Duff says Scott was around more than Axl during songwriting.

[Cocaine__tongue]

Here's a recent article featuring mister Mckagan.

The Velvet Touch

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 3, 2004


Now here's an unlikely rock star scenario: Duff McKagan, former bassist for Guns N' Roses, bent over a calculus book, studying for a test.

The same McKagan whose toe-curling partying with his bandmates wasn't only legend, but true to the point that the guy's pancreas nearly exploded in 1994.

The same McKagan whose fat-bottomed bass anchored many a locomotive rocker from GnR, but who'd stumble through live shows in a red-eyed haze.

Yep, that's the guy. The one who is now sober as a monk, a husband and father, and two semesters shy of a bachelor's degree in finance.


   
He's also a key aspect of Velvet Revolver, the "supergroup" comprised of other former Gunners Matt Sorum on drums and the inimitable Slash on guitar, plus Dave Kushner as a second guitarist and flamboyant ex-Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland behind the microphone. The summer debut of the band's "Contraband" album was greeted with the type of heightened expectation reserved for, well, these days, no one. But it immediately filled a void on rock radio with its brawny rock lightly dusted with glitter. One listen to the rumbling "Slither" or Weiland's frantic spitting on "Do It for the Kids" and the magic among these men is evident.

McKagan knows how lucky they are to be embraced so heartily by a notoriously fickle industry. That gratefulness is in his voice, which breaks up every now and then on the cell phone he's calling from, en route to Detroit last week on the band's tour bus. He also is proud of himself for conquering the types of demons that still plagued Weiland, who spent the early part of 2004 in various stages of court and rehab. But for McKagan, the outlet that called to him most was, believe it or not, college.

"After I got sober, I had to find a lot of things to keep me busy," he says in a gentle voice tinged with a surfer-dude drawl. "One of the things I did was find financial statements from Guns N' Roses from the past 10 years, and I couldn't understand them."

That frustration led McKagan to Santa Monica Community College, where he enrolled in a business class to learn how to read financial statements. After that came a class in stocks and bonds, and a professor who encouraged McKagan to invest in his education.

"So I jumped through a bunch of hoops, got into a school in Seattle and took finance. It was cool because it was a smaller school. I chopped all my hair off and the kids knew who I was, but it was a really hard school, so in classes, people didn't bother me. People got used to seeing me, but the kids were really cool."

After three and a half years at Seattle University, the genesis of Velvet Revolver formed in 2002 when Slash, McKagan and Sorum got together to rehearse for a benefit. Despite his new interest in learning, McKagan never allowed music out of his life. While in Seattle, he played in Loaded, which often toured the West Coast, and also hooked up with other musicians looking to jam. But after spending time with his GnR mates, McKagan pulls out the cliche of "stepping into an old pair of shoes."

But this time, the shoes were new, laced and shined.

"The whole being a rock star thing? All that kind of cosmetic side of it, that really had nothing to do with my decision to [create Velvet Revolver]," McKagan says. As for any concerns about relapsing into old habits, he is even more adamant.

"I'm really secure. I don't think there is a move that I could make that would make me go back there [to drugs and alcohol]. I've been through hell. I'll never, ever go back there."

McKagan, who turns 40 in February, works out every day - preferably kickboxing when he can locate a gym on the road - and is primed for the coming months for the band. Its current run, which includes some holiday radio shows such as tomorrow's "HFSMas Nutcracker 2004," ends Dec. 14, and a New Year's Eve gig in Las Vegas will close out a triumphant inaugural year for the band.

Velvet Revolver's power ballad, "Fall to Pieces," a nod to Weiland's struggles, is No. 1 on Billboard's rock singles chart, but the band will leave its home success behind in January for a tour of Japan and Australia and return for U.S. arena dates in March. McKagan says all of the members are prolific writers, and with a multi-album deal in its pocket, the band already is working on another release.

"It's totally, always a band effort," he says of Velvet Revolver's democracy. "The songwriting process was a band thing with Guns, too, but Scott is around more than our previous lead singer."

There is no bitterness in McKagan's voice as he dispenses with the name of Axl Rose. It's just a simple indication that he's moved on.

[Ignatius]

Funny. I spent my last year in HS bent over another calculus test. Boy, nice memoires...


So they are finally playing Vegas in New Years...I wonder where did they get that idea from 

[mrlee]

the interviewer forgot to add probably the second most importent country for music, the  UK to the tour.

[Narcissa]

"It's totally, always a band effort," he says of Velvet Revolver's democracy. "The songwriting process was a band thing with Guns, too, but Scott is around more than our previous lead singer."

than your previous lead singer as in -

1, Axl Rose used to front Velvet Revolver ?
2, or VR is Guns N' Roses, and Weiland is the new lead singer ?

Shut up, Duff.

[D]

no i think Duff is right, didnt GNR record the music and then axl would come in and do his parts and listen to what the band did and say whether he liked it or not or if something needed to be changed or what not

i think Duff means that with GNR each member would write on their own and bring those songs to the table and then the band would learn em, axl would write lyrics etc etc etc

whereas in VR all 5 sit in a room together and create at  the same time

i dont think it was meant as any disrespect towards Axl he just was tellin the truth. cant bash the guy for tellin the truth, i mean he'd obviously know.

[jarmo]

whereas in VR all 5 sit in a room together and create at? the same time

For "Contraband", they had many of the songs written before Scott even joined.....


I don't know what Duff is talking about. It seems like the story has changed from "one of us gets an idea and then it gets worked on by the rest of the band" into "Axl never wrote that much".




/jarmo

[D]

some but not all though and maybe on the new record they are doing it that way.

after the Vh1 thing and after Duff was misquoted on the last songwriting controversy with Axl, i just cant picture him bashing axl to be honest.
so i think he meant something of the sort.


he didnt say that scott was always around, just he was around more, which meant axl probably was never around at all, he probably took the recorded music home and worked on vocals/lyrics etc, came into the studio and did his parts alone with little interaction with the band

so if he did that on every song but scott was in the room and they wrote say 5 songs at the same time, that would still qualify Duff's statement as factual.

[Narcissa]

you talk a lot

not everyone of the band has to be there for songwriting.

[Booker Floyd]

you talk a lot

not everyone of the band has to be there for songwriting.

No, but one would have to be there more than the other to qualify for a statement such as Duffs.? So Axl could have written alone/apart from the band and contributed...that wouldnt make Duffs comment untrue.

For "Contraband", they had many of the songs written before Scott even joined.....

Half...and of course its possible that Scott developed them with the band.

Duff didnt say Axl was never around, or didnt contribute.? He said it was a band thing.? He simply said Scotts around more.? You mean Axl might have been aloof/isolated/flaky???    Impossible!

[mikegiuliana]

whereas in VR all 5 sit in a room together and create at? the same time

For "Contraband", they had many of the songs written before Scott even joined.....


I don't know what Duff is talking about. It seems like the story has changed from "one of us gets an idea and then it gets worked on by the rest of the band" into "Axl never wrote that much".




/jarmo

Scott worte most of the lyrics, the band wrote the music (instruments)

http://vr.belowempty.com/lyrics.php

As for axl in btm you could see everything was phoned in, extend this, hold this note, etc as axl would say..

I can imagine the new guys all being in the studio when recording not just this guy or that guy finishing each part..

[mikegiuliana]

this is the goodshit to me, info & execution

but the band will leave its home success behind in January for a tour of Japan and Australia and return for U.S. arena dates in March. McKagan says all of the members are prolific writers, and with a multi-album deal in its pocket, the band already is working on another release.

I think everyone analyzes the dumbest  shit.. I have no doubts in my mind they do things as 5 guys unlike gnr where things seemed to be done seperate...

[Eric]

 This is just like a divorce-I agree, everyone is analyzing everyone's comments too much-both sides (Axl vs. Slash, Matt, Duff) are going tomake boasts, even lie about little things-I'm sure we can bring up some of Axl's quotes as well-there is still a lot of bitterness among all of them.

[Booker Floyd]

This is just like a divorce-I agree, everyone is analyzing everyone's comments too much-both sides (Axl vs. Slash, Matt, Duff) are going tomake boasts, even lie about little things-I'm sure we can bring up some of Axl's quotes as well-there is still a lot of bitterness among all of them.

Its a little more like Axl vs. Slash, Matt, Duff, Steven, Izzy, and Gilby

[jarmo]

You mean Axl might have been aloof/isolated/flaky? ? Impossible!

Yeah, we all know Scott spends all his time with the band and has never missed a rehearsal or been late to any appointment. Only Axl manages to do that kind of stuff.?

Scott is around more? Compared to what? GN'R used to live together.?



/jarmo

[mikegiuliana]

Ha scott was late to the first one''

I'm sure duff is talking about the later parts in gnr..

[Booker Floyd]

Yeah, we all know Scott spends all his time with the band and has never missed a rehearsal or been late to any appointment. Only Axl manages to do that kind of stuff.?

Yes, Scotts similar, we know that.  The discussion is which one is around more for the bands songwriting process.  Duff says its Scott.

And while Scott has the same problems Axl does, his track record is generally better, especially since joining VR/getting sober.  The bands been touring for what, 7 or 8 months consistently?  Not only have they not blown the tour up, theyve missed very few shows.  Axl, on the other hand...Well, thats not even what were discussing.  Its about songwriting.

Scott is around more? Compared to what? GN'R used to live together.?

Compared to GNR after 1988?

[younggunner]

I have no doubts in my mind they do things as 5 guys unlike gnr where things seemed to be done seperate...

What dont you understand about the gnr recording process? Each member of the band has contributed to each song and the album. Each member of the band has spent time in the studio with the other members of the band. How that differs from VR is beyond me. Do you want gnr to hold hands 24/7. I just dont get this "real" band front....

Ha scott was late to the first one''

And a lot of artcles mention how he blows off fans etc, and that he isnt with the band all the time.

[younggunner]

The discussion is which one is around more for the bands songwriting process.  Duff says its Scott.

And while Scott has the same problems Axl does, his track record is generally better,

then what does

The bands been touring for what, 7 or 8 months consistently?

have to do with song writing?

Axl has been with his band writing songs making music since the stone age. What steh difference?

Not only have they not blown the tour up, theyve missed very few shows.  Axl, on the other hand...Well, thats not even what were discussing.  Its about songwriting

so why bring it up.

Let me see VR do a complete full scale arena tour . They wont even sell the venues out. I guarentee it. And thats with an album out.

VR has done the blub route first. Fine. Thats their option. But lets not roll out the red carpet for sold out club shows.
Even though the tour was aborted the band did well in sales, being its not the original band and no album out. They gave u a full set and production every night. SO they didnt blow it. Their planning skillz, and other stuff blew it.

[Booker Floyd]

then what does

The bands been touring for what, 7 or 8 months consistently?

have to do with song writing?

I acknowledged that point didnt relate to songwriting, but it addressed Jarmos point (which, coincidentally, didnt relate to songwriting).

Axl has been with his band writing songs making music since the stone age. What steh difference?

Apparently, how much he actually did with the rest of the band.

so why bring it up.

Because Jarmo brought up Scotts track record...

Let me see VR do a complete full scale arena tour . They wont even sell the venues out. I guarentee it. And thats with an album out.

Now what does this have to do with my point, about Scotts ability to not wreck their tour or miss many shows?

Even though the tour was aborted the band did well in sales, being its not the original band and no album out. They gave u a full set and production every night. SO they didnt blow it. Their planning skillz, and other stuff blew it.

Na, they didnt blow it.   

[jarmo]

I acknowledged that point didnt relate to songwriting, but it addressed Jarmos point (which, coincidentally, didnt relate to songwriting).

So what about your comments about Axl being isolated and flaky? What's that got to do with his song writing?

You're the one who brought up Axl's personality, which funnily enough, seems to be similar to Scott's personality.




/jarmo