Slash 'Scott Weiland is like George Bush to me ? I like him now that he?s gone'

[FunkyMonkey]

?Scott Weiland is like George Bush to me ? I like him now that he?s gone??

16/07/2009

Exclusive! Slash on Weiland, Velvets, and the new album?

Words: Scott Rowley

Slash was unhappy throughout his entire career in Velvet Revolver ? and working on his forthcoming solo album has given him a new creative lease of life. The former GN?R/VR guitarist has been talking to Classic Rock about the dissolution of VR and how the band?s split with Scott Weiland pushed him work by himself on a solo album.

?Now at this point I can talk about it,? says Slash. ?I always support whatever group I?m playing with ? I?ll never say anything bad about them while I?m in it. But fuckin Velvet Revolver ? that was the toughest five years, dealing with that band, just because of the obvious [Weiland] and really, really bad management. Joke management for the entire time.

?For some reason in that entire five years I could never be happy. I could never get comfortable and happy with it because it was such a fucking mess. That last tour in the UK was the first time I ever had any fun in that band ? because I knew that Scott was leaving and it was a huge relief.

?But, all things considered, Scott to me is now like George Bush ? y?know, I like him now that he?s not here. I have nothing bad to say about Scott, but he doesn?t work well with others in a group situation. So towards the end I had written a bunch of music and there were a lot of restrictions because of him writing in Velvet and a lot of stuff that I wanted to do was just sort of squelched. Y?know Slither happened and Fall To Pieces and a couple of other songs I wrote, but it didn?t have the direction that the group ? especially before Scott came into it ? really set off in. Especially on that last record ? which I still think is a good record, but was a lot mellower than [I would have liked].

?Anyway, so I was writing a lot of material and on that last UK tour I started taping a lot of stuff and when I got home I was like, ?I need to get away from this group situation ? I just need to be in control of something and do things my own way?. So it was a relief. And we?ll see ? it?s not really about trying to make the biggest record in the world, but I will support it. I?ll go out there and do what I have to do to make sure that people go out there and listen to it cos I think it?s a cool record.?

How will that affect Velvet Revolver?

?Well Duff?s on tour, I?m doing my record, so it?s sort of at a standstill. I haven?t heard any amazing submissions from singers as of late, so I might? Y?know, Velvet when it finds the right guy will be amazing, but I?m in no rush. I?m not freaking out ? because that?s how we got Scott in the first place. He was the first decent guy that came up.?

After the Norway gig everyone is going to think Franky Perez is the guy.

?I thought about that. Yeah, Franky?s fucking bad ass. You know, he did some time with Velvet but I think because I was so preoccupied with my record nothing really came of it. Anyway, we?ll see what happens. When my record comes out there?s going to be a lot of different things that I can do so what happens as far as Velvet is concerned ? we?re going to be on a hiatus until we lock together and say, ?Hey, these are our options, let?s see what we?re going to do?. I don?t know if Franky is going to be the guy or what ? he?s just a really, really good singer. Even Ozzy came up and said, ?Who the fuck is that guy? He?s fucking great!? He actually said: ?What the fuck am I doing up here? He?s the one that should be singing???

In Norway, Franky Perez confirmed that he had worked with VR in the last six months: ?I?ve probably known Slash a little under a year. We have this mutual friend and we?ve run into each other a few times but we met ? actually met, met ? about six months ago. And then I was working with Velvet Revolver for a little bit and then Slash started doing his solo record??

So you worked with VR after Weiland left?

?Yes. So I got to hang out with all the guys and started working with them and then about the same Slash had to work on his solo project and Duff was doing Loaded so that dissipated, but the great thing is that I got to have a great relationship with Slash.?

Did he realise that the internet was going to be filled with ?Franky-is-the-new-Velvet-Revolver-frontman? stories?

The singer just smiles and shrugs: ?Well, you know, if the opportunity comes around, I?m ready.?

For a full interview with Slash & Friends, see Classic Rock 136, onsale 19 August.

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/%E2%80%9Cscott-weiland-is-like-george-bush-to-me-%E2%80%93-i-like-him-now-that-he%E2%80%99s-gone%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D/


Thanks to Rage in the Cage (I just noticed you posted the link)

[FunkyMonkey]

Slash was unhappy throughout his entire career in Velvet Revolver

?For some reason in that entire five years I could never be happy. I could never get comfortable and happy with it because it was such a fucking mess.

I didn't realize that things were that bad...for that long. 

[gunner22]

Really interesting inteview. I think it's gonna take a long time but someday VR will find the right guy.


God how many times I've heard: Slash is happy now doing VR and Axl is over there firing and hiring musicians everyday with his syndroms and behaviours....

also... this sounds familiar ?I need to get away from this group situation ? I just need to be in control of something and do things my own way?.

[Jdog0830]

Really interesting inteview. I think it's gonna take a long time but someday VR will find the right guy.


God how many times I've heard: Slash is happy now doing VR and Axl is over there firing and hiring musicians everyday with his syndroms and behaviours....

also... this sounds familiar ‘I need to get away from this group situation – I just need to be in control of something and do things my own way’.

Good point even though in his book he constanly says he hates being in a leadership role when he dosent have to in a band so I dont know...

[faldor]

Really interesting inteview. I think it's gonna take a long time but someday VR will find the right guy.


God how many times I've heard: Slash is happy now doing VR and Axl is over there firing and hiring musicians everyday with his syndroms and behaviours....

also... this sounds familiar ?I need to get away from this group situation ? I just need to be in control of something and do things my own way?.

Good points.  Slash gave off the perception that he was happy in VR, except of course for the ill fated night when he visited Axl's house and badmouthed the VR members.  Anyone doubt that story now?  Of course I can understand him denying that story and ultimately not coming out and saying he was unhappy the whole time while it was going on.  He tried his best to make it work but it just didn't work out.

As for control, it seems that Slash does NEED that control every once in awhile.  He can take a backseat or secondary role for a bit, but not for too long.  I'd love to see VR get back together and get something good going again, but if they're all at a happier place with this time apart, that's better for everyone.  We can all wait till the time is right.

[lynn1961]

^^ Totally agree, there!

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything. I think he made a good point when he said  "it didn?t have the direction that the group ? especially before Scott came into it ? really set off in. Especially on that last record ? which I still think is a good record, but was a lot mellower than [I would have liked]."

I think that's probably pretty accurate.  I'd like to see them go in a much edgier, harder direction and that I think that's what they did set out to do.  Started sounding very STP'ish.  Love STP, but I think VR could do better/different. I thought Contraband was very good.   Libertad was ok - could have been better.  Who knows what will happen, but I'd like to see them find the best man for the job and continue to make music together.     

[jacdaniel]

Yeah, after this interview i am finally seeing why they are being so careful not to rush into anything! 

And i think we can all agree that VR would rock if they went heavier, more along the lines of slither and DLT!

[FunkyMonkey]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

[Smoking Guns]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

That is because Slash is anti-confrontational... So he is more likely to go with flow than buck system...

[Jim Bob]

anti-truth is more like it

[chineseblues]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

That is because Slash is anti-confrontational... So he is more likely to go with flow than buck system...

I think it's more like he didn't want to say or do anything while the band was popular and making him money. Once the vast majority of people didn't care about them any more he decided to do something. If libertad would have been a hit, Scott would still be in the band no matter how drugged out he was and slash never would be saying these things now.

[kobys]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

That is because Slash is anti-confrontational... So he is more likely to go with flow than buck system...

I think it's more like he didn't want to say or do anything while the band was popular and making him money. Once the vast majority of people didn't care about them any more he decided to do something. If libertad would have been a hit, Scott would still be in the band no matter how drugged out he was and slash never would be saying these things now.

Are you serious? Slash already had plenty of money long before VR. Slash could have never done one more single thing after Snake Pit and still lived nice and comfy for the rest of his life. If Libertad had been the best selling album of all time I still think that Scott would have been history. Apparently Scott was way too hard to deal with no matter how much money and popularity VR had. Look at Van Halen with DLR. 1984 was their last album together and their best selling one with DLR. At that time VH was still extremely popular and a hit album and popularity weren't enough to make them keep Dave. Getting back to VR I think that Scott made life Hell for his other band members and Slash was just more vocal about it than the others in the band.

[Guitar1281]

anti-truth is more like it

Well he seems to be anti-truth when hes actually in the situation so there comes the anti-confrontation part. I mean its like if you were having troubles with your wife would you go around saying oh man shes such a bitch to everyone and complaining about their bad habits to people who you know are going to tell your spouse only to make things worth. Probably not, a band is a human relationship that if you have faith in it you try and are willing to compromise and not spread your stories to everyone else, so if he thought that Velvet with Scott had great potential he wasn't going to say anything hoping they could figure it out rather than just end it without trying.

[rabia]

the only part of slash's words that is surprising to me is the fact that he didnt abide by his usual "cool guy" image. what is so hypocritical about this statement is that he keeps saying that he "has nothing bad to say about scott" at the same that he's comparing him to george bush, saying that he's not a team player and that slash just couldnt wait to get rid of him as soon as the tour ended.

scott weiland wasnt an imposition from the outside. matt, slash and duff chose him out of countless candidates knowing his drug problems very well. he literally walked out of court-ordered rehab to work on Fall to Pieces and then went back. its interesting that weiland's drug problems became intolerable when, by slash's own admission in his book, he himself was battling an OxyContin addiction at the time and duff had a short struggle with painkillers. matt too according to weiland had trips to rehab.

it seems that slash's statements take whatever form that is convenient at the time. here he says that Libertad was a creatively stifling experience for him but in his book he said that the chemistry during the making of that record was even more amazing than the making of AFD and everyone was contributing in an extremely nurturing and positive environment. its one thing to publicly make things sound all nicey nice for the sake of your band but its another to make such a hyperbolic statement in 2007 and then express complete unfulfillment two years later.

it was 3 against 1 in VR and the idea that scott somehow forced the others to follow his vision is a strange idea. conveniently, it absolves slash from all responsibility for the failure of Libertad. 

[chineseblues]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

That is because Slash is anti-confrontational... So he is more likely to go with flow than buck system...

I think it's more like he didn't want to say or do anything while the band was popular and making him money. Once the vast majority of people didn't care about them any more he decided to do something. If libertad would have been a hit, Scott would still be in the band no matter how drugged out he was and slash never would be saying these things now.

Are you serious? Slash already had plenty of money long before VR. Slash could have never done one more single thing after Snake Pit and still lived nice and comfy for the rest of his life.

Actually Slash was the one who said he wanted to do VR for the money. I believe he said it during the VH1 documentary thing they did (or some interview where he was in the back of a limo).

[D]

Kind of surprising statements by Slash, but it makes sense to me, considering everything.

It was surprising to me as well.  I thought the problems with Scott were more at the end of VR, and Scott has said "Slash and I always got on pretty well."

That is because Slash is anti-confrontational... So he is more likely to go with flow than buck system...

I think it's more like he didn't want to say or do anything while the band was popular and making him money. Once the vast majority of people didn't care about them any more he decided to do something. If libertad would have been a hit, Scott would still be in the band no matter how drugged out he was and slash never would be saying these things now.

Are you serious? Slash already had plenty of money long before VR. Slash could have never done one more single thing after Snake Pit and still lived nice and comfy for the rest of his life.

Actually Slash was the one who said he wanted to do VR for the money. I believe he said it during the VH1 documentary thing they did (or some interview where he was in the back of a limo).

I'd have to see a link cause I don't remember that at all.



I pride myself on being "Real" and fair on these forums whether it is Axl, GNR or what not, so I am going to continue that.

This interview makes Slash look bad in my opinion. Now before someone tries to call me a Slash hater which would be the most ridiculous thing ever, It just paints Slash in a very bad light. I don't like this much the same way I didn't like Axl calling Slash a cancer.

Slash had a drug problem, THEY CHOSE Scott knowing what they were getting. He also made Libertad to be the greatest album ever, Completely happy with the guitars *the last guy on CB didn't know how to record guitars but Brendan does etc

So I don't like Slash's backtracking here. I think it makes him look bad and not as credible.

[faldor]

the only part of slash's words that is surprising to me is the fact that he didnt abide by his usual "cool guy" image. what is so hypocritical about this statement is that he keeps saying that he "has nothing bad to say about scott" at the same that he's comparing him to george bush, saying that he's not a team player and that slash just couldnt wait to get rid of him as soon as the tour ended.

scott weiland wasnt an imposition from the outside. matt, slash and duff chose him out of countless candidates knowing his drug problems very well. he literally walked out of court-ordered rehab to work on Fall to Pieces and then went back. its interesting that weiland's drug problems became intolerable when, by slash's own admission in his book, he himself was battling an OxyContin addiction at the time and duff had a short struggle with painkillers. matt too according to weiland had trips to rehab.

it seems that slash's statements take whatever form that is convenient at the time. here he says that Libertad was a creatively stifling experience for him but in his book he said that the chemistry during the making of that record was even more amazing than the making of AFD and everyone was contributing in an extremely nurturing and positive environment. its one thing to publicly make things sound all nicey nice for the sake of your band but its another to make such a hyperbolic statement in 2007 and then express complete unfulfillment two years later.

it was 3 against 1 in VR and the idea that scott somehow forced the others to follow his vision is a strange idea. conveniently, it absolves slash from all responsibility for the failure of Libertad. 

Nice post, completely agree.  Slash seems to backtrack quite a bit these days.  Maybe that's a product of being SO accessible to the media.

I agree, if Libertad was a huge hit, Scott would still be in the band and Slash would still be pumping it as the best album ever instead of blaming Scott for its lack of success.  I don't remember hearing any of these negative comments (aside from his visit to Axl's house which he denied at the time) until the writing was on the wall for VR.  Coincidence?  I think not.

[jarmo]

D?j? vu!





/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

Needs to let sleeping dogs lie.  No need for Slash to keep talking about Scott.... Focus on the future...

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Another reason why I can never believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

It's nothing personal, it's just the way it is.