2016.12.17 - One On One With Mitch Lafon - Interview with Matt

Excerpts from Ultimate Guitar:
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Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum, who was in the band between 1990 and 1997, recently discussed just how dangerous and hectic those days were.

The musician tells Mitch Lafon: "We never knew what the fuck was going to happen. There was no sense of stability whatsoever.

"That kept the band in a constant state of aggression. When we got on stage we'd take it out on our instruments in sheer exhaustion or anger. It made the shows legendary.

"Everything was so much different than what I expected. I thought I was walking into a straight-up rock band, a crossbreed of AC/DC and Aerosmith, mixed with the Sex Pistols and Nazareth. Along came pianos and these epic 10-minute opuses. I was surprised."

Matt added: "We didn't have a lot of time to prepare [for 'Use Your Illusion' records] - we rehearsed for about a month and went into the studio. We had to learn 33-34 songs, then we went in and recorded everything.

"I was so crammed with music, I had so much to learn. In those days, it was so crazy, how we operated. We'd take one or two takes and it was in the can. You don't cut it up, you don't fuck with it like bands do nowadays. It's done.

"Everything that happened was so natural and everyone was given free rein. The leader, I would probably say, was Slash. He had such a work ethic. Axl was the front guy, the guy controlling what was going to happen that night.

"They needed a guy that could hold the fort together and I did that. It was an interesting time because things were moving so fast.

"I look back with admiration that we all lived through it. We did it. I was in the most dangerous rock 'n' roll band in the world at the time. That's been an amazing journey, but I can't handle living my life like that any more."

Asked about the ongoing reunion, Sorum replied: "What's going on now is great for them, but I was there when it was great too - probably the greatest. They're out there doing that, going on stage on time every night. Times have changed, haven't they?"

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/drummer_matt_sorum_what_was_it_like_to_be_a_member_of_gnr_in_the_90s.html

Ex-GN'R drummer Matt Sorum recently touched on his former band's feud with Nirvana back in the '90s, saying that flipping Guns off was the best thing the grunge champions could do.

He tells Mitch Lafon: "Nirvana brought it back to earth. The hair metal thing was so glitzy and glammy and over the top."

Pointing out that GN'R did not fall into that over-the-top category, the drummer added: "We invited Nirvana to come out on the road with us and they basically flipped us off.

"And that was the perfect answer, that was the punk-rock thing to do - to say, 'Guns N' Roses is corporate, fuck you guys! We're not coming down to bow down and kiss your ass! We're Nirvana!' That was the right statement for them to make, and they took the world over."

Sorum further noted that music genres and trends aren't that relevant, and that it's all about the songs.

"Like any period of music that gets big - the rap metal thing - what bands remain?", he asked. "Korn and maybe Linkin Park. But [labels] must have signed hundreds of those bands too. I'd have to say the originators of that sound are Faith No More, who came way before Linkin Park or Korn. But only the good ones remain that go forward."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/matt_sorum_nirvana_giving_gnr_the_middle_finger_was_the_best_statement_they_could_possibly_make.html