1996.08.21 - Unknown Radio Station - Interview with Duff

DJ: You're recording all together?

Duff: Absolutely. Slash, myself, Axl, Matt and Dizzy.

DJ: When's the album coming out?

Duff: We have 16 songs and they rock! I'd love to say before Christmas. For sure there's going to be an album before spring.

DJ: Is Izzy back in the band?

Duff: No.

DJ: Who's writing with Axl then?

Duff: He has a friend whose name is Paul. We're all writing together like we always did. You know, we spent about a month and a half in this place in West LA and went down every night. There's one thing about Guns, once we're in the same room, the chemistry is there. The problem is getting us all in the same room.

DJ: Well, all Guns fans have been waiting a while for some original material. Duff from Neurotic Outsiders, are you a little neurotic?

Duff: You know, this record is a great record. Steve Jones is an idol of mine and has been since I was 13. I first started playing guitar and drums, not bass, and I completely emulated Steve Jones' style. So, actually, when I first started playing with him a year ago, when this band started, I was really nervous.

DJ: No doubt.

Duff: Because he's an idol. I guess it's like Slash playing with Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughan or something.

DJ: So when did you first meet Steve?

Duff: We were riding mountain bikes together, which I was really glad for, because it was like OK, he doesn't have to see that I completely copied his style. He takes it as an honour, I'm sure, but to me, I still feel like a 13-year-old kid around him. I saw them, the Pistols, in London about a month and a half ago, their first gig. And it was just an amazing band.

DJ: I saw them last night at a club in Toronto.

Duff: Oh, you did?

DJ: Yeah, it was wild. Rotten walked off the stage, he was spitting at people, swearing at people, other people throwing lit smokes at him and beers at him… Yeah, it was cool, man. Hey, are the Gunners getting any more punk?

Duff: You know, I hate using labels with us. I think the first record, Appetite, was an extension or directly evolved from American punk rock or English punk. So are we more punk now?

DJ: What's the deal with Axl Rose?

Duff: He plays guitar now, by the way.

DJ: Oh, really?

Duff: Yeah, he's rocking!

DJ: He's been in hiding. He's a very odd man, isn't he?

Duff: I think it rakes odd people to do this.

DJ: Does Axl get pissed when you guys go off and do other things?

Duff: He's really cool with this. Axl and I have been friends for about 10 years - you know, the band got together June 10 years ago. So we’re okay. We’re big boys now.

DJ: Is there another solo record in your blood somewhere?

Duff: Sure there is. You know, the record I did was something I just recorded for myself. When Geffen said, “We want to put it out,” I wasn't in the frame of mind to say yes or no or whatever, I just went with it.  So when I do it again, I have a studio at my house now and I do play drums and bass and guitar, so I record all the time. Sure, man.

DJ: Duff, where's Izzy?

Duff: Izzy lives in Malibu.

DJ: And is he doing anything?

Duff: I'm good friends with him, and him and I actually recorded up here at my house about six months ago.

DJ: When's he putting a record out, ‘cause I loved his last one.

Duff: It's done.

DJ: Oh, no way!

Duff: Izzy's a strange cat. You know, he's had this record done since, well, a year now, and he's a very private guy, and I respect that about him.  He doesn't need to put out a record to feel justified about himself, I think.

I'm not sure about the date of this. The source I found it says Sept. 21.
https://web.archive.org/web/19981206065317/http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~t-gray/duff1.txt

But the interviewer says that he/she saw the Sex Pistols in Toronto "last night," and I see on setlist.fm that the Sex Pistols played in Toronto on August 12.

Slash was in Budapest for a show with Slash's Blues Balls on August 14. I have always assumed the work where all were involved started when Slash returned from Budapest - so after August 14. This fits okay with other quotes from the period. If so it seems a bit strange Duff would say in August 13 that they were all working together and had been doing so for 1.5 months - unless he was taking some liberties with Slash's participation. If the date is really September 21, then we can almost squeeze in those 1.5 months after August 14.

Weird with the Sex Pistols' date, tho. I checked Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filthy_Lucre_Tour) and it says they played in Toronto on August 20th (as well as August 12th). That puts the interview to August 21st. I think that fits. The 1.5 months of writing was then probably without Slash's involvement, but that they were back working (Slash, Axl, Matt, Dizzy and Duff) from some date sooner after August 14. Then it is August 21 and not September 21. Mistake in the original source.

Soulmonster wrote:Slash was in Budapest for a show with Slash's Blues Balls on August 14. I have always assumed the work where all were involved started when Slash returned from Budapest - so after August 14. This fits okay with other quotes from the period. If so it seems a bit strange Duff would say in August 13 that they were all working together and had been doing so for 1.5 months - unless he was taking some liberties with Slash's participation. If the date is really September 21, then we can almost squeeze in those 1.5 months after August 14.

Weird with the Sex Pistols' date, tho. I checked Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filthy_Lucre_Tour) and it says they played in Toronto on August 20th (as well as August 12th). That puts the interview to August 21st. I think that fits. The 1.5 months of writing was then probably without Slash's involvement, but that they were back working (Slash, Axl, Matt, Dizzy and Duff) from some date sooner after August 14. Then it is August 21 and not September 21. Mistake in the original source.

Okay. I think this solves it, then. I'll edit the title.