DUFF MCKAGAN: 'There's Been No Communication About Anyone Playing' At GN'R Rock Hall Induction

Former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan spoke to RollingStone.com about the band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The 27th annual ceremony will be held on April 14, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio, home to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum. Also scheduled to be inducted are RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, BEASTIE BOYS, THE SMALL FACES/FACES, Donovan and Laura Nyro. Freddie King well enter the Hall Of Fame as an Early Influence, while the late producer and TV host Don Kirshner will receive the Ahmet Ertegun (nonperformer) Award and producers Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns will receive the Award For Musical Excellence.

The ceremony will be taped for broadcast by HBO, which plans to air it in early May.

When asked if he knows what is going to happen at the ceremony, Duff said, "I don't. I know I'm going to go. I can't, at all, speak for anybody else. And won't. I'll be there with bells on. Is the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that important to me? No. Is it something I've aspired towards? No. It's not sports. You get into the Baseball Hall Of Fame, that's bad-ass. But that's a competitive sport. You have stats. Look, we were a good band — but there were a lot of good bands. A lot of people liked our band, eventually. And that's kick ass."

He added, "What I found out when we got nominated is that there's just a shit ton of fans around the world who are really psyched. In that case, it's more about them and the people that believed in us and bought our records and came and saw us. Imagine that? All those people believing in our band — a thing we created out of thin air. That part of it is an honor. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as an institution? I really don't know much about it."

On the topic of whether he hopes the classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES will reunite and play at the induction ceremony, Duff said, "I think it would be killer. Do I hope to? That's a tricky question. It would be awesome. You have those day dreams like, 'We'll go up and play 'Nightrain' and 'Brownstone' and throw down the microphone and drop off! That'll be killer!' But I doubt that'll happen."

He continued, "There's been no communication about anyone playing. There was probably a day in the mid-1990s where I would have tried to gather the troops, but I'm just not that guy anymore. It's too frustrating to change anyone else… I'm not even sure I'd want to change how anyone else sees a situation. But I'm going."

Singer Axl Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler will all be inducted into the Hall, along with later members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Although Rose has made his peace with various members of the group over the years, including McKagan, Stradlin and Adler, there doesn't seem to be any change in his non-friendly stance toward Slash.