2024.03.11 - Esquire Philippines - Slash: ‘We’d All Be in Jail if There was Social Media Back Then’

Slash: ‘We’d All Be in Jail if There was Social Media Back Then’

We chat with the legendary guitarist, songwriter and recording artist ahead of his show in Manila with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.

By Jill Tan Radovan

You know you’ve made it when you don’t even use a last name and your alias has but one syllable, and yet, everyone knows who you are and recognize your achievements. One name that come to mind: rock legend and superstar Slash.

Those who know him from the ‘80s would remember him as the lead guitarist for Guns ‘N Roses, for which he has co-written a string of hits and created mind-blowing riffs and guitar solos. And while being a founding member and guitarist of one of the biggest rock acts of all time is already a dream come true, he’s not stopping. There are more milestones to reach, especially for a musician of his caliber.

Slash (aka Saul Hudson) has quite a few achievements throughout his illustrious career, with the band and as a solo artist, he’s also made a mark in the business through collaborations with other musicians, most recently with his current band, Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators (SMKC). The band’s latest record is 4, the first released under Gibson Records, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. This expands Slash’s partnership with the legacy guitar brand, which has now ventured into producing records of and music videos for musicians under its wing.

Among the choice cuts in 4 are The River is Rising, the band’s 8th Top 10 Radio single, and The Path Less Followed, which is a personal favorite of the artist. He is quick to point out however, that every time he works on an album, he tends to grow fond of all the tracks he has recorded. What matters the most to him though, is how the audience responds to the songs when performed live.

Besides the two aforementioned songs, C’est La Vie seems to be gaining traction live, along with Fill My World, and April Fool.

“And then there’s Whatever Gets You By, which I really have a fun time playing live because it’s got this sort of great sexy beat to it,” Slash says in an interview with Esquire Philippines.

Slash recalls how Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators became a solid, permanent fixture in his musical journey when, in 2010, he collaborated with a bunch of singers for an album, and one of them was Myles Kennedy.

“I hadn’t even heard him sing before but I heard a lot of great things about him,” Slash says.

The two spoke on the phone and Slash sent Kennedy a demo of music he had written. Myles added vocal tracks and sent it back.

Slash’s reaction? “It was fucking amazing!” The song was Starlight.

Kennedy flew out to Los Angeles and recorded with Slash, and the recording of Starlight produced stellar results, which led to the recording of another track.. The two got along and Slash soon realized he needed one exceptional singer with him; someone who could sing all the songs on the record when he goes on tour. And Myles was the obvious choice.

“Myles was the first guy that came to mind,” Slash says. The two started working with a backing band, which included current band members Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass guitar), and then later went on tour.

“We just got along so well that I started writing material for a record that was just for us—our own record.” That record was Apocalyptic Love.

Not in a popularity contest

Becoming a songwriter was a natural progression for the British-American artist, which led to many other achievements.

“You just naturally grow over time,” Slash says. “I would like to think that in the last four decades—I hate to date myself—I’ve filled out as a musician, as a songwriter and performer over all those years and I’ve definitely learned a lot. I’ve worked with a lot of different people. I’ve definitely broadened my horizons in that time. I’ve (been) workin’ on different instruments. I’ve been doing soundtracks. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff. So I never stopped to think about specifically what that means. I’ve found a lot of things to do over these last 40 years. It’s been pretty cool.”

With all his years of experience under, Slash has made a conscious choice not to immerse himself in the unguarded and unsolicited opinions in general.

“I make a habit of not reading what anybody has to say, anyway,” he admits. “I’m really not in this to win any popularity contests with people. I’m not trying to impress anybody or try to make everybody like me. I’m in the wrong business if I was trying to do that. I just do what I love doing and if there’s an audience for it, that’s great, ‘cause I love performing.”

Guitars are Slash’s weapon of choice, and he’s made it a point to expand his arsenal. To date, he owns between 400 to 500 guitars, among them the Gibson Les Paul, and all are waiting to be strummed by his fingers on his next show.

Rock music then and now

“I have a habit of collecting things I like,” he announces. “I have a lot of Les Pauls and I have a lot of leather jackets,” he chuckles. “It’s just a weird thing with me.

“The state of rock music is forever fluctuating, and it has been ever since I was a kid,” Slash adds. “We’re in the precipice of a new wave of young musicians who are about to set the rock world on its ear.”

The rock legend believes that moving forward, rock music will be more creatively driven by the music itself and the personal statements of artists, as opposed to being driven by the industry, which is how, for him, rock music went for a while.

“It suffered horribly,” he says candidly.

He remains optimistic though, and excited by the emergence of independent rock acts.

Having lived a full life and an incredible career, the only things–material things–that he didn’t have then but wished he did, are a bunch of guitars that he has since acquired over the years. Social media, however, is not one of the things he wouldn’t have wished for.

“I’m glad that I didn’t have social media back then,” he says, “Because we’d all be in jail, I guess.”

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators will be performing at the Skydome in SM City North Edsa on March 12, 8pm. Tickets are available on Ticketnet.

https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/music/slash-interview-a2328-20240311-lfrm