Duff at Download: Talks Sick, VR and Money

Duff McKagan's Loaded played Download 2009 over the weekend, and I have just a few videos to share, but first, the news.

Duff told Contact Music that he expects their new singer to "land in their laps."

He said, "either you've got the guy or you've not and we've worked with some really talented guys. The trick is getting the chemistry right. Slash is making his solo record, which he's desperately needed to do for years, so I'll keep working with my other band Loaded, he'll do that and music will happen when it's supposed to happen. The right guy will fall into our laps when he is supposed to and maybe that's why it hasn't happened yet."

In a separate interview with Noisecreep, Duff says, "anybody that spends too much on a record these days, that's fool's money spent. Nobody sells records like we did in the '90s or '80s. It's not the business model anymore. People get their music for free off the Internet."

"We signed with a small, indie label which was really cool. There's not a lot of pressure like you get from a major. Major labels are becoming a thing of the past."

"The great thing about this band is that we just don't give a fuck. We'll play anyplace, and it's refreshing. It is kind of rewarding when you become the buzz of a town when someone sees you and finds you are playing. We sell records at the gigs. Who knows? By July this could be an underground summer record."

Duff in London Town

From Duff's Twitter:

Just got to London. Playing live on Radio 5 and Absolute Radio today. Giving Manic Street Preachers a MOJO award tonite. Tomorrow DOWNLOAD!!



And from Duff's Seattle Weekly blog:

My family comes to Europe tomorrow, and I am more than excited to see them. Tomorrow in London, Squires and I will play live on the radio to something like eight million listeners. No pressure. Later that day, I will present an award to the Manic Street Preachers at the MOJO Awards (a big British awards show). On Friday, Loaded plays the Download Festival, probably the pinnacle of any rock band's career. I have played it with GN'R, and twice with VR. Next week? We start our European tour with Mötley Crüe. Oh, the stories I could tell . . .

Some Things Didn't Work So Well

The Daily News has a short piece today on their Gossip page that says Axl Rose has fired and rehired his manager, Irving Azoff, at least three times in the last five weeks. It also says that Rose is an "admitted manic-depressive." This is untrue - Rose has never admitted to having a mood disorder. The fully story after the jump.


From The New York Daily News Gossip Page:

Axl Rose has been having mood swings. The Guns N’ Roses front man, an admitted manic-depressive, has fired and rehired famed manager Irving Azoff at least three times in the last five weeks, according to a source. The reclusive rocker is said to be resisting Azoff’s pleas to try to revive sales of the band’s recent album, Chinese Democracy. “Axl doesn’t want anything to do with it,” says the insider. “He won’t come out of his house.”

A source close to Azoff admits, “Axl is Axl. People get hired and fired all the time in this business.”

But Azoff’s rep says that, as of last week, he and Rose are talking again: “We’re in daily contact with Axl, and we look forward to continuing to support him and Guns N’ Roses.”