2001.11.15 - KNAC.COM - Duff McKagan: One Gun Loaded in the Studio!

by **Blackstar** Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:28 pm

Duff McKagan: One Gun Loaded in the Studio!

Well, they say the truth is always stranger than fiction. This would be certainly be the case recently with Duff McKagan. As a founding member of Guns N’Roses, when McKagan walked away from playing bass in the group in 1997, few, perhaps even McKagan himself at the time, would have expected what lay ahead.
Leaving G N’R didn’t mean that Duff stopped playing music though. A one off record with Sex Pistol Steve Jones under the moniker Neurotic Outsiders got him back to playing and having fun again. “Basically we became the house band at the Viper Room, donating the door money to a different charity every week” says Duff “ and it snowballed on its own into a record”. “When Steve left for the Sex Pistols reunion I knew it was time to get out of L.A. and back to Seattle.”

Back in Seattle, Duff teamed up with drummer Geoff Reading (New American Shame, Green Apple Quickstep) and shortly found that they had written a wealth of material. Duff decided it was time to give playing in a band another go. And thus Loaded was born (an ironic choice of band names for the now sober McKagan). McKagan, playing guitar and singing lead, and with Reading on drums they rounded up some new friends from around the Seattle area. Guitarist Mike Squires, whose session and touring resume includes Harvey Danger and Nevada Bachelors and bassist Jeff Rouse whose past includes Alien Crime Syndicate and Shoveljerk.

After only a short time together the group were approached by Toshiba-Emi and signed a deal for Japan. The result is the Martin Feveyear/Loaded produced album Dark Days. The twelve songs highlight McKagan’s impassioned voice while all being built around strong melodies that keep the record flowing from beginning to end. One could guess that the passion in Duff’s voice comes from what seems to be very personal subject matter. Breaking free from the evils of Los Angeles (SeattleHead), depression and addiction (Then & Now, Dark Days), relationships (Want To, Misery, Criminal) to simply wanting to “be a better man” as Duff sings in “Superman”.

Given the depth of the songwriting and performances, Dark Days is sure to surprise and delight. To complete the experience, check out Loaded at one of their upcoming shows. Duff and the boys promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Source:
https://web.archive.org/web/20021119002605/http://www.gnrunlimited.com/articles/knac-11-15-01.html