Slash: Guns N’ Roses not playing Rock Hall induction
Slash has confirmed the rumours surrounding the possibility of Guns N’ Roses performing at their induction into to Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame next month.
“We’re not playing,” the guitarist tells the Toronto Sun. “I would imagine that they asked us to play but I know that we’re not playing.”
A staff member at Envision Radio Networks leaked the news recently while posting under musical director Paul Shaffer’s twitter account; an Envision management type called the tweet “inadvertent” while not denying its accuracy.
Calling the music industry recognition “an honour,” Slash added, “Either it hasn’t hit me yet or maybe it’s been so long since I had anything to do with Guns N’ Roses that I just don’t really get it.”
Still, Slash, 46, said he’s definitely attending the event in Cleveland, despite no fondness for dressing up. “It’s a formal, I hate formals,” he said.
The guitarist also expects former GNR drummer Steven Adler, with whom he recently played with on a ballad off Adler’s new band’s upcoming album, to be there too. “I could be positive Steven will be there. Steven wouldn’t miss it,” said Slash.
He just couldn’t speak to the attendance of the rest of the GNR classic lineup, specifically GNR lead singer Axl Rose. “I don’t know. I would assume so but we haven’t talked about it,” he said.
The GNR situation has been talked about since the band’s Rock Hall nomination last fall, with former band members hesitant to commit to anything, not unusual in the GNR universe…even moreso since they are no longer a part of the current lineup. -
Hennemusic.com
Here are some interesting facts about Guns N' Roses
Origins:
Guns N' Roses has gone through many members. Current members are: Axl Rose, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson, Frank Ferrer, Dizzy Reed, and Chris Pitman. Past members include: Ole Beich, Rob Gardner, Tracii Guns, Steven Adler, Izzy Stadlin, Gilby Clarke, Slash, Matt Sorum, Duff Mckagan, Josh Freese, Paul Tobias, and Buckethead.
Guns N’ Roses formed in Los Angeles, CA, in 1985
The band was formed by Axl Rose’s band, Hollywood Rose, and Tracii Guns’s band, L.A. Guns. The Name Guns N’ Roses formed by combining the two names.
Their first performance was on March 26th, 1985
The first tour the band went on was titled the “Hell Tour,” which toured from LA to Seattle, where the band really gelled together.
Tom Zutaut, a Geffen Records A&R executive first saw them play at the Troubadour, which is the same club that The Eagles played at. Zutaut went on to tell other label scouts that GNR sucked, just so he would have more time to sign them.
Press/Music:
Axl Rose wrote “Sweet Child O’ Mine” about his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife, Erin Everly, whom he would eventually divorce. He did not have any kids at the time
Gene Simmons of KISS originally tried to produce the album “Appetite for Destruction.” However, Mike Clink ended up producing it.
Slash’s disinterest in the band began in 1994 when the band was recording a song by The Rolling Stones called “Sympathy for the Devil.” Axl wanted Slash to copy Keith Richards' playing, while Slash wanted an original Guns N’ Roses recording to be done. When Slash discovered that the recently hired guitarist, Gilby Clarke, had copied Slash’s solo and was putting it into the final mixing, he was infuriated. That would be the last recording by the band for about 5 years. Slash then drifted in and out of the band while starting his own project called “Slash’s Snakepit,” named for his extensive collection of snakes.
The album “Appetite for Destruction” underwent an artwork change after the original Robert Williams cover design. William’s cover, a surrealist scene in which a dagger-toothed monster attacks a robot rapist, spawned complaints from many religious groups, and caused some record stores to brown bag, obscure, or refuse to sell the album. This did not appear to impact sales all that much.
Controversies/Trouble:
During the spring of 1988, Guns N’ Roses was invited to the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The band would play onstage with Iron Maiden and KISS. During the show, the crowd of over 100,000 people began to jump around and push towards the stage. Consequently, 2 people were trampled to death. The media blamed the band for the tragedy, claiming that the band kept playing even when the crowd became dangerous. This gave the band the title of “The world’s most dangerous band.”
Members of Guns N' Roses were often seen intoxicated on and off stage. While at the American Music Awards, the band was intoxicated and were using many profanities. The members of the band eventually found ways to stop their addictions after Axl threatened to end the band if the heavy drug use did not stop.
During the recording session of Civil War, after 30 takes, drummer Steven Adler was fired due to problems caused by heroin and cocaine addiction. He was then replaced by Matt Sorum.
Performances during the Use Your Illusion World Tour were often filled with riots, late starts, and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were for the most part under control, Axl was often agitated by lack of security, sound problems, and unwanted filming or recording of the band's performances. He also used the time in between songs to fire off political statements against music critics or celebrity rivals. -Carlini.suite101.com
