SLASH: 'I've Never Been What You'd Call A Technical Guitar Player'

October 8, 2008

Erin Broadley of L.A. Weekly conducted an interview with former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash on Tuesday, October 7 inside a parked Gibson tour bus behind Sam Ash Music in Hollywood, California. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

L.A. Weekly: You've said about band dynamics that you don't think there needs to be volatile chemistry in a band to create good music. For the solo album, without having a domineering or problematic frontman to deal with, is that opening up doors for you?
Slash: Sitting around thinking about stuff every so often, I realize that where I get the most inspiration is when the guys that you're working with... it's like being with a woman... you have this energy. When you have a lot of negative stuff going on it just completely depletes the creative process. It's nice to be able to do a solo record and do whatever the fuck I want.

L.A. Weekly: I interviewed Dave Mustaine [MEGADETH] awhile back at Guitar Center Sessions and he sang your praises but then said, "Buckethead [former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] is probably twice as good a guitar player as me and Slash combined, and can stand having fried chicken rubbed up against his face all night for a couple of hours."

Slash: Well, that is actually true. Anybody who knows me knows that technically I couldn't play my way out of a paper bag. [Laughs] Or a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket, for that matter. I manage to do what it is I do based on a certain kind of feel and sound. I'm getting better at it but I've never been what you'd call a technical guitar player so he's totally right [laughs].