DUFF MCKAGAN - London, Axl and Continued 'Patience'
October 28, 2010, 14 years ago
In his latest blog for Seattle Weekly, former GUNS N' ROSES bassist DUFF MCKAGAN discusses his recent on stage reunion with AXL ROSE.
"Two weeks ago, I flew off to London for a week's worth of non-music-related business. Mere hours after landing at Heathrow I found myself onstage with a friend that I have been to hell and back with, and lived to tell the tale. Axl and I just happened to be in hotel rooms next to each other. Unexpected? Oh, fuck yes.Sometimes, though, it takes a serendipitous moment like this to put some important things into perspective. I for one was glad we were sort of thrown into meeting. I hope he was, too, for the sake of the pounds of flesh that we shed in the struggle and fray.
Mostly we laughed, and that was indeed great.
That same night, I found myself onstage playing 'Patience' in front of 14,000 people at the 02 Arena. To put it lightly, this is not what I had expected when I boarded my flight the night before for my business trip. Crazy shit.
This chance meeting gave me pause for thought and reflection. Many of you have asked me to write about this gig and our meeting. Other magazines and whatnot have tried to contact me for a 'statement'. Really? A STATEMENT? I'll state this: Trust is built on foundations of granite. Trust is not built when a late-breaking story can prompt you to gossip.
I did an interview for our local rock station, KISW, about a week after the gig. They have started to play a new LOADED song in preparation for our halftime performance at the November 7th Seahawks game as part of Veterans Appreciation Day. The song, 'Fight On', was written by Loaded as a nod to our fallen and fighting young men and women. I was doing promo for the gig and the song (profits from the download will go to our Puget Sound VA HealthCare System). The conversation on BJ Shea's Morning Show naturally took a turn from 'Fight On' to my participation onstage with Axl. I've been on BJ's show enough times to know that they wouldn't ask me anything dumb or be otherwise rude or untoward. They let me say my piece, and that was it."
To read Duff's blog in its entirety, click here.