1999.07.DD - Spin - "Just A Little Patience" Article Outtakes (Gilby)

Outtakes from the article "Just A Little Patience":
https://tinyurl.com/ycbo7aml

Other outttakes:
Slash interview: https://tinyurl.com/y7p85val
Tracii interview: https://tinyurl.com/y9nmquzb
Other interviews (Alice Cooper, Brett Michaels, Chris Vrenna, Lemmy, Nikki Sixx, Riki Rachtman, Rob Affuso, Vernon Reid, Lars Ulrich):
https://www.a-4-d.com/t3096-1999-07-dd-spin-outtakes-various-gn-r-related-interviews

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Spin: You joined G&R back in '91, right?

Clarke: Yeah.

Spin: What was it like hanging out with back in the day?

Clarke: Well, when we first-- Hollywood, in that day-- I mean, Guns N' Roses probably came on the scene, I'd assume, around like '85 -- There was a very small contingent of people who thought bands like The New York Dolls, and even like The Clash, and Hanoi Rocks, and things like that, were cool. So those kinda people just kinda like, you know, knew each other. So that's how I ran into Izzy. It's like, you know, we all just kinda liked the same kinda music.

Spin: Let's jump ahead.... You joined the band in late '91, a huge band. Can you talk about the transition and what you did to stay cool?

Clarke: Sure. I mean, for myself-- What's really weird is, I mean, a lot of people think about, you know, I mean, the band was hard to deal with and stuff. To tell you the truth, it was very, very easy. I mean, I walked into a successful band -- I didn't have to do anything. I didn't have to tune my guitar; you know, I didn't have to send my luggage; you know, I didn't have to book the shows and things. All I had to do was play guitar. And I got to play guitar exactly the way that I got to play guitar, so it was pretty easy.

Spin: That tour goes down in history for many reasons. But like a lot of the shows started really late. what did you observe?

Clarke: I mean, I was ready-- To tell you the truth, I didn't observe anything. I mean, you know, Axl had a separate dressing room. The band was in one dressing room, he was in a separate one. I have no idea what he was doing. We were ready to play.

Spin: And no one's knocking on the door: What's up, dude?

Clarke: Well, you know what -- I mean, as a band member-- I mean, you know, no -- you don't-- I,
personally, wouldn't have done it, you know, and stuff.

Spin: So you played the big Wembley show for Freddie Mercury, right? Can you talk about that?

Clarke: That was probably, singly, probably the best experience that I ever had being in the band. Because, number one, I mean, it's like a tragic thing happened that we were there, you know, but it was a positive cause? And I thought it was very, very heart-moving. You know, I couldn't believe the response of a stadium filled with people. It almost didn't matter what band was up there, as long as you were playing a Queen song ŸŸ or, you know, you were there for Freddie Mercury. It was just incredible.

Spin: Want to talk about what went down in Montreal?

Clarke: In Montreal? That thing happened so fast. I mean, you're probably gonna get the same story from absolutely everyone. We had gotten word -- you know, we were all just hanging out at the hotel -- and somebody said that there was a big accident. James had burned his arm, and their set got cut short. The audience is, you know, going a little crazy. It would be really great if we could go on early today. (Laughs)
So we all got ready, and we got there, and we did. But the problem is, is because of all the frantic stuff that happened -- from, you know, Metallica's crew, our crew, all the things of, you know, everybody trying to do the right thing -- by the time we got onstage -- which was early -- it wasn't together. You know, the sound was just like -- it wasn't just bad, it was like almost unplayable. And I just remember Axl coming up to me and just going: You know, I can't hear myself -- I can't hear anything. What do we do? (Laughs) You know, and the next thing you know, he left. And that was the end of it.

Spin: What was your last contact with Axl?

Clarke: My last conversation with him was when he called me and was trying to explain what he wanted to do. And, basically, it was: I want to change the sound of the band. You know, I want to go more into a current direction. You know, I want to use, you know, more industrial type things. You know, he was really into bands like Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam and Nine Inch Nails. And I just kinda laughed and said: You know, look -- I want to play guitar in a loud version of The Rolling Stones, you know?

Spin: That brings up something else.... You joined the band in '91 -- they were huge. Then Nirvana came out of nowhere, and they were huge.... Were you guys like: What the hell is this? Or: This is a great record.

Clarke: I mean, I can't speak for Axl, but I could definitely say that I know he thought they were great. Because, I mean, he was wearing their shirt every day. So when Nirvana's record came out, you know, and I heard it, I go-- I mean, to tell you the truth, it sounded like a great pop record to me. I thought the songs were hooky, it sounded good. It didn't really throw my world into any kinda change or anything.

Spin: Rumors they were asked to open some of the dates.

Clarke: That I don't know about. Those are the kind of things that you'd have to ask Slash or something. I don't know. I mean, I know Axl loved a lot of the new bands -- like he loved Pearl Jam ... he liked Nirvana -- and the only way you could really tell is, he was always playing their songs, or was wearing a T-shirt or something. I know he was very much into a lot of the current-- And he loved Soundgarden. I mean, Soundgarden opened for us forever -- you know, way before they ever had, really had a hit or anything. He was always kinda like trying a lot of the new bands.
(closing comments)
I mean, I know Spin magazine hasn't always been the popular magazine with the band, but when I put out my solo record, they actually did a really nice piece, and I thought that was pretty cool.

Spin: It's different now, sort of....