"I've always loved touring": Uncirculated Izzy Stradlin 1993 Interview [The Tapes Archive podcast]

[ludurigan]

2 minutes ago, Blackstar said:

Slash had given his (and Axl's side) on this:

“The whole things goes back quite a way. That goes back to the end of our first tour (which ended around late ’88). Izzy and I both went through a breakneck fuckin’ drug bout where we were both very scarey. There came a point where Izzy had to go out to Indiana and straighten himself out as well as me reaching a point where I had with the authorities in the US. I just felt it was ridiculous. The band weren’t doing anything, we’d just played the Stones dates and it was a case of trying to get it all back together again. We went to Chicago to try and do that, as you know. Izzy just didn’t show up for like three months or something. It was just then that it became increasingly obvious that he wasn’t making any effort to do it anymore.

“All this shit was going on but, like I said, I don’t go public about shit that’s that personal when it can harm us. And the shit that was going on with Matt (Sorum – current Guns drummer) and Steven (Adler) was enough to possibly destroy us. If it hadn’t been for Axl and I really holding on to what Guns N’ Roses is all about and what we had in store for the future was concerned, I’m sure that we would’ve broken up already by then. Izzy was doing nothing to keep it together. He wasn’t playing that great and when he finally showed up he hadn’t touched his guitar for like four months, he didn’t want to be in the videos and he hardly played on the records. All the songs on these records that are his are old demo tapes from years ago that we worked on.

“The bottom line is that you’re only as weak as your weakest member and that’s pretty true. When it got to the point where it was me, Matt and Duff rehearsing and trying to get ready for the European tour it didn’t look too good. When we came home after Wembley we carried on rehearsing ‘cos I wanted to hire some horn players. Izzy just wasn’t there.”

“While I was hiring all these horn players and doing all this work Izzy didn’t seem to care about what we were doing. He showed up right at the tail end of rehearsals and it just was like ‘What the fuck is going on with this band?!’.

“The next thing we found out though was that he’d been down to the accountants to find out how much money had been spent on what, when it had nothing to do with him. Axl and I went to him and said ‘Unless you start doing such and such you’re not a full partner anymore’ (Slash’s reference to ‘partners’ here deals with the GN’R corporation which all initial members were part of to take care of business – Ed). Then, without even calling us, he resigns through the office. Axl had a talk with him on the phone and just said ‘Well, listen if you don’t want to do this anymore then that’s fine ‘cos maybe we can write together in the future’ and Izzy was cool and it was real amicable. Then he turned around and told Matt and Duff behind our backs that we’d kicked him out. That pissed Axl and me off to no end. Izzy didn’t know we knew and he went over to Axl’s and Axl just turned around and said ‘Get the fuck out of here!’. It was pretty bad,” concludes Slash honestly and with a sigh.

[...]

“Well, that’s true [that Axl doesn't rehearse either] but we’ve never rehearsed with Axl,” explains Slash. “Since we started out that’s never happened because we’re just too loud. We rehearsed to write songs either at my house or in the real early days he’s come down and sit there in rehearsals while we played the music and he’ll come up with words even though we couldn’t hear him.

“The only thing I can say where we’ve had the odd full rehearsal thing is when we were getting something like ‘Live And Let Die’ together, otherwise we’ve always been four-piece when it comes to doing things regularly and keeping the groove going. That’s the point of our rehearsals, to get fresh ideas and keep things fresh. Not many bands work like that again but to me it still sounds really alive that way and that’s really important to us.”

[RAW Magazine, March 3, 1992]

this is brilliant

its all there to see

[EvanG]

4 minutes ago, soon said:

Maybe Izzy would tour if he had management and financial backing from a legit promoter? Also maybe a song thats popping online?

He has spoken about why he took the stage with Nu Guns, saying that he wanted to 'get that feeling' of being in front of a huge audience. But of course he wouldnt be playing for large audiences if he toured starting today. So perhaps he's just not as keen on a Gilby Clarke style tour of small town pool halls? Izzy did a mini tour of Japan in the aughts, right? And aint that where passe rock acts are still big? "Big in Japan."

Izzy seems like a pragmatic business person who is concerned about the bottom line. He was, after all, an entrepreneur prior to Guns. So maybe a tour that would please him and be financially viable just isnt in the cards?

For example, on the AFD Show Ashhurst spoke about the abrupt ending of Ju Ju Hounds touring. He mentioned that Izzy was using his own money to fund the tour. And Ashhurst remarked something along the lines of 'thats not so fun after a while.' (heavily paraphrased. havent listened to that interview in ages).

So having watched Izzy join twitter and capitalize on the Guns reunion hype by releasing 2 new singles, one featuring Sorum, it leads me to suspect that Izzy would love to have a song chart, a promoter foot the bill and tour theatres in a nice bus.

 

Good point. It's not easy touring when you are a relatively unknown artist like Izzy without any hits. You can only go so far with GnR fame. (Slash is the exception) 

[bikka]

I remeber in the times of the izzyboard there was a fan interview with him where he literally gave his email address so that promoters could contact him. That was at the time of the petition to release "like a dog" I think (?). So I think lacking money / management was a big reason for him to stop touring.

[ludurigan]

2 hours ago, default_ said:

Yeah, there was an Izzy tape for a second Juju Hounds there but it was sold to a different person and havent leaked. Not sure what else was on the lockers, but the Izzy tape was amongst the itens.

This is the info the guy put on discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/Izzy-Stradlin-And-The-Ju-Ju-Hounds-November-1993-DAT-Bill-Price-Rough-Mixes/release/13850373

 

wow, that is amazing

so memphis and got to say ended up on "117"

"riding home" is likely the track that duff ended up recording on "episode 1999 live", right?

"hard one" and "skeleton" may be working titles of songs we know

love to hear them all anyway!

 

11 minutes ago, bikka said:

I remeber in the times of the izzyboard there was a fan interview with him where he literally gave his email address so that promoters could contact him. That was at the time of the petition to release "like a dog" I think (?). So I think lacking money / management was a big reason for him to stop touring.

good point

[SoulMonster]

59 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

i don't like how you phrase some of it (example: "Slash had to deal with Izzy on a regular basis during the recording of UYIs" like if dealing with izzy was "hard") 

Based on quite a few quotes from Slash, dealing with Izzy was hard. 

[willl]

Thanks for sharing ludurigan, really cool hearing this The JJH album is a classic, will always be a favourite of mine so its nice to hear Izzy talking about how he came up with some of the songs

Edited February 26, 2020 by downliner

[lame ass security]

I always thought the "Izzy isn't active enough onstage" was weak.  You don't need everyone running around like madmen, you need that anchor onstage.  

[Amaya]

9 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Based on quite a few quotes from Slash, dealing with Izzy was hard. 

Based on a few quotes, Izzy said dealing with Slash and  Axl at time of UYIs  , was hard.  Old interview  is out there of him leaving Indiana for Chicago during UYIs and there  was just choas and he turned right back around. Key point here was he was clean and sober and had to be or go to jail . Duff, Slash were not. Axl was crazy. He said the other one said. He said/ she said, well with GnR, it was then  he said vs.  he said. Pick what " he "you want to believe, fine.  I tend to believe the truth is between what this  he said  and that one  wrote and what they said.  What was is they pissed away their peak as a band. What was is that it was too bad management could not have sat the five of them down and told them it was rehab time for all. They all needed to know about their money too. What, how much, how much expenses,  etc.  1989 or whenever AFD ended. New tour called rehab. Everyone should have been in rehab for a few months.  

2 hours ago, lame ass security said:

I always thought the "Izzy isn't active enough onstage" was weak.  You don't need everyone running around like madmen, you need that anchor onstage.  

True. Lead singer and lead guitarist are always most active people on stage and most popular face of a band

Edited February 27, 2020 by Amaya

[Amaya]

10 hours ago, EvanG said:

Yeah, it does make you curious why he pretty much retired from touring in 1993 if he loves it. Maybe just a change of heart?

Touring back then  on what, where? His JJHs band had something that first cd. Plus he was fresh off being known to fans of GnR and other people because of GnR. I think his first JJHs cd and second fit in with the grunge- alternative rock at that time. He did  not have a radio voice. He could have been an opener for some groups 1993 to 1997. You had VH1 and radio back then. A market. The rest of his music since the first 2  or JJHs is ....you know the music playlist that comes manufactured  on your new phone and tablet, yeah. That is where his later music fell in.  I like the guy so excuse me if I sound mean.  I have said, 2000 on, Country Music has been it. He could have shopped around all of his songs to CM artists these past 10 years at least.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Amaya

[Amaya]

Izzy. Steven. GnR then. GnR now. So many posts are always negative   about Izzy and Steven and Matt too. All 3 of them. I don't understand why.  You have to put them and now in perspective.  His time in GnR ended  by him 30 years ago because it was too crazy  for him. Fine. We all know the truth. Slash and Duff mid 1990s escaped death. 2nd chance was  VR and it  was really good and they pulled Matt in. VR had a very good run mid 2000s. Izzy really missed out on the cash machine , videos , music charting, touring, press , etc. by not going in VR.  Oh well. His lost. That time has sailed never to return.  NITL tour, there was no way possible to give him a respectful pay and you could not have 3 guitarists. Slash and  Fortus and Izzy was the one too many.  Friendships  end by family demands, jobs, people just losing touch with each other, drifting away, etc. I think. that is where he is with Axl, Duff, Slash. Oh well.  Steven has  finally stopped  talking about GnR. Thank God. Matt n Izzy keep in touch. Matt's book is up next. We can read his words and thoughts on UYI  and on. 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Amaya

[Amaya]

Thnx @ludurigan   Good find.

[Ratam]

3 hours ago, lame ass security said:

I always thought the "Izzy isn't active enough onstage" was weak.  You don't need everyone running around like madmen, you need that anchor onstage.  

Yeah, very childish excuse.

[ludurigan]

15 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Based on quite a few quotes from Slash, dealing with Izzy was hard. 

i have no idea how you could have reached that conclusion

slash himself has said countless times that he always preferred doing music the very same "no bullshit, no messing around, lets get in studio do three of four takes and move along" way that izzy does prefer. slash himself keeps doing that to this day on his band and is very vocal in interviews about how he likes that approach

 

[SoulMonster]

1 minute ago, ludurigan said:

i have no idea how you could have reached that conclusion

Because I have read what Slash has said.

[ludurigan]

5 hours ago, Amaya said:

Thnx @ludurigan   Good find.

yeah i can't remember how i found out about this podcast, i guess it was via a google alert. i remember i read something that mentioned how this journalist guy was making available all these tape interviews he had done in the 80s and 90s and that no one had ever heard because he only did them to make stories for his newspaper so they were never published or aired anywhere. i guess the shanon hoon interview was mentioned in this forum, maybe that was how i found about this podcast. I also remember reading that this guy would make all these interviews available and that there was an izzy interview included in the bunch. of course i immediately subscribed to his youtube channel and asked for all notifications. I am glad he put out the izzy interview, so far i have also listened to rick james and ace freheley interviews they are both great. he's got zappa, ian anderson and a lot of cool names on the list = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJXQVLNIrxi8VULE5Xb6Pyg/videos

apparently he has actually another uncirculated izzy interview

should we ask him about it?

 

[ludurigan]

4 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Because I have read what Slash has said.

i have been reading all things i can get my hands on available on this matter for the last 30 years and i didn't reach that conclusion

au contraire

my conclusion is that slash does NOT want to deal with izzy

not because izzy is hard to deal with

but because slash does not want to have another guitar player with an equal say on what to do and where to go musically

 

[SoulMonster]

3 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

i have been reading all things i can get my hands on available on this matter for the last 30 years and i didn't reach that conclusion

au contraire

my conclusion is that slash does NOT want to deal with izzy

not because izzy is hard to deal with

but because slash does not want to have another guitar player with an equal say on what to do and where to go musically

Oh, I have never said Slash doesn't want to deal with Izzy today. I was only talking about Slash's experiences in '89-'91. And from that period there are plenty of quotes from Slash talking about how hard it was to work with Izzy. I see no reason not to take him on his word, because the same things that bothered Slash has been mentioned by others, too, and Izzy didn't really protest. Izzy even did say he was partly at fault for not being there and admitted to not doing a good job with the demo tapes. It seems to me to be an uncontested thing, except from some fans who are going "all in" in their defense of Izzy (or it is caused by their antipathy of Axl?).

[ludurigan]

Just now, SoulMonster said:

Oh, I have never said Slash doesn't want to deal with Izzy today. I was only talking about Slash's experiences in '89-'91. And from that period there are plenty of quotes from Slash talking about how hard it was to work with Izzy. I see no reason not to take him on his word, because the same things that bothered Slash has been mentioned by others, too, and Izzy didn't really protest. Izzy even did say he was partly at fault for not being there and admitted to not doing a good job with the demo tapes. It seems to me to be an uncontested thing, except from some fans who are going "all in" in their defense of Izzy (or it is caused by their antipathy of Axl?).

 

you said "Based on quite a few quotes from Slash, dealing with Izzy was hard"

if you mean 1989-1991, i can agree on that due to all things that were happening to both of them and the band at the time

 

[SoulMonster]

1 minute ago, ludurigan said:

 

you said "Based on quite a few quotes from Slash, dealing with Izzy was hard"

if you mean 1989-1991, i can agree on that due to all things that were happening to both of them and the band at the time

 

Yes, sorry, when I said "dealing with" I was referring to that particular period in time. It goes back to the sentence that precluded it "Slash had to deal with Izzy on a regular basis during the recording of UYIs".

[Sydney Fan]

54 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

i have been reading all things i can get my hands on available on this matter for the last 30 years and i didn't reach that conclusion

au contraire

my conclusion is that slash does NOT want to deal with izzy

not because izzy is hard to deal with

but because slash does not want to have another guitar player with an equal say on what to do and where to go musically

 

This would be interesting for a new gnr record with the current lineup. Who has more say on guitar structure within a song slash or richard?. Slash because to fans he is GNR or richard because of how long he has been in the band.. 

36 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Yes, sorry, when I said "dealing with" I was referring to that particular period in time. It goes back to the sentence that precluded it "Slash had to deal with Izzy on a regular basis during the recording of UYIs".

Thats interesting because from what info is around, it was izzy who helped structure coma....without izzys way of putting the song together would it have made it onto the record......

[SoulMonster]

26 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

Thats interesting because from what info is around, it was izzy who helped structure coma....without izzys way of putting the song together would it have made it onto the record......

I don't think Slash and Axl meant tat Izzy didn't do anything worthwhile in this period.

As for Coma, that not what I have heard, at all. Slash specifically said he made the arrangement of it and that the band kept the arrangement as it was. Izzy, on the other hand, never learnt the chord progression of that song (the ending, I presume), and had to use a chord chart during concerts when they played it.

[ludurigan]

3 hours ago, Sydney Fan said:

This would be interesting for a new gnr record with the current lineup. Who has more say on guitar structure within a song slash or richard?. Slash because to fans he is GNR or richard because of how long he has been in the band.. 

Thats interesting because from what info is around, it was izzy who helped structure coma....without izzys way of putting the song together would it have made it onto the record......

well obviously "axel" bought the band, he owns the band, this is axel's band now so everything needs to be according to the boss

if axel is not in the room, then my guess is that slash will take over the entire thing

i would go even further, I can easily picture slash and the blonde kick-boxing bass player jamming by themselves with another drummer to write songs on their own without even bothering to tell the axel band members about it

can you see any of the axel band members confronting slash during the songwriting process?

i can't

===

axl, slash and the basss player/new york times best-seling author seem to have real problems structuring songs and making them flow and groove and rock

you listen to axel's, slash's and the king of yoga bass player guy solo albums and you know they have issues with songwriting

i think slash arranged most of coma, where did you get that info that it was izzy who did it?

[ludurigan]

11 hours ago, Amaya said:

there was no way possible to give him a respectful pay

what?

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by ludurigan

[Beto 22]

Izzy have dealt with Slash out of his mind, Duff alcoholism and Axl ego but he couldn't handle people tryin' to mess with his loot even back then...

When Axl and Slash presented the contract where he gets diminished and the costs of touring with overtime fees and multi million videos are too high, he decided to quit.

It's simple as that if pay attention closely... At least a Izzy's side. 

Axl, Slash and Duff can say whatever they want about Izzy not wanting to tour or commitment. But in the end Izzy isn't in this tour because they didn't want t split the loot.  

[Amaya]

I know you all know the source. I cannot remember. I read on line that they each had someone in the band  who could deal with them Slash or Duff could deal with Stevie. Izzy could deal with Axl. Slash or Duff could deal with Izzy. I forgot who could deal with Slash n Duff.. It was a funny article. I am going to search around this weekend for it.