XX. Notes

Roll the Dice

It's been an interesting ride for original L.A. Guns lead singer Paul Black. Cut from L.A. Guns just before the band landed a recording contract, Paul spent years in and out of courtroom, fighting for his rights. Now, more than 20 years later, Paul is back fronting the band he helped form along with guitarist Tracii Guns. Bring Back Glam! recently chatted with Paul fresh off a major tour stop in Korea. During the chat, Paul talks about his past, the present and the future of L.A. Guns. Transcription follows.

[...]

BBG: Why did you leave L.A. Guns when you were about to sign a record deal?

Paul: I was the main songwriter, along with Tracii, and I started the band but right about the time we were about to get signed –Guns n’ Roses had just gotten signed – and we all kind of continued to be the bad boys of rock n’ roll. We did a lot of partying, me and Izzy (Stradlin, Guns n’ Roses rhythm guitarist) we’re doing a lot of heroin together. Right before we were getting ready to be signed to Polygram; me and Izzy had gotten busted copping dope. We spent some time in jail. Really, just overnight in jail but we were facing charges and that sparked a lot of rumors that Guns n’ Roses would lose their deal with Geffen over the drug and heroin use. It was very apparent that I was very strung out on drugs and partying a little too much, and it scared our label. Basically our management, a guy named Alan Jones, was friends with Phil Lewis. Alan said that L.A. Guns could have record deal, but "you need to let us put our singer in there."

So our management bought a ticket for Phil Lewis to fly over (from England) so he could replace me. Tracii always said that he felt really bad that he didn’t stick up for me, and I guess he felt Phil was filling the job good enough. That happened 20 years ago and its all water under the bridge now. Tracii and I have buried the hatchet and become friends again. It caused a lot of bitterness, because not only was I replaced, but they also used my songs for the first two records, which were really successful. Phil Lewis got the credit for my songs. To this day, he’s still taking credit for my songs. I sued them and got my credit back, but the lawsuit dragged out for three years and I couldn’t sign my new band when I was in a lawsuit with a major label, and it caused bad feelings all around. I think it probably held L.A. Guns back a little too. We don’t know what the future holds for L.A. Guns and this lineup, but we have a tight unit right now. Tracii’s son (Jeremy) is doing a great job on bass. He’s 24 years old. Full of energy, looks great, he’s just like we were back in the day.

Blackstar wrote:Interview with Paul Black, L.A. Guns singer (after Axl and Mike Jagosz); Bring Back Glam!, August 8, 2007:

Roll the Dice

It's been an interesting ride for original L.A. Guns lead singer Paul Black. Cut from L.A. Guns just before the band landed a recording contract, Paul spent years in and out of courtroom, fighting for his rights. Now, more than 20 years later, Paul is back fronting the band he helped form along with guitarist Tracii Guns. Bring Back Glam! recently chatted with Paul fresh off a major tour stop in Korea. During the chat, Paul talks about his past, the present and the future of L.A. Guns. Transcription follows.

[...]

BBG: Why did you leave L.A. Guns when you were about to sign a record deal?

Paul: I was the main songwriter, along with Tracii, and I started the band but right about the time we were about to get signed –Guns n’ Roses had just gotten signed – and we all kind of continued to be the bad boys of rock n’ roll. We did a lot of partying, me and Izzy (Stradlin, Guns n’ Roses rhythm guitarist) we’re doing a lot of heroin together. Right before we were getting ready to be signed to Polygram; me and Izzy had gotten busted copping dope. We spent some time in jail. Really, just overnight in jail but we were facing charges and that sparked a lot of rumors that Guns n’ Roses would lose their deal with Geffen over the drug and heroin use. It was very apparent that I was very strung out on drugs and partying a little too much, and it scared our label. Basically our management, a guy named Alan Jones, was friends with Phil Lewis. Alan said that L.A. Guns could have record deal, but "you need to let us put our singer in there."

So our management bought a ticket for Phil Lewis to fly over (from England) so he could replace me. Tracii always said that he felt really bad that he didn’t stick up for me, and I guess he felt Phil was filling the job good enough. That happened 20 years ago and its all water under the bridge now. Tracii and I have buried the hatchet and become friends again. It caused a lot of bitterness, because not only was I replaced, but they also used my songs for the first two records, which were really successful. Phil Lewis got the credit for my songs. To this day, he’s still taking credit for my songs. I sued them and got my credit back, but the lawsuit dragged out for three years and I couldn’t sign my new band when I was in a lawsuit with a major label, and it caused bad feelings all around. I think it probably held L.A. Guns back a little too. We don’t know what the future holds for L.A. Guns and this lineup, but we have a tight unit right now. Tracii’s son (Jeremy) is doing a great job on bass. He’s 24 years old. Full of energy, looks great, he’s just like we were back in the day.

https://www.bringbackglam.com/journal/2007/8/8/roll-the-dice.html

I'm not sure if you want to comment on this - but I hope you do - but it is well known that several other artists mirrored their look and their stage antics on yours. I already mentioned what a huge reputation the band had as a live act, but the big draw card was your charismatic performance as frontman. It seems to be a well known fact among followers of the scene at the time that Guns N Roses frontman Axl Rose would come and see you guys perform every week and 'borrowed' a lot of your moves - from your moves to even your stage rap and song delivery. There are other examples, but Axl seems to be the best known. Is this correct and what impact did it have upon you to see other bands getting famous off something which you more or less perfected?

Richard Black: You know I have always tried to avoid this topic because I never wanted to sound like a sniveling bitter victim, and I largely kept my mouth shut. But every so often however, the topic continues to rear its ugly head. But then again avoiding the subject never did any good.

Let me tell you a story; in the early days I was influenced by the pioneers of this music, but I was getting it together. I soon learned if I continued to copy them, people wouldn't take me seriously. I evolved and became my unique self. I have never systematically copied a single artist except jokingly or on Halloween.

What happened in my instance however, was quite a different story. I was being copied all right… sometimes by down right impersonators, it was creepy. I could see their point, they figured it was working for us, so why not them. Regardless of how you felt about the band it was hard to ignore us. I suppose wearing nothing but an American flag or a paper jumpsuit with duct tape hasn't caught on yet, but was pretty original… a little too ahead of its time I guess. I would wear pajamas on stage just for fun… soon there after I'd see some our friends and followers wearing pajamas.I use to have these bike shorts that I decided to wear onstage, then it seemed bike shorts were the rage in L.A. I don't think it was a coincidence. What I'm talking about is copying someone' essence. When art is involved, that is not cool; it's a form of plagiarism. And I give a horse' ass about 'imitation is the best form of flattery'. I don't need to be flattered.

Many popular bands and personalities came to see Shark Island, that's a fact, and many took elements home with them for their stage show or album covers, or wardrobe… oh well, I'm flattered… nothing that could have altered the path of my career.
But that good-for-nothing Axl Rose, he' really a piece of work for the dregs. As far as I'm concerned he's never done anything original in his life. Him and his cronies would come every week and watch the show. One day before GnR's debut, I went to his place…as I walked in I saw a video of me playing on his TV and on top was a stack of VHS tapes all labeled Shark Island with dates and times. I remember being mortified, it was obvious he was studying my shtick, and I knew there was nothing I could do, being their album was about to be released, and he'd cap on the press get the credit. My many years of developing, and refining my craft and years of modern dance were up for grabs by this fool and a video camcorder. I remember some people telling me about him acting like me, but I never worried much on a count that we were all in the same boat.

Then came Welcome To The Jungle, I though I was looking in the mirror, or the videos on Axl's TV. You said 'borrowed' earlier well that implies a payback. What burns me up even more is in his heyday he never so much as mentioned Shark Island or Richard Black in all his press. Which, by the way, could have helped us at no cost to him; he never even threw us a bone. Now, truth be told, I couldn't possibly care less. That's all old crap and it does me no good now, besides, I am nothing like I was back then, and I'd look like a fool to try.

In Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, Axl jumped straight up and down, holding onto the mike stand for balance. Axl later admitted that he got that whole snake move, that S-curve, from Richard. He once told me that he even wanted Richard to somehow get credit for this. Most of Axl’s moves, that’s all Richard Black.

TV Guide: How's the tour going with Guns N' Roses? How's Axl? [This Q&A was conducted prior to Rose's June 27 arrest in Stockholm.]

Bach: "He's getting the album out. [People] don't know the work it takes. And Axl, when he disappears, all he's trying to do is make something incredible. There's no big mystery to it. He's trying to make an album that can bear the name Guns N' Roses. I've heard a lot of the music, and it's incredible. And you know, I'm telling the world, the man has never had plastic surgery or Botox. When I read that, it's aggravating, 'cause I'm his friend. That's the way he looks. He looks young, dude! It's so crazy all the [stuff] that's said about him."

Jonah Bayer: First off, I wanted to tell you that my first show ever was seeing Skid Row open for Guns N' Roses on the 'Use Your Illusion' tour.

Sebastian Bach: Yeah! [Laughs] Now we're coming again to rock you, dude.

Do you remember that tour pretty well?

Yup, I sure do. I just can't believe that I'm on the road with Axl again fifteen years later. That's really crazy.

How is it different this time around?

It actually feels a lot more the same. There's a lot more similarities to talk about than differences, because there's nothing like music that transports you to where you were when you first heard it. So when I'm in a big arena like I was last night in Baltimore, and there's thousands of people in front of me, and I'm singing '18 & Life,' the only difference is that in 1991 people held up lighters and in 2006 they hold up cell phones.

[...]

I heard you're also doing 'My Michelle' with GNR on this tour. Is that fun for you?

It is fun, but it's also challenging vocally to do my whole set and then wait through Papa Roach and then come out at the end and scream at the top of my lungs again. [Laughs.]

[...]

Well, Thanksgiving's right around the corner: What is Sebastian Bach most thankful for this year?

I thank God for Axl Rose for bringing me on tour. Welcome to the jungle of the youth gone wild; we're gonna tear it up. Rock & roll is back, mother trucker — that's what I want to say.

Axl Rose has a flair for the dramatic

Ed Condran; Special to The Mercury

"I’ll have to check with Axl," Bach said. I doubt it. Bach is wise enough not to bring Philadelphia up to Rose, who never showed up for a 2002 gig at the Wachovia Center. "Who knows why Axl is playing anywhere," Bach said. "He does whatever he wants to do."

Indeed. Rose recently canned the Eagles of Death Metal from the GNR tour after the group played just one show with Axl and his backing unit. Apparently fans in Cleveland didn’t get the ill-placed blues-rockers. After very little response by the 20,000 fans in attendance, Rose came out and asked the crowd how they liked the band. The enigmatic rocker proceeded to mock and note that EODM would not appear on another GNR date.

Is Rose the only rocker who has a flair for the dramatic? What Rose did may not be right, but it’s interesting. Since when are rock stars polite? You would think that many young rock stars are running for office. They’re so afraid who they will offend and then there is Rose who can care less what EODM or anyone thinks.

"You can say what you will about Axl, but he’s an original," Bach said. "He’s larger than life."

"... We just did the whole European Guns N' Roses tour. It was insane, you couldn't get a ticket! Two nights at Wembley, it was just wall-to-wall people...you couldn't even get a ticket, completely sold out."

In fact, Bach's Guns N' Roses experience even included the man filling in some songs.

"Yes I did and that was the most surreal experience of my life," he says, "'Cause, Axl just had like a low blood-sugar thing happening and it happens to everybody. So they just ran up to me - the management and the road crew guys - and they go 'Baz! Finish the set!'. I go 'Finish the set?! What the fuck, finish the set?'. So I run out there, I do Night Train with Izzy Stradlin and the rest of the guys. And it was insane, I thought I was done: I walk off the stage; I thought I was finished and then they go 'Paradise City, dude'. I go 'Jesus Christ!' And there's so many words in that, it's like, 'Rags to riches or so they say, you gotta..."

Bach breaks out into song here and I'm reminded how powerful the man's voice is. He has a captivating and charismatic demeanour which is only heightened when he tells a story with such interest.

"And there's so many words in that; and I know the melody just like everybody but to nail those fuckin' words, it's like...thank God for tele-prompters," he continues. " 'Cause I just sang it and I read it at the same time and I think I did pretty good but it was like being thrust right into the fire, you know. And then I turn around and there's like midgets dancing all around me waving British flags. And then at the end I jump up in the air and when I hit the fuckin' stage all these bombs go off like boooom! And I'm like, 'Goddamn!' So that was really cool. Yeah, it was heavy, dude. It was the best tour I've been on since the Use Your Illusion tour. I've played a lot of gigs with Axl, I'm very fortunate."

[...]

A huge year of the rock and roll lifestyle, it seems. However, despite still being a hard-rocking metal sex symbol, Bach assures us Axl Rose is still more of a partier than he is.

"I mean Axl throws these parties that would make Sodom and Gommorrah blush. He's like Caligula! He throws these incredible parties. In New York he did four shows at Hammerstein ballroom and threw these giant parties every night and everybody from Sean Penn to Lenny Kravitz to... I mean, you name it, they were there, just everybody famous just comes to see him play. It's just a lot of fun, you know. Axl definitely knows how to throw a fuckin' party, that's for sure."

ESQ: At last year's Esky Awards, Slash told us his most memorable awards show was the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, when Nirvana and Guns N' Roses squared off backstage.

DG: I remember that when Nevermind first came out, Axl Rose was a really big fan of us. Guns N' Roses was about to do this massive stadium tour with Metallica, and they wanted us to open. So Axl had been calling Kurt nonstop. One day we're walking through an airport and Kurt says, "Fuck. Axl Rose won't stop calling me." I think it represented something bigger. Nirvana didn't want to turn into Guns N' Roses. So Kurt started talking shit in interviews, and then Axl started talking back. It went back and forth like tenth-grade bullshit. Then we got to the awards and our trailers were all in the same one hundred yards. And Courtney was there, which never makes anything easier. So it didn't take much to blow up into a full-fledged showdown. Kurt and Courtney were screaming at Axl. Axl screamed back. It was all just soap-opera bullshit. Krist, our bass player, almost got in a fistfight. I was just the drummer, so I shouted some loud, funny shit and hit the bar.

When Guns N' Roses offered the quintet a long stretch of opening stadium dates in the UK and the US, it appeared as though the band had it made. But FNM and GN'R were coming from two completely different worlds.

"There was a rumor that Axl brought his psychic on tour with him," says Gould. "And it would be bad luck in any city that started with the letter M. So he cancelled Manchester, Madrid, Munich, and he did Montreal, and that's when the riot happened.
"It got very bizarre. We saw Axl once or twice the whole time. We did a lot of interviews talking about how it was, and I think the band didn't appreciate that very much. We got busted one day, and we had to go apologise. It was like getting in the principal's office. We went and met Axl in his room, and to tell you the truth, he was super-cool and super-gracious. Then some guy comes in, and says: 'Now that everything's good, come over here.' We went into some trailer where there's some lesbian love act going on. It just blew the whole thing. It was so fucking gross that we were just like: 'Oh God.' We thought we came to some kind of meeting of the minds, and obviously, we hadn't."

I remember jamming with Axl Rose, and he was like, "Look at Fred Durst and Eddie Vedder. They're on the cover of Rolling Stone. Man, they've got something good going on." I go, "Your joking right? That dude wears a backward baseball cap, and you're Axl fucking Rose. Are you outta your fucking mind? Eddie Vedder can't lick your balls on a good day!" [laughs] I'm not joking man. I am stating fact. Whatever trend was popular, Axl wanted to do it.

You were on tour with the legendary Guns ‘N’ Roses last year. I read that Axl Rose called you the “Pigeons of Shit Metal”. What happened?

Jesse: That was one of the most bizarre nights in my life. We played in an arena that seats 20,000 people and there were barely 5,000. First some strippers climbed on stage and the audience started chasing them off the stage. That was the first time I saw anybody chasing away strippers from the stage.

When it was our turn, they also started driving us off the stage, screaming that we suck, but after a few songs, they evidently liked us. We played what we had planned and left satisfied. Then Axl came on who did not actually see us play because he was an hour late for the concert.

Then he began playing and after two songs he completely lost control. In the middle of the concert he fired several technicians, his personal assistant with whom he has been friends for 25 years and then he said to the audience “How did you like the ‘Pigeons of Shit Metal’?”.

At that moment his bass player just threw the bass guitar on the floor and left the stage. Axl picked up the bass guitar and threw it at him. It was crazy. I think you can see that on YouTube.

Is it true that Axl later called you to join him on the rest of the tour?

Jesse: Yes, it’s true.

What did you tell him?

Jesse: “Go fuck yourself”.

Blackstar wrote:Richard Black, the singer in the band Shark Island, claims that Axl ripped off his moves; Melodic Rock, February 2, 2006:

I'm not sure if you want to comment on this - but I hope you do - but it is well known that several other artists mirrored their look and their stage antics on yours. I already mentioned what a huge reputation the band had as a live act, but the big draw card was your charismatic performance as frontman. It seems to be a well known fact among followers of the scene at the time that Guns N Roses frontman Axl Rose would come and see you guys perform every week and 'borrowed' a lot of your moves - from your moves to even your stage rap and song delivery. There are other examples, but Axl seems to be the best known. Is this correct and what impact did it have upon you to see other bands getting famous off something which you more or less perfected?

Richard Black: You know I have always tried to avoid this topic because I never wanted to sound like a sniveling bitter victim, and I largely kept my mouth shut. But every so often however, the topic continues to rear its ugly head. But then again avoiding the subject never did any good.

Let me tell you a story; in the early days I was influenced by the pioneers of this music, but I was getting it together. I soon learned if I continued to copy them, people wouldn't take me seriously. I evolved and became my unique self. I have never systematically copied a single artist except jokingly or on Halloween.

What happened in my instance however, was quite a different story. I was being copied all right… sometimes by down right impersonators, it was creepy. I could see their point, they figured it was working for us, so why not them. Regardless of how you felt about the band it was hard to ignore us. I suppose wearing nothing but an American flag or a paper jumpsuit with duct tape hasn't caught on yet, but was pretty original… a little too ahead of its time I guess. I would wear pajamas on stage just for fun… soon there after I'd see some our friends and followers wearing pajamas.I use to have these bike shorts that I decided to wear onstage, then it seemed bike shorts were the rage in L.A. I don't think it was a coincidence. What I'm talking about is copying someone' essence. When art is involved, that is not cool; it's a form of plagiarism. And I give a horse' ass about 'imitation is the best form of flattery'. I don't need to be flattered.

Many popular bands and personalities came to see Shark Island, that's a fact, and many took elements home with them for their stage show or album covers, or wardrobe… oh well, I'm flattered… nothing that could have altered the path of my career.
But that good-for-nothing Axl Rose, he' really a piece of work for the dregs. As far as I'm concerned he's never done anything original in his life. Him and his cronies would come every week and watch the show. One day before GnR's debut, I went to his place…as I walked in I saw a video of me playing on his TV and on top was a stack of VHS tapes all labeled Shark Island with dates and times. I remember being mortified, it was obvious he was studying my shtick, and I knew there was nothing I could do, being their album was about to be released, and he'd cap on the press get the credit. My many years of developing, and refining my craft and years of modern dance were up for grabs by this fool and a video camcorder. I remember some people telling me about him acting like me, but I never worried much on a count that we were all in the same boat.

Then came Welcome To The Jungle, I though I was looking in the mirror, or the videos on Axl's TV. You said 'borrowed' earlier well that implies a payback. What burns me up even more is in his heyday he never so much as mentioned Shark Island or Richard Black in all his press. Which, by the way, could have helped us at no cost to him; he never even threw us a bone. Now, truth be told, I couldn't possibly care less. That's all old crap and it does me no good now, besides, I am nothing like I was back then, and I'd look like a fool to try.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060209140934/http://melodicrock.com/interviews/sharkisland-richardblack.html

Robert John, quoted in Stephen Davis, Watch You Bleed; The Saga Of Guns N' Roses, 2008:

In Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, Axl jumped straight up and down, holding onto the mike stand for balance. Axl later admitted that he got that whole snake move, that S-curve, from Richard. He once told me that he even wanted Richard to somehow get credit for this. Most of Axl’s moves, that’s all Richard Black.

First off that Video with Axl and Tracii was from April 26th 1986 and I shot it. The reason I was there is because I knew Axl was going to be going up on stage with them and I was filming everything Axl did because I knew it was important to have it. Since I was there I shot the whole show. I gave Axl a copy of it and thats why it ended up in Axl's apartment. Axl had plenty of moves before he had even heard of Shark Island. Axl liked Richard and thought the band was very professional because they used to play 200 gigs a year. The Snake move was something that Richard did do and Axl must have been a bit influenced by it and picked up on it and at some point worked it in with all his other moves. It doesn't mean that Axl ripped him off. Lots of Rock Stars get influenced by something they see and use it somehow. Mick Jagger got a lot of them from Tina Turner. Axl is very natural and is mostly one of a kind in everything he does but I'm sure some of what he does came from something he saw somewhere and just starting doing something like it because it felt right. Joe Perry took a lot from Jeff Beck, Slash took a lot from Joe Perry that's Rock N' Roll and there are kids out there that took something from Slash. No big deal.

[...]

Q: Is that true that at the end of Ju Ju Hounds US Tour 1993, Izzy had a bad throat and the band had to cancel bunch of shows?

J.A. A bad throat? Is that what is was? haha...

Q: What's the main difference in touring with Ju Ju Hounds and Buckcherry?

J.A. It took me over ten years to even consider joining another band. I think the main difference is that if something were to happen with the band I'm in now - if someone were to not want to continue - that person have enough respect for the other band members to sit us all down and to explain to all of us the reasons WHY they didn't want to continue. They would do it at an appropriate time, if they could, and they would try their best to make sure they gave enough notice so that the other guys would have time to make other arrangements to take care of their families . They wouldn't do it right IN THE MIDDLE of recording an album in a foreign country, with a top name producer and band members waiting... and they absolutely wouldn't simply walk out the door one day to never come back with no explanation whatsoever. It just a human thing, respect. It doesn't matter who you are or how famous and/or rich you become. There's a proper way to go about working with others, especially people you've spent so much time with and with whom you've had so many wonderful experiences. The guys I'm working with now would give me or anyone else in the band that respect, no matter what. It took almost ten years for me to get over that experience, and it almost killed me in the process. I can finally look at things a little more objectively than I could for sooo long. I knew going into the relationship that he was a little unpredictable, I guess I was just a little naive in thinking that he would never have done that to me. I would have taken a bullet for that guy and for anyone in that band. ANYTHING that was bothering him could have been easily resolved with a conversation, and even if it couldn't have - at least we deserved to be told what was going to happen. Theres a human way of doing things...and then apparently there's Izzy's way of doing things...and that's just, unfortunate.

Q: Looking back in the past... how would you call Ju Ju Hounds - IZZY STRADLIN and the Ju Ju Hounds or Izzy Stradlin and THE JU JU HOUNDS - was it really a band or just Izzy's solo project...

J.A. Well, at the time we were led to believe that it was a band. I mean, Izzy didn't even want his name in the title at first, but we all agreed that it would be helpful in letting people know who it was all about. We were just there to help him make a great album and to have a great time and I don't think anyone really cared what we were gonna call it. I think the albums that have been released by Izzy more recently are more representative of a "solo" effort by him, and I'm happy to see that he no longer refers to what he's doing as "Izzy and the Ju Ju Hounds". I'd like to think that it's out of respect for what we did together, but maybe it's just because he never really liked the name haha!

Sheldon Tarsha: We booked 50 shows in Europe, going back to Brazil with dates on the Rock In Rio festival. It was just an enormous tour. Right at the beginning of it, in Germany, Steven… his priorities shifted and shit hit the fan. And poof, the whole band minus Steven Adler is stranded in Germany in the snow! I don't know exactly what to call it, but it was like a rock 'n' roll nightmare. At the same time, it was kind of cool. It was like, "We're stranded in Germany. It's snowing balls out, and we're on the train." The next thing we knew we were in Amsterdam in some pub getting shitfaced drunk, and that's basically how it kind of wrapped up. In Europe, Adler went A.W.O.L. I flew back a couple days later, and I just got started on a new record because I new that was what I had to do next.

The Classic Metal Show: Dude, how do you come back to the States and not just find him and whip his ass for stranding you in a foreign country?

Sheldon Tarsha: Well dude… Steven, he…He doesn't mean any harm by this. Blabbermouth plastered this last year all over their website, but I said that Steven is actually a good-natured guy, and he is. He just does some childish, outlandish shit and people just get really pissed off. They are like, "God, that's so irresponsible. How can he do that to me?" But who the fuck is anybody? Steven Adler is rock n' roll. Rock 'n' roll isn't about being responsible. Rock 'n' roll isn't about being predictable or doing what everyone expects you to do. That's how Steven is. People come around and are like, "Dude, I love rock. Rock forever!" Then Steven Adler is rock 'n' roll and acts rock 'n' roll, and people are like, "Why did he do that to me." It's like, "Dude, that's what rockers do." You can't fucking put a leash on them or put them in a cage. They just go fucking crazy. They do what they want to do when they want to do it, and I have to respect him for that.

The Classic Metal Show: If he wasn't Steven Adler from Guns N' Roses, do you think you would cut him such a break?

Sheldon Tarsha: But he is! If he wasn't (Steven Adler), I probably would have never been in a band with him to begin with. If he was in a band with me, and he wasn't famous…first of all, I don't think I'd be playing with someone that is 15 years older than me. That was like the first weird thing. The guy is a fucking rock legend! What the hell is he doing playing with me! As people get older and more experienced, their priorities change. Me, I'm this young, fresh, ready-to-go-to-the-top-of-the-mountain guy, and that's me, dude. I'm ready to put my mark on the world and dominate the planet. He's already done that. All he wants to do is bang chicks in limos doing laps around the airport. And he was doing that, by the way. It was like, "Where's Steven." And he disappeared and was banging some chick in the bathroom or in the airport lobby. He has different priorities. He's made his money. He's done his deal. Just to get that guy on stage is an honor and a miracle all by itself.

Lead vocalist Sheldon Tarsha (TARSHA) has issued a statement explaining his decision not to join Adler's Appetite on their South American tour this August

Commented Tarsha, "Two weeks before Rocklahoma, Steven Adler and I spoke for almost an hour on the phone. He apologized profusely for derailing our European tour last year and PROMISED me that he was going to pay me out of his personal account 'if not $20,000 at least $10,000' to be in the band and do the upcoming tour with him. I postponed my show on July 13th that I had scheduled in San Diego with my band (TARSHA) to be available to play with Steven at Rocklahoma. I tried calling and texting him several times as the date approached. I got no call, no nothin'. He completely flaked on me and never called! It wasn't till a couple days ago that I called his brother Jamie. I told him and Steven's new manager that I'm not available to tour with Adler. They BEGGED me to 'at least play the Key Club show...' I told them, 'I'm sorry guys, I've been on the rollercoaster ride long enough. PLEASE find someone else.' They said 'We want you and only you,' blah blah blah... I texted them back the next day and told them I need $5,000 up front to do the tour. They immediately started in with 'We don't have that kind of money...We're not rich like u might think...' I told them that if I was gonna be involved, I need to know that Adler's Appetite is a serious band with plans for real success. They told me, 'I thought you said it's not about the money, which is it?' I told them it's about the commitment, not only to me and the fans, but the overall success of the project. I told them that if they don't plan on going all the way, I don't want to be involved.' They had no response."

Tarsha added, "I'm extremely focused right now with my new band Tarsha. [...]

"I wish Adler the best of luck and I hope all the fans I made touring with Adler's Appetite will check out my new music and support my new album."

On Steven Adler's business practices:

"Steven lost control of his life a long time ago, and he's lost even more control of it now. The problem is that he can't control himself, so he looks to the people around him to tell him what to do, to tell him how to think, to tell him what he should do. That's the problem right now. He screws people over based on the information he's getting from the people that are supporting him…or not supporting him. He's like a puppet. He has the name. He has the fame. He has the money, and he's easily influenced by whoever is closest to him. That's really what I think is going on right now."

On how Steven Adler continues to get attention:

"Steven has figured out how to use his fame to get whatever he wants. 'I'm the drummer of Guns N' Roses. I'll take care of you.' He promises you the world, and then when it comes right down to it, he pulls it back and he doesn't keep his word. He gets away with it. Does he have a bad heart? I don't think so. He's learned how to get his way over the years. He's stretched his credit beyond the limits of what I think the credit is worth, honestly."

On why Slash, Izzy and Duff would help Steven Adler out:

"The greatest thing going on right now in the Adler camp is that he's playing the sympathy card with Slash and Izzy; getting these guys to come down and pop up on stage with him. It just gives Steven more ammunition to use that fame card to manipulate people and get people to do his bidding and do what he wants them to do. They feel like there's this chance that Guns N' Roses could reunite, 'and I want to be in Steven.' I don't know those guys (Izzy, Slash, Duff) personally, but I know people that know them very well. Knowing Steven for so long, I kind of get the gist of it. Those guys — they kind of feel sorry for Steven. He got himself kicked out of Guns N' Roses because he has his own attitude problem, and obviously substance abuse issues. You know, they just kind of feel sorry for him. Those guys have had really cool lives. Slash — look at him. He's an American icon. He kind of feels bad for his bro that he went to junior high school with. They started the dream together, and now Steven is just scraping the bottom of the barrel. Slash is riding high with his brand new band and doing all this big time stuff. He just wants to kind of dish out some charity for him."

Hanoi Rocks was a great influence on Guns N’ Roses. Some even say that if they wouldn’t have split up 1985, the Finns would have been a stadium band as big as Guns N’ Roses was later on. Both bands collaborated with each other and Michael Monroe appeared on the epic Use Your Illusion albums playing sax and harmonica on one song, and also adding some vocals to Ain’t It Fun on The Spaghetti Incident?

But does Michael know when Chinese Democracy will be released? “No. Perhaps by the time there’s democracy in China. Axl Rose has always been nice to me and I wish him good luck, but I wish he had the old band today. Those guys had a great chemistry. It’s what happens when big money gets in the way. It’s what destroys bands. People start talking to each other through lawyers. I don’t envy Axl’s situation. Doing the same record for ten years is not normal anymore”.

Q: I'm actually reading a great book about Guns N' Roses now and on every other page they keep saying how they wanted to be like Hanoi Rocks and that you were a huge influence on them back when they started out. Did you ever think, when they started to take off and sell millions of records, that it should've been you selling all the records since they took a lot of what you had?

MM: No, I never felt that! Not at all! I was always happy for their success and they definitely earned it themselves. I'm thankful for them recognizing the Hanoi Rocks influence and talking about it in the press. A lot of bands weren't really that talented and they sold a lot of records and really just deliberately tried to fake something out of it with the looks and not having much to back it up with. But Guns N' Roses really had their own thing and they were secure enough in themselves to quote Hanoi Rocks as an influence. Also, they released a lot of the old catalog in America with their Uzi/Suicide label. So they were definitely paying homage to us and they were being very cool. I've never been envious of their success, quite the opposite, I've been very happy for them. I was part of it. I played on their records and I was happy to be part of it. It´s always fun working with those guys. Slash played the right kind of guitar because he grew up with Hanoi and mine and Andy's playing. I actually did something with him for the movie "Coneheads".

Q: Yeah, I know!

MM: Yeah, that's a great song and it turned out great. It's always fun working with him and I still keep in touch with him.

Q: Do you remember the first time you met those guys?

MM: I met Axl... he came to my video shoot in New York. I was shooting a video for "Dead, jail or rock and roll". He showed up and just came to say hi and he introduced himself. I got to talk to him and he was a big Nazareth fan and I was like "Wow, a Nazareth fan!". He didn't realize that "Not faking it" was a cover of a Nazareth song. He had heard the record and he was really into it and he liked the song "Dead, jail or rock and roll", so I said "Why don´t you come up and do a couple of takes with us?". He came up on stage and he ended up in the video. I got along with him great and I always had a nice time with him. I never had a problem with him. I hear all these horror stories, but he's always been cool with me. It was fun working with those guys afterwards. Playing sax on their record and we did the duet "Ain't if fun". That was magical and they have great star quality. A great band and it´s a shame that they didn't stay together.

Q: Have you met Axl lately?

MM: He was in Finland some time ago and I didn't meet him then but we said hello through the press. I said nice things about him in the press and he said to say hello and all that stuff. Slash I talk to more often. We call each other now and then and keep in touch. We talked about going on tour together with them, but it hasn't been the right time yet for Hanoi. But that would be cool, with Velvet Revolver.

Q: That would be awesome!

MM: Yeah, maybe one day.

New Showtime Series To Offer 'Track Packs'

By Chris M. Walsh, N.Y.

Showtime's new comedy series "Californication," starring David Duchovny, is set to exclusively release installments of eight-song "track packs" via the Apple iTunes Music Store.

The packs, titled "Temptation: Music from the Showtime Series Californication," will be released by Abkco Records and will, in essence, be an evolving digital soundtrack with no physical counterpart.

"We fully realize that fresh thinking is what's called for in today's quickly evolving music industry," says Abkco senior VP Iris Keitel. "Our friends and partners at Showtime clearly concur."

"An episodic soundtrack enables us to establish a musical arc for the show," says "Californication," adds series creator Tom Kapinos.

The first installment hits the online music store Sept. 10 and will feature the first-time digital release of Paul Oakenfold's remix of the Doors' "L.A. Woman," "Mojo" by Peeping Tom (the new project from Mike Patton of Faith No More). They will also include songs by Tommy Stinson, Mindy Smith, Josh Blake, the Country Gentlemen, Arco and My Morning Jacket.

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Buckethead will release a set of albums, entitled "In Search Of The", on February 21. While not much is known about this collection, it has been confirmed that there are a total of thirteen albums that have each been personally numbered and monogrammed by Buckethead himself.

According to musician/producer and frequent Buckethead collaborator Travis Dickerson, "This is not a regular CD. It's hand-made, hand-burned. The cover is whatever is deemed to be written on it. This is not a manufactured deal; each one is different and will be numbered and monogramed. No two of these will be the same. I have never heard of an artist doing something like this. This is as direct from the artist to the fan as I have ever heard of.

"As far as the content, I don't know, but the mystery around it is no surprise. Again, I can't speculate because I don't want to mislead anyone, I just don't know anymore. My gut sense is this is a conceptual work, a piece of art. It could contain anything."

Collins Looks To Future with Science Faction

Greg Prato, N.Y.

Bassist Bootsy Collins has always been out there, but he's pushing his next project, Science Faction, even farther than usual.

"We're looking at it like, 'What would happen if we wound up a situation down the line as we evolve, that our technology takes over and we are the ones that they're looking at as 'the scum of the earth'," Collins tells Billboard.com. "It's kind of like 'Planet of the Apes.' What would they be like? What would that feel like? We're just trying to warn the world that that's comin', and we're having fun with that."

Joining Bootsy in the band are guitarist Buckethead and current Guns N' Roses drummer Brain (both of whom have previously played with Bootsy in Praxis), as well as DJ Botieus and producer/guitarist Greg Hampton, who will also be handling lead vocals. "We had a different vision that has morphed into a monstrous vision," explains Hampton. "Originally, we were going to do an old school sort of thing, referencing the elements that were part of Bootsy's career in the funk genre. One thing led to another, and it has turned into what it is today -- it definitely grooves, but it's definitely very rocking and very modern."

Science Faction's yet-to-be-titled debut (which is being co-produced by Collins and Hampton) is set for worldwide release early next year, with a tour to follow. Song titles include "L.O.A.F. (Living on Another Frequency)," "Fatally Flawed Flesh," "Neuro World," and a track with a working title of "Living in Eden."

[...]

Metal Edge: Do you ever get [Axl Rose] on the phone and say, "Will you just put your fuckin' record out already?"

Bach: I said that to him once, and it was one of the only times he bristled at me. He goes, "Oh, everybody, Sebastian's got a great fucking idea. Hey! I should put out a record! Thanks, man, what would I do without you, dude... that's awesome." I was like, "OK, I get it. I'll never say that again." See, the thing that nobody gets, that I get, is that he has like four albums done. I've heard it. So get ready! All you people who don't think he's gonna put out a record are sadly mistaken. He just takes his time. It's his album. Axl does what he wants to do, that's the way it is. And just 'cause you haven't heard it doesn't mean it's not done.

Metal Edge: Well, I've heard the six tracks that were leaked, and they're amazing.

Bach: But those aren't the final versions. He laughed about those. Those aren't the record. Those are some other version of whatever. One of my favorite songs — I asked Axl if I could mention the song titles and he said "Fine" — and one of my favorite songs is this song called "The General", which is so… it's by far the heaviest metal tune I think Ι've ever heard Axl do, this slow, grinding riff with these high, piercing vocals, screaming vocals. I was like, "When is this coming out?" And he said, "2012." I was like, "Dude, you're killin' me!" He goes, "Well, this comes out on the third record. It relates to this song, it's a trilogy, this goes with this lyrically." He's got it all figured out, he's just different than other people. He does things on his own time, in his own way, but you know... the world's not prepared for what I've heard from this guy. It's got the grandness and the epicness of "November Rain" but with the snarl, the attitude of "Appetite". Because the album that I've heard, a lot of the drumming is by Brain, who plays so heavy and mean. It's a really... grand is the word for it, but its still got that attitude. There's some great music comin' your way.

DR. DRE SHOCKED WHEN AXL ROSE WORE N.W.A. HAT

Veteran rapper DR. DRE realised his former band N.W.A. had made it big when he saw rocker AXL ROSE wearing a hat with the group's logo on it in a GUNS N' ROSES music video.

Dre couldn't believe it when he first saw Guns N' Roses 1991 promo for hit song You Could Be Mine - because he and his bandmates were still struggling to make a living and had no idea their music had a white audience.

Dre says, "The biggest shock was when we saw Axl Rose in the video with the N.W.A. hat.

"We were like, 'What the f**k?' We were still selling records out of our car."

Slash Says He Was Burned on Real Estate Deal

Saul Hudson -- or as he's better known, "Slash" of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver -- and his wife have filed suit over a house they say they were duped into buying.

TMZ obtained the lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, against real estate agent Gregory Holcomb and Sotheby's International Realty, in which the Hudsons claim they "thought they had found their dream house," but say it turned out to be a nightmare.

The suit says, among other things, they were told the house was on a private, gated street. The house, they allege, turned out to be on a public street with very little parking. They also say it was much smaller than the 7800 sq. ft. in the listing, and there were issues with the home's title.

Because they say Holcomb and Sotheby's withheld this information from them, the Hudsons have suffered "grief, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, anger, worry, disappointment, nervousness, stomach disorders, backaches, loss of appetite and inability to concentrate on work." They are suing for an amount in excess of $1 million.

The lawsuit document:

https://web.archive.org/web/20100509062700/http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1115_slash_wm.pdf

SLASH To Appear In New PAULINA RUBIO Video

VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash makes a special appearance in PAULINA RUBIO's video for "Nada Puede Cambiarme", the second single from the Mexican singer and actress' 2006 Spanish-language album "Ananda". The song, which was written by Fernando Montesinos, features Slash on guitar, and is the follow-up to Rubio's last single, "Ni Una Sola Palabra", which reportedly topped the charts in Mexico and Spain.

The "Nada Puede Cambiarme" clip was filmed in Los Angeles on January 9 and was directed by Dago González. In the video, Paulina appears as a bride dressed in pink.

SLASH Jams With BLACK EYED PEAS In Hollywood; Photos Available

According to MTV.com, VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash jammed with the BLACK EYED PEAS on "Let's Get It Started" at Avalon in Hollywood, California on Thursday (Feb. 8). The BLACK EYED PEAS threw a benefit concert for their Peapod Foundation, which helps underprivileged children around the world. This year's effort raised funds for the band's Peapod Music and Arts Academy, an educational center that will serve foster children in inner-city L.A. Other guests included Wyclef Jean and John Legend. Check out pictures from Wire Image.

In other news, Slash recently met up with Grammy-nominated CCM rocker Sarah Kelly at his Hollywood's RockWalk induction ceremony, also attended by producer Mike Clink. It proved to be a reunion of sorts for Kelly, who recruited Clink to oversee her Grammy-nominated sophomore release — "Where The Past Meets Today". Clink, in turn, introduced Slash to Kelly's music — and he immediately jumped onboard to record two amazing guitar solos on the project, including "Still Breathing" and "Out Of Reach". Slash comments: "I was blown away by how much emotion and balls her voice had and how expressive it was… She has a sincerely pure presence in her voice."

[...]

MetalKings.com: What happened to your original bass player, Todd Crew?

Billy Rowe: We parted with him after recording tracks for "Elektra" due to personal problems and he died some time later in London where he went with Guns N'Roses.

MetalKings.com: I heard he was the drug addict.

Billy Rowe: That's true, that's what this 'personal problem' was all about.

[...]

MetalKings.com: Billy, since you lived through the glorious 1980s can you tell me what happened to hard rock and glam music in the 1990s. Why so many people in America that seemed to be so loyal to this music just abandoned it and turned to that grunge shit?

Billy Rowe: I think the problem was that the whole genre outperformed itself. When we started there were just some bands that played similar music around. There were Guns N'Roses, L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. But then the market grew bigger and bigger and lots of very mediocre bands appeared and record companies were signing them without thinking how talented those musicians were. It was just the trend of those times. And then when grunge came it was something new and absolutely different and people wanted to see something they didn't expect to see, something out of the ordinary glam/hard rock movement. That was the main reason.

[...]

MetalKings.com: OK, many uprising and unsigned bands were but what about monsters like Motley Crue or Guns N' Roses? They were millionaires but still extreme drug addicts and severe drinkers.

Billy Rowe: About Motley Crue, I don't know the reason why. I still don't understand it when I read news about Vince Neil getting drunk and doing crazy things. I really think it's time for him to get himself together and get straight. Look for example at Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses. He's done very well from himself since those early years, he became straight, he quit drugs and alcohol and he's much better nowadays. I know him, Slash and Izzy very well, we're always in contact and we're good friends.

[...]

[...]

FIB MUSIC: How did Jetboy form?

Billy: The band formed with Fernie and I. I think it was in early '83, it was at an old club called the Old Waldorf, it was Bill Graham's club at the time. And we used roadie for a guy named Frankie Wilsey, who later went on to join the Sea Hags and Stephen Pearcy. Fernie and I just really hit it off and started hanging out a lot and I was jamming with this other guy and Ron was the drummer, but that band didn't really do anything. So, Fern and I just had a lot of the same ideas and we started working on songs and we were like, let's put a band together. He knew Todd and I knew Ron and prior to that we went through a couple of people, before Todd was brought in. Then Todd and his girlfriend and Mickey's girlfriend were all good friends at the time....so Todd knew Mick. We met Mickey in the alley, right next to the Mabuhay Gardens on Broadway where we used to all hang out. Mickey was piss drunk and face down in a puddle of piss probably (laughs). His girlfriend is like, he's a great singer, I swear. So, we gave him a couple of songs that we had demoed....and I think he missed like four rehearsals and then he finally showed up and knew like four songs and as cliche as it is...the rest is history.

[...]

FIB MUSIC: How long does it take for you guys to start traveling to Los Angeles?

Billy: That was like '85. But before Mick and Todd were in the band, Fernie and I would hitch a ride to LA; a friend of ours was a big W.A.S.P. fan....this was in like '83, that was when we met Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin, when they were doing Hollywood Rose. Again, we hit it off because they were into the same things...Hanoi Rocks, Lords of the New Church and kind of more of the punk-edged, glam stuff, or whatever you want to call it. Izzy and I were pretty tight and we said hey, when we get our bands up and running we'll start swapping gigs, we'll come up and play with you guys and you come up and play with us. So, I think it was '85, I think it was Vicky Hamilton and this girl Deb Rosner, who was working with Poison. I think Vicky Hamilton booked our first show at the Roxy; we played with Madam X and a local band called Doll.

[...]

FIB MUSIC: Was Tracii Guns in Guns n Roses when you first started hanging out with them?

Billy: No. It must have been right after that. The line-up had already changed into what it was......the big, massive line-up. It must have been in about '85. Jetboy and Guns n Roses really latched on to one another, we did a lot of shows together. We did Johnny Thunders together, we did shows at the Country Club, where we would play to like bar stools and that was it, you know? Then they would come up here and play with us.

FIB MUSIC: And it doesnt' take long for Jetboy to get established in LA?

Billy: Yeah, the same thing....Within two months we had a manager chasing us down and became our manager and then a year after that we signed with Elektra. So, once we started playing LA, we started going there more often, because the whole scene was just blowing up at that time. At that time, it hadn't even become what it's known for today.

FIB MUSIC: What were the differences between the San Francisco music scene and the LA music scene?

Billy: I guess the best way to describe it; it was just more LA. (laughs) LA is known for what it is, more over-the-top, glitzy and glamorous.....it was just more of everything. You just saw more of it anyway.....more people into it, more bands, more drugs, more girls, more everything. But we were the one band, out of that whole genre, that could pack a club in LA and San Francisco. I mean, Guns n Roses, until their record blew up, they couldn't pack a club in San Francisco, nor could Poison.

FIB MUSIC: Was Guns n Roses very popular in LA during that club days?

Billy: They were becoming big.....they weren't really that much ahead of us, but in a way they were. Poison was the one that was really ahead of us. In 1985, in LA, it was Poison, Guns n Roses and Jetboy. Then Poison got their deal and they put their record out and we were both like, wow, we've got to do that. I think Poison was the biggest. But there came a time, when we could sell out a club, in LA, on our own. By 1986, we were headlining on our own down in LA, unless it was somebody like Iggy Pop, or someone like that.

FIB MUSIC: What was Guns n Roses like back then? Was there a big difference after they became so successful?

Billy: I guess the only difference was really.....all the stories about Axl (Rose) and all that....I mean there were always the issues....always things here and there....I don't know, I guess we were just more kids and naive of everything. We were still huge fans of the bands we were into. We were all friends; there were no attitudes. It was a big party.

FIB MUSIC: Any gigs with Guns n Roses stand out?

Billy: We did a gig with Johnny Thunders in Long Beach. That was a stand out one, but other than that, they all were stand out-ish in their own way. It was more of a thrill to headline your own show....to have a packed show. Looking back now, I thought that was just the way it was supposed to be. Once the five of us got together, it just started to happen. We started playing clubs, we started doing curfew shows, because all these kids would show up. Ron and I were just out of high school and the other guys were like two years out of high school.

[...]

FIB MUSIC: So by 1986 Jetboy signs with Elektra?

Billy: We signed with Elektra in November of '86 and.....um....that's when it kind of got ugly, so to speak....Todd (Crew) was really threading on serious abuse, with alchohol and drugs.

FIB MUSIC: Todd was in the band by the time you guys signed with Elektra?

Billy: Yes. He was in the band when we signed and he was in the band when we were showcasing for producers and the whole thing......it's just a sad story. But we were at a point where it wasn't just the five of us...we had managers and a label and this person telling you that...and this person telling that...you guys are going to be the next big thing......and here's your bass player and he's three sheets to the wind and you just kind of start resenting......we just eventually made that decision.

FIB MUSIC: He's strung out on heroin, or a combination of things?

Billy: He was.......as he used to say, he was on his deathwish...the main thing was alcohol.

FIB MUSIC: Was he like that from the beginning?

Billy: No.....When he joined the band, I remember well, he drank California Wine Coolers and it led to whiskey....Jim Beam....a little speed....it just got ugly. At that point, we were like 19 or 20, selling out clubs and not a a care in life, but playing rock n roll and doing what we were doing; that was our life. We were always playing; always rehearsing. Again, we were buddies with Guns n Roses, but the difference was, when they went to rehearsal, they got shit done. We got shit done, but we had one member who sometimes wasn't all there, or would show up late.......it sucks, because of what happened to him.

FIB MUSIC: How does all that go down? Did you guys have a meeting and just say, it's over?

Billy: Pretty much. We had a few meetings. We tried to talk to his parents...his mom....and then we just decided to say let's move on. I mean, producers are starting to say your bass player is weak and what's up with him. He'd be like passed out on the couch when they would come see us play and check out our songs. We made the decision....and he knew it was coming. He walked in and said, "I'm fired, huh?" and we were like, yeah, we're moving on without you. And that's when it kind of got ugly, because it was like us and Guns n Roses and we were like, "we're going to come up together and be the two bands"....and they (Guns n Roses) were like, "you can't fire Todd, you guys party too and we party".....Then it got ugly, where we would argue with each other and didn't get along and Todd ended up hanging out with them, he toured with Guns n Roses, he went to Europe with them as a roadie, then he went to New York and was hanging out with them. Then Slash and this porn star, Lois Aires, got high and Todd OD'd.....as far as I understand, not being there, they revived him and then they left and then he OD'd again and then he died. And then Guns n Roses became the biggest band in the world.....that's why they did Knockin of Heavens Door and all that stuff.... then they broke big and we were like in this feud....we shouldn't have fired Todd, you guys party too....and so on. Then funny enough, they fire Steven Adler for the same thing.

FIB MUSIC: Then eventually the whole band gets fired.

Billy: But Adler first....he's whacked out on drugs and not holding up his end on the drums...whatever it might be, it was the same thing that we said Todd was doing...and they were like, "you can't do this" and all that....and then they fired him when that band was on top of the world, screwed him out of money....I don't know who did what to who. Still, for me there's always an ill will with that band.

FIB MUSIC: So that really caused such a problem that you guys didn't even like each other?

Billy: It kind of got ugly in the press a little bit. Not like Izzy, he was the one who I thought was kind of the smart one and not so much Duff....it was kind of a little bit of everybody, but not Izzy. Then after the whole Adler deal is when we all made up and we've all spoken since then, except for maybe Axl. Everything is fine. I saw Duff about a year ago at NAMM and he was nice and gave a hug, how you been....so everybody's grown up basically, but the sad thing is Todd was not able to grow up. He's dead.

FIB MUSIC: Do you remember the day you got the call?

Billy: Yeah. Sadly enough we were in Florida mixing "Feel the Shake". My sister called me and I found out that he had OD'd. You know, two days later was the wake and we didn't have the money to fly out, we were out there doing the record. We sent flowers and did our thing. My sister went and kind of got the stink-eye from a few people here and there, she was sixteen at the time, so it was another personal issue with me. You know, my sister had nothing to do with it and she knew Todd better than most of the people that were there. Most people showed up because they thought there was going to be a party.

FIB MUSIC: Now do you guys feel any guilt as a band, or was it just understood that you had to do what you had to do?

Billy: No. I know we were so caught up into our own thing and you know, just taking advantage of our chance of what we had going on. You know, we got Sammy Yaffa in the band, he was a great player and the band grew quite a bit when he joined. That's another reason I think GNR and us got in a fight, you know, one of the guys in the band we were both influenced by (Hanoi Rocks) and kind of met because of.....you know, one of the guys ended up in our band, so people were looking at us like man they're going to be the band that's going to be big and I think it got into a jealousy thing too.

FIB MUSIC: Is the rest of the band whacked out on anything, or are you guys just drinking?

Billy: Ummm. There were a few guys that um.....

[...]

Besides, there's only so many reality freak shows one needs to appear on when you've got W. Axl Rose planted in your corner.

The current chapter in Bach?s rock career was actually initiated when the other original members of Guns N' Roses called him in to audition for what became Velvet Revolver. The match didn't work, leading Slash to lament the acrimony in his best-selling autobiography, even though they've patched things up since.

"He wrote something like, 'Too bad Sebastian doesn't like me anymore,' " says Bach. "It's like, 'Dude, when I try out for your band and you don't pick me it's not like I?m going to call you to hang out.' After that, I was kinda ready to move on."

The next suitor turned out to be Axl, preparing for the next leg of the never-ending tour overture to the release of Chinese Democracy: he invited Bach onstage to duet on "My Michelle" during warm-up shows in New York City.

"Next thing you know he was flying me around the world just to do this one song," says Bach. "It was like Led Zeppelin territory, where I go all the way to Milan just to sing 25 words. But, from that point, I was hooked."

Touring the interstates in a van, as Bach did in the late 1990s -- when his musical associates included Kelley Deal of The Breeders, Jimmy Chamberlin of Smashing Pumpkins, and Jimmy Flemion of The Frogs in the short-lived Last Hard Men -- was no longer the ideal. Bach asked Rose if he could open for GN'R in arenas.

When it came to touring Canada in fall 2006, Bach had the idea of dragging the Trailer Park Boys along as a sideshow, and so he did.

"Then I see a review in the Toronto Sun that makes it sound like I'm the worst thing to ever happen in the history of music," says Bach. "Meanwhile, the only reason Axl is even on the road is because he's watching me on a monitor backstage every night giving him motivation to do it, too."

Rose returned the favour by appearing on three tracks on Angel Down, whose 2007 release date -- not to mention the fact that it's not called Chinese Democracy -- means it can't be redeemed for a free can of Dr. Pepper. Media attention for the album has generally leaned on metal webzines and online radio outlets. And while Rolling Stone, whose cover Bach graced in 1991, gave it a not-entirely-dismissive review, the Peterborough native still hasn't gotten his well-deserved star on the Canadian Walk of Fame.

During the interview, Bach was asked if there is any truth to the rumors that he is being considered for the lead-singer position in Velvet Revolver following that group's recent split with Scott Weiland.

"I've talked to Slash recently. I think it'd be really awkward for me to join that band. Number one, my new record, 'Angel Down', I like it more than Velvet Revolver records. That's just being totally honest. I love Guns N' Roses material, but I've got my own old songs, Skid Row, so for me, it would all depend on music. I wouldn't just join the band just to join the band. If we came up with some incredible new songs, then maybe I'd think about it, but honestly, I'm very close friends with Axl, and he sings three songs on my new record. I think Dr. Pepper owes me a case of free soda [laughs]. Axl's been so nice to me, he's helped me out my whole career. In Skid Row he helped us out, and in my solo band he brought me around the world, and then sang three songs on my new CD, which is pretty mind-blowing. I don't know It's a cut-throat business, but Axl's been so nice to me, I don't think I would feel comfortable just joining Velvet Revolver and singing his songs every night. So I don't think that's gonna happen."

And you got your old friend Axl Rose to sing on Angel Down?

Yeah, it’s an incredible thing. The world has been waiting for Chinese Democracy for a good 15 years and if you want to get a taste of what Axl actually sounds like as of last year, then get Angel Down because he’s on three songs. He sounds incredible! I just can’t believe that in the history of rock he would choose to collaborate on my album.

What have you learned from your friendship with Axl?

He’s a fascinating individual and he does things a lot differently to what I do. He doesn’t do any interviews at all and I do millions of them. It’s an incredible experience to be talking to him before he goes on stage. I’ll be backstage in his room and he carries on a conversation as we’re walking to the stage. The whole [arena] is going nuts and Axl will be telling me about what he did last night or the day before, and he doesn’t break a stride. I’ll be like, “Well, ok, you’re going on stage now,” and he’ll say, “Ok, I’ll talk to you later.” He’ll walk out there and all of Sydney’s Acer Arena crowd is like, “Ahhh, there he is. Oh, my God!” People can’t believe that he’s actually standing there. It’s such an intense moment every night.

It’s a crazy situation, because he doesn’t show himself to too many people and he’s always been there for me. I think it’s funny that when Scott Weiland left Velvet Revolver, the last thing he said was, “I think Sebastian Bach would be a good choice for you guys.” I think that’s because he’s eluding to the fact that you can’t get away from Guns ‘N Roses. They’re like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. I’m sure he felt frustrated in trying to fill Axl’s shoes. Axl texted me right away and asked if I was joining Velvet Revolver, and I said, “No, not that I know of.” Axl has been so nice to me, I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardise our friendship.

I’m in the middle of all these huge rock icons who are calling me at the same time, and I’m sitting there thinking, “How does this f**King happen to me?” Axl said to me, “Dude, the way that you sing is rare.” The way that Axl sings is rare too. There’s not a lot of guys anymore that can sing in the range that we sing in.

Would Axl be unhappy if you were to sing for Velvet Revolver?

I think it would be awkward. I opened for two Guns ‘N Roses tours. Axl sang on my record and I sing on Chinese Democracy. We’re very close friends. For me to join a band and then sing all of his songs would be kinda weird. But, Angel Down, is what’s in my heart and I can’t wait to get out there and tour it. That’s what I’ll be doing for the foreseeable future.

Q: Do you think Axl could be so stubborn that he won't release "Chinese Democracy" just because he is Axl? And since you probably have heard some/most of the new stuff, could it be compared to "Use Your Illusion" in specter of diverse type songs?? And what is your favorite GN'R song of all time?

Bach: I don't think Axl is the person that is holding up the release... The music has been done for a long time and it's incredible, epic. He has over four albums of material finished... It's in the hands of the businessmen now. Favorite GN'R song of all time... Maybe "Civil War", "Rocket Queen", "My Michelle".

Q: I wanna get a straight answer directly from you about the whole thing with Velvet Revolver and you..I am tired of all the internet rumors about the whole thing. Have they contacted you lately?

Bach: I have talked to Slash recently about collaborating on music, but not Velvet Revolver. I cannot say what the details are, but Axl Rose has helped me and this band more then anyone else in the music industry. It would be very awkward to sing in Velvet Revolver being such close friends with Axl. More importantly, I like "Angel Down" more than Velvet Revolver music.

Sebastian Bach has plenty of musical activity on his plate -- but joining Velvet Revolver is not part of the mix.

The former Skid Row singer, who was among the early names rumored to be taking Scott Weiland's place, tells Billboard.com that his close friendship with Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose -- who sang on three tracks on Bach's 2007 solo album, "Angel Down" -- and a focus on his own music would making joining Velvet Revolver "awkward" at best.

But he did confirm that VR guitarist Slash did contact him "out of the blue ... to talk to me about working together, but it was not Velvet Revolver. It was a completely different project, and I can't tell you what it is 'cause it's mind-blowing, but I've been sworn to secrecy on that. But nothing's happening right now with me and him."

M4M: Well, now you and Axl have been friends for quite some time and have collaborated on each other's albums.

Sebastian: He sings three songs on "Angel Down" with "Love is a Bitch Slap", "Stuck Inside", and "Back in the Saddle". He helped out Skid Row back in the old days in 1991 when he took us out on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and now he took my solo band out in 2006-2007 and took us around the world. I could never ever repay him for how much he has helped me out. The fact that everyone was waiting for him to put out "Chinese Democracy" and he comes out and makes his return on Sebastian Bach's solo album; think of how cool that is for us as a band. We are really proud of this CD. When we put out this CD and you stick it in and hear Axl Rose screaming at the top of his lungs, that is kind of cool to have!

[...]

M4M: Now rumors have been flying around back in 2003 and then recently once again that you would become the lead singer of Velvet Revolver! Is there any truth to that? We would like to clear that up right now for people.

Sebastian: I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Scott Weiland said Sebastian Bach would be a perfect choice for Velvet Revolver and he might have been joking, but guess what? If I was to sing for Velvet Revolver, we could at least do some Guns N' Roses songs (laughing). You can joke all you want Mr fucking no tone, zero ranged fucking singer. I would eat him for breakfast on a microphone any fucking day of the week.

M4M: Oh man you have me almost pissing myself. (laughing)

Sebastian: If he wants to stand next to me and sing, good fucking luck. If he thinks that was a joke, well then the joke is on him. I do Paradise City and My Michelle every single night with Axl Rose, you know. At least we can sing the old songs.

M4M: Well yeah man you are doing the songs with the man that writes them and performs them.

Sebastian: You know, Weiland got tired of hearing about Axl and me probably. He got tired of hearing about it and you cannot replace Axl Rose -- you know, that fucking guy has got one craziest, most amazing voices in the history of rock, and when he does Sweet Child Of Mine and Welcome To The Jungle it is an awesome thing to see, it really is, and I have seen it a million times and it is always incredible. He is the best, really.

Bach is thankful and still marvels at the fact that Rose came to the studio to sing on Angel Down, marking his first studio vocal performances to be released since 1999. "I just texted him, joking around that he should come sing on my record, and the next thing you know, he was there!" Bach says.

And because they've become such tight bros, Bach's now a de facto mouthpiece for Rose — media outlets continually pepper him with questions about the GN'R singer's doings and whereabouts, always hoping to get some inside information about the status of Chinese Democracy.

"It's become sort of a joke — Rolling Stone says, like, 'Sebastian Bach is Guns N' Roses' publicist' and stuff like that," Bach laughs. "I don't know why he is so nice to me or why he lets me into his world or why he sings three songs on my record, for fuck's sake!

"Axl is the most controversial lightning rod of a human being I've ever encountered in my life," he continues. "He's so big that it's hard to fathom. I've walked down the street with him, and he literally stops traffic. No humans can speak the way that they normally speak, to Axl Rose. I watch people — smart, successful people — stand in front of him and try to figure out what he wants them to say so he'll like them. People think they know who he is, but they really don't. He's a very sensitive guy, and a lot of times, I wish people would just shut the fuck up about him."

Q: You guys have an uneasy history with Guns n’ Roses. Have you heard Axl Rose’s new record? Do you even care?

Hetfield: I’ll certainly listen to it. But I haven’t lost sleep waiting for it. I thought we took a long time to make an album. But you know he’s late for everything so it makes total sense. We saw him play at a festival in Germany two years ago. He’s a good frontman. He’s eccentric, but all artists are. If they don’t show that they’re quirky, they’re lying to you. They’re either pretending they’re not or they’re pretending they’re an artist.

One person who's curious to hear it is Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, although he told The Pulse of Radio he has some reservations. "I don't know if I believe it's a Guns N' Roses record, because it's just Axl," he said. "I think it's a phenomenal solo record, I'm sure, but as far as being a Guns N' Roses record, you know, I'd love to hear Guns N' Roses together because we believed in that band. You know, Axl's the type of artist who will make sure it's a great record, but it's not a Guns N' Roses record, it's an Axl Rose record. We need to be careful with the brand name."

Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy Reviewed By Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse 'The Devil' Hughes

'You can't say it's a bad record, you just can't do it,' frontman says, despite his beef with Axl Rose.

By Chris Harris

NEW YORK — Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes really wanted to hate Guns N' Roses' new album, Chinese Democracy. Ever since his band was booted from GN'R's 2006 tour, after a single performance in Cleveland, you could say there's been bad blood between Hughes and Guns mainman Axl Rose. So Hughes has been waiting to get his hands on the oft-delayed, more-than-a-decade-in-the-making LP, hoping it would be an abysmal catastrophe.

But Hughes' verdict is in: "You can't say it's a bad record — you just can't do it."

Hughes, whose band was dubbed "Pigeons of Sh-- Metal" by Rose, joined MTV News for a brief Chinese Democracy listening session Monday at the Downtown Records offices. He shared his thoughts on one of the most anticipated albums of the last 10 years, set for release November 23.

Like much of the world, Hughes never actually believed Rose would deliver Chinese Democracy. "During that one show we were at, they'd play songs like 'Mr. Brownstone' and 'It's So Easy,' and the crowd would be going nuts," he recalled. "Then, all of a sudden, they'd play something off Chinese Democracy, and it was just crickets. And then the crickets went silent."

But now that the release is upon us, Hughes has changed his tune. "The first two tracks, right out of the gate, grabbed me, and the first time I heard the record, I was like, 'F---, it's not bad,' " Hughes said. "I had so many funny things waiting to be said about it, but the record is good."

Hughes, whose band recently released its third album, Heart On, was especially taken with the musicianship on the record, which he called "unparalleled." The LP's overall sound also impressed him.

"The production values had to be probably at the highest level of anything, and you can hear that immediately," he said. "There is not a lot of magic going on, in terms of making sh-- from nothing. These are real players, and this is the greatest karaoke band ever assembled. He pulled together some of the greatest talents from the last 16 years, so it's a lot of talent in one spot."

But Hughes does have one gripe: "To say that it's Guns N' Roses, which is the L.A. freaks who hit the streets and made you scared and your women were being hidden, and you have this ugly son of a bitch on guitar shredding — I don't think it's fair to say that this is Guns N' Roses. When you're releasing multiple albums and you're a band, you're part of a lineage. You're saying you started here, and from here comes forth this. You can't do that with the new GN'R. This is Axl Rose's solo album. There's nothing Guns N' Roses about this. It's a great album, but it's not Guns, and it's an insult to all of us to call it that."

Hughes doesn't think Chinese Democracy does anything to diminish Guns N' Roses' rock-and-roll legacy, but he feels "it helps to contrast and highlight it, because if you've even heard one track off of [1987's] Appetite for Destruction, you're immediately going to go, 'That's not Slash.' And to me, that's cool, because Slash has the rad stuff. Axl — he just has implants."

As for Axl's pipes, Hughes described the vocals as sounding "suspiciously Zapp-ish," a reference to the '70s soul-and-funk outfit that utilized a talk box on the majority of their recordings. (Jesse apparently didn't know that Zapp founders/brothers Roger and Larry Troutman both died in an apparent murder-suicide in 1999.) "The vocals don't sound real," he said. "It sounds like a MIDI sampler that's approximated to his voice.

"Axl, I think he's like the child with chocolate on his face telling you he didn't eat the candy bar," Hughes continued. "This is the reverse. It sounds like a person talking, but it's really a robot. Axl's a robot. Have you ever seen 'Terminator'? I think if we cut Axl's arm at the skin and peeled it off, a robot would emerge."

Hughes realizes that Chinese Democracy is an important record, one he's sure "will topple Communism and the great dragon itself," but after hearing it, he questions why it took so long to produce.

"Let's be serious and set aside my personal issue with the man, and let's just pretend for a second I'm not in this business," Hughes said. "Sixteen f---ing years to make an album is an outrage and an abuse of the system. Who the hell does anyone think they are that they'll take 16 years to make a record? The only thing Axl has going for him is that he's still friends with Sebastian Bach. That man's still a hunk. He's a savage animal if ever I saw one."

Ultimately, though, Hughes respects Rose's position in rockdom. He also wonders when — if ever — we'll see a follow-up to Chinese Democracy.

"It doesn't matter who Axl is or what he's done to me, he's part of one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands that's ever lived, and Appetite has carved out this massive spot for itself that can never be screwed with," he said. "I can't speak ill of the man too much, because it seems like I'm, in a disingenuous way, calling into question his rock nobility. I just can't wait for North Korean Democracy, which will be coming out in 2036. Axl will still look the same then, but he'll actually be growing corn out of his scalp."

Hinder Say Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy Sounds 'Too Artsy' And 'Overproduced'

The rockers who call GN'R one of their biggest influences think the new LP is 'missing something.'

By Chris Harris, with additional reporting by Daniel Montalto

What made the original Guns N' Roses so intriguing was how dangerous they truly were. At the height of their career, they were a force to be reckoned with — an unruly gang of wild-eyed kids from the seedy streets of L.A., who churned out gritty rock and roll and always partied as if it were their last night on Earth. They lived for the moment, abused all manner of substances and had more than their fare share of the ladies.

Of course, Guns N' Roses existed during a completely different time, long before grunge got us depressed and emo made us nearly suicidal. Today, there's just aren't many bands who've even come close to matching the level of debauchery achieved by Axl, Izzy, Duff, Slash and Adler back in their heyday. (Kurt Loder reminisces about his many encounters with Axl Rose in the MTV Newsroom.) But Hinder are trying their darnedest.

On Wednesday, less than a week before the November 23 release of GN'R's long-awaited Chinese Democracy, we reached out to the hardest-living rockers we know to gauge their thoughts on the new LP from one of their biggest influences.

"The original Guns N' Roses inspired us — not Axl Rose being an a--hole," drummer Cody Hanson clarified.

"We've heard some of the earlier stuff that's leaked, and the single, and I was just kind of like, 'Eh,' " frontman Austin Winkler said. "Axl's voice sounds great, but that was never a problem. It was him going onstage and working with those other guys that was the problem. I think somewhere Axl's got all these other different guitar players he's tried to work with and he was just whipping them, going, 'More like Slash! More like Slash!' That's what I'm picturing in my mind."

After hearing the first leaks from the record, Hanson said he knew it wasn't going to live up to the hype.

"I heard the stuff that was leaked, and I know the mixes weren't there, but, being musicians, you can hear through that stuff — you still hear the songs, and to be honest, the songs just aren't there," he said. "It almost sounds too artsy; there's something about it. It's not what it was. It's just missing something, and it sounds overproduced. ... I guess that's what happens whenever you've got 20 years to sit in the studio."

Hanson admitted he was surprised to discover a release date had finally been set for Democracy, but he was still excited for Axl's return.

"It is great to hear that voice on the radio again," he said. "Without the band, though, to me, it's not really Guns N' Roses. It was all about that energy that that group of guys had together, and without that, I don't know, man. It's kind of pointless and a wasted effort. Axl was never GN'R by himself. Look at the other guys — they've moved on, and Slash is still one of the biggest icons in rock and roll. So, GN'R definitely wasn't just Axl."

According to Winkler, Hinder were approached to open for Guns on a recent tour, but they decided to turn down the offer. "We knew what would happen," he said. "Axl wouldn't go on stage if he didn't have his lamb or something. We didn't do it, and it turned out way better for us."

Looking back on Rose's numerous tour cancellations and hasty moves to boot bands from the bill, which happened to the Eagles of Death Metal in 2006, Hanson said they decided against the tour for the sake of their fans.

"Our fans are extremely important to us, and if we had to cancel a bunch of dates and leave them hanging, we would have been pretty pissed off," Hanson said. "So, we decided it was not in our best interest to do the tour."