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DUFF McKAGAN & SCOTT WEILAND interviewR'OM: I think that 'Contraband' is the album that also has that element. It is uncanny and modern as a sound of a different, completely new band, apart from GN'R or STP, and it has a lot of freshness to it. How is this newness described?
SCOTT: On a certain level, you can't avoid any of the elements of our past bands reflecting in the music, honestly, Since it's us. But we made an effort to look more at the future and make music, without being content with the past inheritance. Dave brings a very modern guitar sound to the band. He will take in various effects and experimental things and will offer a new sound. Therefore, we were able to take various approaches to writing the songs.
DUFF: Right, Dave carried in many modern elements. Matt was also deeply concerned with making music.
My bass is my sound as usual. However, I think that it is more modern to a slight degree, and is more angry than before. Slash is humble. What he does, looks very easy when he's playing. But for the new record, he made an eager effort to become a more contemporary player. Since then, he has become the Slash of Velvet Revolver instead of the Slash of Guns N' Roses. Since we are playing in standard [guitar] tuning, our sound may be a bit strange to people these days. Although most rock'n'roll bands these days shift their tuning purposely, and play in a low-pitched sound, we are playing in the regular tuning from the Led Zeppelin era.
R'OM: Scott, since the music was written before you joinned the band, it contained many things which reminded us of Guns n' Roses. It was said that the music was rewritten [after you joined]. Does your participation influence adding such new elements greatly?
R'OM: Is the fact that all other members have had a hard experience like you any help to you?
SCOTT: Naturally. Everyone supports me, and we all support each other. From now on, it will be much better than the past six years. The past six years in Stone Temple Pilots felt like the Spanish Inquisition.
R'OM: Spanish---what?
SCOTT: The Spanish Inquisition. Once upon a time in Spain, people who were said to be a witch received torture in the Catholic church.
R'OM: Was it that painful?
SCOTT: That is right . That's why Velvet Revolver is so much better for me.
DUFF: Scott is doing well now. What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. We have all had experience more severe than Scott. When looking at his face, we can see whether he is doing good or not. And now, after such a situation, he can retreat one step and think about it. Scott is studying it now.
SCOTT: When I look at the present music scene from my perspective, rock'n'roll does not exist right now. But although it is very small, there is still some hope. The album of Jet is very good. I think that they have a possibility to become the great rock band in the future. I also like The White Stripes. However, many of the rock and punk bands that emerged lately, are pre-packaged bands dressed up by their stylist. There is no rock'n'roll in that world.
The members of Velvet Revolver have lived the rock'n'roll life. So, we do not have to try to become anything other than ourselves, in order to play rock'n'roll. I have lived really hard. It is very hard. In my old way of life, I didn't think that I could have survived like this.
R'OM: Not even once?
SCOTT: Yeah. But I just want to be alive now. I have children. 'Sex, drugs & rock-n-roll' are something of my past life.
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