1995.02.DD - Rock Express (French TV) - Interview with Slash

Transcript:
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Host: (Short introduction in French)

[Clip from the Making of Estranged]

Slash: Axl is – like I said, Axl is Axl. You gotta know the man before you can really pass judgement on the guy. The reason I’m not working with Axl at the moment, is only because he wants to do what he wants to do, and I want to do what I want to do; which, mine, is a more simplified just sort of a rock ‘n’ roll thing, where he’s got visions of videos and blah blah blah. And so I just spent a better part of the year sort of formulating what would end up being inevitably Snakepit and in doing a pinball machine at the same time.

Slash: It was hell of a lot of fun. It wasn’t like with Guns N’ Roses, at least for me, where it’s like, “Whoo, Guns N’ Roses are making a record.” All of a sudden, I discovered that I had a great bunch of guys, so I want to do another Snakepit record now. But at the same time, I do have an obligation to go back to Guns N’ Roses and see what’s going on. I talk to Duff all the time. Duff’s fine. He’s like me; you know, whatever.

[Clip from the Making of Estranged]

Slash: Zakk is just a good friend we jammed with, because now that Gilby is not in the band, Axl was like, “What about Zakk? You like Zakk, right?” And I was like, “Yeah.” But we don’t sound right. It doesn’t sound right with, like, two heavy lead guitar players. There’s no, like, the off – usually Guns N’ Roses uses an off rhythm and a main lead sort of riff. So now me and Zakk just play the same thing; but that’s just because we’re both lead guitar players. So as much as I love Zakk, we haven’t made any decision. I told Axl I’m gonna be gone till August touring with Snakepit, and we’ll talk about it when I get back.

[Clip from Beggars And Hangers On video]

[Cut to interview with Duff on Metal Express, December 1993]

Slash: He [Axl] was supposed to do a solo record at one time, but he thinks Guns N’ Roses as a solo record for him; and, unfortunately, it’s not really that way. So we need to sit down and talk about it. But we’ve come to an agreement, where, you know, it’s very amicable what’s going on at the moment – as far as I know, last I talked to him.

[Live footage: Slash and Eric Dover acoustic promo show at Elysée Montmartre in Paris]

Slash: Tom Zutaut called up and asked for a favor, and he said, “Would you do Sympathy For The Devil for David Geffen’s movie?” I talked to Axl about it and Axl said, “No, I don’t wanna do it.” And I said, “I’m gonna see the movie” - you know, see a screening. I saw the screening and I was bored to tears; one of the worst vampire movies I’ve ever seen, actually, and I can say that without feeling bad about it, because I love vampires and horror movies, and all that. So I went home and I said, “Nah, the Stones version” – it was already in the movie – “is fine. Just leave it.” And then Axl went to see it and loved it. So it was like, “Okay, no problem.” He said, “Let’s do the song” and so I said, “Fine.” I thought this could be a good vehicle to get Guns N’ Roses in one room and get the wheels turning for a new record. The only thing is, Matt and Duff and me were the only ones that showed up, and Axl took a few days.

Interviewer: (inaudible)

Slash: Well, he – (laughs). I hate that guy. That’s Paul. That’s a whole another story.

[Live footage: Slash’s Snakepit at Elysée Montmartre]

Slash: Paul is just a friend of Axl’s, and he brought Paul in without telling me. And I got really angry, cuz the main thing is the band, you know, and getting the band together. So it’s not like you hire a bunch of session people and make Guns N’ Roses. It doesn’t work that way.