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Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
From MyGNR. Wasn't sure whether to post this under TWAT, move it over if necessary.
http://vampirefreaks.com/content/commen … 0Manson%29
Interview's pretty recent (Jan 12th)...
Rafi: I know you worked with Axl Rose on Guns N'™ Roses for a bit, but then declined to be part of the band. What happened there?
Chris Vrenna: Well that was right after I had left NIN and Robin Finck was in the band as well after leaving NIN and Cirque du Soleil. Axl Rose is a much more forward thinking person than people give him credit for, very smart and well read guy. Axl really loved NIN, in one of his music videos he is even wearing the old white NIN 'Sin' t-shirt.
I was in the band for a few months and Moby was going to produce the album at the time. It was a brutal schedule of working five nights a week from 10am to 6pm, Axl came down there maybe a hand full of times.
It was just not what I was looking for at the time, I knew that this process was going to last a few years, and I had just left NIN so I was really anxious to get back out there and work with other people. But it was really cool, getting to hang out with all of them. We ended up playing the whole '˜Appetite for Destruction'™ album from top to bottom, which really made me happy to get that opportunity.
Playing AFD instrumentals were
Robin - Paul Huge - Duff - Chris Vrenna - Dizzy
It's a pretty interesting lineup by its own right, particularly with Moby producing.
- mickronson
- Rep: 118
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
Where does it say in that interview that Duff played with Robin etc? Except for timeframe, its just assumptions
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
Says so here.
Also, reading that Vrenna interview solved a little mystery.
Rafi: Ok going backwards a bit, when you were in NIN you collaborated with Al Jourgenson in the studio, what was it like to work with Al and how many chemically induced moments were there?
Chris Vrenna: Yeah there were definitely plenty of those kind of moments, I was a pretty bad druggie at the time myself. Al was really into Quaaludes at the time, I asked him to try it out and he kept saying 'no man I don'™t know.." which I would reply with 'come on fuck you man." My nickname from Al ended up becoming 'Pod Boy" .
When I finally came to a few hours later, I saw Al tossing the last bit of shaving cream, and everyone in the room laughing hysterically. They had shaved my head while I was out. They kept laughing and said 'yeah man those knocked you out, here is a plate of coke to wake you up."
Del James: Who's your favorite drummer you've worked with?
Axl: I've liked elements that each brought in. Josh [Freese], [Brian] "Brain" [Mantia] and Frank [Ferrer] have been the easiest to work with and get along with, as well as it being fun to hang out with any of them. I do feel that all three were the right drummers to make this album.
The rehearsals with [Dave] Abruzzesse and Pod as a duo were really cool; it was a shame then that it didn't work out but seemed for the best once we found Josh. In regard to old Guns, I don't listen much and for different reasons -- more because of the drums than anything else.
- Spinner
- mickronson
- Rep: 118
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
shit... thats crazy stuff. wish I took more notice
so they played AFD? someone needs to go raid Axl`s bunker
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
I'd buy a ticket to go see that.
I wonder how much Duff would be 'dismissed' by fans/critics if he had remained in the lineup as someone who "didn't really count" when someone would talk about it "only being Axl and 1 other original member".
It's the famous "when's it no longer GNR?" question.
Anyway.
I'd definately have bought a ticket to see that band! (just like the current one)
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
I wonder how much Duff would be 'dismissed' by fans/critics if he had remained in the lineup as someone who "didn't really count" when someone would talk about it "only being Axl and 1 other original member".
It's the famous "when's it no longer GNR?" question.
I have a TON of respect for Duff, so I don't mean this insultingly, but I think to the general public at large, in a "guitar rock" band such as GNR, all anyone except hardcore fans really care about is Axl and Slash. Singer and lead guitarist. Same for aerosmith, van hallen, led zep, any kind of band in a similar style. Slash had the distincitive guitars and Axl the distinctive voice. Obviously to us the chemestry comes from those mixed with Izzy, Steven and Duff...but to Joe on the street corner....I seriously think if Slash was around with Axl it would be given 100% legit GNR status.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
Working nights from 10am to 6pm? Wouldn't that be either days or change the am and pm's?
yeah i would guess it means 10pm to 6am....as by most accounts those are the kinds of hours Axl is normally in the studio or generally doing stuff too.
- elevendayempire
- Rep: 96
Re: Chris Vrenna (brief GNR mention - 1997)
Gagarin wrote:I wonder how much Duff would be 'dismissed' by fans/critics if he had remained in the lineup as someone who "didn't really count" when someone would talk about it "only being Axl and 1 other original member".
It's the famous "when's it no longer GNR?" question.
I have a TON of respect for Duff, so I don't mean this insultingly, but I think to the general public at large, in a "guitar rock" band such as GNR, all anyone except hardcore fans really care about is Axl and Slash. Singer and lead guitarist. Same for aerosmith, van hallen, led zep, any kind of band in a similar style. Slash had the distincitive guitars and Axl the distinctive voice. Obviously to us the chemestry comes from those mixed with Izzy, Steven and Duff...but to Joe on the street corner....I seriously think if Slash was around with Axl it would be given 100% legit GNR status.
Yeah, for most bands there are two "iconic members" and as far as the general public's concerned, "it isn't the band" without those two.
Most often that's the singer and the lead guitarist - witness the people slagging off Queen touring with Paul Rogers*, when they wouldn't give a fuck if Freddie was still alive and touring with Brian May and a different bassist. Mick and Keef, the Toxic Twins... it's especially ironic with bands like GN'R and Jane's Addiction, where the major creative force is someone else in the band (Izzy and Eric Avery, respectively).
But yes, I reckon the Incredibly Stupid General Public would be entirely happy with Axl touring the current band and calling it GN'R if Slash were in one of the guitar slots. Pillocks.
*To be fair, Queen + Paul Rogers is shit.
