Duff McKagan On VR 'I Highly Doubt Anything Will Happen For The Next 5 Months'

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan Talks Classic Literature, L.A. Hipsters, and the Death of Punk Rock

March 15, 2011

Marc Spitz: Those who only know you as a famous bass player might assume that you?re not as smart and well read as you actually are. Does that ever present a problem?

Duff McKagan: I could give two shits, to be honest. After getting sober [in the mid-90s], I really started to read and reflect. I read the really great authors. I started playing in punk-rock bands and touring when I was 15, so I missed high school.

What authors were you drawn to?

I played catchup. I read everything by Hemingway, everything by Upton Sinclair, a book on Ernest Shackleton. Ernest Shackleton got stuck at the South Pole in 1913, when the South Pole was like Mars. At the time, I felt like I was on a desolate little island myself, sober and alone in L.A. I didn?t know about A.A. or anything. I was just riding my mountain bike uphill.

You?re writing columns for three different outlets now. How did you forge this second career as a columnist and blogger?

Flash forward to 2003, I started becoming aware of the Internet forums. There was this new Velvet Revolver fan site. We didn?t even have the band name yet. But people could post: ?You guys suck,? or ?You guys should do this.? The names were usually Anonymous. Then I met one of the posters, and he turned out to be a 14-year-old kid. So when I started writing for the Seattle Weekly, I wrote a column about that. I said, ?Papers are going away, so it?s time for us to buck up. If you?re going to write something, post your name. We have to rise to the occasion and carry forth intelligent discourse or we?re gong to be a generation of faceless name callers, and I?m not interested in doing that.? I really pressed people to identify themselves.

And to form a community?

Yeah, my column at the Weekly really turned into that. People have risen up. I got a really great letter from a woman from Seattle living in Egypt about February 11. She wrote very politically, but I was more interested in how much a loaf of bread cost, gas and electricity.

At ESPN, it?s a whole new challenge, but I?m not changing my tune at ESPN. I?m not going to be the jock guy. I write like I write and I question things. I question myself. I like to take the piss out of myself. I?m really not about changing my image. I?m not Cormac McCarthy, but I can get my point across in a thousand words.

I loved the post about being at a show in Silver Lake in L.A. and getting approached by hipster fans who wanted to take a picture with you but didn?t want their friends in the club to see.

Hipsters. I was trying to be funny. I?d been to Silver Lake before, but it was really cute to see people looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. When I went out to my car, a guy came up to me and said, ?Hey, dude, can I get a picture?? I said, ?Why didn?t you ask for a picture inside? You embarrassed?? He said, ?No, man, fucking Appetite was the best!?

You cover a number of genres on the new Loaded record that surprised me, too. You have metal and punk, but a lot of pop as well, ?KROQ songs.? I admit, I was expecting a punk record.

It?s an easy label. With Velvet Revolver, people were always saying, ?You?re the punk influence.? I?ve played in punk bands since I was 15, but then Guns were sort of a mishmash of things. For me, punk rock died in about ?83. Punk rock for me was a long time ago. I saw the Clash in ?79 at the Paramount in Seattle, and it changed my whole life. I saw Iggy [Pop] that same year. Black Flag with Ron Reyes. D.O.A. But to your point, I never set out before a record to say, ?I?m going to try to get this across,? the same way I never outline a column. I just start.

What happened with Jane?s Addiction?

Eric had just left and Perry [Farrell] was pretty crestfallen about the whole situation. He asked me if I could come in and help them write a record. I said we could try, so we went into Perry?s garage. [Original Guns N? Roses drummer] Steven Adler and I used to go watch Jane?s at the Music Machine in L.A. There wasn?t a lot going on in L.A. back then.

Flash forward 25 fucking years, and here I am. I talked to Eric on the phone, and he said, ?You have my blessing. Go.? So I went. I like trying new things and I love Perry. I?ve known the guys for a long time. I tried to do my best to help them out. They?d become my comrades, and Eric?s departure hit them hard. We wrote some really great songs, but when I started recording with Loaded in August, I really discovered I can only do one or the other.

What about Velvet Revolver? Are you still searching for a new lead singer to replace Scott Weiland?

There was a sort-of search going on.

So is the band defunct?

I wouldn?t say that. You never know what?s going to happen. Slash has been on tour and I?m about to start touring. Let?s just say this: for the next five months, I highly doubt that anything will happen, but I could be wrong.

You?re also one of only two original Guns to play with the new lineup [Izzy Stradlin being the other]. How did that happen and what was it like to be back onstage with Axl?

It happened out of the blue. I was in London and Axl and I were in the same hotel. The hotel manager told me that Axl was in the room next to mine, of all the hotels in the world. It was more about us bumping into each other. We?d been through a lot together. We?d had the extraordinary circumstance of being thrown into a fish bowl. As far as the gig, I was really jet-lagged and on Red Bull. From the first song, I thought, I?m going to have to do interviews about this forever. It was the first thing that popped in my head.

People still have enormous affection for the original lineup. What happens when Guns N? Roses gets elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Do you foresee everyone being civil, or will it be awkward like Van Halen?s notorious induction?

Velvet Revolver was the band that played instead of [David Lee Roth with] Van Halen. It was really awkward for us, but I don?t know. You just presented me with a lot of ifs. All I know is hopefully I can make the right decision if that comes up. I don?t know what the right thing to do is. I really don?t.

You?ve gotten sober and helped other people get sober. I feel like I have to ask your thoughts on Charlie Sheen. Would you be there for him if he called you in the middle of the night?

Of course. Whether it?s Charlie Sheen or a guy I met at the V.A. hospital, it doesn?t matter. I pick up those phone calls. That?s part of being of service.

He insists he?s fine.

I said I was fine until I ended up at the fucking emergency room. He doesn?t live very far from my house, though, but it only works if you want the help.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/03/duff-mckagan-talks-classic-literature-la-hipsters-and-the-death-of-punk-rock.html

[sleeper]

What about Velvet Revolver? Are you still searching for a new lead singer to replace Scott Weiland?

There was a sort-of search going on.

So is the band defunct?

I wouldn?t say that. You never know what?s going to happen. Slash has been on tour and I?m about to start touring. Let?s just say this: for the next five months, I highly doubt that anything will happen, but I could be wrong.

Translation; The band has decided to screw around with the fans for 5 more months. Five months from now they will announce that they are close. Six months from now they will announce that they could not decide and the search is still on.

but I could be wrong.Translation; This means that Duff is not sure what they decided to do and will have to get back to his VR bandmates. He's thinking maybe they meant 5 years not 5 months.

[DeadHorse]

I was thinking that  they're waiting until SLipKnot finishes their tour dates this summer. Then they could possibly make that announcement.

However with Slash wanting to record with his current line-up, I say they're waiting for him to make up his mind on weither on not he wants to continue with VR or not.

[Doofey]

How can Charlie Sheen live not far from Duff's house? I thought Duff lived in Seattle.

Anyhow if Slash makes an album with his current band and then tours for it, I'd say that will last through this time nest year and maybe even into the summer.

[FunkyMonkey]

However with Slash wanting to record with his current line-up, I say they're waiting for him to make up his mind on weither on not he wants to continue with VR or not.

Yeah, it seems to all hinge on what Slash wants to do going forward.

What was it like to be back onstage with Axl?

From the first song, I thought, I?m going to have to do interviews about this forever. It was the first thing that popped in my head.

That's SO true.

[AxlReznor]

How can Charlie Sheen live not far from Duff's house? I thought Duff lived in Seattle.

He has a house in LA and a house in Seattle.

[One.In.A.Million]

5 months Duff?, I think it's safe to say that we can write off the whole year in regards to any VR activity. 

And again, I sense Duff's fustration at the situation regarding VR. I just hope when it is time to start VR again, the passion and fire is still there, and they don't start resenting each other for the long wait.

[Ace_954]

This is beyond ridiculous now and just purely disrespectful to the fans. I agree, wait for the comment when 5 months comes around..."oh we are going to reconvene in the new year". What a joke. My vote is its going to be 12 months from now that we are going to see anything happen.

[Ali]

This is beyond ridiculous now and just purely disrespectful to the fans. I agree, wait for the comment when 5 months comes around..."oh we are going to reconvene in the new year". What a joke. My vote is its going to be 12 months from now that we are going to see anything happen.

Disrespectful to the fans?  In what possible way is Duff and Slash putting other projects at the forefront of their activities in any way, shape or form "disrespectful" to the fans?

Ali

[LongGoneDay]

I don't get the whole disrespect thing. I don't feel disrespected.
Look at it realistically. How many bands survive the loss of their lead singer?
That's a pretty big obstacle.
I think VR almost shot themselves in the foot by trying to keep the fans updated on the singer search.
Some people seem upset it hasn't gone as smooth as they'd like, but that really has more to do with fan's unrealistic expectations.

Rushing into picking a lead singer and making a record to appease impatient fans probably isn't the best recipe for good music.

[AxlReznor]

Some fans just seem to believe that a musician is being disrespectful to their fans if things don't go exactly as they personally want things to go. As if for some reason buying records and gig tickets means that they're owed everything that they want the band to do in return. Sorry, people... no! When you buy a record or a gig ticket, what you get in return is music or a show. That's it. Not they're unwavering devotion to making sure you are personally made happy! It would be an impossible situation anyway, considering no matter what they do, someone's going to be not happy with it talking about how disrespectful it is to not do what they want.

Every single time a potential date goes by, and they extend it when it gets to that date makes me more convinced that nothing is ever going to happen with this band beyond rumours, though. Although, a lot of people did say this about Chinese Democracy, and they were all proved wrong.

[Bodhi]

Some fans just seem to believe that a musician is being disrespectful to their fans if things don't go exactly as they personally want things to go. As if for some reason buying records and gig tickets means that they're owed everything that they want the band to do in return. Sorry, people... no! When you buy a record or a gig ticket, what you get in return is music or a show. That's it. Not they're unwavering devotion to making sure you are personally made happy! It would be an impossible situation anyway, considering no matter what they do, someone's going to be not happy with it talking about how disrespectful it is to not do what they want.

I agree with the context in which you are using this argument for the VR thing, but I don't necessarily agree with it in general.  Without the fans, the bands would be shit, they would not exist.   They would be waiting tables, not driving around in limo's.  So I think the bands do owe something to the fans from time to time.  I don't mean to the point of catering to their every single want and need, but it is nice when they give back to the fans.  Bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Pearl Jam, Green Day and Metallica "get" this.  Their fan clubs are full of extra cool stuff for the diehard fans, and they tour relentlessly in every single market, big or small.  They treat their fans like gold.  As far as the VR thing, they need to do what is best for them, I don't feel like they owe the fans anything right now.

[AxlReznor]

I don't think any musician owes anybody anything, because yes, they get your money. But it's a trade of "we get money, we give you a show and/or new music". If they want to give fans any more than that, that's their choice, and I think it's great when bands do that. But they're not obligated to, because by making the record they've already fulfilled their part of the deal.

It's like people demanding free stuff from a shop because they happen to have spent money there. If they set up an offer so that you get free stuff, that's fair play. But you'd be an asshole to expect them to do so.

[Limulus]

It's like people demanding free stuff from a shop because they happen to have spent money there. If they set up an offer so that you get free stuff, that's fair play. But you'd be an asshole to expect them to do so.

that analogy aint working with the "free" thing, it'd be more like you would love to buy in that shop again, spending your own money for things that could easily be made available these days (live shows, dvds, demo mp3s, whatever....).

[Bodhi]

I don't think any musician owes anybody anything, because yes, they get your money. But it's a trade of "we get money, we give you a show and/or new music". If they want to give fans any more than that, that's their choice, and I think it's great when bands do that. But they're not obligated to, because by making the record they've already fulfilled their part of the deal.

It's like people demanding free stuff from a shop because they happen to have spent money there. If they set up an offer so that you get free stuff, that's fair play. But you'd be an asshole to expect them to do so.

If a group of people made me rich beyond my wildest dreams, I would go above and beyond for them.  Thats me though.  Not everyone is of the same mind set.  Above and beyond could simply mean hitting small markets and giving everyone a chance to see you like A7X does, or doing meet and greets before every show like Metallica does.  Or taking the 5 extra minutes after a show to slap everyone along the railing on the way to the dressing room  five and say "thank you" to them like James Hefield does. Pulling fans on stage to sing songs with you like Green Day does.  Also putting every show you do online so everyone in the world can buy it, even those who live in countries you can't get to.  Giving back to the fans doesn't mean giving away something of monetary value.  To say its a simple cash for music and show thing, well thats a great mindset when dealing with a hooker.  I always love the bands who make you feel like you are a part of the family and the ones who truly believe it.

Also considering these days people don't have to buy music they can just take it, artists should be even more appreciative.

[scans n' copies]

Great post, Bodhi

[Limulus]

yeah, great one, thanks!

[Ace_954]

This is beyond ridiculous now and just purely disrespectful to the fans. I agree, wait for the comment when 5 months comes around..."oh we are going to reconvene in the new year". What a joke. My vote is its going to be 12 months from now that we are going to see anything happen.

Disrespectful to the fans?  In what possible way is Duff and Slash putting other projects at the forefront of their activities in any way, shape or form "disrespectful" to the fans?

Ali

What I'm saying is, they are dicking around the fans by saying one thing and doing another. They said they would have a decision within the past few months, that hasn't happened. I don't expect much as a fan but for a band to be on hiatus for 3 years and then finally say "we should have a decision on a singer at X time" and then not follow through, it's disappointing. I'm frustrated and its obvious Duff and Matt are somewhat frustrated about it aswell.

[m_rated96]

This is beyond ridiculous now and just purely disrespectful to the fans. I agree, wait for the comment when 5 months comes around..."oh we are going to reconvene in the new year". What a joke. My vote is its going to be 12 months from now that we are going to see anything happen.

Disrespectful to the fans?  In what possible way is Duff and Slash putting other projects at the forefront of their activities in any way, shape or form "disrespectful" to the fans?

Ali

What I'm saying is, they are dicking around the fans by saying one thing and doing another. They said they would have a decision within the past few months, that hasn't happened. I don't expect much as a fan but for a band to be on hiatus for 3 years and then finally say "we should have a decision on a singer at X time" and then not follow through, it's disappointing. I'm frustrated and its obvious Duff and Matt are somewhat frustrated about it aswell.

Its not like they're lying. They don't know whats happening!!! it's not like they're issuing press releases and promises, they're speaking with optimism about the current situations and the future to naggy reporters. You can't hold them to these things!!!

Bohdi, second to everything you said! nice posts

[oldgunsfan]

Some fans just seem to believe that a musician is being disrespectful to their fans if things don't go exactly as they personally want things to go. As if for some reason buying records and gig tickets means that they're owed everything that they want the band to do in return. Sorry, people... no! When you buy a record or a gig ticket, what you get in return is music or a show. That's it. Not they're unwavering devotion to making sure you are personally made happy! It would be an impossible situation anyway, considering no matter what they do, someone's going to be not happy with it talking about how disrespectful it is to not do what they want.

I agree with the context in which you are using this argument for the VR thing, but I don't necessarily agree with it in general.  Without the fans, the bands would be shit, they would not exist.   They would be waiting tables, not driving around in limo's.  So I think the bands do owe something to the fans from time to time.  I don't mean to the point of catering to their every single want and need, but it is nice when they give back to the fans.  Bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Pearl Jam, Green Day and Metallica "get" this.  Their fan clubs are full of extra cool stuff for the diehard fans, and they tour relentlessly in every single market, big or small.  They treat their fans like gold.  As far as the VR thing, they need to do what is best for them, I don't feel like they owe the fans anything right now.

VR tours extensively, when their is a VR, and without a singer - they don't qualify

shit, slash will have toured his solo album for over a year by the time it ends