Axl Rose may have declared "Round One" at Guns n' Roses' recent performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, but Slash is getting ready for Round Two. "I'm doing a fucking record with me, [bassist] Duff [McKagan] and [drummer] Matt Sorum," the former Gn'R guitarist said this past weekend at the San Diego Street Scene festival, where he was on hand to pay tribute to Jimi Hendrix. "Dave Pusher [Note: His name is Dave Kusher] is playing guitar right now, and we got the baddest fucking, be-all, end-all rock & roll band." The as-yet-unnamed band ("If I had a name, I'd tell you," Slash says) is now in the process of looking for just the right vocalist to perfect the ensemble. "There are no rock & roll singers out there right now, and you know it as well as I do, except for the guys who have been around a long time," he says. "As far as new bands, there's not one. If I knew one, I probably would've stolen him by now.

"When Billy Idol goes ballistic, that's the kind of singer I want all the time," Slash continues. "There's nobody I've listened to since before Guns came out or anytime in the Eighties who's been like that, except for Billy. He's one guy who when he belts it out would be good at it."

As for being selective about rounding out the band with a vocalist, Slash needs to be choosy if he hopes to achieve his lofty ambitions. "I want to be the guy who spearheads the next rock & roll movement; I've done it before, so I want to do it again."

In the meantime, Slash is happy spending time as a new dad. "We just had a baby ten days ago," he beams proudly. "His name's Glendon [Note: It's actually London], nine pounds, four ounces. He's only ten days old, but he's got a cool personality. This is the first time I've been away from home since he was born, so I've called home like six times. And as soon as the gig is done, I'm going home."´

STEVE BALTIN