Duff McKagan's Loaded To Release 'Sick' In April

[AxlReznor]

Listen to the NIN catalog from start to finish, and then tell me he has only one style... there's tons in there.
Also, he goes into a bit of freeform jazz on the Lost Highway soundtrack (track title - Driver Down), and his hip hop work with Saul Williams is some of the best music in that style to come out in years.

And I take it you won't pay attention to pleas to bring this back on-topic... because whether or not Prince is the greatest musician ever has absolutely no relevance to this topic.

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagans Loaded: Sick

The album for your summer?

by Shawn Loeffler
Apr 17, 2009

If you?re looking for a B-side to your summer, Duff McKagan?s Loaded?s Sick is it. I say B-side because while Sick may not be the first album you reach for this summer, it?ll be the one that lurks in the background, the one you prefer and the one you keep in constant rotation. Not to discount the success that Duff McKagan has had with Velvet Revolver, but it?s a shame that former members of great bands who make a go at it for themselves get shoved in a corner and relegated to exist in rock and roll purgatory because amazing albums, such as Sick, often go overlooked and undervalued.

For those who are hoping that Duff McKagan?s Loaded is aiming to recreate the sound of pre-Chinese Democracy Guns N? Roses, this isn?t the album for you. If, however, you want a simple, back-to-the-basics rock album with catchy riffs, traces of punk roots, and junk guitar, then Sick might be your salvation. Lyrically, Sick is an album that makes social commentaries (?Sick?), talks about addiction (?The Slide?), and praises the power of love (?IOU? and ?Wasted Heart?). Musically, it?s sonic and slick with moments of endearment. Yes, Sick has grit, but for an album coming out of rainy Seattle it`s surprisingly hook-driven and L.A. sounding at times; you could almost say it`s Cheap Trick-ish, but with more punk sensibilities. All in all, it sounds cathartic and retrospective.

Duff sounds fantastic on vocals and on guitar, the latter of which approaches the sound of a bluesy Johnny Thunders on ?Wasted Heart.? Although four of the tracks on Sick come from the 2008 EP release Wasted Heart, there are no gaps or jerky movements in its fluidity, except for ?Blind Date Girl,? which sounds out of place with its horn section. Duff?s supporting cast (Mike Squires, Jeff Rouse, and Geoff Reading) is solid and tight, but this is clearly McKagan?s show. Sick`s first single, ?Flatline,? is another criticism of society, but there`s just a bit too much radio-friendly pop in it for my taste.

Summer is about being stripped down; stripped-down girls, stripped -weekends, and stripped-down rock. Sick is stripped-down rock that you can feel in your groin. It`s the kind of noise you want blaring from your car on hot summer days.

http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/duff-mckagans-loaded-sick-75303

[D]

Great review and spot on.

[Gunner80]

u need a music history lesson no offense

Even if you don't like his music, to dismiss his talent is really close minded and short sighted.

I was joking about that - but anyway, I think it's you that needs a music history lesson no offense. I mean if you honestly think Prince is the greatest something is wrong with you.

Who plays,writes and produces everything of the quality he has done?

Most people are great at one maybe two things, he is great at EVERYTHING

that is my point. name me one single indiviudal that can play and do the things different genres of music etc as well as he can and with as much success etc.

We could go back and forth with this - but I can't be bothered to much  - So I'll end it and say you win.  I have my favorites you have yours.

[BurningHills]

Get ?LOADED? with Duff McKagan - Win Guitar, CDs and Personal Phone Call!

Win a copy of Duff McKagan?s Loaded new ?Sick? CD, and qualify to win his autographed guitar AND a personal phone call! 25 winners will get the new ?Sick? CD and one grand prize winner will be chosen to win Duff?s autographed guitar and a personal phone call. Hey, maybe you can ask him about some of your favorite riffs!

Just tell us why you should win the CD, the guitar and the chance to talk to Duff. Entries will be judged on sincerity, humor, and general ?rockness?. Blow us away - in 200 words or less! Only enter once, or your entries will be tossed. And don?t leave those fields blank - how will we get in touch with you when you win the guitar??

About Duff McKagan

Following 2008?s ?Wasted Heart? EP from DUFF MCKAGAN?S LOADED, the band will release, ?Sick? on April 7th. It?s the first full-length studio album in eight years from the former GUNS N? ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER bassist.

Duff McKagan. A man with a big reputation through his involvement with major bands. Guns n? Roses and Velvet Revolver?you know the drill. But this isn?t about mega headlines, superstar status and volcanic ego mania. Loaded isn?t a band merely to fill in time, to allow the famed bassist to massage a hyper publicity drive. This is all about?music!

?When this band started in 1998, I was at college studying business,? recalls McKagan, who actually plays guitar and sings with this lot. ?But I was sickened by all the crap music going around at the time. Seriously, I hated all these big bands who were coming through. So, I put together Loaded to play rock music the way I wanted to do it. We had no great gameplan or philosophy. We just wanted to get into the rehearsal room, begin writing songs and play music we felt.?

To some, Loaded might appear to have a punk rock influence. Actually, this is closer to the mark than you might believe. Forget about the musicality being close to punk, it?s the attitude, as McKagan is keen to explain: ?When I was about 14, I saw The Clash play at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. That was in 1978, and it was amazing. I was expecting this superstar band to come onstage. Instead, the opposite occurred. The Clash were telling everyone that, ?We?re all in this together. The musicians, the fans, we?re part of one family?. That idea?s never left me.?

McKagan has hand-picked the members of this band, feeling that each brings something special into the camp. ?It?s not as if I bumped into all of them on the street and things happened by accident. I saw Geoff Reading play drums with Green Apple Quickstep (a cult mid-1990s Seattle band) and he was just an animal behind the kit. I knew then that I wanted to work with him at some point. Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse (guitar and bass, respectively) I watched with their band Alien Crime Syndicate, and again they really impressed me. ?It?s not that I?ve taken these guys out of other bands, either. It?s not like that in Seattle. Good musicians tend to play in more than one band. And our producer, Martin Feveyear, is also part of the band in many respects. He?s also our tour manager and our live sound engineer! It?s the Seattle way. A small town mentality?.

The band released albums in 1999 and 2001, namely ?Live Episode? and ?Dark Days?, before other commitments meant Loaded were put on the back burner to some extent, although they never split up. ?No way! We?ve been playing Xmas charity shows in Seattle on an annual basis over the last few years,? says McKagan. ?These have been growing in popularity as well. Then last Xmas, we started to talk seriously about doing a record, which is what has led us to this place. Now, I?ve been stockpiling songs for Loaded all the time. I?d write something and store it away for future use, so the idea of doing a new album has always been in my mind.?

The process of working on the new record, has excited Duff beyond expectations. ?We all knew it would be fun to go into the studio (Jupiter in Seattle) and do a new album, but it?s actually been so inspirational. This isn?t a stellar Pink Floyd kinda effort. But it perfectly represents what we do so well.?

An EP, ?Wasted Heart?, has already given everyone a taste of what?s to come, and the foursome?s togetherness is reflected in the fact that they took the opportunity to work on fresh songs during their recent tour of the UK and Europe.

?We practically lived on a tour bus, and we?d break out the acoustic guitars and write some new material. So ?Sick? is constantly evolving.? That tour itself has given Loaded another major boost. ?We never expected the gigs to be so packed, and there were a lot of younger people turning up as well. Everyone seemed to appreciate what we?re about. Gilby Clarke [former Guns n' Roses guitarist] came to see us in Los Angeles at the Viper Room not so long ago, and he couldn?t believe how we did things. He called up the next day and was just amazed that we were so down to earth. No egos. No big star trips. Four guys enjoying the music and loving being in the same band.

?To me, Loaded is a group of equals. This isn?t a solo project where I pay some hired hands to play my songs. I might have the name, but we?re a real band. These guys aren?t afraid of me. And people are coming to the shows because they like Loaded, not because they?re fans of something else I?ve done.?

So, how would McKagan sum up this band for those who?ve never seen or heard them before? ?Loaded is the band to make you realize how seriously the music industry takes itself.?

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

For more info, check out:
Duff McKagans?s official website, http://duff-loaded.com/
What do you win?

25 Wiinners each get:

(1) copy of Duff McKagan?s Loaded new ?Sick? CD

AND

One GRAND PRIZE WIINNER gets the ?Sick? CD AND Duff?s autographed guitar AND a personal phone call!!

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

http://houseofhaironline.com/2009/03/get-loaded-with-duff-mckagan-win-guitar-cds/

I won one of the autographed CD's! 

[greendog]

1.Trent cannot even come close to playing Guitar like Prince, He is a one style pony also. he can't do R and B, Funk, Jazz etc

he has nowhere the timeless electic catalog that Prince has.

Yeah... Pretty Hate Machine sounds just like The Fragile and The Downward Spiral sounds just like Ghosts I-IV and Still sounds just like With_Teeth ... What made you say that Trents a one style pony?
In short, they're both talented mother fuckers. Both do their own thing really well and they are both super talented.

Now for my opinion on things, Princes' music is a lot more stale. Disagree with that if you want, it doesn't matter - Personal opinion and all that.

[D]

I wasn't talking about preference in  music, just that he is a better overall musician

just because someone is a better musician doesnt mean you have to like them or their style more. I mean he plays 23 different instruments proficiently and has mastered pretty much every style on an album. he has written classic all time hits in various different styles from Rock to R and B to Funk.

[greendog]

I wasn't talking about preference in  music, just that he is a better overall musician

just because someone is a better musician doesnt mean you have to like them or their style more. I mean he plays 23 different instruments proficiently and has mastered pretty much every style on an album. he has written classic all time hits in various different styles from Rock to R and B to Funk.

I wasn't talking about preference in music, until the last point, which didn't matter to the overall conversation.
You still haven't clarified how Trent is a 'one style pony'.

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff and Krist Novoselic hosted the Ron and Don show 97.3 KIRO in Seattle on April 16th.  Audio available under "podcast"...

Thursday afternoon, Krist Novoselic, from Nirvana, and Duff McKagan, from Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver, will be taking over "The Ron and Don Show" for a couple hours from 5-7 PM. Make sure to tune in for updates on all of their current projects.

http://710kiro.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=110

Here is some video of the appearance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_whfwVnnYX8&feature=player_embedded

[FunkyMonkey]

Maybe someone else will win. 

Duff McKagan?s Loaded have just released Sick and to celebrate, the band and Altsounds.com is giving one lucky winner a brand new axe from the folks at ESP Guitars!

http://www.totalassault.com/contests/id/02007/

[D]

I wasn't talking about preference in  music, just that he is a better overall musician

just because someone is a better musician doesnt mean you have to like them or their style more. I mean he plays 23 different instruments proficiently and has mastered pretty much every style on an album. he has written classic all time hits in various different styles from Rock to R and B to Funk.

I wasn't talking about preference in music, until the last point, which didn't matter to the overall conversation.
You still haven't clarified how Trent is a 'one style pony'.

Just seems he uses Pro Tools and Synthesizers to create the majority of his sounds. If I am wrong with certain albums I apologize. I am only going by what I've heard.

Prince is the modern day Mozart. The horn section stuff he creates is just beautiful and his guitar playing is far superior to Trents. Prince also is the better bassist, better piano player. There isnt any instrument Trent could play better than Prince on.


If u could point me to a guitar solo or something that Trent has done or give me two songs with very differing styles.

Prince has ran the gamut and has done it all very successfully.

[Trist805]

Just want to say that Prince is the much better musician.  The songs he has written are way better than "Head Like a Hole", or "Closer".   Trent has written a few cool songs but he is nowhere near the composer, or musician, that Prince is.  Vocally Prince is way better too.    Some people would even argue that he is one of the top guitarists ever, esp. in his early days.   I'm not even really a fan but I can appreciate his talent.   

Plus I doubt Trent Reznor could kick Charley Murphy's ass at basketball 

[greendog]

I wasn't talking about preference in  music, just that he is a better overall musician

just because someone is a better musician doesnt mean you have to like them or their style more. I mean he plays 23 different instruments proficiently and has mastered pretty much every style on an album. he has written classic all time hits in various different styles from Rock to R and B to Funk.

I wasn't talking about preference in music, until the last point, which didn't matter to the overall conversation.
You still haven't clarified how Trent is a 'one style pony'.

Just seems he uses Pro Tools and Synthesizers to create the majority of his sounds. If I am wrong with certain albums I apologize. I am only going by what I've heard.

Prince is the modern day Mozart. The horn section stuff he creates is just beautiful and his guitar playing is far superior to Trents. Prince also is the better bassist, better piano player. There isnt any instrument Trent could play better than Prince on.


If u could point me to a guitar solo or something that Trent has done or give me two songs with very differing styles.

Prince has ran the gamut and has done it all very successfully.

Here's two songs with different styles... (i could pick more, but you specifically asked for two)

Happiness in Slavery
28 Ghosts IV

I'm really not looking to start an argument or anything, but don't go down the route of "better pianist", "better guitarist" etc. That proves nothing. I've heard songs with ONE chord that sound better (in my opinion) than some complex, 'brilliantly' composed classical orchestrations. It shouldn't matter how gifted you are at wanking off a guitar fretboard... it's song writing that matters. And as I've witnessed many times on this board (eg. Slash VS Buckethead) it's down to personal opinion and personal preference.

Guitar solos are pretty sparse within NIN material, however there are a few that are awesome. Though I get the impression you're wanting to hear Trent spaz his fingers out and wank the fretboard stupid amounts, so I won't bother with that, as that's not what he does. So in your eyes, Trent already fails at being the 'better' musician.

Doesn't really matter.

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan's Loaded @ The Cannery Ballroom Nashville April 18th - video concert reviews

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-2edTZY7H0

[FunkyMonkey]

Loaded Free Show

Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver will be performing a FREE, live, all-ages acoustic set at Rock Bottom Music Augusta, GA on the corner of Broad at 8th street with Duff?s new band ?Loaded? on Wednesday April, 22 at 5:00 P.M.!!!! This will be a very rare acoustic performance and a real treat for Guns N? Roses/Velvet Revolver/Loaded fans! Members of the 95 Rock team will be present. Duff McKagan has sold tens-of millions of albums throughout his career and has performed on ?The Rock Album of the Year? numerous times! Duff will be autographing a Fender Duff McKagan signature series bass to be inducted into the ?Rock Bottom Music Walls of Fame? and placed on display with many other rare music artifacts at our 758 Broad Street location in Augusta, GA. ?The Home of James Brown?. THANKS VERY MUCH to 95 Rock, Steve Hall, the many music fans and supporters in the C.S.R.A., and the staff of Rock Bottom Music! Without you guys, Augusta just wouldn?t ROCK the same! ?Welcome to the Jungle Baby?! PLEASE let all your friends know NOW! 

http://www.rockbottommusic.com/

[Gunner80]

I wasn't talking about preference in  music, just that he is a better overall musician

just because someone is a better musician doesnt mean you have to like them or their style more. I mean he plays 23 different instruments proficiently and has mastered pretty much every style on an album. he has written classic all time hits in various different styles from Rock to R and B to Funk.

I wasn't talking about preference in music, until the last point, which didn't matter to the overall conversation.
You still haven't clarified how Trent is a 'one style pony'.

Just seems he uses Pro Tools and Synthesizers to create the majority of his sounds. If I am wrong with certain albums I apologize. I am only going by what I've heard.

Prince is the modern day Mozart. The horn section stuff he creates is just beautiful and his guitar playing is far superior to Trents. Prince also is the better bassist, better piano player. There isnt any instrument Trent could play better than Prince on.


If u could point me to a guitar solo or something that Trent has done or give me two songs with very differing styles.

Prince has ran the gamut and has done it all very successfully.

For the record Prince is no Mozart!!!!

[FunkyMonkey]

Here is some video (partials) of Loaded performing at the Cannery Ballroom on April 18th...

"Wasted Heart"- Duff McKagan's Loaded Live Nashville

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9bFJ1MDzLk

"Flatline"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMGPFf6DG4c

"It's So Easy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1FMwGvCfpI

"Dust N' Bones"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZxDxl82f4

[IzzyDutch]

^ Awesome.. also the other tunes in the links there, they're having lots of fun

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan's Loaded Interview

Date: 2009-04-21 

The Gauntlet:  Where you at, sounds like a party?

Duff: Sorry, just ignore the background noise. We are getting something to eat here in Jacksonville Florida. It is nice out here, right on the beach.


The Gauntlet: How is the tour?

Duff: We just started in Nashville on Saturday and it was killer. We are playing some good shows. A lot of places I haven?t played before. I really like bringing this music to new people. It is going to be a challenge though in the states. Places like UK and Japan, word about bands travels quick. I think because of the geography.


The Gauntlet: How is playing the smaller stage?

Duff: I have always liked that. I think the perfect gig is the small theater. I have played all the different sized venues. There is something about playing the small, packed, sweaty venues though that is great.


The Gauntlet: After the US tour, you head to Europe?

Duff: Yeah, after these shows, we will play some really big shows in Europe like Download, Rock Am Ring and Rock Am Park. The reception has been really great so far and we can tell the word travels. A lot of people think that I have been in really big bands for so long, why would I want to go through this shit all over again. There is nothing better than when you create something and watch it spread. I don?t know if I?ll ever outgrow it.


The Gauntlet: You have been such a success in Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver, why put yourself out there.

Duff: I always put myself out there. It is the only way for me.

The Gauntlet: But this time, your name is on the band, this is your success or your failure.

Duff: Totally. I am totally stoked with the record we made. It is the most inspired piece of music I have been involved with in a long time. Commercially successful, that is anybody?s guess. Do I feel that it is a judgment on me? I don?t give a fuck. There are people who come to see us who dig it and that is all I can ask for.


The Gauntlet: You don?t need to go platinum for it to be considered successful like with other bands you have been in.

Duff: [laughs] I don?t think bands go platinum these days. We made the record for like $20k. The break even for the record is 3,000 units. If we sold 50,000 records by the end of the year, I?d be in shock. We are on an indie label, so selling 20,000 albums would make me happy, that and going out on tour with packed 500 and 1,000 seat rooms.


The Gauntlet: What lead you to sign with Century Media, great label but your band sticks out.

Duff: Yeah. When we started putting the songs together last summer, I was pretty beat up. The last few months with Scott [Weiland] were pretty brutal for me. I am a no bullshit kind of guy and I was forced to deal with a lot of bullshit. I can deal with bullshit just fine, but having the drama swirling around at all times was too much. I have seen enough of that in my life in other bands. This is not a comment on Scott, it is just drama. After all that, I went back to Seattle and just wanted to get back to some simplicity. Loaded has been a part of my life for the last ten years or so. We started putting some songs together again and got to the point of asking ourselves how we wanted to put this thing out. We were working with Bongload Records, a really small label and then Century Media came in and said they wanted to put this out. They wanted to work a rock & roll record. We will see how they do. We are more mainstream than the rest of their acts.


The Gauntlet: Was the album already completed or were you still in the studio when Century Media first heard it?

Duff: Yeah, we were working on it. I don?t know what they heard. I think they might have heard the song ?Sick? though. We were in and out of the studio in like 9 days. It was really quick. It was an easy decision to go with them and the decision wasn?t over thought at all. I just wanted to make sure the album was in the stores in the cities we are playing in.


The Gauntlet: Did you listen to a lot of British rock growing up?

Duff: Yeah I did. The chemistry of the band really came together and it really came to an apex before we put the songs together. They were more influenced by me I suppose. My influences run the gambit from Thin Lizzy to The Stooges. Mike Squires is really into indie shit and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Our music is varied but this is just the Loaded sound. It might sound like the 70?s British bands but it isn?t on purpose.


The Gauntlet: Do you enjoy singing or being more in the background?

Duff: I actually like it. I like to sing. I have become comfortable with my range lately. When we play live, I drink a bunch of Red Bull. I have a rapport with the audience and tell a lot of jokes. I keep it fun all the time. It is just a different way for me to look at music. When I hit the stage playing bass, I have a completely different mindset than when I am singing. There is an art form to all of it. Being a good bass player takes a lot out of you, just like being a good drummer or singer does. I think there is a big misconception that singers are more talented or working harder. There is no difference as far as effort level. Just look at John Paul Jones, he was the genius behind Led Zeppelin. I think it is actually easier to sing and play rhythm guitar than to sing and play bass. I would know.


The Gauntlet: Why not Loaded, why Duff McKagan?s Loaded?

Duff: Because the band out voted me. They thought this record would be the one that gets us across the threshold here in America. I don?t know if I agree with them or not on the name, but here we are.


The Gauntlet: Nothing to do with Slash having the Snakepit, Izzy having the Ju Ju Hounds, or Steven Adler having Adler?s Appetite? Seems to be a common thing amongst the GNR guys.

Duff: I wasn?t going for that, no. It wasn?t my idea. [Duff begins having a conversation with Mike Squires] What are you looking at me for like that? It wasn?t my idea.

Mike Squires: It wasn?t our idea either.

Duff: Then whose idea was it?

Mike: It was the promoter?s. We all decided together that we agreed.

Duff: No, you guys decided. I sat there begrudgingly saying that it was gay.

Mike: Nobody wanted to put your name up there in lights.

Duff: I think you wanted to, I think it is gay myself Jason [me].

The Gauntlet: I?ll stand up for you, the few times we have met, you came across very low key and no ego at all.

Duff: Yeah, because I am a singer now I might have to get an attitude.

Mike: We aren?t in a hurry for that.

http://www.thegauntlet.com/interviews/4205/Duff-McKagans-Loaded.html

[FunkyMonkey]

DUFF MCKAGAN Interviewed On X106.3 WAMX; Audio Available - Apr. 23, 2009

Erik of the X106.3 WAMX radio station in Huntington, West Virginia recently conducted an interview with VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan. The 11-and-a-half-minute chat is available for download as an MP3 audio file at this location.

Duff McKagan's side band, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, performed a FREE, all-ages acoustic set yesterday (Wednesday, April 22) at Rock Bottom Music in Augusta, Georgia on the corner of Broad at 8th Street. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

Video: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=118667