Author: BLABBERMOUTH.NET

GENE SIMMONS And DAVID DRAIMAN React To ELON MUSK’s $44 Billion Purchase Of Twitter

Gene Simmons (KISS) and David Draiman (DISTURBED) are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that Twitter’s board has agreed to let Elon Musk buy the social media network for $44 billion.

If the deal officially goes through, …

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Gene Simmons (KISS) and David Draiman (DISTURBED) are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that Twitter's board has agreed to let Elon Musk buy the social media network for $44 billion. If the deal officially goes through, it will make Musk — the Tesla and SpaceX founder and the world's richest man — the new owner of the social media site that hosts more than 200 million users. Musk, who has called himself a "free speech absolutist," has said that Twitter could champion freedom as a private company. Opponents to the acquisition have theorized that Musk will allow users on the platform to spread misinformation and hate speech under the guise of protecting free speech. While many people are happy that Musk is taking control of another giant company, some are not sure what the deal means for the future of Twitter. Earlier today, after news of the acquisition was made public, Simmons tweeted: "Fantastic news, at the outset. @elonmusk is now the proud owner of @twitter. Free speech, important. But, Hate speech, factual misinformation (lies) should not be part of Free Speech, in my humble opinion. Good luck to Elon." After one fan responded that free speech means "it's either all of it or none of it", Gene fired back: "You're talking out of your ass. You do not have the right to stand up in a movie theater and yell FIRE, just because you feel like it. That's Incitement To Riot. You know that, right?" Draiman, who is of Jewish descent and has spoken out against anti-Semitism for many years, addressed one fan's comment that Musk's purchase of Twitter will result in "even more antisemitism on the platform". David said: "Nothing will improve, but at least things might be a bit more even, hopefully." As for many Trump supporters' belief that Musk will reinstate former U.S. president Donald Trump's Twitter account and let him spew anything he wants to, Draiman said: "I hope he gets its back. Not because I like the guy (because I really don't), but because it's the right thing to do, and his posts were immeasurably entertaining lol." Earlier today, Trump said that he will not be returning to Twitter even if Musk could reinstate his account. Instead, he told Fox News, he using his own Truth Social as the sole platform for his voice.

METALLICA’s KIRK HAMMETT: ‘I Don’t Think I’ve Peaked Creatively Or Musically’

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, “Nights…

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In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, "Nights Of Lono". He said: "I have to say I've been sober for seven and a half years now and my mind is in a different place, I'm better focused. I got my brain back, I've gotten my memory back so nowadays I'm in a better place. I record music and my focus is that much better. "When I got sober, I had so much more time," he explained. "[Prior to that] I was spending almost every night in a nightclub or bar and then I'd spend almost every morning recovering from that. Day in, day out, regardless of whether I was on tour or not. And now that's been removed from my life I have all this extra time, so of course I'm going to play my guitar more. It's what I love to do and as a consequence of that there's just a higher output. My rate of production is higher and it's a better model for me to work from. "It's weird, I'm 59 years old and I don't think I've even peaked creatively or musically. I certainly don't feel 59, I still go out and surf three or four times a week, run, ride my bike and play my guitar. I still feel as energetic as I've ever been and I attribute that to giving up drinking. And this is all the result of that." Hammett's "Portals", an all-instrumental four-song EP, was released on April 23 digitally and on CD and "ocean blue" vinyl for Record Store Day. The effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris, and Oahu and was produced by Hammett, who drew inspiration for the songs from horror movies, classical music, and the work of Ennio Morricone, whose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983. Born in San Francisco in November 1962, Hammett quickly found himself obsessed with watching monster movies and reading books and comics. Transitioning through his teenage years meant taking up guitar and teaching himself how to play by ear for hours on end. In 1979, Hammett named and founded the metal band EXODUS. After recording a three-song demo in 1982, Hammett was called out to New York to audition for METALLICA, and by the time "Kill 'Em All" was released in July of 1983, he was officially part of the METALLICA plan for world domination. Adding his style and passion into the mix helped define and shape the sound of METALLICA as they grew into the band they are now, and Hammett's solos and signature licks have inspired a legion of musicians young and old. Photo credit: Ross Halfin

METALLICA’s KIRK HAMMETT: ‘I Don’t Think I’ve Peaked Creatively Or Musically’

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, “Nights…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, "Nights Of Lono". He said: "I have to say I've been sober for seven and a half years now and my mind is in a different place, I'm better focused. I got my brain back, I've gotten my memory back so nowadays I'm in a better place. I record music and my focus is that much better. "When I got sober, I had so much more time," he explained. "[Prior to that] I was spending almost every night in a nightclub or bar and then I'd spend almost every morning recovering from that. Day in, day out, regardless of whether I was on tour or not. And now that's been removed from my life I have all this extra time, so of course I'm going to play my guitar more. It's what I love to do and as a consequence of that there's just a higher output. My rate of production is higher and it's a better model for me to work from. "It's weird, I'm 59 years old and I don't think I've even peaked creatively or musically. I certainly don't feel 59, I still go out and surf three or four times a week, run, ride my bike and play my guitar. I still feel as energetic as I've ever been and I attribute that to giving up drinking. And this is all the result of that." Hammett's "Portals", an all-instrumental four-song EP, was released on April 23 digitally and on CD and "ocean blue" vinyl for Record Store Day. The effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris, and Oahu and was produced by Hammett, who drew inspiration for the songs from horror movies, classical music, and the work of Ennio Morricone, whose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983. Born in San Francisco in November 1962, Hammett quickly found himself obsessed with watching monster movies and reading books and comics. Transitioning through his teenage years meant taking up guitar and teaching himself how to play by ear for hours on end. In 1979, Hammett named and founded the metal band EXODUS. After recording a three-song demo in 1982, Hammett was called out to New York to audition for METALLICA, and by the time "Kill 'Em All" was released in July of 1983, he was officially part of the METALLICA plan for world domination. Adding his style and passion into the mix helped define and shape the sound of METALLICA as they grew into the band they are now, and Hammett's solos and signature licks have inspired a legion of musicians young and old. Photo credit: Ross Halfin

METALLICA’s KIRK HAMMETT: ‘I Don’t Think I’ve Peaked Creatively Or Musically’

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, “Nights…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the fact that he is currently involved in several projects outside his main band, including releasing his debut solo EP and publishing his first comic book, "Nights Of Lono". He said: "I have to say I've been sober for seven and a half years now and my mind is in a different place, I'm better focused. I got my brain back, I've gotten my memory back so nowadays I'm in a better place. I record music and my focus is that much better. "When I got sober, I had so much more time," he explained. "[Prior to that] I was spending almost every night in a nightclub or bar and then I'd spend almost every morning recovering from that. Day in, day out, regardless of whether I was on tour or not. And now that's been removed from my life I have all this extra time, so of course I'm going to play my guitar more. It's what I love to do and as a consequence of that there's just a higher output. My rate of production is higher and it's a better model for me to work from. "It's weird, I'm 59 years old and I don't think I've even peaked creatively or musically. I certainly don't feel 59, I still go out and surf three or four times a week, run, ride my bike and play my guitar. I still feel as energetic as I've ever been and I attribute that to giving up drinking. And this is all the result of that." Hammett's "Portals", an all-instrumental four-song EP, was released on April 23 digitally and on CD and "ocean blue" vinyl for Record Store Day. The effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris, and Oahu and was produced by Hammett, who drew inspiration for the songs from horror movies, classical music, and the work of Ennio Morricone, whose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983. Born in San Francisco in November 1962, Hammett quickly found himself obsessed with watching monster movies and reading books and comics. Transitioning through his teenage years meant taking up guitar and teaching himself how to play by ear for hours on end. In 1979, Hammett named and founded the metal band EXODUS. After recording a three-song demo in 1982, Hammett was called out to New York to audition for METALLICA, and by the time "Kill 'Em All" was released in July of 1983, he was officially part of the METALLICA plan for world domination. Adding his style and passion into the mix helped define and shape the sound of METALLICA as they grew into the band they are now, and Hammett's solos and signature licks have inspired a legion of musicians young and old. Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Watch: ALICE IN CHAINS’ JERRY CANTRELL Performs In San Antonio During ‘Brighten’ Solo Tour

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell’s entire April 22 solo performance at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

His setlist was as follows:

01. Atone
02. Them Bones
03. Psychotic Break
04. Sea Of Sor…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell's entire April 22 solo performance at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below. His setlist was as follows: 01. Atone 02. Them Bones 03. Psychotic Break 04. Sea Of Sorrow 05. Brighten 06. Cut You In 07. My Song 08. Siren Song 09. No Excuses 10. Black Hearts And Evil Done 11. Had To Know 12. Angel Eyes 13. Between 14. Check My Brain 15. It Ain't Like That 16. Down In A Hole 17. Got Me Wrong Encore: 18. Would? 19. Man In The Box 20. Rooster Cantrell kicked off his "Brighten" solo tour on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jerry's band for the tour consists of Tyler Bates (guitar), Greg Puciato (backing vocals), Gil Sharone (drums), George Adrian (bass), Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set includes songs from Cantrell's latest solo album, "Brighten", along with favorite hits from Jerry's catalog. To make this tour even more attractive for fans, Jerry recently announced special VIP event packages at each show that offer fans tiered selections of exclusive experiences. These experiences include a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Jerry, personal autographed items of your choice, premium merch items, and at the top tier, a signed official "Atone" Gibson JC Signature Acoustic guitar. The guitar includes a letter of authenticity. Packages start at $100 all the way to $5,500, which includes the Gibson guitar. "Brighten" came out last October. The LP has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant." "Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten". Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin. Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher". ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

Watch: ALICE IN CHAINS’ JERRY CANTRELL Performs In San Antonio During ‘Brighten’ Solo Tour

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell’s entire April 22 solo performance at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

His setlist was as follows:

01. Atone
02. Them Bones
03. Psychotic Break
04. Sea Of Sor…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell's entire April 22 solo performance at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below. His setlist was as follows: 01. Atone 02. Them Bones 03. Psychotic Break 04. Sea Of Sorrow 05. Brighten 06. Cut You In 07. My Song 08. Siren Song 09. No Excuses 10. Black Hearts And Evil Done 11. Had To Know 12. Angel Eyes 13. Between 14. Check My Brain 15. It Ain't Like That 16. Down In A Hole 17. Got Me Wrong Encore: 18. Would? 19. Man In The Box 20. Rooster Cantrell kicked off his "Brighten" solo tour on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jerry's band for the tour consists of Tyler Bates (guitar), Greg Puciato (backing vocals), Gil Sharone (drums), George Adrian (bass), Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set includes songs from Cantrell's latest solo album, "Brighten", along with favorite hits from Jerry's catalog. To make this tour even more attractive for fans, Jerry recently announced special VIP event packages at each show that offer fans tiered selections of exclusive experiences. These experiences include a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Jerry, personal autographed items of your choice, premium merch items, and at the top tier, a signed official "Atone" Gibson JC Signature Acoustic guitar. The guitar includes a letter of authenticity. Packages start at $100 all the way to $5,500, which includes the Gibson guitar. "Brighten" came out last October. The LP has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant." "Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten". Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin. Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher". ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

JORDAN RUDESS Says It Was ‘Probably Cool’ For MIKE PORTNOY To See Current DREAM THEATER Lineup Perform

Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group’s concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more tha…

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Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group's concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more than 11 years ago. According to DREAM THEATER fans who attended the show, singer James LaBrie gave Portnoy a shoutout from the stage and Mike waved. Several fans also took pictures of Portnoy at the venue, with Mike and his wife reportedly watching the performance from near the Beacon Theatre soundboard. The next day, Portnoy shared a few backstage photos from the concert and he included the following message: "After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st DREAM THEATER show last night! It was a wonderful evening and it was such a pleasure to spend time with my old friends again". Asked in a new interview with The Razor's Edge what it was like for him and his bandmates to see Portnoy at the New York concert, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess said: "I'm so glad he [came out]. What a cool thing to be able to see a DREAM THEATER show — something that I never get to do… So I was thinking it was probably pretty cool for Mike to see DREAM THEATER. And it was really nice of him to come out and I think it was great he healed the dynamics with everybody as well. Yeah, it was great." As for his personal relationship with Portnoy, Rudess said: "Mike and I continue to work together. We've done the LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT not all that long ago, and we had a great time doing it. It was almost like we never skipped a bit. So, he and I are friends, and we just kind of kept out relationship going. Earlier in the month, LaBrie told Sonic Perspectives that it was "great" to reconnect with Portnoy at the New York show. "The thing is that you get to a point in life where you've gotta… You can't carry around that. Don't carry around hate; don't carry around negativity," LaBrie said. "We carried it around far too long, as far as I'm concerned, and it didn't serve any purpose; it just served frickin' division. It was very divisive and very damaging. "So, it's great to be back," James added. "We're talking to one another, we're chatting and all that stuff. And that's the kind of world that I wanna live in as opposed to negativity, hate and frickin'… It's just not worth it. It's not worth it." Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 37 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, STEVE VAI). Portnoy was a guest on Petrucci's second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", which was released in August 2020 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The effort marked the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER. In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy insisted that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER but said that he would return to his former band "for the fans." He explained: "The ball's in their court, to be honest. I have no longing to reunite with them; it's not something I necessarily am looking to do or want to do. I'm very content with all the eighty-seven bands I currently have going, so it's something I need. But I would do it for the fans, because I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times. I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards." A couple of years ago, Portnoy told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer." Since the 2010 departure of Portnoy, Petrucci, along with Rudess, has taken on much of the songwriting load for DREAM THEATER, including 2016's controversial double concept album, "The Astonishing", 2019's "Distance Over Time" and the band's latest LP, 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World".

JORDAN RUDESS Says It Was ‘Probably Cool’ For MIKE PORTNOY To See Current DREAM THEATER Lineup Perform

Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group’s concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more tha…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group's concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more than 11 years ago. According to DREAM THEATER fans who attended the show, singer James LaBrie gave Portnoy a shoutout from the stage and Mike waved. Several fans also took pictures of Portnoy at the venue, with Mike and his wife reportedly watching the performance from near the Beacon Theatre soundboard. The next day, Portnoy shared a few backstage photos from the concert and he included the following message: "After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st DREAM THEATER show last night! It was a wonderful evening and it was such a pleasure to spend time with my old friends again". Asked in a new interview with The Razor's Edge what it was like for him and his bandmates to see Portnoy at the New York concert, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess said: "I'm so glad he [came out]. What a cool thing to be able to see a DREAM THEATER show — something that I never get to do… So I was thinking it was probably pretty cool for Mike to see DREAM THEATER. And it was really nice of him to come out and I think it was great he healed the dynamics with everybody as well. Yeah, it was great." As for his personal relationship with Portnoy, Rudess said: "Mike and I continue to work together. We've done the LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT not all that long ago, and we had a great time doing it. It was almost like we never skipped a bit. So, he and I are friends, and we just kind of kept out relationship going. Earlier in the month, LaBrie told Sonic Perspectives that it was "great" to reconnect with Portnoy at the New York show. "The thing is that you get to a point in life where you've gotta… You can't carry around that. Don't carry around hate; don't carry around negativity," LaBrie said. "We carried it around far too long, as far as I'm concerned, and it didn't serve any purpose; it just served frickin' division. It was very divisive and very damaging. "So, it's great to be back," James added. "We're talking to one another, we're chatting and all that stuff. And that's the kind of world that I wanna live in as opposed to negativity, hate and frickin'… It's just not worth it. It's not worth it." Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 37 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, STEVE VAI). Portnoy was a guest on Petrucci's second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", which was released in August 2020 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The effort marked the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER. In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy insisted that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER but said that he would return to his former band "for the fans." He explained: "The ball's in their court, to be honest. I have no longing to reunite with them; it's not something I necessarily am looking to do or want to do. I'm very content with all the eighty-seven bands I currently have going, so it's something I need. But I would do it for the fans, because I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times. I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards." A couple of years ago, Portnoy told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer." Since the 2010 departure of Portnoy, Petrucci, along with Rudess, has taken on much of the songwriting load for DREAM THEATER, including 2016's controversial double concept album, "The Astonishing", 2019's "Distance Over Time" and the band's latest LP, 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World".

MATT SORUM Says Disintegration Of GUNS N’ ROSES’ ‘Use Your Illusion’ Lineup Was ‘Nobody’s Fault’

Although GUNS N’ ROSES never officially split up, guitarist Slash left in 1996, drummer Matt Sorum was fired in 1997 and bassist Duff McKagan quit later that year. Asked in a new interview with SPIN what misconceptions about the band he wanted to clear…

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Although GUNS N' ROSES never officially split up, guitarist Slash left in 1996, drummer Matt Sorum was fired in 1997 and bassist Duff McKagan quit later that year. Asked in a new interview with SPIN what misconceptions about the band he wanted to clear up in his autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", Sorum said: "It's nobody's fault, really. The band was way too big at the time. There's a lot of people with their paws in the pie, a lot of distractions, too much money, and too many drugs and alcohol. Young guys don't make clear decisions. I look back and go, 'If that was me now, I'd make a phone call and have a conversation,' but it just didn't seem that easy in those days to do that. To be able to explain things between each other, to help mediate a problem instead of being egotistical about it or being arrogant. It could have gone a different way if there was more communication. Once you're out of a situation like that, you realize that, 'Good God, that was a great fucking band, and I wish we could have kept it together.'" He continued: "If you ask any band that stayed together, they have to go through those struggles, just like any other relationship. You gotta figure it out if you want to keep it together, like, how much is it worth to you? At the same time, when I talk about things that went down, I want to give accolades to people in the group. In the 'Use Your Illusion' era, we were at the height of our game. Axl [Rose, vocals], Slash and Duff — and even Izzy Stradlin [guitar] and Gilby [Clarke, guitar] — personalities that stand on their own, and sometimes those personalities mix and sometimes they don't." Sorum, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN'R's hugely successful reunion, which features singer Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese. The 61-year-old musician, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004). Matt was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, Slash and McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home. Last October, Sorum told "Dennis Miller +1" about his time with GUNS N' ROSES: "God, you know when you used to watch those VH1 'Behind The Music' [episodes], and [you'd go], 'Oh, God. There it goes again.' Sorry, it happened to me too. [Laughs] It was, like, do as much as you can until you can't do it anymore. Things got crazy, and believe it or not, everybody in GUNS N' ROSES is still alive. And that blows my mind. I got out alive. "It was probably the greatest period of my life to actually be in a band like that," he added. "I remember playing Madison Square Garden [in New York City]. We did four nights there, sold out. And I remember driving up that ramp. Remember [the LED ZEPPELIN movie] 'The Song Remains The Same' where they go, 'Tour dates tomorrow and tomorrow'? And next thing they're opening with 'Rock And Roll'. I was driving up that same ramp with my bass player, Duff [McKagan]. And I look and I go, 'Oh my God. We're in the movie.' It was beyond anyone's wildest expectations or dreams as a kid wanting to be in a rock and roll band when you have those experiences." Photo credit: Zack Whitford

MATT SORUM Says Disintegration Of GUNS N’ ROSES’ ‘Use Your Illusion’ Lineup Was ‘Nobody’s Fault’

Although GUNS N’ ROSES never officially split up, guitarist Slash left in 1996, drummer Matt Sorum was fired in 1997 and bassist Duff McKagan quit later that year. Asked in a new interview with SPIN what misconceptions about the band he wanted to clear…

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Although GUNS N' ROSES never officially split up, guitarist Slash left in 1996, drummer Matt Sorum was fired in 1997 and bassist Duff McKagan quit later that year. Asked in a new interview with SPIN what misconceptions about the band he wanted to clear up in his autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", Sorum said: "It's nobody's fault, really. The band was way too big at the time. There's a lot of people with their paws in the pie, a lot of distractions, too much money, and too many drugs and alcohol. Young guys don't make clear decisions. I look back and go, 'If that was me now, I'd make a phone call and have a conversation,' but it just didn't seem that easy in those days to do that. To be able to explain things between each other, to help mediate a problem instead of being egotistical about it or being arrogant. It could have gone a different way if there was more communication. Once you're out of a situation like that, you realize that, 'Good God, that was a great fucking band, and I wish we could have kept it together.'" He continued: "If you ask any band that stayed together, they have to go through those struggles, just like any other relationship. You gotta figure it out if you want to keep it together, like, how much is it worth to you? At the same time, when I talk about things that went down, I want to give accolades to people in the group. In the 'Use Your Illusion' era, we were at the height of our game. Axl [Rose, vocals], Slash and Duff — and even Izzy Stradlin [guitar] and Gilby [Clarke, guitar] — personalities that stand on their own, and sometimes those personalities mix and sometimes they don't." Sorum, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN'R's hugely successful reunion, which features singer Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese. The 61-year-old musician, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004). Matt was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, Slash and McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home. Last October, Sorum told "Dennis Miller +1" about his time with GUNS N' ROSES: "God, you know when you used to watch those VH1 'Behind The Music' [episodes], and [you'd go], 'Oh, God. There it goes again.' Sorry, it happened to me too. [Laughs] It was, like, do as much as you can until you can't do it anymore. Things got crazy, and believe it or not, everybody in GUNS N' ROSES is still alive. And that blows my mind. I got out alive. "It was probably the greatest period of my life to actually be in a band like that," he added. "I remember playing Madison Square Garden [in New York City]. We did four nights there, sold out. And I remember driving up that ramp. Remember [the LED ZEPPELIN movie] 'The Song Remains The Same' where they go, 'Tour dates tomorrow and tomorrow'? And next thing they're opening with 'Rock And Roll'. I was driving up that same ramp with my bass player, Duff [McKagan]. And I look and I go, 'Oh my God. We're in the movie.' It was beyond anyone's wildest expectations or dreams as a kid wanting to be in a rock and roll band when you have those experiences." Photo credit: Zack Whitford
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