1992.12.04 - Telefe (Argentinian TV) - Interview with Slash

Transcript:
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[Interview with Wendy Laister (Guns N' Roses international tour publicist) at the venue]

Interviewer: What are they doing now in the stadium?

Wendy Laister: This is the second day of preparation. And you can see that about half of the stage has gone up. They’re putting the lights up today, and by tomorrow everything will be finished at around 4:00 in the afternoon.

Interviewer: When are they coming to sound check?

Wendy Laister: It’s not really a sound check as other bands might do. They’ll come tomorrow afternoon and check the equipment.  

Interviewer: Are they coming themselves, the band I mean?

Wendy Laister: No, the band themselves don’t come down. It’s all technicians who work – each band member have their technician who work with him.

Interviewer: And when is the band coming to the stadium for the first time?

Wendy Laister: The band comes to the stadium about an hour-and-a-half before the show is scheduled to start.

Interviewer: What about the song list? You were telling me something very interesting about the song list.

Wendy Laister: Unlike most stadium bands of this - big bands, they don’t have a setlist. Each night is different, which makes it very exciting for the audience. It makes it very difficult for the technicians, they have to be absolutely 100% on the board all the time. But it means that the show can be – it feeds from the enthusiasm of the audience.

[Commercial break]

Interviewer: What can you tell me about the rumors that are associated with the band, the burning of the flag and the boots story?

Wendy Laister: Those stories are extraordinary. They’re completely untrue. There’s not even one grain of truth in the stories. The band has been excited to come to Argentina. Which is why it was one of the countries on the South American tour, and it’s the first time they’ve ever been here and they’re very excited to come (?)

Interviewer: How come they talk about these stories though?

Wendy Laister: For some reason, Guns N’ Roses is followed by rumors wherever we go. The press likes to – they’re a very controversial band for the media.

[Cut to interview with Slash]

Interviewer: Thank you for the interview. Slash, I’m very happy because you are here, and I want to know some things of Guns. Guns is the number one group in the world. What’s next?

Slash: I don’t look at us as being number one in the world.

Interviewer: Oh yes, I think you are.

Slash: I’m just happy that the kids like the band, so we can keep writing songs. And the people still enjoy listening to us, so we can keep – it’s sort of give-and-take now. As far as what’s next, last night Axl, Gilby and I were all talking about, you know, the next record and what –

Interviewer: And you?

Slash: Huh?

Interviewer: And you, Slash?

Slash: And me what? Yeah, and me. Yeah, Gilby, Axl and I. Anyway. We were talking about what the next record is gonna be like and how we’re gonna go about it. And everybody’s just really excited. I still don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen, but I’m writing songs upstairs - you know, in my room, just playing -  Gilby’s writing songs, Axl’s got ideas. And so, it’s just like, videos are coming out... We’re busy, you know, so it’s good.

Interviewer: What do you feel being here in South America? Caracas, Chile? Next is Argentina.

Slash: Yeah, Argentina is next. It’s just great because everybody’s excited and everybody’s got so much spirit, you know; so I'm just having a really good time now.

Interviewer: Lot of energy.

Slash: Tones of it. And the kids just - the day of the show, is just like the whole place is [makes a sound as shaking], you know (laughs). It’s great.

Interviewer: What do you do to feel happy?

Slash: I smoke cigarettes (laughs).

Interviewer: Are you happy?

Slash: I’m very happy. Don’t I look happy? (laughs)

Interviewer: Yes. You look happy.

Slash: What do I do? I just hang out with the guys in the crew and the guys in the band, you know? And I have a couple of drinks, you know, and hang out.

Interviewer: You are like you are.

Slash: Yeah. And that’s it. That’s fine, you know. And I love playing. I love being on the road, period. And I love all the people that we have working with us.

Interviewer: I look you very well. What does this word mean to you: tenderness.

Slash: (touches her arm) It’s like that. (laughs)

Interviewer: Yes, tenderness.

Slash: That’s a big question.

Interviewer: Yeah! No, it’s a little question but it’s a big?

Slash: Yeah, it’s just real important. I don’t want to get into all the details of it, you know; especially since I just got married. (laughs)

Interviewer: Hate?

Slash: Hate, that’s a strong one too. I can’t say that I practice that one too much, because it’s too negative an energy to have around you all the time. So, I don’t really hate anybody.

Interviewer: Violence?

Slash: That’s bad. I see a lot of it. I see it at our gigs, on CNN – English speaking TV that we have here. I just see a lot going on and I don’t – violence is just something I hate. I just –

Interviewer: You hate violence?

Slash: Yeah, yeah. That too has so many – you can go on forever about violence.

Interviewer: Drugs?

Slash: Drugs, you know, I’ve had my days. (laughs)

Interviewer: Love?

Slash: That’s great.

Interviewer: You’re in love?

Slash: Yeah.

Interviewer: Is it good?

Slash: Yeah, yeah. I just live with that. You know, we write songs about it. It’s a very emotional bunch of guys, let’s put it that way. So, all these emotions – I mean, we get into it in detail.
   
[Live footage – Commercial break]

Interviewer: What is the best and the worst thing as a guitarist in Guns (?)

Slash: The worst is, probably, having that responsibility and that pressure of people looking at you and expecting you to do something. The best part about it is just the fact that this is what I do for a living. I’m blessed, because I get to do what it is that I love doing every single day of my life.

Interviewer: Playing guitar is like making love for you?

Slash: Almost like that (laughs).

Interviewer: Do you think you can change something in the world with your music?

Slash: That’s stretching a little bit. I don’t like to think that we’re making some sort of big message. You know, I don’t like to think of this like that. We’re just there, and if you like it you can go for it. And as far as making any changes in the world, it’s like, yeah, well, whatever happens, happens, as long as it’s positive. I don’t want to cause anything negative. One of the things that I regret about Guns N’ Roses – it’s a great rock ‘n’ roll band, but it generates a lot of tension, you know?

Interviewer: Energy.

Slash: Yeah. And, sometimes, I see people hitting each other, people throw things. And then I’m just like, “What’s the point?”

Interviewer: Why?

Slash: I don’t know why. I mean, I don’t know why people do that. I like the fact that it’s hyper. I love that, but at the same time everybody’s got to be considerate of everybody else that’s around them; and that doesn’t happen all the time.

Interviewer: How is one ordinary day in your life?

Slash: I just - let’s see... Order room service, play guitar all day, and watch TV (laughs). That’s about it, and at night we go out.

Interviewer: Do you go to the supermarket and...?

Slash: Nah. I hate supermarkets and I hate gas stations. (laughs)

Interviewer: Me too.

Slash: Cuz everybody looks at me funny, you know, and I get a little shy.

Interviewer: December 10th is the International Day of Human Rights. Do you want to say something about it?

Slash: I think it’s a good day for everybody to express themselves, you know? I don’t wanna get real detailed about it (laughs).

Interviewer: What do you expect of Argentina concerts exactly?

Slash: Well, the last two gigs that we just did – Caracas, right? We just made it out of there before all that happened, right? But the kids, like, really appreciated us and it was great. Then we went to Bogota. This is two really tense places to be. And they kids, they’re starving for it. You know, they’re just like, “Give one good day in the week to go out and watch a rock ‘n’ roll band.” So, as for all the next gigs, I figure they’ll all just be sort of like that. You know, they all have their own energy, but it’s really positive, it’s really good. So it’ll be great. I’ve really good hopes.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for this interview, and we hope that Argentina...

Slash: (?)

Interviewer: And that one there is for you, huh? Only for you? No, for Guns.

Slash: No, well, my old lady (?)

Interviewer: Oh, okay. You want to know one word in Spanish? “Te quiero.” “I love you.” “Te quiero.”

Slash: Te quiero.

Interviewer: “I love you.” Thank you, Slash.

[Interview with promoter Daniel Grinbank in Spanish]

[Footage from outside the band’s hotel: Altercation between people from the crowd and Grinbank - Grinbank talks to reporters]

[Voice-over in Spanish - footage from the crew in the tour bus]