2019.03.03 - Die Welt - Interview with Slash

In German and requires subscription, but maybe the article becomes available in the future:

https://tinyurl.com/yxlqy5p3

EDIT by Soulmonster:

I added the translation from Twinfoot at mygnrforum:

Slash, everlasting guitar god, has a weakness for gloomy stories. Here, he talks about werewolves, vampires and defibrillators – whilst hinting at a new Guns N' Roses record.
Before it can start, a bodyguard has to inspect the suite in the deluxe hotel in Frankfurt. The muscular man looks around, his voice polite but distinct. “Salt-and-Vinegar-Chips” would be nice, he says before disappearing – telling us the guy we're waiting for will be there in five minutes.
Slight semblance of panic on the hotel employee's face: all the munchies you could think of were there, except for salt-and-vinegar-chips. And those aren't easy to get in five minutes.
Enter Slash. Rock-'n'-roll-eccentric and guitar legend who has been reunited with his hardrock band Guns N' Roses for over two years now. Their respective reunion tour is now over. But because Slash doesn't like to get bored, he plays more concerts with his solo band The Conspirators. He doesn't wear his notorious top-hat this afternoon, contrary to a pair of sunglasses, his wild mane barely tamed by a beanie. Chips? Well he doesn't want those right now anyway. But he would very much like a coffee he adds politely. It takes some time for the coffee machine to do its duty and fill half a cup. Slash then asks if he could have it double. He laughs as he sees the worried face of the journalist who fears running out of time for the interview. “Don't you worry. Once I drank this, I'll talk much faster.” he says “We'll make up for the time then easily.”.

I: “Slash, you have lived the rock-'n'-roll excess to the maximum for long enough. After overdoses, near-death-experiences, you had...”

Slash: “Yeah, that was a long time ago.”

I: “15 years ago you told us, you had experienced such problems only when tours were over. Now you just a two-year-comeback-tour with Guns N' Roses and went on with your solo band afterwards. Do you always have to work to not crash?”

Slash: “That's what's best for me. It is not stressful for me to go directly from Perth, Australia to Frankfurt, Germany and continue to play. It's like everything's in the flow. What else should I do? Every time I finished a tour, it ended badly. Sure, after working for a long time, I also like to come home and not have to do anything. That only lasts for about a week, though. After that I go crazy, if I don't have a million things I could do.

I: “With Guns N' Roses you played for 60.000 to 100.000 people, but with your Conspirators you play to 3000 fans in the Stadthalle Offenbach. Does that bother you?”

Slash: “No, because I have always played these small arenas and concert halls before the comeback. It was more the other way around that I had to readjust from there when it all went back to stadiums with Guns in 2016.”

I: “Axl Rose and you were seen as the biggest wranglers of rock for over 20 years, before reconciling for Coachella and a follow-up tour. Many wonder how you could bare with each other for more than two years-”

Slash: “Seriously, the last tour was the most fun I had with Guns N' Roses since the 80's. Not in this lifetime would I have thought to have so much fun with them again. For the first time, I felt something like intimacy at the stadium shows. The big Open Airs of the 90's made me feel disconnected from the massive audiences. I can't really explain my different perception, though. There were definitely totally different vibes from the audiences this time.”

I: “Maybe because no-one could believe seeing Rose and you together on stage again?”
Slash: “Could be, yes. Maybe back in the day, fans weren't really sure what to expect from our concerts.”

I: “The frontman would disappear from stage, coming on stage hours too late or get in fights with fans...”

Slash: “Today, the fans just want to see us together again.”

I: “They say, you're planning a new record with Guns N' Roses. Is there any truth to it?”

Slash: “At the moment, there is a lot of activity focusing on it.”

I: “What does that mean?”

Slash: “The focus clearly lies on it. Most definitely. A lot of energy is put towards the idea of making a new album possible. We will see. Until it happens, I continue to work with my other band, the Conspirators, which is also a good, authentic rock-'n'-roll band.”

I: “Let's talk about your solo songs. An early Conspirators song “Beneath the Savage Sun” is written from the perspective of an elephant hunted by poachers. How do you come up with something like that?”

Slash: “Our singer Myles Kennedy and I had visited South Africa and other African countries several times. We saw many elephants and informed ourselves through animal welfarists about the problem with poachers. That stuck with us for longer. Look, I'm not a big animal rights activist or something. Although I do support many animal welfare organizations and am member on the board of the Los Angeles zoo, I do not hold speeches or read any statements. Nevertheless, I condemn poaching, when it comes to slaughtering elephants because of greed for ivory.”

I: “What of that did you experience?”

Slash: “We met with animal welfarists there, but we didn't see any poachers. Instead a lot of elephants. Whilst a visit to Tanzania we had a confrontation. We were driving through a national park, when suddenly an angry male elephant came running towards us. It was dangerous because I didn't know exactly if he was serious. We were in an inconvenient position with our car, where could not have reversed quick enough to get out of the way. As it turned out, the elephant just bluffed. It seemed he wanted to make sure we got his point. We then slowly left his sight. I can tell you – that scared the shit out of me.

I: “On Instagram, it is you who scares others. You show werewolves, vampires, zombies, post quotes by Poe and congratulate Stephen King for his birthday...”

Slash: “A lot of things like that, yeah. (laughs) I'm also interested in that stuff in real life. In 2013, I founded a production company to make horror movies. “Nothing Left to Fear” was the first one. It is of course an ironic title – there is lot to fear in that movie. I still have to shiver to this day. Back then, I asked David Bowie to play a priest in it. His health was really bad at the time, so unfortunately it didn't happen. I didn't really know how sick he really was. Since then I worked on many follow-up projects, with a few deals being made just recently. You know, I always have to do something.”

I: “Stephen King once told me what drives him to write horror stories. Everyone knows they have to die. Horror stories are an exercise for the unfathomable – we scare ourselves safely, knowing nothing can happen while reading.”

Slash: “Well, that is a really interesting take on the horror genre.”

I: “What fascinates you with horror?”

Slash: “The fact that gloomy stories are still kind of a taboo always fascinated me. Other than that horror gives me an adrenaline rush – if something scares me to death. I love horror for similar reasons I love Rock'n'Roll for: Because both are directed against a mainstream way of thinking. Many horror stories are composed very clever because they challenge your imagination. But still horror is kind of the ugly duckling genre. But still it has fascinated me since I was little.”

I: “In his book 'Doctor Sleep' King examined the realm between life and death. You told doctors similar things, when they brought you back to life after pronouncing you clinically dead after a drug cocktail. Does that creep you out when thinking about it sometimes?”

Slash: “There are moments when I think to myself 'Man, how did I survive that?'. But basically I don't really think about what happened back then.”

I: “Following those excesses you began to have heart problems in your mid 30's and got a defibrillator. How do you feel today?”

Slash: “That was also a thing I was really lucky with. My heart is fine today. My defibrillator isn't even activated at the moment. I'm in good health and have left that phase behind.” (pauses for a bit then grabs his neck and screams AAAAARGH and lets himself sink into the armchair – and laughs).

I: “Well, you do have humor. Slash, guitar heroes like you, had to make way for Hip-Hop artists that seem to fascinate the youth more.”

Slash: “I know, my son who is 14 is really into Hip-Hop. He records tracks that way with beats and everything.”

I: “Do you feel like one of the last of your kind?”

Slash: “Well, playing guitar is just my thing. That's how I started, it drives me, since I've been a kid. Naturally, I noticed how tastes in music have shifted. But that's just normal. Every young generation has to make the time period it grows up in their own. Today's kids want to experience a kick, like I did when I first listened to The Kinks or freaking Led Zeppelin. Whatever new is being developed – I can only watch as it happens. But do you want to know what really grinds my gears?”

I: “What is it?”

Slash: “The missing integrity of the music industry was there all along when I started. But there was a bigger will to take risks. We wanted to express ourselves in our own way and fight the commercial industry. Today it seems, many young musicians want to be part of the commercial standard as soon as possible. Many say: 'How can we get commercially successful? Tell us how?' Hahaha. I'd say it was a bit different with us back then.”

There is a mention of the possibility of a new GnR album, according to this report:

Gitarrist Slash hofft auf neues Guns N' Roses-Album

US-Rockband steckt "sehr viel Energie" in neue Platte

US-Rockgitarrist Slash hat ein neues Album seiner Band Guns N' Roses in Aussicht gestellt. "Im Moment gibt es sehr viele Aktivitäten, die darauf ausgerichtet sind", sagte der 53-Jährige der "Welt am Sonntag". "Es wird sehr viel Energie in die Idee gesteckt, ein neues Album zu ermöglichen. Wir werden sehen."

https://tinyurl.com/y4ecv8rh

Typically vague though: "...putting a lot of energy into the idea of enabling a new album. We will see."

Uli wrote:Typically vague though: "...putting a lot of energy into the idea of enabling a new album. We will see."

But the sentence before ("Im Moment gibt es sehr viele Aktivitäten, die darauf ausgerichtet sind") is more positive, right? Or is my German letting me down?

Yes, your German is too good - that sentence does sound quite promising!

"Twinfoot" at mygnrforum did a translation:

Twinfoot wrote:Slash, everlasting guitar god, has a weakness for gloomy stories. Here, he talks about werewolves, vampires and defibrillators – whilst hinting at a new Guns N' Roses record.
Before it can start, a bodyguard has to inspect the suite in the deluxe hotel in Frankfurt. The muscular man looks around, his voice polite but distinct. “Salt-and-Vinegar-Chips” would be nice, he says before disappearing – telling us the guy we're waiting for will be there in five minutes.
Slight semblance of panic on the hotel employee's face: all the munchies you could think of were there, except for salt-and-vinegar-chips. And those aren't easy to get in five minutes.
Enter Slash. Rock-'n'-roll-eccentric and guitar legend who has been reunited with his hardrock band Guns N' Roses for over two years now. Their respective reunion tour is now over. But because Slash doesn't like to get bored, he plays more concerts with his solo band The Conspirators. He doesn't wear his notorious top-hat this afternoon, contrary to a pair of sunglasses, his wild mane barely tamed by a beanie. Chips? Well he doesn't want those right now anyway. But he would very much like a coffee he adds politely. It takes some time for the coffee machine to do its duty and fill half a cup. Slash then asks if he could have it double. He laughs as he sees the worried face of the journalist who fears running out of time for the interview. “Don't you worry. Once I drank this, I'll talk much faster.” he says “We'll make up for the time then easily.”.
 
I: “Slash, you have lived the rock-'n'-roll excess to the maximum for long enough. After overdoses, near-death-experiences, you had...”
 
Slash: “Yeah, that was a long time ago.”
 
I: “15 years ago you told us, you had experienced such problems only when tours were over. Now you just a two-year-comeback-tour with Guns N' Roses and went on with your solo band afterwards. Do you always have to work to not crash?”
 
Slash: “That's what's best for me. It is not stressful for me to go directly from Perth, Australia to Frankfurt, Germany and continue to play. It's like everything's in the flow. What else should I do? Every time I finished a tour, it ended badly. Sure, after working for a long time, I also like to come home and not have to do anything. That only lasts for about a week, though. After that I go crazy, if I don't have a million things I could do.
 
I: “With Guns N' Roses you played for 60.000 to 100.000 people, but with your Conspirators you play to 3000 fans in the Stadthalle Offenbach. Does that bother you?”
 
Slash: “No, because I have always played these small arenas and concert halls before the comeback. It was more the other way around that I had to readjust from there when it all went back to stadiums with Guns in 2016.”
 
I: “Axl Rose and you were seen as the biggest wranglers of rock for over 20 years, before reconciling for Coachella and a follow-up tour. Many wonder how you could bare with each other for more than two years-”
 
Slash: “Seriously, the last tour was the most fun I had with Guns N' Roses since the 80's. Not in this lifetime would I have thought to have so much fun with them again. For the first time, I felt something like intimacy at the stadium shows. The big Open Airs of the 90's made me feel disconnected from the massive audiences. I can't really explain my different perception, though. There were definitely totally different vibes from the audiences this time.”
 
I: “Maybe because no-one could believe seeing Rose and you together on stage again?”
Slash: “Could be, yes. Maybe back in the day, fans weren't really sure what to expect from our concerts.”
 
I: “The frontman would disappear from stage, coming on stage hours too late or get in fights with fans...”
 
Slash: “Today, the fans just want to see us together again.”
 
I: “They say, you're planning a new record with Guns N' Roses. Is there any truth to it?”
 
Slash: “At the moment, there is a lot of activity focusing on it.”
 
I: “What does that mean?”
 
Slash: “The focus clearly lies on it. Most definitely. A lot of energy is put towards the idea of making a new album possible. We will see. Until it happens, I continue to work with my other band, the Conspirators, which is also a good, authentic rock-'n'-roll band.”
 
I: “Let's talk about your solo songs. An early Conspirators song “Beneath the Savage Sun” is written from the perspective of an elephant hunted by poachers. How do you come up with something like that?”
 
Slash: “Our singer Myles Kennedy and I had visited South Africa and other African countries several times. We saw many elephants and informed ourselves through animal welfarists about the problem with poachers. That stuck with us for longer. Look, I'm not a big animal rights activist or something. Although I do support many animal welfare organizations and am member on the board of the Los Angeles zoo, I do not hold speeches or read any statements. Nevertheless, I condemn poaching, when it comes to slaughtering elephants because of greed for ivory.”

I: “What of that did you experience?”

Slash: “We met with animal welfarists there, but we didn't see any poachers. Instead a lot of elephants. Whilst a visit to Tanzania we had a confrontation. We were driving through a national park, when suddenly an angry male elephant came running towards us. It was dangerous because I didn't know exactly if he was serious. We were in an inconvenient position with our car, where could not have reversed quick enough to get out of the way. As it turned out, the elephant just bluffed. It seemed he wanted to make sure we got his point. We then slowly left his sight. I can tell you – that scared the shit out of me.

I: “On Instagram, it is you who scares others. You show werewolves, vampires, zombies, post quotes by Poe and congratulate Stephen King for his birthday...”

Slash: “A lot of things like that, yeah. (laughs) I'm also interested in that stuff in real life. In 2013, I founded a production company to make horror movies. “Nothing Left to Fear” was the first one. It is of course an ironic title – there is lot to fear in that movie. I still have to shiver to this day. Back then, I asked David Bowie to play a priest in it. His health was really bad at the time, so unfortunately it didn't happen. I didn't really know how sick he really was. Since then I worked on many follow-up projects, with a few deals being made just recently. You know, I always have to do something.”

I: “Stephen King once told me what drives him to write horror stories. Everyone knows they have to die. Horror stories are an exercise for the unfathomable – we scare ourselves safely, knowing nothing can happen while reading.”

Slash: “Well, that is a really interesting take on the horror genre.”

I: “What fascinates you with horror?”

Slash: “The fact that gloomy stories are still kind of a taboo always fascinated me. Other than that horror gives me an adrenaline rush – if something scares me to death. I love horror for similar reasons I love Rock'n'Roll for: Because both are directed against a mainstream way of thinking. Many horror stories are composed very clever because they challenge your imagination. But still horror is kind of the ugly duckling genre. But still it has fascinated me since I was little.”

I: “In his book 'Doctor Sleep' King examined the realm between life and death. You told doctors similar things, when they brought you back to life after pronouncing you clinically dead after a drug cocktail. Does that creep you out when thinking about it sometimes?”

Slash: “There are moments when I think to myself 'Man, how did I survive that?'. But basically I don't really think about what happened back then.”

I: “Following those excesses you began to have heart problems in your mid 30's and got a defibrillator. How do you feel today?”

Slash: “That was also a thing I was really lucky with. My heart is fine today. My defibrillator isn't even activated at the moment. I'm in good health and have left that phase behind.” (pauses for a bit then grabs his neck and screams AAAAARGH and lets himself sink into the armchair – and laughs).

I: “Well, you do have humor. Slash, guitar heroes like you, had to make way for Hip-Hop artists that seem to fascinate the youth more.”

Slash: “I know, my son who is 14 is really into Hip-Hop. He records tracks that way with beats and everything.”

I: “Do you feel like one of the last of your kind?”

Slash: “Well, playing guitar is just my thing. That's how I started, it drives me, since I've been a kid. Naturally, I noticed how tastes in music have shifted. But that's just normal. Every young generation has to make the time period it grows up in their own. Today's kids want to experience a kick, like I did when I first listened to The Kinks or freaking Led Zeppelin. Whatever new is being developed – I can only watch as it happens. But do you want to know what really grinds my gears?”

I: “What is it?”

Slash: “The missing integrity of the music industry was there all along when I started. But there was a bigger will to take risks. We wanted to express ourselves in our own way and fight the commercial industry. Today it seems, many young musicians want to be part of the commercial standard as soon as possible. Many say: 'How can we get commercially successful? Tell us how?' Hahaha. I'd say it was a bit different with us back then.”