SLASH (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) spoke with John Dingwall from Californiachronicle.com recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Leaving his crazy years behind him: "I'm in perfect shape but it is truly amazing that I am still around. I took that as a n omen and figured I'm not going anywhere so I might as well make the best of it. I don't wake up and make a cocktail first thing in the morning these days. I don't have a lot of vices I have to deal with first thing. I was a slave to my addiction, and had to take care of those first, so I don't have that any more. It leaves more time to be productive."

Rock n' roll groupies: "I've had stalkers, none as crazy or as attractive as FERGIE. Stalkers, real stalkers, are no joke or something to laugh at. The real ones tend to be dangerous or psychotic nuisances. This was an exaggeration on a theme. In reality, I have never been drugged against my will. I have never been tied up against my will. It's always been consensual."

On reunion with Axl: "It's been 14 years. I haven't spoken to him in all that time. There really is no relationship. That's why it is frustrating when people ask about band reunions and what's going on. Fourteen years is a long time to not be in a band for people to still be asking about that. Having said that, it's an appreciation, I guess, for the band from a lot of fans who care about it that much. It's very flattering that after all that time that the original line-up still has that appreciation. I try not to scoff about it that much but the Axl question is redundant."

Read the entire interview here.