Slash On 'Piers Morgan Tonight'; Video Available

[FunkyMonkey]

SLASH: I HAVE NO REGRETS

May 23rd, 2012

Slash on a hard-partying lifestyle: "It catches up with you at some point, you don't see it coming"

Coming up this evening at 9 p.m., "Piers Morgan Tonight" welcomes Hall of Fame musician and songwriter Slash for an honest and revealing primetime exclusive.

Born Saul Hudson, the former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist opens up about his well-chronciled drug and alcohol abuse:

"No, I don't have any regrets about any of it. And it was a lot of fun. And I think a lot of that whole sort of lifestyle, that freedom of being able to do whatever you want to do and have a good time however you want to do it is all great," says the 46-year-old rocker. "But it catches up with you at some point, you don't see it coming."

Clean and sober now for nearly seven years, Slash tells the host that his passion and commitment to the craft was the key to kicking his habits:

"Enduring the detox thing was something that I didn't want to have to deal with, but, towards the end of it, sort of being very conscious of where I was standing with my music at that point," he explains. "Because I didn't have the sort of umbrella of Guns N' Roses at that point, so really, sort of taking the initiave to get my career under control."

Watch the clip, then tune in this evening at 9 p.m. as Slash reveals the last words he spoke to Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.

http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/23/slash-on-a-hard-partying-lifestyle-it-catches-up-with-you-at-some-point-you-dont-see-it-coming/

[FunkyMonkey]

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan

Great interview with @slash - he revealed his last ever words to Axl Rose: 'I'm done.' Airs tonight, #CNN 9pmET

[LunsJail]

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan

Great interview with @slash - he revealed his last ever words to Axl Rose: 'I'm done.' Airs tonight, #CNN 9pmET

Way to give away the ending Piers!

[FunkyMonkey]

^^ Here's the video.

Slash talks about why he left Guns N' Roses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YCDEr9uJb0&feature=plcp

[FunkyMonkey]

SLASH: No Amount Of Money Can Bring Classic GUNS N' ROSES Lineup Back Together - May 24, 2012

Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) was interviewed by Piers Morgan on last night's (Wednesday, May 23) edition of CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight". The interview, which aired live at 9 p.m. EDT, touched on Slash's history and his new album, "Apocalyptic Love", and how he has remained a vital artist for almost 20 years after leaving GUNS N' ROSES.

When asked about the drama surrounding GUNS N' ROSES and his departure from the group, Slash said (see video below), "It's a lot of attention put on a lot of negative stuff. And granted, the negative stuff existed, and might still exist or whatever, but dwelling on that stuff?. All things considered, I left the band in 1996, so we're talking a pretty long amount of time that I haven't really even focused on that [band]. [I last spoke to GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose] in 1996 [and my last words] were? Basically, it was just that I'm done. And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

On the topic of the kind of offers the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup has received to reunite for a show or a tour, Slash said, "I've heard a lot of numbers, but I've never been handed a specific offer. But I'd say it starts off with seven figures and then sometimes it starts to get even more grandiose than that." The guitarist went on to say that no amount of money could possibly bring the band back together. "I don't think it's a matter of that; it really isn't," he said. "I think you've got a situation where nobody involved wants to revisit. It's not just me ? it's the whole band. And so I don't think there's a price tag that anybody's put in front of us that's going to make that work."

http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=174455

[FunkyMonkey]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

[CheapJon]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

this is not the last version we'll hear from him 

[Ali]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I have to admit, this confused the hell out of me.  It sounds like a different take on things that we've heard before, especially this part:  " I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

I don't remember reading that in his book.  Anyone else remember him saying that in his book?

Ali

[LunsJail]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I have to admit, this confused the hell out of me.  It sounds like a different take on things that we've heard before, especially this part:  " I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

I don't remember reading that in his book.  Anyone else remember him saying that in his book?

Ali

Yes, it was discussed in Slash's book. Axl told him he was dissolving the old band (which he had a legal right to do since he owned the name already) and Slash could become a contract employee of the new band. It would be like closing a business that you had with your partners and starting a new business with the same name and offering employment to your old partner. Slash mentions them meeting about this in the back of a restaurant late at night and it reminded him of a scene in a mob movie.

EDIT: Axl told him he was leaving the old band and taking the GNR name with him. Slash could join the new band as an employee.

[GeorgeSteele]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I think this may have a connection to what Axl said in his 'tip of the iceberg' post:  "I still didn?t grasp any other issues until long after I?d left and formed a new partnership which was only an effort to salvage Guns not steal it."

My understanding is that Axl left the Axl-Slash-Duff partnership and started a new partnership (that had control of the GNR name) which Slash refused to join.

[LunsJail]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

My understanding is that Axl left the Axl-Slash-Duff partnership and started a new partnership (that had control of the GNR name) which Slash refused to join.

That might be more accurate than what I said before. And without the GNR name, the old Axl-Slash-Duff partnership was basically useless anyway.

[Ali]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I have to admit, this confused the hell out of me.  It sounds like a different take on things that we've heard before, especially this part:  " I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

I don't remember reading that in his book.  Anyone else remember him saying that in his book?

Ali

Yes, it was discussed in Slash's book. Axl told him he was dissolving the old band (which he had a legal right to do since he owned the name already) and Slash could become a contract employee of the new band. It would be like closing a business that you had with your partners and starting a new business with the same name and offering employment to your old partner. Slash mentions them meeting about this in the back of a restaurant late at night and it reminded him of a scene in a mob movie.

Yes, I'm aware of that part.  What I was referring to is the 24 hour decision window part.  I don't remember that being stated in the book.  That is new.

Ali

[LunsJail]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I have to admit, this confused the hell out of me.  It sounds like a different take on things that we've heard before, especially this part:  " I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

I don't remember reading that in his book.  Anyone else remember him saying that in his book?

Ali

Yes, it was discussed in Slash's book. Axl told him he was dissolving the old band (which he had a legal right to do since he owned the name already) and Slash could become a contract employee of the new band. It would be like closing a business that you had with your partners and starting a new business with the same name and offering employment to your old partner. Slash mentions them meeting about this in the back of a restaurant late at night and it reminded him of a scene in a mob movie.

Yes, I'm aware of that part.  What I was referring to is the 24 hour decision window part.  I don't remember that being stated in the book.  I remember that part from the book.  That is new.

Ali

Yeah, the 24 hour thing wasn't in the book. But I don't think he was saying he was given a 24 hour window ultimatum to decide. He just thought about it that long and decided he was done with it.

Also, I think people get confused because they think that Slash and Duff signing over the name (which happened during the Illusion tour) and this last contract thing (1996) are the same incident when in fact they're not.

Oddly enough, Duff never mentions being presented with any kind of contract in his book. Did he join the new band and then leave shortly after? I never understood that.

[Ali]

And it wasn't even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new GUNS N' ROSES. I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

So Slash didn't quit Guns N' Roses -- he just chose not to renew his contract?

I have to admit, this confused the hell out of me.  It sounds like a different take on things that we've heard before, especially this part:  " I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, 'I think this is the end of the line."

I don't remember reading that in his book.  Anyone else remember him saying that in his book?

Ali

Yes, it was discussed in Slash's book. Axl told him he was dissolving the old band (which he had a legal right to do since he owned the name already) and Slash could become a contract employee of the new band. It would be like closing a business that you had with your partners and starting a new business with the same name and offering employment to your old partner. Slash mentions them meeting about this in the back of a restaurant late at night and it reminded him of a scene in a mob movie.

Yes, I'm aware of that part.  What I was referring to is the 24 hour decision window part.  I don't remember that being stated in the book.  I remember that part from the book.  That is new.

Ali

Yeah, the 24 hour thing wasn't in the book. But I don't think he was saying he was given a 24 hour window ultimatum to decide. He just thought about it that long and decided he was done with it.

No, I understand that.  I didn't interpret it as an ultimatum, just that he gave himself or took for himself 24 hours to decide.  I just don't remember that at all.  I guess I'm not alone in that.  It still sounds weird, though.  Depending on whether or not you read Slash's book or the lawsuit he and Duff filed against Axl about the right to license songs to movies, Axl formed a new partnership in either Aug. or Dec. of 2005.  So, 24 hours?

Ali

[LunsJail]

^^^^Ali, this is what I think happened. Remember, legal papers can be drawn up but never actually recorded.

 - Slash didn't sign the agreement to join the new band. Not sure what was presented to Duff.
 - Duff left about a year later anyway leaving Axl the last man standing.
 - Axl never actually filed papers in 1996 or 97 forming a new partnership. Once everyone left, what was the point?
 - Slash and Duff sued Axl for the right to license songs etc. since the old partnership was never technically dissolved.
 - In the middle of this legal battle, Axl formally started a new partnership called Guns N Roses and pulled the name from the old partnership.

To me, it sounds like everyone involved never got real great legal advice about this stuff. It should have all been taken care of legally well before 2005.