Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Here is some of the interview...


Matt Sorum Interview

November 26, 2008


Laurie:
So, you?re on hiatus right now, but Velvet Revolver is coming back, right?

Matt:
Yeah, well, we?re looking for our new singer, ?cuz Weiland went back to STP. But it?s pretty exciting because now we can think about where we want to go musically. The first album came out fairly aggressive and kind of punk rock. I guess there may have been elements of Guns n? Roses, but not really. But at that time we didn?t feel that we could be a retro band and get away with it, or rest on our laurels from where we?d been and come out with this riff rock, almost retro-sounding kind of stuff. With the producer that we chose and everything we did at the time, it sounded a little bit more modern than my liking. There was more compression, and we had the guy that mixed Lincoln Park, but he also did Nirvana and other big bands. But it worked, so I can?t say why that is. Then we went with Brendan O?Brien and we wanted to make that kind of a record again. But on our second outing, something happened in the mix again where we didn?t have the fire of the first album. So, I think the second record came off a little bit soft. I think there were some good songs, but with Weiland being gone now, I?m very excited about it. I don?t want to say anything bad about Scott, but I think we wrote more for Scott on the second album.

Laurie:
Now you?re going to be able to write what you want.

Matt:
Yeah, even with Guns n? Roses when we wrote the Use Your Illusion albums, Axl was never around. So, we wrote the heaviest riffs and the best stuff that we could come up with while thinking about a vocal. It was the same kind of thing in Velvet Revolver, where Weiland wasn?t always around when we were writing. But when it came to our second album, Weiland wanted to go a little bit trippier and more artsy on it, and looking back in retrospect, maybe we should have just done something similar to what we did on the first album, which was to write a bunch of shit, give it to him, and see which ones he liked. For the first one we had 50 riffs and he came in and chose 13 or 14 of them that he thought he could lend his voice to and make something cool out of them. On the second album he was around more and saying he didn?t like this or that, and I don?t think it worked as well. So, I?m real excited about our third album, because we?re going to be able to do more of what we do with me, Duff and Slash.

Laurie:
I?ve just got one more question if you?ve got time, mainly because Stevie asked me to re-direct the question to you, and it concerns the change of the face of music in the digital age. Do you see more changes coming?

Matt:
I think something is gonna pop soon, because it has to. I?m really excited about it, because I?m feeling a real rock n? roll thing coming back. In the time of a recession, which we are in, rock n? roll rides it out. If you look at AC/DC, they?re selling out in four minutes. Then there?s Metallica, even the Chinese Democracy album finally coming out ? it?s interesting about the timing. And I see one good thing happening and I think it relates to a game called Guitar Hero. I think that maybe in the next five or six years, you?re going to see a generation of young guitar players that are coming from a game that has nothing to do with a guitar (it?s not about strings, it?s about buttons), but what?s happening is that these kids playing Guitar Hero are now coming up listening to the bands that we grew up listening to, like Aerosmith and Gun n? Roses and AC/DC. These kids are just getting hip to it now, but through a game. So, it?s gonna inspire them to play guitar hopefully and create a next generation of real musicians. ?Cuz I think a lot of musicians get lazy with things like ProTools and cutting drum tracks together with this thing called Doctor Beat. But where we come from you had to be good to go out and play, you had to look good and you had to have it all together. You had to be a pretty serious musician to get the gig, and fairly flamboyant and present, and now kids have lost that a lot. But now, these kids playing these music video games, in a few years will be inspired to put their little band together and imitate these bands like AC/DC, and Guns, and even Led Zeppelin??cuz if it goes a little further back like that, that would be even better.

http://www.fazer.ca/2008/12/02/stevie-salas-matt-sorum-interview-november-26th-2008/

I wish Matt Scrotum would stop acting like he had some huge involvement in the UYI albums.   Most of the material was already written so he's talking out his ass.

I thought he was fired.....




/jarmo

Did Weiland not go back to STP?  Was it not announced before he was "fired"...

Did Matt even write anything on UYI?

i am looking forward to VR's New Record, i've grown quite found of them, specially with the new guns record out. Both Bands sound very different and they offer different takes on Rn'R, so it's all good.

I used to think that you'd either be a VR fan or a Gn'r Fan, but that doesn't really make any sense.

I think Robin on Chinese Democracy only has one songwriting credit, but that does not mean he didn't have any musical input on the rest of the songs? Sae with Dizzy, Tommy-I'm sure Matt had some infuence on UYI musically

Matt had no input at all. He was told what to play and how to play it. He even said that during Makin' Fuckin' Videos Part II: November Rain.

Axl told Matt he wanted it to sound like Elton John's drumer-to say he had no input on the druming of 2 albums is silly

That is what I thought, too. I read an interview with either Slash or Duff, can't remember which, where they said they'd known for a long time that they were gonna get rid of Weiland, they just had to complete the tour dates which they were obligated to do. Never been a big fan of Matt and his revisionist ways.

I think it was very mature of Matt to put it that way. It's a lot easier to simply say "He went back to STP", and avoid possibly talking shit than to say "After we fired him", which could come off as having a negative connotation

I see we are already bashing Matt, eh? Can a previous member say anything without being blasted? Stop acting like you all were there when UYI was made. You weren't. I just do not get the nit-picking at everything that any old member says. Axl is not perfect. He can try to blame every issue with the old band on everyone else... But- I will ask you this, how many shows were canceled due to Duff, Matt, or Slash not showing up? How many riots were started and people hurt because Matt, Slash or Duff stormed off stage like a diva? I mean, I love Axl, but it seems like Jim Bob has something stupid to say about any ex-member talking about the old band. Jim Bob, were you there? Do you have any clue what Matt, Slash, Duff and Izzy may have been doing in rehearsals while Axl was not around? Axl is a genius musician, but you seem to worship him as God. Axl posts his side of the GnR saga, and you treat it like it is the sequel to the Bible. It would be like me saying that Slash's book is the 100% story of GnR. It is not, it is just one side.

Can you people not see that you are just like the Axl bashers you all claim to hate so much? The difference is that instead of blasting Axl and sounding like an immature little fan boy, you are blasting Slash, Duff and Matt, and sounding like an immature fan boy... '


Again, how many shows canceled and riots started due to the actions of Duff, Slash and Matt? What excuse will you guys have for Axl's behavior?

^ haha, don't even try man. the rest of us gave up trying to talk sense into some people quite a while ago now.

Scott has also said recently a reunion could happen again-I think on both sides things have cooled down-even they have to realize there would be money to be made with a reunion tour maybe someday

This has nothing to do with Axl so all you Matt fans might as well stop trying to amake it about him (again).

 :hihi:





/jarmo

wow, they used an urbanist to mix their album. now I understand why it sounded so boring.  :hihi:

That's funny....


Regarding my original comment: I remember when this shit went down how certain VR members said they fired Scott.

While Scott said he left.

Now even Matt says Scott left....






/jarmo

this is so interesting, Im just gonna listen.

lol poor Dave...

thought about that too

Scott did leave.  What is your point?  He was leaving to play some shows, AFTER THAT WAS ANNOUNCED, other shit went down.  What came first, the chicken or the egg? 

The point is, and we've had this discussion before, the band made is seem like they fired Scott when the truth is he left the band.





/jarmo

Does it matter?

Of course not!

These guys are known to change their stories. So it's just another case of the same shit....

Nothing unusual at all! Doesn't matter the slightest!


"The truth, rock on!"




/jarmo

Its all semantics.  Slash and Duff will say GNR went down hill when Steven left.. They use the word "left", but we all know he was fired.  You don't always have to say, "fired" when explaining when someone isn't there.  You can just say they "left".

Man what a bunch of ego maniacs ! VR is not a band, its Slash, Duff, and Matt.  What about Dave ? is he part of the band ? guess not he's just there to play what's needed. You couldn't pay me enough to sing with these Douchebags, I'd rather spend 50 bucks on a meet and greet with Julia Child's than VR ...  oh excuse me Matt, Slash, and Duff.

I guess what I'm saying is does it really matter if these guys are liars.  They are not personal friends of yours or mine or in direct contact with them so we will never really be affected by their lies (unless they lie about a show that you have already purchased tickets to I guess). 

In the end you just like pointing out they are liars every chance you can instead of just ignoring what they have to say.  And I'm not taking a shot at you either per se more just a shot at all the people that come into this section just to see what they can drum up based on what the former members of GNR have to say.  I understand this is a GNR forum but it has a VR section and unless that section is only here so that other fans can talk shit it's pointless to come into VR threads to stir the pot.  Eventually someone brings up someone else that has nothing to do with the conversation and then the flame begins.  Kind of like what happened here.  The interview was about recording of a new album and how they recorded the previous albums and why.  Not why Scott left or how he left or how much input Matt had on the UYI albums. 

I understand most here are biased but it doesn't have to be that way.  You can enjoy one band or the other without hating on the band you don't enjoy.  Or you can enjoy both as some of us do.  If you don't like one of the bands that's fine but not every little feeling you have has to be conveyed on the internet.

Don't expect to come to a GnR board, that has a VR section and not have a biased opinion.  Personally I could give a rat's ass what Matt has to say, I mean if he wants to talk shit about Scott , well atleast Scott can put out a half way decent solo album compared to that Hollywood Zen BS.  Matt face it quit living off your GnR legacy you were lucky enough to get the job.

A lot of liars don't affect me personally. That doesn't mean I have to agree with them.


Their lies do affect people who listen to them in one way or another.

Their fans might look at them differently because of what they say. So it's not always about the music, even if we can wish it was. Unfortunately it's not and image is very important.


Lies can get you things like sympathy, support and so on when you don't deserve them.





/jarmo

That last sentence is about Slash isn't it. 

So true.  

 I'v never understood why GNR fans side with one or the other.  I just wish Slash and Duff could/can find a good singer/songerwriter for VR.  If they would sack sorum and bring in Adler and Izzy we'd have a kick ass band!

No, it was a general statement about how people lie to get things from others. Things they wouldn't get without the lies.

When you lie to make yourself seem like a victim, you might get sympathy and understanding.






/jarmo

Good interview! Matt don't say that they didn't fire Scott so get your facts straight and don't make up what is being said. I believe that Matt wrote a lot of the drumparts he did. Their was some parts that were allready written, like the intro to "You could be mine" but most of the other parts I believe were written by Matt Sorum. If Matt say's that he wrote together with the band there is no reason to not believe it, if it's not being denied by any other band member.

Anyway, great read! I hope they will find a singer soon and make a record and start touring. I like the Million Dollar Reload singer, him or someone quite similiar is what I think would be the best for VR.

I agree with that.  I hate when people lie!

I am not a "Matt fan." I am a fan of Guns N' Roses. Matt played on half of GnR's studio albums, so as a fan of Guns N' Roses I do like Matt. Believe it or not, it is ok to not bash everything a former member of GnR does. Axl is great, CD is great, but liking Axl and CD does not mean we must find every possible reason to nit pick at whatever old members say.

 

One minute Matt is saying I signed up for a Rock N Roll band and now we have a full orchestra ?  Then once they fire Scott, he kisses up to Axl saying We had our own jets, limo's, and played Stadiums.

And Steven Adler played on Live Like a Suicide, Appetite for Destruction, GN'R Lies, Use Your Illusion II, Live Era, and Greatest Hits.

You've chosen to defend Matt Scrotum, whose impact on the band was about the same as Gilby Clarke's. Good choice.

Matt recorded more songs with GN'R than Steven Adler did.
Steven only played on one song on UYI 2, Live Era has just as many Matt live songs as there are Steven live songs, and Greatest Hits is just a compilation of songs from the previous albums featuring both of them, so that doesn't really prove your point.

I think Steven had as much hand in songwriting as Matt did - ie. none

But both of them are good drummers.

And I would defend Steven from your trolls as well. and BTW- Steven played on ONE song on UYI II, and LIVE like a suicide was just 4 songs that ended up on Lies. You sound like a republican with your strange use of "facts". Matt was on Live Era and Greatest Hits as well. So, as I said, Matt is on HALF of GnR's STUDIO albums.

Your Gilby comment is stupid as well. Gilby played on one album, Matt played on HALF of their studio albums.

I agree- people lying about their real motives and meanings of their words sucks doesnt it?!  :hihi:

So? I am a Republican... besides the point. Matt Scrotum is a douchebag. Every drummer GN'R has had since him is superior in both personality and drumming skill.

Slash said it on various interviews that "Matt saved the band!".....but off course he was lying, huh? oh wait.....MTV Famous Last Word 8/1990 Axl being asked about Matt Sorum "he saved the band!"......hhmmm....2 liars now? or maybe they were right about it? it appears Matt was way more imortant for the band than Gilby who just came in for touring.

All he said was that "he went back to STP".  Maybe you're reading more into it than what I am, but all he said was he went back.  He didn't say he was "fired and went back to STP" or that he "left and went back to STP".  He just said he "went back".   Really no need to make more of it than that. 

But, regardless of whether the material was already written or not.....if he was there, during most of the recording of UYI, then he probably did contribute to a significant portion.

he's talking about how they wrote the songs.    Most of the songs were written before he came into the picutre. 

Ohforgodssakes......... :hihi:  this comes down to being about one little line he said throughout his whole interview......well, which...for some...could be a BIG line, I guess.

I guess I just can't stand the bashing that goes on, here, sometimes, I guess.  From anyone about anyone. 

Whatever..i'm sure the songs may have been written before he came into the picture, but I'm sure that he still contributed some portion to those songs....he had to put his own drumming into the songs....well, you know.....

 
 

To date, the smartest thing said in this thread...by far.

Couldent agree with you more! And all this hating of old members is getting real childish and just stupid...

Agreed 100%. I guess when your agenda is not kissing @$$ or gunning for a mod position, you do not feel the need to bash former members all of the time (Axl bashers are equally dickish). Jim Bob, you act like you are the end all be all source for GnR facts. Were you there when Matt joined? Have you ever written music? The drummer may not come in with chords, melodies and lyrics, but when a band is jamming on a song and the drummer is coming up with his parts, they will make suggestions and write their drum parts. Of course, since you saw it all, you know Matt's exact contributions, right? Or is it that you were not actually there and you are talking out of your @$$...?

Live in the now and enjoy CD, but respect the past as well.

And what would you say about GnR? It consists basically of Axl. All decisions go through Axl. Is Axl an ego maniac for retaining almost absolute control of GnR? I do not think so. Why would Matt, Duff and Slash be ego maniacs then? Stop acting like Axl is some perfect angel. An ego maniac would be a guy who refuses to go onstage and causes a riot, or just straight up blows off a show with THOUSANDS of fans because he has something else that is more important. Duff, Slash and Matt never caused riots or caused a show to be canceled because they did not feel like playing, or because the sound my not have been perfect. Axl is the man, for sure. However, he is no angel and you act as if he is perfect and former members are total scum. I only point out these things about Axl because some of you people forget that Axl has not been perfect and has done some dickish things in the past.

Alright, it's got outta hand.

The mindlessness may have reached an all time low on both sides.

We get it, some hate Sorum and will nitpick anything he says to the nth degree - that horse is dead.

And...

This thread has nothing to do with Axl, no reason to even bring his name into it.

Everyone - get over it, it dumbs down the board and serves no purpose.

As I recall, he said NR was the only song on which Axl told him what to play.

x 2 thanks for some clear thinking in what has become a stupid thread.

I personally cant stand Sorum as a person and think his drumming is horrible...but facts are facts....Axl said on more than one occasion that without Sorum ' we wouldnt be here...saved the band etc'
Why does Jarmo feel he has to scout the posts made about former member and like a religios zealout jump on EVERY line as 'proof' that the former guys are all liars etc.......Most normal people with no barrow to push simply realise that a group of guys differ in theyre memory/accounts of events....and like any person if you recall events hundreds of time over a decade and if EVERY sentence is dissected by nerds with no life....then you will find inconsistencies.

God ask me 10 times what I did yesterday and Im sure my story would change from telling to telling...doesnt mean im a liar.

Look at Axls version of events on the Brian May solo.....May has publically disagreed......That doesnt make either guy a 'liar'.....it just means 2 people viewed the one event differently.

Take it easy Jarmo....
I find it so insulting that you feel the need to make fun of anyone on this side of the board by calling them Matt Fans etc.........as Ive said I cant stand the guy but as a GNR fan, Id like to think I can show him some respect.
The 'with us or against us' attitude is immature, undemocratic and very patronising of anyone with an alternate view than the one deemed appropriate by the 'powers that be'.
Id like to think GNR represents freedom of speech and thought, because others opinions are just as valid as yours.

Rant over :)

And even then, Axl only told him what "style" he wanted him to play the song in. I doubt Axl sat down on the kit and showed him what to play hit for hit.

Man, all this talk is ridiculous.