Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Edit with this update from Duff:

And, Yes, I Got a Book Deal

By Duff McKagan, Thursday, Mar. 25 2010

I am not sure if any of you have heard the rumors about me getting a book deal. I just wanted to announce here first that it is in fact true. The reason for any announcement at all is twofold, actually:

1. Most important, I want to thank the readers of my column for really pushing me to write this book. Those constant suggestions and prodding really made me take a look at what I was saying, and indeed at how I was writing it. The Weekly staff have also been invaluable to me--certain editors here have made a big difference as far as what they expect from me. That too makes for a better product.

2. I want to also make clear that this book is not a GN'R "tell-all" or some other such "rock" book. There are a lot of those at this point. Sure, I will touch on all of that, as it is part of my story, but only just a part of it. Rather, it will be a story of an ordinary guy who met with extraordinary circumstances, and the circumnavigation through these situations. If you have been a reader of my column, then you get the general idea of my headspace. I WILL be writing this myself, thick or thin.

Touchstone, a division of Simon and Schuster, will publish my book in Fall 2011. Stacy Creamer, Touchstone VP and Publisher, will be my editor. I am excited that Tim Mohr, my old editor at Playboy, will be joining me too on this challenging venture and chapter of my life. Tim has edited the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. I look forward to him throwing out thousands of my words and telling me that I am full of shit on a daily basis!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/03/yes_i_got_a_book_deal.php


Legendary bassist still rocking

Sharon Galligar Chance /For the Times Record News

Thursday, May 28, 2009

So, after you?ve made history as the bass player with one of the wildest rock bands in the world, what do you do?

If you?re Duff McKagan, anything you want to!

In the years since his departure from Guns ?N Roses, McKagan has cleaned up his life as a hardcore partier; become a husband and father of two girls; founded a "supergroup" band (Velvet Revolver); earned his degree in finance from Seattle University; formed his own rock group, Duff McKagan?s Loaded; begun writing a weekly column for Seattle Weekly; a financial column for Playboy.com called "Duffonomics"; and he recently began a weekly radio show for a local Seattle radio station.

Whew! This guy is busy.

In a recent phone interview with McKagan, who is on the road touring with his band and promoting the group?s new album, "Sick," he took time to reflect on his life and the future.

"Life is not boring right now," he said with a laugh.

McKagan and his band, consisting of guitarist Mike Squires, bass player Jeff Rouse and drummer Geoff Reading, will be appearing at the 2009 Discorus Festival of Rock at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre today.

Fronting his group as the main vocalist, and playing guitar this time around, McKagan takes a different role from his days as the ultimate rock bass player by taking the reins and doing what he loves to do, and that is play good, old-fashioned hard rock ?n? roll.

"I?ve always been able to do what I want musically, with Velvet Revolver and Guns ?N Roses," McKagan said when asked how his new band was different. "I just think this band is more about rock ?n? roll. I think it?s in the same vein, maybe it?s a bit rawer, than Velvet Revolver was."

Taking the position as the lead singer for the group is something that won?t surprise many of the musician?s older fans, who might remember McKagan as singing harmony and the occasional lead for Guns ?N Roses, but not as much for Velvet Revolver. He said he has found that singing every song, every night, is not that big of a challenge.

"I?ve been singing since I was 13 or 14, and I think my body has just adapted to having to sing every night," McKagan said. "You figure out how to use the muscles in your diaphragm. I haven?t damaged my vocal chords yet. We did a tour in the U.K. last fall, and we played every single night, and I didn?t lose my voice once. I guess I?ve finally find the mix where I haven?t done too much damage. I?ve found the range I?m comfortable with."

Listening to the new album, "Sick," which debuted on the Billboard charts as a Top Heatseeker, the listener can hear the various musical influences that McKagan has been involved with over the years. Blistering guitar leads, pumping bass lines and driving drums are the mainstays of this album, which truly feels like a revival of rock ?n? roll. The catchy hooks in the album?s first single, "Flatline," and subsequent release, "No More," are "earworms" that could hang on for days.

Even using an unexpected horn section on "Blind Date Girl" shows McKagan?s vast musical background. The youngest of eight children, all of whom played one musical instrument or another, McKagan drew upon older brother Matt?s jazz background to find a killer horn section for the cut.

"Some friends of my brother?s provided the horns," he said. "Matt (McKagan) played all the horn stuff on the Guns ?N Roses songs, like ?Live and Let Die,? so he turned me on to some guys he knew up in Seattle. Some session guys. They came in, we sang the melody, and the horns just came in and rocked it.

Lately McKagan has become as well known for his writing prowess as for his musical ability. His weekly column/blog for the Seattle Weekly (www.seattleweekly.com) has a generous following, and he also writes a monthly column on finance for Playboy.com, in which he dispenses cool-headed advice in plain, easy-to-understand terms for the layman about the economic highs and lows of today. But being on the road promoting the new album and dealing with deadlines has proven to be tricky.

"You know what it?s like to have a deadline," McKagan said. "I go to the back of the bus and just kind of peck out a column. I write a lot when I fly. It?s a great place to do some writing."

McKagan is also in the beginning stages of a book about his life?s adventures and experiences.

"I just started writing," he said. "We?ll see how it goes, maybe up to 10,000 words and then I?ll actually sit down and read it and see if it?s going in the right direction. I like writing, and I don?t take myself too seriously, so it should be interesting."

Anything Duff McKagan sets his mind to is bound to be interesting.

Only time will tell what the lanky rock musician will put his hand to next.

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/may/28/Legendary-bassist-still-rocking/

Edit:

Duff has posted the first 9 chapters/80 pages of his book on his new website.

From Duff:

My friends and old band members may remember some of the stories I recount differently than I do, but I have found that all stories have many sides. These are my stories. These are my perspectives. This is my truth.

Book excerpt here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59886432/It%E2%80%99s-So-Easy-by-Duff-McKagan%E2%80%94read-an-excerpt
 

that will be a book worth reading....with Duff's democratic attitude towards everything, this may just end up being the most accurate description we get of the last 20 years.... : ok:

I think it'll be an interesting read but also taken with a huge grain of salt regarding anything
pre getting clean.

From an interview earlier this month where he talks about being approached to write a book...looks like he decided to write one.


Reuters: Have you thought about writing a memoir like Slash did?

Duff: "I've been approached recently by different publishing houses to write a book ... If I wrote a book, '90 through '93, it's a grey area in my memory. It would open up something like, 'Here I sit in my living room. I just hit my 45th year. I remember my dad was 45. Some might have said I wouldn't have made it to this age. I've got kids underfoot.' And maybe flashback to 1994, when I was in the emergency room when my pancreas blew up. But it would have to be funny."

Well, from what he said, I dont think it reveals anything about actually doing the book, but I think that just the fact that he mentions the approach by the publishing houses, kind of tells us where he's heading...  :yes:
And I think it will add another interesting note on the GnR saga, and I hope both Izzy, Steven and Axl should write one each 2! Then we could read them all, and somewhere in the mix of all of them we would probably get the inside truth!!

^^ Unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying...here is where he says he is writing a book, from the interview above...

Yeah, I dident mean that interview, but you're right, he kind of make it official there, so, my bad!  :peace:

My Story: Getting to LA, Getting Guns, and Getting Gigs

By Duff McKagan

Thursday, Sep. 17 2009

A couple of months back, I wrote that I was going to test little bits and pieces of a potential book I may write. If I do enough of these tests, who knows? I may just have the start of a larger work. To make things coherent and in context, I will present things here in a broader sense. Think of it as an outline. Here goes another installment.

The memories I have of the mid-to-late-'80s Hollywood rock scene do not necessarily include bands that may pop into one's mind. My band, Guns N' Roses, and the close network of friends that we kept, were a ragtag bunch of outcasts that remained rather insulated and kept to ourselves during this period. We had little in common with the popular L.A. bands then. Though parts of this story may seem a bit dark, this period of my life was one of the funnest and most profound. It also contained many strong elements of a young man's rite of passage, including a loss of innocence in many respects and facing mortality as a result of losing close friends to overdoses. Maybe not the usual rites of passage, but at the time these life hurdles seemed normal.

I packed my bags and cut my ties with my hometown of Seattle in September 1984. The idea of driving to New York in my beat-up 1971 Ford Maverick became moot as soon as I realized that, on a budget of $360, the East Coast was just too far away. I decided Los Angeles was a safer place for me than the heroin-infested punk scene of the Pacific Northwest. I was badly mistaken.

There was really no discernible rock scene there in the fall of '84--only the palpable hangover of a once-thriving punk movement, mixed with "cow-punk" and really bad heavy metal (Metallica had just moved back to S.F.). I met Slash and Steven Adler shortly after my move, through a "musicians wanted" ad I saw in a newspaper. Izzy Stradlin moved into an apartment across the street from me. (We lived on one of the most drug-infested lanes in Hollywood, visited nightly by dealers, hookers, and cops. Stories of this street alone would make a GREAT book.) Axl, a childhood friend of Izzy's, soon moved in around the corner in our cheap-rent neighborhood. We formed our band shortly thereafter, a happy bunch of malcontents!

My new musical comrades and I shared an uncanny similarity in the "fuck-everyone-except-us" approach to writing, playing, and living our music. We sought to do this thing on our own terms and in our own way. This was simply a way of life. At that point in life, you've just got nothing to lose . . . a relatable point to anyone reading, I am sure.

The first gigs we got back then were with bands like Social Distortion, Tex and the Horseheads, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The "glam" scene across town seemed to be a private club that had some mysterious secret handshake. The Troubadour was always packed on weekends. At the time, I think that we were thought of as a little too dirty to get an opening slot on those most-coveted Friday and Saturday night bills. We would have to get there on our own.

Our social circle soon included a group of recently transplanted New Yorkers who moved out West to--I always suspected--escape legal problems. "Red" Ed, Petey, and Del melded nicely into our lifestyle, which included 24-hour alcohol consumption, scoring any available drugs, sundry debauchery, and plenty of Rolling Stones, Motorhead, Sly and the Family Stone, and Rose Tattoo (Sly lived in the apartment right above me, as it turned out, but that's another story). West Arkeen was another co-conspirator who became valuable not only for his friendship but for his songwriting. West co-wrote "It's So East," which became a dark anthem for a legion of disenfranchised youth. West died a few short years later from complications stemming from acute crack and heroin use.

In 1985-86, AIDS was definitely something to think about, but not a huge threat yet in the hetrosexual psyche. The scene in Hollywood became an orgy of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Perhaps there has been no other time in recent history when the doors were so wide open to EVERYTHING. Needles were shared as well as girlfriends and boyfriends. Everyone seemed to be living in and for the moment, and it seemed as if nothing was off-limits. A real feeling of camaraderie was felt within our band and small group of friends. "Live fast and die young" was our unspoken credo. Sounds corny now.

Our living and rehearsal arrangements became one and the same as we became closer-knit. We found a 10x14 foot bathroom-less space behind the Hollywood Guitar Center that became the center of our musical universe and HQ for all things hedonistic. We raided a nearby construction site for some two-by-fours and plywood that we used to install a ramshackle sleeping loft in our tiny new home. We rehearsed twice daily in this space. For $1.29 a bottle, we could supply ourselves with enough Night Train wine to get us by. Food was always optional in those days.

We slowly began to be a draw at local clubs, and our song craftsmanship really started to get a solid base. We were soon on weekend bills as opening slots gave way to headlining. A&R staff from major labels started to pop up at gigs, and our shows were now selling out. We settled on a record deal with Geffen Records that gave us free rein as far as artistic freedom went. At the end of the day, no one was going to tell us how to make our record. Our songs were by far the most important thing to us.

To be continued.....

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2009/09/my_story_getting_to_la_getting.php#more

cool ee oh

thanks comrade

From Susan Holmes McKagan:

get excited,b/c Duff is working on his Autobiography!! he is such a brilliant writer+is really writing it himself!   

about 17 hours ago   from mobile web   

thing is, he have said numerous times that there's a period of a few years when he don't remember anything.. how will he write about that? it's pretty much the most interresting part of it, and his side of the axl/slash shit (and I hope no one starts anything after my mention of that)

Id say Duff was more middle grounded to a point.

The only time i really heard him talk a lil doucheworthy was the time a few years ago during a radio interview of VR where he said selling all those albums was like getting sweet revenge.

so he doesn't remember some parts; it doesn't matter because he admits it and i'm sure he'll use the disclaimer if he writes about those times; unlike slash who couldn't even remember where he was born

I can't remember where I was born and don't have any recollection of that event. Do you? Big deal.

Duff McKagan: Hot-Wire Act
LSD, my first bands, and real grand theft auto.

By Duff McKagan

December 15, 2009

In an attempt to flesh out some stories that may one day be a gateway to a larger literary body of work, I'm going to write some short pieces. That said, I am a little scared to share some of these stories, in that they are not meant to influence youth in any way, shape, or form. Hey, maybe they can be construed as cautionary tales?

I may be charged with trying to glorify and glamorize certain things that I went through. I am not. As an aside: I don't believe our parents were to blame for any of our miscreant behaviors. In my case, I was the last of eight kids, and by the time I was 9, my parents had divorced and my mom was pretty much left to provide for our household on her own. This meant she had no other choice but to leave me with a lot of responsibility, and I just didn't rise to the occasion right away.

I wish I could've been a better son in those difficult transition years for my mother. I still kick myself for some of the hell that I surely put her through. I look back now, and it's obvious I was trying to figure out where my place was in this world without a father figure at home to rely on as a role model.

My father, conversely, was trying to figure out what life was about, period. I do not blame him for anything (although I certainly did back then). He was a WWII vet who started having children with my mother when he was 18 and didn't stop until he was 38. He went straight from the war to working for the Seattle Fire Department, desperately trying to provide for what would become eight children. By the time I was in elementary school, I believe that he was simply feeling trapped and wanted to see what else life had in store for him. He never had a chance to be a kid, and in my opinion he wanted to try to get some of his youth back. But he should have gone about his whole scheme another way. My saintly mom was left "holding the bag," and we eight brothers and sisters cherish the memory of this amazing and strong woman. Marie Alice McKagan endured this all with a lion's heart, a scholar's intellect, and lots of patience.

I started smoking pot at a really young age: 4th grade, to be exact. I took my first drink at 10 and tried LSD for the first time at 11. In the '70s, there just wasn't the huge stigma and general warnings about child drug use. We were just experimenting, that's all. But this piece isn't going to be about drugs; I'm just trying to highlight the fact that we seemed to grow up a bit faster back then. No, this story is really about crime?car theft, to be exact.

The best friends I established by 6th grade are my best friends to this day?Abe, Edgar, and Bob (I've changed their names here). The four of us were pretty much inseparable. They are good and solid men, but back in middle school we tested our boundaries against grown-ups and authority. We were harmless troublemakers, really, but soon found ourselves in the line of fire of an asshole counselor at Eckstein Middle School. In my case, I was suspended twice and finally expelled. "Yeah, good riddance," I remember thinking. Besides, I was already crafting a new career for myself.

Abe and I started to separate ourselves from the pack at this point. We both embraced the new and exciting punk-rock scene that had recently hit Seattle. Abe and I formed the Vains with Chris Utting in 1979, three years before we were of legal driving age. In the daylight hours, I would take the bus anywhere and everywhere that I had to be for band practice or my new job as a dishwasher, etc. When it got dark, though, Abe and I began to hone our craft as burgeoning car thieves.

I remember clearly the first car we, um, borrowed. It was a 1963 VW Bug. It all seemed innocent enough at first. It was 2 a.m., and we were stuck without a ride home at some punk-rock party in deep Ballard. It being Seattle and all, of course it was raining and cold. Abe and I only got about 10 blocks into our seven-mile walk when it dawned on us to try to steal a car and drive the rest of the way home.

We had heard of a simple way to trip an ignition on any and all pre-'64 Bugs, but had never put our knowledge to the test. We soon found our car, and clumsily broke in a wing window with a jackboot. Once we got the car started, we both realized that neither of us knew how to drive a car, let alone one with a clutch. We found out the hard way that first gear can indeed get you from point A to point B, seven miles away, albeit slowly.

When you are a kid, the lust for being of driving age is nothing short of intoxicating. Abe and I discovered after our first night in the stolen VW that we no longer had to wait until we were 16 to have access to a car. We began to sharpen our tactics and skill as car thieves?even studying new ways to hot-wire Peugeots and Audis. Sometimes we even held onto certain cars for a week or more, parking them in rich neighborhoods where the police would be less likely to look for a stolen vehicle.

On top of this, it was at times the things we found inside these cars that would lead us to criminal activities outside the car-stealing racket. Once we found a large set of keys that had only an address attached. This address was a large laundromat, and the keys were to the lock-boxes that held all of that particular day's change intake (hundreds of dollars a day, which to us was a fortune).

Our exploits began to garner attention from older, savvier criminals. The newspaper began to run stories of things we were involved in, and this is when I began to see only a dire ending for myself?jail or worse. It was time to get out. Besides, at this point my music career began to get more serious, and I met a girl. I was done.

Abe, however, continued to widen his circle of criminal activities a while longer. He started to hang with a crowd that, while exotic, also seemed a bit dark and dangerous. Abe started to specialize in particular foreign makes, stolen for particular clients who were willing to pay. Edgar, Bob, and I became concerned. Abe was arrested one night after a high-speed chase with Seattle police. The crimes? Grand Theft Auto and Reckless Evading. Shit.

Having kids of my own now makes me realize just how very young I was when I did some of these things. I cringe looking at my daughters sometimes. They know of some of my childhood antics; the more serious stories can wait. The weight I have to carry is one day having to share it with them. The McKagans do honesty these days, and I probably learned that from my own father not doing it.

This is the first in a three-part series.

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-12-16/music/duff-mckagan-hot-wire-act/seattleweekly.com/reverb

This is going to be one fucking good read. :o

From Duff's wife Susan Holmes...

Duff's back from NYC-he met & was wooed from 13 of the best book publishers-this is 4 the release of his book in the US markets only-UK next

9:11 AM Feb 19th from web

I'm definitely going to have to get myself a copy of the book when it comes out. From reading his columns on Seattle Weekly it's apparent that Duff has a great way with words :)

Rockin' in the book world

Rock star memoirs have become a hot category in recent years

Facing a tough market for book sales, publishers are turning more and more to the tried and true. That's good news for onetime Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan (pictured), whose autobiography was up for auction last week. Rock star memoirs have become a hot category in recent years.

According to the 40-page proposal making the rounds of publishing houses, Mr. McKagan's book would begin on the day in 1994 when his pancreas burst from alcohol abuse. It would recount his rise through the music scene, his fall into drug abuse and his recovery, which included two years of celibacy and a degree in finance from Seattle University.

Bidding last week topped $250,000, according to an industry source. Mr. McKagan's agent, Dan Mandel, did not return a call seeking comment.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100228/SUB/302289974

So he decided to start from the part he remembers.

And, Yes, I Got a Book Deal

By Duff McKagan, Thursday, Mar. 25 2010

I am not sure if any of you have heard the rumors about me getting a book deal. I just wanted to announce here first that it is in fact true. The reason for any announcement at all is twofold, actually:

1. Most important, I want to thank the readers of my column for really pushing me to write this book. Those constant suggestions and prodding really made me take a look at what I was saying, and indeed at how I was writing it. The Weekly staff have also been invaluable to me--certain editors here have made a big difference as far as what they expect from me. That too makes for a better product.

2. I want to also make clear that this book is not a GN'R "tell-all" or some other such "rock" book. There are a lot of those at this point. Sure, I will touch on all of that, as it is part of my story, but only just a part of it. Rather, it will be a story of an ordinary guy who met with extraordinary circumstances, and the circumnavigation through these situations. If you have been a reader of my column, then you get the general idea of my headspace. I WILL be writing this myself, thick or thin.

Touchstone, a division of Simon and Schuster, will publish my book in Fall 2011. Stacy Creamer, Touchstone VP and Publisher, will be my editor. I am excited that Tim Mohr, my old editor at Playboy, will be joining me too on this challenging venture and chapter of my life. Tim has edited the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. I look forward to him throwing out thousands of my words and telling me that I am full of shit on a daily basis!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/03/yes_i_got_a_book_deal.php

Great news !

I wouldn't mind a GNR 'tell-all' book by Duff though.  He strikes me as the most honest and trustable person of the 5.

From Susan Holmes:

Duff got two big book deals -Touchstone in the US & Orion in the UK!

about 17 hours ago via TweetMeme

According to Duff's wife Susan, he has written 450 pages so far and the book will be released in Oct. or Nov. of 2011.

 

450 pages? As long as it doesn't get whittled down in the editing process, that'll be quite a lengthy read.

I'll read this.

I like Duff.

600 pages so far. :o

From Susan Holmes McKagan:

Duff has penned more than 150,000 words thus far, for his Autobiography set to realease on @SimonSchuster Novemeber 2011

about 2 hours ago via web

That's good news, but damn.....a whole year to wait!

From Duff:

Alright then, here goes. Does anyone out there have good candid or stage shots of me from the last (gulp) 30 years? I need photos for my book! Thanks in advance. Im not so good on the facebook, so maybe spread the word too? (how to submit in above post)

If you have photos to submit:

1. Please make sure they are photos taken by YOU (lawyers, copyrights, blah
blah, etc)
2. Send an email with the photo attached as a jpeg file and the subject line:
PHOTO SUBMISSION to duffmckaganphotos@gmail.com
3. Include your full name, date, and location of the photo.
4. Deadline for submission is midnight (PST) on Friday January 14, 2011

Thank you!!!

DUFF MCKAGAN's Autobiography Gets Release Date - Mar. 2, 2011

Duff McKagan's (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) much-anticipated autobiography is scheduled to arrive on October 11 via Touchstone Fireside, a division of Simon & Schuster.

Duff revealed the book's release date during a brand new interview with VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner. McKagan said, "I finished it about a month ago [and it has] a lot of words in it."

In a 2010 installment of his weekly column, which appears on Reverb at SeattleWeekly.com, McKagan stated about the book, "I want to make clear that this book is not a GN'R 'tell-all' or some other such 'rock' book. There are a lot of those at this point. Sure, I will touch on all of that, as it is part of my story, but only just a part of it. Rather, it will be a story of an ordinary guy who met with extraordinary circumstances, and the circumnavigation through these situations. If you have been a reader of my column, then you get the general idea of my headspace. I WILL be writing this myself, thick or thin.

Based on the 40-page proposal that made the rounds of publishing houses in February 2010, McKagan's book will begin on the day in 1994 when his pancreas burst from alcohol abuse. It will recount his rise through the music scene, his fall into drug abuse and his recovery, which included two years of celibacy and a degree in finance from Seattle University.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=154768

Duff's book title confirmed:

It's So Easy
and other lies

By Duff McKagan

This edition: Hardcover, 304 pages

Availability: Ships on or around October 4, 2011

Duff McKagan: Autobiography 'Not The Same Story'

Duff McKagan promises that "It's So Easy and Other Lies," his upcoming autobiography, is "not the same story" as former Guns N' Roses bandmates Slash and Steven Adler told in their memoirs.

"Mine's not really a Guns N' Roses book, where I think Slash's ('Slash') really was...and I haven't read (Adler's 'My Appetite For Destruction')," McKagen, who plans to publish the book in October, tells Billboard.com. "I'm not saying one's better than the other. This is just my story. It's really my demise into addiction and stuff, and then my way out and my journey into things. My Guns N' Roses story is my Guns N' Roses story. My Velvet Revolver story is my Velvet Revolver story. It's my rock story, from my distinct viewpoint."

http://www.billboard.com/news/duff-mckagan-autobiography-not-the-same-1005140382.story#/news/duff-mckagan-autobiography-not-the-same-1005140382.story

I was excited until i read this.

I want the whole story not half of it. Id love to know about those early days in Seattle.

Apparently its gonna start there then flashback to the beginning. I'm looking forward to this and Scott Weilands too. Will be interesting to see if theres any similarities in what went on with Guns and VR.

I didn't know Weiland was writing one too.  I'm really looking forward to both of them now.

I think the reason he's starting it from 1994, is because he doesn't want it to be a tell all GN'R book, much like the way Slash's book was advertised.

I'm really looking forward to Duff's side of the story regarding the VR situation. Duff seems like someone who is honest, and doesn't say stuff for the sake of it. I'd rather hear Duffs side of VR, than Slash's, because I feel Duff is not under as much of pressure to convey a certain opinion about Scott, and his departure from VR.  :peace:

dude, its not starting in 1994. he said its gonna flash back

Yes, but even if he flashes back now and then, the books main direction is still going to be post 1994. And this is something that Duff wanted to express, that it was not another "tell all" GN'R type of book.  : ok:

Slash's book started in the mid-2000's and then went back to the beginning too. It's the trick that's used a lot in books and movies all over the place. Start with something dramatic, and then show how you got there after the opening credits. (See Mission: Impossible III).

It could be what you said, but I'm fully expecting it to work like that. I think when he says it's not a "tell all" book, it just means the focus will be on him and him alone without going into some of the other shit that went on.

I wouldn't be telling people to see mission impossible 3.. that movie sucked  :P

im pretty suprised that duff hasn't read steven's book, especially if he's writing his own - as if it wouldn't be a great source for SOME memories. I really get the vibe that Slash and Duff KIND OF don't give a shit about steven, they kind of think he's a joke/drummer's aren't that important in a band. Especially after some of the stuff steven said in his book..
You know as honest & nice as these guys might be/seem to be, they will always tend to see themselves as better than they were in history. I'll be interested to see how Duff thinks he treated steven...

Here's the cover of the book. 8)

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/05/hey_get_a_load_of_duffs_memoir.php

I have to agree, I was surprised when Duff said he hadn't read Steve's book, all the books Duff talks about reading, and he can't find a few hours to read his old pals book about their times together!? and i also got the same impression that the others looked at Steve as less important, sad really, stevie is awsome. Looking forward to reading Duffs!!

Sometimes it might just be about wanting to remember history your own way and not rehash everything through someone's book that's obviously going to contain some sour grapes considering how he was ousted from the band. Have you ever admired someone but avoid situations where they're probably going to get on your nerves? Not reading Steven's book might be like that.

Also, some of these guys might not be as interested in reliving history in their free time as us fans are. They write these books because it's a nice paycheck.

A short message from Duff:

Guns N' Roses founding member Duff McKagan welcomes BEA visitors. Look for his memoir --IT'S SO EASY and other lies-- on sale 10/4/2011. Duff shares the story of his rise to the pinnacle of fame and fortune with the band, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his unusual path to sobriety, and success as a savvy business investor and loving husband, and father.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XyO-EvFVIQ

Duff's column this week:

Ain't No Business Like Book Business

By Duff McKagan, Thu., May 26 2011

A many of you very well know, I am a die-hard and hardcore book-nerd. Some of you may also be aware that I have been writing a book over the last year or so. The book, It's So Easy, is done, and has a release date now of October 4, 2011.
Cool enough. But now all of real fun begins. It is time now, for me and Touchstone/ Simon & Schuster, to actually go out and try to sell this book to all of the different booksellers out there.

Book Expo America has been taking place in New York all week. This is a closed convention, where all of the different large and small publishers show their new wares to buyers like Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, Costco, Target, Hudson (you know, the stores at the airports), as well as all of the independent bookstores like Elliott Bay, Powell's, and the like.

For my book--and what is a common practice--they made up what's called a "catalogue copy"; mine is the first 9 chapters and the prologue to my book. It's pretty cool to actually see all of my solitary work actually coming to an endgame.

The night before my signing at the Expo, my senior editor and her staff at Simon & Schuster threw a cocktail party in my honor at a fancy restaurant in Manhattan called Lamb (so damn posh, right?). It was actually one of the sweetest things I've ever been too.

The publishing community is VERY different from the music community...or probably to be more exact--the publishing community is like some wonderfully kitschy and nerdy indie movie. The mood and personality that filled the room at this cocktail party in my honor was really not unlike the mood that we strike here in the comments section of this column: Interesting, thoughtful, smart, nerdy, and diverse.

I have been trained to be a little (OK, a LOT) dubious of rock and roll press. They always want "the dirt," or are looking for some snidely and wise-ass way to catch me off-guard or mis-quote me so that it seems much bolder and dumber than the things that they actually ask me about. And there was press at this cocktail party.

I quickly pulled my editor to the side and frantically told here that I didn't know that the press would be here at this party, and that I didn't want to talk to them at the risk of being miss-quoted for the umpteenth time. She looked at me quizzically, and stated that "The publishing press would never dream of doing something like that!" Yeah, I guess Kirkus Reviews and the book side of Associated Press and whatnot, just don't want the dirt. The publishing industry, it turns out, is just still a quaint little field, that is still in the business of actually being excited about new things, and press and all of the different publishing companies are still in the business of helping each other out. They want their industry to be strong, and there just really doesn't seem to be any sort of under-handedness and BS happening behind the scenes. This may seem like a bold statement from a neophyte like me, but I am pretty sure that I am right on this fact.

At dinner after the party, I sat with a few of the mucky-mucks from S&S. We were talking about books we had been reading. I had just finished One Bullet Away by Nate Fick, and one of the gentlemen that I was sitting with had edited that book. Yeah, that's right, for a book nerd like me, that was like sitting with the guy who had just produced the latest Rolling Stones record. Pretty cool.

At the Book Expo, I signed copies of my 'catalogue copy' for a thronging line of like-minded book nerds. There were a lot of people from other publishing companies, book buyers for larger and small stores, and librarians (even one from our own downtown Seattle Public Library).

The one big difference--and I must say that I WAS a tad crestfallen--was that none of them asked for me to sign their tits.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/05/aint_no_business_like_book_bus.php

Book Description:

A founding member of Guns N? Roses shares the story of his rise to the pinnacle of fame and fortune with the band, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his unusual path to sobriety, and success as a savvy business investor and loving husband and father.

In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle?partly to pursue a music career but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In L.A. only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player put out by someone who identified himself only as ?Slash.? Soon after, Guns N? Roses, the ground-breaking hard rock band that went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide, was born.

In It?s So Easy, Duff recounts Guns? unlikely trajectory to global acclaim: the near-homeless years when they played gigs in exchange for free beer; the creative collaboration that led to the writing of their biggest hits; the legendary ill-fated yet band-forging trip to Seattle; touring the country as the opening act for Aerosmith, M?otley Cr?ue, and eventually even the Rolling Stones; deepening drug troubles for most of the band; and finally, the collapse. And in the aftermath of that collapse: Duff?s near death as a result of alcoholism; his unique path to sobriety; his newfound love of books; his hard-won path to the dean?s list at Seattle University; and the formation of Velvet Revolver.

Now sober and happily married with two daughters, Duff, one of rock?s smartest and most articulate personalities, relates his remarkable story in his honest, funny, and indelibly original voice, taking readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock and roll history and out the other side.

So cannot wait to read this.  I have it pre-ordered.   :yes:

me too. can't wait to get this.

It's So Easy (and other lies) U.S. Book Tour!!

by Duff McKagan on Friday, August 19, 2011

Let there be words! This will serve as my official statement, that I have a book-It's So Easy (and other lies)- coming out 10/4. So there!
 
Tuesday, October 4 - NYC
Strand Book Store Event 7pm
828 Broadway NYC 10003
 
Wednesday, October 5 ? NJ
Bookends Event 7pm
211 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
 
Thursday, October 6 - Long Island
Book Revue Event 7pm
313 New York Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
 
Saturday, October 8 ? ORANGE COUNTY
Barnes & Noble Costa Mesa Event 2pm
901 B South Coast Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
 
Sunday, October 9 ? SANTA MONICA
Barnes & Noble Santa Monica Event 2pm
3rd St. Promenade, 1201 3rd St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
 
Tuesday, October 11 - LA
Book Soup Event 7pm
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
 
Sunday, October 16 ? TWIN CITIES
Mall of America Event 2pm
60 E. Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425
*Signing
 
Tuesday, October 18 - PORTLAND
Powell?s Books Event 7:30pm
1005 W. Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
 
Wednesday, October 19 ? SEATTLE
University Book Store Event 7pm
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
 
Thursday, October 20 - SEATTLE
Third Place Books Event 7pm
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA  98155
 
Friday, October 21 - SEATTLE
Elliott Bay Book Company Event 7pm
 
Saturday, October 22 ? SAN DIEGO
Warwicks Event 6:30pm
7812 Girard Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
 
Please Note: Duff will only be signing copies of "It' So Easy (and other lies)" Any memorabilia or outside items will not be signed.

It?s So Easy: And Other Lies - Review

Duff McKagan. Touchstone, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4516-0663-8

In this honest, well-written memoir, former Guns & Roses bass player McKagan recounts the age-old rock and roll saga of rise and fall?complete with private jets, busted marriages, drunken brawls, and drug addiction. But as McKagan relates, he took an unusual path to recovery, healing himself with martial arts, mountain biking, and meditation. Along the way he also earned a finance degree from Seattle University. McKagan?s musical career started early?at age 15, the Seattle native was already playing in several punk bands. In 1983 he left for Los Angeles, where he met the other members of Guns & Roses. The 1987 release of Appetite for Destruction made the group an international phenomenon. For a rock star, McKagan is surprisingly self-aware and candid, and he doesn?t let himself off the hook easily. The first half of this book alternates chapters between his youth in Seattle and early career in L.A., and he vividly evokes both music scenes?drugs and all?and his own enthusiasm, desperation, and joy. As the years progress, McKagan, who wrote a financial column for Playboy and currently writes a weekly column for the Seattle Times and ESPN.com, is more cautious and measured but no less insightful. 16 pages color photos (Oct.)

From Duff:

Woke up this AM and received my 1st official copy of the book. It smells GREAT!

Photo: http://yfrog.com/kjavkeaj

8) Duff has posted the first 9 chapters/80 pages of his book on his new website.

From Duff:

My friends and old band members may remember some of the stories I recount differently than I do, but I have found that all stories have many sides. These are my stories. These are my perspectives. This is my truth.

Book excerpt here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59886432/It%E2%80%99s-So-Easy-by-Duff-McKagan%E2%80%94read-an-excerpt

Fuckin awesome read so far, can't wait to get this book!

I'm not readin' nothin' until I get the book!  Ha! Ha!  That's just me. 

Read all the excerpts last night

U get his life up till the beginning of GNR then it cuts off

Great read

just finished to read the first nine chapters, it was really good and interesting.

From Duff:

Gig ALERT! 10/20 @Neptune in SeaWa. 1 night only. Book reading with songs performed from whole career. GNR. Punk. VR. Loaded. I'm psyched!

12 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry?

Duff McKagan on Addiction and Recovery

Uploaded by SimonSchusterVideos on Sep 27, 2011

Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses discusses his journey through addiction and the brink of suicide, to recovery and sobriety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzs2SlRIvHk

OMG :P

In his autobiography, It?s So Easy: And Other Lies, McKagan, 47, explains how he drank his own vomit, because it had alcohol in it.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/duff-mckagan-guns-n-capital-09292011.html

 :hihi:  OMG is right!  That is so disgusting!  That's desperate!

I should be getting my copy of the book, any day now.  Can't wait to start reading it! 

Loved the video from a couple posts above.  They are stories I've heard before, yet are still always very compelling to listen to. 

I read the first 200+ pages last night...  It's an easy read, especially if you read Slash and Adler's books and pretty much have a grasp on the timelines.  Interesting to see where his head was at in comparison to Steven and Slash.

maybe ill just read it at the bookstore. Steven Adler's book was written for like 5th graders it was so easy.

Just got a copy of it.  Kinda cool I can start on chapter 10 tonight since the first 9 were already online. 

Is Adler's book worth the reading time?

yes adlers book is worth reading, quite interesting for sure, go get it, i saw if for cheap at hmv canada recently too.

October 3, 2011

Duff McKagan on Shifting From Musician to Businessman

Former Guns N? Roses Bassist Duff McKagan on his struggles with addiction and attending business school to learn how to better manage money.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/lou-dobbs-tonight/index.html#/v/1198281848001/duff-mckagan-on-shifting-from-musician-to-businessman/?playlist_id=164630

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK6RF_RgONc

Another, I think, excerpt from the book:

Duff McKagan: I Was Born in Seattle. Guns N' Roses Became a Band on a Tour Back Home

On Thursday, June 6, 1985, we played our first live show with the Appetite for Destruction lineup. The bill at the Troubadour in West Hollywood included Fineline, Mistreater, and, at the very bottom, Guns N' Roses. Slash's high school friend Marc Canter--he turned out to be part of the family that ran Canter's Deli--came and shot pictures. He made prints of each of us the next day so we'd have head shots to put up in the places we played on our tour. That was Friday.

On Saturday, June 8, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose, Slash, Steven Adler, and I got together to set out for Seattle, a happy bunch of malcontents about to hit the road in search of rock-and-roll glory, ready to live by our wits in order to prove ourselves and our musical vision--or not. At the very least we thought we had real musical chemistry. That much was obvious even before the tour started....

Continue here: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/10/duff_mckagan_i_was_born_in_sea.php

I finished the book last night.  It was really really good, probably because it hit a little closer to home than the other books.

Adler's book as good too and worth a read, I liked Duff's a bit better though.

DUFF MCKAGAN On Early Years Of GUNS N' ROSES (Video) - Oct. 9, 2011

A video clip of Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) talking about the early years of GUNS N' ROSES can be seen below.

Here: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164395

I got the book a couple of days ago, not the page turner I expected it to be so far - a bit bland to this point.

I know it's a bit of a tiresome subject but does he mention the whole signing contract thing?
We heard Slash's version and Axl's version and I thought it was interesting what Axl said after the media had portrayed him as holding the others to ransom for so long.
Does Duff shed any light on the whole story?

I always thought Duff started his drug use while in Guns N' Roses, but far from it.  He says he started smoking pot in the 4th grade, and dropping acid in the 6th grade. Wow.

In this interview...

DUFF MCKAGAN Interviewed On 'The Adam Carolla Show' (Audio) - Oct. 11, 2011

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164502

Book Excerpt

Excerpt From Duff McKagan's New Memoir, Part I: Guns N' Roses Finds Their Identity, Somewhere Between Metal And "Cow-Punk"

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/10/duff_mckagan_its_so_easy_and_o.php

Excerpt From Duff McKagan's New Memoir, Part II: "People would throw cigarettes at us and spit on us."

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/10/duff_mckagan_its_so_easy_and_o_1.php

They should be shipping my book from BookSoup, soon.  He just did the signing there yesterday, so hopefully I'll have it by the weekend( I pre-ordered a signed copy for delivery).  Looking forward to it!  I've actually enjoyed the stuff about his life moreso than the same old GNR stories.  It seems to be pretty honest and personal.   

Duff's book is on the NY Times bestsellers list. :beer:

At #17.

Duff was interviewed yesterday on Seattle's Q13, he talks about his book and when asked about the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame he says...

"I hope, if nothing else, that the five original guys can achieve some sort of grace, if and when we're inducted."

Video: http://www.q13fox.com/videogallery/65392362/News/Duff-McKagan

I just got my book today, and am really enjoying it.  I didn't read all the samples, so I'm still only to Ch. 9, but I think it is all very interesting.  It has made me have a new respect for him and realize what a hard life he has lived and how has overcome and worked hard for a lot of stuff.  He is very honest and doesn't put up a wall.  It also made me appreciate his musical experience before he joined GNR, when I had kind of written-it off before or thought "oh he just played drums in some punk band when he was 13." but he was actually out gigging and playing with older people and was pretty serious about it, even back then. 

Crazy thing about listening to Duff today is that I used to think of him as the burnt-out dumb one.  He seemed to be the one always talking but with the least to say.  Like some stoner trying to philosophize about Cheez-Whiz.  The guy did enough smack to kill an alt. rock singer and now he's writing books, blogs articleas and giving stock advice.  As for his diplomatic treatment to all involved in the GNR saga I consider Duff to be the Derek Fisher of rock-n-roll.

I'm on about Ch. 15 right now.  It made me understand the band a lot more during the 1985-86 period when they were forming.   It's crazy all the stuff they were doing back then when I was only about 1 or 2 years old.  The story about Duff smoking crack for the first time, in 1986, and the stuff about him and Adler, and jamming to Sly Stone and Duff living next to Sly is all very interesting, and them just trying to get by in LA. 

Hey Gang
Just wanted to let everyone know
Only a Few more Days to Sign up to win the Duff Prize pack

http://www.simonandschuster.com/sweepstakes/win-the-ultimate-duff-prize-packit-s-so-easy-to-enter (http://www.simonandschuster.com/sweepstakes/win-the-ultimate-duff-prize-packit-s-so-easy-to-enter)

One (1) grand prize The Ultimate Duff Prize Pack: an autographed Fender? Duff McKagan P Bass?, a signed copy of It?s So Easy by Duff McKagan, a limited edition Duff poster, and a selection of albums from Duff?s musical career, including Appetite for Destruction and The Spaghetti Incident? by Guns n? Roses, Contraband by Velvet Revolver, Dark Days and The Taking by Loaded, and more!
Three (3) runner-up winners will receive a copy of It?s So Easy, a $25 iTunes gift card, and a limited edition poster
Ten (10) first prize winners will receive a copy of It?s So Easy

and Stay Tuned I will be having a Drawing of my own
I have a few books to give away too

Later...

Yes, Duff reinforces the "Axl wouldn't go on stage unless...."  presentation, but with one crucial addition.  He states that a member of Axl's entourage presented it right before a show in 1993, and (and these are Duff's words) "implied that Axl wouldn't go onstage unless we signed it."  So I suppose we can assume that the person who presented the contract to Duff could have misinterpreted Axl's words or intentions.  However, the one aspect that still doesn't align itself is that Axl claimed that there were clauses in the contracts when they renegotiated with Geffen, and that it wasn't hidden because they all had to initial where it said that.  I always thought that happened around 1990, well before any 1993 concert like Duff claims.

If we assume both Axl and Duff were telling the truth, then it could very well be logical that the member of Axl's posse misrepresented Axl's intentions to Duff when asking him to sign it.

So to answer your question, in some ways, Duff did shed light on it, but in other ways, it's still a mystery, which I think will always be the case.  Duff also admits that he (like Slash) didn't have the foresight to realize the long term repercussions of signing it.


Yes, it's been discussed to death and you also have to be careful around here given the moderators' penchant towards deleting posts.  On that note, I'll just state that what I revealed above was merely a matter-of-fact telling of what was in Duff's book, it was not meant to disparage Axl or start arguments/trouble.  It's a shame I have to spell that out, but the moderators' delete buttons are powerful things.

DUFF MCKAGAN: Footage From Dublin Book Signing - Nov. 7, 2011

Duff McKagan's (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) took part in a last-minute book signing on November 3 at Eason in Dublin, Ireland. Fan-filmed video footage of the event can be seen below.

McKagan's new book, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)", landed at position No. 17 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. The book arrived on October 4 via Touchstone Books (formerly Touchstone Fireside), a division of Simon & Schuster.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=165763

I'm almost 200 pages in now, didn't really get interesting until about page 140 or so, when Duff starts addressing the 1989 shows with the Rolling Stones, then the relocation to Chicago for the Use Your Illusion recordings.

That whole part was great, but I thought the beginning was good and also the parts about them starting out in '85-'87.   I'm on the last 10 pages or so, and it just finished with the VR part.  As much as I love Scott, I do agree that he kind of sabatoged the band towards the end because he was gonna go back to STP, and Duff talks a bit more about the behind-the-scenes stuff with VR.  It was also interesting to read about Duff's relapse. 

It sounded like Scott pushing for a bigger piece of the VR money pie was the biggest thing that soured the other guys on him. I think he could have done a STP reunion tour and come back but they were ready to be done with him.

Sounds a lot more honest then fucking $lashes Version of things. And unlike $lash, Duff doesnt blame everything that happened in Guns on Axl.

Neither did Slash.  And have you actually read Duff's book?  I'm guessing not, since you used the phrase "sounds a lot more...".  if you actually read the book, you'd find how remarkably often Slash's and Duff's book stories sync up with one another.

Yes, their perspectives differ slightly, and Duff is much more self-deprecating than Slash, but ultimately Duff and Slash had different relationships with Axl, and that is reflected in their respective books.  In fact, Duff even mentions that he understands why Slash had so much more animosity towards Axl than he did... because he realized Slash's relationship with Axl was much more personal and intense than his own relationship with Axl.

Duff's book was very well written. It was much different than a typical rock book. It wasn't all about sex, drugs and rock n' roll.  I honestly think that Duff has learned quite a few lessons about life and friendship. I do think though that several chapters could have been cut from the book. I think there were somethings in which he repeated himself. In other parts, he didn't go into as much detail as I would like. Overall good book and would recommend. 

i got the book for christmas. i'm about 200 pages in. i think it's an awesome book and well written. the period of '85-'87 is so freakin interesting. it's just a great story of a hard-working band making it the old fashioned way...working their asses off, making great music, and winning fans over slowly. its great to hear a first hand perspective and really get a sense for how they achieved their success and didn't just follow a trend to try to be famous.

its was interesting how he said at first they weren't liked by the glam/metal fans OR the punk fans. they didn't fit a mold. they truly sounded different. i remember reading someone that said they had a much to do with the downfall of hair metal as any grunge band, and that they were essentially the bridge between the two genres. and i agree 100% with that. in fact, that show Metal Evolution essentially makes the same point.

anyway, around page 200 is kinda in the middle of the illusion tour. he's talked a bit about the late starts and the problems associated with that. and there's a crazy story about Duff in Philly (my hometown) and how he met someone at a pizza shop who took him to a really bad neighborhood to score drugs. crazy stuff.   

I'm really enjoying Duffs book, almost or as much as I enjoyed Slash's book. I got it as a belated present as it didn't arrive in time for Christmas, but I'm around 145 pages in and it is sooo fucking interesting.

Duff's book will be coming out in paperback in March.

http://yfrog.com/mgl2zcyj

Duff on Good Day L.A. this morning promoting the paperback version of his book that came out today.

Guns N' Roses Duff Talks "Other Lies" on Good Day L.A.

Good Day L.A. Video Report

http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/good_day_la/guns-n-roses-duff-talks-other-lies-on-good-day-la-2012-03-20

Duff on Kevin and Bean this morning pimping the papaerback, about 50 some minutes in can be heard here:

http://kroq.radio.com/2012/03/22/kb-podcast-thursday-march-22nd-duff-mckagan-aziz-ansari-dr-drew-more/

He did a couple segments on Jom Rome's show this morning as well, a couple of sound bytes..

http://www.jimrome.com/junglehighlights?uri=channels/465575/1629721

http://www.jimrome.com/junglehighlights?uri=channels/465575/1629721

They ask some good questions:

Duff McKagan at Book Soup in Los Angeles, CA 3/24/12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgdTHNqCu9g

Yea Duff is pretty laid-back and cool.