Re: 28. AUGUST 2008-FEBRUARY 2009: CHINESE DEMOCRACY IS RELEASED

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:27 am

DECEMBER 12-14, 2008

AXL CHATS WITH FANS

In December, Axl would suddenly return to the public domain after having been absent since well-before the release of Chinese Democracy, through chatting directly with fans at some of the largest Guns N' Roses fan forums.

During the chats, Axl would take the handle "Dexter", and also explain his choice:

The show and my cat named after the show, she's a methodical killer.

htgth.com, December 12, 2008

The first chat took place on mygnrforum.com on December 12, and Axl's very first post was a reply to a member of that forum who had criticized Fernando Lebeis. This would quickly be followed be a heated exchange between Axl and a few of the fans resulting in Axl stating:

Your misconceptions and fantasies along with your misguided sense of entitlement don't dictate my actions.

mygnrforum.com, December 12, 2008

When someone pointed out the absurdity of Axl getting in an argument with angry fans at a fan forum, Axl responded:

Nah. Friendly banter by those with opposing views.

mygnrforum.com, December 12, 2008

After this heated exchange, Axl would spend numerous hours over the following days answering different questions, touching upon the future, unreleased music, his former band mates, lawsuits, etc.

Axl would also be asked why he had come to speak directly to the fans and whether it was for promoting Chinese Democracy:

[...] I'm not sure how much this is promoting the album as it's in our own backyard so to speak but it is talking with fans about some of the realities of Guns or myself which whether I've wanted to or not didn't feel right until now. So I'd say it's about us!!

chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:30 am

DECEMBER 17, 2008

THE WRESTLER FEATURES SWEET CHILD O' MINE

On December 17, 2008, the movie The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke was released in the US. During the movie Sweet Child O' Mine is played during a scene where the Rourke's character is entering the wrestling ring.

Rourke would explain how he called Axl to get the rights to use the song for free:

When I was boxing I used to come out to ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine,’ so when I was behind [the wrestling] ropes [on set], I needed some extra so I said, ‘Put on ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine,’ and take off that shit you’re playing’. So I called up Axl [Rose] about the movie and he gave us the song for free.

The Playlist, November 16, 2008

Rourke received A Golden Globe award for his role and during his acceptance speech he would thank Axl:

Later in the evening, it was Rourke who was called to the podium after winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama for The Wrestler. In what was the most rock & roll moment of the night, Rourke thanked Guns n’ Roses’ Axl Rose for allowing the low-budget film to use “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for almost nothing.

Rolling Stone, January 12, 2009

Axl had previously mentioned Rourke when discussing his own desire to start a movie career:

I'd like to find a really good bit piece. If I can find a part like Mickey Rourke had in 'Body Heat,' I'm gonna jump on it. I'd like to find a small part that has some credibility to it.

Rock Scene, August 1988

[Discussing what movie role he would like]: Mickey Rourke in Body Heat. That's the killer role. I actually have someone looking for that type of role for me. I don't know if it will ever come about. It's not like something that I'm pressing. It's not like something I work at every day. Just, if something comes about like that, I'd be very interested.

Rock Scene, October 1989

Rourke was a fan of the band and had previously attended shows at The Plumm and Hammerstein Ballroom (May 2006).

In late 2008, Axl was asked about his relationship with Rourke:

Mickey and I haven't really hung much but have a lot of mutual friends over the years. He's always been massively supportive. I've always been a big fan of his as well. It's probably better for both of us we didn't hang directly back in the day!!

mygnrforum.com, December 12, 2008

Interestingly, the movie's music score, by Clint Mansell, included Slash:

At midpoint in "The Wrestler," Marisa Tomei's Cassidy sums up the general feeling the film's characters have toward pop music. Enjoying an afternoon beer at a dive bar with some metal on the jukebox, she dismisses everything released from 1991 to the present with a swipe at Nirvana's Kurt Cobain: "And then that Cobain ... had to come and ruin it all."

One can only wonder how she'd rate the delicate atmospheric score from Clint Mansell. In a film loaded with '80s metal -- Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Quiet Riot's "Bang Your Head" are prominently featured -- Mansell is the one who has to bring everyone back to the film's stark reality.

But one thing is probably certain. Tomei's Cassidy and Mickey Rourke's fading wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson couldn't fault Mansell's choice of a guitarist: former Guns N' Roses slinger Slash.

"We just thought it would be interesting, given that the character's favorite music is rock -- metal -- music," Mansell tells Pop & Hiss. "We wanted that sensibility and wanted to bridge the gap between score and source. Slash is one of the world's great guitar players, and he was up for trying something different than what he's known for, but he could also bring his sensibility to what I was trying to do."

Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2008

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:31 am

UNRELEASED SONGS AFTER THE RELEASE OF
CHINESE DEMOCRACY

THE AMOUNT OF REMAINING MATERIAL

According to people involved in the various recording sessions, and people who were invited to listen to some of the music while in development, there was a lot of material in various states of completion and Axl himself had talked about both releasing two albums or three albums [see previous chapters].

Axl would be asked if he had 2-3 albums of unreleased material after the release of Chinese Democracy, and respond indicating that he had been working on material for two albums:

For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double. And no offence but no one's trying to talk in parables. The issues are a bit more complex than anyone would like.

mygnrforum.com, December 12, 2008

In early 2009 he would claim they had less than Sebastian Bach thought, likely referring to an interview with Bach in 2007 where he claimed Axl had four records of material [Blabbermouth, August 20, 2007]:

Not as much as Baz [Sebastian Bach] thinks he heard! Really, it doesn't matter.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

And when asked if this unreleased material was finished:

Depends how you look at it.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

But would comment on what the unreleased music was like:

What I can say is if you don't like this, then you probably won't like that. Same people, lots more approaches, bit meaner in places and darker in some. Robin does a really great Stevie Ray Vaughan-type solo on one track.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

Frank would also talk about how the unreleased music compared to Chinese Democracy:

I think it's consistent with Chinese Democracy, it's consistent with that. That's the best way to describe it.

The Geoff Lenox Show, July 29, 2015

Chris would also be asked about the amount of unreleased music they had:

Yes, we did have a large collection of songs recorded through the years, and many I don't even remember now! But to think of a favorite song right now as we speak, I would have to say its one called 'Beta's Barn'.

htgth.com, March 28, 2009

Bumblefoot would also mention that he had added guitar parts to many songs that didn't end up on Chinese Democracy, saying there's a "whole big chunk" of music from that era:

The songs released in Chinese Democracy weren't all of what we recorded. There's more and we expect to use it in the next albums.

Guitar Player (Brazil), July 2009

We just did a whole lot of time in the studio, and I kept playing and playing and playing – until we ran out of songs! I played on the stuff that wasn't released, too. I mean, there's a whole big chunk of music from that era, and I played on pretty much everything. Then they decided what to put out, and I'm sure something at some point will happen to the other existing songs. But I'm hoping we could write some music now, with the current line-up, and do something completely fresh.

HTGTH, September 7, 2010

Two weeks in October 2006 and another two weeks in January 2007 in New York. I was doing one to three songs a day. There are also sessions that weren’t used for “Chinese Democracy,” which might end up on future albums, if Axl wants…

Guitar Part (France), February 2011

When asked to talk more about the unreleased songs (and the alternate Chinese Democracy covers and booklet), Bumblefoot got tight-lipped:

Ah man, I never get into things that haven't happened - it can affect the final outcome of things, ya can't do that. It's like going up to a stranger and saying, 'In 10 seconds I'm gonna try to steal your car.' Guaranteed, the outcome won't be the same. So I never talk about plans, things that haven't happened yet - also, as I'm here typing this, managers could be walking out of a meeting in LA, and I don't know what's up until they tell me. Anything I'd say would be mis-information until it's so absolutely undeniably definite, in which case you'd probably find out from them soon after I did. In my own band, there's less riding on things, it's ok to open the window and let everyone see inside. And I enjoy that, making videos in the studio as an album's being recorded, letting people know what I'm planning for myself - no biggie, if the plans don't happen, it's not like multi-million dollar companies have invested time and the work of hundreds of people are affected by the change. There's a need for protection and privacy when it comes to GNR bizz, or anything on that level. I know it can make you feel frustrated, invisible, abandoned - even though it sucks, I hope you understand that there's too much at stake to risk being irresponsible with information.

gnrevolution.com, August 25, 2009

Still, a bit later in the same interview he would share some more information:

I played on a good handful of songs that weren't on Chi Dem. Can't predict what the fate of any of those songs will be. I haven't written any new songs with GNR, would like to see it get to that point.

gnrevolution.com, August 25, 2009

Brain had also helped write a few songs (The General included) that were unreleased:

a couple others, but i don't know what the working titles are

GNR-Online BR, July 18, 2010

In 2018, he would also say he had worked on 6-7 tracks that had not been released:

I know that I was on about six or seven other tracks that I'm not sure what happened to.

Appetite for Distortion, January 11, 2018

Later in 2018, he would say he thought there were enough material for 2-3 more albums recorded:

Yeah, I think they have them all. I think, you know, there's enough to probably put out two or three more albums.

NatterNet, September 4, 2018

When asked what his favorite GN'R song is, Richard responded:

It's one YOU haven't heard yet!

Appetite for Discussion, July 27, 2009

In May 2011, DJ would claim there were probably enough material for three records, without stating whether this was finished songs with vocals:

Axl has a lot of great songs up his sleeve. He probably has three albums worth of stuff recorded.

Triple M, May 19, 2011

Axl has so many songs up his sleeve from the ‘Chinese Democracy’ era. He has three albums of really amazing stuff. He’s played me quite a bit of it, it’s really good.

Ultimate Guitar, June 23, 2011

I have really great respect when it comes to the music side of things, too. Sitting down and listening to him play piano, he has stuff up his sleeve. My jaw hits the ground. He's playing stuff I'm praying the world gets to hear. He has some really great stuff laying around.

Omaha World Herald, November 3, 2011

After every show we usually end up throwing a party here or there and it always ends up being moved to somebody’s room — usually Axl’s room. He’ll sit down and play me stuff then, and it’s good man. He has a lot of really solid, solid songs that nobody has ever heard. I produce and write for a lot of artists and I can’t wait for people to hear some of the stuff he has up his sleeve.

Banana 101.5 Rocks, November 11, 2011

Being asked how many unheard songs are kicking around:

A lot. (Dozens), easily. Hopefully, the future holds good things for all of them, but I don't know (about a new record). I never know about that. There are some great songs and it would a shame if they don't come out. But after the whole 'Chinese Democracy' thing, I don't want to make any predictions.

Twin Cities, November 10, 2011

In September 2011, Tommy would talk about the unreleased material and suggest they had recorded three albums' worth of material but that some of it was lacking vocals and that at least some of the songs weren't properly mixed:

We certainly did record a lot of stuff. We recorded three records worth of material over the course of that 10-year period, but I think that a lot of the unfinished bits were mostly lyrics and mixes and things like that.

Rolling Stone, September 9, 2011

Later in the same month he would say he was inclined to think Axl had worked on finishing the material:

There is a bunch of stuff that was left over from the last record that didn’t make it because it wasn’t finished. But I’m not sure if Axl has been working on that stuff or not. I would be inclined to think that he probably has been. There’s definitely, I mean when we made the record, there was definitely two full records worth of material there at least. A lot of it’s really good, so maybe he’ll get around to finishing up some bits and singing and stuff like that. That’s kind of where it’s been left at.

Performer, September 30, 2011

Then in November, in an interview with Tommy in Chicago Sun Times, it was stated that they recorded 22 songs that were not included on Chinese Democracy [Chicago Sun Times, November 13, 2011], but again, it is not clear how many of these contained vocals. By counting unreleased tracks from the Village leaks from 2019, which represented a snapshot (possible incomplete) of what the band was working on around 2000, and adding Soul Monster, Seven and The General (although these could be songs that were featured on the Village leaks under different names), we end up with 34 unreleased songs. Removing Absurd and Hard Skool which were released in 2021, we have 32 songs. This suggests that some songs had been culled from 2000 till 2011, resulting in the 22 songs mentioned by Tommy in November 2011.

In early December, Tommy would be quoted as saying that the leftovers are "almost ready to go" and that they could be "polished up for a potential release" [Detroit News, December 1, 2011]:

Who knows, maybe there will be Chinese Democracy 2. Who knows?

Detroit News, December 1, 2011

In an interview in November, Dizzy would talk about the unreleased material:

[...] all of it is great, so any selection of another 12, 15 songs would be awesome. I'm not just giving you an easy answer; I truly believe all of it's pretty amazing.

Billboard, November 16, 2011

And in June 2013, Dizzy would again talk about the unreleased music:

You know it would be a shame if they don’t [come out]. There’s a lot of great material there. It will come out at some point. There are so many different formats that a record release isn’t a big thing anymore—movies, TV, shows, etc. We do finally have a great cohesive band, and as a band, we wanted to finish some things up that we started. So yes, there is quite amount of material that has not been released and it would be great to have people hear it soon.

The Examiner, June 5, 2013

In 2015, Frank would discuss how a new GN'R album would sound:

I think Guns is always gonna evolve, I think Guns is always going to go forward. I don't think rehashing the past is any part of Guns N' Roses at all. I really do think that the way... you know, DJ, the kind of song writer DJ is and Richard and stuff, I think it's just gonna be more of a continuation going forward, it's gonna be more, it's gonna grow more. I mean, you know, I'm a different player than Steven and Matt and Brain, you know, everybody's different musicians, you know, Tommy's a different bass player. I think it's just going to evolve to... it's going to be more Chinese Democracy-ish, in that vein, as opposed to the older stuff. But, you know, the constant is Axl's voice. That's what you're going to hang on to, that's what you're going to hear, that's what you're going to latch onto, it's that classic voice. So in that sense, yeah, that's gonna be constant, that's going to remind you of everything, the whole GN'R catalog, you know.

One On One With Mitch Lafon, July 31, 2015

And in 2017, Tommy would again talk about the unreleased music that could see the light of day sometime:

There’s some stuff with lyrics, some without. We did a lot of stuff that was supposed to be on Chinese Democracy – the record was meant to be more than one disc, but after spending so much time on it we just had to put an end to it. There’s also stuff that was held over from [the original lineup] before they all disbanded, so there’s some stuff that should someday see the light of day.

Rolling Stone, January 27, 2017

Tommy would also suggest Jimmy Iovine may have affected Axl's motivation to release more music:

Well we recorded a lot of stuff. We recorded a shit ton of music. Whether it ever sees the light of day I couldn’t even guess, but we recorded a lot of stuff with the intent that it would be kinda staggered out, I think, you know to keep it rolling in a way. I’m not sure if it was Jimmy Iovine’s fuck up or someone’s fuck up that, you know, made a lot of that just…shut Axl down is what it did, but I’m not really sure where that stuff’s going to end up or what it’s gonna be. Who knows if it’ll be anything ever, you know?

Hard Rock Heaven, February 14, 2017

In 2018, Dave Dominguez would mention an Elvis Prestley cover that Axl had created all by himself:

[Axl] played me... he has a version, I don't know if anybody else told you or it's been released, I couldn't say - he had a version of the Elvis Presley song that he did all himself. Guitar and everything. And it was a ballad. [...] Yeah, it was an industrial, Nine Inch Nails style that he did all completely himself. So like he took me into the Pro Tools room and, "Hey Dave, check this out," and played me a bunch of stuff. I'm like, "Oh cool." Yeah, and then he took me in. And he was really nice to Dave [Bruckner], the drummer [from Papa Roach]. I think like a year later, because after Papa Roach hit pretty big, they played Rock in Rio together.[...] But yeah, but he played, Dave and I, he was really polite, played Dave and I a bunch of stuff that they had been recording.

GN'R Central, January 16, 2019

CONFIRMED, RUMOURED AND FALSE SONG TITLES

The following list features the song titles that have been confirmed to be real, or are strongly believed to be real, and have been confirmed to be bogus [to be updated]:

Confirmed/rumoured to be real:

Atlas Shrugged [htgth.com, December 12, 2008; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008; Locker leaks, 2019]
Monsters/Soul Monster/Elvis Presley and the Monster of Soul/Leave Me Alone [Marco Beltrami Website, October 17, 2002; mygnrforum, December 12, 2008; leaked in 2023]
Ides Of March [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008]
Oklahoma/Berlin [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008; chinesedemocracy.com, December 14, 2008; Locker leaks, 2019]
Down By The Ocean (Izzy) [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008]
Seven [Marco Beltrami Website, October 17, 2002; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008; Appetite for Discussion, August 18, 2010]
The General [Marco Beltrami Website, October 17, 2002; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008; GNR-Online Br, July 18, 2010; released in 2023]
Thyme [Marco Beltrami Website, October 17, 2002; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008; Locker leaks, 2019]
Quick Song [Locker leaks, 2019; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008]
Zodiac [Locker leaks, 2019; chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008]
Beta's Barn [htgth.com, March 28, 2009].
Thyme [Locker leaks, 2019; Marco Beltrami Website, October 17, 2002]
Perhaps [Locker leaks, 2019; released in 2023]
P.R.L. [Locker leaks, 2019]
The Rebel [Locker leaks, 2019]
Eye on You [Locker leaks, 2019]
Mustache [Locker leaks, 2019]
Tonto [Locker leaks, 2019]
Real doll.com [Locker leaks, 2019]
Billionare [Locker leaks, 2019]
Dub Suplex [Locker leaks, 2019]
State of Grace [Locker leaks, 2019]
Devious Bastard [Locker leaks, 2019]
Dummy [Locker leaks, 2019]
Me & My Elvis [Locker leaks, 2019]
Circus Maximus [Locker leaks, 2019]
Curly Shuffle [Locker leaks, 2019]
D Tune [Locker leaks, 2019]
Nothing [Locker leaks, 2019]
As It Began [Locker leaks, 2019]
Inside Out [Locker leaks, 2019]
Going Down [Going Down leaks, 2013; Locker leaks, 2019]
Prom Violence [Locker leaks, 2019]
Unknown Elvis Prestley cover; possibly not intended for Guns N' Roses [GN'R Central, January 19, 2019]

Again, this list is longer than the 22 songs Tommy mentioned they had ended up with by the time his work was over, implying that some of these songs had been aborted at some stage.

Confirmed to not be real:
No Love Remains [htgth.com, December 12, 2008], Take That [htgth.com, December 12, 2008], When Love Collides [htgth.com, December 12, 2008], Closing In On You [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Cock-A-Roach Soup [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Friend Or Foe [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Hearts Get Killed [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], No Love Remains [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Something Always [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Suckerpunched [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Zip It [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], Motormouth [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008], and We Were Lying [chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008].

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:32 am

DECEMBER 2008

BUMBLEFOOT RELEASES
BAREFOOT - THE ACOUSTIC EP

In December 2008 Bumblefoot released a new album with acoustic versions of previous songs:

It's just about done. I just got to think of a name. I don't know. [laughing] [...] And, rather than going on tour, I don't know what my schedule's going to be like, I knew that this moment, this Chinese moment, was coming up, so rather than making any plans and possibly needing to cancel, I figured I'd just better get back into the studio and just put out some more music while I have the chance. So I went back in and started doing acoustic versions of songs from Abnormal, from Normal, from the past records, and it came out really nice. It's such a different approach and it almost felt I was doing covers of my own music and having to rewrite and reinterpret parts of songs that normally would work for, you know, an electric guitar through an driven amp, now I had to find new way of making that part work on just a plain acoustic guitar. So it was almost rewriting parts of songs and coming up with variations and vocally it brought out a whole other side of things. It wasn't about the power, it was about the dynamics, the emotion. So I found myself really singing a lot differently. And I hope people like it. It was very fun... I wouldn't say challenging, it was just a.... something different and it was enjoyable. I hope you all like it. I'm hoping to have it out there and available by the middle of December. So we'll see what happens. If I can come up with a name.

Talking Metal Podcast, November 21, 2008

There's not even drums on there, it's just a rhythm acoustic guitar, a lead acoustic guitar, vocals, and a bass in the background, and that's it. It's completely stripped down, naked, bare, so... not even raw, just skeletal, just... yeah. Really stripped, stripped down.

Talking Metal Podcast, November 21, 2008

I wanted to take songs, strip away the grit and show what they were made of. I had never released a batch of acoustic music, which is funny because most of the time I'm playing it's on an acoustic, lounging around watching TV and playing along with the background music and commercials. Usually to entertain my wife - a commercial will pass, I'll pick up the guitar and play the music right after, chords and melodies, it makes her laugh. So yeah, it just felt like it was time...

Full Metal Rock, May 25, 2009

I love the purity and nakedness of Dave Grohl's acoustic versions of Foo Fighters' songs, that was somewhere in my head. As the vocals were being tracked I started feeling some kind of swagger in the adlibs, a Plant/Zeppelin inspired thing. Don't know if anyone else hears it or feels it, but it felt like it was moving into this 'What Is & What Should Never Be' loose vocal flow in adlibs of 'Shadow'... and in 'Dash' some of the background vocal adlibs seemed to be heading towards that 'Whole Lotta Love' trippy place a little. You listen to a band and it gives you a certain sense of being. I don't know if I've ever done that for anyone, but there have been plenty who've done that for me...

Full Metal Rock, May 25, 2009

I'll tell you, it's something that I never did before. Yet, most of the time when I'm just noodling around on guitar, I'm on an acoustic, doing versions of whatever I hear. So it just seemed like something good to do. Plus, 'Chinese Democracy' was on its way towards coming out, and I didn't know what the schedule was going to be like... whether we were going to be touring, or what was going to be happening. I thought, let me just do this. Let me just start banging out some songs. It was great, because it was like doing cover versions of my own shit. (Laughs)

I was reinterpreting parts. Figuring out... okay, I've got this part that's all tapping, a high energy guitar part. How can I translate that to an acoustic instrument? I was just getting creative with it that way. Dynamically it was great. Vocally I didn't have to be so loud. I personally feel that it's the best thing I've ever done. The best guitar playing, the best singing and the best versions of the songs that I've ever done.

[...]

It was really a damn cool thing. I'd love to do a few more of those kinds of things. To do it again, grab another batch of songs, twist 'em up and make them look pretty. (Laughs)

Nightwatcher's House of Rock, May 31, 2009

I had never done an unplugged album, and most of the time I'm playing, it's unplugged, just relaxing with an acoustic guitar. It just felt like the time to do it. It came together easier than any other recording I ever did, and it was a lot of fun re-writing and re-interpreting existing songs to fit acoustic guitars, and to re-sing them. As for the fans choosing songs, the music is for them, they should have some participation in it. I've had them sing backing vocals on albums, pick songs, pick setlists for tours... it's a combined effort, the artist and the fans are two pieces that fit together to complete the picture.

Digestivo Cultural (Brazil), March 8, 2010

I've done Abnormal and then Chinese Democracy came out and I knew I was about to get very busy with Guns N' Roses. I figured out it would be a good time to just quickly release some more music, while I could. And most of the time I'm playing acoustic guitar. Like I'm just at home or on the tour bus or on rehearsal. I have an acoustic guitar in my hand. A lot of times I pick songs and just turn them into like funny little one guitar versions of the songs, that I'm bringing the guitar parts, the vocal parts, the rhythm, any other melody lines all at once. And I just do that very spontaneously. So when it came the time to do this album, finding ways to do that for my own music, it was actually very easy and very comfortable. The songs were already written and all I had to do is just find the ways to make them work for acoustic instrument, instead of electric.

Teraz Rock, August 2010

Barefoot - the Acoustic EP
December 2008

Discussing whether the album was getting discovered:

[...] it's the kind of thing with every album you put out. You want people to freak out over it and go, "Oh that's the greatest thing I've ever heard in my life!" And I don't think I pushed it enough to the right audience. I think my audience, which is used to noodly noodly guitar shit, I don't know if they get it completely. I think a lot of them do, but then again a lot of them just want to hear a bunch of pyrotechnics and that kind of stuff. So I think it's going to be a slow move as the audience for it discovers it.

But it's happening. I'm finding every once in awhile that someone will come to me and say, "Hey, I heard your acoustic stuff. I play acoustic guitar too, and I really liked it. I never heard your music before and it's really cool." So that's good when you know that it's reaching the right ears that will appreciate that kind of stuff. That's what it's about. The whole world isn't supposed to like any piece of music. You just have to find the people that it was meant for, and make sure they get it. That they're aware of it, check it out, and decide whether or not it's for them.

Nightwatcher's House of Rock, May 31, 2009

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:33 am

2008-2009

THE FOLLOW-UP TO CHINESE DEMOCRACY

With plenty of material having been worked on through the years and Axl having indicated he considered the project to result in at least two albums, or three [see previous chapters], there would be a tremendous amount of speculation on when the next album would be released among fans and press alike.

In December 2008, not long after the release of Chinese Democracy, when asked if he had a tentative release date, Axl would suggest a new album in about a year's time but that this was uncertain:

No, maybe same bat time, same bat channel next year but we'll have to see.

htgth.com, December 12, 2008

A couple of days later he would be asked when the next record was coming out and whether he was "still planning the multiyear thing":

No idea and that was someone else’s thoughts.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 14, 2008

He would also restate his thoughts that the next album would be connected to Chinese Democracy like a double album:

[The follow-up has] a lot more different styles than on this one. As I’ve said it seems more like a double album to me meaning Chinese and the followup.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 14, 2008

In 2018, Tommy would also confirm that Axl's thoughts had been on releasing a companion album to Chinese Democracy:

All I can is…that record was not meant to be one disc.

Billboard, December 22, 2018

In February 2009, Axl would again stress that although they wanted to release another album, the focus now was on Chinese Democracy:

We'd like to get another album out at some point, but for now our focus is on "Chinese."

Billboard, February 6, 2009

And later the same month when asked when the next record was coming out he would pour cold water over anybody's hope of a quick release and talk about the album coming out "at some point in our lifetimes":

Have no idea and don't care. Hopefully, we'll be working 'Chinese' for a good bit. Of course there's the same idiots that have been around forever already demanding release dates. [...] If things go well enough, we'd like to get another out at some point in our lifetimes.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

In Mid-2009, Bumblefoot would be asked if they planned a trilogy of albums:

I wouldn't expect for a trilogy because I learned that each album gets its own life and it doesn't matter if we want to plan this kind of thing. It doesn't work always.

Guitar Player (Brazil), July 2009

And in early 2010, he would be asked what fans can expect about future albums:

Ya' never know what's gonna happen, and the thing about G N' R is just when you think you know what direction the storm is moving in, it does a 180° and just defies nature (laughs). You can never predict.

Ultimate Guitar, February 6, 2010

Bumblefoot would also share his thoughts on what Guns N' Roses should do:

What I would love to see happen is that we buy a big compound (laughs), our headquarters, somewhere to work - Metallica has a cool place like that. A place where we can record, where we can write, where we can rehearse, where we can take care of business, and can do everything. This is just my imagination, what I would love to see happen. I mentioned this to them before too, saying "We should get a studio". I think they looked into it years ago, but it didn't happen. A studio though where we can be our own record label, and put out G N' R albums as well as anything else that anyone else wants to do, and when we're on tour, make the studio available for whoever else - if Caram for example, the guy who did 'Chinese Democracy', wants to work with someone in there. I would just love to see a place where we can just make music, and just take care of things. That would be my happy little scenario, if I had one, kind of like what I have in New Jersey - just it's very small (laughs).

In New Jersey, I have this small house that is just a place to write, record, rehearse, and do anything I wanna do musically. It's my bat cave, my headquarters, my compound, my escape (laughs). My place to make music. It's just a hundred year old house that I've been improving, and making nicer and nicer. We did the bathroom, which is now beautiful, put in a tankless water heater, and now you have instant hot water that never runs out... an electric tankless water heater - it kicks ass. Just stuff like that. I would just love to be more independent, basically, and that's what I'm saying. I would love for G N' R to be very independent, where it just does its own thing its own way, and however it wants to. It's like that already, and I think conflicts come when you have such a unique situation that is in a cookie cutter record business.

I'm not a fan of the music business, or the music industry. I am very much not a fan of it, and I think that every musician should be self-sufficient, and do things their own way. I think G N' R kind of does that, but it ends up being a battle with a music industry that wants it to follow the same mould. I can't say for sure, because I have not been in meetings with management or the label, and I don't want to be. I just wanna play guitar and make music - everything else is a headache that I don't want (laughs). Just tell me when to get onstage. But that would be what I would love to see happen; I would love to see G N' R be very independent, and just do whatever the fuck it wants to do, however it wants.

Ultimate Guitar, February 6, 2010

In July 2010, Brain, who was still working on GN'R material in the background, would be asked if he knew about any plans to release the unreleased material:

no i wouldn't... i leave that shit for the suits. i'm just into makin' the MUSIC!!!!!

GNR-Online BR, July 18, 2010

When asked around the same time, Bumblefoot would both suggest it would be a bad idea to talk about the band's plans, but also that they were more focused on touring than releasing another record:

It’s not good to talk about plans, it increases the odds of them not happening…. http://sivers.org/zipit Right now the focus is the touring, we’ll see what happens after that, but for now it’s all about touring and more touring.

Mushie's Blog, July 31, 2010

In August he would echo this statement and say he wasn't sure what Axl wanted to do with the remaining and unreleased music from the Chinese Democracy recording sessions:

Right now the only thing we've got going on is looking at touring. There's nothing to be said yet about anything beyond that. I know it sounds cryptic and like I'm holding back or something. It's no secret that there's other music from the Chinese Democracy days, it's just a question of what's going to happen with them. I guess that's up to Axl and what he wants to do with them.

Wicked Info, August 25, 2010

Bumblefoot would also talk about how much he wanted the band to record new music in-between the legs of the touring, and that he had been urging the band to do this for a long time:

At this point, shit man, I want to make some fucking music. I'm itchin'. I need to make something that comes from this band, in this decade. I've been telling them for a long time that before every leg of the tour I would love to just go into the studio for a week together and just bust out a song and give it to radio stations, make it available for downloads, and play it live. After a couple of legs we'd have a good batch of music of our own.

Wicked Info, August 25, 2010

In September, Tracii would suggest Axl was missing a great musical partner:

I kind of equate Axl almost to a Jim Morrison type — almost. [But] they're obviously very different. [...] The thing about [Axl] is that he wants to do it his own way. He goes by his gut and he has a weird spiritual thing with psychics. In his mind, he's expanded to a higher level. [...] I think if [Axl] had a solid partner — music partner — in his life that not only that he listened to but somebody that he truly respected musically and somebody that he had a great time with and somebody he believed in, I think that it could go more the way of the rock that the fan base would prefer, I think. But you can't do it on your own and a lot of people in Axl's position think they can do it on their own. And that's the only thing I can criticize about him is that he doesn't have that great partner. Elton John's got a partner, McCartney's got a partner, Lady Gaga's got a partner, everybody's got a partner. I've got Jizzy [Pearl, L.A. Guns singer] and Jizzy's got me. And that's the only thing missing from Axl's life — a great partner.

Triple M/Blabbermouth, September 6, 2010

In September 2011, Tommy would also talk about the unreleased material and suggest they had recorded three albums' worth of material but suggest some of it was lacking some vocals and that the songs weren't properly mixed:

We certainly did record a lot of stuff. We recorded three records worth of material over the course of that 10-year period, but I think that a lot of the unfinished bits were mostly lyrics and mixes and things like that.

Rolling Stone, September 9, 2011

When asked when the follow-up would come:

I’m not a liberty to talk about that. I don’t get into that aspect. That’s Axl’s business.

Rolling Stone, September 9, 2011

And Axl would also be asked what his thought process was on new music:

It's a combo of different things and it's trying to figure that out, we're working with new management and, you know, we'll be figuring out what we're doing with the label and, you know, kind of feeling things out in the US as we're going across the country.

That Metal Show, November 11, 2011

by **Soulmonster** Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:45 pm

EXPLAINING THE LYRICS

In December 2008, Axl would discuss what influences his lyrics and whether the songs were about specific persons:

The whole whose it about bit w/songs doesn't work for me that much as in whether a line or whatever was inspired by a particular person or situation doesn't mean that in the end that's what or who the song's about. I could be working with clay and think of someone or something and somehow that could inspire me to take the work in a different direction at the moment but in the end it could just be a nice vase. I often wonder where the people who inspired so many songs are now and why it's only important with some songs such as Layla as opposed to others. I'm guessin' a fair # of beautiful love songs or otherwise were inspired by some that the artists and public might consider now or in hindsight to be the opposite of how they are depicted or allegedly represented. [...]
Also where possible I'd like to give people the opportunity to get what they can from the material for a while before clouding that with my inspirations. Of course that's not always avoidable.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008

Fans had speculated that the lyrics to Sorry was directed at Slash or fans, and Axl specifically addressed that:

With Sorry.. like a lot of the material is drawn from a lot of different situations. The main focus on the boards w/the track seems to be either Slash or "the fans" (and the collective of "the fans" is another thing that doesn't work for me) and is much too restrictive or narrow and limits what I feel I intended.
For me it's for anyone talking nonsense at mine and the public's expense and that many of those as well as the public don't know who to believe.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 13, 2008

And which women had inspired the ballads:

Ha! We’ll get to these a bit later as they’re a bit more complicated than a simple answer of a few names but most are composites and became much more about the song than particular individuals. Also again I’d like people to have a chance to develop their own relationship with the material a bit. Not dodging as most of these answers will come out over time.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 14, 2008

Axl would also be asked if the lyrics references the making of the album:

I'd say there's a lot in the lyrics regarding the journey to make the album, even if not in so many words.

Billboard, February 6, 2009

When asked what the line, "Why would I choose to prostitute myself to live with fortune and fame?" from the song Prostitute meant, Axl replied:

In this business, someone is always telling you why to compromise on every issue imaginable. Generally ... it's just personal interests as opposed to what's best for the music or anyone involved, and least of all the fans, regardless of their preferences. It's about money in the short term. However you can be used to make whatever anyone can for whatever reason is important to them for the quick buck that's what you deal with 24/7.

The Oakland Press, February 2, 2009

by **Soulmonster** Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:27 pm

BRAIN AND MELISSA REESE WORK ON CHINESE DEMOCRACY REMIXES

In December 2008, Axl would mention that they had made a remix of Oh My God:

There’s a remix w/lots of new vocals and a wilder guitar intro but it’s not taken all that seriously.

chinesedemocracy.com, December 14, 2008

And later Brain would talk about making a remix of Shackler's Revenge and that Axl wanted to release a remix album:

Axl is really interested in having everybody bring what they do into the picture. I just did a remix of “Shackler’s,” made it kind of more club. And I think he wants to put out a remix album of some of the other songs we did. The great thing is he lets you do what you do. He still has the final say and wants it to work as a Guns N’ Roses cut. But he definitely will let you stretch it out in that way, and I think that’s where my influences come in. I listen to a lot of hip-hop and R&B. I listen to all of Questlove’s productions. Every time a Roots album comes out I’m in line at the store; I’m still a fan that way.

Modern Drummer, May 2009

Been doing some cool re-mixes for guns!!! That shit is sick!!! It's gonna rip peoples faces off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GNR-Online BR, July 18, 2010

When asked what he was up to in 2010, he answered:

i'm doing some top secret shit right now!!!!!!!!

GNR-Online BR, July 18, 2010

That's top secret stuff!!!

NewGNRoldGNR, July 18, 2010

This "top secret shit" is likely to have been remixes of songs from Chinese Democracy.

Brain worked on the remixes together with the Melissa Reese [NewGNRoldGNR, July 18, 2010; Appetite for Distortion, January 11, 2018].

Melissa Reese and Brain

By 2012, it seems like the remixes were done:

But I’m still doing stuff, I’ve done some remixes for [Axl].

MusicRadar, October 22, 2012

In 2018, Brain would explained that it was Caram Constanza and Eric Caudieux' idea to make the remixes:

Yeah, well, it's funny because I don't think I was out of the band yet, you know, when I left the band, I think it was right before. Caram, you know the producer and who was the engineer when I first got there for Roy and then when Roy got fired Caram became the producer. Him and Eric, the other, you know, Eric Caudieux, who's the other producer - I hope I'm saying his name right - and I love both of them, I mean, they're still both close friends. You know, they were like, "Hey," you know, "do you want to take some of these stems and do some remixes?" and I was like, "Okay, yeah, that sounds fun," like, "bring your MPC to the studio and let's just fuck around and do some rad shit," you know, "Axl wants to," you know, "have you just do some different stuff on these things on the Chinese songs," and I was like, "Okay, cool." So I go there with Caram and Eric and we just fuck around and we made, you know, If The World, we took Better, we took a couple others, you know, just other stems of stuff that we just had and just started making music and doing some cool shit.

Appetite for Distortion, January 11, 2018

Later in 2018, Brain would mention that Axl had talked about the remixes when Brain had visited the band backstage during the Not In This Lifetime tour:

And so we do remix stuff for Axl because we had a composing team together so we just did halftime shows doing remixes of this stuff for like some basketball games, the Houston Rockets game and then a Lakers game. I saw him probably a month or two months ago, you know, I was hanging out backstage, he was talking about the remixes, and talking about stuff. And man, they were on time, they played for four and a half hours, and they killed it.

The Vinyl Guide, August 20, 2018

2017: PLAYING REMIXES AT HALFTIME SHOWS

On November 12 and 27, 2017, Melissa and Brain would entertain at Houston Rockets and at the Clippers halftime shows, and play some of the Guns N' Roses remixes. Brain would explain how this came to be:

And when the Rockets thing came up - that was the first thing that happened. Because when I was with [Melissa] and working with her she would do national anthems anyways for some sports teams, you know, just some fools that we met around LA that would just be like, "Hey, I know the guy who's in Sacramento Kings and they need someone to sing," and, you know, and we were trying to do like an R&B thing with her own career. Like doing some stuff, like I would make some beats or, you know, we became friends with like Mannie Fresh and stuff from the whole Hot Boys crew or whatever. And, you know, so they were trying to make beats and stuff and she was trying to do this R&B thing and she was also singing at these national anthems sports events. So when this thing recently came up it kind of went down like this, it was kind of just like, I got a call from her and it was just like, "Hey, the Rockets want me to sing the national anthem but they also want me to do a halftime thing," and I was like, "Okay, well great, go do the half-time thing then, what do you call me for?" and then, you know, she was like, "Well, what do you think about doing some of these remixes?" and I was like, "What do you mean, the Guns' ones?" you know, "Well, yeah, because, you know, they're trying to promote the show, I'm in Guns," blah blah blah and I was like, "Well, I guess if Axl let us, that sounds interesting." You know, because I always wanted something to happen with those things. And she said, "Okay." So we kind of put a little medley together of I'm Sorry, we put a new beat to that, had the other one done but we kind of cut them up and kind of put them into like, okay, let's go now I'm Sorry into our own little thing that we did, this Kiss remix for, and we'll go into If The World with Axl. And we played it for him and he was like, "Yeah, go for it," so we're just like, "Oh shit, okay, this is rad, he's lit." And so, you know, we went and we kind of, you know, did what we did on that Houston show and then about two weeks later they were playing in LA and our agent Bryce, who's over at ICM, was like, "Hey, I think I can get you guys on the LA," you know, "Lakers with the Clippers halftime thing," and I was like, "Oh shit, okay, yeah, that would be cool," you know. We asked Axl and he was like - or I guess she asked Axl - and he was like, "Yeah, go for it." So, you know, we did it.

Appetite for Distortion, January 11, 2018

Brain would be interested in doing more such performances and also play the remixes in connection with GN'R shows:

I don't know, I mean, I thought it was cool, too, I mean, I would love to like do all of them like, you know, like have like... even at their shows, like the day before or something, like a festival, or do it later that night at a tent or something, you know. It's like, "Hey," you know, "two thousand people get to come to this tent and," you know, "listen to some Guns N' Roses remixes and we'll even do some more." [...] But that's sort of how it became, you know, it got onto the half-time thing, it was through kind of Melissa singing the anthem then asking her to do it and then, you know, her suggesting, "Why don't we do these remixes?" And of course, you know, I mean, none of it would have happened if Axl didn't agree to it. He let us use his voice, so that's what was so dope about it. [...] just think if I brought a real drum set up there with it, too, you know, and one of the tracks I can play a full kit and then another track, you know what I mean? You do a little bit of cheese [?] DJ stuff and then, you know, and then go back and just kind of... You know, I think that it could really put a different perspective on the... I mean, it's just so rad that Axl is open for us to let us do this, you know what I mean? That's what I'm kind of blown out-

Appetite for Distortion, January 11, 2018

I think we definitely, you know, we definitely even kind of just like, you know, like what we did at the halftime show, that Houston thing, we've been getting a lot of calls to do that again. [...] And then we do want to do some touring this year because I think Guns is off for a little bit, doing that halftime stuff. [...] I'm hoping that we can play the remixes because I think we've done maybe like six or seven, I think, you know, of like, you know, we just kind of like... Well, we did them a while back and then, you know, we still have them and they've been remixed two or three different times and we kind of want to add them into the show. But, you know, we'll see if we're allowed to, for one. You know, I mean, Axl was kind enough to let us do it at the Houston thing and the LA one that we did. But, you know, that would be great because we want to incorporate that with some of our original music that we're working on now. And yeah, we're hoping to like maybe do a run for like a couple of months, you know, like, maybe some festivals or hopefully some more like, you know, half-time stuff. I mean, you know, the MBA is getting into their playoff schedule so I'm hoping that we can maybe do a couple of playoff games again, and, you know, do something like that. And then maybe go off and do some festivals and stuff like that. [...] I think we're just going to keep "Brain and Melissa" and kind of keep it and kind of promote some of our soundtrack stuff also, you know, kind of like remix that along with like some of the Guns stuff with some original stuff and also almost like a DJ type set also, you know what I mean? Like have like two or three different kinds of sets we can pull depending on what they are.

NatterNet, September 4, 2018

by **Soulmonster** Mon Mar 21, 2022 7:57 am

MERCHANDIZE

I haven't been involved much in any of our merch and the reasons are it's been a mess legally for years. Unbeknownst to most of you I was recently sued again by Duff and Slash for some murky Merckiness that I was unaware and not involved in. Fortunately that was resolved but it got ugly and took a while going into arbitration. Merck shifted our merch from some of our newer styles to incorporating more of the old with some scam that actually and surprisingly lost sales in comparison but that's old news. What I look forward to is incorporating the new artwork into our merch and getting some for myself. I think u'll like a lot of it. My vote's for the How Are You grenade and the Sorry automatic rifle artwork on shirts etc.

htgth.com, December 12, 2008

by **Soulmonster** Thu Mar 31, 2022 7:29 pm

FEBRUARY 2009

AXL REEMERGES FOR INTERVIEWS,
BLAMES THE MEDIA FOR BEING "PRO-SLASH"

In February 2009, Axl would do his first interview after the release of Chinese Democracy, and do sporadic interviews throughout the year.

Axl would say that the reason he didn't do much promotion was due to bad relations with the media:

The opinions expressed or "jumped" on publicly regarding promotion seem to be [about] my or our involvement with mainstream media -- talk shows, rock magazines and dot-coms -- which have generally held negative public stances toward myself or the band for years, [and they] unfortunately have not been resolved. Efforts are being made to understand the relationships and evaluate how best to proceed.

Billboard, February 6, 2009

I didn't talk forever. If I talk I need to 'shut the f-- up.' If I don't talk, it's much worse.

The Oakland Press, February 2, 2009

A couple of years later, Dizzy would talk about the way Axl was treated by the press:

I think most of it is cruel and malicious and unnecessary. I don’t think [Axl]’s like that at all. He’s a good friend. He’s like a brother.

The Vindicator, December 1, 2011

Axl would also explain why he chose Billboard/Reuters as the first magazine for an interview despite them having "generally taken a "pro-Slash and -old Guns position" in the past and having been "particularly ugly toward [him] and the band for years":

Lots of reasons I've gone into elsewhere, but I can say why I'm doing this one. First, because in all this time it's one of the first actually formally presented: I was asked to consider it, I liked the questions and I felt it was a good time to address some of these issues publicly. Also, because it's my understanding that these answers may be "considered" for use with Billboard.com and Reuters [with which Billboard has a syndication deal] and this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to express myself accordingly.

With Reuters, I get their reach. That said, they've been particularly ugly toward me and this band for years, with nearly everything they've written being condescending or negatively judgmental with the cute little press trick of using negative adjectives across the board whenever they've written anything. In our regard they're one of the media outlets that appear to continually attempt to set a tone for a negative mainstream public perception regarding either us or myself, at least in the United States, if not the world.

I get freedom of the press, but I'm not clear in regard to their writers or those who choose to run their spin, why someone who no one's ever heard of with so little "real" information is deemed qualified -- let alone allowed so much corporate backing -- to promote negative and often completely inaccurate and purely opinion-based (at best, if that) shots in forums with so much exposure at the public's and our expense.

Billboard.com has generally taken a pro-Slash and -old Guns position as well, and I don't recall having been particularly negative toward them previously either. In my opinion it seems a bit less professional than tabloid in nature. This is an attempt to begin sorting these things out when more than shots across the bow have been taken by both of these organizations -- but obviously much more so with Reuters -- if not a deliberate public stating of both position and intention, in my opinion.

Billboard, February 6, 2009

In February 2010, Axl would again talk about what he considered inaccuracies in the media and again claim that the media is more supportive of Slash than of him:

So in closing...Fuck the LA Times, TMZ, Contact Music n' Spinner. I don't need "forgiven" for alleged n' fabricated nonsense. I've no respect for mean spirited aholes gettin' paid talkin' shit at other's expense or irresponsible biased partisan politics wanna be journalism by dated hacks. Go on! Back ur boy! But when he says he never killed no one that ain't exactly true. Yeah, that's right, stone cold. So if we happen to play your neighborhood or for that matter anywhere at anytime regardless of the circumstances, presales, public sales, give aways, even free shows consider yourself uninvited. It's a free country but you're formally n' publicly not welcome.

Bottom line is we ain't makin' efforts to rain on ur parade why piss on or take cheap shots at r's. Oh that's rt...how u make ur livin's all that counts not others, whatever. U ain't above anyone regardless of who or what corporation u work for n' unfortunately most of u'll get to learn that the hard way.

Twitter, February 16, 2010

"Back ur boy!" is highly likely a reference to the media being Slash-friendly. Around the same time as Axl made these comments, Slash had discussed his previous drug use and state he didn't regret it because "he never killed anyone" [QC, February 1, 2010], and Axl obviously suggested that isn't the case, likely having the overdose of Todd Crew in mind [see earlier chapter about the death of Crew].

In the years leading up to the release of Chinese Democracy, media had referred to the album as "Axl's masterpiece" and this probably resulted in Del James asking Axl if he had ever felt or told his band mates they had to make a "masterpiece":

Of course not -- more unaccountable nonsense. Obviously, media, elements of the public, fans and our detractors had all kinds of things going on such as high hopes, expectations, pressure, naysayers, etc. I don't think anyone would mind discovering a diamond mine and I don't think anyone in any competitive field would get very far if they didn't have dreams, aspirations or simply hope to do well. That said, these types of comments are more from our detractors, pulled out of their ass if not thin air.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

And on whether he had set out to create the "best album ever made":

No. That's f---ing ridiculous and more negative media nonsense. We were all just trying to do our best for the fans and ourselves.

Spinner Magazine, February 27, 2009

In July 2009, Lonn M. Friend, longtime friend of Guns N' Roses and former editor of RIP Magazine, would talk about Axl and his bad relationship with the press:

Well, Axl had a pathological aversion to the press. We reap the benefit of that, eh, of that illness, because he only trusted Del (James), and I hired (him) to be senior editor of RIP not long after he got here from New York, he was hanging out with Axl. But there's something to be said about that trust between a writer and a rocker, however it has been taken to almost pathological extremes with Axl because he really was so overly paranoid about how he was perceived. Kim Neely (?) did some fantastic stuff with him in Rolling Stone's, but when you think about it, man, Axl in 20 years has probably talked to three or four journalists and that is an astounding fact.

Used Bin Radio Show, July 14, 2009

Friend would then be asked why he hadn't done a long-form interview with Axl lately, and reveal that they were not friends anymore:

Okay, I will give you two facts, and this impacts that whole scenario. First fact is that Axl was angry with me for a line I said in the VH1 Behind the Scenes on Metallica in 1998. I said something to the effect that what Guns N' Roses is in radio and media has been erased from memory and Metallica to rule the world. That was trying to speak in context, that they hadn't found their classic rock format yet, this is 11 years ago. But he got really angry with me, he told his whole scene to cut off all ties to me and that was that. And the second point, which is pertinent, is, I wrote a letter to Axl at the behest of Jimmie Iovine (?) in 1999 when Jimmie was trying to figure out how to get the Guns N' Roses record out through Geffen. That was the only time I spent three hours with Jimmie Iovine and we talked about Axl.[Long digression on Iovine]. But I wrote a long letter to him and it was delivered to him and I never really got much of a response. I tried to explain myself, I though that that was an adequate explanation for that moment. I am also all about forgiveness too.

Used Bin Radio Show, July 14, 2009

The comments Friend had made in the VH1 special:

Isn’t it funny how history has almost erased Guns N’ Roses? One of the great frontmen in the past twenty years disappeared. Yet Metallica continues to play anywhere in the world in front of any mass of people, comes out with a new record which will always go platinum, they are the Led Zeppelin of this generation.

VH-1: Behind The Music episode on Metallica, November 28, 1998

Friend would also mention trying to meet with Axl at a recent show (likely in 2006):

The show that you guys attended, at the Universal Amphitheatre, I was taken to that show by, uhm, the junkman from KMNC.com (?). He said 'I wanna take you to the show', I said 'I don't think I will feel comfortable there', he said 'no man, you're going there as my guest, we've got second row seats right behind the (?) and we're gonna have a great time, you'll see lots of people you know', so we went. And I really kinda felt like...to me it was like Las Vegas Guns N' Roses and there were parts of it that I really enjoyed, but afterwards, we were waiting to see if Axl's gonna show and stuff and Del comes up to me and he goes, I swear, 'don't let him see you', and I go 'what?', and he goes 'Axl, he's still (?)', 'Del, you gotta be kidding?' and he 'no, man, he's got a loooong memory'.

Used Bin Radio Show, July 14, 2009

by **Soulmonster** Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:03 am

2009

VELVET REVOLVER, PART VI

2009: LOOKING FOR A NEW SINGER

In January 2009, Duff would talk about how difficult it was to find the new singer:

Oh, ok, so we really, when we parted ways with Scott last spring we thought, you know, the band was going really, I mean, the guys in the band, meaning me and Slash and Matt and Dave, we were going like this [gesticulating upwards], we were starting to play so much better and better. Now our relationship with Scott was going south, he was really headed in one direction, we were headed in another and that's fine that's the way life is, I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong, that's the way it was. So we thought we were going to be able to part ways with Scott and find some guy, you know. There's no right or wrong way to find a singer and there's no really proven way to find a singer. So we said, "Ok, we'll kind of put the word out there an we'll find a guy right away." What happened with us, we started to the get people by the droves, these singers coming in, it's really hard to listen, it's kind of like coming here [gesticulating at the background music], you start not being able to distinguish, "Wait, was that guy any good? I can't even tell." So, I think that was our biggest problem, trying to figure out a way to listen to guys and we've narrowed it down and we'll see.

Musuc Radar, January 2009

In February 2009, Duff would claim they were only "two weeks" away from announcing the band's new singer after having narrowed it down from 400 to just two candidates [Rolling Stone, March 12, 2009]:

It’s down to a couple of guys. That’s way down from the 400 original guys we got submissions from. [...] It’s not like Chris Cornell or one of those guys. We just want someone that fits. It can’t just be good. It has to be amazing or we won’t do it.

[...]

We thought it was going to be real easy. 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.

Rolling Stone, February 12, 2009

In the last, I would say, about eight weeks, we got three guys in that were all really good — like, far and above, more fitting than the rest. So I can say this much: we're headed in a very positive direction, and you might be hearing something soon.

The Pulse of Radio/Blabbermouth, February 12, 2009

We haven't exactly picked the guy. I think rumors have gotten ahead of our actual thing. We’ve got it down to a few guys, that's for sure. I hate to say we've stopped looking, because maybe that… It’s a hard place to be in, man, because we want the fuckin’ – the guy’s got to be amazing, you know? And we've got three guys that are amazing. They are amazing and we won't know until we get into the studio with them in a couple weeks if they're the right guy. So it's kind of early – too early – to tell.

Classix Metal, February 18, 2009

Country rock star Shooter Jennings would later claim he had been offered the job, twice, but declined [Classic Rock, March 19, 2009].

We’re looking… I’ve said things like I think we have the guy, and then that’s been overused. The songs we’ve written are the best we’ve written. I don’t think Velvet Revolver have made their best record. We’ve listened to probably 300 singers, and there have been some really amazing guys in there. We’ve played with Royston from Spacehog, and he was probably 95 per cent there but you can’t put a finger on what was missing. We’ve been playing with this guy recently, and I won’t say his name, but it’s not someone you’d particularly know. I hope he’s the guy, because he’s a good guy and a hell of a singer.

Classic Rock, June 2009

But things weren't so easy and not everybody in the band were "100 percent into" the guys Duff wanted:

We will find a singer at some point. We just have to find the guy. There's bee a couple guys I thought were perfect, but everybody's got to be 100 percent into it. We have an albums worth of material -- great, big, huge songs. Zepplinesque. Once we find the guy that can complement those and take it to another level, that'll take off. But I can't give any sort of timeline at all.

Billboard, April 3, 2009

A few weeks later, Duff would provide another update:

We thought we landed on the singer. We all did. We played with him and we said, ‘OK, we got our guy. He’s great.’ [...] Maybe if we would’ve got there and had gigs booked right then and there it would’ve been a different story. But we didn’t have gigs booked. We were given too much time and we were able to go, ‘Ah, fuck, I don’t like that about the guy.’

Rolling Stone, April 22, 2009

It seems like Duff disagreed with the others on the decision:

We had a couple of guys that I thought we should have went with—one guy in particular. Everybody has got to be 100% in that situation and I respect my bandmates opinion. My opinion could be wrong, and I respect that. We have written all of the material. I don’t think VR has made our best record yet. We need to find the right guy to compliment the material, and when we do, people are going to be blown away. We were just starting to hit our stride when things started going crazy. We will find the guy. There is nobody yet that we have asked. We are actively looking right now.

Classic Rock, April 2009

And around the same time Slash and Matt would discuss what had happened:

In reading your mail I find that I've been receiving a lot of questions about VR. Mostly about if we have found a new singer & if we're going to tour again. In response to the former, no we haven't found a singer yet. There was a lot of talk about our announcing a new singer in March but it obviously didn't happen. We had somebody that we thought was a really good candidate, but it just wasn't meant to be. So, we're still looking. In response to the latter question, of course VR is going to tour again, we just have to find the right person to front the band. We have a bunch of new material & we're all anxious to get going, but the key ingredient for a rock & roll band such as VR is an amazing frontman, & we haven't found the right man for the job, yet.

MySpace, April 1, 2009

We need a singer soon. We need the right guy in six months. We can't wait another year. Otherwise, it might not matter.

[...] The way I like to put it is, we were 'dating' [chuckling]. We had already tried out Spacehog's Royston Langdon - came close there. Then we tried out a few more people, including this guy from Canada [Gord Prior], but nobody seemed appropriate. Then we found this other dude... This guy felt like he could be the one. So I took him into my studio and recorded his vocals over a bunch of instrumentals we have. Immediately, he blew me away. 'This is the guy!' I told myself. I was on top of the world. [...] [He was] way more rock 'n' roll than Scott Weiland. The guy almost had a Chris Cornell/Phil Lynott thing going on - he could really bring it, you know? [...] It seemed like a slam-dunk. [But in the second sessions] the guy gave maybe 70 percent of what he had before. It was very sad. Already it was a case of diminishing returns, and you shouldn't get that so quickly, especially from a guy who really wants the gig. [...]There was something missing in the swagger department. His vocals were great, but the attitude, it wasn't really there, not all the way at least. Plus, I played his recordings for my girlfriend and a couple of friends and I didn't get the reaction I was hoping for. Nobody went 'Holy shit, that's amazing!' That really sent signals to me that something was wrong. [...] I'm shocked that we're still without a singer. But if we're going to do this again, we have to find the guy who blows people away. Otherwise, why bother? We can do other things. I'm not saying we want to do other things - we'd much rather be doing a Velvet Revolver album or tour right now - but if it's not going to be awesome… The truth is, we can't wait another year or two. We need a singer. We don't want to lose momentum with one another, and we don't want to lose the fans.

[...]

Face it: people forget. Contraband did great, Libertad did less well. We have to come back stronger than ever, or else we might be looking around for other bands, and nobody wants that. We're still very committed to Velvet Revolver.

Music Radar, April 29, 2009

Well we don't have a singer. We've written all the material but we're still looking for one. We're waiting for the right guy to come in but for sure we don't have him yet. We've worked with a couple of guys, but they're got to be 100% behind us because for all we do, we've got to go to war together. There's been a couple of guys, man, I thought were perfect, but we'll find the right guy.. They've got to be great, not just good.

eGigs, April 30, 2009

By May there had been little development:

There’s no news to share yet, man. Trust me, nobody wants that ball rolling more than I do- but it’s gotta be the right guy. We thought we had him, but it didn’t work out. It’s just gotta be right.

Antiquiet, May 25, 2009

In July, things looked a bit more encouraging:

To all VR fans, the band had a meeting Monday & although we haven't found a new singer yet, this recent search has turned up a lot of really good singers, which is a step in the right direction. We're keeping our eyes & ears open & feeling really positive about our prospects for finding the right individual to front Velvet Revolver sooner than later. Although most of us have been keeping busy with personal projects, we haven't relinquished the quest. And, we are not, contrary to rumour, "waiting for a singer to fall in our laps." Lol

MySpace, July 17, 2009

And in August:

But, my VR bandmates & I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago & although the search for a singer will continue, I am going to tour on my solo record most likely thru next summer starting in March or April. We (VR) will keep the word of mouth system going & listening to submissions from singers & checking out different singer's sites etc, we know the right guy is out there somewhere. It's possible somebody could turn up before I do my tour & we could start working on new material sooner than later, in a perfect world.

MySpace, August 9, 2009

In September, Duff, Matt and Slash would provide updates:

We've got a top 10 list of singers we'd like to try out and enough material for a great new record.

Scottish Daily Record, September 20, 2009

We have been emailing back and forth, in search of a singer, so we have high expectations. We want to make sure this singer will work and be a better thing. We looked a long time before we got Scott [Weiland] and I don’t know if we got Scott because it seemed like an easy way to fill the bill. I know we want to take it up a notch and make it better. When we got Scott, we jumped into it pretty quick. Even though Me, Slash, Duff [McKagen] and Dave [Kushner] have been working together on the first record before Scott came on, then Scott jumped on and we went on the road and did the record pretty quick. The second album I think we fell prey to more of what Scott wanted to do and we wanted to straight up rock-n-roll. I think this time around we would like to make a real strong rock album and stick with more of our roots.

Bliestering, September 28, 2009

Well, Duff’s on tour, I’m doing my record, so it’s sort of at a standstill. I haven’t heard any amazing submissions from singers as of late, so… Y’know, Velvet when it finds the right guy will be amazing, but I’m in no rush. I’m not freaking out – because that’s how we got Scott in the first place. He was the first decent guy that came up.

Classic Rock, September 2009

By late October 2009, Slash referred to Velvet Revolver as a closed chapter:

Well, fuck… You know, the Velver Revolver thing was a great idea, you know. And Duff and Matt and myself, when we first started it was all fun. We couldn’t find a singer for ten months – we looked for singers. Then when Scott came into it - you know, we sort of sought him out and dragged him down to the studio, and we worked on a song together, and that worked. And, you know, at the time he seemed like he really wanted to clean up his act. And obviously Duff and I knew a lot about that, so we sort of helped him through that. And it seemed like a good idea. But Scott was really, really difficult, you know? So yeah, the reason Scott got fired was because of Japan and because following after that was Australia, and I was just like, “That’s it, it’s not worth it.” You know, bad management – Scott’s manager is really bad. And just dealing with Scott was just too much to deal with. So yeah, it was very stressful. I have to say that the five years that we did Velvet Revolver, it wasn’t really that much fun, you know… We had success and I never really enjoyed the success at all.

Japanese Tv Interview, October 21, 2009

But also open for a new singer at some point:

No, it’s still… When we got rid of Scott and came home – and that second record that we did, which I thought was a good record, but it wasn’t the record that the band necessarily wanted to make. I think we envisioned doing something heavier from the get-go, and it just seemed to get sort of more and more watered down, as we sort of went along with Scott in whichever direction he was going on. And so after that whole disastrous tour that we did, I just needed to come back and do something where I could write some music the way that I wanted to write it, and just work not so much in a band situation for that, and so I took some time off. And we’re looking for a lead singer anyway, and the band is looking for the kind of singer that would make the band sound like what we wanted it to sound like. And it’s not an easy thing to do, so that’s still going on. [...] And then, at some point soon we’ll find the right singer and Velvet Revolver will continue on its thing. [...] Oh yeah. We’ve been… shit, we listened to a lot of singers and we auditioned a lot of singers. We just haven’t seemed to have settled on one person, you know, and so we’re still looking.

Japanese Tv Interview, October 21, 2009

And discuss Weiland:

How difficult is Scott? Well, now that I’m not in a band with him, he’s easy (laughs). You know, I like Scott. Scott’s a good guy – in his own way. But I like him - since I’m not in a band with him, I like him a lot more. But in a band with him, he’s just one of those guys that’s not a team player. And that’s just the way he is, so… A lot like another guy I worked with. [They] were just very inconsiderate to the people around that helped make everything happen. And really that’s not how a rock band should work. And actually, you know, a lot of people are difficult but you work things out and whatever. These guys, you know, Scott and… they take it to an extreme that I’ve never seen before where they’re just so self-involved that they just don’t realize what they’re putting everybody else through. And that’s just the way it goes. [...] Yeah, difficult singers, difficult women… (laughs). No, I mean, all things considered, you’re talking about two guys who are amazingly talented and, you know, really originally unique, important contributors to music. Just along with that come these other difficult issues that make it really hard to be able to pursue the things that one as a group wants to pursue, and we call it self-sabotaging (laughs).

Japanese Tv Interview, October 21, 2009

FRANKY PEREZ

In 2011, Franky Perez would say he had been the singer in Velvet Revolver for about 6 months, thus happened in 2008:

When the first audition process came up for Velvet Revolver, I was introduced to Slash, and I wrote a couple of audition songs. They ended up loving it, and they brought me in. So I was an actual member of the band for probably a little less than six months. In those six months, we wrote, went in the studio, did a bunch of stuff. And for whatever reason, it just didn’t work out. Maybe I’m not the right singer for that band. Just because they consider me a good singer doesn’t mean I’m the right singer for that project.

Las Vegas Weekly, February 9, 2011

In 2009, Perez would sing with Slash and Friends, and Slash would talk about Perez and Velvet Revolver:

I thought about that. Franky’s fucking bad-ass. You know, he did some time with Velvet last year but I think because I was so preoccupied with my record nothing really came of it.

We’ll see what happens. When my record comes out there’s going to be a lot of different things that I can do, so as far as Velvet is concerned we’re going to be on a hiatus until we can lock together and [work out] our options. I don’t know if Franky is going to be the guy – he’s just a really, really good singer.

Classic Rock, September 2009

In 2018, Dave Kushner would talk about Perez almost joining the band:

We had this guy Franky Perez, who is still a good friend of mine, who's a fucking amazing singer. We actually told him he was in the band — he was the only guy that actually got hired. But then we kept recording stuff with him and it just kind of… The longer we worked with him, the less it felt right. And there was other factors. I think Slash was getting ready to do a solo record, and I think his head was already kind of over there at that point. [...] He has no money, and then, all of a sudden he's not in the band. And I felt horrible for him, 'cause I always was kind of the underdog in the band. And I'm, like, 'Oh, dude, that's so fucked up.

Loudwire, April 16, 2018

Two days later Perez responded to Kushner's comments:

I wasn’t going to comment on the article but due to the amount of inquiries I have been getting about my time in Velvet Revolver I wanted to address the questions and rumors. Dave Kushner is a close friend, everything he said in regard to me is true and actually vindicating. Before his interview no one even knew I had been considered, not to mention hired. With that said, there were also a lot of factors unrelated to me as to why it didn’t work out. Look, I'd be lying if I didn't say that it wasn't tough. Getting that gig with Velvet Revolver was gonna be life changing, but what’s crazy is that losing it was even more so. It opened doors and introduced me to people that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. I have had more success in the last eight years than I've had in the entirety of my career. A lot of that I have Matt, Duff, Dave and Slash to thank for. If it wasn't for those guys I wouldn't have met my brothers the Royal Machines, Kings of Chaos or Steve Stevens. I definitely wouldn’t have been on Apocalyptica's radar. I came to terms with the fact that I wasn't the right guy for Velvet Revolver years ago. Sadly, the 'right guy' isn't with us anymore. Scott was one of a kind.

Loudwire, April 18, 2018

by **Soulmonster** Sun Aug 07, 2022 1:23 pm

ALUMNI CHARITABLE WORK

NOVEMBER 2009: SLASH AND LAYN ROCKS

In November 2009, Slash and Friends would play a show at LAYN Rocks:

This Sunday November 22nd at Avalon in Hollywood, SLASH & Friends will play a benefit show for Los Angeles Youth Network [LAYN], an organization aiming to end homelessness among kids. Some of those "super friends" appearing at LAYN Rocks include Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Billy Idol, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park & Dead By Sunrise, Travis Barker, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, Dave Navarro and a few surprise guests. Plus, Mr. George Lopez will be MC-ing.

Artist Direct, November 17, 2009

My wife, Perla, and I support LAYN. She's actually on the board. We're trying to raise money to keep it going, and we've been doing these SLASH & Friends gigs recently. Basically, we get a bunch of people together and put on a concert. Perla had asked me if I'd be interested in doing it to support LAYN, and I was fully into it! This will actually be the first SLASH & Friends gig I've done in Los Angeles. Basically, I wanted to put together something that would be a really big blowout, and that's what we've done! We've got all these different artists, and it should be an amazing event.

Artist Direct, November 17, 2009

My wife and I are both big supporters of the Los Angeles Youth Network which is this really cool non profit organization. Basically they take in homeless kids anywhere from 12 to 21 years old and give them a new lease on life. Most of them are either abused or in some kind of deep trouble. They've been through a lot at a young age. It gives them the wherewithal to get on their feet, get into the world, be independent and get their shit together. They really take good care of educating these kids on all different levels, housing them, all sorts of stuff. It's a great support group and I'm just amazed at how the kids have turned out. I'll go and visit on occasion and see what they've got going on. It's really cool to see the developments so we're trying to help LAYN stay on its feet because it's expensive to keep all these kids together.

L.A. Weekly, November 19, 2009

[...] this will be the first “Slash & Friends” gig I've ever done in L.A. We did one in Vegas recently and I did one in Norway a while back. I try and get as many cool people as possible but this is unique because I've [performed] with Ozzy before, Ozzy's great, but then all these other cats I haven't really worked with in this capacity: Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother; Billy Idol who I'm friends with but have never done one of these gigs with; Chester and Perry Farrell I have; Dave Navarro which is great; and Travis Barker who I've never jammed with before either. Then there's Chris Chaney who played bass on my record which is coming out next year … and Frankie Perez who's the house band vocalist. He's fuckin' killer. It's just going to be one of these rocking gigs. Steve Adler's coming up for one song. Tom Morello's coming up as well. It's going to be rad. We've managed to sell a lot of tickets so I'm glad we've been able to come through for LAYN. We want to sell it out.

L.A. Weekly, November 19, 2009

Talking about the importance of the benefit show:

I definitely feel a bond with these kids. Even though I wasn't abused or anything, I chose to hang out on the streets from a very young age so I've seen a lot of the same stuff they're going through first hand. I've been through it and can just totally relate. So, yeah, I hadn't even really thought about that … [laughs] that's probably why I was so attracted to the [organization]. I can understand how violated some of them feel because I've seen kids go down the same paths who weren't lucky enough to have an organization like this to help them get out. When I was in junior high school, in 7th grade, we had girls that were prostitutes in Hollywood. I remember running in to one of them in Griffith Park doing these three guys in a burned out old car and it turned out she was turning tricks for money because she didn't have any parents. She was lucky to be in school. I saw all sorts of weird shit like that.

L.A. Weekly, November 19, 2009

At the LAYN show, Slash would be joined by Duff and Steven [NME, November 23, 2009].

MARCH 2011: DUFF DONATES PROCEEDS TO US VETERANS

Duff decided to donate the proceeds from two of Loaded's new songs, "Fight On" and "We Win", to US war veterans:

I got inspired by my friend Tim Medvetz. Tim really opened my eyes to how important it was to help the soldiers, no matter how I might feel about the war. So I visited some military hospitals, including the [Veterans Affairs] Puget Sound Healthcare System near Seattle. [...] I was really struck by these young men and women. What they had been through, their stories -- it affected me deeply, and it's something I can imagine being a part of for a long time. We've had some really amazing visits.

AOL News, March 1, 2011

It's the least we can do. These men and woman do so much for us that many of us will never see or be aware of. The song 'Fight On' was actually inspired by the soldiers coming home. So if it can help in any way, I'm proud to contribute the proceeds.

AOL News, March 1, 2011

It is kind of a long story. I have written a column for Seattle Weekly for about two-and-a-half years. I also climb. I climb with a guy by the name of Tim Medvetz who was on the show called ‘Everest’ on the Discovery Channel. The show follows a team as they take on Mount Everest. He got into a really bad motorcycle accident back in 2001. The doctors told him that he would lose his foot and that physical activity was a thing of the past. He is a big guy and he told the surgeon to not remove his foot. He said, “If you remove my foot, I will remove your foot!” So they kept the foot on and Tim sat in the hospital bed for quite a few months. One of the things that he did while he was there was read ‘Into Thin Air’ about the Mount Everest tragedy. He said, “I am going to climb Mount Everest!” So he did it! He fucking climbed Mount Everest! He has climbed a bunch of other big mountains since then. On his way back from Europe, he met a kid who is a veteran when he was coming back from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Germany. The kid was missing a leg and Tim talked to him the whole flight home on the way to the Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. This meeting really inspired him. Tim is one of my really good friends and we climb together all the time. He has been taking these veterans up the mountain and telling me all about these kids. They leave home after high school and go to boot camp, straight from their Mom’s living room and end up in Iraq or someplace like that. One week into it, Boom! They lose a leg and their lives have been changed. They end up in Walter Reed, they give them a prosthetic and they end up back in their Mom’s living room saying, “What the fuck just happened?” They are probably sitting there thinking, “My life is over. No one cares.” Tim, through his stories, got me to think about it and care about the cause. We went down to the VA in Seattle as a band. One of the guys in LOADED, the lead guitar player, Mike Squires, was a Marine. I had written about Tim and this story in the Seattle Weekly. Ken LeBlond, who is basically public relations for the VA, got a hold of me through the column. We went out there and ended up playing the Veteran’s Appreciation Day at Qwest Field in October. We have been up to the VA a few times and made the song “Fight On.” That song was inspired by Tim’s story. I made it so the proceeds for that song would go to the VA, the Puget Sound Healthcare System and that’s it! We are tied in!

Icon vs Icon, April 21, 2011

FEBRUARY 2011: SLASH AUCTIONS OFF ITEMS FOR LOS ANGELES YOUTH NETWORK

In March 2011, Slash would auction off items for the Los Angeles Youth Network:

Highlights from the sale include guitars from Slash's fabled personal collection, including a one of a kind custom Stravinski Fender Stratocaster (Est: $3,000-5,000), a B.C. Rich Red Mockingbird guitar (Est: $2,000-4,000), and two versions of Slash's very own Gibson and Epiphone Slash Les Paul signature model guitars in Tobacco Sunburst (Est: $4,000-6,000).

Clothing and accessories highlights include a stage-worn Chrome Hearts leather top hat ($1,000-2,000), various custom Marc Vachon leather motorcycle jackets, including one decorated in a Velvet Revolver "Libertad" theme (Est $1,000-2,000), performance worn t-shirts from all phases of Slash's life and career (multiple lots, Est $600-800), and a leather Chrome Hearts suit (Est: $2,000-3,000), Ray-Ban large aviator sunglasses (Est $200-300), a custom Rockin' Couture Guns N' Roses belt (Est $300-500), and a custom skull and crossbones in a top-hat necklace (Est: $600-800)

Personal jewelry worn by Slash, one of the world's most recognizable rock performers, featured in this sale include a diamond encrusted guitar pendant (Est: $12,000-18,000), a Slash Guns N' Roses silver cuff (Est: 600-800), a sterling skull link necklace (Est $1,000-2,000), and a Cartier Roadstar wristwatch (Est: $4,000-6,000).

The auction will also feature the eclectic residential décor including a number of exotic Southeast Asian furniture items, such as the carved polychrome painted and gilded armoire (est. $400-600), as well as contemporary pieces including a pair of monumental red suede conversation sofas (Est: $3,000-4,000), accented by lots that also include a pair of silver and black beaded skull pillows (Est: $200-300). Other distinctive items offered in the sale include a Velvet Revolver Nolde Pottery Skull (Est: $400-600), an Asian-carved wooden cobra statue (Est: $400-600), and a large collection of model dinosaurs, some crafted by noted Paleo-sculptors Bob Morales and Michael Trcic, and a group featuring Pterodactyls (Est: $1000-2000).

Ever the archetypal rock star and ranked as one of the world's best guitar players of all time, Slash has spent years traveling the world and collecting various items which will now come to the auction block for the very first time. Some of his eclectic collection tells the story of Slash's love of film, television and fast cars. Offered are items which include the bench from the "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" movie set (Est: $6,000-8,000), a "South Park" pinball machine (Est: $2,500-3,500), a 2007 Harley Davidson V-Rod VRSCAW twin racing street custom cruiser (Est: $8,000-10,000), and the star of the show is his 1966 Corvette equipped with a big block 427 cubic inch V-8 engine with 435 horsepower, 4-speed manual transmission (Est: $90,000-$100,000).

Blabbermouth, February 15, 2011

This is for the Los Angeles Youth Network, an organization that takes in wayward youths. When I say wayward, I mean homeless, kids with drug problems, any kid that's sort of stranded. [...] We moved into a new house and we had all this stuff in storage. And we're like, 'This doesn't get used, so an auction would be really, really cool. Let's give it away to charity and just let some of this stuff go.' It was definitely an exercise in tearing yourself away from things.

Reuters, February 15, 2011

MARCH 2012: SLASH SUPPORTS GAY MEN'S CHORUS OF LOS ANGELES

In March 2012, Slash would also offer his support to the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and it's Alive Music Project:

I know what it's like to be different to look and sound different and to stand out. For many students. especially gay youth, being different can be an invitation to be bullied, sometimes resulting in the worst possible outcome. When I was young music made a difference for me. From the first rock album I listened to to playing the guitar over the last 30 years. Music has made me who I am. That's why I stand with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and it's Alive Music Project. AMP brings music to schools and perspective to young lives. It challenges values and bigotries while providing the hope of acceptance and harmony. Join me in showing your support for the unique and vital work of GMCLA.

GMCLA, March 5, 2012

SLASH AND THE LOS ANGELES ZOO

I’ve been a patron at the L.A. Zoo for as long as I’ve lived in Los Angeles. It’s sort of been a home base for me. I’ve been able to watch the zoo evolve over the years, and it’s turned into a great conservation destination. I really enjoy being part of the GLAZA [Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association] organization and having something to do with the future developments and focusing on conversation and privatization of the L.A. Zoo.

Santa Barbara Independent, December 4, 2013

Talking about the advertisements he did with Betty White:

I’m on the board at the L.A. Zoo and Betty’s on the board at the L.A. Zoo, but we’re sort of the resident celebrities, I guess? We’re the most known public figures on the board. So there’s this new exhibit that’s been opened [and] that’s been highly anticipated for years, which is the new reptile exhibit. And I’m a big proponent of the whole, sort of, reptile support, and so they came to us and said, you know, ‘Would you want to do some ads to help promote the grand opening of ‘The Lair?,’ which is what it’s called. So we said ‘Yeah,’ and then they wrote up these commercials that we thought were pretty funny and we just spent an afternoon at the zoo doing these commercials. But I’ve known Betty for five or six years.

Loudwire, March 27, 2012

Talking about his Board duties:

There’s so much stuff that goes on, especially because at the moment the zoo is owned by the city and we’re trying to move it to being a privately owned zoo -- so there’s a lot of red tape that goes along with that -- but anything having to do with the zoo’s budget, having to do with new animals moving in and out. We had an issue a couple years ago with an elephant that we were moving into a new enclosure, and we had some clashes with the animal rights people. Stuff like that. There’s always things going on with the zoo and so the board sort of makes all the zoo’s decisions. I’m an animal fanatic.

Loudwire, March 27, 2012

2010: MATT AND ADOPT THE ARTS/THE GLOBAL SOUND LODGE

In September 2010 it was reported that Matt had founded the non-profit organization Adopt the Arts [Little Kids Rock, September 21, 2010].

Yeah, and [charitable work] changed my life. For me, a guy who's been in a rock 'n' roll band, most of the world is spinning around you at the time… I got on Twitter, and I heard from all of these kids, and I started talking to them, and it was like, 'Wow, I really affected a lot of people's lives with music.' Through that, I wanted to give back. I formed a charity called Adopt The Arts - I've got two branches, Adopt The Arts and Global Sound Lodge - and I give instruments and music to public schools. I have a pilot school, and I'm their main guy, so I go up and hang with the kids and play music with them.

I love it. I go there and forget about any worry that I have. What's happening is, they're trying to cut arts out of the public school system. A lot of these kids in the LA public school system are underprivileged and lower-income - they don't have a lot of hope. If kids have music and art, 52 percent of them will go on to college - that's a fact. That they're trying to cut music and art is really scary. Not to say that they're going to be rock stars, but music sparks the brain. They could be the next Steve Jobs.

My ancillary of Adopt The Arts is Global Sound Lodge. I do women's shelters, and right now I'm working with the Wounded Warriors. With Wounded Warriors, I'm doing a music therapy program with a lot of the guys - I'm doing a documentary on it right now. The suicide rate in the military is close to one every couple of days because of post-traumatic stress disorder. But music is a very strong healing force.

I brought a bunch of guys in the studio and we recorded a really heavy song. And I'm working with a couple of other guys on a country song. They're writing lyrics. To see the inspiration in these guys… a lot of them aren't able to open up. They can't talk to somebody and tell them what's going on. With lyrics, they can get out their inner feelings. It's really cool, and it's helping a lot of them. It's pretty heavy.

MusicRadar, January 17, 2013

I came up with this idea – why don’t I adopt the school? I’ll raise the money, I’ll be the figurehead of that music and art program.’ So I went downtown to a rally and I spoke to the superintendent of the school district and got up there and spoke in front of the board. Basically, they held the cuts. They didn’t cut the program. [...] I come in with instruments, I do art programs. The curriculum I’ve created, it’s basically teaching about where music comes from, the great artists of the blues – John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson – then it goes way back to classical. So my kids in the third and fourth grade are learning about Beethoven and Mozart, and then they’re learning about modern artists, jazz – Miles Davis, John Coltrane. My curriculum is basically guitars, drums, keyboards, bass and vocals. So my kids learn modern music – Bob Marley, John Lennon – they play more modern songs even by, like, Rihanna. It’s exciting and fun for them.

Rolling Stone, September 10, 2013

The public school system, they were cutting the arts. I ended up going down and talking to the superintendent of the schools… I did a speech in front of the board and then they invited me to meet them and I told them I wanted to help. I just really feel for these kids, I want to give them as much chance as they can have in life. [...] This isn't just about your kid who may or may not be in public school; this is about our community. A lot of entertainers and wealthy people in the entertainment industry don't know what is happening in America's public schools. Adopt The Arts is shedding light on the reality of public education and providing an opportunity for people to invest in their community.

Blabbermouth, May 6, 2013

More about The Global Sound Lodge:

Longtime musical partner [American guitarist, songwriter and producer] Lanny Cordola [Giuffria, House Of Lords, Magdallan] and myself have formed Global Sound Lodge, a new musical consciousness. Our first song, entitled 'Hands Together', was written for the Hatian people in this time of tragedy in their homeland.

We hope to build a group of international musicians with varied humanitarian efforts based on situations around the world that need our attention.

John Coltrane believed music can heal the world in his song 'Love Supreme'. John Lennon had this vision as well.

Global Sound Lodge have songs ready to record for Aung San Suu Kyi, Neda [Soltan] who was shot during the Iranian elections.

After many years traveling the world playing music and meeting so many people.I believe it is in us all to come together with love and music to help one another.

Blabbermouth, February 2, 2010

Together with Lanny Cordola, Matt would also join The Pakistan America Peace Through Music Project, which had as its goal "to bring Americans and Pakistanis closer together by erasing misconceptions and raising awareness of the diversity and beauty of Pakistan and its people, ultimately revealing the commonalities between Pakistani/Muslim and American cultures, to show Americans the Pakistan they never see in the mainstream media" [Blabbermouth, August 1, 2010]. The plan was to tour both Pakistan and USA with musicians from both countries, including Matt [Blabbermouth, August 1, 2010].

I’m really a lot more spiritual now, whereas I was more Rock n Roll spiritual before. I’m just in a place where I’m thinking more about the planet and I’m a lot more open to world problems. I’m doing a few charity projects, with The Cove, and Animals Asia with moon bears up in China. I’m really in to animal activism now, you know the planet is really on my mind and the ocean and Mother Nature and all that stuff. I wrote a song called Land of the Stone, and I think people will love the lyrics, they’re pretty heavy. Then the Land of the Pure started in Pakistan with Malala, but there’s 350 million women in the world that aren’t getting access to education, it’s really bad and it needs to be addressed and people need to know about it. I mean so many of the guys like John Lennon got their message out through music and they’re my kinds of influences.

The AU Review, March 21, 2013

2013: MATT AND DOLPHINS

In 2013, Matt would be one of the stars that protested against traditional dolphin hunting in the city of Taiji in Japan [Associated Press, September 2, 2013]. Matt travelled to Taiji to protest the hunt as it took place:

Like a bad nightmare, I’m watching it almost like a twilight zone, surreal, looking into my eyes in complete disbelief — what’s going on in front of me

Associated Press, September 2, 2013

I think the idea that this slaughter is a "tradition" is absolutely barbaric. In this day and age, for someone to endorse a slaughter for the sake of tradition -- it's an outdated, barbaric ritual. It's got to go.

And anything that has to do with animals being taken from the wild to perform tricks for us, for our amusement? It's not acceptable in the 21st century. I'm very opposed to it, and I'm fighting it. To me, it's my new rebellion.

The Street, February 8, 2014

by **Soulmonster** Sat May 04, 2024 8:41 am

2009-TODAY

DUFF TAKES BASS LESSONS AND CHANGES HIS PLAYING STYLE

In 2009, Duff would start taking bass lessons from Reggie Hamilton [Seal, Babyface, Queen Latifah, to name a few]:

In 2009 I started taking a bunch of bass lessons, and one of the teachers I studied with was Reggie Hamilton, who plays on basically every R&B session there is out there [Seal, Babyface, Queen Latifah, to name a few.] He lives near my house in LA., and I’ve gotten to know him over the years — super nice guy. I approached him to give me lessons, and he was like, “Oh, man. I couldn’t show you anything.” I’m like, “Yes, you could!” He’s so humble. He taught me a bunch.

Bass Magazine, May 15, 2019

He would also take lessons from John Humphries [Musicians Institute] and Scott Shriner [Weezer] [Bass Magazine, May 15, 2019].

One thing he started doing was playing more with his fingers and less with the pick:

You know, I play with my fingers a little bit now. I really got into base about 8 to 10 years ago. I started taking lessons. I got reinspired on the base and really wanted to learn like some theory and stuff. So I learned some theory and I kind of threw it away. But I started playing with my fingers and kind of expanding my knowledge.

Talk Is Jericho, September 6, 2017

The lessons together with his experiences from bands like Velvet Revolver, Loaded, and Walking Papers, made him change his approach to playing Guns N' Roses bass lines when he started playing with the band again in 2010 and rejoined in 2016:

[...] yes it did [change my approach]. And, something I never did in the early days with Guns, I play with my fingers on my right hand on songs like “Estranged” and “November Rain.” So, yeah, approaching the Guns stuff now, I play maybe a third of the set with my fingers. [...] I think I get more feeling out of songs like “Estranged” and “November Rain.” I play a couple of the Chinese Democracy songs with my fingers too. It expanded my approach, and the sounds at my disposal, by going back and forth [between fingers and pick]. On some of the slower songs, I have more control playing with my fingers, and that’s something I wanted to learn how to do when I took lessons with Reggie Hamilton, and then John Humphries [Musicians Institute] and Scott Shriner [Weezer].

Bass Magazine, May 15, 2019

Talking about meticulously practicing to keep up with Axl and Slash:

I don't know if I'm as talented as those guys, so I feel like I always have to work twice as hard, and I love that. So I go in my basement. And my wife knows — I go to the basement. I'm there for six hours or seven hours. It's just where I go to do my thing. Sometimes she'll come down and I'll play for her, and then she'll go back, but she knows that's the time when I've gotta put in my work, my hours. And I love putting in my hours.

WAAF FM Boston, June 3, 2019

He would also mention practicing when he played a Led Zeppelin song in front of Jimmy Page:

When Guns started that’s when I really became serious about playing bass, and then fast-forward a bunch of years to Velvet Revolver when I started taking bass lessons, I got into playing Led Zeppelin shit. I did a gig a while back with Kim Thayil and Jerry Cantrell. Barrett Martin [Screaming Trees/Walking Papers] played drums, and a bunch of guys sang, and we did a Led Zeppelin thing in front of Jimmy Page in Seattle. [...] We had to be fucking amazing, so everybody woodshedded on their own. I took three weeks over it, six to eight hours a day watching YouTube and trying to play exactly what John Paul Jones played.

Bass Guitar, June 16, 2019

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