He’s been talking about it for a while, but Slash sounds gung ho to drop a solo album. “I’m working on it pretty aggressively right now while I have the time cause as soon as Velvet finds its singer, then it’s going to be off the races with that,” he told Spinner. More »
Looks like Judas Priest will have some competition for “Most Awesome Concept Album By A Metal Act That Really Has No Place Recording A Concept Album in 2008.” Alice Cooper’s Here Comes A Spider, out on July 29, will describe the life of a serial killer named Spider, who is killing people and taking their limbs in order to create a spider. Says Cooper, “Every song is sort of a letter to the police. They think they’re investigating it from the outside, but he’s actually woven them into the whole thing.” Also woven into the whole thing are frequent Alice Cooper album guest stars Slash and Ozzy Osbourne, who will play a harmonica part on a song the two co-wrote.
The MSG Network* has released an interview with Slash hosted by Matt Pinfield, who really needs to give up the cheaply toupee’d “Eddie Trunk” persona he’s created. Nobody’s fooled. Mr. “Trunk” (yeah, right) explains that he’s been so busy lately that he’s only been able to read 85% of Slash’s book, and even that’s just because he’s had some cross-country flights. Despite this riveting look into the life of a radio personality (what, doesn’t he read on the toilet?), Slash is somehow able to go on with explaining just what happened with Weiland, and he hints at why we should give up on the Axl dream.
“We gave him the cold shoulder in the UK like nobody’s business. There were a couple of arguments around the stage, but other than that, nobody spoke to him. I imagine he was quite uncomfortable. No wonder he didn’t have a good time. Then he told everyone in Glasgow that the whole band was over. We were like, ‘Oh, well, I guess we’ve got a surprise coming for you, Scott.'” Oh, snap! Hey, making fun of Weiland is our job, Slash. You don’t see me shirtless, wearing a top hat and playing the theme from The Godfather in front of Matt Sorum’s drum kit. Yet. The new issue of Kerrang! features even more bon mots from the toxic hairball about Weiland’s “extradition” from Velvet Revolver.
Has there been another case where the firing of a singer led to such excitement? Ok, maybe the end of Van Hagar, but that was a “welcome back” thing, and the reaction was nothing like the way Weiland’s departure from Velvet Revolver seems to have loosened the world’s sphincter a tad. Or at least Slash’s. “Everybody’s just very relieved,” says Slash. “I know everybody is tying the STP [reunion tour] thing to it, but it started way before that. We just had a lot of commitments to fulfill, so we just had to drag this thing out until the obligations were finished.” But our nightmare is over! So what about his replacement?
Yesterday, Slash took a break from publicly excommunicating Weiland to unveil a new line of personalized Gibson axes. No word on whether or not he’ll also be passing out free soft drinks guitars to lucky Americans if STP manages to pull of this summer’s proposed reunion dates. More »
It’s official! We even called to verify! WEILAND IS NO LONGER IN VELVET REVOLVER. Ding-dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch! Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead.
Slash promises that Velvet Revolver will record a third album, with or (please please please) without Weiland. “We don’t know how or when but the core four guys will continue,” he was quoted as saying. It’s a heartwarming response to the bitchfits his estranged compatriot has been issuing to the world, as there’s no reason The Band Formerly Known As Guns N’ Roses should back a grating, obnoxious hack who can’t get his pipes around anything on Appetite For Destruction except “It’s So Easy,” making him more of a rock dodo than a rock dinosaur. But now that The Big Empty might be out of the picture, which grating, obnoxious hack (with more vocal range) should replace him?
The Presidents Of The United States Of America (authors of “Lump”) were joined by not just one, but two formerly Jewfro’d musical legends at LA’s The Roxy last Friday: Satirical visionary Weird Al Yankovic, who reworked the Presidents’ big hit as the Forrest-saluting “Gump,” assisted in what was an undoubtedly transcedent cover of “More Than A Feeling”; and MC5 axeman Wayne Kramer, who helped essay the perennial “Kick Out The Jams” earlier in the night. Preliminary YouTube searches provided no documentation of either performance, but they did reveal another run through the anthem courtesy of Kramer and three other goofballs who’ve seen better decades.
So, Chinese Democracy is (still) rumored for the zillionth time to be “finished,” its release date held hostage on the board room table during the never-ending “contract negotiations” between Axl and label, and while there are undoubtedly a few crazies out there ticking off the remaining 45… More »