SLASH Memoir Recounts GUNS N' ROSES Mayhem

Molly Brown of Reuters/Billboard recently conducted an interview with Slash about the former GUNS N' ROSES guitarists' memoir, "Slash", due out October 30 via HarperEntertainment. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Billboard: In the book, you mention that you felt rock biographies were "inaccurate and full of s---." How did you go about setting the tone to avoid this?

Slash: I've been approached about doing a book for probably all the wrong reasons so many times, I couldn't validate it in my own mind. For one, it seemed very self-indulgent, very self-centered and very final — and I have no plans of retiring. Finally, I started to realize all this GUNS hype that goes on, all this bull--- that surrounds that band, it's inaccurate, and most isn't even inaccurate, it's just made up. I got fed up with it. (The book will) answer a lot of these questions. I just figured, "Be as honest as possible."

Billboard: Drugs and drinking are a big part of the story. How did it feel to see this down on paper?

Slash: A lot of that stuff I came back and cut out because I didn't want it to be one of those books that basically bragged about how hardcore (we were),blah, blah, blah. Especially nowadays, (because) a lot of musicians and rock bands have this badge they wear that says that they can party really hard, and I hate that. But I probably talk more about that than I actually talk about music. The music was sort of a natural thing you don't have to talk about, but chemical abuse was sort of every living, breathing moment.

Billboard: A huge part of the book is guns as you're touring and the tardiness of Axl Rose. Was there ever any explanation of what was behind that?

Slash: There's no mention of that in the book at all because it's not my place. In other words, if there was some sort of history that was common knowledge, it would be different. Because there was no real logic behind any of it, the only thing I could do was sort of put the facts there the way I saw it. There could be a lot of stuff that I don't know about that goes on even behind the scenes, behind the scenes, behind the scenes.

Billboard: There's two years of footage from the "Use Your Illusion" tour. Any chance a film will be made?

Slash: I know right now there's no rhyme or reason behind the business really that is the GUNS N' ROSES original lineup or as close to the original lineup as we ended up with. All that stuff is in such a topsy-turvy state, and there's really no relationship — a healthy, positive relationship, at least — between myself and Axl. (So) I really don't have any idea as to how any of that stuff will see the light of day. The situation will hopefully be rectified at one point.

Read the entire interview at this location.