The Slash autobiography thread

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

^Charlie Sheen was definitely a surprise to me.

[Smoking Guns]

This book is very readable and i love the story telling.  Slash was in a lot of pain at times and its pretty sad.  Its amazing we got the music we got from these guys.  Its amazing what they were able to do by putting the music first.  The guys, especially Duff and Slash were willing to do what it took a lot.  Some of these chapters are just fascinating.  And he does talk about the music a lot more than I thought.  Its cool how I think the end of Paradise City sounds really hard and fast and Slash said that was the hardest to record.  That is a killer solo, must be his best ever in terms of pure chops and nailing it.  Rarely does he play that fast. 

[Ines_rocks!]

Finally (!), here?s my review of the book:

The first part of the book is amazing... knowing Slash?s roots, how he first picked a guitar and automatically forgot all about the BMX bikes (this is how a life can be changed), the music scene that was on by his childhood, how he would get in trouble since he was little, the formation of his first band still in High School... all very interesting to read and know about.

The second part, which is the most important, is Slash?s telling of Guns N Roses facts... the beginning, the in betweens and the end. It?s the most complex as it can be seen by many points of view... This quote for me speaks for itself "Axl definitely has his version of events that is every bit as valid as mine"- page 331. Therefore, I think we should read what Slash has to say as one version of the story, not at all the entire thruth... cos that one we will never know about. And as Slash says... his version of events is as valid as Axl?s or Steven?s or Duff?s or Izzy?s...
I loved how he would talk about Axl, how they would talk for hours long back in the day when they lived together... and how by the years went by... things started to change and Axl would be more and more apart...
He explains pretty well why he left the band...but then again... we would need more versions of the story to learn of it all.
He gives three reasons... the one I can relate more to, as a fan, is the first one ("the constant disrespect for all involved by going on late for no good reason night after night"). There?s no single explanation that could explain why it would happen so many times. The job of a band is to play gigs, going on time and respect their fans, the people that buy the tickets and go to see them. Going late for so many times and giving no good explanation to it is just unprofessional. And as much as I love Axl... I just can?t understand why he?d do that. And that lame ass excuse of "oh... that?s part of being a Guns fan...anything can happen! We must wait!... bla bla" says nothing to me...

The last part of the book is the weakest... but then again... there?s not much to talk about there.?

The thing I liked less about the book is the focus is the excessive drugs stories... I ended up feeling that, after all, a rockstar life can be pretty fucking boring after a while... it?s all just about drugs and sex, drugs and sex.... lol

Just to finish, I really loved reading the book, it was pretty fun to read, although there were things that could be way better explained... oh! and the pics were just awesome!?

[jarmo]

And as much as I love Axl... I just can?t understand why he?d do that.

Why would Axl go on when he's ready and give you the best show he possibly can instead of just going on at 9PM sharp so you can be home at 11PM?

That's a mystery to you?

Come on...


By the way, I saw Marilyn Manson just before Christmas. He didn't go on until after 10PM..... As far as I know, Axl had nothing to do with that! It seems like it's just not Axl who "disrespect" the fans.




I think that whole argument coming from Slash is weak.

His band is being marketed as "dangerous", and yet his problem with Axl is that Axl's actually doing what he thinks should be done, instead of doing what everybody else thinks he should do?

 



/jarmo

[slashisvr]

And as much as I love Axl... I just can?t understand why he?d do that.

Why would Axl go on when he's ready and give you the best show he possibly can instead of just going on at 9PM sharp so you can be home at 11PM?

That's a mystery to you?

Come on...


By the way, I saw Marilyn Manson just before Christmas. He didn't go on until after 10PM..... As far as I know, Axl had nothing to do with that! It seems like it's just not Axl who "disrespect" the fans.




I think that whole argument coming from Slash is weak.

His band is being marketed as "dangerous", and yet his problem with Axl is that Axl's actually doing what he thinks should be done, instead of doing what everybody else thinks he should do?

 



/jarmo

C'mon jarmo, at concerts peopel have to be home, and for axl to disrespect fans by turning up at like nearly midnight at some point, isnt that a bit extreme?

people pay good money to see GNR and they get fobbed off with an 1hour show sometimes coz they have to leave to get the train?

myself i say GNR twice last year, and in hammersmith i roughed it all night just to see the show, and it was a great show, but that IMO is a huge disrespect to the fans

[jarmo]

C'mon jarmo, at concerts peopel have to be home, and for axl to disrespect fans by turning up at like nearly midnight at some point, isnt that a bit extreme?

people pay good money to see GNR and they get fobbed off with an 1hour show sometimes coz they have to leave to get the train?

myself i say GNR twice last year, and in hammersmith i roughed it all night just to see the show, and it was a great show, but that IMO is a huge disrespect to the fans

Axl doesn't control your bed time or train timetables.



So let's assume you go to one GN'R show in a year and it doesn't end at 11PM. One night of the year you have to adapt.

It's all about how you want things your way.


Do you also end New Year's celebrations at 11PM?


People go out drinking in pubs until late at night every week and nobody has any problems with that. But if a concert ends "too late", oh my what a problem!


/jarmo

[Alan]

C'mon jarmo, at concerts peopel have to be home, and for axl to disrespect fans by turning up at like nearly midnight at some point, isnt that a bit extreme?

people pay good money to see GNR and they get fobbed off with an 1hour show sometimes coz they have to leave to get the train?

myself i say GNR twice last year, and in hammersmith i roughed it all night just to see the show, and it was a great show, but that IMO is a huge disrespect to the fans

Axl doesn't control your bed time or train timetables.



So let's assume you go to one GN'R show in a year and it doesn't end at 11PM. One night of the year you have to adapt.

It's all about how you want things your way.


Do you also end New Year's celebrations at 11PM?


People go out drinking in pubs until late at night every week and nobody has any problems with that. But if a concert ends "too late", oh my what a problem!


/jarmo

very weak comparisons jarmo , when you go out drinking late you know for a fact you will be out late and will have alternative transport sorted.

with gnr shows for anyone who doesn't sit at home reading about them on the internet they won't know it starts and ends way later than the advertised times. so why would they have any alternatives lined up, it is disrespectful because all it takes is one line of print on the front of the ticket saying that the show may end alot later then it's scheduled too.


that being said it's still taking the piss because VR come on late a fair amount too.

[Ines_rocks!]

It?s not the problem of going home late. It?s the waiting time... that?s what ends up causing riots etc etc... If a shows is scheduled to begin at 9.00... going on stage 2h or more late is a total disrespect. That time you?re there, stand up, watching some stage already set up, waiting and waiting ain?t healthy to anybody... even if you?re the best of the fans... it just ain?t! Metallica, back in the 90s when they toured with Guns, even played first because they didn?t want to end up doing the shows back in the morning...

Now back to Slash... imagine you?re in a band, you go to the venue, you rehearse, you?re ready to go... and then... where?s the singer? nowhere to be found... so you must wait, and wait, and wait... losing all the impetum you had hours ago... It?s pretty reasonable for me that after a while people start getting tired of all this... With this I ain?t saying that Slash is the saints of all saints cos he is the most far from that... but as he said, never did the band ever have to cancel or go late cos they were stoned or too drunk (although of course I?m not backing up the guys for being addicts cos if they weren?t so fucking stones all the time things could be a bit different today) to play.

[jarmo]

very weak comparisons jarmo , when you go out drinking late you know for a fact you will be out late and will have alternative transport sorted.

Good for you. 

with gnr shows for anyone who doesn't sit at home reading about them on the internet they won't know it starts and ends way later than the advertised times. so why would they have any alternatives lined up, it is disrespectful because all it takes is one line of print on the front of the ticket saying that the show may end alot later then it's scheduled too.

Same goes for football.

I'm no expert on football tickets, but do they say there might be extra time and a penalty shoot out?


It's all fucking relative isn't it?

As I said, people are so used to getting things their way.

that being said it's still taking the piss because VR come on late a fair amount too.

I hope Slash remembers to list it as a reason, the day that band ceases to exist.



Did anything in the book make Slash look bad?

It seems like everything in the book, even the bad things, are just "cool bad ass rock n' roll".....

The guy claims to be flexible so that people won't blame him on quitting GN'R because of the musical direction.

It?s not the problem of going home late. It?s the waiting time... that?s what ends up causing riots etc etc... If a shows is scheduled to begin at 9.00... going on stage 2h or more late is a total disrespect. That time you?re there, stand up, watching some stage already set up, waiting and waiting ain?t healthy to anybody... even if you?re the best of the fans... it just ain?t! Metallica, back in the 90s when they toured with Guns, even played first because they didn?t want to end up doing the shows back in the morning...

With the opening act going on at 8PM, expecting the headliner to be on at 9PM is just uninformed.

Now back to Slash... imagine you?re in a band, you go to the venue, you rehearse, you?re ready to go... and then... where?s the singer? nowhere to be found... so you must wait, and wait, and wait... losing all the impetum you had hours ago... It?s pretty reasonable for me that after a while people start getting tired of all this... With this I ain?t saying that Slash is the saints of all saints cos he is the most far from that... but as he said, never did the band ever have to cancel or go late cos they were stoned or too drunk (although of course I?m not backing up the guys for being addicts cos if they weren?t so fucking stones all the time things could be a bit different today) to play.

Yeah, Slash said his drug intake never canceled any GN'R shows. He fucking died on tour and was lucky to be alive, yet in a weird way he's proud of that.

Wonder why he didn't mention the fact that he had to cancel a bunch of Snakepit shows because he officially had pneumonia. The truth was, he was in the hospital due to his drinking and drugs.


Edit: To summarize what we know:

• Slash admits he was so fucked up at the time that his memory is sketchy.
• Slash admits that Axl's version of events would differ from his
• Duff has said that Slash's memory is worse than his.

Based on the above, it's safe to assume that his recollection of the events sucks![/i]



 


/jarmo

[Ines_rocks!]

Based on the above, it's safe to assume that his recollection of the events sucks!


/jarmo

lol but Jarmo... how can you say that it sucks? It?s his point of view... and it?s as valid as the one of any other band member. Duff sure has his. So does Axl... And I?m sure Duff?s will differ much from Axl?s too... all of them have different sides of the story. Unfortunately, we only know by one of Slash?s. If Duff or Axl talks one day, the same going to Izzy or Steven... we can collect all the pieces and try to see what really happened. By now... we only have one side of the story... which we may or not believe in... but that?s all we got.

[jarmo]

lol but Jarmo... how can you say that it sucks? It?s his point of view...

Because 1+1=2?

 




/jarmo

[slashisvr]

a football game pff

you order a football ticket knowing it may go into extra time 

oh my, just coz axl and slash make GNR everyone has a vigilante against slash, i mean hell he has admitted his version of events may be sletchy, but can you honestly imahine izzy's, duff's or axl's bein that great, it was a long time ago

 

[Wheres Izzy]

lol but Jarmo... how can you say that it sucks? It?s his point of view...

Because 1+1=2?

 




/jarmo

I agree with some of your points regarding how A lot of Slash's book, well an enjoyable read, can't be taken too seriously. But come on, you lose alot of credibility when you vigorously defend Axl for his no shows and late starts? I don't care if Manson did it as well, screw him. I hate when people, whether it be musicians or any other celebrities, start believing they're above everyone else. If I showed up for work late and it caused some kind of huge disaster I would rightfully be out on my ass. And you can't make a sound argument that Axl would give a better show at 11 or 12 instead of 9.

[Smoking Guns]

lol but Jarmo... how can you say that it sucks? It?s his point of view...

Because 1+1=2?

 

/jarmo

Jamro, Ines is the hottest girl we have on the forum, stop trying to take her behind the fucking wood shed and prove her wrong.  She is hot, she say whatever the fuck she wants.

The book is very captivating regardless of what is true or false.  For me it was pure entertainment.  I loved it. Great pics.  Jarmo, one thing we can all take away from the book is that it was amazing we got the music we did get with the circus going on around them and such personel issues. 

[jarmo]

But come on, you lose alot of credibility when you vigorously defend Axl for his no shows and late starts? I don't care if Manson did it as well, screw him. I hate when people, whether it be musicians or any other celebrities, start believing they're above everyone else. If I showed up for work late and it caused some kind of huge disaster I would rightfully be out on my ass. And you can't make a sound argument that Axl would give a better show at 11 or 12 instead of 9.

I hate people who think they have the right to tell others, who's lives they have no fucking idea about, how to live their lives. 


Do you work best when you're enjoying yourself or when you're working because you have to?

Have you ever come across people who hate their jobs? Why do they hate them?



You hate people who think they're above others while you're the one telling others how to conduct their lives.

So obviously you must think you're better. 


People are different. You want everybody to be a certain way because that works the best for you.

Jamro, Ines is the hottest girl we have on the forum, stop trying to take her behind the fucking wood shed and prove her wrong.  She is hot, she say whatever the fuck she wants.

What the hell are you babbling about?






/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

But come on, you lose alot of credibility when you vigorously defend Axl for his no shows and late starts? I don't care if Manson did it as well, screw him. I hate when people, whether it be musicians or any other celebrities, start believing they're above everyone else. If I showed up for work late and it caused some kind of huge disaster I would rightfully be out on my ass. And you can't make a sound argument that Axl would give a better show at 11 or 12 instead of 9.

I hate people who think they have the right to tell others, who's lives they have no fucking idea about, how to live their lives.?


Do you work best when you're enjoying yourself or when you're working because you have to?

Have you ever come across people who hate their jobs? Why do they hate them?



You hate people who think they're above others while you're the one telling others how to conduct their lives.

So obviously you must think you're better.?


People are different. You want everybody to be a certain way because that works the best for you.

Jamro, Ines is the hottest girl we have on the forum, stop trying to take her behind the fucking wood shed and prove her wrong.? She is hot, she say whatever the fuck she wants.

What the hell are you babbling about?






/jarmo

Jarmo, just giving you a hard time!  Just saying take it easy on the forum's hottest member.  Pick on someone like Jim Bob!  HA!!

[AdZ]

a football game pff

you order a football ticket knowing it may go into extra time 

oh my, just coz axl and slash make GNR everyone has a vigilante against slash, i mean hell he has admitted his version of events may be sletchy, but can you honestly imahine izzy's, duff's or axl's bein that great, it was a long time ago

You'd have to be pretty fucking retarded not to know, even if you're a casual fan, a Guns N' Roses show starts when it starts.

1) It's been happening for years.
2) It's really really well documented.

[Ali]

It?s not the problem of going home late. It?s the waiting time... that?s what ends up causing riots etc etc... If a shows is scheduled to begin at 9.00... going on stage 2h or more late is a total disrespect. That time you?re there, stand up, watching some stage already set up, waiting and waiting ain?t healthy to anybody... even if you?re the best of the fans... it just ain?t! Metallica, back in the 90s when they toured with Guns, even played first because they didn?t want to end up doing the shows back in the morning...

Now back to Slash... imagine you?re in a band, you go to the venue, you rehearse, you?re ready to go... and then... where?s the singer? nowhere to be found... so you must wait, and wait, and wait... losing all the impetum you had hours ago... It?s pretty reasonable for me that after a while people start getting tired of all this... With this I ain?t saying that Slash is the saints of all saints cos he is the most far from that... but as he said, never did the band ever have to cancel or go late cos they were stoned or too drunk (although of course I?m not backing up the guys for being addicts cos if they weren?t so fucking stones all the time things could be a bit different today) to play.

I'm sorry but to say it's the waiting time that causes riots is complete and utter bullshit. ?No, it's the idiots who choose, and let's be clear that it is a conscious choice, to take out their anger and frustration by destroying shit. ?The idiots that do that are responsible for their own actions, not Axl. ?Not now, not ever.

To say otherwise is a complete cop out of personal responsibility.

As Jarmo said, Slash did cancel shows with Snakepit because of health complications directly resulting from his drug use and drinking.

Oh, and one more thing that I don't see anyone bringing up is that Slash says that while some shows were played sloppy, none were cancelled because of drugs or drinking. ?Playing a sloppy show is no better than playing a late show. ?They are BOTH disservices to the fans.

Ali

[Ali]

lol but Jarmo... how can you say that it sucks? It?s his point of view...

Because 1+1=2?

 




/jarmo

I agree with some of your points regarding how A lot of Slash's book, well an enjoyable read, can't be taken too seriously. But come on, you lose alot of credibility when you vigorously defend Axl for his no shows and late starts? I don't care if Manson did it as well, screw him. I hate when people, whether it be musicians or any other celebrities, start believing they're above everyone else. If I showed up for work late and it caused some kind of huge disaster I would rightfully be out on my ass. And you can't make a sound argument that Axl would give a better show at 11 or 12 instead of 9.

The only one that can give a sound argument for why it takes Axl longer than most to get ready for a show is Axl himself.

All I know is that whatever it takes for him, it works.  He is the best performer as a frontman I have ever seen, and it isn't even close.  If it ain't broke, then there is nothing to fix.

In the end, it depends on what you place the value on, getting a show that ends early or getting one of the best shows you'll ever see.  That's how it is for better or for worse.  Use that information to determine whether or not it is worthwhile to go to a show.

Ali

[Ines_rocks!]

But come on, you lose alot of credibility when you vigorously defend Axl for his no shows and late starts? I don't care if Manson did it as well, screw him. I hate when people, whether it be musicians or any other celebrities, start believing they're above everyone else. If I showed up for work late and it caused some kind of huge disaster I would rightfully be out on my ass. And you can't make a sound argument that Axl would give a better show at 11 or 12 instead of 9.

I hate people who think they have the right to tell others, who's lives they have no fucking idea about, how to live their lives.?


Do you work best when you're enjoying yourself or when you're working because you have to?

Have you ever come across people who hate their jobs? Why do they hate them?



You hate people who think they're above others while you're the one telling others how to conduct their lives.

So obviously you must think you're better.?


People are different. You want everybody to be a certain way because that works the best for you.

Jamro, Ines is the hottest girl we have on the forum, stop trying to take her behind the fucking wood shed and prove her wrong.? She is hot, she say whatever the fuck she wants.

What the hell are you babbling about?






/jarmo

Jarmo, just giving you a hard time!? Just saying take it easy on the forum's hottest member.? Pick on someone like Jim Bob!? HA!!

hummm....lol thanks for the compliment but I don?t think that was too appropriate at all... 



As for on-topic discussion, I picked that one reason why Slash says he left the band as to one I can relate more to. As a fan, I don?t think that is right, or that is has to be part of being a Guns fan... I just can?t accept it just like that... Of course I have to respect those of you who accept it as a normal thing. Wish I could... but I just can?t.