2019.04.06 - Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon - Alan Niven talks Izzy Stradlin

On this episode of ROCK TALK WITH MITCH LAFON - New interviews with Tesla's Jeff Keith and Night Ranger's Keri Kelli. Plus, Alan Niven has Izzy Stradlin news.
In the show's first interview, Tesla's Jeff Keith discusses the band's latest album [...]
After Jeff, Alan and Mitch are back for more 'Rock Talk' and discuss Izzy Stradlin, Guns N' Roses & The Louder Than Life Festival. #Izzy2019
The episode's second interview features current Night Ranger guitarist, Keri Kelli. [...]

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-jeremy-white-show-514662/episodes/tesla-jeff-keith-night-ranger-38528623



Transcript of GN'R part:

Being asked if he thinks Izzy will show up for the next show:

Alan Niven: Let's keep this in the realms of pure whimsical speculation and bear in mind that I hate Las Vegas and I'm not a gambling man. I can't imagine more stupid[?] things to do. [...] Well, let me repeat, this is purely me sitting here with a cup of coffee and a smoke and maybe my little vape to keep my nerves in good shape. I'm not a betting man, as I just said, I'm not a fan of Las Vegas. I think gambling is the most ridiculous human occupation of all. But I would bet and I would gamble on this one. I would lay dollars to donuts that it's going to be a genuine reunion and they're hoping to get Izzy on stage, not just for a soundcheck, but for a performance. And I think it's very much a, "Let's see how it goes," "Let's see if Izzy's comfortable," and, "Let see if we can preup the next year." But I would definitely put $5 on a winner, winner, winner that Izzy's going to be there.

Mitch Lafon: Do you think that's partly because of the location because, you know, Kentucky and that sort of mid, it's not too far from Indiana and there's sort of a home boyish kind of, I mean do you think that has anything to do with it?

AN: Well, well, well, why would you want Izzy to feel safe? And he's got a bolt hole that's just up the road in case he wants it. That may have played into it. I think that, you know, playing in Kentucky, that's close to home, Louisville, it's got a little bit of a [?] or is that St. Louis? I get them confused sometimes. I'm English, that happens. Yeah, that might have a little bit bit of play in it, you know, Izzy likes his ability to safely disappear. But I would be amongst the unsurprised if it turned out to be a genuine reunion of some sort.

ML: Well, I'm going to read you this because I'm going to play cryptic door with the press release. It says over here, "Festival producer Danny Wimmer has said this, this, this," and the quote go on, "Every year we wanna come back bigger and better and we can't wait to welcome Axl, Slash, Duff, and the rest of Guns N' Roses to Louder Than Life." Now we currently know that Richard's there. We currently know that Frank is there. And Melissa. Is "We can't wait to welcome Axl Slash, Duff and the rest of GN'R," is that sort of a cryptic door opening or is that just speculation?

AN: I'm waiting for the promoter to send me my check for starting the rumor that Izzy will be there to help the sale of those ridiculously priced tickets. No, I'm joking. I would genuinely not be surprised if it was a genuine reunion. That would not surprise me in the least. In fact, I would, as I said, I'd even run my hand down the back of the couch and take the change and go put it on that bet. I think I'd win.

ML: Alright, so I'm gonna say this then. When you talk about genuine reunion, I'm gonna hit you with two questions. Cause, and again, we're playing, we're playing Speculation 101 here. Does that include Steven Adler, A; and B, if it does, or doesn't, is Izzy there for three songs and an encore and thank you very much or do you mean he shows up at the at the onset and he does a three hour set with the boys?

AN: Well, if I were Axl and I was looking at rolling around the rest of the world like a German Panzer Division back in World War 2, I would want a bullet in every chamber and I would want to be the sensation of the year. And the only way that they're going to be sensation of the year as opposed to Velvet Roses, Part 2, is to have Izzy there for the full set and have Steven included in there, too.

ML: See, I'm liking this conversation. Now of course, folks-

AN: And again, if I were Axl I would have Izzy there for the entire set and just bump everything to a slightly more energetic level. I'd bring Steven on for the encores and make the encore basically Appetite.

ML: Yeah, make the encore the money shot, to use an adult industry-

AN: Yeah, because can you imagine the... You know, GN'R been playing for an hour and a half or something and then there it is, at last, for the first time since April 7th, 1990, there's the band. Welcome to the motherfucking jungle, motherfuckers. There you have it.

ML: And it's fun that, by the way, that this show was announced because there there was this incredibly random speculation at the beginning of the year and again, we're playing fantasy here, that Van Halen was going to do a reunion tour and play all these stadiums, Wrigley Field and so on and so forth. And then other folks were like, "Yes, but it needs another band," and people were like, "Guns N' Roses is going to be going out with them." It's like, "No, they're not. No, they're not." Now we have Guns doing their own solo show here just randomly in the middle of nowhere Kentucky. So yeah, I think it's going to require something and Izzy showing up would be welcomed and-

AN: You mean you get to the heart of the soul - I have to say that carefully because people think they hear "heart and soul" - no, he's the heart within the soul of the band. Others may be the muscle, others may be the brain. Or claim to be a brain. [laughs] Guess who might have been thinking of then? But for me, and I'll say it again one more freaking time, it was always Izzy's band. That's what I knew.

ML: Well, listen, yes, no. I'm a fan, I like Slash and Axl. But yeah, Izzy wrote the songs, right? I mean that's the truth.

AN: What you know, and he was in my book a really excellent personification of rock'n'roll and its attitudes and viewpoints and style. It flowed naturally for him like water out of a tap.

ML: It really did. And of course since everything takes a Kiss connection, let's not forget that-

AN: Oh good Lord! How are you gonna squeezed Kiss into this?

ML: Well you know [?]

AN: You know, I'm gonna have to get you to one of those deprogramming centres one of these days.

ML: Oh, no, no, we're gonna get Kiss in here. As you know, folks, of course Paul Stanley was looked at as being the producer for one of the Guns N' Roses records. It didn't happen, but it could have happened and it would have been spectacular.

AN: The reason why it didn't happen and we'll just leave that there.

ML: That is because Kiss was too busy touring the universe and making fans everywhere they go really, really happy and he just didn't have time to hang out with Guns N' Roses.

AN: Take another hit off the vape.

ML: Hey, I don't do any of that.

Translated the GN'R part.