An album of newly written material is the bands current priority

EspyRock recently conducted an interview with GUNS N’ ROSES/SIXX: A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

EspyRock: This year marks your third year with the band so how has the journey been so far?

Ashba: It’s been surreal; it’s a dream come true. I would have never believed anyone when I was a kid that one day I would grow up to be the lead guitarist of GUNS N’ ROSES. It’s just surreal and I’m honored to part of it. I’m super appreciative of the fans out there who have supported it.

EspyRock: Did you have trouble adjusting to begin with, because you were walking into the lion’s den with everything that had happened over the years and you also had other aspects such as your on stage time being doubled from what you were used to?

Ashba: Yeah, well I’ve played a lot of arenas in other big bands before, but nothing ever like GUNS N’ ROSES. The fans and the production, everything about it is just first-class and top-notch. Axl [Rose] doesn’t do anything in a small way, it’s always “go big or go home,” and I love that about being in GUNS.

EspyRock: You have been very vocal about the future of GUNS N’ ROSES and wanting to work on new material for a new GUNS N’ ROSES album but we haven’t heard a lot from the other members. Have the band actually had the opportunity to sit down together and discuss it?
Ashba: Yeah, we have and it has become one of our main focuses. We’re working on a lot of new stuff, not only for the music but we have surprises on this tour and everyone is looking forward to getting out there and putting on a kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll show. The most important thing is that I’m really looking forward to the future with this band. Getting in and writing with everybody and that’s what I’m excited about the most but when it happens has still to be decided.

EspyRock: The demos that you have been working on, I know Axl has heard a lot of them.

Ashba: Yes, he has.

EspyRock: Has there been anything that he has heard and felt could be on a future album or are you not moving as fast as that yet?

Ashba: I don’t want to put words in his mouth and I don’t know yet if he feels it is ready for the album. All I know is that he really liked what he heard and I think together, as a band, we’re all looking forward to putting together what we feel will be the next best GUNS N’ ROSES record.

EspyRock: Are you more eager than the others to get into the studio so you can put your personal stamp on GUNS N’ ROSES?

Ashba: I think everyone is so talented in this band and as a band, we’re so incredibly tight, like a family, and we play insanely well together. I think if this band does put out a new record, it’s obviously going to be a lot different than “Chinese Democracy” or anything you’ve ever heard because it is a completely new band in that aspect.

Read the entire interview from EspyRock.

They're back?

We usually focus on news about Nu GnR and Classic GnR, but this is too weird to ignore: There are conflicting reports that Velvet Revolver has (or has not) reunited with frontman Scott Weiland.  In an interview with ABC News Radio, Weiland says that he’s happy to be back making music with the band.  “We’ve all grown a lot,” explains Weiland.  “We’re able to put egos and differences and old…conflicts aside and so that’s really cool.”

Weiland added that VR has already begun the writing process for their third studio album.  “They gave me a couple of songs and myself and [guitarist] Dave [Kushner] and [bassist] Duff [McKagan] are gonna be getting together for a song writing session next week,” reveals Weiland.

In addition, the singer says that VR will soon be hitting the road for a short tour before the end of the year once [guitarist] Slash finishes supporting his second solo album, Apocalyptic Love.  “Slash’s solo album gets released [on May 22] and so he’s gonna do some touring on that and then we’re gonna go and do some [Velvet Revolver] shows in the later part of summer into early fall.”

However…

During an appearance on this morning’s (Monday, May 14) edition of the “Half-Assed Morning Show” on the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, Slash shot down Weiland‘s reunion comments, explaining, “I have absolutely no intention of going back to that. . . I’m on tour all year. I’ll call Duff, but I seriously doubt [there is any truth to Weiland's comments]. We have no intention of going backwards.”

In other VR news, the band will be releasing a new live DVD on May 25.  Titled Let It Roll — Live in Germany, it documents the band’s 2008 performance at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany for the German TV series Rockpalast.

Gunsnrosesfans.com will keep you posted as this story develops…

The band, born in Los Angeles in 1985, was announced as an inductee in February alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys and Donovan, among others, leading to instant speculation whether the five core members of Guns N’ Roses circa “Appetite for Destruction” would appear together for the first time since 1993. Guitarist Slash officially departed the band in 1996, followed soon thereafter by other members Duff McKagen, Izzy Stradlin and Matt Sorum (original drummer Steven Adler had left a few years earlier).

Rose retained the rights to the band’s name, and over the next decade devoted his time to creating the album “Chinese Democracy,” touring with a revived Guns N’ Roses, and defiantly dismissing any suggestion of a reunion with the original members of the band.

Since February, Rose has remained mum on his plans, even as guitarist Slash has spoken out in favor of a Rock Hall reunion — and acknowledging Rose’s antipathy. “He hates my guts,” Slash told Rolling Stone in early April. “It’s over a lot of different stuff; I don’t even know. There’s just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N’ Roses, there really isn’t anybody that makes decisions.”

In the letter below, Rose specifically criticizes comments by Adler, who speculated to Billboard magazine in 2007 that the band might reunite. Those comments were given by Adler while promoting his own Adler’s Appetite tour, which was timed to support his book, “My Appetite for Destruction.” “I want to finish what we started,” Adler told Billboard then (parentheses and elipses theirs), “and … with the love and support I got from those guys, I think we can (reunite). I’m gonna leave it up to Axl. That’s gonna be Axl’s call, and I love Axl and I know he’ll make the right call.” Below, Rose calls Adler’s comments “reunion lies.” Continuing attempts to reach Adler have not been successful.

During a December 2011 sit-down interview with Rose after a Guns N’ Roses concert in Seattle, the singer had yet to decide his plans, but was uninterested in making a scene at the induction ceremony if he did decide to attend. “I think about it in terms of Marlon Brando getting up at the Academy Awards and talking about Indians … or when Michael Moore got up at the Academy Awards and said whatever about George Bush. People don’t want that associated with their awards shows, even if you have a big audience. In one way it might be right, but it usually backfires on whoever does it. So I really don’t want to spoil it for everybody else — and take the beating.”

Notably, Rose then laughed and cursed Jann Wenner, the founder, publisher and executive editor of Rolling Stone magazine — who also co-founded the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Rose’s open letter is printed in its entirety below.

To: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Guns N’ Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern,

When the nominations for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were first announced I had mixed emotions but, in an effort to be positive, wanting to make the most of things for the fans and with their enthusiasm, I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing. Of course I realized as things stood, if Guns N’ Roses were to be inducted it’d be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation.

Since then we’ve listened to fans, talked with members of the board of the Hall Of Fame, communicated with and read various public comments and jabs from former members of Guns N’ Roses, had discussions with the president of the Hall Of Fame, read various press (some legit, some contrived) and read other artists’ comments weighing in publicly on Guns and the Hall with their thoughts.

Under the circumstances I feel we’ve been polite, courteous, and open to an amicable solution in our efforts to work something out. Taking into consideration the history of Guns N’ Roses, those who plan to attend along with those the Hall for reasons of their own, have chosen to include in “our” induction (that for the record are decisions I don’t agree with, support or feel the Hall has any right to make), and how (albeit no easy task) those involved with the Hall have handled things… no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn’t appear to be somewhere I’m actually wanted or respected.

For the record, I would not begrudge anyone from Guns their accomplishments or recognition for such. Neither I or anyone in my camp has made any requests or demands of the Hall Of Fame. It’s their show not mine.

That said, I won’t be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N’ Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of “Guns N’ Roses”.

This decision is personal. This letter is to help clarify things from my and my camp’s perspective. Neither is meant to offend, attack or condemn. Though unfortunately I’m sure there will be those who take offense (God knows how long I’ll have to contend with the fallout), I certainly don’t intend to disappoint anyone, especially the fans, with this decision. Since the announcement of the nomination we’ve actively sought out a solution to what, with all things considered, appears to be a no win, at least for me, “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” scenario all the way around.

In regard to a reunion of any kind of either the Appetite or Illusion lineups, I’ve publicly made myself more than clear. Nothing’s changed.

The only reason, at this point, under the circumstances, in my opinion whether under the guise of “for the fans” or whatever justification of the moment, for anyone to continue to ask, suggest or demand a reunion are misguided attempts to distract from our efforts with our current lineup of myself, Dizzy Reed, Tommy Stinson, Frank Ferrer, Richard Fortus, Chris Pitman, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and DJ Ashba.

Izzy came out with us a few times back in ’06 and I invited him to join us at our LA Forum show last year. Steven was at our show at the Hard Rock, later in ’06 in Las Vegas, where I invited him to our after-party and was rewarded with his subsequent interviews filled with reunion lies. Lesson learned. Duff joined us in 2010 and again in ’11 along with his band, Loaded, opening in Seattle and Vancouver. For me, with the exception of Izzy or Duff joining us on stage if they were so inclined somewhere in the future for a song or two, that’s enough.

There’s a seemingly endless amount of revisionism and fantasies out there for the sake of self-promotion and business opportunities masking the actual realities. Until every single one of those generating from or originating with the earlier lineups has been brought out in the light, there isn’t room to consider a conversation let alone a reunion.

Maybe if it were you it’d be different. Maybe you’d do it for this reason or that. Peace, whatever. I love our band now. We’re there for each other when the going get’s rough. We love our fans and work to give them every ounce of energy and heart we can.

So let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn’t owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another’s, or in this case several others’, expense.

But hey if ya gotta then maybe we can get the “no show, grandstanding, publicity stunt, disrespectful, he doesn’t care about the fans” crap out of the way as quickly as we can and let’s move on. No one’s taking the ball and going home. Don’t get it twisted. For more than a decade and a half we’ve endured the double standards, the greed of this industry and the ever present seemingly limitless supply of wannabes and unscrupulous, irresponsible media types. Not to imply anything in this particular circumstance, but from my perspective in regard to both the Hall and a reunion, the ball’s never been in our court.

In closing, regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I’d like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns’ induction. More importantly I’d like to thank the fans for being there over the years, making any success we’ve had possible and for enjoying and supporting Guns N’ Roses music.

I wish the Hall a great show, congratulations to all the other artists being inducted and to our fans we look forward to seeing you on tour!!

Sincerely,

Axl Rose

P.S. RIP Armand, Long Live ABC III

Green Day join an all-star group of speakers slated for the ceremony. Chris Rock is going to induct the Red Hot Chili Peppers alongside Bette Midler for Laura Nyro, Chuck D for the Beastie Boys, ZZ Top for Freddie King, Carole King for Don Kirshner, John Mellencamp for Donovan and Steve Van Zandt for Small Faces/Faces. Robbie Robertson will also be there to induct Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns, and Smokey Robinson will induct the Blue Caps, the Comets, the Crickets, the Famous Flames, the Midnighters and the Miracles.

The possibility of a Guns N’ Roses reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has intrigued fans of the group for many years. They haven’t performed with drummer Adler since 1990, and Rose hasn’t played with Slash since 1993. Rose currently tours with a new lineup of Guns N’ Roses, though in recent years original members McKagan and Stradlin have sat in with the band on rare occasions.

“Everyone has been asking me what’s going to happen [at the Hall of Fame],” Slash told Rolling Stone earlier this week.  “And they know as much as I do. I feel you’re totally obligated to be present and I would love to fucking play, but it’s just something that’s not gonna happen for whatever reason.” Relations between Rose and Slash remain, to put it mildly, strained. ”He hates my guts,” says Slash. “It’s over a lot of different stuff; I don’t even know. There’s just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N’ Roses, there really isn’t anybody that makes decisions.”

“Well, I don’t expect really anything to happen,” he said. “I think we’re gonna go and accept the award, is what it’s looking like. If anything, I might play drums with [fellow inductee] Donovan. I offered my services to Donovan because I played with him one time before and ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ was a song he recorded that John Bonham played drums on and Jimmy Page was the guitar player and I offered Donovan that me and Slash could play that maybe, but I haven’t heard back if he wants us to do it or not.”

Since no one yet knows what is happening, VH1 Radio Network asked Matt why he can’t just call singer Axl Rose and find out.

“I thought about it, but, you know, I don’t think I’m the guy to do it,” he said. “I asked Slash if he would do it, and Slash‘s answer to me was that he spoke to [guitarist] Izzy [Stradlin] and Izzy wasn’t planning on coming. So I think that was like, if Izzy‘s not going to come and it’s not all the original guys, then it doesn’t make sense. I’m not sure, man. Like I said, I’m just going to go and obviously Steven‘s gonna be there, so I always thought, if they were going to play, they’ll probably do ‘Appetite’ stuff and if they wanted me to play on something off ‘Use Your Illusion’, I would be happy to do that. If it was a perfect scenario, I would say the track list should go something like this: Go up there and play ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, play ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, and then finish it up with ‘November Rain’.”

Speculation had been running rampant about a reunion ever since it was announced in December that GUNS would be inducted at the April 14 ceremony in Cleveland.

Rose himself — who, by all accounts, will never perform again with Slash — remained ambivalent about the situation, although Slash recently said in an interview that the original lineup was definitely not performing at the event.

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he has mixed feelings about the induction and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in general. “There’s so many artists that haven’t been nominated, and it’s really, really suspicious, because there’s a lot of people that have been inducted that do not fall into the category of rock and roll, and it starts to seem really biased,” he said. “There’s a slew of artists that haven’t been nominated, let alone inducted, that it’s unforgivable under the moniker ‘Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.’”

In addition to GUNS N’ ROSES, other artists being inducted at the 27th annual ceremony include the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, the BEASTIE BOYS, the FACES/SMALL FACES, Donovan and Laura Nyro.

The ceremony will be taped for broadcast by HBO, which plans to air it in early May.

In an interview with Loudwire conducted on Thursday, March 29, Adler spoke about his desire to see the original lineup for GUNS N’ ROSES perform at the band’s upcoming induction into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, saying that he and fellow ex-GUNS N’ ROSES member, Slash, would love to take the stage with their former bandmates once again.

“[Slash is] my brother. I know he’s up to it,” Adler said. “He wants to do it. I want to do it. Just from what I hear, Izzy [Stradlin]‘s not gonna show up and Axl will probably want to play with his hack band — his band of hacks. ‘Axl and His Hacks’ — it shouldn’t even be GUNS N’ ROSES. He’s just driving that name into the freakin’ ground. ‘Axl and His Hacks.’”

Earlier today, Adler released a statement in which he apologized for yesterday’s comments, explaining, “Sometimes my emotions get the best of me when talking about my former band. It’s hard to see your ex in bed with somebody else. We created one of the biggest-selling debut albums of all time and it’s no secret that I want to finish what we started 25 years ago and play together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The guys that Axl has put together are all great players. They’re not hacks in the sense that they can’t play, they’re all incredible musicians. I just meant that they are not the original lineup. I would like to apologize to Axl, Bumblefoot, D.J., Tommy, Dizzy, Richard, Frank, and Chris for my statement.”

After reading Adler‘s apology, Thal responded on his Facebook page, “All good, bro. Thanks so much. We all just want to make music and make people happy. As far as all the GN’R hoopla, I’d rather it be what connects us than what separates us. You and I played together in Chicago a few years ago (I was jammin’ with Lita Ford) and you guys were great. I won’t be at Hall Of Fame. If you go, please give everyone a big hello for me.”

Finck left GUNS N’ ROSES in early 2009 to rejoin NINE INCH NAILS and was replaced by DJ Ashba.

Is it possible? We're really going to see them together again?!

GUNS N’ ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed has told Billboard.com that the band’s entire original lineup — including guitarist Slash and vocalist Axl Rose — will attend the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony on April 14 in Cleveland. “I know that all the original band is going to be there,” Reed said. “I don’t know exactly what’s going to go down. It’s one of those things I’m sure will all come together and be really cool. I’m just going to go in with a good attitude and a clear head and a grateful heart.”

When asked if there is a possibility that the musicians — Rose, guitarists Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Gilby Clarke, bassist Duff McKagan and drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum — will put aside well-publicized differences at the ceremony and pick up their instruments together, Reed told Billboard.com, “Honestly, we haven’t spoken about it. I don’t know when or why or how to bring it up. It’s not an every day sort of thing. So we haven’t really talked about it — but I’m sure we’ll have to at some point.”

Meanwhile, this Saturday, February 18, Slash will join Stevie Wonder, Sean Combs, Chris Cornell, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, Common, Snoop Dogg, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, actors Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini and more at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a 70th birthday celebration to honor boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

“Muhammad Ali is & always has been a role model & a hero to me,” says SLASH. “It’s a huge privilege to be able to perform in his honor. He is one of the great icons of American culture and history.” The 16th annual Power of Love Gala celebrates the life and legacy of Ali and his contribution to the world and raises awareness for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s, the disease “The Champ” has been battling since 1984. ABC will televise the show nationally on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:00PM EST.

Slash is currently in a Los Angeles studio working on his new album with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. It will be released on the guitarist’s own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI and will follow his 2010 debut album ‘Slash’ and his November 2011 live solo album, ‘Made In Stoke 24/7/11.’

Tickets for Slash’s tour will be available at: http://www.slashonline.com/

Slash is currently in a Los Angeles studio working on his new album with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. It will be released on the guitarist’s own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI and will follow his 2010 debut album ‘Slash’ and his November 2011 live solo album, ‘Made In Stoke 24/7/11.’

Tickets for Slash’s tour will be available at his official website.

May 03 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
May 05 – Charlotte, NC – Carolina Rebellion, Rockingham Speedway
May 07 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
May 10 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hard Rock Live
May 12 – Kansas City MO – Liberty Memorial Park
May 13 – Indianola, IA – National Balloon Classic Field
May 14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Brick
May 16 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
May 17 – Grand Rapids, MI – Orbit Room
May 19 – Columbus, OH – Rock On The Range, Columbus Crew Stadium
May 20 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
May 25 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
May 26 – Albuquerque, NM – Route 66 Casino

Axl was born William Bruce Rose in the small town of Lafayette, Indiana on February 6, 1962.