Vintage Duff Interview (2000) - End of GNR

[RONIN]

Perhaps the most honest interview Duff ever gave. A rare moment where he actually says what's on his mind (mostly) instead of riding the fence and being diplomatic.

 

After you left Guns N' Roses you joined Steve Jones to set up Neurotic Outsiders. How did the idea build up?

I was still in Guns when the idea started to take shape, but we were idle. I used to go to our practice place, me and Matt would play for a while, but no one else used to show up. Slash was having trouble with Axl and, well, you know the story already. Axl would finally show up like at 4 a.m., oh well, fuck it! I realized I didn't want to wait until 4 in the morning to practice anymore. My life had changed. I'm not going to talk shit about anyone. Everybody does things for their own reasons. I've grown more reasonable, and I think I've always been, but now I do stick to it. I do as I say, and say as I think. I was not going to go "Ok, it's fine man, I'll swallow it again". No. I faced it and said no way, this is not fair. if it happens three more times I'm out.

Well, it did happen. So Jonesy (Steve Jones) and I had been practicing and playing some gigs, because Guns were doing nothing. We were playing the Viper Room every Monday night. It was awesome! We did it for charity. Afterwards we got a record deal. Of course our interest was not beyond that, but as soon as you try to keep something quiet record companies start to pop up everywhere, all of a sudden. We didn't want to make a record, but we finally said "Fuck Maverick, make us a good offer!" They said "Hey, you don't have to tour, we realize you each have your own stuff to do". So we said it was OK and did the record. I love that record! I was going to work with Steve Jones and he's my friend. We wanted to play some gigs, which is something I hope I'll be able to do for a long time. I think the band fans realized what the whole thing was about. It was something we did once and for a certain time, so there was no pressure involved at all.

 

You had some health problems in 1994. What happened exactly?

I had laid off the drugs and joined my band for a European tour. I didn't do drugs anymore, but was drinking like crazy. I always needed a cocktail by the bed when I woke up in the middle of the night, because else I'd feel awful. I wanted to stop the whole thing but I couldn't. After Europe I went to Japan and then back home. I had bought this house in Seattle, the place were I was raised. I was laying at home when I felt this pungent pain. At the moment I thought it was weird, though to be honest I was in pain all the time, I was real fucked!

But this time the pain began to extend and became so severe, and lasted so long that I couldn't even move. Not even wake up to call 911. Luckily a friend of mine dropped by, and I heard him down the stairs crying "Hey, were are you?" when he entered the door. I couldn't even shout I was upstairs, but he came into my room, found me and took me to the hospital. My pancreas had exploded and a shitload of toxins were running around my stomach. When this kind of thing fucks up a lot of people die, but I did not. I could go on telling you the experience in the hospital, but you don't want to hear the details.

 

I guess it must have had you reconsider a lot of things.

Well it had to happen. It's the only way you will stop. I saw myself in the hospital with all those tubes and shit. It changed my life completely. It was like "Hey, you can be proud for being here, you haven't died. You've done a lot of crazy stuff, and you ain't dead. It was the end you were heading for, but it did not happen. You are here for a reason". Now I'm enjoying a second life. Well, I think the record we are putting up is also a good reason to keep alive.

 

When you were real sick, did anyone in Guns N' Roses or your other friends try to help you out?

Slash. Yeah, Slash, my friends in Seattle and my family were there.

 

You had a group of people supporting you, didn't you.

Yeah, I'm the youngest of eight brothers, so I had my family by me in the hospital. It was very nice that Slash was there as well. He and me, we've shared some stuff together. We're like brothers.

 

So today you are sober and keep clean.

Oh yeah. I've quit smoking and I'm sick that things are turning out so well. That's bullshit! No, seriously, I'm very happy. Like last night, we were working until late night, and sometimes I can sleep barely four hours and feel good when I wake up. If I were drinking or whatever, I couldn't. I probably wouldn't have gone to sleep at all. I wouldn't think I had an interview at 12 noon, I'd just say "Fuck it!" and keep myself up all night. I couldn't have driven here for the interview. It all keeps adding up. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things, like you taking some pictures.

 

You even went back to school to enter the University.

I'm really overwhelmed by it! I'm going back to school. I took one year-and-a-half course in business management. We sold a lot of records and made a lot of money, but no one in Guns got their school degree. I didn't know what bonds or the stock market was about, or another financial terms. It all was part of rebuilding my life again and finding out the direction I should take. So I'm back to school and I'm a brilliant student, nothing but A's. It's really fun! If you are in your 30s, you better get an A o else what the fuck are you there for. I'm growing thanks to school.

 

You're now between Seattle and L.A. Do you miss Los Angeles night life when in Seattle?

I'm not very interested in night life anymore. I've had as much nightlife as several hundreds together. My night life is narrowed to my gigs, that's night enough for me. Now and again I go out to check out a band, like the Screaming Trees when they played the Viper Room. When a friend is playing, I'll usually drop by.

 

A lot of people say the weather in Seattle is very depressing, because it rains a lot, and that combined with the use of drugs influenced the music of bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains or Nirvana.

I don't think so. There's a huge music scene there, and the reason is very simple. Since it rains a lot you have to practice in this dark basements and you spend a lot of time playing because you can't hang out or get some suntan, or go to the beach or go play tennis or golf or whatever. So you just play. Amps sound different in a high humidity environment. Everything sounds different. Besides, in Seattle you don't feel the "pop" pressure like in L.A., things like "we need to write a hit so that we get a record deal". There's no recording companies in Seattle. So people basically write for themselves. They just play and people go and see the bands, and that's how they influence each other. It's a world apart. I love to be there. It doesn't seem depressing at all to me. Chris Cornell loves Seattle.

 

Your career started way before all those bands ever existed. How did you took a different way by moving to L.A. and joining a band like Guns N' Roses?

Soundgarden, those guys were already around. There was a lot of heroin in Seattle when I was playing in punk rock bands from 1979 to 1984. Heroin flowed just like that and everybody was a junkie. There were no clubs for playing, no nothing! It was one of those times in life when you have to make a choice. I had to choose between staying in Seattle or moving to Hollywood for a chance. And that's what I did. I moved into an apartment, and Izzy lived just across the street.

Boom! We set up our band. Then it all begun. It was weird for me, cause when I met Steven Adler he was listening to W.A.S.P. and I had never heard them. He was freaked, he thought "wow! This music is awesome!". I knew other bands like Mötley Crüe and Ratt. I didn't just listen to punk rock, I also listened to Prince and all kinds of music. Izzy was more like me, listening to Thunders, Hanoi Rocks, Aerosmith or whatever. Steve and Slash were more into metal. Axl was into Nazareth. But they all were crazy about W.A.S.P., they loved that record '(Animal) Fuck Like A Beast'! They [Guns] were real rockers.

When we played, I thought "Hey, this is true rock!". We set up the band, but the influences were so diverse. Our first show with the whole line up was in Seattle, opening for The Fastbacks. At first we regarded ourselves more like a punk rock band and all our gigs were opening for bands like Tex and the Horseheads, The Dickies, Social Distortion and the Chili Peppers. That's how things changed. If I had stayed in Seattle, who knows what would have happened. Maybe I would have ended in Soundgarden. You never know.

 

A couple of years back you recorded an album with 10 Minute Warning, your band before you joined Guns N' Roses. How did you come to join them back?

I'll tell you what happened. Stone Gossard came to my place in L.A. at the time I was involved in the Neurotic thing. A lot of people say 10 Minute Warning influenced their guitar playing. The guys in Soundgarden, for example. Kim Thayil says 10 Minute Warning were his biggest influence. We were some sort of "kings of trash" back in 1983. Stone said he wouldn't have started playing guitar if he hadn't seen me. We're the same age and all that. So Stone said "Would you make a record? I'm paying for it." It was a different story, I had just left Guns and was in Neurotic, so I said I'd call him. And I did, the band went there and we recorded a demo. But our singer was in a federal penitentiary at the time, and he wasn't going to be out for a long time, so we needed to look for a different singer.

 

A week ago you were in Japan, playing with Izzy. Did you play any Guns N' Roses songs, or just Izzy's material?

We played 'Attitude', which is not a Guns N' Roses song, but we made it popular. "Made popular by Guns N' Roses" (says in a joking tone).

 

How did it feel playing with your old mate Izzy?

Awesome! We are real fast friends. By the way, when my pancreas fucked Izzy phoned too. We've always been friends and our friendship has gone beyond music. We've been through a lot of things together. I play in his records, which usually takes no more than two days. It's like "Here's the song, play, thank you". For this last record he wanted to go away and play some shows with me. We were rehearsing in Hollywood for a week and then we wanted to play some shows, which were really fun. It was so easy! In Japan everybody was around us freaked, seeing the two of us together. It was exciting.

We are recording a new album in two weeks time. Rick [Richards, guitar] is coming from Atlanta and Taz [Bentley, drums] will come from Dallas. The same guys that were in Japan. It's nothing but that - things are pretty easy with Izzy. The songs are not very hard actually, they are based in good old rock roots. That's what I like about Izzy. I think he's keeping something essential - rock roots. They are slowly being lost and no one seems to do what he's doing. He's mixing country and rock and roll, and he's good at it.

 

When Izzy left Guns N' Roses, he supposedly did so by the same reasons you did - because Guns were turned into a big money-making machine. Is that right? (Duff nods). Can you give us something about that and why Guns N' Roses became this money-making thing?

If you give too much to someone like Axl. Let's put it this way. If everyone around you is answering "yes" for years, if everything is reduced to "yes, yes, yes", then in your relation with other people, when someone says "no" you think that person is wrong. You're gonna tell him to fuck off! You're in this band from the start, and then suddenly everything turns autocratic, just because one person is surrounded by people saying yes to everything. It's not autocracy legally, but there is just one person thinking that's his band. Well then, keep your damned band! One can't stand it anymore. I love each and every member of Guns N' Roses, and that feeling is not going to fade away. I would do anything for them, no question. But people change. I have changed. I've got a larger goal in life now. So, what could I do? Be pissed and make a lot of money? To me, making music is not oriented to making money. If you're in it for the money, then you're in it for the wrong reason. You'll never make any good music, I tell you.

 

When you left the band, how did it all happen? You said you were out, you said you needed to talk?

Yeah, just talk, sit down and talk. I told them I had changed. I said if they needed help, they could just call me. I told Axl this was his band, he had ignored everyone and had hired his best friend for the band. I couldn't play with him. Paul Huge, that was the guy! He's a friend of Axl, he's a 'yes man'.

 

Why couldn't you play with him?

Man, you can't be in Guns N' Roses just like that. That was a real band. Do you play guitar?

 

No.

Well, imagine you and I grow up together and you're my best friend. OK, I'm in Guns N' Roses and I tell the rest you're going to join the band. "OK, Slash, Axl, Matt, guys, this guy is in the band". "Duff, you got a minute?" "No, he's in the band" "Well, no. Everyone in the band has to vote it, Duff, so no way!" "Fuck you, this guy is in the band! I'm not doing anything unless this guy is in the band" "OK, you know what? We'll try and play with him, since you're that much interested in it. Hey Duff, the guy can't play" "I don't care" "Well that's not very reasonable." "I don't care" At that point, what would you do? I came to a point where I couldn't even look at him (Paul Huge). If I were in such a situation, if I were the friend joining the band, I'd say "Hey guys, you've done very good yourselves alone, I'm not going any further. Hey, Duff, thanks for the offer, but I'm breaking your band." But he didn't say it.

 

So far, when you were working on the new stuff, how did it sound like?

There was no sound. There was no nothing. We didn't play. We tried. Matt and I did play. It was cool when Slash joined for a week. Even when Zakk Wylde and Slash played together, there were a couple of songs in which there was a natural progression and they were very rocking. You can imagine, they were really hard songs. As hard as I like them, yeah! But I can't tell you what they sounded like, there was not a definite sound.

 

How was it like working with Zakk Wylde for that brief time?

I liked it a lot. He's a good guy. He's the funniest guy I know! You can't help but liking him. I worked with him and the guy is a genius. When he sits at the piano and starts playing, he can bring tears to your eyes. When he was 18 he was like the champion of his state playing the piano.

 

Do you keep in touch with Steven Adler? No one seems to know what he's been up to lately.

Very little. Steven damaged himself a lot. The only thing you can do for the guy is cry for him. It's hard to talk to him sometimes. He's still the same guy, but there's a lot of things that have changed him forever.

 

Has he been doing anything musically?

No.

 

What do you feel when you listen to "Use Your Illusion" today?

I think they are amazing records, and it was an honor to perform in such records like those, because of the very different styles those songs covered. I like to have been part of that.

 

That tour was truly unique, because in its first leg the band was touring in stadiums playing songs that no one had heard before. How was all that?

It was strange. I all started because Axl or someone said "hey, we're going to play songs from the new record that's out in a month or two. How's that?" And we all said "Cool!". People was thankful about that too, because it was like "hey, we're the first to listen to these songs". So I think it was all good. We were just a band playing.

 

What's your opinion about "Get In The Ring"?

You know what, I wrote part of that song. The title was "Why do you look at me when you hate me", and it was about the press writing shit about us. Well, why do you write about us if you actually hate us? I could give you the names of those that hated us. Why didn't the press hire another people to write about us, instead of bashing us? Why did they have to write about us? I was very idealistic and I thought the world had changed. You need a lot of negative energy within to write so much about someone you actually hate.

 

Izzy said he didn't understand why Axl came to the point of mentioning in the songs the journos he hated.

The song was sort of a joke, and it all started with that song. Then Axl took it very personal. He thought it a good idea. But definitely, if there's some filthy people that need to be treated like filth, who cares? Fuck 'em!

 

At that time the band released some very elaborated video-clips of songs like "Estranged" and "November Rain" that some of the old fans hated, because on them the wild essence of Guns was lost.

I think they took our music to the redneck America, as we say here.

 

During that time, did you enjoy making those videos? Or were they more Axl's or the record company's ideas?

They were all Axl's ideas, but there are five guys in a band and everyone's got an opinion. At the time, I think the record company was afraid of telling us not to do them. They saw what was happening too, but when you are generating such big money no one's telling you what you have to do. Oh well, it's done and my take is, if it were for me we would never have done those videos. But it was not in my hands.

 

Especially you, coming from a punk background.

Yeah, all that shit about the limousine and that. C'mon man, don't show your fucking house and the limousine! You're going to alienate all your fans! The fans of our first record were rednecks, punks, and rockers. We were in this street level and suddenly everyone was bringing their parents to our shows. Like in "November Rain". I love the song, but the video. Beautiful people, we became beautiful people.

 

What's your memory of the St. Louis incident, when Axl got into a fight with some Hell's Angels during a show, left the stage and the place was turned into a battlefield?

That was something stupid. I won't comment on that because I don't want to be negative. It happened and it was ridiculous. There was people injured and that pissed me off a lot. I can't enjoy people being hurt in a show. That was bullshit! It was one of the worse nights, like the Donington show were those kids died. That was horrible.

 

After you left Guns N' Roses, did you take some time off?

I was working on my record, "Beautiful Disease", every day, six days a week. That's what I did. I left in August and worked on the record from August to January. It was supposed to be released on February 12th that year. The people in the band, who were going to be out with me on the road, after the record was not released said "Fuck it, let's tour anyway". We did the tour under the name Loaded, and it was like a punk tour, always in punk clubs, and it was a lot of fun, something I really needed to do. I got married by the end of August. Then I started with 10 Minute Warning before working with Mark. We've written some 30 songs and so we come to present. So I never thought of stopping working and say "Hey, I'm going to take some months off" because I can't. I can't just sit at home.

 

You even played with Slash in the Slam Dance Festival. How was that?

Very fun. Matt worked on the soundtrack for a movie and he arranged all the songs and musicians. I sang a song and Slash played guitar. I don't know if you've seen the movie, it's a low-budget, independent movie that was accepted in Sundance Festival. So we went and played at the movie party. It was just us letting loose, playing and having fun.

 

Do you like Slash's band, Slash's Snakepit?

Yeah, it's Slash, you know. He's fun. He drummer is very good. I haven't listened to the record. He won't let me hear it. I think he's afraid of showing it to me. He won't show it to Matt neither. I don't have a clue what the whole thing's about. I asked him whether it was crap or something. He said no. He was afraid of what we might say about it.

 

Since you left Guns N' Roses, have you been in touch with Axl?

A couple of times.

 

Is your relationship good?

I don't know if it is for him. I don't know. I think Axl is really pissed at me now. I think he's getting more and more pissed. First time I saw him, everything seemed to work out fine, but it looks like things have changed.

 

Axl is like today's Greta Garbo. There's a lot of mystery around him, no one has seen a picture of him in years, except for that mugshot when we was arrested in Phoenix. No one knows anything about the music he's doing and there's a lot of mystery around his persona. What's your take on this?

Weird things happen when you become famous. There's no school to teach you how to be famous. It happens and people are affected in different ways. I don't have an answer for you. I've got a lot of opinions and I know a lot of things about this matter, but I'm not explaining them. I will not. He's there to answer. If he puts out a record and it is good, he's gonna be alright. He's very scared about this. I believe in this situation you have to leave home a bit to see what's happening. Go away, live. Or do what you have to do, but be sure about it. That's how I think. If you keep fooling yourself and keep doing the same things, you're going to be fucked. Guns were never like that. We did what we had to do, and we didn't have a name for it. It's only rock'n'roll, let's go! Let others put you in a category.

 

After several years away, do you think there is any chance that Guns N' Roses' original members reunite someday for an album or a tour? Would you do it if you were offered it?

If it's something democratic between the five of us, that's something I would love to do. Not long ago we were offered several shows to begin the new Millennium in Australia. But there's no way it could be like the old days. Things have changed.

 

http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?pid=54622#p54622

Thanks @Blackstar

DUFF's interview from BURRN! Magazine (Dec 1999) , thanks to Yesterdaze. (English may be strange 
due to translation)


(How did this 'Live Era '87-'93' album thing happen?) 

Let me explain this. At first "Geffen Records" was bought up. AXL, Slash, and I were still partners of 
GN'R. "Seagram" was buying up everything and put them together. Contract, master tapes, everything. I 
still had one live album to release in that contract. I had the tape in my hand, but I was expected that 
somebody will use the right. And now is the time. That's great. Me and Andy Wallace were in the studio 
and mixed the album every day in last August. He is great. Slash called me up and asked me how the sound 
like, because he was busy working on his record. This album is supposed to be sent to AXL. 

It's funny thing that guys from "Universal/ Interscope" or something said they won't release the album 
unless I decide the title of the album. I said that's fine. I said "You are the people who want to release the 
album". But they were giving me mental pressure. 


Actually nobody could fire somebody in that band, because everyone was the equal partner. I quit. I left the 
band two weeks before my daughter Grace(she is two now) was born. It was not fun. That's the reason. The 
reason why I stayed in the band was to be a bridge between AXL and Slash. That's what I stick to. But I 
didn't want to stay there, cause that's not GN'R any more. There were only three guys left. What they want 
us to do? Me and AXL release the album as GN'R? 


Cocaine dealer has all kinds of drug and start to hang out with them, cause they give me drugs for free. 
That's it why we all five were falling apart. Each of us were surrounded by close friends and they all have 
their own point of view. So I had to deal with AXL and dozen of his guys, not only AXL. That's same 
situation from AXL to me. 

I want to be hard on myself. I'm very responsible. I was trying real hard. I have been sober since around '94 
and I thought we could do better when I recall and analyze. Me and AXL were getting along well and we 
had very good conversation. Three of us could keep doing together. There was no doubt about it. There was 
no progress though. And it came to the end without facing and shaking hands saying "What the fuck were 
we doing?" 

Everybody was trying to persuade me to stay in the band for money. I didn't want to stay the band. It was 
not good as it used be. It won't go well. Only three guys, not five. And AXL wanted to do something else. 
He didn't know what he was doing. I don't want to repeat what he said on MTV. If I do, it would be his 
advantage. Music wise, he was invaded completely by guys his brought. He brought a guy and said "He is 
our new guitar player." I said "What a fuck?" That's not right. That's same thing I bring a guy and say "He 
is a new member." There was no democracy. Slash started to take it seriously said "Fuck it. Is that his 
band? Since when?" That's ridiculous. 

Even if I went to rehearsal at nine at night, AXL shows up at four or five in the next morning for about two 
years. I could not keep up with the schedule. There was no respect for me. That's enough, so I quit. I went 
to dinner with AXL and his manager. He was a manager of GN'R and still AXL's. I said "AXL, We had 
very fun together, but it's your own band now. I'm not interested in you as a dictator. I didn't come here to 
talk about the money advanced for next record. You can have it. See Ya." That's it. 


(When was that you had contact with AXL last time?) 

A year ago. That means we haven't talked since he was putting live album together. Our managers talk each 
other or FedEX it back and force. It was not like Slash. I told Izzy to check out mixing. "You are in that 
album also. Come check it out." He said, "I might as well check it." 

(He was the first member who left the band.) 

Yeah, he was willing to do if the situation had fixed. To tell the truth, he visited AXL's house about two 
weeks ago. 

(Really? Are you kidding me?) 

Yes, he did visit there. But somebody told him that AXL is not there answering over the inter phone at the 
gate. First he said "Wait a minute" and he came back and said "He is gone." Izzy said "OK" and went back. 
There is always emotional thing with GN'R. At least the old GN'R. 

I want to say something against in that MTV interview. He said the he likes the Seattle sound, on the other 
hand, Slash and me hated the music comes out new. It's stupid, but let me do the self defense. I'm the one 
who brought ICE-T or Killing Joke etc. in the band and listened to other kind of music. I'm not a country 
boy from Indiana. I'm from Seattle! 


(What do you think about AXL's shitty story or what he's saying? It is different, that's obvious.) 

I'm planning to fix the story that I got fired. The reason I didn't say anything is that is OK with me knowing 
only myself about how it happened. I don't care what the rumor is, fired or I quit, cause I know what I have 
done. I heard something that AXL was fucked up by Slash. More I heard, more stimulated to save 
friendship. Don't say badly about me or Slash! Stop it! 

I worked so hard and did as much as I could do to keep running the band and recognize the greatest band in 
this century. That's OK to say things about me, but I live my life frankly and have responsibility. If I do 
wrong, that hurts myself. I don't care what other people say. I did care about was lying this time. And that 
was very big one. I don't want to ruin the history what I was the part of the creation for rock n' roll. I 
couldn't stand that it was insulted by my friend when I watched that interview. He is just looking for excuse 
to make his band bigger. That's fine, but Do not make me involved in. Slash is a killer rock n' roll guitar 
player and treat guy. AXL was not able to live in Malibu without us playing on the stage. Most important 
thing to him now is to make all the lies put it together and not to be contradicted. That's no way to make 
Slash to be involved. Finally that made me stand up for it. He has what he's saying. Off course each one of 
us has some. And there's the truth. A lot of things have been happening, but now I think I could show my 
status. 

(What was the best thing of GN'R?) 

I would say relationship of the unit. 

(What was the biggest pit?) 

Success. I got no doubt about it.

Edited September 19, 2017 by RONIN

[WhazUp]

Thanks for posting, that is quite a long interview and very detailed.  Reading all of this makes me wonder, back in 2015 I wonder how much of this inter-band drama with the yes men and with Paul Tobias and everything was talked about amongst the big 3?  I am curious as to what issues they needed to get closure on in order to make this reunion actually happen

[DieselDaisy]

20 minutes ago, RONIN said:

If it's something democratic between the five of us, that's something I would love to do.

Sharp changed your tune Duffy.

[RONIN]

47 minutes ago, RONIN said:

When Izzy left Guns N' Roses, he supposedly did so by the same reasons you did - because Guns were turned into a big money-making machine. Is that right? (Duff nods). Can you give us something about that and why Guns N' Roses became this money-making thing?

If you give too much to someone like Axl. Let's put it this way. If everyone around you is answering "yes" for years, if everything is reduced to "yes, yes, yes", then in your relation with other people, when someone says "no" you think that person is wrong. You're gonna tell him to fuck off! You're in this band from the start, and then suddenly everything turns autocratic, just because one person is surrounded by people saying yes to everything. It's not autocracy legally, but there is just one person thinking that's his band. Well then, keep your damned band! One can't stand it anymore. I love each and every member of Guns N' Roses, and that feeling is not going to fade away. I would do anything for them, no question. But people change. I have changed. I've got a larger goal in life now. So, what could I do? Be pissed and make a lot of money? To me, making music is not oriented to making money. If you're in it for the money, then you're in it for the wrong reason. You'll never make any good music, I tell you.

 

Guess we know what to expect if there's a new record. 

 

Quote

Why couldn't you play with him?

Man, you can't be in Guns N' Roses just like that. That was a real band. 

Interesting comment in light of Fortus and Frank being in the current lineup. 

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by RONIN

[31illusions]

Very good Interview. Very telling about the silent years of GN'R.

[RONIN]

16 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

Thanks for posting, that is quite a long interview and very detailed.  Reading all of this makes me wonder, back in 2015 I wonder how much of this inter-band drama with the yes men and with Paul Tobias and everything was talked about amongst the big 3?  I am curious as to what issues they needed to get closure on in order to make this reunion actually happen

I think Slash (or Duff?) mentioned recently in an interview that it was cool to sort of hash it all out and see where they went wrong with trusting the wrong executives, hangers-on, managers, etc. 

Doug Goldstein being out of the picture probably helped a ton as well.

[annabanana]

2016 duff actions contradicting 2000 diffs words 

[DieselDaisy]

What a hypocrite.

[soon]

Reminds me how Slashs Snakepit and Duff solo left Geffen around the same time.  iirc Duff was dropped and Slash and Geffen parted ways (because Slash didnt like the way the lable was servicing the album).  Beautiful Disease and Aint Life Grand are not my favourite Guns related albums but that doesnt mean they arent good.  I wonder if Geffen didnt value those albums due to perceived quality, or if they didnt want any Guns spin offs diluting the brand?  Or maybe Axl made demands for their exit?

[TheDemocracyRose]

Well things change guys. Remember not in this lifetime comment from Axl...

[fabrph5]

6 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

What a hypocrite.

how exactly?  for 30 years fans wanted to see them on stage touring.  That is what they are doing!  Should they be doing it for free?  

[EvanG]

 

13 minutes ago, Muddy said:

In duffs book he says slash never called or checked on him while he had pancreas problems , here he says slash came up to visit him?

weird how stories can change over time 

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. He mentioned that Axl was the only one from GnR that checked up on him and came to visit and that Slash didn't because he was probably too fucked up himself. 

[TheSeeker]

11 hours ago, RONIN said:

Not long ago we were offered several shows to begin the new Millennium in Australia.

So we could have had a reunion in December 1999

Interesting

I remember Axl did an interview with Kurt Loder in November 1999 and gave this weird answer:

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=28

Quote

Loder: Have you thought about maybe taking the boys out and playing on New Year's Eve or something? Are we gonna see you before...

Rose: Nah.

Loder: : No? None of that?

Rose: Nah!

Loder: Why not?

Rose: Na-nah-na-nah!

Loder: [Laughs] It could be fun.

Rose: [Laughs]

Loder: Where are you going to be on New Year's Eve?

Rose: Have no idea.

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by TheSeeker

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

Another great find @RONIN.  Especially a Duff interview.  Many, many thanks.  

And can I say how stupidly thrilled I was to discover that Duff's favourite songs are My Michelle and Pretty Tied Up.   

You know, there have always been inconsistencies in the guys' recollections about things, but that one about Slash 'being there' /not being there for Duff when he was hospitalised is quite a blatant slip up.  I think the guys' chop and change their stories, aka allegiances, depending on who they are pissed off with at any given time.

Quote

 

Do you like Slash's band, Slash's Snakepit?

Yeah, it's Slash, you know. He's fun. He drummer is very good. I haven't listened to the record. He won't let me hear it. I think he's afraid of showing it to me. He won't show it to Matt neither. I don't have a clue what the whole thing's about. I asked him whether it was crap or something. He said no. He was afraid of what we might say about it.

This made me laugh.  Really, Slash and Axl are two sides of the same coin.  They deserve each other.  Also, lol at Duff: is it crap? 

Quote

If you give too much to someone like Axl. Let's put it this way. If everyone around you is answering "yes" for years, if everything is reduced to "yes, yes, yes", then in your relation with other people, when someone says "no" you think that person is wrong. You're gonna tell him to fuck off! You're in this band from the start, and then suddenly everything turns autocratic, just because one person is surrounded by people saying yes to everything.

Suddenly?  Duff is kidding himself here.  Sure, Axl is predisposed to being a megalomaniac, but he wasn't always so bad and I'd hazard a guess it didn't happen overnight.

 

This interview, and especially the Marc Canter one, really highlights for me how disconnected they all were from one another and not just emotionally (it was so fun when Slash played with us for a week. Wow, a whole week) how out of touch, how badly they handled one another's numerous issues.

They all directly contributed to creating the monster that Axl became.  They knew it was happening, saw it coming and did nothing to stop it.  Duff doesn't fully acknowledge that in this interview, but you can see he's coming around to the idea, although he won't admit it until his autobiography in 2011.   If management were being Yes Men, then it should have been Guns guys against management.  Or Guns firing management.  Instead, Guns turned on one another.

By being Yes Men when they should have been mates, they fast-tracked Axl's demise (that's the final outcome, when all is said and done, as anyone who hates CD will tell you) and they fast-tracked the break up of the band.  Axl wasn't solely to blame for that, he was a symptom of a very unwell, dysfunctional band.  They each played their part, drove one another out, or to the brink.  

When you see that your mate is walking the wrong path, you do what you can to help him off that path.  They didn't because they were self-absorbed, neurotic, egotistical fucks ups too emotionally stunted and too deep in their own shitholes to help each other out of trouble. Throw in a dodgy management and dodgy lawyers keen to exploit that situation and GNR stood no chance.  

If they've changed at all over the time span of nearly 20 years since this interview, I'd like to think they've learned lessons about how to manage relationships and how to protect one another.  I'd like to think they know how to communicate to save themselves and that they've realised how important lifelong friendships are.  I'm shaking my head at the Izzy/Steven situation, but hopefully they have more tools and wits at their disposal nowadays to work out their personal problems.

Edited September 17, 2017 by MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle

[DieselDaisy]

4 hours ago, fabrph5 said:

how exactly?  for 30 years fans wanted to see them on stage touring.  That is what they are doing!  Should they be doing it for free?  

I do not know why you are asking that particular question but read the interview. From just about every position he took his stance on he has flip-flopped into the polar opposite position!

[RONIN]

1 hour ago, MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle said:

Another great find @RONIN.  Especially a Duff interview.  Many, many thanks.  

And can I say how stupidly thrilled I was to discover that Duff's favourite songs are My Michelle and Pretty Tied Up.   

You know, there have always been inconsistencies in the guys' recollections about things, but that one about Slash 'being there' /not being there for Duff when he was hospitalised is quite a blatant slip up.  I think the guys' chop and change their stories, aka allegiances, depending on who they are pissed off with at any given time.

This made me laugh.  Really, Slash and Axl are two sides of the same coin.  They deserve each other.  Also, lol at Duff: is it crap? 

Suddenly?  Duff is kidding himself here.  Sure, Axl is predisposed to being a megalomaniac, but he wasn't always so bad and I'd hazard a guess it didn't happen overnight.

 

This interview, and especially the Marc Canter one, really highlights for me how disconnected they all were from one another and not just emotionally (it was so fun when Slash played with us for a week. Wow, a whole week) how out of touch, how badly they handled one another's numerous issues.

They all directly contributed to creating the monster that Axl became.  They knew it was happening, saw it coming and did nothing to stop it.  Duff doesn't fully acknowledge that in this interview, but you can see he's coming around to the idea, although he won't admit it until his autobiography in 2011.   If management were being Yes Men, then it should have been Guns guys against management.  Or Guns firing management.  Instead, Guns turned on one another.

By being Yes Men when they should have been mates, they fast-tracked Axl's demise (that's the final outcome, when all is said and done, as anyone who hates CD will tell you) and they fast-tracked the break up of the band.  Axl wasn't solely to blame for that, he was a symptom of a very unwell, dysfunctional band.  They each played their part, drove one another out, or to the brink.  

When you see that your mate is walking the wrong path, you do what you can to help him off that path.  They didn't because they were self-absorbed, neurotic, egotistical fucks ups too emotionally stunted and too deep in their own shitholes to help each other out of trouble. Throw in a dodgy management and dodgy lawyers keen to exploit that situation and GNR stood no chance.  

If they've changed at all over the time span of nearly 20 years since this interview, I'd like to think they've learned lessons about how to manage relationships and how to protect one another.  I'd like to think they know how to communicate to save themselves and that they've realised how important lifelong friendships are.  I'm shaking my head at the Izzy/Steven situation, but hopefully they have more tools and wits at their disposal nowadays to work out their personal problems.

Point taken but Axl was beyond reasoning with. They would have imploded years earlier had he been confronted head on. He is not someone who will back off when he decides to do something. It took Nu Guns becoming bankrupt before that madness was finally over.

I think what Duff is trying to say was that up till Lies, even with Axl's bad behavior, the band was still relatively democratic. Management was still looking out for all of them. With the firing of Alan Niven, Doug Goldstein taking over, and Izzy/Steven's exit - the balance of power had really shifted in Axl's favor. By the end of the Illusions tour, as Slash mentioned in his book, everyone from the management to the record label execs were on Axl's side. It was his way or the highway - nothing would get done or be approved without Axl signing off. And Doug Goldstein made that situation worse by appeasing Axl and sowing the seeds of discord between him and the others to safeguard his own position in the band. 

All that being said, as you said, Duff and Slash should have grown a pair and confronted Axl without giving in and appeasing him every step of the way whenever he threw a fit. By the time they decided to confront the issue, it was already too late and they had ceded too much power to him through the lawyers/management/compromises. And Slash was passive aggressive - choosing to run away by going on tour while the band was imploding. Just because the band isn't doing anything and you want to be active doesn't mean it's a good idea to just jet out of there. By the time he came back, it was too late. Axl had already decided that he would just assume ownership of the band by leaving the partnership. There is a real case to be made that had Slash not started Snakepit and done the tour, Axl may not have decided to draw up contracts demoting them to hired hands. That's really the point where the dominos start to fall fast. 

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by RONIN

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

2 hours ago, RONIN said:

Point taken but Axl was beyond reasoning with. They would have imploded years earlier had he been confronted head on. He is not someone who will back off when he decides to do something. It took Nu Guns becoming bankrupt before that madness was finally over.

Axl didn't start off being beyond reasoning with; he got there by degrees.  A head on confrontation wouldn't work for most people, I should think. That's why they should have been smarter about how they dealt with each other when the warning signs first appeared.  They didn't deal with Axl before it was too late because a) communication skills being dire b) struggling with their own myriad issues and  c) they were lazy, drug addled, boozed up fucks and it was easier to let Axl make all the decisions.  Duff acknowledges the latter in his book, not using those words of course, but he mentions the easy part.  

Don't get me wrong, Axl has to own his shit, too, and brought a lot on himself, but they all have to own their shit (I'm guessing they have by now).  

Quote

 With the firing of Alan Niven, Doug Goldstein taking over, and Izzy/Steven's exit - the balance of power had really shifted in Axl's favor. 

These power-tipping events undoubtably contributed to a toxic atmosphere within the band and increasing Axl's authority, but these events were not in themselves bombshells from out of nowhere; they were consequences.  These things happen when band members allow themselves to fail at, well, being a band and sticking together and dealing with things.  You could probably trace it all back to Steven Adler.  They handled that situation badly.  Not saying he wouldn't have been a world of trouble to deal with but, for me, that's where the threads of loyalty start to come apart. 

Quote

There is a real case to be made that had Slash not started Snakepit and done the tour, Axl may not have decided to draw up contracts demoting them to hired hands. That's really the point where the dominos start to fall fast. 

It's interesting that Axl has always accused Slash of being the one to want to 'take over the band'.  This gets glossed over a bit, or I guess people choose not to believe Axl.  I was never too sure about this accusation either but then reading Marc Canter's interview that you posted he admits Slash got 'bigheaded' around this time and he likened it to Joe Perry taking off from Aerosmith thinking he was the next big thing.  So now I find myself wondering was Axl right?  Did Slash try to get control of the band first and when he couldn't (because in a battle of wills there's only going to be one winner in that scenario) he took off and formed his own band, and to spite Axl, nicked a few songs while he was at it?  And it worked.  I have a theory that Slash's leaving and the manner in which he left almost destroyed Axl.  It took him 10 years to recover from it, and again, Marc kinda alludes to this in his interview. 

[rocknroll41]

Good read. I didn't know Axl and duff spoke to eachother a little bit from 1997 to 2000. I wonder what was discussed in those convos.

[Amir]

First time I heard of W.A.S.P. was when listening to the 2006 Eddie Trunk interview with Axl and Bach, and Bach reminisces on giving Axl a ride one day. Axl finds a W.A.S.P. cassette in the car and blasts I Wanna Be Somebody, and the two of them headbang to it. Always loved that mental image.

[appetite4illusions]

I love how Axl also said in that interview that W.A.S.P. saved more than a few GN'R shows from going tits up. 

He was in a foul mood or something and didn't want to take the stage and someone put the band on and he just got adrenaline like a motherfucker.  

[Original]

Good shit...I don't remember that interview at all.  The Izzy stuff- too bad, those 2 obviously had a falling out.  Slash- it's obvious he and Duff have always been tight.  Axl- wow.  The yes men part- sad.....just sad that Axl couldn't pull his pants up. 

[WhazUp]

10 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I do not know why you are asking that particular question but read the interview. From just about every position he took his stance on he has flip-flopped into the polar opposite position!

Wait are you telling me that sometimes people's positions on things can change in a 16 year span!?  Wow who knew, right?

[ruttu69]

What's the point to post old interviews that everyone (except noobs like Ronin himself) has read already many times during the silent years?

[DieselDaisy]

1 hour ago, WhazUp said:

Wait are you telling me that sometimes people's positions on things can change in a 16 year span!?  Wow who knew, right?

Well yes, that is what he has done, changed his position because of money.

To go from,

Quote

If it's something democratic between the five of us, that's something I would love to do.

to reuniting with only three (of those five including himself), playing with three nugnr types instead, is a significant change indeed - allowing Adler a ''guest spot'' at his own bloody band before axing him entirely was mean-spirited indeed and speaks very badly for the three. The playing of nugnr stuff without Velvet Revolver and/or solo stuff also does not sound particularly democratic either.

Bring back the old Duff I say.

[Italian girl]

20 hours ago, TheDemocracyRose said:

Well things change guys. Remember not in this lifetime comment from Axl...