2009.02.12 - Rolling Stone - Velvet Revolver “Weeks Away” From Announcing New Singer (Duff)

Velvet Revolver “Weeks Away” From Announcing New Singer

By Andy Greene

Velvet Revolver are only “weeks away” from announcing their new singer, according to bassist Duff McKagan. “It’s down to a couple of guys,” he tells Rolling Stone. “That’s way down from the 400 original guys we got submissions from.” Don’t expect it to be another superstar like Scott Weiland. “It’s not like Chris Cornell or one of those guys,” says the former Guns n’ Roses member. “We just want someone that fits. It can’t just be good. It has to be amazing or we won’t do it.”

The hunt for a new frontman — which began shortly after Weiland split from the band a year ago — has proved daunting. “We thought it was going to be real easy,” says McKagan. “After Scott left we said, ‘Ok, we’re just going to find a guy in the next couple of weeks. It’s going to be easy.’ You start hearing all these singers and you’re like, ‘This guy’s really good. That guy’s really good. Wait? Was that guy any good?’ You start getting really confused.”

On April 1, 2008, Velvet Revolver announced their official split with Weiland via a press release, citing the Stone Temple Pilots singer’s “erratic onstage behavior” and “personal problems,” and Slash told RS “We’re just excited about finding someone else and moving on.” Later that month, Velvet Revolver revealed they were setting up a Website where hopefuls could post video auditions. A month later, the band announced that they weren’t going to use a reality show to cast their new frontman, even though they’d been approached by Survivor and Rock Star producer Mark Burnett. In August 2008, McKagan denied that VR had picked up Spacehog singer Royston Langdon, but noted that the frontman is “fucking awesome.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20090216230509/http://www.rollingstone.com//rockdaily//index.php//2009//02//12//velvet-revolver-weeks-away-from-announcing-new-singer//