SLASH: 'Doing A Book Signing Is Like Being Host Of A Dinner Party With People You've Never Met'

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash has posted the following blog recounting his recent book-signing tour conducted in connection with his self-titled memoir, "Slash":

"The whole book signing experience was pretty memorable because it was a whole different medium — I was promoting something I'm not familiar with. I'd walk into a book store and meet an audience that was somewhat similar to the live audience that I perform for, but the demographic was all over the place. It went from six and seven year olds, all the way to 60 and 70 year olds, and everyone in between.

"When I'm standing on a stage in front of a room full of people, I don't really notice any 70-year-olds, on the average.

"The cool thing about the signings was being in a position to actually stand toe-to-toe with people who are fans — or just curious. I got to look them in the eye, shake their hands, and sometimes even get names.

"It was a very different experience for me. It was personable and that was really cool. I was there with this piece of material, this book we just wrote and people were really into hearing what I had to say. It's different than putting out a record, which people listen to and then you see them when they show up at your gigs. At a book signing you're much more accessible, and your fans are right there, living and breathing in person. They are in front of you as individuals, not just as crowd you see from a stage.

"I knew it was going to be different at the very first signing, at Barnes and Noble in New York City. I had taped 'Letterman' just before it and was wearing a jacket and button down shirt for the show, so at the signing I took off my jacket and was there in my shirt, starting off this whole thing. This girl came up to the table and kind of looked me over and just said, 'Slash, this is way too conservative for you.' It dawned on me right then what a different element I was in.

"All of the signings were fun but the best for me, the one where I was the most comfortable was the one at the Whisky a Go Go. We had a bar, and loud music was playing; it was a club environment and there was some jamming and stuff later that night. And it was in L.A. I got up and played at that one, but the one that was most like an actual show was the one at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. I was actually on a stage — they built one stage in the atrium there in the biggest mall in America — hence the name. Unlike other places where people were lined up outside the store, they were lined up in front of the stage, like a crowd at a gig, as I sat up there signing books.

"I felt sort of naked out there at the table at all of the signings without the backdrop of my band and crew — my gang. I was there with a bunch of people who work in the bookstore and I was in their store, trying to get away with smoking cigarettes. And sober. It was definitely a little bit different. The pressure was really on me to hold up my end of the bargain which was to be able to accept my audience.

"It was cool to do it; it was almost cathartic in a way. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, just being out there, meeting fans in this way.

"I have to say that everybody was genuinely really nice. I wasn't expecting anything bad, but I wasn't sure what they would be like. When you're just sitting there signing books at a table, it's possible that somebody can just walk right up you and go 'You're a fucking asshole!'

"Doing a signing is like being the host of a big dinner party with a bunch of people you've never met. You just don't know what's gonna happen. But everybody was really really nice — endearing is the best word I can think of. They were full of compliments, and I don't take compliments that well, but it was really, really nice. Young and old, everyone was very cool, and we did signings for 800-1000 people per event.

"A lot of people brought stuff they wanted signed, like guitars, Guitar Hero controllers, pictures, all kinds of gifts. The thing was, I'd need to get into a whirlwind pace of signing just to get through that many books in the time period available — some people bought upwards of 40 books a piece that I had to sign one after the other with no break. In that type of situation, all you can do is sign it. Then I'd look someone in the eye as they'd try to hand me something that clearly meant something to them, and ask me, 'Can you please just sign this? Please?' I really couldn't, because if I did one, I'd have to do every one. So what ended up happening was that I'd tell them to wait around until the end and I'd sign it later. I'd go outside and sign all of that in the parking lot for another hour or however long it took.

"Who would have thought, though? I've never released a book, I've never been to a signing and outside of the library or a book store, knew nothing about books or publishing in general. I'd read them and that's it. I never thought about what goes into writing them or editing them or producing them in general. When we wrote this I thought it was only going to go out to those GUNS N' ROSES fans who cared — and I knew there were those — and no one else. I had no idea that we'd get a turnout like this, from the many different types of readers to the huge number of readers. I had no idea that the book we wrote would appeal to enough people to get it on top of the New York Times bestseller list for over a month straight. I had no idea that what we were dong was working toward something that would become this big. Who knows... maybe that's why it's cool."

Slash performing at the Los Angeles book-signing at the Whisky A Go Go (November 2007):

Part 1:

Part 2: