Just prior to embarking on the El Diablo motorcycle run, former GUNS N’ ROSES and current ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA guitarist GILBY CLARKE spoke exclusively with BW&BK; scribe Aaron Small.

Now that RSSN has wrapped up their touring cycle for the debut album, Gilby addresses the band’s current status. “I’ve been texting and e-mailing the guys, but I really haven’t got into a discussion since the last show (in March in Australia), of where we’re going to go. Tommy (Lee, drummer) and I kind of left it on, let’s get home and relax – then we’ll get together and talk about what we’re going to do. If we are going on – we’re going to change the name. When I originally got into it, I got into it to start a new band. I love Tommy. I love Jason (Newsted, bassist). That’s what I got into it to do. As it took on a life of its own, I really had to sit back and think, is this what I want to do? Is this what I want to be? I haven’t made that decision yet.”

Gilby recently played six solo dates in Ontario and commented, “The most important thing was, I wanted to get out and play – to see if anything has changed since doing the show. Before the show, I could always do some solo gigs, but it’s rough out there. I don’t pack ‘em in all the time. So I wanted to see if anything was different. The one thing I really rediscovered was playing with my guys (drummer Brian Tichy and bassist Stefen Adika) again. This is what I like – we play off the cuff. We look at each other and inspire each other and we play. I really get challenged as a musician. That was one thing with Supernova that was a little hard for me to digest – once the songs were done, we played the songs. There wasn’t a lot of live interaction where we could go off. This was really fun!”

Always creative, Gilby has been writing new songs of his own. “I stay pretty close to what I always do. If anybody’s familiar with my music, they can hear my influence on the Supernova record. I like the music that I like. One thing about Supernova was, it really opened my mind up to more current things. In my stuff, I never really use loops or any kind of modern stuff. But I liked it. I liked using different sounds and that has helped influence me with what I want to do. I’m still a guitar player. It’s still going to be guitar based. The new stuff is kind of a lot of the same but with some new twists.”

Over the years Gilby has recorded some great cover songs including ‘Dead Flowers’ by THE ROLLING STONES, ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ by THE CLASH, ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ by THE BEATLES, ‘Hang On To Yourself’ by DAVID BOWIE and ‘Mercedes Benz’ by JANIS JOPIN among others. Next in line is… “We’ve been playing it live and we haven’t recorded it yet – ‘It’s Only Rock And Roll’ by The Stones. We kind of keep the first verse and chorus the way they do it, bluesy and stuff. Then we rock it out for the second half. I like the way we’re doing it. That’s something I really want to tackle. When I do a cover song, I do it like, if I wrote it, how would I do it? Sometimes I do keep it close (to the original), but it’s my version of it.”

The live DVD is next on Gilby’s agenda. “I have two shows that are done (The Malibu Inn in Los Angeles, California and The Underworld in London, England). The Malibu one is even out there just a little bit. But I’m personally not that happy with them. So we’re going to be taping the L.A. show in May (4th at The Key Club). I want a DVD out this year! I’ve been trying to do it for the last three years. Those will probably be features on it. It’s weird ‘cause the London gig was a great gig! It was one of the best gigs I’d played in a long time, but when I saw the footage, it didn’t seem that way. I don’t know if it was the sound or the recording, but I didn’t get the same feeling watching it as I did doing it.”

Former GN’R bandmates Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum will be releasing a new VELVET REVOVLER album coming in July. Is Gilby curious? “Absolutely! Velvet Revolver sets the bar. There’s no AUDIOSLAVE any more. Their success definitely trickles down to my world. I want them to be successful. First of all, they’re still friends. But I want rock and roll music out there. Teaming up with Brendan O’Brien was a genius idea. If I could afford him, I’d do it too. But I’m really excited. I did hear from Duff, saying things are going well. He’s happy, and that’s a hard one.”

To view a photo gallery from Gilby’s concert in Toronto earlier this month, click here.