Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Slash On Going Solo, Ozzy Tour, Making Horror Movies and "Heavier" Velvet Revolver

Wed, 22 Dec 2010

What's next with Velvet Revolver? Are you still searching for a singer?

Something like that! We've actually moved leaps and bounds in the last month. We should be making an announcement one way or another next month.

It seems like the Velvet Revolver records paved the way to the solo album for you.

I never stand back and look at it from any real perspective. I make the record in the moment and move on. I don't go back and listen to them very often unless I have to learn a song to perform it on the road. The first album was definitely an interesting experience because we were working with Scott Weiland, who on an artistic level has a very distinct personality. The Contraband record was definitely a product of all these different personalities recording a first album. Then the second album, Libertad, was definitely exploratory musically. We really started to set off a certain sound. It's going to be interesting to do the third record because we're going to have a whole different personality as a vocalist. Chances are, it's going to be a lot heavier than anything Velvet Revolver has done so far because the heaviness was the only thing missing for me in the first two records.

http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/slash-on-going-solo-ozzy-tour-making-horror-movies-and-heavier-velvet-revolver/8441875

SLASH On VELVET REVOLVER: 'Things Have Been Moving In A Very Positive Direction' - Dec. 23, 2010

Joe Bosso of MusicRadar.com conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) this past Tuesday (December 21). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

MusicRadar.com: Matt Sorum was recently quoted as saying that VELVET REVOLVER had finally found a singer that you all "really like a lot." He described the vocalist as a "known guy, younger and stronger," but stressed that things were in the "dating" stage. Is this indeed the case?

Slash: "Never believe what you read. [laughs] Here's what's happening: things have been moving in a very positive direction, and we'll know exactly what we're doing next month."

MusicRadar.com: OK. But do you think you might have found the right person?

Slash: "I haven't said anything. I said we'll figure out VELVET REVOLVER next month." [laughs]

MusicRadar.com: What with you touring behind your solo album this past year, along with Duff McKagan's brief stint in JANE'S ADDICTION, is there still a strong band vibe in VELVET REVOLVER? Do you guys have material?

Slash: "Yes! Yeah, there is. We've kept in touch and wrote a lot of great material and did a lot of stuff that's been pretty much under the radar. We also tried out a lot of singers. It's all good. We rehearsed a bunch this past month, during the last few weeks of December. The band vibe is great."

MusicRadar.com: But what would have happened if Duff stayed in JANE'S ADDICTION? I imagine that would have complicated matters for VELVET REVOLVER.

Slash: "If he had stayed in JANE'S ADDICTION, which I don't think was his plan in the first place, but if he did?I wouldn't continue VELVET REVOLVER without him. It would have been on indefinite hiatus."

MusicRadar.com: Did you ever ask [ALTER BRIDGE singer Myles Kennedy, who also sings in Slash's solo band] outright to be in VELVET REVOLVER?

Slash: "No. I know a lot of people talk about it. But I don't think that people really consider that he's already in a band."

MusicRadar.com: I know things are in a very embryonic stage, but musically, can you think of how you want this next record to differ from past VELVET REVOLVER albums?

Slash: "VELVET REVOLVER with Scott [Weiland] was very cool and interesting. Recently, I had to listen to one of the records to relearn one of the songs. I'm very proud of what we did, and of working with Scott in a lot of instances. But it was never heavy enough; that was my big issue with it. The band had to kind of acclimate to Scott's style, which was cool. But the one thing that was lacking, in my mind, was a certain Matt-Slash-Duff approach, and that got sidelined when we started working with Scott. The new songs we've written are us doing our natural thing, and they sound really good. I'm looking to maintain that spirit, and we're looking for a singer to fit on top of that."

Read the entire interview from MusicRadar.com.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=151418

What's with the not giving a straight answer? Either they are working with a singer or theyre not.

I understand retaining information to build hype, but Slash acts like the interviewer is asking too much, when the reality is that this process has been ongoing for a long time now.

"an announcement one way or another" --> Bet that gives the guy they are working with HUGE confidence  :-\.

Everyone knows they are working with a singer. Slash might want not want to give any details away until the situation is resolved to everyone's satisfaction. As far as the singer losing confidence, if he is a known singer he might be considering there offer. JMO

I think that is what is going on.  Slash doesn't want the news to leak and mess something up.  Also, if it goes bad, or they choose another direction, maybe its not our business who got rejected. 

I think that Scotts stamp on Contraband is one of the best things about it. It gave it a vigour and an energy. I am hoping him talking about the Slash-Duff-Matt axis refers more to them being a bit less musically limited as they have been in VR thus far, rather than them not letting the singer put his own stamp on the material.

I can't wait to hear the news!!! Next wave of VR!!!



Joe

cool i hope its good and more in line with Contraband rather than Libertad in terms of consistency.

Contraband had some great heavy rock songs on there, and I agree, that Scott brought a cool vibe to a lot of that. If they had someone like Sebastian Bach on there, they may have been just seen as an 80's rock throwback.
But with Scott, there was a bit of a modern rock edge, but with still enough of the Slash/Duff/Matt vibe to make it recognisable to GN'R fans.

It'd be great if they picked up where Contraband left off, rather than Libertad. Even the rockers on Libertad, sound way too poppy.