2018.04.16 - Loudwire - Dave Kushner Reveals Franky Perez Was Once Hired for Velvet Revolver

Dave Kushner Reveals Franky Perez Was Once Hired for Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver got off to a very hot start in the early 2000s, issuing the 2004 Contraband and 2007 Libertad albums before parting ways with Scott Weiland in 2008. And while there has been continued interest in whether or not the band will continue with another vocalist, so far they've been unable to find the right guy. However, in a recent interview with the Fueled By Death Cast, guitarist Dave Kushner reveals that they had actually hired a singer at one point, but it didn't work out in the long term.

During the chat, Kushner spoke about the assorted names who had been brought in at different times as possibilities for the project. They had recorded eight songs with Corey Taylor, Big Wreck's vocalist Ian Thornley and Spacehog's Royston Langdon had been brought in as possibilities and there had even been talk of bringing in Lenny Kravitz though it never got beyond the discussion stage. But the guy who almost started the next era for the band was Franky Perez.

"We had this guy Franky Perez, who is still a good friend of mine, who's a fucking amazing singer," says Kushner. "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."

Kushner says he felt bad about how things worked out, recalling that Perez had moved to Los Angeles specifically for the band. "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,'" says Kushner.

Over time, Perez has appeared in a number of projects. He was a frequent guest in Camp Freddy, where he played with fellow Velvet Revolver musician Matt Sorum and he's continued that working relationship with Sorum in Kings of Chaos. He had played with Slash's solo band before they got Myles Kennedy as their singer. He released a solo album and has also played with Scars on Broadway, the band founded by System of a Down's Daron Malakian. And a couple of years ago, he served as the vocalist on an album by Apocalyptica. Plus, he's continued to work with Kushner in Hellcat Saints.

https://loudwire.com/dave-kushner-franky-perez-once-hired-velvet-revolver/

Related article in Loudwire, April 18:
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Velvet Revolver: Meet the Guy Who Almost Replaced Scott Weiland

During a recent chat with the Fueled by Death Cast, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner revealed that the band actually did hire, albeit briefly, a replacement for Scott Weiland. Though a number of vocalists were tried out for the position, the band had actually planned to move forward with Franky Perez, but ultimately things did not work out.

Perez's involvement with Velvet Revolver was not widely known, but the singer issued an exclusive statement to Loudwire about his time in the band after Kushner's revelation made headlines with a number of outlets.

“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," said the singer. "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."

He continues, "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.”

In his time since Velvet Revolver, Perez has his own solo band FXP and he's spent the last three years as the vocalist for Apocalyptica. Perez also lends his vocal talents to Kings of Chaos and is the singer for Steve Stevens' band as well as a regular guest for Royal Machines. His past credits include time with Scars on Broadway and having served a stint as vocalist for Slash & Friends after the guitarist's guest-filled solo debut disc.

https://loudwire.com/franky-perez-came-to-terms-fact-i-wasnt-right-guy-velvet-revolver/