STPFAN Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Duff McKagan Reveals Hilarious Text Messages That Led To Reunion With Axl Rose by Brett Buchanan - May 11, 2015 GNRTruth have up an exclusive excerpt from Duff McKagan’s new book How To Be A Man where he discusses reuniting with Axl Rose and performing with Guns N’ Roses recently.“After I agreed t play the shows, I quickly realized that I hadn’t played many of these songs in a long, long time. Axl and I started to communicate, and our initial discourse – via text, naturally – reminded me of the levity that made up about 75 percent of our old relation: knock-knock jokes. They’re my specialty, really. But I was impressed to discover that Axl had amassed quite a catalogue of his own during our time apart. I had to reach deep into my knock-knock chest to keep up. But then our conversation turned to the songs, the real shit that mattered. It was a bit strange at first, the two of us texting about which GN’R songs we were gonna do. He and I hadn’t had a conversation about a set list in like twenty years. Twenty years ago, there wasn’t even texting!”He also discussed relearning old Guns N’ Roses songs. “I realized there in my basement room, going through these songs again, just how fucking good we were. I’m not trying to blow smoke or be cute here, I just simply forgot how heavy that music is. It was a bit emotional. With those songs cranking through my ghetto blaster and my bass in my lap, I was transported back to a time when the followship and songwriting of that band was in its prime.”He also discussed letting go of resentment, and first seeing Guns N’ Roses perform with their new lineup. “It was totally weird to see ‘your’ singer do his thing with a whole new set of musicians, but my gut reaction then was to pull for him. I realized then that all of my work on past resentments had actually paid off when it came to Axl. It was a great personal moment.”Duff also said he has a good relationship with all of the current members of Guns N’ Roses.http://www.alternativenation.net/duff-mckagan-text-messages-axl-rose-reunion/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 That's what I call a cliffhanger, man. I need to get that book ASAP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSoftie Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Looks like I'm going to have to get that book then.Fuck.. I'm never getting through this Mick Wall shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bumblefeet Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting! Oh, and from the similar articles feed: "Scott Weiland Allegedly Refused To Perform Concert Last Year Without Cocaine, Was Given Aspirin Instead" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77Jesters Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 What I took from the similar articles was that I should refer to Smashing Pumpkins as a Grunge band at every opportunity I get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasted Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Knock knockWho's there?The IRS.We are taking your house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnfnrs1972 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Knock knock Who's there?SlashFUCK YOU GO AWAY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bards Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 GNRTruth have up an exclusive excerpt from Duff McKagan’s new book How To Be A Man2 questions:-How is it possible to have an "exclusive excerpt" from a commercially available book?-If it's exclusive to GNRTruth, why does the link go to Alternative Nation?----Beyond that, the idea of Duff and Axl texting each other knock knock jokes makes me smile. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daedalus Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) The whole transcript from pictures posted on "gnrtruth":After I agreed to play the shows, I quickly realized that I hadn’t played many of these songs in a long, long time. Axl and I started to communicate, and our initial discourse – via text, naturally – reminded me of the levity that made up about 75 percent of our old relation: knock-knock jokes. They’re my specialty, really. But I was impressed to discover that Axl had amassed quite a catalogue of his own during our time apart. I had to reach deep into my knock-knock chest to keep up. But then our conversation turned to the songs, the real shit that mattered. It was a bit strange at first, the two of us texting about which GN’R songs we were gonna do. He and I hadn’t had a conversation about a set list in like twenty years. Twenty years ago, there wasn’t even texting!"Estranged"? Oh, yeah... I love that song. "My Michelle"? Right. In F#, I think. Killer! Just killer. "Think About You"? Shit! Old school! Yes! "November Rain"? Epic. The song list went on, through "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child" and, yeah, just about everything. These were the songs that we sweated and bled for back in that magical time, when everything happened so quickly.I realized there in my basement room, going through these songs again, just how fucking good we were. I’m not trying to blow smoke or be cute here, I just simply forgot how heavy that music is. It was a bit emotional. With those songs cranking through my ghetto blaster and my bass in my lap, I was transported back to a time when the fellowship and songwriting of that band was in its prime.My bass-playing chops are, in most ways, much better and more refined than they were in 1987. I've played a lot over the past two decades, so how could it not be a little better, right? but I had to regress a bit and get back into the animalistic musical headspace that GN'R requires. I'm not saying a bass player doesn't need good chops to play these songs, but it's more of a full frontal attack, not necessarily a musical style that can be learned. I've seen bands cover our songs from time to time, but they always seem to be missing that guttural attack that the five of us original guys had in spades. I dropped my guitar strap a notch and started to let it fly."Rocket Queen"? Okay, I'm in!This wasn't the absolute first time that Axl and I had communicated in all of that time. I had seen and even played with his band back in 2010, and I really listened to the live versions of their new songs from Chinese Democracy when I saw them play those shows with Loaded. It was totally weird to see "your" singer do his thing with a whole new set of musicians, but my gut reaction then was to pull for him. I realized then that all of my work on past resentments had actually paid off when it came to Axl. It was a great personal moment.The word "resentment" itself is just a general term. If something happens in your life that you weren't onboard with or had no control over, have you ever asked yourself what part in it might have been? Especially once that past event builds up in your head and becomes black and shitty?I found some things in my past that I was blaming others for that I could have handled better. I think we have all looked at the bad things that have happened and, through the rear-view mirror of life, decided that it was all someone else's fault. Of course, when you look back with a bit more thoroughness, you realize that you, too, are in that rear-view mirror and maybe, just maybe, you had something to do with the things you were pissed off or uneasy about. Resentments start to dwindle and fade, and oftentimes you can see the humor in your folly that is life.I learned to deal with the me in my life through my Sensei Benny Urquidez and the brutal self-honesty that is Ukidokan martial arts. Without all of that, I'm not sure just where the hell I'd be now. But that is another story.Over the last bunch of years, I've become pretty friendly with the guys in Axl's band. Guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and I jammed together a few times, and he and drummer Frank Ferrer had come to my house in LA for dinner party a few years earlier. Ron's wife, Jen, hit it off with Suasan pretty well. It would be great to see Dizzy Reed again, and I had just spent the previous summer touring along with Richard Fortus and Dizzy's other band, the Dead Daisies. Richard Fortus is the father of two girls, like me, and we've spent hours discussing the ups and downs of raising young daugthers. Guitarist DJ Ashba and I had hung out a couple times, and he plays in a band with one of my best buddies, Nikki Sixx. In short: if you're played music for long as I have, the world gets pretty small and you get to know your contemporaries.Even saying all of that, I still felt a bit weird about playing these old songs with a whole new set of people. The intentions were all good, and bassist Tommy Stinson (who I'd be, uh, replacing) was super thankful that I was able to do it. But still, there is so much history there. How was this going to go down?Simply put: it went just fine. All the guys in the band, Axl, and the crew bent over backward to make this thing go as smoothly as possible for me. We had band-only rehearsals eight hours a day for five days and got things cruising without any hiccups.But I hadn't yet played a whole real show with Axl, and now in South America, where we had set attendance records (cut off here).. Edited May 11, 2015 by Daedalus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post downzy Posted May 11, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted May 11, 2015 GNRTruth have up an exclusive excerpt from Duff McKagan’s new book How To Be A Man2 questions:-How is it possible to have an "exclusive excerpt" from a commercially available book?-If it's exclusive to GNRTruth, why does the link go to Alternative Nation?----Beyond that, the idea of Duff and Axl texting each other knock knock jokes makes me smile.It's not. Someone bought the book, took pictures of a few pages, and then decided to call it an "exclusive" at another forum. I saw the book on sale in my local bookstore ten days ago. Never thought to photocopy copyrighted material, post it here, and then call it an "exclusive." But whatever floats your boat I guess. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maynard Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquor & Whores Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? Guns N' Roses = Axl's band (since Izzy quit)I don't see any point here 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? I mean, that's the name of the band. I totally get why he wouldn't, but I would think that his whole "I'm ok with it, it was worth it, I'm on good terms with them" schtick might have altered that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Jesus Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Knock Knock,You keep on knocking...but I am not going to let you in... Edited May 11, 2015 by Randy Jesus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bumblefeet Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 "Knock knock"Who's there?"DJ"DJ, stop texting me. F***. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Jesus Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Knock KnockWho is there?Hashtag...Hashtag who?#ashbaswag #ashbaclothing #djashba #ashbamotors #ashbasixxam etc... Edited May 11, 2015 by Randy Jesus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsh327 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.Duff's not in GNR as an official member. Mick Taylor did a tour with the Stones, but he wasn't there as an official member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? Guns N' Roses = Axl's band (since Izzy quit)I don't see any point hereIf "Guns N' Roses = Axl's band" then, why is it weird that Duff calls it "Axl's band"? It became Axl's band when they, or, should I say, when Axl dissolved the partnership. Izzy quit way before that.I don't see any point here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magisme Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 I've had a copy of this book since February. Duff asked me not to be a dick and post pics, so I didn't.#legitinsider 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bards Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 I've had a copy of this book since February. Duff asked me not to be a dick and post pics, so I didn't.#legitinsiderDammit, you could have had an EXCLUSIVE~! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquor & Whores Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? Guns N' Roses = Axl's band (since Izzy quit)I don't see any point hereIf "Guns N' Roses = Axl's band" then, why is it weird that Duff calls it "Axl's band"? It became Axl's band when they, or, should I say, when Axl dissolved the partnership. Izzy quit way before that.I don't see any point here.yeahunofficially GNR became Axl's band in 1989when he said in public that he will dissolve the band if the members don't stop using drugsand they did not fire him thenthey just let him embarrassed them in front of the crowd - confirming that they are nothing without him Edited May 11, 2015 by Liquor & Whores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Jesus Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 knock knockWho is there?knockin'knockin' who?on heaven's door Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? Guns N' Roses = Axl's band (since Izzy quit)I don't see any point hereIf "Guns N' Roses = Axl's band" then, why is it weird that Duff calls it "Axl's band"? It became Axl's band when they, or, should I say, when Axl dissolved the partnership. Izzy quit way before that.I don't see any point here.yeahunofficially GNR became Axl's band in 1989when he said in public that he will dissolve the band if the members don't stop using drugsand they did not fire him thenthey just let him embarrassed them in front of the crowd - confirming that they are nothing without himWell, I never said it was Slash & Duff's band. So, tell me, after Axl rant, did Slash and Duff stop their drug abuse? Nope, they didn't, which is undeniable proof that Axl couldn't fire them just like they couldn't fire him. And why Axl couldn't fire them? Because it was never Axl's band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquor & Whores Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Interesting that Duff has a good relationship with Axl and the guys in GNR now, played with them, says he's pulling for them, but still calls them "Axl's band." I wonder how Axl will take that.How would he call it? Guns N' Roses? Guns N' Roses = Axl's band (since Izzy quit)I don't see any point hereIf "Guns N' Roses = Axl's band" then, why is it weird that Duff calls it "Axl's band"? It became Axl's band when they, or, should I say, when Axl dissolved the partnership. Izzy quit way before that.I don't see any point here.yeahunofficially GNR became Axl's band in 1989when he said in public that he will dissolve the band if the members don't stop using drugsand they did not fire him thenthey just let him embarrassed them in front of the crowd - confirming that they are nothing without himWell, I never said it was Slash & Duff's band. So, tell me, after Axl rant, did Slash and Duff stop their drug abuse? Nope, they didn't, which is undeniable proof that Axl couldn't fire them just like they couldn't fire him. And why Axl couldn't fire them? Because it was never Axl's band.it was about Slash Steven and Izzy thenSteven got fired a year laterIzzy quit two years laterAxl fired Slash in 1996that's about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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