2001.06.22 - The Record - Slash Sticks To His Guns

by **Blackstar** Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:49 pm

Transcript:
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Slash sticks to his guns

That means no more Axl

By BRIAN ABERBACK
Staff Writer

Not much has changed for Slash over the past 15 years.

The guitarist, whose fiery fretwork helped propel Guns N’ Roses into the rock stratosphere in the late Eighties, still enjoys nothing more than getting onstage and jamming.

During a phone conversation before the start of a two-week tour with his namesake band, Slash’s Snakepit, the guitarist gushed about his previous night’s performance with guitar legend Les Paul at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

“It was so spontaneous,” Slash (born Saul Hudson) said of the gig. “You just plugin and you’re onstage and it all comes to life. You see what you come up with at the moment. That’s one of the great things about rock-and-roll. It’s an attitude and an energy.”

Attitude and energy are abundant on Slash’s Snakepit’s sophomore album, “Ain’t Life Grand.” Full of huge, groove-laden riffs and screaming solos, the collection sports a nasty, streetwise edge while retaining a hedonistic rock-and-roll vibe. It’s a far cry from the seething anger and aggression of today’s heavy-rock rebels, such as Slipknot and Marilyn Manson.

“We seem to be one of the few bands out there doing that particular kind of music,” Slash, 35, said of his traditional hard rock ways.

The band — which includes vocalist Rod Jackson, bassist Johnny Blackout, drummer Matt Laug, and guitarist Keri Kelli — is making up dates that were canceled after Slash caught pneumonia on tour in March. He’s been on the road supporting “Ain’t Life Grand” for the better part of the past 10 months, but also found time recently to contribute a couple of solos to Rod Stewart’s new album, “Human."

Slash’s passion for performing is what led him to form the group in 1995. Frustrated at the time with Guns N’ Roses’ then two-year layoff, he assembled the group as a side project, recording the album “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” When Guns singer Axl Rose expressed a desire to move in a more industrial-techno direction, Slash left and turned Slash’s Snakepit into a full-time gig.

Unlike many rock acts using computer technology to enhance their sounds, Slash is a firm believer in the old rock adage of plug in and play.

“It’s an art form unto itself,” he said of mixing technology with music. “I have an appreciation for it. but from where I’m coming from, [music] has to be organically produced.”