1999.06.DD - Showbizz - Life After Axl (Duff)

June 1999
LIFE AFTER AXL
[An Interview with Mr. Duff McKagan]
From: SHOWBIZZ
Translation by: Renato Trindade [retrindade@mymail.com.br]

Duff Mckagan, ex-bassist of Guns N' Roses, says that Axl Rose is a dictator and looks for the fame with his new band, Loaded.

Among all people involved in the mysteries of Guns N' Roses in the last years, the bass player and lead singer Duff Mckagan is the first one who decided to tell what happened: "It's sad that the band ended like that", he says. Althought Duff's opinion, Guns is not dead. Lead singer Axl Rose, only remaining member of the original formation, is working on the new album with the guitarrists Robin Finck (ex-Nine Inch Nails) and Paul Huge, bassist Tommy Stinson (ex-The Replacements), keyboard player Dizzy Reed and drumer Josh Freese (ex-Infectious Grooves).
Duff follows his career with Loaded - a rock band with punk influences - working with drumer Taz and guitarrists Michael Barragan and Dez Cadena. In the last three years, he's been very busy recording an album with the Neurotic Outsiders-which includes guitarrist Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) and drumer Matt Sorum (ex-Guns N' Roses) -, and plays with his solo band, dissolved after losing the contract with the label. In this interview for SHOWBIZZ, Duff speaks about GNR, his career between 1996-99 and, although he still consider himself Axl's friend, and says what he thinks about Rose's personality.

Let's start with the Neurotic Outsiders. How it was the experience to work with Steve Jones and John Taylor?

Duff Mckagan: It was like working with Iggy Pop, in the Brick By Brick album. Steve is my idol and one of my best friends. It was fantastic to record and tour with him. I've always respected John as a bassist. The funny thing is that, when I was a kid, everybody used to say that I looked like him. These guys influenced me a lot.

Will you release another album?

Duff Mckagan: Maybe. Loaded is my priority now, but for the Neurotic I would save some time.

After the Neurotic Outsiders tour, the press started to hear about the problems of GNR. What really hapenned?

Duff Mckagan: Slash was so pissed and said: "Fuck this band!". He and Axl didn't talk anymore owing to musical opinions. Both of them always came to talk with me, it seemed like I was between two children. Then Axl wanted to fire Matt, but I said: " We're a band and the majority will decide. You're pissed because Matt said that you're wrong".

Wrong about what?

Duff Mckagan: The delay of Axl to record the next Guns' album. The group became autorithative-only Axl's opinions were considered. We were offered lots of money to play in Europe, but I thought: "Wait a minute, I've never played for the money. Why would I do that now? I have a house, a car, I'm fine". I talked to Axl and said: "Man, things are out of control. I don't want to play for a commander".

Why did Axl become so egocentric?

Duff Mckagan: Because he has lot of people around him saying he's always right. They are afraid of him because they don't want to lose their jobs. It's a sad situation, but it's true. If I stayed with Axl, I wouldn't be happy with myself, my personality. Unfortunantely, GNR' fans are the real losers.

Why didn't you, Slash and Matt continue your career together?

Duff Mckagan: Someday we'll do that. We're still friends. We played in the Slamdance (in Park City, Utah, EUA) and it was great. The crowd went crazy. It was a fantastic night.

But isn't it unfair to only give the fans semi-reunions of GNR?

Duff Mckagan: No, we're friends and we always play together. We're not in the same band because we don't want to depend on GNR' name. And the band (GNR) is diferent now. I split with Axl because it doesn't fit with me anymore.

How did you react when Axl said he would continue with new musicians?

Duff Mckagan: If I was him I wouldn't call the group Guns N' Roses. It's not fair with me and Slash, who created the band with him. I don't have to say more because our history is on the albums. My reaction? He didn't do something nice. If he thinks this is right, so...

Are you friends yet?

Duff Mckagan: Yes, but it doesn't mean we agree about everything. We grew up together, he's like a brother to me. I'm not saying bad things about him, I'm just being honest.

Do you feel a relation of love and hate with the group nowadays?

Duff Mckagan: Except in relation to the music we create. But you know what? I would be able to play in Brazil and other countries due to Guns. People will go see the band for curiosity. And I want to prove that Loaded is great.

Obvious question: Will Guns N' Roses have a future without you and Slash?

Duff Mckagan: Fans will judge. When Jimmy Page and Robert Plant came back with Page & Plant, I didn't go to the show because the bassist John Paul Jones wasn't there. I also didn't see Aerosmith with Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay (they replaced Joe Perry in the album Rock In A Hard Place). I thought: "It's not Aerosmith, fuck them!"

After all GNR problems, you recorded an album with your old punk group, Ten Minute Warning. How it all happened?

Duff Mckagan: The owner of Sub Pop (punk and grunge label which released several bands from Seattle) told me: "We released albums of all Settle's bands, only Ten Minute Warining is missing". He wanted our work to have all the history of the Seattle's movement. It was awesome to do it but we don't plan to continue with the band.

You recorded last year a solo album Beautiful Disease that, owing to the fusion of the labels Universal and PolyGram, wasn't released. What happened?

Duff Mckagan: The album was done in December, but Universal bought PolyGram and fired everybody at Geffen. Imagine how I felt -months of work for nothing! I had to begin my career again and the guys who helped me are in my new band. I made a webpage (www.duff-mckagan.com) and lot of people sent me messages asking about Beautiful Disease. So I decide to record a live album with Loaded playing the songs of Beautiful Disease in a club in Los Angeles. You can buy it by my webpage.

So, the original won't be released?

Duff Mckagan: No. Loaded is recording it and four labels are interested. We'll release it and go tour around the world. We want to be a famous band!

You have achieved world sucess with GNR. Is it hard for you to start again?

Duff Mckagan: People always want what they don't have. When GNR played in stadiums, I wanted to play in clubs. Life is a challenge. I've played for millions of people and it was very cool. Now, I want to prove my potential. It's great to be hungry again.

This interview is the same as this one: https://www.a-4-d.com/t3078-1999-05-dd-guitar-world-snake-rattle-n-roll-slash

Although it seems like the answers have been shortened a bit in translation.