2014.02.20 - Metro - Interview with Slash

Guns ’n’ Roses guitarist Slash: I like movies that are psychologically horrifying and get into your head

By Andrew Williams

Guns ’n’ Roses guitarist Slash, 48, loves horror movies so much he’s now produced one – Kansas-set spooker Nothing Left To Fear.

What’s the film about?

A young family of five whose father is a pastor and is lured into taking over a church in rural Kansas. It turns out to be a front for a more sinister proposition.

You didn’t fancy being in it yourself?

No. It fascinates me that people can do that but it’s something I don’t feel at all comfortable with. It freaks me out that someone can be emotionally committed to portraying a fictional character.

How did you come to produce it?

I love horror movies and was excited by the idea of getting all the components together to make one. The opportunity was handed to me by another producer who thought I’d be good at it because of my knowledge of and passion for the genre. He told me I should look at scripts and think about making a movie.

What are the challenges of producing a horror film?

You need to find a really good script – there’s a lot of material but most of it isn’t very good. Then you have to get people to invest in it and find the right director and cast. The whole thing is a challenge because you want to make it as good as possible. It’s tricky but fascinating and a lot of fun. I love creating things and seeing them through.

What horror films did you like when you were younger?

Anything that was creepy and morbid. When I was very young I lived in England and watched Hammer horror films starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Then classics such as Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, which I really loved, and books by the likes of HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe – my dad turned me on to horror literature. I was infatuated by all of it.

What do you think of the torture porn fad?

I have a hard time understanding the fascination with that stuff. I can appreciate anything if it’s well made, has a good story and the characters are engaging and believable but the motivating factor for me to produce horror is that there are less and less well-told story-driven horror movies. I like things that are more about what you don’t see and seize the imagination than stuff that’s graphic and splayed out on the screen. I like movies that are psychologically horrifying and get into your head.

Will you stick with horror or do you fancy doing a nice period drama?

I love all types of movies but I’m more into producing horror or a scary sci-fi film than a romantic comedy or courtroom drama.

When was the last time you went back to Stoke-on-Trent?

2011, I think. It was the first time I’d been back since I moved to the US when I was six. I see my friends and relatives whenever I’m in that general part of Britain but it was nice to play in their hometown.

Were you too young to have any British musical influences?

No, that’s where it all started for me. I was raised listening to The Yardbirds, The Stones, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Who, all that stuff – my uncles and his brothers were huge fans. Then, when I moved to the States, I got turned on to everything that was happening there at that time. I picked up the guitar way later but I had a healthy dose of musical influences growing up.

What’s the most lucrative song you’ve written?

It was always about albums rather than singles but I’d guess Sweet Child O’Mine because it’s the most covered. There are some really good instrumental versions for the piano or violin but I’ve been horrified by some muzak versions. I’ve been sitting in a doctor’s office thinking ‘that sounds familiar’ and then realising it’s someone’s interpretation of what I’ve written – that can be a creepy feeling.

What’s the worst gig you’ve done?

Guns n’ Roses playing Cowboys Stadium in Dallas in 1989. It was horrific. Everything that could go wrong went wrong and the band didn’t have enough experience to handle it properly. It was a huge disaster in front of 65,000 people. We fell apart on stage. It’s stuck with me ever since.

Did that end in violence?

No, the riots at the gigs started happening in the ’90s.

Do you still collect snakes?

No, I’m on the road too much. I just got rid of Sam, my green anaconda. I gave him to the zoo. It was a drag because I raised him since he was really little but he got too big for anyone else in the house to take care of if I wasn’t there.

What are people’s misconceptions of you?

That I was limited to the image of me as a crazy loser junkie. People were a little intimidated by that. It was a narrow-minded idea of who I was but at the same time I gave that impression during interviews.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

I’d say I definitely have but the fact I was high at the time kills the validity of it. There was definitely a handful of ghostly things flying around.

https://metro.co.uk/2014/02/20/gunsnroses-guitarist-slash-i-like-movies-that-are-psychologically-horrifying-and-get-into-your-head-4310273/