2014.08.07 - San Diego Union-Tribune - Slash & Learn: Drug-free Rocker Evolves

Slash & learn: Drug-free rocker evolves

We chat with the former Guns N' Roses guitarist and Rock Hall of Famer about his past and present life, in and out of music.

By George Varga

By his own admission, Slash has long been synonymous with the drug- and alcohol-fueled rock ’n’ roll lifestyle that has seen far too many of his peers painfully fade away or die.

“The 1990s are a blur,” said the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, whose real name is Saul Hudson.

Slash, 49, has been clean and sober since 2006. His only remaining vice is a Swedish brand of chewing tobacco.

“The last eight years have probably been the most productive my life has been, on a personal and musical level, since the early 1980s,” said the veteran musician. He performs Saturday at Pechanga Resort & Casino as the leader of the 4-year-old band Slash, featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.

“Fortunately, what I do didn’t rest on my ‘extra curricular’ activities,” he continued. “In other words, I wasn’t motivated to play because of (drugs). So, when I quit, it was a long struggle to get to that point. But I really just got tired, fed up and ashamed of being so dependent on so many things. It was definitely a relief to be able to get past that. All the extra energy and time I would have spent in a pub or down at the dealer’s house really went back into music. I’ve spent much more time playing, writing and recording, so it’s been a real bonus.

“A lot of my peers and heroes I’ve met over the years — when they stopped using — they had a hard time creating and performing, because it was such a part of their creative experience. Some of those people are peers and the same age as me. But most of them are people from the ’70s, when chemical abuse was such a natural part of the culture that you didn’t realize what you were getting into.”

Does music mean something more, or different, to Slash now than it used to?

"For me, personally, what music means to me always remains the same," he said, speaking from a tour stop in Phoenix. "How that relates to what's going on in the rest of the world, or even in this business, changes all the time. But I love it as much now, if not more than I always have, and I'm genuinely, unabashedly excited about it.

"At this particular moment, I'm really loving what it is that I do, in contrast with what's going on in the music industry and what's 'commercially acceptable.' This is a great time for rock 'n' roll to really show what it's all about, because it's really 'us and them' now, and I love that kind of friction."

Slash has long been a guitar star whose bluesy rock style is his trademark. But he is proud to note that he sat in twice with jazz guitar giant Les Paul. And when asked who he's currently listening to, he offered a response that might surprise his rock-oriented fans.

"Right now, it's Wes Montgomery," he said, citing another deceased jazz six-string legend. "His octave stuff, minor key runs and arpeggios are really cool, and he's such an amazing player. Those are the kind of musicians who keep you humble, especially as a guitar player, A lot of rock guitar players can be very cocky and what not. Then you listen to guys like Wes, and go: 'Wow!' If you're a young kid, there's a 'Best of Wes Montgomery' album, and that covers a lot of ground."

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Slash, featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Pechanga Theater, Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula
Tickets: $69-$99 (anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)