Slash Talks GNR And Heroin Addiction On CNN's Talk Asia; Video Available

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LEGENDARY ELECTRIC GUITARIST SLASH TALKS GUNS N' ROSES AND HEROIN ADDICTION ON CNN'S TALK ASIA

23 August, 2010

Fifteen years after splitting from the hugely popular rock band "Guns N' Roses", guitarist Slash has established rock star status in his own right - through his bands "Slash's Snakepit" and "Velvet Revolver" and as a sought-after collaborator with the likes of Michael Jackson, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop.  This week, Talk Asia catches up with the Ax-man in Hong Kong where he tells Anjali Rao about life after "Guns 'N Roses", his public battle with alcohol and drugs and his role as a father of two.

Widely regarded as one of the world's greatest ever guitarists, Slash ranked second in Time Magazine's ?Ten Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time'. But he modestly plays down the compliment: "I'm working on it all the time. I have my good nights when you really connect with the instrument and everything just comes out in an emotional level very naturally through your playing. And on my off nights, it's not necessarily all that great. So I'm still working at it very diligently."

Born in Hampstead, England, he moved to Los Angeles at the age of eleven, and grew up in Tinseltown listening to different kinds of rock and roll. He tried out for local underground bands before hitting success with "Guns N' Roses", whose debut album sold over 28 million copies worldwide. "I love all the Guns N' Roses' songs, "Jungle", "Rocket Queen", "My Michelle", "Nightrain", "Paradise" and all that stuff from the first record. It has its own identifiable sound and certain theme to it that is attractive to me as it has been to millions of people worldwide over the years. If I wasn't in that band, it would have been my favourite band," says Slash.

Despite the decade-long feud with former bandmate Axl Rose, Slash doesn't rule out a possible reunion: "I used to be very sort of negative about it cause I just don't see it happening, but at the same time you just never know. No efforts have been made to try and do anything about it, so I guess you just leave it to chance. Maybe it will. Maybe it won't."

Slash had a serious heroin addiction and used to drink up to half a gallon of vodka everyday. He opens up about his dark struggles and his time in rehab: "The main reason, my thinking at least, at the time for going to rehab was just to get away from everybody and just have a month where I could get my head straight. I got a firm grasp on what I needed to be doing and I was really done with that sort of merry-go-around of drugs and alcohol."

Slash's interview with TALK ASIA will be available online at www.cnn.com/talkasia after the first airing.

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SLASH Interviewed By CNN; Video Available - Aug. 25, 2010

CNN Talk Asia recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). You can now watch the chat below.

On kicking a drug and alcohol addiction because it was getting in way of the music:

Slash: "I was a productive junkie ... I was driven by music. I did have these distractions, but I managed to be functional as best as I possibly could.

"What helped clean me up at the end of the day was the fact that, after a while, it started to get in the way of being able to do what it is I wanted to do... I've done more in the last four years than I could have possibly done if I was still using."

On the possibility of a GUNS N' ROSES reunion:

Slash: "I used to be very sort of negative about it 'cause I just don't see it happening, but at the same time you just never know. No efforts have been made to try and do anything about it so I guess you just leave it to chance. Maybe it will; maybe it won't."

On the current music scene:

Slash: "This whole thing with the internet being the mainstay of the industry at this point is taking a lot of adjusting and it hasn't really settled yet.

"[A] certain energy and a certain attitude and that to me is very rock and roll. And that seems to be lacking in commercial music, especially in commercial rock and roll right now. I'm sure there's a lot of guys out there who have it all together but then they can't get a record deal."

Video: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=145075

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Here is another video interview with Slash, on Loveline with Dr. Drew:

Loveline with Slash (8/23/2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4T3fYdeSZg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HJSvt4nTWc