Velvet Revolver

When you've been in a band with Axl Rose I think it's safe to say that you're ready for anything.

Not only did Duff McKagan survive the roller coaster ride that was Guns N Roses, he's still kicking out the jams as a member of the Scott Weiland fronted Velvet Revolver.

Now, if I’d been in Guns N Roses there’s a good chance I’d have my head up my arse, but Duff was completely cool and seemed genuinely interested in answering our questions, so read on!

Interview w/ Duff McKagan (Bass)

of Velvet Revolver

Hey Cameron, how are you man? 

Great mate, how are you

traveling? 

I’m good man. 

Well, we really appreciate

your time so let's get into it. 

Let's do it. 

Velvet Revolver had a pretty

end of October, what's been keeping you busy for the last month or so? 

Let's see. Well, we were actually

touring since April. The last month... hmm, what have I been doing?

We were supposed to go to Japan but that got ixnayed! They didn't like

our FBI files this time.  

This band has played in Japan

so I don't really understand it but at least they told us before we

got on the plane, ha ha.  

I dunno... I went to Hawaii!

Ha ha 

You guys are heading back

a return trip down under? 

Yeah, I always loved going

down to Australia! I'm really excited... I'm actually going to be riding

a motorcycle around the country this time round.  

It's been 2 years since

Velvet Revolver in 2005 compared to the 2007 model? 

We have more songs to play

live! That's basically about it. Nothing's changed really although our

live show is probably a bit more involved this time.  

The light show is pretty killer...

there's all kinds of extra stuff coz we're a live band. It's a band

that you come out to see us play our instruments and not for a light

show or any of that crap, but it still looks cool! Ha ha 

We've got some great new songs

to play live along with the songs from “Contraband” so it's going

to be great! 

Now that you guys have 2

Temple Pilots or Guns N Roses covers in the set? 

We do. We uh... we do a little

bit of everything and we kind of play a long set and it's sort of a

celebration. We cover songs from both our records as well as the songs

that we were a part of before this band.  

Your sophomore record “Libertad”

record? 

It's been amazing! We started

out in South America and that was a great place to start! That area

down there... they are just so into it! I don't know whether it's because

not a lot of bands come down there or maybe they're closer to the equator,

ha ha, but they are just so passionate! 

They really hoist you onto

their shoulders and carry you along. So yeah, we started there and it

was amazing. Then we went to Europe and we just got done with the North

American tour as well.  

Velvet Revolver were originally

between you guys? 

I wish I could say there was

something more substantial like creative differences but there really

wasn't. When we went to start the record we had a meeting with Rick

and he said that he was ready. Well, we said that we're ready to go

as well so we'll start next Monday but to him getting started means

a whole different thing. He was able to start in maybe five or six months.

For us, we really don't have the luxury of having that much time because

we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves in the interim.  

We just decided after a couple

of months of waiting around that we'd look for someone else.  

Brendan O'Brien ended up

to the band that was missing with Rick? 

Well, we never found out what

Rick had because we never got to work with him, so I can't say anything

bad about him. 

Brendan was the first guy I've

ever worked with on a record who's an actual musician. He plays everything...

he's pretty brilliant! When we did pre-production he'd come in every

and day and play guitar with us... he'd be a third guitar player. 

He wouldn't turn his amp up

loud but he'd stop us and say thing like “I have a great idea for

this bridge”. We were like, “what do you mean”? We'd never had

a producer with musical ideas throughout my whole musical career! 

Not that we need them but to

have that sixth person who could say “why don't you play a B minor

7 here, why not try it”?! It was cool! The album is a well written

record and every song... there's no waste in this record.  

Having previously worked

only the sound of the album, but the songs themselves? 

He had a good relationship

with Scott. When it comes to Slash or myself or Matt or Dave we don't

really need to have the best relationship with our producer as

long as we know we're getting good sounds to tape.  

We were like, it's ok dude,

we could like you or hate you and it doesn't matter, but singer's, well,

I've noticed in my career that they have to have a strong relationship

or friendship with a producer... which is cool because Scott and Brendan

have a really cool relationship and Scott sang his arse off! 

When Velvet Revolver was

around? 

I think so but I try not to

think about what people think about us. Before “Contraband” I knew

people out there were saying “what are these guys doing”? There

were lots of naysayers and then the record was successful.  

We were asked how does it feel

to prove them wrong and I'm not about that. I'm just here to write great

music and I'll continue to do it, whether it's in Velvet Revolver or

on my fifth solo record when I'm 55.  

Earlier this year Velvet

else singing Layne Staley's songs? 

The guy that they have, William

Duvall is so amazing that people lost their shit. They're such a great

band and they have such great songs and William is maybe the only singer

on the planet that could fill Layne's shoes.  

They found that one dude...

the diamond in the rough! 

What do you think of

name? 

I don't see why they should.

Layne unfortunately passed away because he languished for a lot of years

with heroin addition. I don't think the other three guys should pay

the price of having to change their name. 

This was a band they formed

when they were twenty years old, you know? I have actually thought about

this a lot and at the end of the day Layne would want them to keep the

name.  

Having been in the game

able to impress you? 

We had this band open for us

in the UK for around seven gigs but I forget their name. I was really

impressed with them though... they were really good players! 

This band we were out with,

Kill Hannah... they were opening for us and Alice In Chains for the

first half of that tour. Kill Hannah were awesome! 

I like The Silversun Pickups

too! 

A lot of people think they

sound like The Smashing Pumpkins… 

Except there’s something

different about them. They're more earthy I think. 

If you could assemble your

dream tour, who would have on board? 

Hmm. Queens Of The Stone Age,

us, the Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin! 

And finally, do you think

“Chinese Democracy” will ever see the light of day? 

I'm sure it will... sure it

will at some point! Ha ha 

That's all we have time

for Duff, is there anything else you'd like to say? 

No no, that’s good man!  

Thanks your for

time and I’ll see your show in a couple of weeks. 

Thanks man! 

Revolver check out www.velvetrevolver.com or www.myspace.com/velvetrevolver