DUFF MCKAGAN Interviewed At Italy's GODS OF METAL Festival

metallex78

Barbara Caserta of the Italian web radio Linearock.it conducted an interview with Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) at this year's Gods Of Metal festival, which was held on June 22 in Milan, Italy. You can now watch the chat below.

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Gotta love Duff, certainly the most diplomatic ex member. He has positive things to say about everyone, including Axl and CD. Interesting stuff that he says at the end in regards to Slash's book too "it's his truth".

monkeychow

Yeah..duff is a philosopher in some ways...and I think he's right...take any 5 guys in any stressful situation and they will all have different perspective of what happened to them.

tejastech08

Slash admitted throughout the book that he was going around in a drug haze for roughly a decade (perhaps longer). Not surprising that Duff would call it "his truth." The whole band was fucked up to the point that the real truth will never be known for sure.

Anyway, Duff is just a cool dude no matter how you slice it.

Axlin16

That's why i've never entirely bought Slash's side of what went down. Axl does have SOME credibility during that period, because for the most part, when he does bullshit... he comes with his lunch packed and ready to go as if he's very prepared for that debate.

However he's been so inconsistent in his own story over the years, or in his words "misquoted", that without Axl's book, it's hard to nail down an official statement.

So many of those guys were fucked up. I think Slash's drug use (and an OD in 1992) kind of leads me to believe things were rough, and his view was hazy. Duff has admitted on numerous occasions that there's quite a bit from the 1992 and especially 1993-95 portions of GN'R that he flat out does not remember from alcoholism. Izzy was gone by 1992 and struggled with heroin himself. Steven was a hardcore junkie, which that just leaves Axl, Matt & Dizzy.

Dizzy been with Axl since 1990, and Matt patched things up with him years ago, and even admitted his own guilt several times in the situation.

I have always felt, that for as much as I know that Axl can be a dick, I have always leaned to believing him over Slash. I think Slash kind of has a tendency to promote drama for sympathetic attention.

*ducks*

tejastech08

Axlin08 wrote:

That's why i've never entirely bought Slash's side of what went down. Axl does have SOME credibility during that period, because for the most part, when he does bullshit... he comes with his lunch packed and ready to go as if he's very prepared for that debate.
However he's been so inconsistent in his own story over the years, or in his words "misquoted", that without Axl's book, it's hard to nail down an official statement.
So many of those guys were fucked up. I think Slash's drug use (and an OD in 1992) kind of leads me to believe things were rough, and his view was hazy. Duff has admitted on numerous occasions that there's quite a bit from the 1992 and especially 1993-95 portions of GN'R that he flat out does not remember from alcoholism. Izzy was gone by 1992 and struggled with heroin himself. Steven was a hardcore junkie, which that just leaves Axl, Matt & Dizzy.
Dizzy been with Axl since 1990, and Matt patched things up with him years ago, and even admitted his own guilt several times in the situation.
I have always felt, that for as much as I know that Axl can be a dick, I have always leaned to believing him over Slash. I think Slash kind of has a tendency to promote drama for sympathetic attention.

*ducks*

Truth is Slash signed over his rights to the name, which is possibly one of the stupidest moves in the history of music. In order to cover up his own stupidity, he tries to draw sympathy from the public by portraying Axl as the bad guy. Truth is they should have fired his psychotic ass, plain and simple.

Axlin16

They should've fired Slash before his image got too deeply rooted in the band's soul. THAT would've been more beneficial. There were tons of up n' comers looking for a break in those days that could've slipped into Slash's shoes before the UYI sessions started. Axl's are HARD to replace. GN'R with Kim Thayil pre-Soundgarden, or Paul Gilbert in GN'R rather than wasting his talents in Mr. Big, or even a pre-Images and Words--Dream Theater John Petrucci.

The truth is it should've never gotten to that point. Dealing with unpredictability in the early days is one thing. But after AFD & Lies... okay now someone needs to step in and really sit down with Axl and talk about what's bothering him (yes, I know it's pussy, but just go with me). The thing is, none of these guys were in a place to do that. I think Slash's on recollection of Axl never partying with them, even when the rocket was taking off was pretty telling as to how he felt about them. Axl would hang with Izzy everyone so often, but the GN'R party machine was Slash, Duff & Steven, especially Steven.

At this point... the only person deep enough to care why Axl's not there is Duff, and Duff's coked the fuck out.

Another major problem for Axl was the lack of band involvement in business affairs, especially by the close of the AFD tour. They were a "band" on stage and in the studio (at that point), but when it came to the boardroom, it was more important for Slash & Duff & Steven to go party, and Izzy was totally dis-interested in the whole process. This guy just wanted a stool in a bar in Tumbleweed, Arizona. Axl on the other hand, despite his own partying mechanisms, dragged his ass to the office on some days or handled THE BAND's shit at the apartment, and made sure the ship keep running, while the rest lived it up.

This also bred resentment. Did Slash know it? Yes, he says it in his book and has said it before. Did Slash do anything about it? Not a damn thing. He just let it ride, and that shit ALWAYS makes it 10x times worse in life.

So by 1991, i'm not shocked at all Axl started looking at it as he was GN'R. Not out of arrogance, but out of what was in his mind - hard fucking work. He had to do the business shit, he had to sing his ass off, he had to front the whole thing and be "Axl" which is busting ass, and he had to write most of the lyrics n' melodies in the band, because if he didn't, GN'R would sound like LA Guns/Faster Pussycat.

It's all the more ironic that Duff got a business degree, because by all accounts, he was totally dis-interested in it during GNR's heyday.

Anyways, Slash & Duff should've sat down with Axl by 1989 and worked on it. Instead they let it fester.

In the infamous words of Vince McMahon... "Saul Hudson screwed Saul Hudson"

Mikkamakka

Interesting theory, but it was Axl who didn't even go to the rehearsals, left the others alone working their asses off on the new songs and didn't give a shit, but lived his luxury life. Izzy did the same except the white limos, cause he preferred trucks. What kind of working ethic you have when you don't even play guitar for 4 months?

The truth is that Slash, Duff and Steven always worked hard in GN'R, even in their worst junkie times (altohugh Steven got to a point when it really affected his playing) - while the others didn't like to work hard. I understand Izzy, cause he lost his motivation, but Axl has always been a lazy primadonna.

Axlin16

Some of what Duff said is VERY IMPORTANT imho to the insight of past-GN'R, so i'm gonna transcribe some of it for those who just kinda glanced at the video or didn't watch it.

*around the 6 minute mark*

Barbara Caserta: Did you have a chance to read Steven Adler's book?

Duff: I didn't read that one. I read alot, but i'm kinda sort of like a literature nerd. I know Steven's story, so I don't really need to read it.

Barbara: And Slash?

Duff: I did read Slash's book. But we were playing in a band together when his book came out, and he gave me a copy. So I was like, 'oh I better read this'. Slash's book was interesting because [Anthony Bozza] was calling me, 'did this happen then, do you remember?' Ehh... that's not how I remember it. So the cool thing about Slash's book is, for me, who knows the real truth? None of us really remember exactly what happened. But I read it, and it's his truth. And that's interesting, you know.

Barbara: Are you gonna prepare your own book?

Duff: It's already written. But i'm a writer for the Seattle Weekly and for ESPN, so it's different with me 'cause i'm an actual writer. So I wrote this sort of other book. It's about my life, but it's also about my drug addiction and my way out. It's about [the] bands I was in, but I don't talk about anybody else in a bad light. That's not why I would want to write a book. I have no interest. When you're in a band, there's a trust - forever. You know, when you write songs together, you bare your soul. And if I were to go out and take some of that shit I know about one of those other guys in any band [i've been in], I wouldn't feel very good about myself as a man, you know.

and in a funny sign off...

Barbara: Guns N' Roses reunion?

Duff: No there's nothing planned... except for the gig next week at Wembley Stadium, and the Rose Bowl after that.

Axlin16

"I don't talk about anybody else in a bad light. That's not why I would want to write a book. I have no interest. When you're in a band, there's a trust - forever. You know, when you write songs together, you bare your soul. And if I were to go out and take some of that shit I know about one of those other guys in any band [i've been in], I wouldn't feel very good about myself as a man, you know." - Duff McKagan

This one REALLY caught me. I think there's more to that statement. He already called Slash's book "his truth", then turns around and basically says you're not a man if you write a book to put your band members in a bad light, which seems to be a direct shot at Slash's book, which was basically nothing but a 'fuck Axl' poster.

The other statement is very poignant and very important. The whole thing on trust. That folks might be the closest any of the old band members have ever given to a insight into the mind of Axl Rose and why he might feel the way he does with Slash, and how the venom can carry on and on.

Mikkamakka wrote:

Interesting theory, but it was Axl who didn't even go to the rehearsals, left the others alone working their asses off on the new songs and didn't give a shit, but lived his luxury life. Izzy did the same except the white limos, cause he preferred trucks. What kind of working ethic you have when you don't even play guitar for 4 months?
The truth is that Slash, Duff and Steven always worked hard in GN'R, even in their worst junkie times (altohugh Steven got to a point when it really affected his playing) - while the others didn't like to work hard. I understand Izzy, cause he lost his motivation, but Axl has always been a lazy primadonna.

Yeah, once they had to ALL buckle down in get into a studio. That lazy ass thing works both ways.

I will concede that as of 2011, 20 years seperated from the Illusion albums, that I think it's pretty obvious Axl was the Chris Tucker of rock. He wanted to find a hit, get a name, score the big paycheck, then retire at 30.

Intercourse

if you write a book to put your band members in a bad light, which seems to be a direct shot at Slash's book, which was basically nothing but a 'fuck Axl' poster

I didn't get that from Slash's book at all. I thought he was very fair to Axl and did say when he was negative that it was his opinion and to be taken as just that.

Where did you feel he was pummelling Axl unfairly?

Also, in early VR interviews both Slash & Duff spoke candidly about 'not wanting to work in a dictatorship' when referring to Axl.

Just cause this stuff is not in Duff's book it doesn't mean there was no shit. Duff did leave GNR just like Izzy & Slash before him. All citing the same type of reasons.

Duff just found peace sooner than Slash.

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