Paul Bergen/Redferns
Paul Bergen/RedfernsSlash has revealed that his time in Velvet Revolver — which also featured his Guns N’ Roses band mate Duff McKagan and Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland — was “no fun.”
“I have nothing positive to say about that experience except that we did write some cool stuff,” Slash tells Rolling Stone.
Velvet Revolver recorded two albums — 2004’s Contraband and 2007’s Libertad — and released the hit rock singles “Slither,” “She Builds Quick Machines” and “Fall to Pieces,” before Weiland abruptly left the band in 2008. During his time in VR, Weiland continued to struggle with addiction, and personal issues between him and the rest of the band flared towards the end of his tenure.
Following Weiland’s departure, Velvet Revolver auditioned other singers, but never found the right fit. They reunited with Weiland for a one-off performance in 2012. Weiland died in 2015.
Slash also revealed in the Rolling Stone interview that his future band mate Myles Kennedy was supposed to audition for Velvet Revolver before they even started working with Weiland, but he “never showed up.”
“He got cold feet or something at the last minute and nothing ever came out of that,” Slash explains.
Of course, Slash and Kennedy would later connect to form Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. They’ll release their third studio album, Living the Dream, on September 21.
Elsewhere in the interview, Slash addressed whether the partially reunited Guns N’ Roses, which now features him, McKagan and frontman Axl Rose, is planning to record new music.
“I think probably the best way to look at is, if something happens, then it happens,” Slash says. “There you go.”
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