October 31, 2012 21:51

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose: 'Slash and Duff damaged my ability as a writer'

Singer blames original Guns guitarist and bassist for a slump in his songwriting

Photo: PA

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose has revealed that he went on a songwriting hiatus for a number of years after being called "a loser" by Duff McKagen and Slash.

The 'Paradise City' singer says he blames the original Guns guitarist and bassist, alongside his supermodel girlfriend Stephanie Seymour, for a slump in the quality of his songwriting.

Speaking to USA Today, Axl Rose explained: "To those three, it was all crap. It beat me down so much. At the time of the ('Use Your Illusion') tours, Slash and Duff said, 'You're an idiot, you're a loser.' I didn't write for years. I felt I was hindered for a very long time.

"I was also trying to figure out what I wanted to say, when it's right to be venting and when you're digging a bigger hole," he continued. "Lyrics on 'Chinese Democracy' took a long time."

Rose went on to talk about the good times he had with the original members of Guns 'N Roses, and said that they worked well together as they were for a "short period looking out for the best interest of that band and its goal".

However, it is unlikely a reunion with all original members of the group will happen in the near future with Axl claiming: "The ball's not in my court. I'm surviving this war, not the one who created this war."

Last week, Axl Rose did his first television interview in 20 years. The Guns N' Roses frontman appeared on US TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote the band's forthcoming residency in Las Vegas.

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