More from Duff

[Guest Sleeping Like An Angel]

Don't think this was posted? Apologies if it has.

In 1984, Izzy Stradlin lived in an apartment across the street from me in Hollywood, right behind the Chinese Theater off Hollywood Boulevard. The man seemed to ALWAYS have an acoustic guitar in his hands, and was always writing bits and pieces of songs. He still does this today.

There was one especially melodic thing that he had been working on, and every once in a while he would dust it off and work on it some more.

By 1986, our band Guns N' Roses had a record deal. With that money, I put myself on a small stipend that could basically pay my rent--or half-rent, I should say--for about six months.

One of my best friends at the time was looking to move to Hollywood from her parents' house somewhere in Orange County. She and I decided that we could share rent on a one-bedroom apartment on Gardner; she would get the bedroom, and I the floor of the dining room (which I cordoned off into my little den of darkness).

My other good friend then was a guy named Del James, a recent transplant from New York who became an important part of our tightknit little group of friends and ersatz consiglieres.

Del needed a place to crash for a week or so, and back then, what was mine was his. During that first week of couch-surfing at my apartment, Del and my roommate Debby became romantic, and Del moved from the couch to her bedroom.

Del was an avid reader, and turned me onto a book called Slugs by Shaun Hutson. I remember just sitting in my bedroom/dining room with my curtain pulled taught, and reading this book with life sort of swirling around me in our apartment. There were drugs aplenty then, and Valium was the drug-of-the-month at that particular point.

I remembered Izzy's little ditty, which at that point had a working title of "Patience," and I wrote a lyrical verse then that went, '"I sit here doing drugs/Reading a book about slugs/All I need is a little patience."

This horrible lyric never made it past my apartment front door, thank God. Axl came up with a great lyric, seemingly out of nowhere, that of course became the story and melody of that song. The whistle part at the beginning--a ballsy move by Axl--while seeming odd to some of our fans and critics alike when the record Lies was released, became a part of pop culture. The song just wouldn't be the song without it, right? This was always one of my favorite GN'R songs that we did live.

A few years ago, when Loaded was recording something or other (maybe "Wasted Heart"?), I counted in the song. On playback, someone in the room exclaimed that the count-in (me) sounded like the recorded count-in of "Patience," which is also me. For a while, the joke went that if I couldn't get a good table at a restaurant, I could simply say "One-two-one-two-three-four," and the gates would open for me.

Sometimes things come at me like that. It is impossible to gauge the impact of stuff you have been a part of. It is only when something like what happened to me in that control-room of the Loaded session happens, that I realize the mark a song like "Patience" made . . . or makes still.

Life can throw curveballs at us when we are least prepared. So many odd circumstances have befallen me over the years that I've come to almost expect the unexpected these days.

Two weeks ago, I flew off to London for a week's worth of non-music-related business. Mere hours after landing at Heathrow I found myself onstage with a friend that I have been to hell and back with, and lived to tell the tale. Axl and I just happened to be in hotel rooms next to each other. Unexpected? Oh, fuck yes.

Sometimes, though, it takes a serendipitous moment like this to put some important things into perspective. I for one was glad we were sort of thrown into meeting. I hope he was, too, for the sake of the pounds of flesh that we shed in the struggle and fray.

Mostly we laughed, and that was indeed great.

That same night, I found myself onstage playing "Patience" in front of 14,000 people at the 02 Arena. To put it lightly, this is not what I had expected when I boarded my flight the night before for my business trip. Crazy shit.

This chance meeting gave me pause for thought and reflection. Many of you have asked me to write about this gig and our meeting. Other magazines and whatnot have tried to contact me for a "statement." Really? A STATEMENT? I'll state this: Trust is built on foundations of granite. Trust is not built when a late-breaking story can prompt you to gossip.

I did an interview for our local rock station, KISW, about a week after the gig. They have started to play a new Loaded song in preparation for our halftime performance at the Nov. 7 Seahawks game as part of Veterans Appreciation Day. The song, "Fight On," was written by Loaded as a nod to our fallen and fighting young men and women. I was doing promo for the gig and the song (profits from the download will go to our Puget Sound VA HealthCare System). The conversation on BJ Shea's "Morning Show" naturally took a turn from "Fight On" to my participation onstage with Axl. I've been on BJ's show enough times to know that they wouldn't ask me anything dumb or be otherwise rude or untoward. They let me say my piece, and that was it.

I hope you all understand, and thanks for reading

Source: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/10/london_axl_and_continued_patie.php

Edited October 29, 2010 by Sleeping Like An Angel

[Guest]

Great read, thankyah

[Guest Sleeping Like An Angel]

Great read, thankyah

Thanks wrote it myself B)

[J Dog]

Glad Duff was in London that night.

[zepsun]

Sounds like he wants more trust to be built up.... maybe so they can be friends again or even write music together again... ultimately I hope, to reignite a bond between all the members for at least a tour...

[inthisriver]

Nice read. It's pretty much exactly what I expected him to say. Great guy.

[FuddMckagan]

Good stuff. Thanks for posting.

[Binge_And_Slash]

It'd be cool if there was a one-off track written for the next/a future Gn'R or Loaded album in the similar vein as 'So Fine' that featured Duff/Axl sharing vocals.

[Allen8R]

It'd be cool if there was a one-off track written for the next/a future Gn'R or Loaded album in the similar vein as 'So Fine' that featured Duff/Axl sharing vocals.

Since Duff N' Axl seemed to bury the hatchet between them once and for all, I was thinking this would be a pretty strong possibility.

[tomlee80]

Wow thanks for this. I still can't believe my luck seeing Duff on stage with GNR again!

[trqster]

A true Gentleman and an awsome guy, Mr. Duff McKagan!

[Orsys]

There is the cynic inside of me that thinks the only way he could not piss Slash off is if he just happened to bump into Axl, coincidentally staying at the same hotel.

But I would rather not listen to the voices in my head and say it was a nice thing to happen, coincidentally.

And then putting out to the media great things about Axl and GnR is very cool of Duff.

Edited October 29, 2010 by Orsys

[ChineseDemocracy2004]

Promoting a new Loaded song? Cool.

Didn't Axl and Duff have dinner the day after the gig?

[Terje_Myhre]

dident even bother to read thru this bs...Reunion starts now? :xmassrudolph:

Accept the new lineup, its awsome. Sounds better then ever...Iam with Axl here

[sturginho]

dident even bother to read thru this bs...

if you didnt read it how do you know it's bs?

[sleeper]

I did read it and it is some what BS! This is about the forth time Duff has said in public or put in print something about his appearance with Axl. And each time he has made a point about not wanting to talk about it. So he continues to do so!

[SunnyDRE]

I did read it and it is some what BS! This is about the forth time Duff has said in public or put in print something about his appearance with Axl. And each time he has made a point about not wanting to talk about it. So he continues to do so!

agreed.

[tkarmy]

sounds like duff wants to make sure he doesn't do anything to ruffle axl's feathers... if he can stay tight with him maybe someday slash might just 'accidently' be roomed next Axl... ah who know and frankly who cares.... cool they got to jam out a few tunes though

[dalsh327]

Wonder what the dinner topics were:

The current tour and where they're going

Loaded, maybe VR, mutual friends (and mutual funds)

Where Axl can invest his money.

Sue's reality TV show

How the meal was.

I would say they might have been more uncomfortable drinking wine in front of McKagan than they were discussing old band stories.

Prob. not much about when they'll get together again... Duff had his own things to do in England, whatever they may be.

[eggers]

I did read it and it is some what BS! This is about the forth time Duff has said in public or put in print something about his appearance with Axl. And each time he has made a point about not wanting to talk about it. So he continues to do so!

agreed.

He has been asked over and over again about it but has not given any detail into what went on between the two. I think he has been respectful to the fans, the press and to Axl.

[Riddick Bowe]

Duff is an awesome guy and so down to earth! im glad they had such a great moment

[Snowmass]

I did read it and it is some what BS! This is about the forth time Duff has said in public or put in print something about his appearance with Axl. And each time he has made a point about not wanting to talk about it. So he continues to do so!

Nah, think about it. He's Duff "The king of beers" McKagen from Guns n Roses original. He's gonna be asked about it everywhere he goes. And he's not gonna be a dbag and say 'i can't or I refuse to talk about it'. He gives his best generic, non descriptive answer as possible. Which is cool...as much as we'd love to hear the real details, aint gonna happen from Duff.

[chesire78]

I did read it and it is some what BS! This is about the forth time Duff has said in public or put in print something about his appearance with Axl. And each time he has made a point about not wanting to talk about it. So he continues to do so!

I think whenever anyone of us see's a really good friends they have not seen years and its normal it be excited and talk about it. Would rather him not say anything? We would all jump down his throat for that, what he said seems truthful, it is what he feels i respect that.

[grim]

if at some point in the future axl and duff share a stage again it would be amazing if so fine was the song they chose on a whim...

the line... i owe a favor to a friend, my friends they always come through for me...

that would be a fuckin nice moment...

almost a nod to the diehard fans also....

[tange]

Dont try to explain it. The negativity is ridiculous. The guy is obviously pumped about playing with a guy he genuinely loves and people have to dog on it. Whatever.