Slash/Izzy relationship?

[paranoyd androyd]

hi Marc, hoping you can shed some light on this..

is it true that Izzy didn't want Slash in the band when it was initially forming and that each of them grew 'annoyed' by the other? it's been mentioned in various books and interviews over time that Slash was happy/relieved when Izzy left.

from the quotes and stories, it doesn't seem like there were necessarily personality issues between them, rather just professional ones?.. essentially, each wanted to be the only guitar player?

any truth to this?.. and are these two friends today?

[wfuckinga]

Izzy, Slash, Duff and Matt wrote for VR and Izzy was the only other guitarist to play on Slash (2010). That should tell you what you need to know.

[Daedalus]

Well, they both have been in few band with only one guitar player, so of course you don't want another guitarist in the band to steal your spotlight.

[DieselDaisy]

Have a read of this:

During Appetite..., Lies and Use Your... I had to put up with Izzy the whole time. I never liked playing with him. It was wonderful to escape him on this record. It sounds tighter and so much cooler than anything we've done before. I always got irritated over Izzy's way of playing. It didn't sound right. Before "Spaghetti", we erased his guitar and Gilby put on a new one. It sounded perfect!

- Slash

Okej November? 1993
http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=13

[SoulMonster]

And this:

Izzy: There's nothing more annoying than a guitarist just noodling. Shredding, it's horrid. It's the same thing when you try to get a band together, you always end up with these noodlers, y'know...[...] when I first met him, yeah. Slash was a noodler, man. I think he still is. Like in Guns N' Roses he would noodle but then the vocals would come back in and that would shut him up! [Total Guitar Magazine, August 2001]

It's obvious they didn't see eye to eye on guitar playing. On the other hand, they did spend a lot of time (and drugs!) together, meaning that they did click at some level interpersonally. Or perhaps it was a relationship born out of narcotic necessity?

[DieselDaisy]

Yes, I agree. Slash actually wanted to poach Axl for Road Crew so there is a sense that Slash and Izzy were - initially at least - rivals for the affections of Axl haha. You know that thing with singer-guitarist relations? You could actually argue that that was Axl/Izzy - not Axl/Slash - up until, as late as 1988 when Guns's big success started and people started focusing on the big comic book characters of 'Axl and Slash'.

Izzy is a curious figure really because he has a sort of connection with both Axl and Slash. With Axl it is obviously the whole Lafayette thing and the fact that they were trying to succeed with Hollywood Rose before Slash arrived on the scene. They are friends and there friendship, despite many trials, has remained intact. With Slash there were a few correspondence: both Slash and Izzy were rootsy 'rock n' roll' guys who disliked the direction Axl was pursuing with the videos and overdubs; they also both liked The Stones and Aerosmith. But Slash was more the, hard rock guitar god, whereas Izzy was more a punky troubadour type of guy - more of a songwriter. Also, in a way, Slash wanted GN'R to be just as big as Axl did, whereas, Izzy wanted to keep it low key.

I suspect Izzy likes Axl more personally but, aesthetically, is closer to Slash. You get a sense that Izzy was never that close on a personal level to Slash.

[Axl_morris]

Interesting to see what there relationship is now.

[wfuckinga]

Slash actually wanted to poach Axl for Road Crew

Imagine what would've happened if he had been successful. Would songs like SCOM still have been born?

[SoulMonster]

Yes, I agree. Slash actually wanted to poach Axl for Road Crew so there is a sense that Slash and Izzy were - initially at least - rivals for the affections of Axl haha. You know that thing with singer-guitarist relations? You could actually argue that that was Axl/Izzy - not Axl/Slash - up until, as late as 1988 when Guns's big success started and people started focusing on the big comic book characters of 'Axl and Slash'.

Izzy is a curious figure really because he has a sort of connection with both Axl and Slash. With Axl it is obviously the whole Lafayette thing and the fact that they were trying to succeed with Hollywood Rose before Slash arrived on the scene. They are friends and there friendship, despite many trials, has remained intact. With Slash there were a few correspondence: both Slash and Izzy were rootsy 'rock n' roll' guys who disliked the direction Axl was pursuing with the videos and overdubs; they also both liked The Stones and Aerosmith. But Slash was more the, hard rock guitar god, whereas Izzy was more a punky troubadour type of guy - more of a songwriter. Also, in a way, Slash wanted GN'R to be just as big as Axl did, whereas, Izzy wanted to keep it low key.

I suspect Izzy likes Axl more personally but, aesthetically, is closer to Slash. You get a sense that Izzy was never that close on a personal level to Slash.

Exactly my thoughts, thanks for expressing them better than I could

[DieselDaisy]

Slash actually wanted to poach Axl for Road Crew

Imagine what would've happened if he had been successful. Would songs like SCOM still have been born?

Well if Duff stayed longer than he actually did (possible as he left merely because the band did not have a singer and the band were going nowhere), it would have just been Guns N' Roses sans Stradlin as Road Crew was Slash/Adler. GN'R may have formed via an another route. There were a few Road Crew ideas which Slash carried over into Guns including, I believe, the Rocket Queen riff.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Izzy: There's nothing more annoying than a guitarist just noodling. Shredding, it's horrid. It's the same thing when you try to get a band together, you always end up with these noodlers, y'know..

I love that guy, i really do, well put Izzy Quite frankly outside of Izzy no one in Guns n Roses knows the meaning of the world rock n roll, Slash is a metaller deep in his heart, Axl wants to sing ballads, Duff wishes he was in The Damned and Stevie was a smack-head, the rock n roll, the rock n roll rhythm, those wonderful little country flavoured songs, literally everything of value that came out of GnR had heavy Izzy input.

Edited November 8, 2013 by sugaraylen

[dalsh327]

I read that Izzy lived with Tracii, so maybe there was some issue with Slash about them being friends? Don't know.

[DieselDaisy]

I read that Izzy lived with Tracii, so maybe there was some issue with Slash about them being friends? Don't know.

Well it was Tracii Guns who engineered the meeting between Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber; this meeting, in the parking lot of the Rainbow Bar N' Grill, would result in the formation of Hollywood Rose.

Marc, what is your view of the relationship between Izzy Stradlin and Slash?

[recklessroad]

They talk and if Slash needed him for something, Izzy would be there

[wfuckinga]

Slash needed him for something, Izzy would be there

Would he? You've said someone told you that if you ever needed Izzy for something, he wouldn't be there for you. Why would that be different for Slash?

[recklessroad]

Because of their past together.

[Padme]

There were 2 events that aren´t very clear to me.

1) According to Slash book Izzy called him during the early stage of VR. Izzy was there so he was interested about that. It seems the problem was that Slash and Duff wanted a singer. And Izzy just wanted Duff and himself to handle it

2) The AFD annyversary show. How Izzy ended up performing there.

[recklessroad]

Thats right and Izzy wanted to just put some equipment in a van and tour the UK. The rest of the guys wanted to make a record.The AFD annyversary show Izzy showed up because he was interested in doing some kind of reunion with the old lineup.

[Padme]

Thats right and Izzy wanted to just put some equipment in a van and tour the UK. The rest of the guys wanted to make a record.The AFD annyversary show Izzy showed up because he was interested in doing some kind of reunion with the old lineup.

Thank you. I didn´t know Izzy was thinking about reunion. Is a reunion something that Izzy cares about it? Would he really push for that to happen? I think he missed a big chance by not going to the HOF even if Axl didn´t want to be there

[recklessroad]

I think Izzy is afraid to talk at those events.

[dalsh327]

I've always been kind of surprised that he just never performs live anywhere except to make a guest appearance. Either he makes enough money that he doesn't have to make a living on the road, or he just found a line of work outside of music we don't know about and wants to keep it that way.

[SweetRose]

Izzy does paintings doesn't he?Maybe he also does work for other musicians like in the studio?Plus he has all the money made from the UYI records,unless of course he has wasted it.And I don't think he wasted that money on drugs and shit,cause that was the era where he was getting clean.

[paranoyd androyd]

Marc, have you stayed in touch with Izzy?

it seems like Izzy might be the only one who could convince Axl of a reunion at this point. i know it must've crushed Axl when Izzy left, but i think Izzy still holds a big place in Axl's heart. Axl also knows what a great songwriter he is and likes his blues and folk sides.

[Rovim]

Marc, have you stayed in touch with Izzy?

it seems like Izzy might be the only one who could convince Axl of a reunion at this point. i know it must've crushed Axl when Izzy left, but i think Izzy still holds a big place in Axl's heart. Axl also knows what a great songwriter he is and likes his blues and folk sides.

Axl said not in this life time, so I really don't think anyone can convince Axl.

The only thing that will maybe get Axl to even consider it, is a detailed and public apology made by Slash. I don't think that will ever happen either.

Axl specifically stated he's not interested in even doing something musical with more then one classic member at a time.

[ZoSoRose]

I was bummed I didn't get to see Izzy at the HOF, but I guess I kind of understand it. He hates things like that and knew Axl wouldn't be there.