KNAC Interviews SLASH 7/20/00

INTRODUCTION SLASH was a little late coming on as he was doing something with TV Guide and then talking to the KNAC people outside the studio. He's known some a long time. After his introduction, he talked about his snakes and how he always has a lot of skins at his house. Then he got into Ain't Life Grand, and he explained that the title is kind of a survival theory. The dj asked about the band, and why did Teddy play harp! (Harp is the blues name for harmonica). He also mentioned that It's Five O'Clock Somewhere sold a million copies worldwide and how he got from one album to this one. Right now, SLASH says, they have enough material for a second album! He said there should be four singles off Ain't Life Grand. The first is "Been There Lately", and you can clearly hear Teddy playing piano in the background. The lone ballad is "Back to the Moment". The track "Ain't Life Grand" was a song based on a song that was to appear in the Les Paul Tribute album, Burn Out which was never released. SLASH bought back the rights to his song, and it became "Ain't Life Grand". He says it is a really bluesy song. It was played, and SLASH is right!

SLASH said that show bootlegs are fine, but this is not communicated to security so you have to be careful. They talked about Blues Ball and played "Landslide". The dj asked how SLASH felt about criticism, and he said it was hard for him just like for anyone. But he said he just does what he does, what he thinks is good and at the end of the day he's happy. SLASH really likes meeting with his fans. He likes to meet people that have just seen his show. He was asked about computer communications: LAPTOP. He was asked about fan suggestions, and basically he is open to suggestions but he has to do what he thinks is right. SLASH and his brother did the album packaging for the first album with his Dad doing the album packaging. His brother also worked on the current album with SLASH.

Asked about the tour, he said they were doing the US, then Japan and Australia, then Europe, then the US and Canada again. He says they will play "wherever they'll hear us" in venues as large as they can fill. He's really happy to go out with AC/DC who listened to Snakepit's album among others and selected SLASH's band. SLASH said being an opening band is always tough because you might play to 35 people. That's why there are no "name" opening bands as a rule of thumb. Co-headliners but not opening.

Another song was played which we think was titled "Just Like Anything". This one has Raya Beam doing some rapping. Next was GNR, and SLASH was asked if he would buy Chinese Democracy when it came out. NEW GNR. As you heard, the answer was yes although he doesn't expect Axl to buy his.

They went into a discussion of the different artists SLASH has played with. He talked about Eazy-E and why his name is not on the album even though he played there. SLASH now says the track must have been cut which is too bad as it was really cool. Eazy-E died before the album came out, and his family put the album together. They talked about SLASH being sued by someone over "Don't Cry", and he said that nearly everyday someone is suing over something. He says the most interesting session he did with another artist was with Iggy Pop when they co-wrote "My Baby Wants to Rock and Roll". The dj said that SLASH has been called a guitar legend and what did he think. He seemed both humbled and embarrassed.

Next up was "Civil War", and they talked about how this came to be written: CIVIL WAR. Then they moved into BMX bike riding. SLASH said he had a bike during the Aerosmith tour, and he was jumping it off the stage and so on. One day it just disappeared from the trunk, and you could tell someone hid SLASH's toy before someone got hurt. He still owns a mountain bike which hangs in his garage. SLASH was a professional bike rider who won many trophies. He said once he got into the guitar, the bike was put aside.

MOVIES They talked about movies SLASH has been in especially Dead Pool where he got to shoot off a real harpoon. He loved it! He says he has only played himself in movies and not really acted. What he likes best with working in movies is to make soundtracks. And they talked a minute about SLASH's appearance on VH1 as a dj on their internet station. MTV CRIBS They discussed an MTV show on next month called Cribs where MTV comes and films at someone's house. They took some phone calls. And the final number played was "Speed Parade".

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