2000.12.02 - CD:UK - Interview with Slash

Transcript:
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Interviewer: We’ve got a very special guest in the studio this morning, as you can hear from behind me. But before I (?), I’m just gonna say, take a look at this.

[Clip Sweet Child O’ Mine video]

Interviewer: Here you go! (?) legendary Slash!

[Cheering]

Interviewer: [...] How are you, Slash?

Slash: I’m fine!

Interviewer: How long have you been in the UK?

Slash: A matter of hours.

Interviewer: A matter of hours.

Slash: We got in yesterday afternoon.

Interviewer: Yeah?

Slash: Yeah, basically. Yesterday evening, something like that.

Interviewer: And you’re on tour now, aren’t you? Slash’s Snakepit.

Slash: Yeah, Ain’t Life Grant tour. That’s what it’s called.

Interviewer: Ah, fantastic. So does this mean that Guns N’ Roses is finished?

Slash: You know, I split from Guns N’ Roses like what, five years ago?

Interviewer: But you see, we’re all having just a little bit of hope that maybe, could it happen, may be happen?

Slash: It’s one of those things. Not in the foreseeable future that I can tell you. I’d be lying (?).

Interviewer: And you would tell me, right? You would let me into the secret, wouldn’t you?

Slash: I mean, I don’t even know what the guys (?). I haven’t seen Axl since I quit. I think that was one of the major things. I’ve been doing so much other stuff since that. It hasn’t really been a thought, you know?

Interviewer: Fantastic. Let’s-

Slash: That’s the truth. I mean, cuz there’s all these rumors going on. That’s what GN’R was; it was like just a combination of rumors.

Interviewer: Yeah, yeah. What was the worst rumor that you had, the most untrue, the most ridiculous rumor? Because you must have had those.

Slash: (Laughing) Getting a blowjob in a bar-

Interviewer: (Laughs) (?)

Slash: We didn’t get to finish it, so...

Interviewer: (Laughs) Let’s move on to e-mails, shall we? Let’s go into e-mails. This one is from Billy from (?), from Scotland, and he says, when was the last time you spoke to Axl Rose?

Slash: I guess five, five and a half years ago.

Interviewer: But you don’t think that it’s gonna... not really quickly.

Slash: It would probably take a couple of months of psychotherapy just to get us into a room together.

Interviewer: Really? Is it that bad?

Slash: No, actually it’s not on a bad note. We just don’t seem to agree on anything. It’s simple as that.

Interviewer: Okay. Next one is from (?) which I think is very cool. And he says, rock music is perceived by the media not to be popular anymore. How does that make you feel?

Slash: Um, I’m not really sure. You know, I just do what I do. I’m a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player, I’ve doing it since when I was 15. So I don’t really pay attention to what the media thinks, what’s popular, what’s trendy, what the fad is... I just do-

Interviewer: You were on tour with AC/DC, weren’t you?

Slash: Oh yeah, we were, 37 days. That was the greatest tour. We didn’t even have a record out yet.

Interviewer: Really?

Slash: We got in front of these arenas and played to 20,000-30,000 people with material that people never heard before.

Interviewer: Yeah, yeah. It was big stadiums, right, yeah.

Slash: We played in front of, like – you know, opening for one of the best rock ‘n’ roll of all time, and so...

Interviewer: So we basically (?).

Slash: Yeah, yeah. All the gigs were sold out and it was like, “this is what we do.”

Interviewer: Fantastic. Next one I’ve got is from Danny (?) from Derby and he says, do you still live the traditional rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle?

Slash: I have my moments (laughs). It’s a 24/7 job, you know, like and choose what you can and can’t do, what your limitations are.

Interviewer: Do you feel like as people expect you of it? Do you feel that you kind of got to be up to people’s expectations?

Slash: No. I’m more dedicated to being a musician than anything, and I sort of just do what I do, and sort of keep things within reason. You know, I had some extremes I don’t really necessarily do anymore, and then I have some stuff I still do and (?). I’m not a model, you know, sort of a school kid (laughs).

Interviewer: Yeah (?). Essentially. And this next comes from (?), and he says, you collect reptiles and snakes as a hobby. How haven’t you ever been badly bitten.

Slash: I just did, actually.

Interviewer: (?)

Slash: I just got the stitches out. You can’t actually see it. It’s actually here on (?). That came from around – about a month ago, I guess it was. And I came home and I had my iguana – I have a big rhino iguana and-

Interviewer: Which is how big? How big are we talking?

Slash: That big.

Interviewer: Wow. In your house.

Slash: He’s in the house, but I have him in the back yard. And he was loose, and he tried to take off – basically he was set for going down (?) boulevard, and so I grabbed him by the tail and he turned around and bit the fuck out of me.

Interviewer: Oh my goodness! I can’t believe that!

Slash: I’ve been bit a couple of times, but nothing life endangering.

Interviewer: Well, bless you. Thank you very much for joining us.

Slash: Yeah (?). You look very lovely.

Interviewer: Thank you very much indeed. Thank you very much indeed. Slash!

[Cheering]

Host: Thanks Cat. I must apologise (?) used in the interview. I’m sorry about that.

That was a live Saturday morning TV show watched by children. According to this BBC article (Feb. 2, 2001) there were complaints because of Slash's use of expletives:

Sexual references

In another ruling, four complaints were upheld relating to one of Ant and Dec's Saturday morning CD:UK shows in which a guitarist swore during a live interview.

Ex-Guns n' Roses star Slash was talking to the pair during a programme in December last year, when he used a four-letter word and made sexual references which were audible to viewers.

The broadcaster, LWT, explained that previous live interviews with Slash had given them no reason to believe he would use expletives.

LWT said it deeply regretted the incident and pointed out that it was the first such occurrence in 119 programmes.

The company apologised unreservedly to viewers for any offence caused.

While upholding the complaints the ITC noted the programme's good record of compliance with regards to live interviews.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1165688.stm

Slash was asked about it in this interview:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4709-2001-02-dd-record-collector-magazine-interview-with-slash

As if to confirm his unswerving commitment to old school rock, Slash appears on the Saturday morning of our interview on this successful children's TV show, CD:UK. A pre-pubescent viewer e-mails the studio of with an innocent question — has Slash ever been bitten by one of his collection of snakes and lizards? "Actually, one of my iguanas bit me last week," the guitarist replies, smiling politely. "I pulled his tail — and he bit the fuck out of me."

I saw you on CD:UK this morning. Did they tell you off for using a rude word?

Slash: No, although they had tried to tell me not to use any. Could you hear it?

Yes. Very clearly.

Slash: Oh. (laughs) Well, it's kinda a part of my language.

The interviewer is Cat Deeley.