Velvet Revolver Announce Two U.S. Shows

VELVET REVOLVER has announced the following dates:

Dec. 29 - Trenton, NJ - Sovereign Bank Arena
Dec. 31 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom

As previously reported, VELVET REVOLVER's Australian tour, which was due to kick off in Brisbane next Tuesday, has been postponed until early next year. The band is disappointed that they have to wait even longer to get to Australia, as they were extremely excited to play for their Australian fans. New Australian dates, expected to be between January and March of next year, will be announced on Monday. This postponement also applies to the exclusive event for Harley-Davidson Australia that was scheduled for next Friday in Sydney, which was to be used as a showcase for the new 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

All tickets for the December shows will remain valid for the rescheduled shows in 2008.

VELVET REVOLVER wrapped up a North American tour with ALICE IN CHAINS last month as it continues promoting its second album, "Libertad". The record has sold 255,000 copies in the United States since its release last July, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

0 Comments - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Postpone Australian Tour

News.com.au reports that VELVET REVOLVER has postponed next week's Australian tour citing "health issues."

The band, formed by former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland with GUNS N' ROSES legends Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, had five Australian dates scheduled between December 4 and December 9.

They were forced to pull their dates in Japan when immigration officials refused their visa requests due to the criminal backgrounds of some of their members, particularly Weiland, who has a long history of battling drug addiction.

Neither the band’s record label SonyBMG nor Australian promoter KMW Productions were able to explain the last-minute change of heart by the band — with a spokeswoman telling News.com.au that VELVET REVOLVER management would not go into details about the mysterious health issues and which band members were afflicted.

Slash conducted interviews with Australian media on Thursday (November 29) and was excited about the band returning to Australia to perform.

The promoter is expected to release details about the rescheduling of the tour and refund of tickets tomorrow (November 30).

3 Comments - Discuss

Slash To Appear On Montel Williams Show

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash will be a guest on tomorrow's (Thursday, November 29) episode of "The Montel Williams Show" (also known as "Montel"), a syndicated a talk show hosted by Montel Williams. Slash will share his story of battling back drug addiction to start a new successful band and become a happy family man.

Slash's co-author of his new autobiography, Anthony Bozza told BostonNow.com, "The greatest thing for me as a writer working on this book is that Slash never really gave it up in the press. He didn't talk about the stuff that went on behind the scenes with himself or with the band. To be honest, I don't think he ever really cared about that kind of stuff. But people always ask him about it and with the the 20th anniversary of 'Appetite for Destruction' this year, he just felt it was time to put all that stuff to bed and just focus on his new band, VELVET REVOLVER."

0 Comments - Discuss

Slash Loses Suitcase At Airport

According to Metro.co.uk, former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash has revealed that his suitcase was misplaced when he recently jetted into the UK, reports The Independent.

"It has got loads of really expensive jewelry and all my leather trousers in," he is quoted as saying.

Slash reportedly added that it meant he had to wear the same clothes for three days.

The guitarist continued: "I saw one suitcase that looked like mine. I would have taken it but could have ended up walking around London in someone else's dress."

7 Comments - Discuss

Jetboy Guitarist Claims Slash Contrdicts Himself

BringBackGlam.com recently conducted an interview with JETBOY lead guitarist Billy Rowe. An excerpt from the chat follows:

BringBackGlam.com: Do you know that JETBOY is mentioned several times in the new Slash autobiography?

Billy: Yeah. That's a very interesting question. We played L.A. Friday and Las Vegas Saturday. A good friend of ours, he's 25, a huge fan of the band…he helps us out. Anyway, I stayed at his place Friday night and he was like, "I got the Slash book." I looked at it…and I just knew. I guarantee we're in that in bits, pieces and good size chunks. It's like history repeating itself all over again.

BringBackGlam.com: Well, it seems like Slash was a big fan.

Billy: Yeah. It's really interesting. Fern read the whole thing on the way to Vegas and back. It so personal because Todd (Crew, bass) died and was fired from the band due to substance abuse, mainly alcohol. We tried to get our manager and the band…we were buddies, two bands connected at the hip. Actually, Fernie and I knew Axl and Izzy before GUNS N' ROSES even formed and then once we got our bands going…well, HOLLYWOOD ROSE was hanging on by a thread. Axl was like "Dude, I got a new band, let's start doing shows together." Me and Izzy were pretty tight…it's kind of funny. We were the two that introduced Todd to GUNS N' ROSES and got that whole connection going. You know, Todd ended up just looking at different things… a lot of partying. When Todd joined JETBOY, he wasn't that much of a partier. It got to the point where we went to GUNS N' ROSES and said "Todd is going to die. He's bad off, you need to something." They were like "Todd's fine. We all party. You guys are tripping." We didn't know what to do. We were meeting with labels, our producer was making comments that he was cheating the band…we were a team. It was a hard decision — and to this day I don't know if it was the right decision — but from that day on, the two of us — JETBOY and GUNS N' ROSES — were at war. Six months later, Todd was dead. Todd's family went after Slash. They hired a private investigator and all this stuff. GUNS N' ROSES started badmouthing us all the way to the top. They became the biggest band in the world. A year later, they fired Steven Adler for the same reason. Is it the pot calling the kettle black? I say yes all the way around. It's very personal. I think they have guilt. They know we went to them. He was only 20 years old. He was doing too much and he died. It's a shame. When I read the book…there's a lot of stuff that isn't true. It bothers me. Slash wants the last laugh.

BringBackGlam.com: What is untrue?

Billy: First thing, he gives us props, but then he says "I didn't like the band very much."

BringBackGlam.com: Well, he doesn't like glam.

Billy: Well, I've got photos of that guy wearing lipstick, huge hair and fishnets up his arms. Whatever. He says stuff like "Their lead singer had a mohawk so that makes them less transparent, like POISON." Earlier in the book…he talks about auditioning for POISON while he was still in GUNS N' ROSES! He contradicts himself. He says he doesn't like glam but he auditioned for the glam band that was doing the best at the time because, obviously, he wanted success. When he says that he didn't like the band, that isn't true. We were all friends, we all supported each other. Axl used to trip on Mick. Mickey used to wear the chaps, then Axl started wearing the chaps. The whole overdose situation that Todd died in Slash's arms…and that he (Slash) swears someone else was there and gave him some bad dope. Todd wasn't very experienced. The bottom of the line is the guy OD'd and they revived him and then they put him back in bed. What kind of idiot doesn't call for paramedics right away? From what I know, the truth is, after he OD'd and they revived him, Slash panicked and left. They (GUNS N' ROSES) came back they found him dead, and that was their alibi. It makes complete more sense than him dying in Slash's arms when he's high as a kite on dope, probably facing possession, and he got not one charge, nothing. There's definitely some loopholes in the story.

BringBackGlam.com: So after Todd died, you never had anything else do with GUNS N' ROSES?

Billy: After Todd was out of the band, they were headed toward their trouble. They wanted to fire Axl — several times — before they even did a record. We all had issues with singers (laughs). I kept up with Izzy (Stradlin, original rhythm guitar for GUNS N' ROSES) he's the guy who definitely started separating himself from the band…especially when they started to get success. I remember we got thrown out of a (GUNS N' ROSES) show in the Bay Area. [JETBOY] had just moved back to San Francisco…in like 1991 and we were pretty good buddies with SKID ROW. They were touring with GUNS N' ROSES. We went to hang out at the show and we were backstage…and here comes Axl walking by. Mickey said "Hey Axl, what's going on?" We kind of did have a make-up thing. They made a public apology at the Cathouse one night (in 1988), but we didn't hang out like we used to. They were blowing up so big they were always on the road. Ten minutes later, I saw some crew guy…go up to SKID ROW's guy and whisper in his ear and I just knew. That crew guy talked to Rachel (Bolan, SKID ROW bassist) and he was like "What?!" and he came over and said "Dude, you've all got to leave. Axl said he won't go on until JETBOY is out of the venue." I was like "You've got to be fucking kidding." He really just wanted us out of backstage. The funny thing is they had given us fifth row seats, so it was almost like a slap. "Get out there and watch what you ain't got." The next day I ran into Izzy on Haight Street…me, Mick and Rachel and my sister were all there shopping around. My sister was like "Hey, there's Izzy!" I was like, "Fuck that!" and I walked out the door, but before I could get out of the door, he started yelling my name. He said "Dude, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I had nothing to do with that. You know it's not me. If you want to come tonight, you can be my personal guest it's totally good…" Once that happened, I knew it was all Axl and it was all over Todd. He was never around. He was always in his own world. It was another drama situation for him to embellish and be a part of…to use his wackiness. I never understood that.

2 Comments - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Bassist Talks Guns N Roses Reunion

Australia's News.com.au reports that VELVET REVOLVER's bass guitarist Duff says he's open to hooking up with GUNS N' ROSES again and, of course, Axl Rose — as as long as it's not too chaotic.

And he intends seeing Australia on a Harley-Davidson when his band tours next month.

Speaking to News.com.au's Qconfidential from a beachside bar in Maui where he ordered a cocktail during the interview, Duff said he and Slash had discussed a possible GUNS N' ROSES show.

"It would be a lot of fun as long as it was on a fun level and say just 10 shows to huge crowds," Duff said.

"But we're not really hanging around for a call or with our breath held."

Duff's more immediate focus is VELVET REVOLVER's show on December at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

The band has visas for their visit Down Under, unlike their tour of Japan which had to be cancelled because they were denied visas.

He was last here with the band a couple of years ago and surprised a number of locals, especially a three-piece cover band, when they turned up at the Victory Hotel on a Sunday night.

"Brisbane's an awesome place and I remember that pub and the people were really friendly," Duff said.

"Anywhere where there's sunshine and palm trees people are happy."

As for his love of Harleys: "We're going to get a couple of bikes and on our days off tour around country. It's better than staying in your hotel room."

0 Comments - Discuss

Slash Speaks On Guns N Roses Rumours

The following story is courtesy of CityNews.ca:

He plays heavy metal notes with a passion few others can match. But it turns out those aren't the only notes veteran axeman SLASH kept all those years. He's assembled enough of his experiences as the guitar god for GUNS N' ROSES to put them into a book. And this road warrior isn't afraid to tell all.

The real Saul Hudson's tome, Slash, is filled with tales from his beginnings with G'nR to his new incarnation in Velvet Revolver. The man looks the same - the characteristic mane and the ever present cigarette, hat and sunglasses. But he admits he's changed over the years of seeing so many strange things happening in his life. And it's his only chance to set the record straight.

"There were a lot of rumours about Guns 'N Roses going around that was really getting to me, you know," he confesses. "It was like stuff that I usually, you know, sort of just dismiss and don't pay much attention to, but it got to be really saturating and I got fed up and I said, 'okay, the only way I'm going to be able to get some accurate information out there, from at least the way that I see it, is to actually do the book.'"

Read the full article at this location.

6 Comments - Discuss

Slash Announces Ultimate Guitar Showdown

The following press release has been issued:

Music Nation, the online home for independent artists, announces SLASH's Ultimate Guitar Showdown, an online competition in search of the ultimate guitar solo. Guitarists will be judged by one of the most recognizable figures in modern music: Slash, current VELVET REVOLVER and former GUNS N' ROSES guitar god, and now the animated star of wildly popular video game Guitar Hero III. Looking to serve any and every guitar-wielding gearhead, Slash’s Ultimate Guitar Showdown will award one competitor, courtesy of Gibson, Slash’s favorite guitar – a Gibson Les Paul Guitar – and the setup that brings it all together – a Marshall Stack.

Slash’s Ultimate Guitar Showdown will empower bedroom guitar heroes and bands with killer guitarists to go head-to-head for bragging rights. Entrants can upload their videos and/or mp3s at showdown.musicnation.com to create an artist profile now. Slash will not only be the sole judge of guitar craft, but guitarists can also browse the website for hidden interview footage of the iconic axeman himself.

Musicians can enter up to December 4th. Beginning November 27th, musicians will gain valuable feedback from the public, who can rank competition entries via head-to-head voting before the best ten are judged by Slash beginning on December 5th. The winner will be announced on the website December 10th with four honorable mentions

Read the full article at here.

0 Comments - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Frontman Talks Autobiography

Dean Goodman of Reuters reports that Scott Weiland said on Sunday that he has a publishing deal to write an autobiography, but is feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of chronicling his eventful life to date.

"It's a weird thing," the VELVET REVOLVER frontman told reporters backstage at the American Music Awards. "You make a lot of records, write a lot of songs, but all of a sudden you go into a whole different vein, and it's a little bit scary to dive into."

Weiland, 40, said he would collaborate on the project with David Ritz, the "Sexual Healing" lyricist who has co-written autobiographies for the likes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and most recently Don Rickles. He did not reveal the name of the publisher.

Weiland was accompanied by VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash, who just wrote a self-titled memoir with Anthony Bozza (Eminem, Tommy Lee).

Slash's advice to Weiland? "Just jump in, and once you get going you can't stop."

Slash, 42, said there has been "some interest" from Hollywood producers in adapting his book for the screen, "but I haven't really looked into it."

Read the full article at this location.

3 Comments - Discuss

Slash Planning Solo Album

Current Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N Roses guitarist Slash recently published his autobiography and now has a solo album in his sights. Although he doesn't have a timetable for the project, Slash told The Pulse of Radio he already has a lot of ideas for what direction he wants it to take. "I really want to do a solo record and play with a lot of different people that I've worked with before, maybe some people I haven't worked with, and just do something really, really sort of interesting," he said. "'Cause I've played on so many other people's records, you know, and I want to write material for, like, different individuals to sing on and whatnot. So that's sort of like the main sort of backburner kind of thing going on at the moment."

Meanwhile, VELVET REVOLVER was forced to cancel a four-city Japanese tour after the band members were denied visas. A spokesperson for concert promoter Creativeman Productions noted in a statement that the group had previously toured Japan in 2005, but now explained, "The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various band members, which have included arrests." VELVET REVOLVER is appealing the decision, but the process could take months to resolve. "We want to apologize to our fans in Japan that we won't be able to perform our scheduled concerts," the band said in a statement. "We don't understand why the authorities won't give us visas when they granted them for us in 2005 for what was a successful tour and a great experience. We love Japan and look forward to our return there."

VELVET REVOLVER is still scheduled to tour Australia in early December.

The group wrapped up a North American tour with ALICE IN CHAINS last month as it continues promoting its second album, "Libertad". The record has sold 250,000 copies in the United Staes since its release last July, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Slash will appear as a presenter at the 35th annual American Music Awards, which will broadcast live on ABC this Sunday (November 18) from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

2 Comments - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Issue Statement On Japanese Shows

The following press statement has been released:

VELVET REVOLVER were looking forward to their upcoming tour of Japan: a series of four concerts--to promote their current album Libertad - between November 26 and November 30, encompassing the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama.

For the band, the upcoming trek was the opportunity to reconnect with their fans in Japan, where the band tour has toured before--without incident - back in 2005.

But now it’s a different story as the band’s request for visas has just been denied. The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various band members, which have included arrests. The band is appealing the decision of the officials--which is ironic given that Libertad is Spanish for “liberty” and “freedom”--but this process will unfortunately take months to sort out.

“We want to apologize to our fans in Japan that we won’t be able to perform our scheduled concerts,” Velvet Revolver said in a group statement. “We don’t understand why the authorities won’t give us visas when they granted them for us in 2005 for what was a successful tour and a great experience. We love Japan and look forward to our return there.”

Velvet Revolver will proceed with their Australian tour that begins on December 4 in Brisbane. Upon its return to the U.S., the band- lead vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Dave Kushner - will headline Wednesday, December 12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre. This show - with ALICE IN CHAINS - was originally set for Friday, October 26 at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA but was postponed due to the devastating Southern California wildfires. See dates below and check out www.velvetrevolver.com

Dates on Velvet Revolver's Australian tour are as follows:

December
4 - Brisbane, Australia - Convention Centre
5 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
6 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
8 - Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre

0 Comments - Discuss

Guitar Hero III Brings In $100Mil In First Week

The Pulse of Radio reports: Guitar Hero III grossed more than $100 million in its first seven days on sale in North America, according to Variety.com. Activision revealed the figures on Monday (November 5), making the music-based video game the second biggest title of the year after Halo 3, which hauled in $170 million in its first day alone. The sales of Guitar Hero could be either a positive or negative sign for the upcoming Rock Band, depending on how much money players have left to spend when the latter game arrives at the end of the month.

The third entry in the massively popular Guitar Hero series, which has been promoted by commercials featuring VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash, features songs from DISTURBED, SLIPKNOT, THE KILLERS, AEROSMITH, A.F.I., GUNS N' ROSES, METALLICA, MUSE, PEARL JAM, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SMASHING PUMPKINS and dozens more.

Stars such as KORN's Jonathan Davis and Trent Reznor of NINE INCH NAILS have been outspoken in their enthusiasm for the game.

As previously reported, following the October 28th release of the game many of the artists with tracks featured in the game saw impressive spikes in both album and single sales. British metallers DRAGONFORCE claimed the #1 spot for digital single sales amongst other tracks included in Guitar Hero III for "Through The Fire And Flames," a track from their Roadrunner Records debut, "Inhuman Rampage." The single saw an impressive 183% increase over the prior weeks single sales. More...

Read more...  |  14 Comments - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Denied Japanese Visas

VELVET REVOLVER has been forced to cancel its four scheduled concerts in Japan as immigration officials there have denied the band's request for visas. According to concert promoter Creativeman Productions Co., Ltd., "the members of VELVET REVOLVER were looking forward to their tour of Japan — a series of four concerts to promote their current album 'Libertad' between November 26 and November 30, encompassing the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama. For the band, the upcoming trek was an opportunity to reconnect with their fans in Japan, where the band tour has toured before — without incident — back in 2005. But now it's a different story as VELVET REVOLVER's request for visas has just been denied. The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various band members, which have included arrests."

The affected dates are as follows:

Nov. 26 - Zepp - Osaka, Japan
Nov. 27 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
Nov. 29 - Blitz - Yokohama, Japan
Nov. 30 - Nihon - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan

VELVET REVOLVER recently completed a North American tour with ALICE IN CHAINS.

"The Last Fight" is the second single from VELVET REVOLVER's sophomore album, "Libertad", which has sold 250,000 copies in the United States since its early July release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The melodically transcendent and emotionally cathartic "The Last Fight" is one of the songs inspired by the recent passing of frontman Scott Weiland's brother Michael. In an August 3 interview with The Sun (UK newspaper), Scott explained, "'Libertad' is dedicated to Michael. It is a fitting album title as my brother was certainly searching for his own liberty and freedom up to the way he died. I was really angry at him at first, for my parents and our family but I was able to channel this anger and grief into songs as 'The Last Fight' and 'For A Brother'. It made me come to terms with how sad I was."

The first single from "Libertad" was "She Builds Quick Machines".

1 Comment - Discuss

Slash Announces Toronto Book Signing

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist SLASH will be signing copies of his self-titled memoir, Slash, in Toronto, ONT on Monday, November 19th at 7pm at Chapters Festival Hall.

Chapters Festival Hall is located at 142 John St. For further info, contact the store at 416-595-7349.

4 Comments - Discuss

Slash David Letterman Appearance Available Online

VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash recently appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman to discuss his autobigraphy, simply entitled Slash. The segment can be viewed below: More...

Read more...  |  0 Comments - Discuss

Slash Speaks On Autobiography Process

The Pulse of Radio reports: VELVET REVOLVER and former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash's tell-all book, "Slash: The Autobiography", comes out today (October 30). Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson, explained that even though he had a co-writer, Anthony Bozza, he was still surprised to find that he had to do a lot of hard work on the book. "It was a lot like having kids," he said. "It was sort of like, I thought my wife was gonna do all the, you know, diapers and this, that and the other, and I just had to hang out and be cool, and it turned out not to be that way (laughs) ... Writing the book was the same kind of deal. You know, it was a lot more complex than the actual interview part of the thing, which I thought that would basically be it. But instead I'd read it back and go, 'Oh, no, no, no...'and really have to write it myself."

Some excerpts from the book have been leaked in recent weeks, including details of Slash's substance abuse, including Slash missing a date with porn star Traci Lords because he was coming down from a crack binge, asking a contractor working on his bathroom if he wanted some cocaine, and being so paranoid from his drug intake that he thought he was being stalked by the Predator from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the same name.

1 Comment - Discuss

Lemmy And More Attend Sex Pistols Hollywood Show

A wide range of celebrities turned out for the SEX PISTOLS private club show for fans Thursday, October 25 at The Roxy in Los Angeles: all of VELVET REVOLVER, Gavin Rossdale (BUSH), Mark McGrath, Josh Freese (THE VANDALS, NINE INCH NAILS, DEVO, A PERFECT CIRCLE), Clem Burke (BLONDIE), Phil Collen (DEF LEPPARD), Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD) and Cisco Adler (WHITESTARR) plus actors Ewan McGregor, Naveen Andrews ("Lost"), Danny Masterson ("That '70s Show"), Bijou Phillips, and Jonathan Togo ("CSI Miami"). The packed gig was made possible by Indie 103.1, Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock and Helio.

This week, look for the SEX PISTOLS — John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock — to make their debut on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" Tuesday, October 30 and "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" Wednesday, October 31. Next up for the PISTOLS: five sold-out shows at The Brixton Academy in London (November 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14). Additional shows in Manchester at the MEN Arena (November 17) and at SECC in Glasgow (November 18) have been added due to overwhelming demand.

SEX PISTOLS recently returned to the studio to re-record "Anarchy in the UK", which is included in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as a master track. Now, fans can perform their own live version of the punk anthem in the next installment of the #1 best-selling music and rhythm video game franchise.

THE SEX PISTOLS were an obvious choice for Guitar Hero, having established themselves as the definitive punk band of the 1970s. Unable to locate the original multi-tracks for inclusion in the game, Activision invited the band back into the studio to re-record a couple of songs including "Anarchy in the UK" Original members John Lydon on vocals, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook re-teamed with producer Chris Thomas, utilizing the original analog sound desk (circa 1969) that was built for George Martin at Air Studios, London, England in order to maintain the classic sound.

Thirty years ago this autumn, the song was first included on THE SEX PISTOLS' only studio album, "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" which was reissued on vinyl on October 29, 2007, in its exact original format, including poster and "Submission" 7". The single "Anarchy In The UK" was also reissued on vinyl on October 1, along with three other classic singles throughout October.

John Lydon stated that "Re-recording them [the songs] — what a stress you put on us but we rose to the occasion I think…admirably!" Adding that, "a bit of anarchy in a video game is alright by me."

"It was great for Guitar Hero to, in a way, get us back in the studio. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but it actually turned out great and I think everyone held their own," said Steve Jones. "I like it [Guitar Hero] because my friends' kids like it. And I like what kids like."

0 Comments - Discuss

Slash Schedules More Book Signings

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash has scheduled the following book-signing appearances in connection with his newly published memoir, "Slash", which comes out today (October 30) via HarperEntertainment:

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
4 Astor Place New York, NY 10003

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
7:00 PM
Book Revue
313 New York AVE Huntington, NY 11743

Thursday, November 1, 2007
7:30 PM
Bookends
232 E. Ridgewood AVE Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Monday, November 5, 2007
7:00 PM
Borders
3700 Torrance Blvd Torrance, CA 90503

Wednesday, November 7, 2007
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Book Soup (at The Whisky A Go Go)
8901 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069

Slash — real name Saul Hudson — quit GUNS N' ROSES in 1996 after falling out with singer Axl Rose for the umpteenth time.

But the guitarist, who now plays in VELVET REVOLVER, claims he has tried to make sure his new book, "Slash", is as even-handed as possible.

He says, "This is not a vehicle for me to vent. It's not to lambast Axl or to talk shit about anybody else. It's just telling the story as I knew it."

In a recent interview with E! Online, Slash said the book will include a bunch of stuff about his years with GUNS 'N' ROSES, but not necessarily because he was feeling nostalgic on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of "Appetite for Destruction".

"I never wanted to write a book, because it would be too final," Slash explained. "The only reason I wrote it is because a lot of the stuff I was reading and seeing about the band got pretty frustrating. I just had to straighten out some shit."

"It almost reads like a journal, except for the fact that I never wrote anything down," Slash said. "It was a hard book to make, because I was pretty fucked up from 1980 to 2000-something. I really had to dig deep to try and remember a lot of shit."

Slash's co-author Anthony Bozza told BostonNow.com, "The greatest thing for me as a writer working on this book is that Slash never really gave it up in the press. He didn't talk about the stuff that went on behind the scenes with himself or with the band. To be honest, I don't think he ever really cared about that kind of stuff. But people always ask him about it and with the the 20th anniversary of 'Appetite for Destruction' this year, he just felt it was time to put all that stuff to bed and just focus on his new band, VELVET REVOLVER."

Getting the soft-spoken musician to open up for the book wasn't easy, Bozza admits. Part of the problem was that when they first met, Slash was heavily into his oxycontin, phase, "binging" on the synthetic heroin on a daily basis according to Bozza.

"So when he agreed to write the book, I wasn't sure it would really happen," he said. "But right after we met he went into rehab and was sober — or not on oxycontin, when we did the interviews."

And so began a long series of interviews between the tow, most of them taking place at Slash's home between the hours of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. "He's an absolute night owl. It took me a month to get used to daylight again by the time it was over," Bozza said. "But it was worth it. The book is his reminiscing on one part of his life, but its very much a story that's still being written...in every way."`

4 Comments - Discuss

Slash Schedules New York City In Store Appearance

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash will make an in-store appearance tomorrow (Tuesday, October 30) at 7:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble (4 Astor Place) in New York City.

For more information, call 212-420-1322.

Slash — real name Saul Hudson — quit GUNS N' ROSES in 1996 after falling out with singer Axl Rose for the umpteenth time.

But the guitarist, who now plays in VELVET REVOLVER, claims he has tried to make sure his new book, "Slash", is as even-handed as possible.

He says, "This is not a vehicle for me to vent. It's not to lambast Axl or to talk shit about anybody else. It's just telling the story as I knew it."

In a recent interview with E! Online, Slash said the book will include a bunch of stuff about his years with GUNS 'N' ROSES, but not necessarily because he was feeling nostalgic on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of "Appetite for Destruction".

"I never wanted to write a book, because it would be too final," Slash explained. "The only reason I wrote it is because a lot of the stuff I was reading and seeing about the band got pretty frustrating. I just had to straighten out some shit."

"It almost reads like a journal, except for the fact that I never wrote anything down," Slash said. "It was a hard book to make, because I was pretty fucked up from 1980 to 2000-something. I really had to dig deep to try and remember a lot of shit."

1 Comment - Discuss

Velvet Revolver Postpone Tonights Show

VELVET REVOLVER has postponed its headlining concert tomorrow night, Friday, October 26th at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA due to the devastating Southern California wildfires. This includes the fire in the city of Irvine where evacuations have taken place and the Irvine School District has closed all schools on Friday due to poor air quality. The rescheduled show - with ALICE IN CHAINS, who were also set to play the Irvine gig - will take place Wednesday, December 12th at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles after Velvet Revolver return from their tour of Japan and Australia.

Fans holding tickets for the October 26th Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre show that were purchased at Ticketmaster retail outlets or at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre box office can exchange them for tickets to the new venue at the Gibson Amphitheatre box office starting Monday, November 5th. The Gibson Amphitheatre box office is open Monday through Saturday from 1pm to 8:45pm.

Fans who purchased tickets via Ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone will automatically receive tickets to the Gibson Amphitheatre December 12th show by mail. For those unable to attend the new date and new facility, refunds are available at point-of-purchase.

Velvet Revolver send their sincerest thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected by the tragic fires in Southern California, where the Governor has issued a State of Emergency for seven counties including Orange County. The Irvine fire has left the air quality extremely poor and there is concern that the county’s resources - police, fire and medical - will be spread much too thin and thus compromise a safe environment for the fans.

1 Comment - Discuss