of the former or current members because of it. The music biz is a crazy world in itself.

I guess I just don't really get the whole "choose a side"-mentality. I am a fan, not a soldier. And I don't think Axl expects me to dislike a person just because he has had legal/personal issues with them in the past. I'm sure his feelings won't get too hurt by my liking Duff, nor should anyone elses because, frankly, my two shits are not available for deployment.  :D

That's good, because there was no need for all the negative bullshit.

I agree with Duff, Axl sounds great on CD, end of story.

You're absolutely right.  No need for the negative bullshit, which had started.  I just remember posting something defending Duff, going to work, coming home several hours later, and the whole thread was shortened.  I have no idea what went on, in between, and don't need to know. Because there's nothing to find negative about what Duff said.  He said it well and, like you said, end of story.   

An acoustic performance of Wasted Heart from the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mDTJ9SpSbQ

I agree 100%, there's two sides to every coin and while we're just now starting to hear Axl's side it doesn't change anything for me I'm gonna do the samething I've always done ROCK OUT to some GNFNR! :smoking:

Nice of him to say that, he dident need to say it, he could've just said no comment or avoided the question, but I think it was a class act to give his former bandmate and friend that he practically grew up with, the props Axl deserved  : ok:

Wasn't Wasted Heart one of the songs written by VR for Libertad?

I think I remember Duff mentioning a Stones-sounding song called Wasted Heart, and you can definitely hear the Stones influence in this performance.

That's true... Duff wrote it when he was in the doghouse with his wife, submitted it for VR, but it didn't get used.  So he used it for Loaded instead.

Duff is a class act - very cool of him to say that - ive read a similar quote from Slash recently in Classic Rock mag - good to see that they are both avoiding any bashing of Axl - the classy way to go indeed.

I see it as they (slash duff & matt) are being cool when it comes to talking about Axl and the reunuion thing.
it's been so long since they've talked that they're are probably over the issues they once had, and if a reunion
ever came up, they'd be up for it. They certainly have not said they would be against it.

Yea Duff is a class act... until you realize the fact that he is suing Axl... again. I think its all double talkin jive motherfuckers.

He can say Axl sounds amazing even if he is suing him. Him suing Axl has nothing to do how good Axl sings/writes etc. Objectivity.