Velvet Revolver Reunion is Possible, Says Duff McKagan

2011-10-28

Story by Cat Badra

Duff McKagan says he went back to college to figure out Guns N’ Roses’ finances

Guns N’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan’s new book, It’s So Easy: And Other Lies Duff McKagan, tells the trying tale of a rock star’s journey from playing bass for one of the biggest bands in the world to falling to the temptations of stardom. The book honestly and brutally depicts McKagan’s struggle with success and escalating addiction to drugs as the band’s fame escalated.

McKagan says the road to recovering wasn’t easy, especially since those around him were still saturated in addiction. “Number one, the hardest thing to come to grips with was, ‘If you’re going to drink, you’re going to die,’ and I didn’t have sober people around me,” he told the Huffington Post. “I didn’t know anything about AA. I’m stubborn, and I work hard, so those were the two things I relied on… “

On a different matter, McKagan went on to describe his motivation for going to college during the early days of Guns N’ Roses, explaining that, “I had all the Guns N’ Roses financial statements and I tried reading them. Personally, I had made a good amount of dough for a 30-year-old guy, but I didn’t know a thing about money. I’m not a dumb guy but I couldn’t figure them out. I didn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond — too embarrassed to ask and I didn’t trust anybody — so went and enrolled in a course. Now I have a bachelor’s degree in business.”

As for whether the supergroup Velvet Revolver — which originally consisted of McKagan and his Guns N’ Roses bandmates and Stone Temple Pilots main man Scott Weiland — will ever get back in the fold, he says it’s possible. But, it won’t be the same configuration. “We’ll see. We didn’t call it a day,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll ever do anything with Scott [Weiland]. I love that guy but I feel sorry for him.”

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.

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