SLASH Says His First Show Back With GUNS N’ ROSES Was ‘A Lot Of Fun’
In a recent interview with Guitar Player’s “No Guitar Is Safe” podcast, Slash spoke about what it felt like for him to step back out on stage with GUNS N’ ROSES for the first time in over two decades at the band’s April 2016 concert at the Troubadour i…
In a recent interview with Guitar Player's "No Guitar Is Safe" podcast, Slash spoke about what it felt like for him to step back out on stage with GUNS N' ROSES for the first time in over two decades at the band's April 2016 concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.
"That was our first gig back," Slash said (hear audio below). "I think probably the last time that we ever played there was in 1985. I don't think we even played there in 1986. Probably '85 was the last time we played there. "[The April 2016 concert was] our first show together after 20 years. We obviously had more gear and more crew than we did back in the day, I'll tell you that much. And it was loud. But it was a lot of fun. It was an almost poignant moment to fucking stand there and look at that crowd in that sort of room and have that kind of nostalgic feeling."
Last year, Slash told Guitar.com that his first concert back with GUNS N' ROSES was an "overwhelming" experience. "It was so cool," he said. "Because it was a long time — we're talking more than 20 years from the last show in 1994… it was 22 years since the last time we'd played together. And obviously I'd played with [bassist] Duff [McKagan] [since then] but there's a certain dynamic in the three of us together. It was awesome, and it's a really great experience."
GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members Slash, McKagan and singer Axl Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.
The band is now reportedly going to work on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.
GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" trek, which concluded last year, recently became the No. 3 highest-grossing tour in the history of Billboard Boxscore.
The next North American leg of GUNS N' ROSES' tour will start with a July 4 set at Summerfest in Milwaukee and include many stadium concerts before wrapping on August 26 at Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana.