Slash Responds To "Cancer" Remark

[FunkyMonkey]

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a 'Cancer'

Posted on Apr 6th 2010

It's no secret that Axl Rose is not the biggest fan of his former Guns 'N Roses bandmate Slash.

Though the two haven't spoken face to face since Slash's departure from the legendary group back in 1996, both have spent the ensuing time using the media to discuss each others' exploits.

While neither has been complimentary, it was Rose who took the feud to a whole new level when, in an interview with long-time friend and former road manager Del James, first published on Spinner, he called his band's former guitarist a "cancer."

"There's zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn't be pretty," Rose told James. "There is the distinct possibility that having his intentions in regard to me so deeply ingrained and his personal, though guarded, distaste for much of 'Appetite [For Destruction,' the band's Diamond-certified debut album] ' other than his or Duff's playing, Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after 'Lies.' In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided -- and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better."

At the time, Slash simply shrugged off the accusation, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal that it didn't really affect him. Now, for the first time, the guitarist reveals his true feelings on the matter and the man with whom he co-wrote some of rock's biggest hits.

"For one, I've never said anything derogatory about anyone's performance on 'Appetite,'" Slash tells Spinner. "So right from the start it's just off."

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

Slash's self-titled solo debut album is out April 6 and you can hear it right now on Spinner's CD Listening Party.

http://www.spinner.com/2010/04/06/slash-axl-rose-cancer/

[IzzyDutch]

Nicely said..

No one should use the word cancer in calling names etc. it's childish and hurtfull. In Holland people (especially kids) say the word 'Cancersufferer' (literally translated) alot, they have no idea how stupid it makes them sound.

[Ali]

Nicely said..

No one should use the word cancer in calling names etc. it's childish and hurtfull. In Holland people (especially kids) say the word 'Cancersufferer' (literally translated) alot, they have no idea how stupid it makes them sound.

I have zero problem with the remark by Axl because I understood what his point was.  He feels Slash is a toxic presence in his life and like a cancerous tumor, it's better that Slash is removed from his life.  He was the word 'cancer' in a metaphorical sense.  It's a very understandable metaphor to me and if it helps to clearly illustrate how he feels about Slash then I don't see the harm in expressing himself that way.

I have felt that way about several people in my own life.  Could it be hurtful to use that word for people who have dealt with cancer?  Sure.  But, it wasn't making fun of cancer.  It was using cancer as a metaphor.  By the same token, I wouldn't blame survivors of cancer or those who have had loved ones die of cancer for being upset with the choice of words.

Ali

[LunsJail]

I have to say that I always had a problem with this since that Axl interview. Absolutely fuckin terrible choice of words. It seems like Slash responded pretty gracefully though.

[GypsySoul]

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a 'Cancer'

Posted on Apr 6th 2010

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

So he's saying that not only does he understand the use of the word in that metaphor, he's also agreeing with that description of himself?

[Mr. Dick Purple]

I thought the same thing, is like he's accepting how Axl's calling him? 

[Dayle1066]

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a 'Cancer'

Posted on Apr 6th 2010

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

So he's saying that not only does he understand the use of the word in that metaphor, he's also agreeing with that description of himself?

He's turning it on its head by saying that he's not going away and is going to keep doing what he is doing. Thats how I took it anyway.

[Ali]

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a 'Cancer'

Posted on Apr 6th 2010

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

So he's saying that not only does he understand the use of the word in that metaphor, he's also agreeing with that description of himself?

He's turning it on its head by saying that he's not going away and is going to keep doing what he is doing. Thats how I took it anyway.

If anything, he's turning it on its head because that isn't what Axl meant, at least to me.  What Axl meant is that Slash is a cancerous, toxic presence to him and like a cancerous tumor, his life is better with Slash removed from it.  Slash is turning that around and saying that he's like a cancer in that he won't go away, or his spectre won't go away.

Ali

[sleeper]

I have to say that I always had a problem with this since that Axl interview. Absolutely fuckin terrible choice of words. It seems like Slash responded pretty gracefully though.

Agreed love Axl but when I first read his interview that remark made me sick. On a lighter note after Slash's remarks in this article and after some of Axl's posts I think I have figured out what the problems is between them. When they did speak to each other neither one of them could understand what the other one was saying. They both need an interpreter!  

[GypsySoul]

They both need an interpreter!  

Them and us! 

[Ali]

Admittedly, when I first saw that remark by Axl, I thought it was over the top in terms of its brutality.  Once the initial shock wore off and I thought about his overall point and the use of the word as a metaphor, it ceased to bother me. 

I think almost everyone has had someone in their life that they would regard as a cancerous and toxic presence in their lives and that they'd be better, or have been better, with that presence removed from their lives.  It certainly is not a nice or pleasant thought or experience, but one that I'm sure many can understand and relate to.

Ali

[D]

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a 'Cancer'

Posted on Apr 6th 2010

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

So he's saying that not only does he understand the use of the word in that metaphor, he's also agreeing with that description of himself?

I take it how a person on Mygnr said it:

Slash is basically saying his presence makes things very difficult for Axl, as so many people don't consider any version of Guns N' Roses legitimate without him. If he were to have disappeared completely after leaving the band, it might have made things easier for Axl ? but he didn't. Slash chose to do the solo thing, remain visibile, and he's been a pop culture icon for more than twenty years. Even after a decade since his departure, he's still so deeply a part of Guns N' Roses. He's acknowledging how much that pisses off Axl, but he doesn't give much of a shit because he's "not going anywhere"..

-Kickingthehabit

[Bodhi]

So let me get this straight, Slash said something about the playing on "Appetite" in homeroom? or was it study hall?  Then the cancer comment was made during social studies or was it gym class?  I originally heard that it was Slash who started shit during kickball, then it escalated during lunch.  This is confusing.  Anyone?

[makane]

Admittedly, when I first saw that remark by Axl, I thought it was over the top in terms of its brutality.  Once the initial shock wore off and I thought about his overall point and the use of the word as a metaphor, it ceased to bother me. 

I think almost everyone has had someone in their life that they would regard as a cancerous and toxic presence in their lives and that they'd be better, or have been better, with that presence removed from their lives.  It certainly is not a nice or pleasant thought or experience, but one that I'm sure many can understand and relate to.

Ali

Maybe you should do a few more post trying to justify what Axl did. You will eventually believe it yourself and then everything is good in the lala-land.

It was incredibly insensitive and tasteless, especially considering the situation Slash was in.

[MrMojoRa]

Media is "the cancer".

I'm guessing Slash & Axl would love to shut the fuck up already about each other, but the media will NEVER let it die.

I like the word "toxic" more than "cancer" when using it in an expression. But whatever already. Who is really thinking about the Slash/Axl fued when listening to AFD, CD, or Slash?

It's the fuckin' media who ain't even listening to the music, just creating drama is all.

[Smoking Guns]

Admittedly, when I first saw that remark by Axl, I thought it was over the top in terms of its brutality.  Once the initial shock wore off and I thought about his overall point and the use of the word as a metaphor, it ceased to bother me. 

I think almost everyone has had someone in their life that they would regard as a cancerous and toxic presence in their lives and that they'd be better, or have been better, with that presence removed from their lives.  It certainly is not a nice or pleasant thought or experience, but one that I'm sure many can understand and relate to.

Ali

Maybe you should do a few more post trying to justify what Axl did. You will eventually believe it yourself and then everything is good in the lala-land.

It was incredibly insensitive and tasteless, especially considering the situation Slash was in.

+1  Hammer has been dropped.

[Ali]

Admittedly, when I first saw that remark by Axl, I thought it was over the top in terms of its brutality.  Once the initial shock wore off and I thought about his overall point and the use of the word as a metaphor, it ceased to bother me. 

I think almost everyone has had someone in their life that they would regard as a cancerous and toxic presence in their lives and that they'd be better, or have been better, with that presence removed from their lives.  It certainly is not a nice or pleasant thought or experience, but one that I'm sure many can understand and relate to.

Ali

Maybe you should do a few more post trying to justify what Axl did. You will eventually believe it yourself and then everything is good in the lala-land.

It was incredibly insensitive and tasteless, especially considering the situation Slash was in.

Considering what situation Slash was in?  That his mother had cancer?  What makes you even think Axl knew that?

It's only insensitive or tasteless if Axl knew about that and made the comment anyway.  And still, you're taking the word out of the context in which it was used.  In reality, at worst it was a poor choice of words.  It obviously had nothing to do with cancer in the literal sense.  And if you're looking for good taste and decorum, I suggest you review the history of Guns N' Roses because that was never what they have been about.

At the end of the day, Axl knows Slash and dealt with him for years, and vice versa.  They have their feelings about each other and while they may not be polite or nice, no one here has any right to say that how they feel about each other is either right or wrong.  A factual disagreement is another story altogether.

Was it a polite or courteous remark?  No, of course not.  But, all I'm saying is I get the point he was making about how he views Slash's presence in his life and how that relates to the impossibility of a reunion.  It was a poor choice of words at worst.  There is no reason to think that Axl knew anything about Slash's mom's cancer.  However, like I said before, I don't blame Slash for being upset at the choice of words considering his mom's passing due to cancer.  It seems that part of what I said was conveniently overlooked 

There is no hammer to be dropped, Smoking Guns 

Ali

[Judas Fuckin Priest]

"intelligent" answer from Slash. This makes Axl looks like an asshole.

[Bridge]

The other comment that nobody here has addressed yet is Slash's refutation of Axl's essential "Slash hated AFD" comment.  I always felt Axl's comments in that sense were a calculated, subtle attempt to discredit Slash's contributions to GNR, especially given Axl's further comments that Slash shouldn't have been in the band or should've left after GNR Lies.  To me, that's hugely discrediting Slash's contributions on the Use Your Illusion albums.  It doesn't matter how hard Axl allegedly had to work to get Slash to play on songs like "Estranged" and "November Rain", truth is, Slash did play on those songs and those albums and they wouldn't have been the same without him.

Whether or not Slash and Axl got along all the time (or never got along, or however their relationship went) is ultimately irrelevant.  The blunt, brutally honest truth -- which may just kill Axl and his devotees to admit -- is that GNR would've been D.O.A. without Slash, and alternatively, if Slash had quit in 1988, GNR would've been a dead duck at that time.  It would've hit GNR fans between the eyes like a freight train and the UYI albums and tours wouldn't have been anywhere near as monumental.

Slash leaving the band in 1986 or 1988 as Axl suggested would've resulted in exactly the same thing as what actually did happen when Slash left in 1996 -- over a decade of virtual inactivity for the GNR name and the only resurgence being a much-delayed (and grossly overhyped) album from an entirely new band (save Axl), both of which were received by the world a fraction as well as the classic GNR lineup and their albums.

[Ali]

The other comment that nobody here has addressed yet is Slash's refutation of Axl's essential "Slash hated AFD" comment.  I always felt Axl's comments in that sense were a calculated, subtle attempt to discredit Slash's contributions to GNR, especially given Axl's further comments that Slash shouldn't have been in the band or should've left after GNR Lies.  To me, that's hugely discrediting Slash's contributions on the Use Your Illusion albums.  It doesn't matter how hard Axl allegedly had to work to get Slash to play on songs like "Estranged" and "November Rain", truth is, Slash did play on those songs and those albums and they wouldn't have been the same without him.

Whether or not Slash and Axl got along all the time (or never got along, or however their relationship went) is ultimately irrelevant.  The blunt, brutally honest truth -- which may just kill Axl and his devotees to admit -- is that GNR would've been D.O.A. without Slash, and alternatively, if Slash had quit in 1988, GNR would've been a dead duck at that time.  It would've hit GNR fans between the eyes like a freight train and the UYI albums and tours wouldn't have been anywhere near as monumental.

Slash leaving the band in 1986 or 1988 as Axl suggested would've resulted in exactly the same thing as what actually did happen when Slash left in 1996 -- over a decade of virtual inactivity for the GNR name and the only resurgence being a much-delayed (and grossly overhyped) album from an entirely new band (save Axl), both of which were received by the world a fraction as well as the classic GNR lineup and their albums.

Hate to knock you off your soapbox, but Slash has criticized Izzy's playing on record in the past.

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=13

During Appetite..., Lies and Use Your... I had to put up with Izzy the whole time. I never liked playing with him. It was wonderful to escape him on this record. It sounds tighter and so much cooler than anything we've done before. I always got irritated over Izzy's way of playing. It didn't sound right. Before "Spaghetti", we erased his guitar and Gilby put on a new one. It sounded perfect!

So, he didn't really refute anything.  At least, accurately.

Ali