VELVET REVOLVER's MCKAGAN Talks About COREY TAYLOR Rumors In New Video Interview

In a new interview (see video below) with the Artisan News Service, Duff McKagan (DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) was asked about the rumors that STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor could be adding VELVET REVOLVER to the list of bands he sings for. "We'll see," Duff replied. "There's no big rush with the VR thing, because [VELVET REVOLVER guitarist] Slash is on tour [with his solo band].

"Here's the deal: Because of Twitter and other web sites over the last, whatever, eight years, especially in the last [couple of years], you can't say anything; it's instant. And somebody will tweet something and then people will read it and then all of a sudden we're talking about this. So I understand it, I've been part of it.

"I'll go with Corey Taylor's line that was genius, like, a week ago or whatever. I can neither confirm nor deny that Corey Taylor is in VELVET REVOLVER.

"That guy is the real deal, in my view. It's just my view. No, I think millions of other people think the same thing — that he's the real deal."

When asked by The Charlotte Observer where VELVET REVOLVER stands on finding a new singer, Slash said, "There was truth to the rumor that we were looking at Corey Taylor, but then I left for tour. So there's nothing being done at the moment. No decision."

McKagan added fuel to the Corey Taylor rumors in a chat he did on February 9 at ESPN.com. Asked by a fan what the most important attribute is that a lead singer should have besides a great voice, McKagan responded, "Any good artist has to have . . . the ability to tap the dark stuff and have it be real. Great lead singers have the ability to tap that. No inhibitions helps as well. Axl (Rose) and Scott (Weiland) are two of the best front men ever. Corey Taylor is one of those guys as well. He can tap it."

When asked about the rumors that Taylor was going to join VELVET REVOLVER, McKagan wrote, "I can neither confirm nor deny . . . He is a bad dude though. I like him as a human being and a singer. He's the voice of a whole new generation."

Taylor himself "neither confirmed nor denied" the rumors in an interview with Billboard.com last month, merely laughing and saying, "To be continued!" when asked about it.

Taylor has been touring with STONE SOUR since last summer behind the band's "Audio Secrecy" album. He has been publicly ambivalent about continuing with SLIPKNOT in the wake of Gray's death, although he will join the band for some festival gigs this summer.

VELVET REVOLVER has been without a singer since firing Scott Weiland in April 2008. McKagan, guitarist Slash and drummer Matt Sorum have all hinted in recent months that the band was finally close to settling on a new frontman.