Live4MusiC

THE man spent 11 years of his life as the lead guitarist of one of the biggest rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s. And then it all went pear-shaped. Well, at least for a while. 

Some 14 years after officially quitting Guns N' Roses, guitarist Slash has been rather busy, having done stints with rock supergroups like Slash's Snakepit (formed while GNR were on their last legs) and Velvet Revolver (a veritable who's who of rock); earning himself a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame; getting heralded in innumerable "Top Guitarists" lists; and now, going on tour to support his solo self-titled album.

Sure, it wasn't all a smooth ride. Along with the trappings of fame and fortune, Slash also saw its pitfalls like drug abuse and alcohol addiction. But wasn't that what rock 'n' roll was all about? Apparently not. 

These days, the 45-year-old musician, born Saul Hudson, said that the "rock star" caricature many paint of him is probably off the mark. 

"I imagine what people think about me is probably entirely different from what I'm like," he said over the phone from Los Angeles. 

"Because I'm very low-key, I'm pretty soft-spoken. I don't think I'm a loud kind of guy.

"My lifestyle is a little crazy at times, and I'm surrounded by whatever it is that we do, but at the same time, I'm not necessarily the rock star type."

Er, dude, your face is on the cover of Guitar Hero III. 

"Well, I don't think I act like one," corrected the married father-of-two. 

"I'm constantly hustling to get better at my playing the guitar, arranging rehearsals, getting all sorts of s**t organised ... It doesn't all just magically happen. And a lot of people (who perpetuate his rock star status), really don't understand that I'm very insecure about that."

So in the spirit of not perpetuating that rock star misconception, we'll be replacing all expletives in our chat with Mr Hudson with a more family-friendly word "bunny".

Let's hop to it.


Time magazine named you No 2 in their list of Top 10 Electric Guitar Players last year. How does it feel to be constantly hailed as the epitome of what a rock guitarist should be?

That's an interesting question. It keeps me working hard at it and keeps me focused on trying to get better at it all the time - like, get a good guitar sound and all that bunny. Try to be consistent. I have moments where I feel like I'm hitting all the notes right, but I think a lot of what happens with guitar playing is - as much as I hate to say it because I used to do drugs - like you're always chasing that same high. I mean, you have one good night and all you're trying to do is get another one. 


Well, your album has been well received and we're all excited that you're coming to Singapore. 

I'm probably more excited that you are. I'm really looking forward to it. I've got a great band and everything is just coming together ... The band is just bunny great, you know? And, no, they didn't all just volunteer. I had to hire all these guys. You know how hard it is to get a good band together? 


With so many stars from Fergie to Ozzy Osbourne singing on the album, was it difficult to put it all together?

It was exactly the opposite. It was an organic process. It was just me writing music, matching the music to whom I thought were the appropriate singers. I worked out the songs beforehand, which is an old habit ever since way back in the day. Then it was just calling them up, sending the demo and setting up a date to go into the studio and record. And it was a really easy, simple record to make, really a painless and fun experience. The hardest part of doing this record, hands down, was actually getting the clearances from the record companies for the singers. That was the hard part. 


Have you had any Spinal Tap moments with your new band?

You know, you wouldn't be rock 'n' roll without a Spinal Tap moment. I have to say though, we don't have any of those ego guys in the band. But you know Nigel Tufnel, with the amp going to 11 though? That would be me. 


Does it bug you that you're often seen as just a guitarist even though you've done so much more? 

I don't feel squashed into one tiny stereotype. Mostly because I do have so many different facets. I play guitar, yeah, but I'm out there a lot. I don't think people just see me as the guy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth, with the hat, who plays the Les Paul. I think I've sort of broadened it a little bit. But, you know, anybody can think what they want. 


Considering the bad blood you've had with Axl Rose, does it annoy you when people request for Guns N' Roses songs? Are you bored of playing them?

All things considered, I don't think I fall into that rut. I mean I can think of songs throughout the years that I got sick of playing. Like I definitely got sick of playing bunny It's So Easy and Mr Brownstone - because in any group that I've been in, those were the only two Guns N' Roses songs that anybody could do. So in this band, we're doing songs I haven't played in years - 15, 16, 17 years - so it's fun for me. And I like the songs - it's really cool just because I haven't played them in so long. We keep it interesting.


How interesting will the show be in Singapore?

Judging from the shows that we've done already, it's a rock-'n'-roll band that flies by the seat of its pants. At the same time, we've got a mixed set of songs from this record, some Guns N' Roses stuff, some Velvet (Revolver) stuff. It's just bunny from pretty much my whole catalogue. And it's a high-energy band. Myles Kennedy, who sings with us, is just bunny phenomenal. This guy is so good.


What's the best thing or worst thing about being Slash?

The best thing right now is that I put together a new record and it's actually been well received around the planet, which is exciting for me. And going out on tour, having a great band, my family's healthy and happy - it's all really good. The only downside is having too many things to do. I don't know if I can get it all done. 

- TODAY

- Christopher Toh

This is super late, but didn’t someone say better late than never? Anyway, anyone who was at the Mika showcase on Monday would know how difficult it was to describe the show fully. 

I mean, sure, we can use singular superlatives like “wow” or “whooo!” or “fantastic” or “great” or “awesome” or “fun” or “exciting” or “colourful” or “energetic”, etc, but even if we combined all those words together, it would not give a true sense of the gig.

Personally, I was afraid that the Max Pavilion might not have been a great place to stage a gig like Mika’s but I was proven wrong. The sheer energy coming from the stage basically eclipsed any reservations I had.

By Christina Ng

WHEN Taiwanese band F.I.R. plays its Singapore gig on July 9, audiences can expect a big show.

From the costumes - vocalist Faye Chan will appear in a dress that almost covers the whole stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium - to the fact that F.I.R.'s producer, Ian Chen, will be singing for the first time on tour, the performance sounds promising.

But guitarist Real Huang might have hang-ups about his weight due to preparations for the concert, F.I.R.'s second headlining show in Singapore.

At a press conference held at K Box Orchard Cineleisure last Friday, he told the media that he's had to lose 5kg for the upcoming show - all because of a skimpy red jacket he's going to wear onstage.

"I've been eating only one meal a day with no snacks. I've had no supper for two weeks," he said with a groan. He's even had to hit the gym, doing intensive weight training to shed the kilos.

If it sounds a bit vain, know that Huang, 30, was under direct orders from F.I.R.'s record label, Warner Music - it didn't want to alter the jacket to fit the 1.78m-tall guitarist's frame. He had to lose the weight instead.

Huang's efforts have paid off.

He is now a full-shirt size smaller, and looked fit at the press conference.

As for Chan, 28, who is dating Huang, she'd love to show off more skin at the concert.

But, as producer Chen jokingly put it: "We'd like to bare as much as we can, but the laws here may not permit it."

Asked about his own efforts for the upcoming show, the 38- year-old revealed that he's been practising hard vocally.

Though he's notorious for unleashing acerbic comments while judging singing contests in China, such as Hunan satellite TV's Happy Boys 2010, he was modest when he spoke about his own turn on the microphone.

"Please be kind to me and look at me as an amateur," he said. "I've decided that if the response from Hong Kong audiences isn't good, our Singapore stop will be the last time I sing."

There's one songbird who won't disappoint, though: Singapore singer Stefanie Sun, who will appear as a guest at F.I.R.'s show. The songstress performed here at her The Answer Is... concert last May.

"We were from the same record company and we love her music," said Huang, when asked about how the collaboration came about.

"We caught up with her at her recent performance in Kenting, Taiwan, at the Spring Scream Music Festival and are looking forward to sharing the stage with her."

ncherhui@sph.com.sg

Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist says he’s happy to stay out of limelight.

When one of the most recognisable names in rock history tells you he’s actually a “very shy guy”, it takes some convincing.

Yet, that’s exactly what guitarist Slash seemed to personify in an interview with The New Paper.

It certainly explains the hair – that ubiquitous mess of curls that obscures most of his face underneath
that signature top hat.

It’s the same hairstyle that has kept the 44-year-old looking exactly as he did when he first burst onto the scene in the mid-80s as part of rock outfit Guns N’ Roses (GNR).

“I need the hair. I can hide behind it.

“Even before I had the top hat, I had the hair,” he said in a phone interview from Los Angeles.

“I saw a picture of myself in a magazine recently at a Dodgers game and I had my hair up in a ponytail.

“I was still wearing a leather jacket, but I just looked weird, man. So I’m keeping the hair.”

Going solo
The one thing that has changed is that Slash is now going solo.

His new, self-titled debut album has him working his six-string for singers such as Iggy Pop, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Alice Cooper and even Fergie.

To support the album, he “handpicked” a new band – fronted by Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy – for a world tour, including a stop in Singapore in August.

Slash said: “It’s been very liberating. You don’t have to answer to anybody. I can do whatever I want, which is cool.

“I don’t have to deal with the diplomacy and democracy of a group.”

His sentiments hint at the unpleasantness surrounding his last band, Velvet Revolver.

The future of the Grammy-winning super-group, made up of Slash and former GNR-mates, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, was left in the air after singer Scott Weiland suddenly rejoined his former band Stone Temple Pilots.

But Slash insists Velvet Revolver is alive and “quietly looking for a new singer”.

Definitely dead and buried is GNR, which split in the mid-90s.

When controversial frontman Axl Rose released a new album, Chinese Democracy, in 2008 under the GNR name, there were reports that the Gunners were plotting a reunion, much to the joy of fans.

Slash admitted he’s constantly amazed by the “rock ’n’ roll status” of the band but “I’m pretty confident a reunion won’t be happening”.

“I will never say never, but that’s because I don’t want to sound negative to the fans. But after all this time I’ve quit the band, I haven’t spoken to Axl.”

Despite that cold war, Slash is diplomatic about Rose’s album.

“It’s a good Axl statement. When you hear his voice, you realise he’s an awesome singer and he expresses himself with such sincerity. That’s what made him so good.

“Musically, it’s pretty much what I thought it would be.”

With so many frontman troubles, why not just step up to the microphone himself?

Slash said: “At some point, I will be forced to sing. But at the moment, no. I’m really very shy.

“It’s just not my personality to sing. I’m very low-key.

“I’ve done background vocals on The Spaghetti Incident? but I didn’t do it and walk away thinking: ‘Oh, I had fun on that’.”

Homebody
You get the feeling that Slash enjoys letting his lead singers dominate the limelight. The guy’s just happy to be a homebody, tinkering with his guitars – all 100-odd of them – and his infamous collection of snakes – all 260-odd of them.

His life now centres around his two boys, London, seven, and Cash, five, and his “pillar”, wife Perla Ferrar. No Slash Jrs for now, though.

It’s a bit of an anomaly that, unlike his peers –Poison’s Bret Michaels, Warrant’s Jani Lane, to name a few – Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson, has somehow avoided the washed-up rock star cliche.

Time magazine recently picked him as No. 2 on its list of the 10 Best Electric-Guitar Players second only to the late Jimi Hendrix.

He collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on the Jackie Brown soundtrack, did a guest spot on American Idol and worked with the late Michael Jackson (“it is sad...all he ever wanted to do was make
people happy”).

He’s also one of the most popular playable characters on video game Guitar Hero III: Legends Of
Rock.

Slash explained: “I don’t make a conscious decision to stay relevant. I’m just very passionate and enthusiastic about what I do.”

But if you think this hellraiser has turned into a fuddy-duddy, don’t forget he used to be in a band dubbed the Most Dangerous Band in the World. There are still shades of the old rocker in him.

Discussing his last visit here in 1995, he said with a chuckle: “Was I ever in Singapore? I honestly don’t remember. I must’ve been drunk.”

- The New Paper 

(week starting 14th June) 

Rock & Pop 

• Oasis - Time Flies 1994-2009 
• Sarah McLachlan - Laws of Illusion 
• Various Artists - Everyone (Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Single) 
• Delta Spirit - History From Before 
• Ozzy Osbourne - Scream 
• Crowded House - Intriguer 
• Robyn - Body Talk PT1 
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Mojo 
• Various Artists - Duets (Worlds Greatest Love Ballads) 
• OTV - Glee: The Music Journey to The Regionals 
  
  Classical & Jazz 
• Kennedy (Vln) - Shhh 
• Monica Mancini - I've Loved These Days 
• Mantovanni - World of Mantovanni 
• Various Artists - Playing For Change 
  
  Classical & Jazz 
• Chemical Brothers - Further 
  
  Asian Pop 
• Y2J 神木與瞳 - Guardian <守护者> 
• Super Junior - Bonamana 

If Singapore’s third ‘Idol’ had one wish, it would be to start his music career in New York City.

“I always wanted it as a kid, it’s such a lively place and my friends who are studying arts there tell me good things about the place,” said Sezairi Sezali, 23.

The winner of Season 3 of the popular reality music talent show, who’s currently serving his National Service with the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (SAFMDC), has high hopes for his music career.

LAST night, I attended a rather interesting meet-up with members of the arts community to discuss issues affecting, well, the arts community. Interestingly, there was strong representation – or representation, anyway – from almost every aspect of the arts except one: Music.

Where were you guys? Last time I checked, music was still considered an art form. And I’m not just talking about classical and jazz music. It’s a bit disappointing, since the Arts NMP Audrey Wong was there and from what I gathered, she ’s really interested in what can be done vis-a-vis the development of the local music scene.

But there’s got to be a strong consensus. Will there be a way for for everybody to come together over music? I know some of you have gripes about the abilities to push onward as local musicians or members of the local music industry. Here’s a thought: Perhaps you can ask your Arts NMP for some help, or at least, pointers to help your cause.

She has a Facebook page, you know? If any of you musos or music industry types are interested, it’s called Arts NMP (Singapore). www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=149593403966&v=wall&ref=search. Join it.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m ranting but you know, I really, really think the indie music community should gather as a, er, community to press their case. Unless, of course, you feel everything is hunky dory. Then never mind. I was wrong. Just a thought to, er, think about.

Thank you for listening.

Sorry if I offended anybody’s sense and sensibilities.  Here’s a quote:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

- Christopher Toh (Poparazzi) 

Touted as one of the most promising upcoming thrash metal bands at the moment, Warbringer brought the Thrash to Southeast Asia and we're fortunate enough to be one of their destinations! This is the 2nd time I've attended a gig at The Substation (last one was long time ago) and it really is an awesome venue for intimate gigs like this. Granted the capacity isn't exactly huge but having the right crowd is even more important! This was almost like a clone of the Lamb of God gig!

Here’s what Ian Gillan had to say about the DP concert here. Totally unexpurgated of course.

 

Deep Purple has been coming to Singapore quite a few times already. What makes you keep coming back? Is it the chicken rice? The laksa? Why? I’ve been to Moscow 100 times, I’ve been to London 100 times, I’ve only been to Singapore three or four times, so I’ve got at least 60 or 70 more times to go. I don’t think statistics are that interesting really, but as a point of interest, we played in 48 countries last year, and did five cities in a week. And when we kick off this tour we go on the road until December. You’ve got to agree that we’ve got to go SOMEWHERE. So it might as well be Singapore!

I was never a massive Deep Purple fan. Sure, I knew Smoke On The Water, but who doesn’t? And until the late 1990s, I never really understood what Deep Purple meant. Then my ex-bandmates took me out one night and I heard a band playing Woman From Tokyo in a pub. Something in me clicked. It was as if a forgotten awareness was once again awoken.

 

Similarly, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night, something in me clicked when the band strode onstage and launched into Highway Star. Now, I’d never seen Deep Purple in the flesh before – never bothered to, really – but as the band played out their repertoire that spanned four decades, I found it strangely familiar. And comforting too. Yes, despite the deafening decibels – and trust me, it was LOUD – the Deep Purple gig was, well, intimate and cosy.