Axl Rose Calls Slash a “Cancer” in New “Chinese Democracy” Interview
Axl Rose’s second official post-Chinese Democracy interview hit the Internet today as the Guns n’ Roses frontman talked with Spinner about his new album, why the group’s original lineup dissolved and why he’ll never reunite with Slash. Even though the interview was conducted by Rose’s good friend and Guns road manager Del James, the questions definitely aren’t softball and, as usual, Axl doesn’t hold anything back.
As Rose clearly stated in his message board rants and Billboard‘s interview earlier this month, he really has no intention of ever reuniting with Slash. “There’s zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn’t be pretty,” Rose tells James, adding later that, “Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after Lies. In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided—and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.” However,
Rose did seem open to once again working with Izzy Stradlin or Duff McKagan (“I supposed Duff could play guitar on something somewhere.”) Duff recently told Rolling Stone, “I love Axl,” so maybe a mini-reunion is in order.
Rose still has no love lost for the media, accusing journalists of creating the myth that he set out to make Chinese Democracy the “best album ever made,” thus its 13-year delay. “No, that’s fucking ridiculous and more negative media nonsense. We were all just trying to do our best for the fans and ourselves,” Rose says to Spinner. “There types of comments are more from our detractors, pulled out of their ass if not thin air.”
The interview also provides some clues as to the future of Gn’R. Rose hints at a possible tour, and talks about the possibility that there will be some new material in the future. “Not as much as Baz [Sebastian Bach] thinks he heard,” Rose said regarding that time Bach revealed information about songs not on Chinese Democracy. Rose did mention one new song that features guitarist Robin Finck doing “a really great Stevie Ray Vaughn-type solo.”
Related Stories:
• Axl Rose Gives First “Chinese Democracy” Interview, Says He’ll Never Reunite With Slash
• Duff McKagan Opens Up About Guns n’ Roses, Punk Band Loaded and Steven Adler
• Did Axl Rose Swindle Guns N’ Roses and Steal Slash’s Song? A Guide to Rose’s Online Rants