Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Artisan News interviewed Matt Sorum at the Musicares benefit in L.A. on May 7th.  They asked him his thoughts on Duff McKagan joining Jane's Addiction.

Artisan News:  Will Duff be the permanent bassist for Jane's Addiction?

Matt Sorum:  I talked to him about it today.  He's having fun, he's doing I think 2 or 3 shows with them this summer -- that's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nslzq1b25Rs

What the hell is going on here?  lol

lol, matt scrotum is most likely way off.. duff's writing and recording with the band

sure it's 3 weeks old but still, the confirmation came long before that didn't it?

 ??? ???

I don't see how Matt could mistake a conversation like that.  But I got the impression from the interviews and statements given by the JA people and Duff that his move was long term/permanent. JA has 2 shows scheduled in Europe this month I think. A friend of mine that follows LOADED says they are going to tour and are writting new music this summer.

it sounds like VR need to get in one room and figure out their plans together!
Matt is wrong here.
But Duff also said that Slash would be touring for a year and we can't see any evidence that this is the case. 

Sounds like Dave, Matt and Slash are ready to do VR in 2011.

I can see Duff being handed a Commit or quit ultimatum.  We all thought VR would get back together after Slashs album/tour and Loaded were done but Duff joining Jane's as certainly thickened the plot.

Hopefully it all works out for the best.

they will need a singer before they need a bass player

yeah i guess.. but they will probably wanna jam some ideas a bit before and while searching for a singer.  Maybe they can get a friend or session musician for that though.

But how involved would Duff be in the singer search if he was busy with Jane's?  Would he still have the power to veto etc?
If he wasnt active in the search yet still veto'd a candidate, how frustrated would the others get?

All questions and speculation i know :)   

i'm guessing Slash is currently touring w/ VRs new singer right now ;)

he might have the pipes but not the grit so i hope not, maybe myles will win me over tomorrow but i'm not so sure

History tells us bass players (beyond Eric Avery) in JA are "temps' - see Flea, Martyn Lenoble, Chris Cheney et al.

Who knows what Duff's current commitment consists of or how long it may indeed last but odds are it won't be anything long term.

That said, I don't think Duff's commitments outside of VR will make one bit of difference if/when VR reconvene.

If Slash wants to do VR - Matt, Duff and Dave will surely follow suit.

i'm pretty sure he will ;)
he sounds 10x's better at the venuw than on youtube :hihi:

same goes for all bands :) or you can hear more clearly how they suck :P

well the latter won't be the case with this band

after watching this clip, listening to Matt, and artisan news confirming later in the clip that  JA only has 2 dates confirmed for the summer and the album duff is helping them write no dropping till winter of 2011;  VR reconvening at the beginning of 2011 to see where things stand seems like a perfectly reasonable timetable

I seem to recall this statement from Stephen Perkins:

But has he told you that he's out of Velvet Revolver and he's with Jane's Addiction fully?

"I think he might be getting ready to say something in the column he writes for the Seattle Weekly. I know he's with us. He's one of us. Jane's Addiction is now the four of us: Perry, Dave, Duff and myself. Duff's a full-time member and he's ready to bite off as much as we are. What that ultimately means for the future of Velvet Revolver, I don't know."

Something to keep in mind.

Ali

as if Perry and Dave can get along

Duff will be back.

What about on record? Because Myles on record has an incredibly irritating voice. Fine on the lower stuff, but as soon as he goes for the higher notes, he's shit. Sure, he can hit the higher notes... but hitting them and making them sound good are two different things.

then you must hate axl b/c the same has been said about him-and it's worse live w/ Axl then in the studio

Nope. I enjoy Axl's voice, especially on the high notes. There is a big difference between Axl and Myles' voices... at least to my ears.

Axl is an amazing frontman.  he can sing his ass off, command a stage, and write great lyrics among many other things.
I have no problem at all accepting that Slash will never find anyone better.

But Myles is awesome also and easily the best singer Slash has played with since 96.  His stage presence is improving and he's done a great job at the shows so far.  (considering he has to cover about 8 different singers including Axl and Plant).

he also offers Slash something that Axl cannot which is playing some smaller stripped down shows.  just 5 guys rocking on a small stage with limited pyro/lighting etc.  Which i think is cool.

Looking at other threads in different forums and ticketmaster site, i think they may have sold themselves short venue wise.  These gigs seem like a hot ticket.

Basically my point is that Axl and Myles are both awesome.  It could be worse, a few months ago we were all sure Franky Perez would get the gig.
  

People are going to hate me for this, but I think the best singer/frontman package he's been in a band with since 96 is Scott Weiland. And the best singer he's worked with in another capacity since then have been Michael Jackson, Chris Cornell and Fergie.

Myles sings songs, but he doesn't feel them. Something that makes all of the above singers (and Axl, of course) stand out above the rest.

I dont hate you, i respect your opinion.   :)  I really liked Scott.  He had great stage presence when he was on his game and Contraband is one of my favourite albums in a long time.  but i have to agree with Slash about the direction the band took when he came onboard and his singing not being good enough to accomodate some of the things they wanted to do.  (i don't think it would of been pretty if he had of done SCOM).

If i could merge them into 1... that would be great.  haha

in my last post, i only took Slash's bands into account.  its too difficult for me to compare Myles to someone like MJ or Fergie

Starlight is a stellar song vocally, and the lyrics are fantastic. That is all on Myles. I am not sure how you can watch him sing that at these shows and conclude his performances are sterile and with no feeling. Outside of that he is just covering other people's songs, so there is only so much you "feeling" you can really ever put into someone else's work as an artist.

You really should go listen to some of his Alter Bridge or Mayfield four stuff because sterile and without feeling are about the last things I have heard associated with with his singing or lyrics.

I just wish Myles would find his own vocal style, or at least settle in one. In Alter Bridge, he channels Chris Cornell and his voice sounds REALLY powerful, but with Slash's live band he's really high, nasal and whiny.
Maybe he'd be better off sticking to singing in the low register vocals instead.
I do really dig the fuck out of Back From Cali, and Starlight ain't too bad either when I skip the high pitched bits, so maybe he'd work well with VR as he can write pretty good with Slash.


Back on topic, it seems like no-one in VR is communicating properly at all.
I don't think Duff plans on getting back to VR anytime soon, but Matt says differently...?

Sorry, mate. That song for me just blows. It sounds like something a American Idol contestant would write - all weepy and Americanish. There's no denying Myles vocal capability, but as for liking his singing / writing capability, it's either a hit or a miss, mainly because he doesn't sound consistent. Like metallex78 said, he seems to have many vocals styles and I only like a few of them.

P.S: I liked the vocals he did on 'Civil War'.

I like Myles and I hope he is the new VR singer. He and Slash seem to have a good chemistry. Any singers voice is not going to be liked by all. For example I have always been a GNR fan but my husband cannot stand them because he does not like to hear Axl sing.

Slash will find a singer for VR this year if he has not already done so. And I guess Duff will be available. Slash has said for months VR will happen he diffently knows something we do not.

Just cant understand why Duff would join Janes Addiction for good............... i mean why?

Myles replied to my tweet asking if he'd ever join velvet! :o :o :o

Me: @MylesKennedy whats up legend.Ur nailing the tour!u & slash is my dream combo from 2 of my fave bands.would u ever consider joining velvet?

.....

....

wait for it

Myles: Thanks Alex...I love playing these songs...such a thrill.

Did i get u excited. The douche skillfully avioded answering me! Well it wasn't really skillful.

Shit, I take that like he IS JOINING VR

if not, he'd say, no dude, just doing tour and then gonna head back to day job.

but NOOOOOO

avoiding the question is an admission

Because they are a bigger and more reliable band than VR.  IMO



So you call him a legend and kiss up to him, then you go on to call him a douche?   ::)  Myles actually seems like the nicest guy, and I'm sure he is probably too busy with Alter Bridge.  I wish he would join VR though.   This solo thing with Slash is still pretty cool though.

It's all about timing.

You know the Creed guys will do another album with Scott Stapp again after the next Alter Bridge album, so that leaves Myles with some free time. He had a solo record he has been putting together (which Slash played on) that he was planning on releasing, but it he can do something with VR it might prove attractive to him.


I think it is clear that he and Slash do seem to have some good chemistry together, and while some people are critical of Myles voice he is light years ahead of anyone else VR could hope to get as a singer. He is very versatile vocally, and with the right material I think VR could put together a really killer album with him fronting the band.

Watching some of the live shows, I have not seen Slash this into it in a long ass time. I am not sure if it is sobriety or what, but his playing has been on point, and he seems to be having alot of fun out on stage and alot of that is attributable to Myles. I for one am thrilled he decided to do the tour with Slash, because it has been great to hear him playing Nightrain, CW, SCOM, and PC again on a regular basis. He isn't and never will be the red head, and nor does he try to be. However, I am also not sure I have heard another vocalist take on the GNR stuff and do a more credible job of at least making them sound respectable than he has.

Slash is not dumb, and knows guys like that are few and far between, which is why i am sure if he has his druthers Myles will be singing on the next VR album if they can make it happen. For the kind of rock album I think they want to make, they are not going to find a better option.

I agree that Myles is by far the best option VR has at this moment. I do hope he surprises me (and in a good way) on the next album.

I wasn't that impressed with myles when he and slash played the paradiso
He didn't reach the high notes at all.

i think Duff didnt wanna hurt Matts feelings he could of said

"sorry Matt, ive got better things to do"

Yet another case of Sorum sticking his foot in his mouth?

yes, that is what i just did. nice summary of my post! Are you a blurb writer during the day, and a dude-who-misses-the-point-of-posts during the night?

 ;D your right he does seem like a great guy.. lacks the personality to be the worlds best frontman, but would be very solid. I also don't think he's a fake "technical" vocalist as some have made out, just doesn't have that many emotions to portray cos he's a pretty generic dude.

anyways we're getting off topic. i can't think of one believeable scenario where duff lied to matt? is matt retarded? was he misinterpreted? it just makes no sense. hope somebody follows this up soon

Several Weeks ago my question to Slash was: Will Myles be the new VR singer? Slash's answer Myles is in Alterbrige. :)

technically speaking he is, but that doesn't mean that cant change

i mean, how happy is a guy that was auditioning for zeppelin as of a year ago?

It also means he can do BOTH.  Velvet Revoler does not have to be a full time active band, and it shouldnt be.  1 album and a tour every 3 or 4 years is fine.  Alter Bridge has Creed and Myles can have VR.  I hope this happens.

on a side note, Janes Addiction is not that big anymore.  People stopped giving a fuck about them back in 94.  Im not bad mouthing them, but its not like they are these huge superstars anymore.  They are an average size band with a loyal following, like most bands.  Velvet has sold more albums than them in the past decade.

plus you can talk about Myles technical ability all day long, he is a damn good singer.  Led Zeppelin knows more than we do, and they were interested in him.  He is the perfect non ego frontman that VR needs.

puts on flame suit

i think JA are fucking terrible and can't understand why Duff would take this job

I thought this song was ok:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoTzMAFetLs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoTzMAFetLs)

+1   : ok:

really couldnt agree more.  I mean I understand why Duff would take the job, for some mysterious reason he really likes them.  Axl too, he always used to rave about them like 20 years ago and I just didnt get it.  File this under Bruce Springsteen and U2, two other bands I just "dont get."  Although U2 I can kind of see why people like them,

that song is indeed pretty good IMO

You would think if Duff has become a permanent member of Jane's addiction he would tell Matt and Slash.  This is what Slash had to say about it recently:

Speaking to Rolling Stone recently on the state of Velvet Revolver, Slash had this to say: "I think Duff [McKagan] is doing something with Jane's Addiction right now so we're all sort of all over the place doing whatever until we can all regroup."

He "thinks" Duff is doing something with JA?  Kind of funny, the way it was stated.

I'm just surprised that, with all the interviews with Slash lately, that no one has asked him about Duff's involvement with JA and how he feels about it or whatever. 

I was thinking the same thing.  It just doesn't sound like he's been informed that Duff has "joined" Jane's Addiction.

That quote from Slash was from a few months back, long before Duff had actually joined Jane's Addiction. He was still just helping them write at the time.

You so you think he started writing for them and then it occurred to them "hey, Duff should join the band". :)

I think his involvement with the band was clear from the beginning.

I think they invited him to write for them to see how it went, and it wasn't until relatively recently that they asked him to become an actual member of the band, yes. There's a reason up until it became public, I was adamant that he wasn't a member of the band, you know. :P

Also, does anyone know how recent that Matt Sorum interview is? Could be things have changed since he was quoted too.

The interview with Matt was conducted in L.A. on May 7th.

What ever the timing was it appears Slash has always been under the impression Duff would be available.  I don't think Matt misunderstood his conversation with Duff.

And I agree with lynn1961 why hasn't someone asked Slash about Duff. I think someone should ask him on twitter.

i just did, let's see if he says anything


personally, i think that if JA's record flops they'll just break up and duff will go back.. if it hits he won't go to VR anytime soon

does anyone take JA seriously?

i mean come on.. they have broken up and gotten back together more times than Aerosmith

I don't think Slash is threatened in anyway by this

Think about this, we all know what a rough time some of the new GNR guitarist have had with old GNR fans.. what kind of reception do u think Duff is gonna get by old school JA fans?

my guess is it won't be pretty.

Slash or Dave Navarro... i think id rather play with Slash

what did Matt say about the difference in playing with Axl and Scott?

with Axl u fly private planes,limos and sell out stadiums
with Scott u ride in cabs and play theaters..

same here.

i guess they'll ride bikes their next tour then ;)

i didn't get an answer

but i asked what would happen with VR if duff decided to stay with JA

Question Since Duff has joined JA who will be the base player for VR? Answer He is still in VR though

our questions is still a little different

Jane's Addiction is a great band, Just Because is a great song, Duff was lucky to
have the opportunity to join the band, and was enough clever to accept. period.

Regardless, Duff wasn't happy in VR towards the end.  No one was.  If he's happy now in JA, he's in a better place and won't run back to VR.

Duff will go down better with the old school JA fans whan any other bassist they've had, except for Avery.
i am pretty sure of this. Flea was pretty popular, but it was well known he was only filling in for one tour, so fans took it for what it was.

all power to Duff, if he wishes to stay in JA, then i hope he does! they make fucking magical music, and i think Duff will only add more power to that it!