DUFF MCKAGAN On Playing With GN'R Again: There Was A 'Weird Hearing-The-Band-For-The-First-Time-Ever Sensation'

On May 12, former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan promoted the release of his much-buzzed-about new book, "How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)", by taking part in a question-and-answer session at the Strand bookstore in New York City. You can watch video footage of his appearance below.

Asked what it was like reuniting with Axl Rose at five GUNS N' ROSES concerts in South America and the Revolver Golden Gods awards show in Los Angeles in April 2014, Duff replied: "Suddenly going back to do those songs, I sat down… There was a setlist… There was, like, 30 songs. My body knew the songs, my fingers knew the songs, but my ears… There was, like, some sort of weird hearing-the-band-for-the-first-time-ever sensation, because I hadn't listened to it for such a long time… It was kind of like… I don't know, man… [It was like] having a pair of pants when you were 20, then you gained a bunch of weight, and then you had a bunch of health problems, and then you got over the health problems and lost the weight, and now you're 50 and you're putting on those pants and they fit again. [And you're, like], 'All right. I've been though all this stuff, and those pants fit again.' And it was kind of like that, I guess."

McKagan played with GUNS N' ROSES at last year's concerts to fill in for bassist Tommy Stinson, who was committed to two reunion shows at the Coachella festival with THE REPLACEMENTS.

McKagan joined GUNS 'N ROSES onstage for the first time in 17 years at an October 2010 concert in London. He also performed with the current version of GUNS in December 2011 at shows in Vancouver and Seattle. All three appearances were for a few songs, not full gigs.

Last year's South American shows marked the first time Duff has played full concerts with the band since his departure in 1994.

Rose spoke to Revolver magazine about his reunion with McKagan. He said: "It went really well. [Duff] worked really hard on the parts, and he liked playing the newer songs from 'Chinese [Democracy]'. And, you know, it's pretty funny because we'd go to talk about certain things from 'Use Your Illusion', and there's things he doesn't remember, there's things I don't remember. We kind of finish some of each other's memories sometimes. And the Duff that played these shows with us isn't really the Duff that I knew from what I'd call 'old GUNS' or the 'Appetite For Destruction' lineup or the 'Illusion' lineup. Because with this band, with this lineup, everybody goes out and tries to do their very best, and every guy's on. I don't have to tell the other guys what to do or anything, they do it on their own. They push each other really, really hard. That also pushed Duff, and he liked the challenge of that. And he got along with the guys really well. He and some of the band and crew were doing their yoga together during the days we were out there, so…"

"How To Be A Man" is the follow-up to McKagan's critically acclaimed New York Times best selling memoir, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)".

In the new book, McKagan shares the wisdom he gained from his time with GUNS to getting sober after a life of hard living to raising a family with his supermodel wife.