SLASH Explains Why He Didn't Take Part In GUNS N' ROSES 'Reunion' Gig

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash has spoken out about the recent GUNS N' ROSES near-reunion that took place at the Key Club in Hollywood, California and his reasons for not participating in it. Speaking to Mark the Shark of the TK101 radio station in Florida, Slash stated about the July 28, 2007 gig, "I went down there for a minute to say 'Hi' to Steven [Adler, original GUNS N' ROSES drummer, who was headlining the show with his band ADLER'S APPETITE] and what-not. What happened was Steven has finally come out of that sort of haze that he's been in for the last 17 years — I don't think I need to explain it any more than that. I was sort of instrumental in getting him out of the place he was in into a little bit more sober kind of environment. So I've been hanging out with him and supporting him and stuff. He had that gig that was about to happen, and I'm really jazzed that he's gotten back on the drums and he's gotten ambitious again and he's gonna go out and play. And then at some point he went public and said… Steven's just an excitable guy and he meant well when he said it, but he said that there was gonna be this reunion, that I was gonna be there and Duff [McKagan] and Izzy [Stradlin] and Axl [Rose] possibly, and that just fueled that already rapid-fire kind of GUNS N' ROSES rumors that goes on. Once I started getting phone calls and e-mails from all over the world about this gig, I said, 'You know what? I can't support it as such 'cause that's not what it is.' So I went down there but I didn't wanna get up and play because I didn't wanna fuel that any further. So I think Duff got up and played, and Izzy got up and played, and it was what it was, but I don't see any reunion happening for real."

When asked if he has heard any of the material from Axl Rose's long-awaited "Chinese Democracy" album and to provide his thoughts on the current version of GUNS N' ROSES, Slash said, "I haven't heard anything on 'Chinese Democracy' and probably won't until it's released. I'm sure at some point it will be released, but your guess is as good as mine. As far as what is happening with GUNS N' ROSES, when I quit the band, or when I left the organization, so to speak, and Axl was keeping the name, I sort of wished that he'd let the name go and done something on his own and kept the name sort of intact, but him using it and going out and doing his thing, it is what it is — I don't necessarily support it but I don't condemn it either. It's what he wanted to do."

To download the 11-minute interview in MP3 format, click here.