Slash at the MTV Classic Launch

04.28.10 - Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Nightrain, Slither, Mean Bone, Nice Boys (with Angry Anderson), Back From Cali, Beggars & Hangers On, Civil War, Sucker Train Blues, Nothing To Say, Starlight, Solo, Godfather Theme, Sweet Child O' Mine, By The Sword (with Andrew Stockdale), Woman (with Andrew Stockdale), Dime Store Rock, Rise Today, Dirty Little Thing, Paradise City

MTV
Hundreds flooded into Melbourne’s Palace Theatre Wednesday night and even more camped outside for a glimpse of one of the most recognized names in rock: guitar legend Slash!

Arguably the greatest rock guitarist of the last 25 years, Slash, who was in Australia’s culture capital to launch MTV Networks Australia’s newest channel MTV Classic, has had a jam-packed few days, but evidently had plenty of energy to spare judging by his powerful live show.

After brief introductions by comedian and host of ABC TV’s Spicks & Specks Adam Hills, the show kicked off.

Demonstrating his legendary axe grinding skills in skin tight leather pants and trademark curly hair, Slash played to an enthusiastic audience, which was littered with those paying homage to the guitarist with long-haired wigs and top hats.

The gig was a smorgasbord of songs from guitarist’s three decade music career including tracks from the Guns N Roses years, through Velvet Revolver and Slash’s Snakepit, up to his recently released, chart-topping album Slash.

The venue was packed to capacity, but there was more than plenty of space for the head-bangers, of which there were plenty. Even the celebs were starstruck. We spotted Brian McFadden with goat horns held to the sky, MTV VJ Erin McNaught capturing the momentous occasion on her camera and Ruby Rose and her mother singing along. The night was also marked with on stage appearances from presenters Kirk Pengilly from INXS fame and his daughter April, Rose Vanessa Amorosi and The Living End’s Chris Cheney.



The cover of Rose Tattoo’s "Nice Boys," which saw Slash’s band jamming with local rock icon Angry Anderson proved the pair have as much chemistry on stage as they did when they toured together 18 years ago. What Angry lacked in stature he made up with in with pure rock n roll dynamism as they played their '80s classic to an ecstatic audience. Slash was also joined by Wolfmother rocker Andrew Stockdale to play an Australian first of the brand new collaboration "By The Sword," which was followed Wolfmother’s spine-tingling "Woman" with Slash on lead guitar

But the real highlight of the night for Gunners fans was crowd favourites "Sweet Child O' Mine," and for the triumphant finale, "Paradise City," where Slash’s wife Perla Hudson made a surprise appearance on stage, running back and forth bringing the heaving crowd to a rapturous crescendo.

A (Not So) Oldie but Goodie

Velvet Revolver with Izzy Stradlin, Bologna, Italy, 2004 (High Quality recording)



"Yeah!"

By the Sword (Official Video)

Slash Tour Dates

Europe '10

May 31 - Bergen, Norway
June 2 - Oslo, Norway
June 5 - Helsinki, Finland
June 6 - St. Petersburg, Russia
June 8 - Moscow, Russia
June 12 - Norje, Sweden
June 14 - Aalborg, Denmark

August 13 - Sturgis, SD
August 27 - Reading, UK
August 29 - Leeds, UK
August 31 - Belfast, Northern Ireland

September 1 - Dublin, Ireland
September 4 - Rome, Italy
September 5 - Milan, Italy
September 8 - Zurich, Switzerland
September 10 - Amnéville, France
September 13 - Paris, France
September 16 - Geneva, Switzerland
September 18 - Vienna, Austria
September 21 - Bucharest, Romania
September 23 - Belgrade, Serbia
September 24 - Zagreb, Croatia
September 27 - Prague, Czech Republic
September 30 - Antwerp, Belgium

October 2 - Lille, France
October 3 - Arnhem, Netherlands
October 6 - Lisbon, Portugal
October 9 - Madrid, Spain
October 10 - San Sebastian, Spain
October 13 - London, UK
October 14 - London, UK
October 17 - Birmingham, UK
October 18 - Manchester, UK
October 22 - Zaragoza, Spain
October 23 - Barcelona, Spain

December 1 - Townsville, Australia
December 4 - Sydney, Australia
December 7 - Adelaide, Australia
December 11 - Perth, Australia
December 16 - Abu Dhabi, UAE
December 18 - Tel Aviv, Israel
December 19 - Tel Aviv, Isreal

Events - Guns N' Roses

GNR IN PR

"WOW! that's a wrap, that's a leg, that's a WRAPPED LEG! the tour has been CRAZY & the support more than amazing! MUCHAS GRACIAS A TODOS!!!" @GunsNRoses

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Roberto Clemente Coliseum

Guns N' Roses
Sebastian Bach
Puya

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Better
Richard Fortus solo
Live and Let Die
This I Love
Rocket Queen
Band intros
Dizzy Reed solo
Street of Dreams
You Could Be Mine
DJ Ashba solo
Sweet Child O' Mine
Another Brick in the Wall jam
Axl Rose piano Solo
November Rain
Ron Thal solo (Pink Panther theme)
Don't Cry (full!)
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Nightrain

------ENCORE------

Madagascar
My Michelle (with Sebastian Bach)
Patience
Paradise City

Slash at the Roxy

Set: Dirty Little Thing, Mean Bone, Nightrain, Back From Cali, Beggars and Hangers On, Civil War, Sucker Train Blues, Nothing to Say, Starlight, Solo, Godfather Theme, Sweet Child O' Mine, By the Sword, Woman, Rise Today, Slither, Paradise City

Slash on the Late Late Show

The band is totally starting to gel. Show at the Roxy tonight is going to be exciting.

San Jose, Costa Rica [CANCELED]

For more information ... @Bumblefoot

Slash is a Golden God

04.08.10 - "Golden Gods Awards," Nokia Theater, Los Angeles, California

By the Sword (with Andrew Stockdale)
Back From Cali (with Myles Kennedy)
Doctor Alibi (with Lemmy)
Ace of Spades (with Dave Grohl and Lemmy)

Hot Tours: Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Coldplay

Billboard
Guns N' Roses ranks No. 2 for the week based on ticket sales from four concerts in Brazil and one in Argentina. Top-grosser was Estádio Palestra Italia in São Paulo (March 13) with $3 million earned at the box office and 34,872 in attendance.

Another stadium date, Estadio Vélez Sársfield in Buenos Aires on March 22 drew over 35,000 fans. The five reported March dates on the band's Chinese Democracy World Tour grossed a combined total of $8.4 million.

Slash on Lopez Tonight

Stephen Perkins on Duff (New Interview)

Music Radar
"Duff is one of us now"
by Joe Bosso

Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins says that the addition of bassist Duff McKagan to the band has given the volatile outfit "fresh energy. We feel really together now, very unified."

Given that, over their 25-year-career, Jane's Addiction have broken up not once but twice, and have seen a number of bass players (Flea, Chris Chaney) fill in during various reunions, "a nice shot of vitamin B," as Perkins describes McKagan, the ex-bassist for Guns N' Roses and apparently still an active member of the equally troubled Velvet Revolver, seems like just what Jane's needs as they embark on the making of a new album, their first since 2003's Strays.

That McKagan was joining Jane's Addiction has been the subject of much media speculation during the past few months - even while the group were preparing for a February-March Australian tour with original bassist Eric Avery, who at the beginning of the jaunt was giving signals via Twitter that he might not be long for the band.

As soon as the run ended, word that McKagan was stepping in began to circulate in earnest, and in the last week guitarist Dave Navarro made the worst-kept-secret in rock official: Avery was out yet again, and McKagan was working with the group, not merely as a temp player but a full-time member.

"[N]ow Duff has come into our lives and it's wonderful. Of course, we've known Duff for quite a while, even going back to his GN'R days. We never viewed Guns N' Roses as competition or anything. Back in the day, Jane's was always hanging out with the Chili Peppers and Fishbone and bands like that, whereas GN'R were a bit more on the Sunset Strip."

"It was time for us to move in a different way. We have to evolve, you know? We discussed a few different bass players, but suddenly Duff came into our lives. It was almost like synchronicity. We had a jam or two and it felt great, so we found ourselves all saying, 'OK, why don't we do this?'

"The idea of having Duff in the band struck us as fucking cool. He's a great guy. He plays in his own way. I think it's an interesting hybrid. I don't like to use the word 'flashy,' but Dave and I are inspired by a lot of notes, whereas Duff comes from more of a straightforward punk-rock school of playing. It's a cool clash of styles, I think. We feel really together now as a band, very unified, and there's a lot of fresh energy."

You say that Duff came in and jammed with you guys, but how exactly did that come to be? What was the process of getting him involved?

"A lot of things contributed to the process. Dave and Duff have done a lot of shows with Camp Freddy [the side project led by Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum], and they got on well. Last year, I participated in an instructional DVD about how drummers and bass players interact. For some cosmic reason, Duff and I chose each other and we sat in front of the camera and did a couple of things. At the same time, Perry started hanging out with Duff. So like I said, it was synchronicity; it all fell into place without us trying to make it happen. Rather than us looking around for a bass player or taking out ads or something, the obvious choice was right there."

How does this work with Duff living in Seattle? Is he around enough to be a part of the band?

"Oh yeah. He travels back and forth. The work ethic has been fantastic. He's definitely here for us when we need him, no question. He gets in the room with us and works out songs, then he takes tapes home - he's there. He's been a nice shot of vitamin B."

As you said, you have a certain style of playing - it's kind of elastic and very groove-oriented - and Duff definitely comes from a different school of thought. How have you two meshed so far?

"It's been really cool and a lot of fun. Yeah, I'm more of a spastic kind of Keith Moon-type player, and Duff is very rough and tough. There's less notes but he plays with authority. It's like sandpaper on sandpaper, but it's working out fine. He's got great ears and he knows how to hook in with me. We're finding ourselves again, and it's exciting. Even playing older songs like 'Mountain Song,' it feels new again. Duff approaches it more like a rhythm guitar player. It's going to sound different to a lot of people, but maybe they'll appreciate it on a new level. I know we are."

What kind of commitment has Duff offered you guys? There hasn't been any kind of formal announcement from Velvet Revolver as to him "leaving" per se.

"Well, Duff knows how fragile bands are. But he's in for the ride, I know that."

But has he told you that he's out of Velvet Revolver and he's with Jane's Addiction fully?"

I think he might be getting ready to say something in the column he writes for the Seattle Weekly. I know he's with us. He's one of us. Jane's Addiction is now the four of us: Perry, Dave, Duff and myself. Duff's a full-time member and he's ready to bite off as much as we are. What that ultimately means for the future of Velvet Revolver, I don't know."

Last question: Why not form one giant supergroup? You could call it Jane's Revolver or Velvet Addiction.

"Why not? That's a good question. Yeah, why not?" [laughs]

I mean, you've got the singer, and they've been looking for a front man for two years now.

"Hey, a tour that involves 15 cool musicians or whatever, a celebration of the West Coast ... champagne and chandeliers ... I like it. I'll talk to William Morris."

Read the full article here.

Izzy Stradlin is 48 Today

Born in Lafayette, Indiana, 48 years ago today, Izzy Stradlin is best known as the heart and soul of Guns N' Roses, the quiet one, the singer/songwriter, the rhythm guiiarist, and along with W. Axl Rose was a founding member of the band.

Izzy penned such hits as "Patience," "Used To Love Her," "Don't Cry," "You Could Be Mine," "Nightrain," "Mr. Brownstone" & "Paradise City."

In December 2009, he released his tenth solo album, Smoke. Recently, Izzy contributed guitar to the opening track ("Ghost") of former bandmate Slash's new solo album.

Happy Birthday Izzy!







Izzy Stradlin message board

Duff on Jane's Addiction & Velvet Revolver

REVERB
By Chris Kornelis, Wednesday, Apr. 7 2010

Hey, Duff. What's up, man? Column was a half-day late this week? Look, I think it's cool that you've got a book deal, but now I hear that perhaps some extracurricular activities are getting in the way of you hitting deadlines. Am I right?

McKagan: Well, it's about time I hear SOMETHING from one of you people at the Weekly! Is this what it takes? I've got to be LATE on a piece?! I'm not sure if you guys were aware that I still play music . . . or if you knew I was ever a musician in the first place! Yes, I have been busy! Not only do I have a wife and two kids and two dumb dogs, but I have been busy writing music for Loaded, and I started a book. I've also been fielding more than a few phone calls and emails because of my new association with Janes Addiction.

What? Jane's Addiction? Hey, man, if you needed some extra cash, why didn't you just say so? We're Village Voice Media, baby! I can probably come up with a couple more bucks a week for you. Would $25 do it?

I think people sometimes actually believe that because I was in Guns N' Roses, I must have a money tree growing in my backyard! Daddy (that is what they call me around here) has got to go out and earn a living just like most anyone else!

Something like a chance to write, record, and perhaps even perform with a band of the quality of Jane's Addiction does not come around every day. I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it. The music that we have been writing is an extension of that mutual respect.

Does this mean you've moved a set of steel drums into your house?

Not yet.

Speaking of bands, you know I played in a band too. I Pity the Foo was the region's premiere Foo Fighters cover band, but I gave it up when I started missing deadlines. Have you considered tossing in the hat on Loaded? Or perhaps Velvet Revolver? I mean, Slash is pretty busy these days, too, right?

Loaded will ALWAYS be something I do. It is more a way of life and a way to express music and have a fucking blast with those guys than anything else. I'm sure we have hopes of one day having a song that gets a lot of play on the radio or something like that, but that is not what drives us.

Velvet Revolver had an amazing climb from absolutely nothing to something that people around the planet got into. That is also an amazing thing to observe from the inside. I won't be the guy to say it was anyone's fault that we came to an end with Scott Weiland; shit just happens. If you've been doing this as long as I have, you just learn to shut your mouth and fucking move on. Velvet is in a period of downtime right now, and perhaps we will one day get a new singer. For now, though, I have to look at opportunities when they are presented.

I have been a huge fan of [JA founding bassist] Eric Avery since the mid-'80s, when I would go to see them play at clubs down in L.A. This is not, in my mind, about me replacing him, in any way shape or form. I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it. The music that we have been writing is an extension of that mutual respect. AND it's a blast! Perry Farrell is an absolute visionary. Dave Navarro has always been a guitar player who I have had a lot of respect for. Playing in a rhythm section with Stephen Perkins is almost trancelike. Kick-ass for sure. I also want to make it clear to JA fans that I really appreciate all of the kind words and sentiment directed to me.

I put no blame on Slash for VR not just putting everything else to the side and looking for a singer after our parting with Scott. I know Slash very well, and also know that his new record is something that he has arguably been wanting to do since the early '90s. This record is on his own terms, with no band members to deal with. I get it. I think maybe we all needed a break after what went down with us.

I have never spoken or written about this, because things of this nature are just so often better left alone. With the sheer volume of calls and e-mails I have received in the past week regarding JA, I thought it best if I was completely open about all the factors that make up my career. We are all friends in VR, don't get me wrong, but with all the different issues that plagued us, we all just needed to do something else for a while, I suppose. As I said, though, I also cannot just wait around. Life is short, and I am going to make the most of it.

Slash Responds to Axl Rose Calling Him a Cancer

Spinner
It's no secret that Axl Rose is not the biggest fan of his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Slash.

Though the two haven't spoken face to face since Slash's departure from the legendary group back in 1996, both have spent the ensuing time using the media to discuss each others' exploits.

While neither has been complimentary, it was Rose who took the feud to a whole new level when, in an interview with long-time friend and former road manager Del James, first published on Spinner, he called his band's former guitarist a "cancer."

"There's zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn't be pretty," Rose told James. "There is the distinct possibility that having his intentions in regard to me so deeply ingrained and his personal, though guarded, distaste for much of Appetite for Destruction, the band's Diamond-certified debut album] other than his or Duff's playing, Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after Lies. In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided - and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better."

At the time, Slash simply shrugged off the accusation, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal that it didn't really affect him. Now, for the first time, the guitarist reveals his true feelings on the matter and the man with whom he co-wrote some of rock's biggest hits.

"For one, I've never said anything derogatory about anyone's performance on Appetite," Slash tells Spinner. "So right from the start it's just off."

Furthermore the guitarist, who lost his mother to lung cancer last June, reveals that though he agrees with the sentiment behind some of Rose's comments, the singer's choice of wording was tough to take.

"The cancer thing, I'll go with him on that, that fits into his description of things. I wouldn't use the word 'cancer' but I haven't gone anywhere and I don't seem to be going anywhere so that's justified," Slash says, before pausing to reflect. "Actually, I lost my mom to cancer so that was a little bit of hard rhetoric at that particular time, but it's typical Axl stuff ... I know how he comes off and how he really is, so I give him credit where hopefully it's due."

Slash's self-titled solo debut album is out April 6.

Guns N' Roses Return to Rio

Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
It's So Easy
Mr. Brownstone
Sorry
Better
Richard Fortus solo / Live and Let Die
This I Love
Rocket Queen
Dizzy Reed solo / Street of Dreams
You Could Be Mine
DJ Ashba solo / Sweet Child O' Mine
Pink Floyd The Wall Jam / Axl Rose piano solo / November Rain
Ron Thal solo / Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Nightrain

-----Encore------

Madagascar
Whole Lotta Rosie
Patience
Paradise City
Brazilian National Anthem

Current time in Rio de Janeiro here.

Guns N' Roses will return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Their first show in Rio in over 8 years, Sunday's gig replaces he washed-out March 14 date where the band's stage collapsed due to heavy rain.

GN'R's final South American show of 2010 is shaping up to be a memorable night.

Slash and Duff Radio Takeover Today

Slash and Duff are taking over the radio today (APRIL 1) to play songs from Slash’s new album. Check below to find out where and when to tune in.

98 KRXQ
99.9 KISW
989 KQRC
93.3 The Planet
97.7 WAAF

SETLIST: "Ghost," "Crucify the Dead," Duff/Slash interview pt. I, interview pt. II, "Starlight," "I Hold On," interview pt. III, "Watch This," "Back From Cali," "By the Sword," interview pt. IV, "Baby Can't Drive," "Promise."