Slash On Surviving Rock And Roll Excesses, Fergie And More...

[FunkyMonkey]

SLASH On Surviving Rock And Roll Excesses, FERGIE And AXL ROSE - Dec. 26, 2010

John Dingwall of California Chronicle recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On performing while under the influence:

Slash: "I'd always been pretty good at being able to play no matter what. I managed to maintain things pretty well. I wasn't a fall-down drunk. But all things considered, I sort of burned out on that. I think I just over excessed and got to the point that I real ly wasn't enjoying it. I finally conquered that demon but it took me years. As a non-drinker and not doing drugs, I find that not being intoxicated at all lends itself to me being sharp. My reflexes are a lot better and my ability to concentrate and hit the notes on the fret board is as immediate as they come to my mind. Everything is more accurate, especially for the live performances which is when I improvise a lot. I find myspontaneity means I am able to connect faster than when I was drinking."

On surviving rock and roll excesses:

Slash: "I'm in perfect shape but it is truly amazing that I am still around. I took that as an omen and figured I'm not going anywhere so I might as well make the best of it. I don't wake up and make a cocktail first thing in the morning these days. I don't have a lot of vices I have to deal with first thing. I was a slave to my addiction, and had to take care of those first, so I don't have that any more. It leaves moretime to be productive."

On the video for his "Beautiful Dangerous" single which features BLACK EYED PEAS beauty Fergie playing a rock groupie-turned-stalker who ties Slash to a bed before deciding to live out her deranged fantasies:

Slash: "It was fun to do, you know. Fergie's great and it was probably the easiest concept shoot that I've done, at least in recent memory. It was several one-day shoots and two locations a block away from each other. I was tied up. It was one of those videos where we had a very loose treatment and idea of what the video was basically about and we just sort of made it up as we went along."

"I've had stalkers, none as crazy or as attractive as Fergie. Stalkers, real stalkers, are no joke or something to laugh at. The real ones tend to be dangerous or psychotic nuisances. This was an exaggeration on a theme. In reality, I havenever been drugged against my will. I have never been tied up against my will. It's always been consensual."

On his solo album, which features an all-star roster of guest vocalists, including Ian Astbury, Myles Kennedy and Kid Rock:

Slash: "I would just write music and put together arrangements and think in my mind's eye who would be the right vocalist for that piece of music. It was quite simple. A lot of people think there's a lot of forethought that goes into these collaborations, like some sort of dream list or something. It's more of a spontaneous sort of thing.

"I always have a guitar by my side and I'm always out in circles where musicians hang out, or I'm in situations where I'm exposed to lots of different artists.

"I jump at the chance to work with people when the opportunity arises. That's basically how these different collaborations happen. When I did the record, though, it was about trying to find the vocalist who was appropriate for each song. So those were very specific.

"It's not really about putting together fantastical partnerships that I think in my imagination would be great. I haven't really done that."

On whether he will ever step into the studio with Axl Rose again:

Slash: "It's been 14 years. I haven't spoken to him in all that time. There really is no relationship. That's why it is frustrating when people ask about band reunions and what's going on. Fourteen years is a long time to not be in a band for people to still be asking about that. Having said t hat, it's an appreciation, I guess, for the band from a lot of fans who care about it that much. It's very flattering that after all that timethat the original lineup still has that appreciation. I try not to scoff about it that much but the Axl question is redundant."

Read the entire interview from California Chronicle.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=151483

[gnrjanus]

Still a shame people ask him that question.
it's been like 15 years since they even saw/spoke each other or what and it's a big known fact how they feel about it and about each other.
move on.... damn.

but about that people still want the orriginal lineup that bothers me because why wouldn't people like it.
It was the greatest band Rock had at the time and the most dangerous.
it exploded but when it was live and kicking it really was going strong! even though everyone knew they would go out with a bang!
they got a contract knowing that this band would not face the faces of time and we know how it all ended up.

but after all that I still think about how would it be now..
they're no longer the drunken fueled band they were back then but still they prob play 10 times better then they did in 89-91.
But still I would love to pay even 200$ for a single show if it was to see the real gnr lineup(Afd Line-up)
and only because it would be the right kick in the nutts people need these days!

Real Rock/Hardrock is bound to come back full scale!
and I would love to be there when it does come back!
and the time MTV Becomes MTV again instead of reality tv show thing... or whatever I haven't even watched mtv in like 15 years!

[Jdog0830]

But it's been 14 years of sarrow it's been 14 years of pain!

 
Couldn't help myself!!!




Joe

[russkwtx]

What about the house visit incident? Does that count? I thought that was pretty much verified as true.

[Jdog0830]

What about the house visit incident? Does that count? I thought that was pretty much verified as true.

I don't know or care as long as we got the music that's what matters to me!


Joe

[LunsJail]

What about the house visit incident? Does that count? I thought that was pretty much verified as true.

Slash talked to Beta at the house visit, not Axl.

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

I've recently been watching old GN'R interviews on youtube and I have to give Axl credit for putting up with Slash's drunken douchbaggery as long as he did back in day.

[sleeper]

I've recently been watching old GN'R interviews on youtube and I have to give Axl credit for putting up with Slash's drunken douchbaggery as long as he did back in day.

True statement but Slash also had to put up with alot and did for a long time.

[banachkevin]

everyone thinks axl is the bad guy, it must have been stressful for him to keep that ship afloat back in the day. duff said that axl was the onlyone that was not addicted to drugs or alcohol, so to have to deal with them all fucked up all the time, must have been hell. I don"t blame axl for the way he missed shows or showed up late, maby the other guys were in no shap or form to perform.I remember axl saying before and don"t quote me for saying this "if i can"t go out and deliver 110% i would rather not perform".

[chineseblues]

What about the house visit incident? Does that count? I thought that was pretty much verified as true.

Slash talked to Beta at the house visit, not Axl.

He didn't go there to talk to Beta though. We all know he won't mention going to Axl's house because it makes him look desperate for a reunion. So by saying "I haven't had any contact with him for 14 years, so it's up to him" makes him look like the good guy and Axl look like the jerk.

[LunsJail]

What about the house visit incident? Does that count? I thought that was pretty much verified as true.

Slash talked to Beta at the house visit, not Axl.

He didn't go there to talk to Beta though. We all know he won't mention going to Axl's house because it makes him look desperate for a reunion. So by saying "I haven't had any contact with him for 14 years, so it's up to him" makes him look like the good guy and Axl look like the jerk.

I didn't say he went there to talk to Beta, that's just what happened. He said he hasn't talked to Axl in 14 years, he never said he didn't try.

[lynn1961]

everyone thinks axl is the bad guy, it must have been stressful for him to keep that ship afloat back in the day. duff said that axl was the onlyone that was not addicted to drugs or alcohol, so to have to deal with them all fucked up all the time, must have been hell. I don"t blame axl for the way he missed shows or showed up late, maby the other guys were in no shap or form to perform.I remember axl saying before and don"t quote me for saying this "if i can"t go out and deliver 110% i would rather not perform".

But he still shows up late, so you can't blame the other guys from back when, and whatever they were doing, for that.  I think somewhere some of them said that they ended up drinking more while they waited for their lead singer to show up.  Axl may not be THE bad guy, but he's not a total angel either.  He's had his own share of "douchebaggery", in whatever form, which others were also subjected to.   Goes both ways.     

And, oh yes, here we go again - we have to bring up the fucking Beta "house visit" again.  He hasn't spoken to him in 14 yrs, and he's right - the questions are redundant.

[banachkevin]

but its every night he comes on late this tour and its because he wants to. everyone is warned or told about this axl likes to perform late which is fine by me this whole year was a great year for guns n roses.