2011.02.18 - Artisan News - Duff McKagan To Get Loaded Again

Voice-over: Duff McKagan and his band Loaded are set to release the follow-up album to their 2009 debut, “Sick.” McKagan, who made a name for himself with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, embarks on one of his most ambitious projects to date. His new effort is called “The Taking” and he said that it's the closest thing he's come to making a concept record. Duff talked about what he views as a concept record.

Duff: Some concept records are “geniusly” funny, and they're not even meant to be funny, so I'd never thought I'd… I'm in on the joke of rock - you know, like I can take the piss out of myself more often than somebody else can take the piss out of me, but I think we made a concept record. But it was a concept of something we witnessed and the end of the first lyric for Easier Lying really informed the second song lyric that Jeff turned in, She's An Anchor. There was a situation that was happening personally to somebody in the band and his partner, and we're good friends with both of them. And it was kind of unraveling, sort of like the kind of big elephant in the room. You know, do you feel guilty because it's happened? Like, how you go about this, you just be a friend and that's about it.

Voice-over: So how does Duff McKagan’s Loaded compare to Guns N’ Roses or Velvet Revolver?

Duff: I don't sing in Velvet Revolver (laughs). Huge difference, I'm on the right side of the stage. You know, people don't realize, like, my whole experience, besides Loaded, really has been from the right side of the stage. All Guns N’ Roses, all Velvet Revolver, I get around the stage, but my main… you know, I’m the right side of the stage guy. So being in the center of the stage for a whole gig and sort of - the people that are looking in the middle, you know, I'm their focus, I guess. Obviously, I'm probably more in the driver's seat of Loaded; it would at least appear that way from the outside. I don't think we’re ever going to have illusions of headlining arenas. We're being based in reality and it's really about our love of music.

Voice-over: Duff McKagan’s “The Taking” is set to arrive on vinyl on April 12th and on CD on April 19th, and the collection is sparking a movie of the same name, which is set for release this summer. We'll have details for that, Duff talking about the latest VR singer rumors, and his thoughts about hopping on stage with GN’R a few months back.