Duff McKagan's mellower view of the rock life

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan's mellower view of the rock life

Friday, August 17, 2007

By MIKE KERWICK
STAFF WRITER

He looked down and saw his own body -- tubes running in and out, his mother sitting nearby -- and Duff McKagan tried to reconcile this out-of-body experience with reality.

"I said, 'This is [expletive] wrong,' " McKagan said during a recent phone interview. "This is not the way it's supposed to be."

Was it the drugs? The booze? Or was it something more benign -- a spirit, perhaps -- that triggered this vision? McKagan didn't know.

Here's what McKagan did know: His pancreas was on the verge of tapping out. And he wanted to die.

Then he had that vision. Life suddenly took a 180-degree swing for the Guns N' Roses bassist who grew up believing he would never get within a guitar riff of his 30th birthday.

"And I was actually resigned and cool with that," McKagan said.

How different things are now, 13 years after that near-death experience, for McKagan and a few of his former band mates. McKagan takes business classes in his spare time. Slash plays Guitar Hero. Together the two former members of Guns N' Roses -- along with Dave Kushner, former Guns drummer Matt Sorum and former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland -- have spent four years and two albums carving a new rock identity in Velvet Revolver.

It is a far cry from his former band's identity.

"You thought you were missing something if you didn't go out one night," McKagan said. "You might miss the greatest party ever. That's just really kind of a teenage way of looking at things. I actually know people that still kind of think that way. They're in their 30s and 40s. Poor [expletive] people. My life has become a lot richer since I've been sober.

"I'm living a full life. I got an education and I read and I'm fascinated by things. I kick-box. I water-ski. I ride a motorcycle. More importantly than all that other [expletive], I have two little girls and a wife who look to me for everything."

The group's new album, "Libertad," hit stores in July. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and has since fallen out of the top 20. The band set the bar high with its first album, "Contraband" -- a disc that debuted at No. 1 and went double platinum.

"I think there's definitely some weird chemistry that Slash and I have tapped into," McKagan said. "I almost feel like some sort of weird old soul thing. We never talk about music, never have. We never talk about what we want a song to sound like. To me that would just be goofy."

McKagan may have escaped the culture of Guns N' Roses, but he can't escape the questions about his old band. Every music fan on the planet wonders whether Axl Rose and the early '90s lineup will ever patch things up and head out on another tour.

"It would have to be kind of a cool groovy situation, a feel-good situation, for us to do it," McKagan said. "You know, I think it could happen someday, somehow, because of the fact that we're all still alive. It's really not something I waste any time thinking about. As far as my music goes, I have a great band, I love what we do. I love the record we made."

And no matter how many records Velvet Revolver sells, McKagan is realistic.

"It's never gonna happen again," McKagan said. "We were at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it. It just doesn't happen. People ask, 'Well, is Velvet Revolver going to get the success of Guns N' Roses?' Oh [expletive] no. Nobody will. Nobody ever will. Unless in 10 years there's some need for a rock band that comes along and captures their imagination."

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxODIyNDImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3

[isa]

he's a great humang being!

[CheapJon]

"It's never gonna happen again," McKagan said. "We were at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it. It just doesn't happen. People ask, 'Well, is Velvet Revolver going to get the success of Guns N' Roses?' Oh [expletive] no. Nobody will. Nobody ever will. Unless in 10 years there's some need for a rock band that comes along and captures their imagination."

that bolded part, I read it as duff says that there will never be a new band as big as GNR again, would you say that's a correct interpretion? (is that a word?)

[FunkyMonkey]

^^I read it too fast the first time and took it wrong.  But yes I take this to mean that he says no new band will get the success including VR.
 
I am surprised that he is talking about a "reunion", I would think with a new CD out and a tour he would want the focus to be elsewhere.

[Verse Chorus Verse]

Watch this devolve into another 10 page long hate/bash fest by the end of the week.

[Falcon]

Watch this devolve into another 10 page long hate/bash fest by the end of the week.

It won't take that long, trust me..

[stolat]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really.?

[icpillusions]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really.?

This generation really, REALLY needs it.  There is practically nothing out there for the youth.

[FunkyMonkey]

Watch this devolve into another 10 page long hate/bash fest by the end of the week.

I hope not.  But it might feed into comments like this....

A blast from the past

BY JEFF MIERSNews Pop Music Critic
Updated: 08/17/07 8:54 AM

Velvet Revolver was the headliner, but shouldn?t have been. The group ? Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, grouped with Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum of Guns N? Roses ? just doesn?t seem like a cohesive outfit. It?s not that the songs on the band?s two albums are weak ? a few of the ones on the new ?Libertad? are actually great ? it?s just that they lack the cohesive energy of a group of musicians truly working together toward a common goal.

http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/143016.html

[Falcon]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really.?

I never really saw GNR as a "generation that needed it" type of band, more of a band that elevated
a scene then had major crossover success.

[W 23 AXL II]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really. 

I never really saw GNR as a "generation that needed it" type of band, more of a band that elevated
a scene then had major crossover success.

guys, i hate to simplify this....but the reason GNR made it huge was b/c of one thing: Axl Rose. yes, Izzy and the songs were key, but without Axl, none of this happens. He is the ultimate rock star, ultimate frontman rock icon, just the ultimate everything. His presence is UMATCHED!

[Locomotive98]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really.?

I never really saw GNR as a "generation that needed it" type of band, more of a band that elevated
a scene then had major crossover success.

guys, i hate to simplify this....but the reason GNR made it huge was b/c of one thing: Axl Rose. yes, Izzy and the songs were key, but without Axl, none of this happens. He is the ultimate rock star, ultimate frontman rock icon, just the ultimate everything. His presence is UMATCHED!

Oh shut up.

[JMack]

? ? After reading the statements from Duff, I have to go back to previous posts where I said Duff is the link between Axl and ex-members.? He said don't believe what you read.? He played down the rift between Axl and Scott.? I'm sure that behind everything that he has a pipe line to Axl if anyone does.? He left the band because he wanted to do new things and he was replaced.? I'm sure that if he wanted to, that he could go back to GnR in the future.? He loved that band and for now he's dedicated to VR.? Who knows what'll happen after GnR's CD is released.? Axl may have just wanted do this deal alone too.? Business is Business and could be a big part of the equation here too.
? ? After all those years together having a party every day and night and just being together period is tough.? Once apart, you see that there other things and people that you want to hang out with.? It doesn't mean you hate those people and can never see or hang with them again.? (Well for some there is hate).? Time does heal wounds or at least after awhile you realize that the stuff you couldn't stand or be around were trivial.
? ? ?I personally don't speak to people or friends for sometimes years but when I do it's like we've never lost touch.? With some of my friends, our lives depended on one another with out a doubt.? Yet when you go seperate ways, time goes by real quick and you get caught up in your own thing.? I'm not big on or have the time for reunions and stuff like that.? Shit I'm this way with my own brothers.? We won't talk for months and then we do and hang out or whatever.? It's stuff like my personal life that make me think that you really can't believe what you hear or read and that behind all the legal stuff and rumor that these guys don't hate each other and that they're probably closer than most think including each other.
? ? ?

[W 23 AXL II]

I like what Duff said about being there at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it.

Pretty much sums it up really. 

I never really saw GNR as a "generation that needed it" type of band, more of a band that elevated
a scene then had major crossover success.

guys, i hate to simplify this....but the reason GNR made it huge was b/c of one thing: Axl Rose. yes, Izzy and the songs were key, but without Axl, none of this happens. He is the ultimate rock star, ultimate frontman rock icon, just the ultimate everything. His presence is UMATCHED!

Oh shut up.

I love tough guys who sit behind their screens at home....

its a message board u asshole!

[AdZ]

Oh shut up.

Either learn to post properly, or go somewhere else.  If you don't, it'll just be made so you can't come here anymore.

I love tough guys who sit behind their screens at home....

its a message board u asshole!

No need to resort to idiocy as well..

[Jim Bob]

Oh shut up.

Either learn to post properly, or go somewhere else.  If you don't, it'll just be made so you can't come here anymore.

might as well just ban him now, he doesnt even like the band.

[Locomotive98]

Oh shut up.

Either learn to post properly, or go somewhere else.? If you don't, it'll just be made so you can't come here anymore.

I love tough guys who sit behind their screens at home....

its a message board u asshole!

No need to resort to idiocy as well..

It was my 666th post - the Devil made me say it.

Sorry, but why does every thread have to be hijacked with an 'Axl roolz' mentality. Christ. We go from an interview with Duff to a 'Waa GNR were only succesful because of Axl and no other reason whatsoever'. It just gets tiring hearing it all the time.

[Locomotive98]

Oh shut up.

Either learn to post properly, or go somewhere else.? If you don't, it'll just be made so you can't come here anymore.

might as well just ban him now, he doesnt even like the band.

/quote]

Ha look who it is!!

Sure I love the band, I'm listening to Lies right now.

[Jim Bob]

but you dont like anyone who is in the band now, so you are wasting your time here.

[W 23 AXL II]

Oh shut up.

Either learn to post properly, or go somewhere else.  If you don't, it'll just be made so you can't come here anymore.

I love tough guys who sit behind their screens at home....

its a message board u asshole!

No need to resort to idiocy as well..

It was my 666th post - the Devil made me say it.

Sorry, but why does every thread have to be hijacked with an 'Axl roolz' mentality. Christ. We go from an interview with Duff to a 'Waa GNR were only succesful because of Axl and no other reason whatsoever'. It just gets tiring hearing it all the time.

The band wouldnt have made it if it wasnt for Axl, come on...who the hell thinks otherwise? Axl is the lightning rod...lots of people can write songs, play guitar, play drums, bass....it takes a special person to be a good front man, and it takes an Axl Rose to be legendary.  Tell u waht...match ANY singer to the original GNR band...do u think they make it as big??? NO WAYYYYYY.....Axl Rose is the reason this band became HUGE. To think otherwise is a joke. Yes, input from all the members, specifically Izzy, was important. Of course, without the cool songs, Axl would have nothing to sing over. So of course he needed the band, but no one could replace Axl....and we've already seen everyone else in the band COULD and HAVE BEEN replaced.