Duff McKagan's Column In Seattle Weekly

[FunkyMonkey]

Service and Suffering Plus Redemption and Forgiveness at the VA Hospital

By Duff McKagan, Fri., Nov. 12 2010

My Loaded bandmates--Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse--and I were invited on Monday to go to the Seattle VA Hospital and visit some of the patients. It was much less a "celebrity" thing than simply an "interaction with someone other than hospital staff" thing.

Through this column, I have become acquainted with Ken LeBlond, the public-relations guy at our Puget Sound VA Hospital. Here is a guy who does all he can either to raise money or pump up awareness for the plight of our fallen and often forgotten veterans. He had reached out to me and my band to see if we could and would make a visit.

I was kind of left scratching my head a bit. It is in situations like this that I find myself feeling a little embarrassed, maybe. I know for a fact that Loaded is not a household name and therefore not a band that most patients up at the VA would know about or recognize. I voiced my concern to Ken, and he calmly stated that this was not the point. But more on that in a minute.

We had written a song this past summer for our new record (which comes out in February) called "Fight On." The song was inspired by personal stories I heard about the plight of some of our returning vets. So here at least was somewhat of a tie-in between Loaded and the VA.

A sobering thing to think about is that with all the new-technology armor and immediate and high-caliber medical attention that our soldiers are getting on the battlefield, we are seeing a much higher survival rate than ever before. In other words, and to put it bluntly, guys and gals who would have certainly died in Vietnam from terminal wounds and injuries are now not dying.

But we have now more and more kids coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs, disfigured bodies, and spinal-cord injuries. Also, with all this armor, more kids are surviving as witnesses to their buddies' deaths. Post-traumatic stress disorder is almost rampant now among our returning soldiers. Think about that.

What we noticed on our visit to the VA was an overwhelming sense that these soldiers just really believe that they have been forgotten and that no one cares about them anymore. I suddenly realized that Ken did not necessarily ask our band to visit so much because of our celebrity. No, he was just simply and hopefully seeing if we'd come as human beings that would maybe talk to the guys we saw. To show that someone gave a shit. I guess through this column and what I had written about in the past, Ken surmised that we would be likely candidates to do just that--give a shit. That's all. It was that simple.

With the pain issues from injury and the rising onslaught of Vicodin, Oxycontin, and the rest, the addiction wing at the VA is a bustling hub. Alcohol abuse seems to be the only cure, too, for others suffering from PTSD. When Mike, Jeff, and I visited there, I finally felt at home. Let's just say that I qualify for entry. We had a really deep and inspiring visit with some of those suffering right now. Suffering from withdrawal. Suffering from guilt. People trying to find an answer for why and how the fuck they got themselves into a place like this! It's simple at the end of the day. We are after all, human; and as humans, we are all fallible. We are also, though, capable of redemption and forgiveness to ourselves.

I am a semi-learned student of history with an open mind to all sides of different stories. I have a healthy skepticism of our government, of those that govern other countries, and of religious sects and factions. I have the freedom, though, to express my thoughts publicly without fear of prosecution. I have traveled far and wide, and know from my travels that we indeed have it good here in the United States. I'm not some pro-American nutcase, just a guy who appreciates the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

I want to wish all of our veterans a very happy belated Veterans Day. I want to thank you for your service. I am awed by some of your stories. I care.

I hope through the writing of this that some of you readers will stop by next time you are in the neighborhood of the VA. Tell your friends and family. Write a card to a patient there. I found out too that dirty jokes are appreciated up there. Thanks for reading.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/11/service_and_suffering_plus_red.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Upton Sinclair, Thomas Pynchon, Adam Hochschild: This Time of Year Brings Out the Book Discusser In Me

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Nov. 18 2010

Fall is suddenly upon us, and in the Northwest, all seemingly at once. I am a year-round, every-night reader, but this time of year seems to bring out the book "discusser" in me. Goofy, right? Yeah, well . . . you all know what you are going to get when you read this column. Nerd-fest. Me.

There was a discussion last week about civil war and colonization in Africa. A couple of great books that initially informed me about the ins, outs, and causes of these conflicts are:

Hotel Rwanda, Terry George: A fairly good film adaptation of this book starring Don Cheadle brought much-needed international attention to the suffering innocents left on the bloody trail of rampage and revenge there. It seems that once the common oppressor left (those nations who colonized those parts of Africa), the old warring tribes were left to remember old beefs. Fucking hardcore.

King Leopold's Ghost, Adam Hochschild: Hochschild is, in my opinion, one of the most readable and well-researched writers of our modern times. This is THE ultimate story of the colonization of Africa, with no thought whatsoever to the effects on its human beings.

Bury the Chains, Adam Hochschild: A different angle on this story--slavery out of Africa, and the resulting anti-slave movement that started in England around 1760 or so. Both of these Hochschild books are "must-reads."

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, Philip Gourevitch: A most heartbreaking and maddening story of senseless and inhuman slaughter among brothers and sisters.

I got a text from a friend the other day asking if I had read the new Keith Richards book? He said that he had to put the book down a few times during the heroin-withdrawal parts (a fate that this particular friend had gone through more than a few times). On my friend's recommendation, then:

Life, Keith Richards: Hey, Orion is the publisher that's putting out my book in the UK next year. This book MUST be good!

Old Gods Almost Dead, Stephen Davis: I know firsthand that Davis is not the most thorough of rock writers (he doesn't worry about such things as "fact-checking" or "primary sources"), but this Stones book was a fun and quick read on a short vacation a few years back. If you like Hammer of the Gods, you should enjoy this one too.

Now on to random titles:

Carnegie, Peter Krass: If you are a lover of history and the big, beefy, earth-moving characters that shaped much of it, get this tome. A massive but amazingly readable and enjoyable undertaking.

A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca, Andr?s Res?ndez: I love this kind of books. The subtitle says it all: "The extraordinary tale of a shipwrecked Spaniard who walked across America in the 16th century." Now THAT is what I call a real story!

Oil!, Upton Sinclair: Early 20th-century Southern California and its oil! Sinclair was the best at throwing the big interests under the bus way back when this type of thing was yet fashionable. Read EVERYTHING by Upton Sinclair.

The White Spider, Heinrich Harrer: Brad Pitt portrayed Heimlich when his story stayed in Tibet (Seven Years in Tibet). Did you know that this amazing man (Harrer, not Pitt, ladies) took part in the first successful climb of the north face of the Eiger in 1938? This book leaves one gasping.

Some recent books that I have added to my read list:

The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
Vineland, Thomas Pynchon
Mason & Dixon, Thomas Pynchon
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro was recommended to me as "the best writer alive." The person who pointed me in this direction also shares my love of Cormac McCarthy. Stark and sparse words on an often brutal human condition.

What say you? Input or further recommendations that you'd like to share with the rest of us? Criticisms of my list (as if)? Please chime in, you lofty readers of this column; this should be rather good!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/11/upton_sinclair_thomas_pynchon.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Traveling Leaves No Cure for the Aching Heart

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Nov. 25 2010

I have to travel to make my money. It has been that way ever since I was about 20 or so. Traveling is fine and dandy when and if you don't have a family and dumb dogs. But these days, I have these added parameters to work within.

I just arrived back in Seattle from another trip to Europe. For those of you who read this space regularly, you will remember that I was JUST there a couple of weeks ago. I try to see friends while I am there on business--friends who know my wife and girls, friends who can serve as a sort of touchstone.

I went to dinner in London last Friday with my friend who has done one hell of a good job raising three girls by himself. The girls, ages 9, 10, and 12, do all the things girls that age are supposed to do (ballet, flute lessons, gymnastics, etc.). My friend Ray has had to do this and figure this out all on his own, and it is always a joy to spend a few hours with him and his wonderful girls.

At the restaurant was a loud group of drunken late-20-somethings. The women in this group were questionably dressed, I suppose (my back was to them, so I wasn't privy at first). One of Ray's little girls suddenly said in her cute little-girl English accent, "Daddy! That lady's top is broken!" Yes, my friend Ray is raising little angels.

It made me miss mine.

Life is good for me, I do realize. I'm not one to piss and moan, and my family will rarely (if ever) be resentful for my being gone. They know that I am hard enough on myself about it. Life for me, more often than not, revolves around the logistics of not being gone for more than six days at a time . . . and that is why I travel back and forth so much, so that I am not gone ALL the time.

There should be some sort of frequent-flyer pass that a guy like me can use for TSA and U.S. Customs. I know the whole drill by rote, for Christ's sake. My computer is out, my shoes are off, my liquids are in a Ziploc in a tray, and STILL they insist on barking their orders to me. Don't they know I am just trying to get home to my girls? And for Customs: Do you REALLY think that a guy who looks like me, or like the punk-rock guy you also pulled out of line, would be the people who are going to attempt to smuggle drugs or whatever? I'd probably dress down a bit.

Blabbermouth just announced that LOADED has announced that we have a title for our new record (The Soundtrack). I guess it's official now.

We have been filming odd bits and pieces and vignettes for a film to coincide with the release of this record (hence its title). Reading the title, however, on Blabbermouth this morning, I was worried how it may be conceived by others. Sort of like, "Oh, really? The Soundtrack, huh? Well, that won't be MY soundtrack, 'cause I think you guys SUCK!" or some such reaction. But literally, it is just that, the soundtrack for the movie . . . I digress.

No, my point to the traveling part above is that this Thanksgiving, as with every one I've taken part in since Susan and I have had our kids, is about being thankful for the health and happiness that permeates our little family. I would travel five times as far as I did yesterday, and withstand all that TSA could muster, if the end result was me being back with my McKagans.

I would like to send a special Thanksgiving shout-out to my editor, Chris Kornelis, and his wife to welcome their first child. Life will get pretty damn good for you now, my friend.

And to you, my readers . . . and my friends now, as a result of this column. Whether you live here in the States or not, Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully the things in your life that you hold dear will be more brightly illuminated and become warmer as the days in your life progress.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/11/traveling_leaves_no_cure_for_t.php

[One.In.A.Million]

You know what?, I love Duff, a real nice and genuine guy just like Ron.

He seems to value the little things in life much more these days, and he has a wonderful family. I'm really glad I got to see him with GN'R, that special night on the 14th Oct.

Rock on Duff ' Rose ' Mckagan. 

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan Is Taking Your Questions

By Chris Kornelis, Tue., Nov. 30 2010

​Reverb columnist Duff McKagan has been around the block a few times. He's played in a few bands (Loaded, Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver) and studied business at Seattle U; he's a voracious reader, a bassist, a married father of two, and he's here to help.

We're going to try something new next week and let those of you who have been regular (or irregular, for that matter) consumers of Duff's weekly columns a chance to ping him with a few queries. Like his column, the questions need not be music related.

Need help tuning your guitar, finding a good book, or a present for your girlfriend? Ask Duff. Want to know where to get a bite to eat in Belltown at Midnight? Ask Duff.

Send your queries, including the name you'd like to appear online (or in print) and your hometown to askduff@seattleweekly.com. Duff will pick a few questions to answer next week.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/11/duff_mckagan_is_taking_your_qu.php

[lynn1961]

Questions & Answers on Adversity, Buddhism, and Your Kid's First Bass           

By Duff McKagan

Thu., Dec. 2 2010 @ 12:12PM

We are going to try something new here this week. You've sent in your questions, and I've done my very best to answer them in a satisfactory fashion. Just so you all know, though, my two daughters are convinced that I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. You have been forewarned!
Q: I just picked up a junior bass for my 7-year-old for Christmas. Any suggestions to help the little guy get started in the right direction? --Tommy Blackburn, Ekron, Kentucky

Duff: When I was a kid, I was fortunate that there was a bit of peer and sibling pressure to at least play SOME sort of musical instrument. But from a young age--and what made a HUGE difference--was that there was music in my house all the time, and I was really, really into the mystery of the whole thing . . . and trying to unlock it.

With your little guy, I think that it is really important that he learns what he wants to learn. That is to say, don't force it. Find him a teacher who will inspire him to learn the music that he wants to, rather than a set-in-stone lesson. Music is an art that has many varied avenues of entry.

Q: What is the best book you have read about overcoming adversity? Who is your favorite author? Or what book inspired something inside you? --Dionne

Duff: This is a subject that reminds me of another question that I'm asked in interviews from time to time: "What are your top 10 favorite records of all time?" I always say 10 different records every time, and kick myself for not including such-and-such a record, etc.

So, my answer, as of this writing, for a book about overcoming would be Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. This book really set a high-water mark for me as far as what human beings could endure physically and mentally . . . and just how heroic we can be when put to the task.

I have so many favorite authors. I love the dark style and cadence of people like Ernest Hemingway and Cormac McCarthy. I love the descriptive narrative of Stephen Ambrose, Joe Simpson, Krakauer. For a sweeping story of industry, I will take Upton Sinclair. For a story of the street? Iceberg Slim. I could go on for days . . .

Q: How are you not deaf (or have hearing damage) after all those years of rock and roll? --Allysha, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Duff: What?

Q: Have you have read any philosophical or, like, Buddhist or spiritual literature? You seem, at least from what I've read of your column, very comfortable in your skin, and you put your focus on important things, like family and well-being in general. Or is it just wisdom that comes when you've lived your "wild years"? --Juha Aatola, Finland

Duff: It is all a serious "work-in-progress" situation for me. I am very fortunate to have had some amazing teachers, either currently or involved in my life thus far. My mom, for sure, comes in at the top of that list.

Martial arts were a huge part of my first couple of years of sobriety, and my Ukidokan teachings and sensei remain a fulcrum which my whole being swings upon.

I think for me also, being in group situations (a big family and rock bands) has really helped me to discern that while, yes, I think I am rather damn kick-ass sometimes, I realize that life and its inhabitants do not revolve around me!

And truthfully, a huge part of my self-discovery has been in my writing of words over the last couple of years. In writing--especially writing about my own life publicly--I have had to tear apart where and what MY part in all of this mess has actually been. Very humbling shit for me.

I suppose that I am happy that at least I come off as being comfortable in my own skin. More and more these days, I try to just not react to things that can set me off. I used to have a pretty short fuse, but martial arts and sobriety have chilled me. But comfortable with myself? Not even anywhere close!
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2 ? s.php#more

[FunkyMonkey]

Zeppelin or Sabbath? Well, That All Depends When You're Asking

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Dec. 9 2010

​I had such a good time last week with some of your questions that I thought I'd give it another shot. Besides, there appears to be an endless amount of curiosity as to what my opinion might be on a wide variety of topics. Girls? Rock? Bass? Marriage? I'll answer a few more questions through the week.

Let's get started:

Q: Zeppelin or Sabbath, and why?
--Pete, New York City

Duff: If you are asking me now, I wouldn't be able to choose an outright winner or loser. For me, as a bass player, and a recent serious student of my craft, I would have to lean toward Zeppelin and John Paul Jones (I've been geeking out to bass lately, something I had NEVER done before).

In Seattle, and when I was a youngster, there was a serious divide within the Sabbath/Zeppelin debate. If you were from outside the city, it was Sabbath, and for us relative urbanites, it was ALL about Zeppelin.

We seemed too smarty-pants for them. They seemed too butt-rock for us. Yes, but we were all young and dumb and full of cocksureness. The truth is these bands are just so damn different that there IS no way to really compare or contrast them. Actually, you can't compare ANY other band to these two fucking behemoths.

Q: What happened with Jane's Addiction?
--T

Duff: I do believe that I have answered this one somewhere out there in an interview. But to be sure, I will touch on it again.

Last year at about this time, I was asked by Perry if I wouldn't want to come in and lend a hand in the writing of a new Jane's record. I was and AM indeed honored.

We started that process, and the rumors started to swirl, ebb, and flow to the MAX! I was just trying to keep my head down the whole time and do that band as much service as I could. They are great and gentle men, all of them. A nicer group of dudes would be hard to find.

Alas, the time came for me to depart and get back to my thing, which is Loaded all the time, writing my book, developing a new business, and the ever-present hunt for a VR singer. The press blew the whole thing out of proportion to begin with, and in the end I was left to try and explain my way out of a situation that was just so simple. Creative guys . . . getting creative.

Q: Did you ever feel like a woman like Susan was out of your league?
--Jake, Ukiah, CA

Duff: Yep! And I still do.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/zeppelin_or_sabbath_well_that.php

[peter7411226]

Thats awesome. He answered one of my question. Go Duff. You are a cool dude.

[FunkyMonkey]

Question for Duff: Business Considerations Aside, Is Appetite Better On CD or Vinyl?

By Duff McKagan, Mon., Dec. 13 2010

Q: I recently received a primo condition copy of (Guns N' Roses') Appetite For Destruction on vinyl that I bought from some serious collector dude in Kentucky who is selling all his wax and moving to a music server. He has his reasons, but I am sad for him...
It's been awhile since I've heard this album in it's analogue form; through a diamond and some high powered vintage era stereo-wars kit, and it sounds so fucking awesome it's making my pubic hairs stand on end. Which makes me wonder: What's your take on the analogue vs. digital debate? Do you have a preference when it comes to the formats? I'm not talking about what you have to do to sell music these days -- I'm asking if you have a preference when it comes to sitting down for some serious listening.

For yucks, I just A/B'd the two versions through the same system and I gotta tell you that to my admittedly Lizzy-chromed ear canals, the vinyl has an almost 3-D quality and sonic signature that is absent in my compact disc version. The vinyl sounds better and it's not even close.

Am I just showing my age here being ancient and cranky about the superiority of the old ways, or is there something to be said for that chunky old analogue sound? -- El Hugo

Duff: Yeah, well, in a whole shit-ton of ways, digital music fucking killed my business.

Back when CD's first came out, I had just started making real money in GNR. I had the best turntable and amps and speakers that money could buy, and I remember Slash and I going to a CD store on Ventura Blvd. to buys some CDs and a couple of CD players. This store had everything, and I remember just starting from 'A' and ending at 'Z', filling up a whole shopping cart while basically re-stocking everything I had on vinyl.

It seemed like this was cutting edge shit, and that I was at the forefront of the technology...until I got home and realized it ALL sounded like shit compared to my vinyl. Anyone who says different, must just be so used to every bit of a digital track being used up, that actual 'space' in a song, must sound weird and maybe archaic.

But back then, we didn't realize that this was just a game being played by the major labels to do what Slash and I had fell hook, line, and sinker for; re-buying ALL of their product! Multiply that by everyone on this planet, and you are talking about trillions of dollars! What the major label powers were too short-sighted and greedy to realize is that home computers were becoming more and more popular, and that digital bits and pieces could be sent back and forth between users.

The artist is STILL the one paying the ultimate price. With gas prices up so high, no one selling CDs, and lower ticket prices EVERYWHERE, it will be a miracle to have any other choice but seeing local bands for awhile. In Seattle, though, that ain't such a bad thing!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/question_for_duff_business_con.php

[lynn1961]

Well, that was sort of depressing.   

I agree that vinyl just has a better sound, but I'm old school.  Plus, the whole music industry, sales, concerts, etc just ain't what they used to be. 

[lynn1961]

Found a couple more questions/answers for those of you are interested.  Seattle Weekly says he'll be back to his regular column next week.


Q: I've been trying to get our bass player to get that 'Duff' sound, but it is pretty tough. What amp settings do you use? -- Layo

Duff: Ah, you thought could try and slip me up on this one to answer just like that?! I am a cagey warrior used to the Kung Fu that you thus deploy. And the answer is? Trade secret, biotch! Good luck!

Tue., Dec. 14 2010 @ 9:46AM
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/question_for_duff_what_do_i_do.php




Q: My girlfriend texted me last Monday and said that she needed a week of space, meaning we can't see or talk to each other for a week because she wants to be sure with herself. I'm so devastated I can't even concentrate on work. What should I do to make it up to her and save our relationship? --Russell, Manila, Philippines

Duff: I am maybe jumping at the assumption that this may be your first experience in true-love heartache. Listen, man, if she needs a week break, chances are that things are over and done with.

I am not trying to bring you down. No, oddly, these are the experiences that we must all go through to build true character and to finally put us in those places where we will one day find that "one" . . . or, at least one of the ones.

Believe in yourself. Don't hang onto this for too long. Keep your chin up, and just simply act as if everything is OK right now. I have found from experience that acting as if it is has gotten me through many a tight spot. Best of luck to you, and we've all got your back here in this column, my man!

Fri., Dec. 10 2010 @ 7:43AM
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/a_one-week_break_is_never_a_go.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Question for Duff: When Are You Going to Tell Your Daughters About, Um ... Everything?

By Duff McKagan, Mon., Dec. 20 2010

Q: Can I pass that Q to you regarding the fact that your daughters are now on the verge of saying farewell to their childhood and at the gateways of starting to party? I know it's a tough question and I mean no disrespect, but I'm a father, too, and I get a chill down my spine whenever I put myself in the shoes of our RNR heroes having to deal with something like that. -- David

Duff: Well David, My kids ARE definitely now at the age where my past exploits in the 'darkness' are and will be talked about more and more in my house. But the thing that I have found that is very important for all topics with my kids, is the fact that we do actually talk about them (or at least, I try to approach them with certain ones).

Certain things will have come up already. When Grace was in the 3rd grade, she asked me why I didn't drink wine when everyone else did at dinner or 'grown-up' parties. I didn't think at that point that she was old enough to notice these types of things-and I took this as a wake-up call that my young kids are very astute. I think most young kids are.

Grace's query gave me an awesome and early opportunity to tell her about my past problems with alcohol and drugs. I told her these things in a way that did not scare her, but simply made her realize that these things were a bad thing for a guy like me. We have more recently hit on the topic that my alcoholism and addiction problems could very well be a family trait and that it is something that she and I should watch out for when she gets older. She knows very well about my past, and more than likely looks at those old photos of me as an embarrassment. I hope she does, anyway.

To add to all of this, and a dilemma that I am now facing, is the book that I am just now finishing. It is a story of redemption in the end, but it does tell my whole story-thorns, pimples, blood, puke, and all. I have told my kids of my past and they have seen the pictures and read the stories. That is all that I can do for now. Well no, there IS one other big thing I can do; and that is to be a loving and trustful Dad.

Hell, I can't hide too much can I? As I write this missive, I am recuperating from a surgery to fix my scarred sinuses from 17 year-old cocaine abuse! My MRI pictures of the battle in my cranium is enough to scare ANY kid straight!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/question_for_duff_when_are_you.php#more

[FunkyMonkey]

The 10 Things On My List: Thanks, Requests, and Christmas Wishes

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Dec. 23 2010

Yes, last week was pretty damn interesting if you were me. At long last, I had surgery to repair my torn and damaged sinuses left non-functional after a long-ago bout with the cocaine. From sometime in 1989 until about November 1993, I snorted perhaps my body weight in varying degrees of good, bad, and straight-up shitty blow. I don't recommend this to any of you young readers. I was NOT such a smart 20-something. Nope, just an ordinary drug-addict.
I remember trying to glamorize all my drug and alcohol use back then. I would romanticize my life and my struggle as something noble and just. I was an ARTIST, maaan! I NEEDED to dull myself to certain inputs or else my art would suffer. Yep, before I knew it, I was strung-out and terrified. Crappy stuff.

Someone asked me about this stuff a while back, and "what are your kids gonna say when they start to party?" Some people ask me these things in an almost bellicose way, as if suffering through my kids' drug-abuse issues would be just payback for what I have done to myself. Hopefully, I was a big enough idiot in my time that I have filled the dumb-ass quota for my whole family. God, I hope so.

On another note, but still somewhat on-topic, I just got back from seeing The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale--a true story about boxer Micky Ward and his once-promising older brother who got addicted to crack in the mid-'80s. Christian Bale just fucking nailed the tics and physical traits of a crack guy, and I swear he must have studied an old drummer of mine, Steven Adler, for this part. I love Steven, so watching this portrayal reminded me of the heartbreak that I felt back then.

All right then, so it is Christmas, and most of you know that I am the It's a Wonderful Life-Is-My-Favorite-Movie-Ever guy. If you didn't know, well, now the rest of you do. In the "flavor" and mood of that particular film, I would now like to ask for some things, and give some thanks, for Christmas, my favorite time of year.

1. Please let this surgery fix the problems that my cocaine abuse has brought upon me. I don't want to go through another one of those procedures, 'cause that shit hurt!

2. Thanks for not letting me get strung out on the Oxys afterwards. That would have sucked pretty good.

3. I would like to give a shout-out and nod to those of you still suffering from active addiction at this moment. If you are reading this now, just know that things will get better if you really want to quit. If you think that you are incapable of stopping, please don't. I was that guy, the one whom everyone--including myself--had pegged as the one who wouldn't survive. If I can, then you can too.

4. Santa, please give my dog Buckley his testicles back. I need another dude in my household desperately!

5. Create some jobs this next year. For those families with children stuck without a home because of this recession, may you find a helping hand.

6. Bring our soldiers home!

7. Let Matt Hasselbeck either find his way over these next few weeks, or give us Seahawks fans something positive to live with this off-season.

8. Let Loaded reign supreme and dominate the planet in this year to come!

9. May all the readers of this column enjoy good health and immeasurable happiness this next year.

10. Thank you for letting me be born into this McKagan family. Our family Christmas parties are the best, loudest, funnest, and biggest celebrations of this type in Western Washington. I am so very grateful to witness now what I could have very well not been around for at all.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/the_10_things_on_my_list_thank.php

[lynn1961]

Question for Duff: Is It OK to Join a Band For the Experience, Not the Music?   

Tue., Dec. 28 2010 @ 9:18AM

Q: I've been playing guitar forever. I've always wanted to play in a rock band that traveled and was fun to play music in. A few friends of mine are in a band up in Sacramento and they've been lucky enough to have gone on three or four U.S. tours. Now they've asked me to join. It seems like a great opportunity for me to rock and gain some experience. It seems like the universe gave me what I was asking for, right?
Well, the thing is I don't really care much for the style of music. The guys are rad, it's fun to jam, and they have a pro attitude as a band, and as friends. I would feel bad joining the band just to gain some experience and play/tour when my heart isn't stoked on the music. Do you feel that would be wrong to join a band just to play and tour, just to gain experience?

I know first and for most, fun comes first in playing music, but I guess I feel a little guilty and shitty if I did that. Then again, it could be a door to something better? Have you ever had that dilemma when playing in bands?--Brent

Duff: You should do the tour first, and THEN comment on whether this it is a 'universe-gave-me-what-I-asked-for' thing or not! Have fun with your friends, and if nothing else, you will gain experience.

I played in a band when I first moved to Hollywood that I wasn't too stoked on, but they were playing gigs all of the time, and I did it to just simply meet people in a town where I knew no one. No harm done.

Question for Duff: What's Your Petting Policy?                 

Mon., Dec. 27 2010 @ 9:00AM                                                                                         

Q: You think it's OK to pet on a first date? -- K

Duff: I think that probably all depends on where you are at in your life. If you want something fun and sex-filled from the get-go, then shit yes. But if you are wanting something that may have some staying power (pun intended), maybe hold off on the fast moves and let the anticipation build.



All from Seattle Weekly Reverb

[FunkyMonkey]

Can't I Just Resolve to Give Up Those Sales Calls and Junk Email In 2011?

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Dec. 30 2010

I have never been real big on New Year's resolutions--maybe because in my "sober life" I have strived for everything in moderation (food, buying too much material crap, or whatever). It goes without saying that I no longer have booze and drugs to swear off. But there are one or two things I am finally going to rectify after the first of the year . . . the things that perhaps plague us all: junk e-mail and sales calls.

I don't have the most public of phone numbers, but I have tried to hang onto the same cell number for quite some time now. I suppose I must have used it at some point when I bought something, because these days--and every business day--I get sales calls at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. You know the ones . . . a robotic voice comes on and says "This call is intended for MICHAEL MCKAGAN. If this is not MICHAEL MCKAGAN, please disregard." I emphasize the "Michael McKagan" part because that is the part of the sentence where the robotic voice inexplicably gets somehow more robotic.

The e-mails, on the other hand, are indeed from things that I have over the years used, or people I have given my e-mail to. I would think that the nursery school Grace went to some NINE YEARS AGO! would get the fact that Grace and I would no longer be interested in the different programs they offer. Sorry, I guess that is just me using common sense.

Also, although I am a Seattle resident, I DO spend a lot of my time in L.A., and have given my e-mail address to a few managers and tour managers and promoters and what-not. What I have gotten in return from some of these sorts (but not all of them, by any means), is a maddening cavalcade of invites to this "club opening" or that "birthday bash" for still more people who I have no idea who they might be. I'm not trying to paint myself as some sort of fancy-pants scenester, and I am glad that people think I am somehow "cool" enough to invite to some of these events. I just still think it is a little gauche to just use my e-mail for this onslaught without asking me if it is OK first.

I have learned not to give out my e-mail address when I go to stores, though. That is a whole other conundrum in itself. I know that neither of these two above-mentioned things are all that bad in the whole scope of things--and they are indeed not--but I have made a promise to myself to "unsubscribe" to the sales e-mails, send a note back to the club promoters to take me off the list (probably a D list, anyway), and call back these 800 numbers and have a supervisor take me off the call list!

My Blackberry is basically attached to my hip, and with all the international traveling I do, just think of the money I'll save from these international text-charges that I accrue because of the e-pimping that is all up in my grill. In the old days, I would have said to you all "Just think how many cocktails I could've bought with that dough." These days, however, I suppose it is more like "Just look at how many more nerdy books I can buy!"

God, how things have changed.

Happy New Year's, All!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/12/cant_i_just_resolve_to_give_up.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Question for Duff: You're a History Buff, So Where Are You Going to Explore Next?

By Duff McKagan, Mon., Jan. 3 2011

Q: Duff, of all the countries you have traveled in your life, is there a certain one you would have liked to explore other than from touring, and which foreign language do you speak? And by the way, what happened to those awesome "Duff" amps from the Use Your Illusion tour days? -- Matthias

Duff: Hi, Mathias. Well, I am a true student of history, and am fascinated with a ton of different historical eras--mostly war at the moment. The Ottoman Empire and things like the Moorish/Christian conflict intrigue me as well. I am really all over the place, though.

My next big "bucket list" thing to do, though, is to take a motorcycle and follow the U.S. 101st Airborne's route from the invasion at Normandy all the way to Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Austria.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/01/question_for_duff_youre_a_hist.php

[FunkyMonkey]

What You Missed if You Missed the Last Three Decades

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Jan. 6 2011

​I finally got a chance last week to meet and hang out with The Long Winters guru and fellow Seattle Weekly columnist John Roderick. To be honest, I was a little bit nervous when first seeing John; he seems to be the smartest guy in the room, and intellectualism has at times fed into people also being smart-ASSES to me. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe I am just an easy butt for a joke. But in my case, at least, last week, he was also the NICEST guy in the room, and he shares my low and classless taste in humor. Cool dude.

I started a new job this week as a weekly columnist for ESPN.com. I will for sure be staying here at SW on Thursdays, but I am excited to write about my other passion--sports. I tried it a time or two here at SW, but it seemed to leave a lot of people just kind of scratching their heads ("Why is the rock/book guy writing about the NBA?").

Sometimes my interests and the Seattle Weekly's do not mix. Shit, I feel very lucky to be writing now for TWO prestigious online ports. That is, of course, until ESPN catches on that I am truly just a passenger, and not any sort of a real "journalist" per se.

A story on CNN caught my interest this morning. Cornelius Dupree Jr., a Texas man who has sat in prison since 1979--wrongly accused for rape and robbery--was just freed on DNA proof that overturned his conviction. Just think of that for a minute: 32 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A CRIME THAT YOU DIDN'T DO! Just think about it:

1. Jimmy Carter was still the President of the United States (he won the election with the help, for the first time in U.S. history, of a surging Southern Evangelical voter base. That is why, boys and girls, every President since then has kowtowed so much to the Evangelical Church. They possess VOTES.)
2. 1979 is the year Prince recorded his self-titled record. That's four whole records BEFORE Purple Rain.
3. In 1979, Michael Jackson was still recording with the Jacksons (formerly the Jackson 5).
4. Led Zeppelin was still a touring band with all its original members.
5. AC/DC still had Bon Scott.
6. An actor from California named Ronald Reagan was laughably running for President of the United States.
7. The Clash did their first tour of the U.S.
8. I saw The Clash on their first U.S. tour.
9. U2 were still an Irish pub band.
10. Mot?rhead were making Ace of Spades.
11. Metallica was not a band yet.
12. "Ant" music and the "New Romantic" era in music were just being born in the UK.
13. Home computers were still about 14 years away.
14. The compact disc was still 10 years away.
15. Artists and bands were still actually selling records (can you smell my bitterness about that whole thing yet, AR?)
16. The Seattle Seahawks were only a 2-year-old NFL team. The cagey QB/receiver team of "Zorn to Largent" was in its infancy.
17. My wife was 9 years old.
18. I was 15 years old.
19. Kinky.
20. Stop thinking about that, you sick bastards.
21. KCMU was cool then. too.
22. My editor here at the Weekly wasn't even born.
23. I was in the Fastbacks.
24. Most of you reading this were probably not even born.
25. "Y.M.C.A.," "Le Freak," "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?", and "Reunited" were all hits that year.

Cornelius Dupree Jr., you are still a relative youngster at 51. I wish you a long life now in freedom. You deserve it and more.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/01/what_you_missed_if_you_missed.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Here Are Some History Books That Won't Put You to Sleep, I Promise

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Jan. 13 2011

​It may strike some as odd that I am not this week writing about my beloved Seahawks' huge playoff win last Saturday. If I didn't now also have an actual column solely dedicated to sports on ESPN.com, then yes, right here and right now, I would've spilt forth about the victory. You can read that, over there.
And so, for here at the Weekly this fine Thursday, I will get back to a place that we are somewhat all familiar with--books (and to a more direct point, MY reviews/previews of said books).

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand: I actually just finished this book last night, and it's maybe one of the best war stories I have ever read. This true story follows the young life of celebrated distance-runner Louis Zamperini. After Louie had competed in the 1500-meter race in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, many experts picked him to set a world record in the upcoming 1940 Olympics in Tokyo. The thing is, Japan started invading places all over Asia, and the Olympics were moved to Helsinki, Finland. Of course, by 1940, Germany was doing a whole ton of invading itself, and the Olympics were cancelled altogether.

Zamperini, crestfallen but still very much hopeful about the 1944 Olympics, joined the U.S. Air Force to sort of just have something to do until all this war stuff was over . . . then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Louie suddenly found himself as a bomber in a B-24 Liberator, until his plane blew its engines and ran headlong into the Pacific Ocean.

If 48 days on a life raft, sharks all the time, a Japanese prison camp, brutal guards, starvation, freezing cold, blistering heat, alcoholism, loss of hope, and the redemption of a life thought lost are things that interest you--all written in a lyrical and easy style--then this book is definitely for you. Two big thumbs up from me.

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro: I know there are some pretty pointed opinions when it comes to this author and this book. I noticed some heated comments when I simply announced that I was going to read Kazuo. It seems authors like Ishiguro and Cormac McCarthy are the type either people love or hate.

Never Let Me Go, like McCarthy's The Road, is not so much about the story itself, but how it is told, the relationship between characters, and the usage and turns of phrase. I like that kind of stuff, myself. McCarthy's writing often leaves me stunned and emotional.

But this is a book review of Never Let Me Go. If you like to go to dark places, give this book a try. If you like butterflies, unicorns, and rainbows, stay far, far away.

Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present, Michael B. Oren: If you are interested in America's involvement in the Middle East--the whos, whys, and how-the-hells--then this book is a great all-in companion to the writings of Thomas Friedman or Steve Coll. Oren is as good as David McCullough when it comes to making nonfiction read like an epic, page-turning novel.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, Thomas Friedman: Don't let the nonfiction-ness of this book's title throw you off. The World Is Flat is, like all Friedman's books and columns, immensely readable, informative, well-rounded (for a non-primary source especially), and just plain outstanding. If you want to get yourself informed on what is up with globalization and digitalization topics, get you some of this book.

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, Steve Coll: Al-Qaeda, counterterrorism, government fuck-ups, and all the rest. Ghost Wars won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, and although some of you are dubious of book awards, when it comes to nonfiction, the Pulitzer stamp has for me been indicative of just how much damn jaw-dropping research was done. I'm sure that Coll must have had a ton of help in sorting through the mind-numbing amount of documents and whatnot that he used to write this book. The question is just how he made it all so goddamn readable. A MUST-read.

On deck:

One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer, Nathaniel Fick: Loaded guitar player, Scrabble champion, book enthusiast, and ex-U.S. Marine Mike Squires recommended this book to me. He was the one who turned me into a Cormac McCarthy freak, too. I trust Squires' judgment. I'll let you all know about this one next time we do this.

What have you all been reading? GO HAWKS!!!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/01/here_are_some_history_books_th.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Without Lemmy and Motorhead, There Wouldn't Be Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, or Metallica. Period.

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Jan. 20 2011

I was fairly excited last Thursday to be able to attend the Los Angeles screening of the new Motorhead/Lemmy rockumentary, Lemmy: 49% Motherfucker, 51% Son of a Bitch. I only say "fairly" excited because it has been my experience that often when I see all that there is to see about an important or influential person in my life, I wish not to have known all there was to know. Lemmy's movie did the opposite. It kicked fucking ass AND made me think of what a bad, bad man Lemmy is in real life.
When I was a youngster and Motorhead's Ace of Spades came out, all of us in the Seattle punk-rock scene instantly recognized the weight of the band and Lemmy Kilmister, its bassist, singer, and songwriter. They embodied all that was good and great about rock and roll: snarling vocals and to-the-point lyrics. Drummer Phil "Filthy Animal" Taylor pounded the FUCK out of the drums; and "Fast" Eddie Clarke complemented it all with his no-nonsense and very LOUD guitar playing. Motorhead seemed always more punk than metal, because of the fact that they were always in on the joke, whereas other metal bands seemed to take it all much too seriously back then.

When I moved down to L.A. in 1984, it was the influence of guys like Lemmy, Phil Lynott, and The Clash's Paul Simonon that steered me to choose bass, back when I was still a somewhat able drummer and guitar player. I was going to Hollywood to sort of "invent" myself, and I chose bass playing as the coolest of the rock-instrument triumvirate because, hell, it was the baddest choice back then (to me at least).

And it wasn't just my choice of playing bass that Lemmy and Motorhead influenced. Dare I say that without Motorhead, there would have been no Metallica, GN'R, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, NIN, or everything between and after. Yeah, they mean that much.

There is a moment in the documentary where Dave Grohl states very eloquently what Motorhead means to him and the rest of us in the audience. To paraphrase, Grohl talks about the "human-ness" of Lemmy. Boils and all, Lemmy lets us know that you don't have to be perfect and beautiful and polished to a shine to succeed in this life. Go see the movie to get the full poignancy of Dave's quote.

Motorhead makes me both exceedingly happy and somehow ashamed. The happy part is obvious in that Motorhead helps us all to exorcise some demons through the art form of balls-out rock and roll. But also, watching the movie and seeing Lemmy progress throughout the film, it dawns on me that this guy has always just stuck to his guns and never bit in to a trend or a new technology recording-wise. Most of us just sort of naturally change with the times; our style of dress, our take on life and love, the bars we go to and all. Lemmy has changed nothing, bringing to the fore the fact that he just had it right from the beginning.

I am 46, and my oldest brother Jon is 20 years older. Jon was born during WWII, and served himself during the "police action" BEFORE VIETNAM WAS CALLED A WAR! He and I are a full generation apart. I revel in stories he tells me about the '50s or '60s or whatever. My point to this and how it applies to this column is that Lemmy is the exact age of my brother Jon. 66.

Lemmy has lived so much longer than the rest of us, and lived HARD. He has earned every right to preach down to the rest of us, but he never has. He has also earned the right and enough money to retire gracefully if he wished, but he doesn't wish it. "What else would I do?" he says in the movie.

If you are a young musician going to see this film, watch and learn and pay attention. Lemmy is the real deal, as if my opinion makes any difference to guys like this. And for musicians like me, who have been around for a while: Sit back and enjoy and take inspiration from a guy who is out there still kicking ass harder than any of us could, even when we were young enough to think we could take on a whole nation of bad-asses.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/01/without_lemmy_and_motorhead_th.php#more

[muttley]

I follow Duff's column and I think he's just a decent human being, and that's pretty rare.