2005.02.DD - Hit Parader - Rock and Roll Machine (Matt)

ROCK AND ROLL MACHINE

By Eric Nash

When the world thinks of Velvet Revolver certain images spring instantly to mind; a shirtless Scott Weiland slithering across the stage like a snake in heat...a sweating Slash laying down the guitar thunder with his long, black locks flying in his face...a straw-haired Duff McKagan holding down center stage like an eagle waiting to strike. Perhaps one thing that doesn't fill the mind's eye quite as dramatically is the image of Matt Sorum laying down the drum thunder like an eight-armed madman. But make no mistake about it, this former Guns N' Roses and The Cult skin beater is just as vital a cog within the VR riff machine as anyone! As this "super-group's" debut disc, Contraband, continues to rocket up the sales charts, and as they continue to bring their volatile hard rock sound to all corners of Planet Earth, we figured this might be the perfect time to spend some quality time with Mr. Sorum - and in the process get a further insight into the Velvet Revolver rock and roll machine.

Hit Parader: Has the Velvet Revolver recording/touring experience been everything you hoped it would be?

Matt Sorum: It's probably been even more intense, more exciting and more satisfying than I had thought it might be. None of us in this band are exactly new-comers. We've been around the rock and roll block a few times. We know that things don't always go the way you want them to or the way you plan them - especially with a new band. So I think we all kind of hoped for the best, but kind of expected a few problems to emerge. We're all just glad that nothing major has come up to bite us.

HP: Would that key problem be Weiland's off-stage situation?

MS: That was a concern at one time... but we knew Scott wanted this band to happen as much as any of us. He's worked so hard to keep his focus - and everyone else's, for that matter - on the important things. He's been incredible to work with.

HP: How long did it take for your on-stage musical bond with your fellow ex-GNR rockers, Slash and Duff, to return once you started touring?

MS: Duff and I have always had a very special chemistry. That's the way it needs to be between a bassist and a drummer. That was there right from the start. A lead guitarist is a bit different; when he takes off, it's our job just to keep up with him. But having worked with those guys in the past certainly allowed us to take things to a higher level very quickly.

HP: How big a role do you feel Velvet Revolver's success has played in the current hard rock revival?

MS: I hope we've played a big role in that. I wasn't even that sure that a "revival" was going on, but if it is, that's great. Hopefully a lot of people are being turned on by this music and want a lot more! I'm still waiting to hear a young band that blows me away. There's a lot of music I like out there, and a lot that I don't. But I'm waiting for that next great band to emerge that takes music to the next plateau. We need a new Led Zeppelin to emerge - the kind of band that's not scared to take chances and is willing to do whatever is necessary in order to do something totally original.

HP: So is it safe to say that you're not too happy with today's music scene?

MS: I don't want to sound like one of those guys that's been around the music scene for a while who can't seem to grasp change. That's not me. But I think there really isn't very much good music out there. It bores me most of the time. I enjoyed Jet's last album, but even they're so derivative. I'm looking for something new that really excites me.

HP: Have you been suprised by the success Contraband has enjoyed?

MS: When you go back and realize that when this band first came together very few record labels showed even the least bit of interest in us, I guess I'd have to say I am surprised! But at the same time, the people in this band have sold a lot of records during their careers, so in that regard I'm not that suprised. There's so much talent in this group that I think we always believed that if we had the chance to let it properly emerge, it would click.

HP: What is the "secret" to the band's sucess?

MS: I don't know if you'd call it a secret, but it's probably the way we approach the music we make. We don't sit there and tear every note apart and over-analyze every song. We just go play. Our goal from the moment we got together was to bring a little of that "without a net" attitude back to rock and roll. We wanted to go into the studio and make a great album..then go on stage and just let it rip!

HP: Guns N' Roses was such a "shooting star." Do you hope that things go a little slower with Velvet Revolver?

MS: Every band does things its own way. Hopefully, the guys involved with this band have learned a lot from what we've all gone through in the past. I'm not gonna look ahead ten years and try to speculate where we might be. Hopefully though, we'll all be making some great music together.

HP: Has the GNR legacy helped or hindered Velvet Revolver?

MS: It's part of who we are, just as the Stone Temple Pilots are part of who we are. But we're not either of those bands. We enjoy playing a few songs that are associated with those groups, and we do it because we all love those songs. We're not trying to live off any past accomplishments, but to deny them would be cheating ourselves, and cheating the fans as well.