This is the final reminder that SLASH will play at the Key Club in West
Hollywood tonight. This is a special occasion - a benefit show for Randy
Castillo, Motley Crue drummer, who died of cancer not long ago. Ismar
went to Duff McKagan's chat yesterday; and Duff said he would be teaming
up with SLASH, Matt Sorum and Izzy at the show. Duff also said that two
guys from Buckcherry would be playing with them. Ismar wonders what purpose
it serves to have the Buckcherry guys with our guys. He says GNR material
would sound excellent if sung by Duff, Izzy or even Gilby. He recommends
the four hook up with Gilby, "and Axl kicked back in the trash can"! Thanks
for that update, Ismar. Ticketmaster tickets are sold out. Check with Key
Club to see if there are any left at the door before you head out. This
is a big demand show!
If you live in the Pittsburgh area and like tribute bands, Fake Fest
is scheduled for late May at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pavillion
(formerly Star Lake). The GNR tribute band, Paradise City, will do
a set along with tribute bands for Nirvana, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and
others. The best part is seeing "SLASH" of course! Thanks, Ryan!
There's some additional information on The Underground Comedy Movie.
This is the soft porn and really gross movie SLASH made in 1999. Sim had
some news from the UK. The movie will be available for rental on video
and DVD on April 15, so you should be able to find it at your local
Blockbuster by now. It will go on sale in October. Thanks, Sim. Mike
also saw the commercial here in the US. You can buy it right now by
calling 1-800-315-4455. The video is $19.95 and the DVD is $24.95.
Thanks, Mike! See SLASH as the drunken judge of a bag lady contest...who
could ask for more! Best supporting actor!
There's a small but nice mention of SLASH in the June 2002 issue of
Guitar World. Justin sent this in, and he says it is from an
article on the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Les Paul. That was
held at the Iridium in NYC not long ago. The SLASH mention is "the
Les Paul was made famous by artists such as Keith Richards, Eric
Clapton, Jimmy Page, and SLASH". That's a pretty big compliment to
SLASH when he is mentioned in a list with those guitar gods! Thanks,
Justin.
On TV this week are shows featuring the old GNR. All times are ET.
On 5/4 at 2pm, 5/5 at 4:30pm and 5/6 at 2am
is MTV's "25 Loud". A panel pokes fun at some videos from GNR and other
bands. The top 25 rock videos of all time will be shown in part. VH-1
presents "The Top 90 of the 90's" on 5/4 at 6pm and 5/5 at 1am. A VH-1
panel selected the top 90 videos from the 90's. On 5/4 at 7pm is
VH-1's "Behind the Music: Metallica" which has a small bit about GNR.
And on 5/6 at 4pm, VH-1 airs "Top 80 of the 80s". These are the top
80 videos of that decade, and "Welcome to the Jungle" (original version)
is presented.
Ordinarily SLASH does not like to have mentions of his family and
home on the site, but he is making an exception. SLASH is
moving again from his rental property near his old Hollywood stomping
grounds to Sherman Oaks, CA. Not knowing too much about that area,
we consulted a web search. It doesn't seem too far from Hollywod in distance
but it has a different vibe. There were four musical artists
listed there, but two have disbanded, one is a jazz musician and one is
an art-folk group. A list of bars, pubs and clubs does have a long list of
strip bars, and SLASH might hang there. Sherman Oaks is located in Los
Angeles county near the Encino Reservoir and the ocean. It is on Highway
101 between Encino (Encino Man!) and Studio City. Listed as the main point
of interest is a hospital. The Sherman Oaks Castle Park puts on kids
birthday parties but also has arcades with all the latest games...no mention
of pinball. The town is a gateway to the San Fernando Valley and is considered
by many to be the undisputed residence of the Valley Girl. SLASH sounds
like he will liven this place up for sure, or else he is going to spend
a lot of time in his car. Sherman Oaks seems to be a good, safe place
for the family, and Dad is advised not to roar through the town in the
wee hours. Looks like SLASH is finally settling down!
Here's another SLASH announcement. He's so proud of this one there is
a continuous ticker tape banner running around his official artist site.
Ultrasound confirms that the newest Hudson is going to be a boy. Oh, boy!
A tiny SLASH is coming soon. In looking up ultrasound, we found that the
test for sex determination is highly accurate if done by a good technician.
And you know SLASH would have nothing less than the best. Ultrasound is
usually used to detect problems, but all seems to be well. The articles
gave long lists of problems that could be caused by fathers who smoke and
drink too much, but it seems that SLASH is a healthy guy who will probably
father a whole lot more little rockers. Congratulations on your new son,
SLASH! We want one that looks just like you, plays just like you, etc.
SLASH replies, "Dragonballzwilli, speed in my playing comes spontaneously.
I work on it whenever I warm up; but during recording sessions and live
concerts, it comes from energy and the feel that goes with the song."
Thanks, SLASH and Dragonballzwilli!
How many of the old GNR
members would have to get together to make it seem like Guns is back?
We told you last time about a benefit show for Randy Castillo, ex-drummer
for Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford, who died recently after a two year bout
with cancer. Randy was a member of Motley Crue when he died. The Crue and
others are pulling together a lot of Randy's old friends for a benefit
show at the Key Club in LA THIS MONDAY, April 29. The old Gunners will be
out in force: SLASH, Matt, Duff and Izzy! We assume they'll play something
together. They won't be able to deny the crowd that much! So if you can
make it, head out for any Ticketmaster outlet and get your ticket NOW!
Admission is $25 and benefits Randy's family. Let us hear from you and
see your pictures! Those of us outside California are waiting impatiently
to hear how it was. Thanks to Kristen Paige for sending details on the
additional Gunners.
This week we sadly conveyed our sympathies to the fans, friends and
family of Layne Staley, frontman and lead vocalist for Alice in Chains.
Layne's body was discovered last Friday night in his apartment, an apparent
drug overdose victim. Today we learned that a lovely and popular musician
has also died. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was killed in a car accident
last night in Honduras. Lisa was part of the popular trio TLC. Lisa was
a rapper not a rocker, but the death of anyone so young and vivacious has
to be noted. We extend our sympathy to Lisa's family, her friends, fans and
especially to TLC.
Brian Tichy, Snakepit '95 touring drummer, is also going to be at the
Randy Castillo show. Brian is bringing his band Ball, and he will also
play drums that night with Nicklebag (Stevie Salas, Carmine Rojas,
Bernard Fowler). Brian and Ball drummer Joe Travers will also be playing
in the drum "beat off" finale. This show sounds better and better. Speaking
of Ball, they will appear 4/30 at The Garage for a free show. On 5/20
Ball will be at the Viper Room; on 5/29 at the Dragonfly.
If you watch "South Park" on Comedy Central, you may see SLASH in an
advertisement for the "Underground Comedy Movie". This was a movie SLASH
made in 1999. It's pretty raunchy and is made up of long sketches. SLASH
plays the drunken emcee of a bag lady beauty contest. Unfortunately we
missed the beginning of the ad where they might have said what the ad
was for. We don't know if it will be on Comedy Central or in a theater
somewhere. SLASH's manager back then really didn't like the movie, and it
kept popping up. He called it the movie that wouldn't die! Let us know if
you see the ad and where the movie will play.
Klaas is from Holland, and he saw a SLASH quote in a Dutch magazine called
Aloha in their "Open Microphone" section. Here's where SLASH
nails his baby's conception date and picks out a name (must be expecting
a boy), "Our baby was made in the guesthouse of Ron Wood, just before
Christmas. [We are] convinced that it worked out because we drank lots
of Guinness that night. So we are thinking about giving the baby Woody
as a second name". Uh, SLASH...a girl might not be too thrilled with this
one!
Here's another quote from SLASH as he answers one of the fan questions.
This one's from Dragonballzwilli who asks, "How long did it take to develop
your speed and how did you do it?"
You might remember that SLASH was to be part of the "supergroup" led by
Little Richard for the American Bandstand Tribute. Taping was Sunday; but
sadly, SLASH never showed up. Some California fans who made the trip
were very disappointed. Coming from as far as San Francisco, Laurence
drove 5 hours to see the SLASH performance. Aside from his time, Laurence
spent a lot on gas to get there. At least Little Richard put on a cool
show. He didn't think the rest of the artists were that good. Laurene
is a SLASH fan who works at the convention center and was dying to meet
SLASH. She was so disappointed, but she did get to meet Kiss' Gene Simmons.
She said that Little Richard gave an awesome performance, and the
"supergroup" was fantastic. SLASH's appearance was on the roster of the
convention center and was listed as confirmed on the Bandstand site. No
word from SLASH as to what kept him from being there. Maybe a Lamaze class!
More on Megaman X5! Nicole says the version of Megaman X5 using the GNR
names is the US version of the game. GNR IS huge in Japan, but the ones
to thank for the GNR tribute in the game are the guys who translated
the game for US release. Nicole says the original Japanese names don't
mention GNR, e.g. SLASH = Crescent Grizzly. Nicole sent the SLASH
character artwork which we show here. Check out that hand! Poor Izzy
is a bug that shoots lasers from his butt. Thanks, Nicole! Sometimes it
seems that among all of us, we know every piece of SLASH trivia in the
world!
Trina sent a note about the fan club. Many, many people have written
asking when they might receive their membership materials. We even asked
SLASH to let us know. Trina sent in an email to Fan Source, the company
that runs the fan club, and she got a reply saying that SLASH is finishing
up autographing the photos. The kits should be mailed out this Friday,
April 26. So you should have them next week! Thanks to SLASH for moving
this right along and to Tina and Fan Source for passing on the information.
You'll find many interesting things in the packet...the photo, discography,
bio, fake tattoo, secret decoder ring (just kidding on that one)!
Nina was watching MTV Europe in Slovenia where the past weekend was
dedicated to rock. The program was hosted by Sum41. If you remember at
the MTV Anniversary show, one of the Sum41 guys said his wish for the
night was to meet SLASH. So they are fans. In the ad for the show, there
was a guy dressed up as SLASH, and there were tips on how to become a
rock star. First, play air guitar! And "SLASH" played it. Next, be dressed
in leather, and "SLASH" was with blue all-stars. Finally, scream high which
was done by a Sum 41 guy. Nina said the "SLASH" looked just like SLASH
except for a moustache. He was very sexy and cool. NO HAT! Maybe he could
show up at gigs SLASH can't make? Thanks, Nina!
If you have been searching madly for the SLASH signature Gibson Custom
shop guitar, we have some information for you that John sent to us. ebay
has the guitar listed right now, and the auction ends April 30. It is
serial number #SL021. The guitar is mint and comes with the original
black case. So if you are interested in buying or just looking, it is
item 862569892. Remember, if you bid, please go through www.snakepit.org/ad.html.
Thanks! And, thank you, John for letting us know.
Vicki sent some great information on the June Guitar One magazine
that you'll want to get a copy of. There's a big article on the 15th
anniversary of Appetite for Destruction. The cover title says,
"SLASH and Producer Mike Clink Return to the Jungle - A Behind the Scenes
Look at the Making of a Masterpiece". Vicki says there are some great
old pics of SLASH with Guns, and the interview is great. It's spread over
13 pages. On the cover is the band skeleton logo that looks like it is
tattooed on someone. Great! Thanks, Vicki!
Staley's body could not immediately be identified due to decomposition. He had
been dead approximately two weeks before a relative discovered the body.
Though Staley could be seen going downhill,
he inspired many people through his openness in talking
about his problems. He had lost his girlfriend to heroin, and the
joys of success in music never seemed to overcome his desire to escape
into addiction. Layne Staley's work will not be forgotten. His influence
on new bands has been tremendous. Musicians are always in close proximity
to drugs. Each death seems to do nothing to deter the next. Some have
pulled themselves out, SLASH is one, but mostly we hear of more losses
as time goes by. Time to listen to these two great songs by Neil Young:
"The Needle and The Damage Done" and "Sleeps With Angels". We dedicate
these to Layne Staley: song writer, singer, musician.
If you're near
Hollywood, Wake Up! Time to go see SLASH. The
occasion is a memorial and benefit show for Randy Castillo. Randy was
best known as a drummer for Ozzy Osbourne. He also worked with Lita
Ford and took over the drumkit in Motley Crue when Tommy Lee left the
band. Randy was stricken with cancer two years ago and died March 26
surrounded by friends and family. Randy leaves behind his mom and four
sisters who are in need of help. This Randy Castillo Memorial Show will
benefit Randy's family. The show will be Monday, April 29 at the Key
Club in Hollywood. Tickets are $25 each; you can get them at any
Ticketmaster outlet. Doors open at 7:30pm PT, and the show starts at
8:30pm PT (Ticketmaster lists 8:30 while publicity lists 8:00). Who will be
there? SLASH! Also scheduled to perform
are other former members of GNR (Matt Sorum, for one), Motley Crue,
Montrose and many other special guests. It should be a great rock night -
a fitting tribute to Randy Castillo. Let us know if you make it there!
Last time we asked if anyone was familiar with the Playstation game
Megaman X5. We'd heard that the characters in the game were named
after GNR members. Neil replied that this is a Japanese game. GNR
is huge there, so they named the bosses in the game after GNR. Here's
the list from Neil:
Grizzly SLASH (SLASH)
Duff McWhalen (Duff)
Squid Adler (Steven)
Dark Dizzy (Dizzy Reed)
The Skiver (Michael Monroe - buddy of GNR)
Mattrex (Matt Sorum)
Axl the Red (Axl)
Grizzly SLASH? Our favorite is Squid Adler. Hilarious. Thanks, Neil!
Mr. Brownstone is a GNR tribute band. A few weeks ago we told you they
would be playing NYC at The Knitting Factory. Rod was in the audience and
sent a copy of the review he sent to the band. Rod is from New Jersey, and
he came expecting the show to be kind of a joke, but he was wrong! Rod
came with his family, and they agreed that this cover band sounded
awesome and perfect. The music, stage presence and fan interaction reminded Rod
of what Guns could be like. This is a dream for hard rock musicians...
playing in a GNR tribute band. Rod's dad liked the band so much he wants
to drive up to Connecticut College on the 27th and see the band again!
Mr. Brownstone is a reminder of what the world was like when GNR ruled
the world. Rod says if you have a chance to go see them, do it! He
added that "SLASH" has a new wig that looks just like the real SLASH
hair. He said he laughed when he saw them dressed as Guns, but Mr.
Brownstone is soooo good. "SLASH" has all of SLASH's moves down pat
and plays each song note for note from a half stack Marshall amp just
like SLASH has. Sounds like a great GNR night! Thanks, Rod. A link to
the Mr. Brownstone site can be found on the Fan Music Section.
Here's a SLASH mention from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They were
talking about The Who rock operas, "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia". One is
from '69,and the other is from '73. Most rock fans prefer one of the
rock operas over the other, and their choice is usually a passionate one.
Then they list some rockers and where they fall in the great debate. Listed
first was SLASH! And here's what SLASH had to say:
"I'm more of a 'Tommy' guy. I probably listen to 'Tommy' more, and it
was more of an influence on me. I must have seen the movie six million
times, too." So, which are you?
Saturday broke as a sad day for music lovers with the news that Layne
Staley, lead vocalist for Alice in Chains, was discovered dead from
an apparent drug overdose in his Seattle apartment Friday night. Staley
was 34 and was the co-founder of Alice in Chains in 1987. On the strength
of such singles as "Rooster" and "Would?", the band roared into our
musical lives as part of the early 90s grunge genre but combined grunge
with heavy metal to make a heavier, darker sound. Staley battled his
heroin addiction; but by 1996, Alice in Chains had ceased to exist. During
one of AIC's extended downtimes, AIC bassist Mike Inez recorded with
SLASH's Snakepit on It's Five O'Clock Somewhere.
Kristen saw the taping of
mtvICON:Aerosmith, and she saw SLASH there in the audience. SLASH was
not onstage unfortunately; it would have been great if he had played
with the Boys from Boston. He did get on the tape for the TV show.
'Cedez, Linda and Brian all saw him. You can, too, on a repeat; but you
have to be quick! Best estimate is SLASH is on camera for two seconds!
Watch carefully during the part where David Spade does his comedy routine.
This week the show repeats on 4/19 at 10pm ET and 4/21 at 5:00pm ET. Next
icon is Janet Jackson.
It's hard to believe, but Guns N'Roses get airplay on Classic
Rock stations. It doesn't seem THAT long ago that they were making the albums.
One classic rock station that plays Guns is 95.5 KLOS. Right now they are
conducting their first ever "Classic Rock Awards". You write in your
nominees for best classic rock guitarist (SLASH should go on this line!)
and many other categories...vocalist, album, track, etc. Go over and vote
for SLASH and the old Guns! They will narrow it down to 5 and conduct
another vote. With all the fans that come here, we could put SLASH over the
top! Here's where to go to vote:
SLASH replies, "Bryce, not that I can remember".
Thanks, SLASH and Bryce. Hopefully, that helps you out, Bryce. Sounds
like a wiggly no.
"When I first started getting into rock n' roll on my own
(outside my family’s influences), what inspired me to play guitar was something
that happened when I was thirteen. I chased the most beautiful girl - who was twice
my age - for about three months. And when I finally got into her apartment,
she played me Rocks for the first time. I listened to it about four or five times,
completely forgot about the girl, and split the apartment. That’s what
Aerosmith means to me."- Slash of Guns N' Roses
Justin wants all you guitar players with big bucks to know there is a
B.C. Rich SLASH Mockingbird guitar up for bid on ebay. There are a lot
of pictures to help you decide, and the minimum bid is about $1000. This
is not that beautiful cherry red guitar that SLASH has...it's kind of a
gold color. Still, Justin says these are fairly rare and we wanted you to
know it was on ebay. The auction ends 4/23. Be sure to go to
www.snakepit.org/ad.html if you are going to bid! The item number there
is 860395124.
Michael lives in France, and he was looking over a catalog of guitars
and amps. And here's the picture he spotted! Thanks, Michael! Another
quick SLASH mention...MJJerauld says that Guns N'Roses was put into
a Playstation game called Megaman X5. They have strange names in the
game. Anyone a Megaman fan?
This is a reminder that we really need your help to keep this site open.
We heard you say no ads, no popups, and we have stuck with that. We have
just one page with the ads. As an affiliate of these three companies,
Musician's Friend, Amazon and ebay, we can only make money if you come
to this site first: www.snakepit.org/ad.html (please bookmark). Then you
click the store picture. You pay nothing extra, but this site gets a small
amount of money if you buy (or bid in the case of ebay) something. For the
first quarter this year, we only got $35 which is never going to be
enough. Please take a moment to think about this site when you shop at
any of those merchants. It the totals do not go up significantly then either the
site has to shut down, shrink massively or we go to regular ads. SLASH
does not pay anything to keep this site going. He has his own official
site that he supports. This Offical Fan site depends on fans. Thanks for
your help.
SLASH may not be sending money, but he did send the answers to fan
questions. Let's enjoy one of these. Bryce asks, "I have a question.
I don't know if you can answer it. Did you ever buy a guitar from a
guitar shop in Seville, Spain called 'Musical Ortiz' which is right
next to the train station called Santa Justa. Thank you."
Let's finish as we started...with Aerosmith. Jizz from The Netherlands
pointed out that at the Aerosmith Official Site, in the discography
section, for the album Rocks there is SLASH's story on how that
album changed his life. Instead of pursuing the ladies, he is a chick
magnet. He discovered rock and roll which is his reason for living.
Here's what the Aerosmith Rocks has to say:
This is the
famous SLASH two she-devils shirt that he wore to NAMM. Sorry the ladies
are not very clear. One is sucking on the other's tail but at first glance
it looks more like oral sex. SLASH! His tshirt wardrobe is the best we've
ever seen.
Here's more on GNR riders. Kevin sent in the url where you can go and read the
list of dressing room requirements. Some items are obviously for SLASH. Who
gets the Diet Coke? The preceding page has Axl's requirements which are
expensive, yet odd. Champagne and Wonder bread? Looks like the band was
heavily into snacks and booze. Sounds about right! Thanks, Kevin!
The other day we noted that SLASH will be 37 on July 23. Some fans wrote
in to say they were wondering if SLASH isn't getting a little old to
be a rocker! Rolling Stone online quotes Keith Richards on this subject:
"This isn't just teenage kids' shit. This is a man's job, and it's a
lifelong job. And if there's a sucker to ever prove it, I hope to be
that sucker." We want to see SLASH rockin' past the time he has to be
wheeled out on stage!
Kristen had the biggest news of the week. She actually SAW SLASH! Kristen
was at the taping of "mtvICON: Aerosmith" in LA. This is a tribute and award
show in honor of an artist and premiers on MTV today, April 17. Kristen
says there were all kinds of celebrities there who gave short remarks on
what Aerosmith means to them. SLASH was not part of the program, but
Kristen was hoping he would be there to see the show. She looked around
for the hair! She spotted him watching the show and looking handsome
in a white shirt with a velvet jacket and round sunglasses. Hey, SLASH!
Where's that tshirt and leather jacket outfit?! Thanks, Kristen.
This is a rumored update on the forthcoming Izzy Stradlin album. We cannot
confirm all of this at this time. As SLASH has said, the album should be
out this summer, and this rumor says the same. The songs are finished
and Izzy, Duff and SLASH are all there. This goes along with what SLASH
had said although his last words was that he was finishing the album.
The cover art is in progress. No title yet. So it all sounds pretty much
like what we have heard, but it's good to hear even a rumor that things
are moving along. It would be great to hear even a rumor about SLASH's
solo album! Speaking of Izzy, we got a note that in Kerrang!
they said that you'd have rock god status if you had the name Izzy
Stradlin!
Here are some forthcoming (repeat) US TV shows. On 4/20, SLASH appears
on VH-1's "From the Waist Down...". Time is 4pm ET. The show is about
the sexual saturation of music. On 4/26, GNR is part of the show on
VH-1 called "VH-1: All Access". The show airs at 11am ET. This show
talks about the best and worst of pop culture moments. In this show,
there is some coverage of the GNR comeback.
SLASH got a mention in the Philadelphia Inquirer during an interview
with Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton talks about how he always wanted to make
an album and had used a Nashville studio as well as the one in his home.
(SLASH's old mansion with the Snakepit studio). Billy Bob says he finds
the name disquieting but not as much as if it were called "The Lizard Pit".
He says that he really doesn't like lizards. He doesn't want snakes to
have legs. "Anything that looks like a dinosaur should not be on this
earth"! SLASH's studio name and the former reptilian inhabitants give
Billy Bob the creeps. Watch out, Billy Bob, or SLASH will send over a gift
box with breathing holes!
A rider is part of an artist's performance contract where they say
what they must have in the way of food and drink. It's where you can
say you want jelly beans with no green ones. Some bands with limited
incomes live on the rider between shows. A friend gathered up some of
the rider information on SLASH. At one of the Snakepit club shows, club
officials said the band wanted some strange things. The club guys said it
was so "not SLASH". Everything they asked for was no fat or low fat. They
wanted peanut butter, bottled water, and NO ALCOHOL. The band went out for
pasta before the show. No doubt this was after SLASH experienced his health
problem that caused a postponement of the US tour. Our friend said when
he saw Snakepit last summer, everyone was drinking but SLASH. SLASH looked
worn out and as if he'd like to sleep. In 1993 SLASH's rider with GNR
specified Gitanes (French cigarettes), Jagermeisters, Heineken. How times
change! Good to see that SLASH is leading the pack drinking bottled water
and low cholesterol foods.
About those Brazilian DVDs of Tokyo-1 and -2, the magazine editor was
asked if he had releases from Guns N'Roses to produce and sell those.
The editor replied, "We bought the rights to release the shows on DVD,
on a limited run
of 30,000 copies, Brazil only.
Included on the rights are the residuals that go to Axl and the rest of
the band." So if you were concerned that these are pirated DVD's, they
are not. SLASH will get his cut!
Izzy Stradlin turned 40 last week! Hard to believe, but SLASH will be
37 on July 23. In honor of Izzy's birthday, rare and import music
store, eil.com is offering a 10% discount on any order placed between
now and midnight GMT tomorrow night, April 16. Your order must contain
at least one GNR item and quote **Guns And Roses 10% Birthday Discount
Offer **. It's like getting a present from Izzy!
Lewis is in the UK and was watching "The Saturday Show" on BBC1. It's
an early morning entertainment program with pop music, cartoons, etc.
There's a house band called Stamford Amp. The band ended the show
by playing "Sweet Child O'Mine" as requested by a viewer. Lewis says
it was a shortened version, but the guitarist did a good job on it,
especially the solo. Thanks, Lewis. Lewis has a question. He was reading
about the latest Gibson guitar awards. Has SLASH ever won a Gibson
award or an award specifically for guitarists? Exclude those reader's
choice awards like they have in Metal Edge. If you know, we'd
like to know, too.
Keri Kelli played with Love/Hate when they did a successful UK tour in
support of Gilby Clarke. It was a Snakepit reunion at these shows with
Brian Tichy playing drums for Gilby, and Keri on guitar. Tobin said
they did "Monkey Chow"! He said that Keri was amazing, and he got to
meet Keri after the show. Groyou said the gig was excellent, and both
bands were great. Groyou had brought his Snakepit tour book, and Keri
showed it to all the members of his new band...saying...look! it's me
here with SLASH! Everyone signed his ticket and a picture of Keri. Groyou
got to have a beer with Keri and get his picture taken with him. Pete
and friends loved the show in Camden. They met Gilby, Keri, Brian Tichy,
Jizzy Pearl and the rest after the show. Pete said everyone was really
cool and gave him their autographs. Keri went to the kebab shop with them!
But Pete says nothing can beat seeing SLASH's Snakepit in December 2000,
meeting our man SLASH himself and getting his autograph!
LuAnn found an interview with Neal Schon on the web, and it's a good one.
Neal talks about the night that SLASH came onstage at a Bad Company show,
and they blew the audience away. Two songs turned into three! Neal also
talks about Planet Us, the supergroup that SLASH declined to join.
SLASH replies, "I left all that documentary stuff with GN'R when I left
the band. So I don't know what's up with it. There's some good stuff in
there although I don't know it will/how get used".
Thanks, SLASH and Brian. Wouldn't we all love to see that?!
It's been awhile. Let's take a fan question for SLASH. This one's from
Brian, "Back in '91/'92, GNR was filming a documentary. Whatever happened
to that project?"
About the Illusions DVDs
that are out in Brazil, Londrino wrote about the UYI-1 DVD last time and
now sends some information on UYI-2. He says UYI-2 is much the same as
1. There is a photo gallery again, and the interviews are moved to a
separate section. He says that he forgot to mention the whole DVD is
subtitled. The VHS version there (US version) had Japanese subtitles,
but the DVD has English, Portugese and Spanish subtitles for the
interviews and songs. If you don't have a contact there and want a
copy of either or both, Brian suggests you try www.dvdbrazil.com. The
site is in English. Thanks Londrino and Brian!
SLASH has been out of sight lately, but he had some magazine mentions!
Mykaela and Stuart wrote that the April 13 issue of Kerrang!
magazine has a 100 Coolest Stars list. You know SLASH would be on this
one, and he is although they have him way down at 88. Axl was at #25.
In a section called The Timeline of Cool, Duff was listed! Here's the
comment on SLASH:
There was no picture, and it said, "In his trademark black top hat, Slash
is THE most recognisable guitarist of the past two decades. As familiar
with Jack Daniel's and heroin as he was with an open E tuning,
with Guns N' Roses Slash became the coolest guitar superstar since
Jimmy Page...all the more remarkable considering he was born in
Stoke-On-Trent."
The #1 Coolest Star was Marilyn Manson. With Duff's Time Line listing
was this comment: "Genital constricting trousers, 'Miami Vice' jacket,
cowboy boots and back-combed 'poodle' hair...f**k yeah, this was our Hollywood."
Another GNR mention was with Nikki Sixx who came in at 98 with the comment:
"Nikki only wimped out on the 'live fast, die young' maxim because members of
Guns N' Roses stopped him turning purple in his bathroom post-heroin OD." So,
there you go. Some of these polls are like Ripley's Believe It or Not.
Jonah and Vicki found a SLASH picture in Metal Edge that we are most
anxious to see if anyone has a scanner. The section is about NAMM where SLASH
appeared at the Marsall booth. According to Jonah and Vicki, SLASH is standing
in front of a Marshall amps stack in another crazy SLASH shirt. On the shirt
are two devil women, one standing and one on her knees. It looks like an oral
sex scene, but one is just sucking the other's tail. SLASH looking very cool
is his wicked shirt and sunglasses. Thanks to both of you!
If you're a Duff fan and in Europe this summer, get ready because Duff and
Loaded are coming! Rocketqueen says the tour is scheduled for July, and they will be in England,
Scotland, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. To get the most
up to date information on the cities, venues, dates, go to the Loaded web site:
Here's some good news on Izzy from Nicole. This is from www.sfvrecords.com which
is Izzy's US label. "Izzy Stradlin's River is available in our online store
and will be making
its way to U.S. retailers and radio stations April 30th. The first single,
'Undergound', is a driving, guitar scorcher you'd expect from Izzy. And 'Far
Below Me Now', a country-tinged rave-up which was written in a room atop a
high-rise hotel in Osaka Japan. Request the singles now!
Izzy/SLASH/Duff: We've had many inquiries regarding the Izzy, Slash, Duff
project. Although we can confirm that Izzy, Slash, and Duff have been in the
studio recording together, we have no further information than that. We will
do our best to keep you updated."
Good news for Izzy getting River in the stores! Strange that the Izzy/Duff/SLASH
project is not further along. Nicole also told us about this great E-card you can
download that features some clips from "Underground" and "Far Below Me Now" as
well as some great Flash graphics. Get this!
Awhile back Vicki told us of
a feature in the April Stuff magazine that involved SLASH. This
was the Ugliest Rock Stars! Vicki wasn't able to send a picture, but we
have one now. This is not the best picture of SLASH we've ever seen, and
we think it was chosen for that reason. We're also including a picture of
the rest of the "ugly rockers".
At least SLASH did not come in at #1!
That slot was taken by Russell Crowe, most famous for acting, but also
the frontman, singer, songwriter, guitar player for Thirty Odd Foot of
Grunts or TOFOG, an Australian band. Personally, we think Russell and
SLASH are nice looking men. Some of the others belong right there!
Michelle found a very interesting auction described on the Yahoo site.
David Norman, a former DJ, is selling his entire collection which now
takes up a warehouse! There are items from many bands...Abba, the Beatles,
and Guns N'Roses. Although you can register at the site, it's not clear
if any of the items will be sold over the internet. We've written for more information
on this. If you are in Australia, the auction will be held in Sydney
on April 15. Some great items are:
GUNS N' ROSES, Three signed picture discs, one signed by the entire band, two signed without Axl Rose. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist.
GUNS N' ROSES. A compact disc award for sales in Israel July 1992, framed and glazed, 50 x 40
GUNS N' ROSES. A compact disc award for sales in Japan 1991, framed and glazed, 38 x 40
GUNS N' ROSES. A 1992 double platinum sales award. Awarded to the group in Germany, framed and glazed, 48 x 60. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist.
GUNS N' ROSES. A display of a signed drum kit by Matt Sorrum of Guns N' Roses housed in a huge plexi glass case. This massive display features hand signed Drums and the signed logo of the Legendary Guns N' Roses, plus record award. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist.
And more! This url takes you to Yahoo for the article and there you will
find a link to the auction area. We hope that at least some Australian
fans will go. If you do, let us know how you make out.
If you are thinking about ordering tickets for American Bandstand's 50th
Anniversary Special taped on Sunday, April 21, be advised that the
taping will be at 6:30pm PT rather than 7:00pm PT. This is the night
that SLASH will be there for taping, so if you can get out to Pasadena
to the Civic Auditorium, it should be a great show. They still don't
mention SLASH by name on this announcement. He must be in the "and more"
group. If you don't have anyone to go with, check the list of Fan Addresses
for other fans in your area.
Reading the information on the "Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert" reminded
Michael of another SLASH video appearance. The video was about Queen's history
and
is called "Champions of the World". SLASH's backstage interview at the Freddie
Mercury Concert is here, and SLASH said that Freddie Mercury's death was a loss to
the whole rock and roll world. He managed to dodge the AIDS issue
completely. Thanks, Michael. Remember, if you see even a small appearance
by SLASH on a video, let us know. These are kept in SLASH's Video
Discography. Thanks!
Have you heard about the Illusions DVDs in Brazil? There's a lot of
information and misinformation flying around, so Londrino wrote to
set this straight. He lives in Brazil, and he knows what's going on
with these. The magazine DVD Total puts out concerts and/or
movies each month with the magazine. The UYI-1 magazine just came
out, and it cost just over $6US. It is exactly like the VHS version
except for an included photo gallery with 50-100 pictures. No new
camera angles or footage. The interviews were moved to a separate
section instead of being in the middle. Londrino says the sound
and picture seem better, but nothing unusually good. He says it is
still just a cheap DVD. The UYI-2 is coming out. The DVD has no
Geffen or Interscope markings on the CD anywhere, but Londrino says
it is not a pirated disk as it comes from a large publication. There
are copies available on ebay. Don't be fooled into an extremely high
price. It might be better to contact one of our Brazilian fans using
the Fan Addresses. If any Brazilians are willing to get some for other
fans, let us know. Thanks to Londrino for the information.
Thanks to everyone who
replied to our request for help on the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
A DVD is coming out, and the individual band performances (such as GNR's)
have been cut out. We wondered what else SLASH might have done at the
concert. So many of you replied that we would fill the news just
naming everyone. It was amazing! Thanks to all of you. SLASH jammed with
Brian May and Queen while Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) sang "Tie Your Mother
Down". So, SLASH will be on the DVD for that performance, and hopefully
he will be on the other disk that has interviews and photos.
More on another item from last time - Damian wrote in and said he dressed
up as SLASH and played guitar for a charity event at his law school. He
said that the strangest thing was being a chick magnet like SLASH! Damian
wrote again and said it's very interesting "being" SLASH and that he has
dressed as SLASH for Halloween for the last five years. Once every year he has won
something being SLASH. This past year he promised his girlfriend, Elisabeth,
that if he won any money again dressed as SLASH on Halloween, he would take
her to a nice dinner. Damian went to a local bar, and the result was a tie
between himself and a girl dressed as Bjork. "Bjork" was the girlfriend
of the drummer that night, and the band gave her a lot of drumrolls and so
on, and they were always putting Damian down and making fun of SLASH and
GNR. Finally, Damian grabbed the mic and in his best drunken, slurred voice
asked, "How many of you want to see if I can still play guitar?" He said
the place went nuts. No one knew he could really play, but he got a guitar
and ripped the joint! And Damian won $100, and Elisabeth got a nice dinner with
the chick magnet. Damian says you can't believe how many people just love
SLASH! But this "SLASH" loves Elisabeth, so the groupies have to keep their
distance. Damian, thank you for that great story!
Another update! This is about the American Bandstand 50th Anniversary show
that will air on ABC on May 3 from 8-10pm ET. The taping will be done April
19, 20, 21 at 7pm. Tickets for the taping are free for the asking. SLASH
will tape his part on April 21. If you want to get tickets, we'll give you
the site address which Kristen sent in. You print out your ticket on your printer, but you have
to call to confirm. The time to be there, dress required and so on are all
posted at the site. Seeing SLASH for free? Sounds like a good deal. It will
be at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium; so if you're out that way, why not
go over and give SLASH some support? He will be playing with the supergroup
of artists from all eras and genres led by Little Richard
in performance of his rockin' song "Good Golly Miss Molly". Here's where
you can order your tickets:
US TV Appearances: On 4/14/02, Guns N'Roses will appear on VH-1's "Top
80 of the 80's". The time is 2am ET. The show looks at the impact of the
music video. Landmark music videos will be shown along with new interviews
with the era's biggest stars.
Marcus in Sweden was watching a Swedish TV show called "Sondagsoppet".
One of their guests was the famous Swedish actor Peter Stormare who
currently lives in Los Angeles. Peter Stormare is also a musician, and
he played a song with his band on the show. Guess who the bass player
was? None other than Snakepit's Johnny G! Johnny seems to be showing
up everywhere! Thanks, Marcus!
If you search ebay for SLASH
items, you get many items unrelated to our SLASH like music released
on the Slash label. Today, a Snakepit item popped up. As far as we
know, there is only SLASH's Snakepit and the Snakepit all-girl band
in California. Item #855994336 is an EP autographed by Mike Johnson,
"Former Snakepit member and bassist for Dinosaur jr". Anyone know
about this Snakepit?
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert is out of print on VHS
which is too bad because there's a good SLASH section on it. It's
a really good video. When ours was borrowed and not returned, we
had to pay about 3 times more for a copy. Ravi found out that the
concert will be released on DVD with an anticipated release date of
May 13. There are two disks. Disk one is the second half of the show,
and disk two is a documentary about the event, including backstage
footage and rehearsals. There's an intro filmed by Roger Daltry just
a few weeks ago, a short piece from the Mercury Phoenix Trust, and
still photos from fans and official photographers. The TV version of
the documentary will air on May 25 on Channel Four (not sure if this
is UK or US) and on June 15 on VH1. Looking over the second half of
the concert, the sad thing is that it appears that SLASH is not there.
Is there an expert around that remembers which songs SLASH played on?
If "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Axl, Elton) is one, that one is listed. It seems
to us that was one of his appearances. He also played with Queen and
jammed with Brian May, but we are uncertain of the song. If anyone knows
for sure, please send that in. The GNR part, "Paradise City" and
"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" did not make the cut. Thanks!
Laurene works at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium where the American Bandstand
tribute will be taped. She wants desperately to be assigned to the backstage
area those nights. Why? SLASH will be there somewhere! Laurene is a big
SLASH fan, and she really would like an opportunity to say hello to our
favorite axeman. Her boss, Mary-Ann, is the one to decide where Laurene
will be working, so this is a personal appeal to let one of our own get
to meet SLASH and report back! She promises not to be a pest, but just
wants the chance to see him closeup, tell him hello and give him a giant
smile! So, Mary-Ann, please give our reporter, Laurene, a chance to see
the top hatted one! Thanks! And, Laurene, don't forget that report!
Damian had a great story...he recently played a charity show at his
law school. As a joke, he dressed up as SLASH, and he was very surprised
the way the SLASH mystique carried over to someone just dressed as SLASH.
Damian said there was a real sexual magic and power, but it does help
if you can play guitar! Surprise! Damian became an instant chick magnet!
He's in a good relationship already, but the symbolism of the top hat,
Les Paul, long hair and leather had SO much power and meaning. No wonder
everyone wants to dress like SLASH! SLASH has this great sexual magnetism,
and you can stand on his shoulders when you dress like him!
There's a slide show where you can see Damian. His "SLASH" is in slides
7, 30 and 96.
Thanks, Damian!
Don't forget to send in any items you have to sell or trade...music items,
that is! You can see the list by clicking the For Sale sign at the top
of this page. Also, we can use more fan email addresses for the Fan
Address section. And your guitar tabs, drawings, crafts are always
welcome along with links to your SLASH-related sites, and artists can
send in information on their bands for the fan music sections. Due to
a medical problem in my family (my father had a heart attack and open
heart surgery this week), I am somewhat behind but promise to catch up
very soon. Thanks for your patience.
Jonah was watching Much More Music in Canada the other night. He caught the first half of
"Behind The Music" with Lenny Kravitz. Right before he turned the show
off, they showed about 15 seconds of the "Always on the Run" video.
Jonah said, "It showed SLASH hopping around". A good description! So
watch for reruns if you are in Canada. Thanks, Jonah!
Last time Aga's question
about rock and roll attitude got an answer from SLASH. In the dictionary
there should be a picture of the top hatted one under rock and roll
attitude. Aga wrote to say thanks and sent a SLASH mention. Aga is from
China and saw this in a magazine called XROCK. A guitar businessman
called Liu went to the NAMM show a few months ago where he spent 2
HOURS talking to SLASH! (2 minutes of his time would be wonderful!). They
talked about guitar playing, equipment and so on. Liu watched Our One
and Only playing, and he said that SLASH was a very kind man. SLASH is
truly a global guitar hero! Thanks, Aga!
Here's a little more news on the American Bandstand show. This show will
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the afternoon dance show aired out of
Philly. The show will tape April 19, 20 and 21 at 7pm. ABC will take all
this footage and produce a 2-hour TV special. It will debut on May 3 at
8-10pm ET on the network. Dick Clark hosts the show which will show classic
moments from the past as well as live performances by artists spanning the
five decades. SLASH will be in on this live performance. There will be
a supergroup with artists from all eras and genres led by Little Richard
in performance of his rockin' song "Good Golly Miss Molly". We don't know
if that is what SLASH is doing or not, but it sounds like it's made to
order for him! Kristen has managed to get tickets to the taping in
Pasadena. Let's hope Kristen is there on SLASH's night! Mark May 3 on
your calendar now!
Mr.Brownstone is a GNR tribute band, and the SLASH page links to theirs
through the Fan Music section. We got a note from Gerard ("SLASH")
thanking us for the link and thanking all of you who stopped over to see
their site. They received quite a bit of mail about how good it is to
hear some GNR again and asking about show dates. "SLASH" wants people
in the New York area to know they will be appearing live at The Knitting
Factory, a very popular NYC venue. The show will be April 19 and starts
at midnight (typical SLASH nightowl time) with doors opening at 11pm ET.
Tickets are $10, and this is an all ages show. The Knitting Factory is
located at 74 Leonard St. (4 blocks south of Canal, between Broadway and
Church St.). Take the 1 or 9 train to Franklin, walk one block south to
Leonard, turn left and it's a block and a half to the club. Of the many,
many clubs in NYC, The New Yorker magazine routinely notes who
is playing at The Knitting Factory. So, get down there and support one
of our own. Good luck, guys! (and especially "SLASH")!
Speaking of supporting our own, Brian Tichy (tour drummer for Snakepit '95)
has some live shows coming up, too. Brian's band is Mirror Down (formerly
Ball), and they will be at The Cat Club on 3/30 at 11pm PT, at Dragonfly
on 4/10 at 11pm PT, and at the Viper Room on 4/15 at 10:30pm. Tickets are
$10 at the door, but you can call and be put on a discount list ($7) for
the last two shows. For more information:
The slashssnakepit.com site, the official SLASH's Snakepit site has moved
although it still exists at the old address. It's more than a move, it's
a different thing. The new site is slashonline.com, and it's SLASH's official
site on the web. www.snakepit.org is SLASH's Official FAN Site. You have to have Flash to
get in the new site and see anything; so if you don't, either get it downloaded or
forget about visiting. The loud rock music with letters and guitars flying
around are really suitable for SLASH. Some sections are either not working,
or we weren't able to get anything. The intro takes a very long time to
load if you are on a slower line. Try to be patient because right now
we could find no way to skip the intro. We view an intro once or twice and
skip it after that, but this time you are locked in. Large pictures, music
and some information. It's very much in keeping with official artist sites.
This spring is the 50th
anniversary of "American Bandstand", an afternoon dance program out of
Philadelphia PA and hosted by Dick Clark. In celebration, ABC is filming
a program to be aired in May with classic moments of the past and
superstar performances from great artists of the last 5 decades. Many
top stars will be there to talk about how "American Bandstand" impacted
their careers and lives. Some big names on the show are Michael Jackson,
Stevie Wonder, Mick Fleetwood, Sheila E, Chicago, SLASH (!!) and many
more. 
The show is being taped in Los Angeles over three days in April.
Taping will be done at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on April 19, 20 and
21 at 7pm each night. Some of this we knew, and Kristen let us know that
you can get in to see the taping. She is currently working on getting
tickets (and would love them for the night SLASH appears). Hopefully, she
can get us some information for those who want to slip on a poodle skirt
or comb their hair in a duck's ass and hop out there to dance. They used
to say, "When Philadelphia rocks, the rest of the nation rolls". And even
if that isn't true anymore, Dick Clark and Bandstand deserve a big round
of applause. Thanks, Kristen, for sharing the information. How Bandstand
fits SLASH or influenced him, we are anxious to see.
Here are a couple of shows on TV right now. On 4/3, MTV presents
"MTV Uncensored" at 10am ET. This is a behind the scenes look at MTV
by the people who were there. Featured is a story about GNR. Later on
4/3 at 6pm ET on VH-1 is "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" which
spans music's high-volume era from its chord-crashing genesis in the
60s, the alternative movement and beyond. One of the featured artists
is GNR.
Randy Castillo was the drummer for Ozzy at one time and most recently
replaced Tommy Lee in Motley Crue. As you may know, Randy's battle
with cancer came to an end on March 26, 2002. He's remembered as much
for his great personality as for his drumming. Tolson sent a story
Randy told in an interview. In 1985, Randy had his first audition with
Ozzy. Randy had a broken leg and couldn't solo, so he took along a
video from his Lita Ford days. Needing a beta machine, Ozzy and Randy
went into Tower Records to borrow one, and who was working the counter?
SLASH, top hat and all! SLASH was amazed at seeing Ozzy walk in, and he
let them use the beta. Even SLASH has heroes! Thanks, Tolson!
VH-1 in the UK is working on a show called "100 Greatest Men", and they'd
like your vote. You write in the names of your 5 favorite male artists,
your name and email and so on (for a contest) and submit it at the site.
Hint: the top hatted one should be #1! Here's where to vote:
SLASH replies, "Aga, that's a tough question. I would say the "attitude"
is totally personal and from the heart. It's all in the way you choose
to express yourself musically, spiritually and socially. Your attitude
represents who you really are, how you think, etc. As long as you are
true to yourself, then your approach to expressing yourself will come naturally."
Thanks, SLASH and Aga! If you have a question about SLASH's musical
career, equipment, attitude, etc., send it to webmaster@snakepit.org.
Make the subject: ASK SLASH. Thanks!
The Buffalo News in Buffalo, New York had a music article called
"Teens Make Their Case for the Music They Love". Nearly 200 teens
responded to the newspaper's request for information on favorite groups
and artists. Just about every musical genre received some votes. Guns
N'Roses got these mentions: "I like their hard-driving rock/metal edge
and most of the lyrics" and "SLASH is one of the best lead guitarists
in the business"!
Here's the first question from the new set that SLASH answered. This one
is from Aga from China, "Hi, SLASH. Here's Aga from China. I want to learn
more from you on the point of "attitude" when playing guitar, which you've said
many times, and I think it's important to get on such attitude in my daily
life so I may get it out when playing guitar. So could you give me some
suggestions on how to live the life which has the rock music attitude?
Thanks."