Duff interview: talks about VR & GNR early days; says firing Steven was moronic

[Gemini Guy]

SOURCE
http://realvrfans.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=VelvetRevolverBoard&action=display&num=1104768509&start=0


Sorry if this has been posted before but I did not see it anywhere.  If you visit the link, there are also comments from Slash, Matt, Scott, and Dave.

  Re: Metal Hammer Interview
? Reply #1 on: Jan 3rd, 2005, 11:09am ?   

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We start off with bassist Duff McKagan, meeting him in his local coffee shop in the Studio City area of Los Angeles. Casually dressed in tracksuit pants and sneakers McKagan is obviously a regular here and even jokes about his credit being good when he realises he's forgotten his wallet. Perhaps with too much of a 'chemical' past to ever look the archetypal picture of health, he does look healthy and happy and is very keen to talk about Velvet Revolver.

"We treat it as a new, band, but I guess we have these massive parts,? he begins. "For me, Guns N' Roses was a long time ago, almost a lifetime. We all approached this as a new thing because it is."

But although, Duff insists that nobody would touch them when they first got together, it's not often that a band comes along with so much instant industry clout and interest that even the forming of the band has been filmed for a forthcoming documentary. And Duff says there were only a few changes made, "like a couple of parts where Scott was nodding out and no one needs to see that" says a lot about the honesty of the band. It also suggests that they've got a strong sense of unity - perhaps made stronger because they're all surviving nutcases.

"That's a good way of putting it," laughs Duff. "Guns were a bunch of nutcases and with the original band there was a real sense of family. When we had to let Steven [Adler, Guns N' Roses' drummer] go, which was moronic, we came to him and said, 'Hey, look who's telling you you're too fucked up! It's us! If we're telling you you're too fucked up then you're too fucked up!' With this band there's an unspoken wisdom because we have all died or should be dead. And we talk all the time so we don't have that thing that festers for three months. If it comes to the point where one of us wants to come to blows with somebody, we'll stop and go,'What's the problem?"'
More than anyone else McKagan has been credited for helping Scott Weiland get clean of a truly crippling drug addiction - even to the point of injecting Mr Weiland in the arse to help him get off heroin. But today he seems keener to relate that to the whole band and how they all keep each other on the straight and narrow.
"I think we do that to each other," he reasons. "We've created this thing and we're nurturing it along right now, kinda pulling each other up from the ashes. At this point nobody's gonna let anybody else down. Like, I can call any guy in the band right now if I have a problem. It's not like we go home and say,'see you next tour."'
Velvet Revolver is very obviously a new beginning. For a start McKagan gets a 'real' rush from playing now instead of some chemically induced blur. Today he appears not just coherent, but driven. He is also, against all expectations, surprisingly grounded.

"I've always been grounded," he shrugs. "There was a point really early on when Guns blew up, when I really thought that everyone finally got my humour and I was the funniest, best looking guy in the world. But that lasted about five months until I realised, with the help of my seven older brothers and sisters, that it was just because the band was big. They're like, 'Duff, you're not that funny or good looking!' People freak out at shows when we're signing autographs and we're like, 'hey, chill out. if you want an autograph we'll sign one. Let's just hang out:"

All the same there must be a part of him that misses that element of danger in his former life?

"Well if you're getting fucked up a lot that's just pure misery," argues Duff. "When it becomes a thing just to stay well, it's not fun any more.
There isn't enough of anything and you're spending every day in every town trying to cop. There's no real danger to that. It's just lame!

"With this band," he adds proudly, "the element of danger comes because Scott's really good at controlling a crowd, but the crowds we're getting are really young kids and there are near riots almost every night! The element of danger is the band! And this is not a band to fuck with! Three of us are martial artists and Slash is one of the strongest guys I've ever met. He's got a long fuse, but if you get to the end of it, you're fucked."
 

[D]

see just when i start liking Duff he goes and says shit like this and pisses me right back off again

Duff hello u stupid fuck u voted him outta the band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! get over it!

were u too fucked up and drunk to remember?

it wasnt moronic, at the time it was the right thing to do and what a slap in the face that is to matt

that post if u read between the lines is kinda putting matt down.

[IzzyDutch]

Duff's honest about it, it was kinda moronic to do... besides wasn't Axl the one who said, it's either him out or me out

He's putting Matt down? With what? I think you're a little parano?d

[D]

axl never said that

axl fought to keep him in the band

get your facts straight

see when Duff gives bullshit interviews like that it makes fans who dont know any better assume it was all axl who kicked him out and that isnt true in the slightest.

if he missed steven so much why didnt he hire him for VR instead of Matt?

[IzzyDutch]

You're right with the "him out or me out", that was with the Alan Niven situation and not Adler, my bad. But Axl fought to keep him in the band? That's bullshit.

They all voted him to get out except Izzy who would've prefered to continue working with him, it just didn't work for Slash to straighten him out he said.

Both Slash and Duff said firing Steven was a bad thing, cause with that and Izzy leaving the whole thing just turned into Axl's trip. At the time they thought they did the right thing, now they don't. There's nothing wrong with that.

What has this to do with Matt? Nobody's putting him down, Duff is very good friends with Matt and that's why he's in VR, cause the three of them played at that gig in '02 which all started it and not Steven.

You're just seeing ghosts...

[Booker Floyd]

Duff hello u stupid fuck u voted him outta the band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! get over it!

 

Did he claim that he didnt?

[DeadHorse]

The point Duff's trying to make is that when you look at how VR handled Scott's situation, Duff's probally thinking perhaps we should of handled Corky's situation differently too.

However, I do recall in Axl's 1991 MTV interview that he said they did try in get Corky help, and went as far as to threatened his drug dealers. Most importally Axl did said he tried to keep him in the band. He said because he wasn't in the studio with the guys he didn't see what was going on with Corky.

But hindsight is 20/20, and if Duff and Slash still wanted to play with Corky then they would of invited him to join VR.  That is a complement to Matt in itself.

Later,

Blair

[Gemini Guy]

Duff and Slash still wanted to play with Corky

First you imitate Axl with your remarks, now you copy Dubrow's.  Can't you come up with anything original?

[DeadHorse]

Duff and Slash still wanted to play with Corky

First you imitate Axl with your remarks, now you copy Dubrow's.? Can't you come up with anything original?

First off I not imitating Axl. I'm just stating a quote from Axl that D and IzzyDutch are debating about. The fact as too weither or not Axl fought to keep "Corky" in the band.

With regards to my coping " Kevin Debrow" well I happen to like that name for stevie. I'm not a fan of "Corky", and I think it suits him just fine. 

But let me guess, if I called that sac monkey "popcorn" instead,  you would be perfectly fine with that.

Figures,

DH

[Gemini Guy]

With regards to my coping " Kevin Debrow" well I happen to like that name for stevie. I'm not a fan of "Corky", and I think it suits him just fine.?

Asshole Rose suits Axl just fine all around, but if I called him that, I'd get crucified by people like you.  Figures.

[Rhythm-n-Booze]

The whole interview was good, I dunno about that last part. Slash one of the strongest guys he knows and shit...I mean come on now! 

[Will]

the crowds we're getting are really young kids and there are near riots almost every night!

That was funny! lol "Near riots almost every night?" Is it kinda cool to have "near riots" or something?

[Intercourse]

FACT:
Axl wanted Stven out because it is rumored he shot heroin into Erin and had sex with her. I believe Axl refers to it in a Rolling Stone interview in '92 or '93.

I think what Duff was trying to say is that they pointed out to Stephen that they were all in a a state but able to play.  Steven simply had reached a whole new low when compared to the others.  As far as I recall, all members except Steven had quit heroin after the Rolling Stones gigs  (coke and booze is another matter) .  The band could play and work but Steven could not. 
Along with Axls personal anger over Erin their decision to let him go made sense at the time. They were probably under a ton of pressure to follow Appetite plus they were still very young and inexperienced.
They stuck by Scott because they are man enough to have looked at their pasts, acknowledged their mistakes and learned positive lessons from them.  I see notihing wrong with what Duff has said.
Also, if you read about Stevens continued bad behaviour by Kevin DeBrow it seems like his sacking was justified. Some people you just can't reach.
peace,
Intercourse.

[Mikkamakka]

FACT:
Axl wanted Stven out because it is rumored he shot heroin into Erin and had sex with her. I believe Axl refers to it in a Rolling Stone interview in '92 or '93.

Yeah, I read interviews during the UYI Era in which bandmembers said that Axl gave them an ultimatum: 'Steven or him'. BTW Steven was pissed off mostly Axl after having been fired. But it doesn't matter now.

[echrisl]

FACT:
Axl wanted Stven out because it is rumored he shot heroin into Erin and had sex with her. I believe Axl refers to it in a Rolling Stone interview in '92 or '93.

Yeah, I read interviews during the UYI Era in which bandmembers said that Axl gave them an ultimatum: 'Steven or him'. BTW Steven was pissed off mostly Axl after having been fired. But it doesn't matter now.

I've read that, too.  I think there's a thread where Steven talks about that fairly recently in the Ex-Gunners section.

I think Duff has some regrets looking back, and I don't see why people feel the need to jump all over his comments, they seem fair.  He's looking back on his past and expressing his regrets over something that happened that he might wish hadn't.  I think he has that right.

[Gemini Guy]

Also, if you read about Stevens continued bad behaviour by Kevin DeBrow it seems like his sacking was justified. Some people you just can't reach.

Actually, it was weed not hard drugs that Steven was using during that tour.  Steven admitted he still smokes weed from time to time.  Dubrow is right, they could've all gotten into trouble because of Steven, but it isn't the same situation as GNR had with Steven.  That was an issue on whether or not Steven could play due to usage of hard drugs.

[mikegiuliana]

duff is a grown up with a clear head now, he most likely feels bad about what happened to steven, they were all drunks and drug addicts so why point fingers at anyone.. It's like a car thief telling a bank robber to turn himself in..

ANyways it's fucking 15 years ago already, who cares about this ancient crap..?

[DeadHorse]

FACT:
Axl wanted Stven out because it is rumored he shot heroin into Erin and had sex with her. I believe Axl refers to it in a Rolling Stone interview in '92 or '93.

I think what Duff was trying to say is that they pointed out to Stephen that they were all in a a state but able to play.? Steven simply had reached a whole new low when compared to the others.? As far as I recall, all members except Steven had quit heroin after the Rolling Stones gigs? (coke and booze is another matter) .? The band could play and work but Steven could not.?
Along with Axls personal anger over Erin their decision to let him go made sense at the time. They were probably under a ton of pressure to follow Appetite plus they were still very young and inexperienced.
They stuck by Scott because they are man enough to have looked at their pasts, acknowledged their mistakes and learned positive lessons from them.? I see notihing wrong with what Duff has said.
Also, if you read about Stevens continued bad behaviour by Kevin DeBrow it seems like his sacking was justified. Some people you just can't reach.

Intercourse.

Well put, and that's exactly what Duff was trying to state.

Interestly enough there are many reasons as to why steve ( Corky) was sacked. steve shooting Erin up with a speed ball. steve being a complete mess himself, and the most intreging quote comes from Slash. Slash said stevie couldn't play the parts anyways.

Nevertheless the guys realize what they did/didn't do.

In this point and case they did the right thing with Scott.

LAter,

DH

[D]

You guys can come on here and make shit up all u want about an interview here or there

ive never seen it and ive never heard that

all i know, is on the BTM, ADLER blamed everyone, not just Axl.

So take it from Steven's own mouth, it wasnt only Axl, it was the entire band.

difference is Axl has always stuck to his version which makes me think he is honest.  Slash and Duff have changed their stories more times than teenage kids caught selling drugs and are being interrogated by the top police officers on the force.


Saying it was a mistake to get rid of steven and how that was the downfall of the band, is indirectly saying Matt sucks and did a poor job.  *reading between the lines of course* and since i think Matt sucks i have no problem with that statement!

[echrisl]

You guys can come on here and make shit up all u want about an interview here or there

ive never seen it and ive never heard that

So clearly it must not exist.   

Saying it was a mistake to get rid of steven and how that was the downfall of the band, is indirectly saying Matt sucks and did a poor job.  *reading between the lines of course* and since i think Matt sucks i have no problem with that statement!

I'm not sure that's exactly what Duff meant ...