Slash: ‘I’ve closed the book on Guns N’ Roses’

Guitarist said he hoped to reunite with Axl at the band's induction, but now accepts it will never happen

Slash has spoken about the reunion of Guns N’ Roses at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and has said he views the induction as “closing the book” on his old band.

The guitarist reunited with former bandmates Duff McKagan and Steven Adler performed ‘Appetite For Destruction’ hits ‘Mr Brownstone’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ and ‘Paradise City’ with Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy during the induction, which Axl Rose declined to attend.

Speaking about this, Slash said that he had hoped to play with Rose at the ceremony, but always knew that the idea was “wishful thinking”.

Advertisement

He said of this: “In my heart of hearts I wanted to have the whole original band get together and perform – which I sort of knew was wishful thinking. It became apparent it wasn’t going to happen and I was like, ‘Oh, fuck.’ I was disillusioned with the whole thing, but there was that commitment that I was going and I thought Axl was still going to go.

The guitarist also said that it wasn’t his idea to go and get Kennedy to sing with the band, but that he and Duff McKagan agreed they had to replace Rose somehow.

He said of this: “Two days before the ceremony Axl said he wasn’t coming. Duff McKagan and I talked and we said, ‘Okay, we’re just going to fucking get together and play.’ Duff goes, ‘We should get Myles.’ I talked to Myles – he was apprehensive about getting put in that position, so at first he turned it down. But finally he said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.'”

He continued: “I hadn’t played with Gilby Clarke in a long time and I hadn’t played Guns songs with Steven Adler in fucking 18 years. It was a little bit foreign at first. After a couple of minutes it started to fall into place. I had a really fucking good time.”

Slash went on to say that as far as he was concerned, this “closed the book” on the chances of a reunion. He added: “I didn’t have any illusions or delusions of GN’R getting back together for anything. I maybe tried to see it happen for this one particular event. I didn’t have high hopes. But now it’s all said and done, it really felt like closing the book on the whole thing.”

The guitarist also ruled out the band touring with Kennedy as their frontman, calling it “way too complicated”.

Advertisement

Slash releases his second solo album ‘Apocalyptic Love’ on May 21. The guitarist is set to play a one-off UK show at London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo on June 6. The show is two days before Slash headlines the second stage at this summer’s Download Festival.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/?bctid=95712781001

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories