1999.05.DD - Guitar World - The Guitar World Enquirer with Duff McKagan

by **Blackstar** Sun 29 Mar 2020 - 20:09

The Guitar World Enquirer with Duff McKagan

by Alan Paul

Who are your guitar heroes?

Johnny Thunders and Steve Jones. Steve and Johnny both have a quick, staccato bluesy thickness to their playing that I love. And I was fortunate enough to be in a band [the Neurotic Outsiders] with Steve.

What was your worst gig ever?

My worst ever was actually in a dream. When Guns N' Roses sold out the L.A. Forum for five nights, I was in shock that we could be that big. The first two nights Keanu Reeves was right up front, rocking real hard, and I had a dream that we played and there was no one else in the Forum except for Keanu Reeves, sitting all alone in the front row. It was horrible.

How about your best gig?

The first time Guns played Madison Square Garden. There's nothing like the energy you feel when you're the king of New York for a day. Everyone from the people in the hotel to the cab driver knows what you're there to do and seems to rally behind you. It's a tremendous experience.

Any fashion tips for guitarists?

Never buy a neon-colored instrument.

What is the one piece of gear you couldn't live without?

Now that I'm singing, my Eventide Harmonizer.

So what happened to GN'R?

I don't know. Your answer's as good as mine. Basically, I think the fame got to us. It got too big and no one knew how to contain each other and keep some sort of continuum going. It ws a volatile situation, which made the band exciting, but big business and volatility don't mix. There was an electricity within the band, so that even at rehearsal, it was just blazing. And like with any electrical circuit, if you chop the wire, remove any source, it's not going to run at full power. Or if you add more lamps, it's just not gonna be the same. It's a shame because I think we should have at least made a record for all the fans all over the world who supported the Use Your Illusion tour so well. I am so proud of what we accomplished, not on a business level - which obviously was also huge - but just as five guys who met on the streets of Hollywood with one idea - to make uncompromised rock and roll and make it be heard. And we did that, man. We succeeded.

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Source:
https://web.archive.org/web/20021101002803/http://www.gnrunlimited.com/articles/gw-5-99.html