Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin has today confirmed that he will not be part of his former band’s reunion plans this year, it has been revealed (29 February).
The guitarist – who was an original and co-founding member from the band’s debut release ‘Appetite for Destruction’ in 1987 through to ‘Use Your Illusion I and II’ LPs before quitting in 1991 – has stepped forward to confirm that he will not be part of the forthcoming reunion tour shows.
According to Rolling Stone – who received an email from the former band member – Stradlin said: “At this point in time, I will not be playing at any of the April 2016 GNR shows,” the guitarist said. “I’ve also not been in the studio recording or writing with any of the others recently. There is so much speculation, but so very little info, [that] I thought I should reach out.”
Getty“I know there’s a lot of questions regarding my Twitter account,” he said in a voicemail referring to recent activity online from his recently revealed Twitter account.
“But it’s me. I opened the Twitter account. There was just so much speculation going on regarding my involvement and studio recording. There’s so much misinformation, so I wanted to clarify that I’m not in the studio recording with any of the Guns N’ Roses guys. At this point in time, I’m not involved in the actual shows. A lot of stuff [fans] are reading isn’t true” he concludes.
https://twitter.com/IzzyStradlin999/status/704537465495748608
The news comes as it was reported in February that Slash was reportedly working on new music for Guns N’ Roses after the group’s classic line-up recently announced they will reunite this year.
The reunited classic line-up of the band – featuring Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan – will headline Coachella Festival in California this April, as well as a pair of warm-up shows and a gig in Mexico.
The band’s former publicist, Arlett Vereecke, has now told Classic Rock that guitarist Slash has been in the studio working on new Guns N’ Roses material>
“I know they’re doing some recording,” Vereecke reportedly said. “They’re definitely doing something there in the studio. Axl hasn’t been there, but Slash is definitely in there and it’s not for anyone else.”
GettyThe band’s former manager Alan Niven also claimed that bassist Duff McKagan and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin have been recording music, potentially for the project, with Stradlin now denying any involvement.
Niven said: “Duff and Izzy were in the studio before Christmas doing stuff. At a casual glance I think they’ve got at least a couple of tracks down.”
Slash originally left Guns N’ Roses in 1996, with McKagan departing the following year. The guitarist recently said that he has reconciled with Rose after the pair “dispelled some of that negative stuff”.
Guns N’ Roses will play the following live dates:
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV (April 8, 9)
Coachella, Indio, CA (16)
Foro Sol, Mexico City, MX (19)
Coachella, Indio, CA (23)