SLASH is always busy with a band, doing interviews, guest appearances and on and on. It's hard to keep track of what he's up to but here in the News section we try to keep an eye on him for you.
Click here: 2008 for older news.
Click here: 2009 for older news.
The deluxe edition of SLASH's album will be released in Australia and New Zealand
on August 13. There will be three extra tracks: the "Paradise City" cover by Fergie and Cypress Hill, "Sweet Child O' Mine"
cover performed acoustically with Myles Kennedy on vocals and an acoustic rendition of "Back From Cali". The deluxe
package comes with a DVD with behind the scenes footage of the making of the album, performance footage from Australia and
L.A., video clips and more.
6 String Theory is a special project put together by Lee Ritenour in celebration
of the guitar. Joining him in this all-star tribute are SLASH, George Benson, BB King, Vince Gill and many others. Blending
rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, country and classical, they come together for a seamless project that takes the listener on
a fabulous musical journey.
After the massive success of the Manchester, UK live recording of SLASH and the band, SLASH
has decided to record the Australian shows in August and make a limited number of double disk CDs available to fans
at the shows and abroad. Pre-order these asap at www.abbeyroadliveus.com.
Taking Dawn will be opening a string of tour dates with SLASH. Taking Dawn has a sound
that is both fast and fresh, they use an 80's sound to create a modern foundation. Their tour begins August 29 at The
Warfield in San Francisco and ends with the September 6 show in Surf Lake, Iowa.
SLASH has a good rock band for you to look into. Their name is Airbourne, an Australian
hard rock band. SLASH says, "Those guys are phenomenal. As far as new rock and roll bands are concerned right now, there
haven't been a lot of insanely great acts for some time. It's hard to say who else I'd pick, but Airbourne rock!"
The Pakistan America Peace Through Music Project is based on the
feeling that all musicians are from the same tribe and the power of music to spread peace and harmony. A group of musicians
will go from America to Pakistan for a month long caravan through that country. Later on, the Pakistani musicians will
come to the U.S. for performances and events. SLASH will be part of this. Both legs of the tour will be filmed and sold as
a documentary. The music will also be sold.
SLASH announced a lineup change for his touring band. For the Asia/Australia tour,
Todd "Dammit" Kerns will be replaced by Great White's Tony Montana on bass. Todd is recovering from retinal eye surgery.
The band Taddy Porter is going to open for SLASH beginning September 10 in Toronto.
Last show for them with SLASH is at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Taddy Porter was formed in 2007 in Stillwater, OK. The band's debut,
selft-titled album was released in June. Their single "Shake Me" has been used by the New York Mets' Mike Pelfrey. It's also
been featured on Monday Night Football as well as well as the ABC sitcom Cougar Town. In June they were recognized
as Clear Channel's "New Artist to Watch" and Gibson Guitars' "Artist of the Month". Try to see this leg of the tour!
July 23, 2010 is SLASH's 45th birthday! Happy Birthday SLASH!
SLASH announced an "Appetite" Les Paul due out in October. The guitary is based on the
Gibson USA and Gibson Custom Shop models of the same name. SLASH says the main difference in this guitar and the USA and
Custom model is in the headstock. SLASH was involved every step of the way to make sure the guitar met his standards.
Former Hanoi Rocks frontman, Michael Monroe, joined SLASH on stage at the Ruisrock festival in Turku, Finland
on July 9. Michael did two numbers, "We're All Gonna Die" and "Up Around the Bend".
Jerry Lee Lewis is releasing a new album on September 7 called Mean Old Man. Lots
of guests are appearing including SLASH, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Ringo Starr, John Mayer, James Burton
and Eric Clapton. The album will be released in a standard, 10 track edition and a special, 18 track edition. You can
pre-order this star-studded album on Amazon.com right now.
SLASH has picked the winner of the Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record With
SLASH, a first-of-its-kind unsigned band competition. There were more than 12,000 entries, and the winner is California's
own State Line Empire. They will record a 3-song EP with Mike Clink, and SLASH will write, record and perform on their single.
The band will also receive a management development deal, feature of single on iTunes, worldwide distribution of music through
TuneCore, $10,000 Guitar Center shopping spree, new gear and endorsement deals from Ernie Ball Music Man, opening slot on
SLASH's Monster Energy Bash and an editorial feature in Guitar World. The band hails from San Mateo, San Francisco and
L.A. Band members are Tyson Yen, Dave Pearl and Cat.
The third annual Sunset Strip Music Festival is set for August 26- 28. Honoree SLASH
will peform with Fergie and Myles Kennedy during the Saturday outdoor street festival. The three days fest kicks off with
a tribute to SLASH at the House of Blues on Thursday, August 26. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. SLASH has chosen
the charity LAYN (Los Angeles Youth Network) to receive a portion of all ticket sales.
SLASH has a new iPhone game/app titled SLASH's Arcade Rocker featuring songs from his new
album. It combines the feel of Guitar Hero with the mobility of the iPhone. SLASH is a fan of technology on the go. You can
purchase it for just under $3 at iTunes.
SLASH and the band recorded the show at Manchester Academy in Manchester UK on July 3rd. The show
will be mixed and mastered specifically for CD. Each disk set costs $30 (20 pounds) online or at the show. Sale will continue
only until 1200 are sold.
SLASH received the "Hard Rock Ambassador of Rock" award at the July 2 annual O2 Silver
Clef Awards which took place at the Hilton on Park Lane in London. Presenting the award was fellow rocker and friend,
Ronnie Woods.
Firefly Airlines announced the launch of its first-ever concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The show is called SLASH Live in Kuala Lumpur 2010 Concert and takes place at Surf Beach in the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park
on August 5 subject to permits and confirmations. There might be a change of venue because "...Sunway Lagoon is [not]
suitable for a rock icon of SLASH's stature." Amy Search is the opening act. Apart from Malaysia, SLASH will also play Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan for
his Asian tour.
On June 13, SLASH and the band appeared at Donington Park, UK. Joining them for a
rendition of "Doctor Alibi" was Lemmy!
SLASH was attacked onstage at the Milan, Italy gig. SLASH was playing "Sweet Child O' Mine"
when an unknown man managed to get onstage. SLASH says it was just a drunk with no real ill will but obviously it could
have been worse. SLASH's security guard tackled the guy who got shoved into SLASH tangling with and breaking SLASH's
guitar. The damage amounted to a snapped machine head, and the guitar has been used again after repairing it. SLASH says
moments like that are why he doesn't take his favorite guitars on the road; he only takes new ones.
SLASH was lining up Michael Jackson to appear on his solo album when MJ died. SLASH thought about
MJ but knew the King of Pop was busy getting his This Is It comeback show together. SLASH still admits he is angry about
how Michael was treated by the public after he was acquitted in the molestation trial. He says that Michael was totally
ostracized; and then when he died, there was crying in the streets.
SLASH is going solo on iPhone. His Arcade Rocker is a music game that popped up on
the App Store. Judging from the screenshots, it looks like Guitar Hero. The game lets you tap along to three songs from
SLASH's solo album. The songs are "By the Sword", "Watch This" and Doctor Alibi. The game also offers news, posts and
blogs and tourdates from SLASH's official website.
GNR will be eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. While that's still
three years away, there's a buzz about a possible reunion. SLASH says he'll be there! He says, "I have no idea how that's
supposed to go. If Axl, Duff, Izzy and myself start communicating, it could go one way. If we don't, God knows." SLASH stated
that Guns would have been his favorite band if he hadn't been in it.
SLASH held Hampton vacationers captivated by his skull shirt and red leather thigh
high jeans when performing over Memorial Day weekend for the town. The town went gaga for SLASH's rocker chic look.
In a recent MTV interview, SLASH discussed the future of VR. He said that after they
got off the road and Scott was fired; they wrote half a dozen really great sort of heavy metal pieces of music. SLASH said
this new material better matches the group's original intentions. The two albums that VR put out were definitely lighter
than SLASH wanted which was very frustrating. SLASH promises a more heavy direction this time.
The band SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy appeared at Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, the
Netherlands on May 30. They played a mixture of songs from SLASH, Velvet Revolver and GNR. The setlist was:
1. Ghost (from SLASH)
2. Dirty Little Thing (Velvet Revolver cover)
3. Nightrain (GNR cover)
4. Back to Cali (from SLASH)
5. Sucker Train Blues (Velvet Revolver cover)
6. Starlight (from SLASH)
7. By the Sword (from SLASH)
8. Sweet Child O' Mine (GNR cover)
9. Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
10.Paradise City (GNR cover)
SLASH tweeted a tribute to Dennis Hopper. The iconic actor died on May 29 after a long battle
with prostate cancer. He was 74. Hopper was known for roles in film including Easy Rider, Blue Velvet and
Apocalypse Now. SLASH tweeted, "You take the great ones for granted until they're gone. RIP Dennis Hopper."
Ronnie Wood is reuniting the Faces, and SLASH has been asked to perform with the lineup.
Original members Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jonew have joined with Glenn Matlock of the Sex Pistols and Mick Hucknail of
Simply Red to get the band together again. SLASH is going to help whenever he can fit it in between his tour schedule and
promotions.
The video for Rihanna's latest single "Rockstar 101" featuring SLASH premiered Tuesday.
Rihanna dons several looks, but the one that has everyone buzzing is Rihanna dressed as SLASH. Rihanna wanted SLASH to
appear in the video but he had scheduling conflicts, so she decided to appear as SLASH. She looks great, and SLASH was
very impressed.
As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, Austereo's Triple M had SLASH has given
their rock riff a new lease on life.
There's an new song on iTunes called "Kissed It" by Macy Gray featuring Velvet Revolver.
This is VR without Scott Weiland, of course. SLASH says it was done sometime in 2009. Spend 99 cents and get a copy! The song
will also be on Macy's album The Sellout due out on June 22 and available now for preorder at Amazon.com.
The Revolver Golden Gods awards were given out in April. Celebrating the best
in hard rock and heavy metal is a TV show featuring highlights from the awards. The award show will be on VH1 Classic on
May 22. SLASH, Lemmy and Dave Grohl perform Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". This is an award show not to be missed.
Things in the music business have changed; and when SLASH wanted to promote his new
album, he found he would have to try new things. He has started using social networking which he said he would never have
used in his "cool Guns N'Roses days". SLASH says he is a Twitter junkie and is addicted to social networking. You can
follow him on Facebook and on Twitter where hardly a day passes that you don't hear something from SLASH.
Ronnie James Dio died on May 16 of stomach cancer. SLASH said, "Ronnie died at 7:45 am this
morning, but his music will live for eternity."
We have a summer into fall schedule for SLASH:
June
2 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhagen Live
4 - Nürburg, Germany - Rock Am Ring - Nürburgring
5 - Nuremburg, Germany - Rock Im Park - Zeppelinfeld
8 - Czechia, Czech Republic - Tesla Arena
10 - Milan, Italy - Palalido
11 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Novarock - Pannoia Fields II
13 - Donington Park, England - Download Festival
15 - Nice, France - Parc Des Sports Ehrmann (Opening for AC/DC)
18 - Paris, France - Stade De France (opening for AC/DC)
19 - Clisson, France - HellFest Open Air
20 - Paris, France - Bataclan
24 - Alava, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival
27 - Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
29 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
30 - Belfast, Ireland - Mandela Hall
July
1 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Picture House
3 - Manchester, England - Manchester Academy
4 - London, England - Hyde Park - Wireless Festival
10 - Gävle, Sweden - Getaway Rock Festival
August
2 - Singapore - Fort Canning Park
7 - Osaka, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival - Osaka
8 - Tokyo, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival - Tokyo
11 - Melbourne, Australia - Palace Theatre
12 - Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli
14 - New Plymouth, New Zealand - TSB Stadium
16 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
September
15 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
18 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
SLASH has announced his full UK and Eire schedules for the summer. On Sunday, June 13th will
be the Download Festival at Donnington Park in Derby. The Glastonbury Festival on June 27th is SOLD OUT. SLASH will play the Vicar Street located on Thomas
Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 12 at 9 am. The venue holds 1050 seated and 1400 - 1500 for
standing gigs. On Wednesday, June 30th, SLASH will play Mandela Hall in Belfast, UK. Tickets for that show go on sale
Wednesday, May 12. It is an over 18 show only with ID required. The second show will be at Edinburgh HMV Picture House on July 1st. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 12. The
cost is 25 pounds. Seating is for 1500 fans! On Saturday, July 3rd, the show at the Manchester Academy in the UK is SOLD
OUT. The Wireless Festival is on Sunday, July 4th in the UK.
Gibson is making a new, limited edition Gibson Custom "Appetite" Les Paul
Guitar to honor SLASH. Guitar Center will carry both the hand-aged and signed model Les Pauls along with the VOS (Vintage
Original Spec) version. All "Appetite" guitars come with a lined hard-shelled case, a certificate of authenticity and a bonus
of a deluxe vinyl LP edition of GNR's Appetite for Destruction.
Since the book SLASH came out, there have been rumors that a movie would be
made from SLASH's autobiography. SLASH says he will always refuse offers to make a movie from the book because he only
wrote it to stop people asking about a GNR reunion. SLASH says he has been approached, but he has no interest in making
a film about his life. He says he can't imagine anyone playing him in a movie.
Two more gigs have been announced. SLASH will play the Vicar Street located on Thomas
Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 12 at 9 am. The venue holds 1050 seated and 1400 - 1500 for
standing gigs. The second show will be at Edinburgh HMV Picture House on July 1st. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 12. The
cost is 25 pounds. Seating is for 1500 fans!
SLASH tweeted that everyone should come to Summer Sonic in Tokyo. The gig will be on
Saturday, August 7th from 11 am to 11 pm.
SLASH will be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 11. Joining him will be Maroon 5
frontman Adam Levine. The pair will perform "Gotten" from SLASH.
SLASH will be stopping over in Singapore on August 2 to pla a Fort Canning gig.
Tickets go on sale May 7 at 9 am through Sistic's website (www.sistic.com.sg) and at 10 am at Sistic outlets. Early-bird tickets are priced
at $98. You can also calll 6348-5555 for tickets.
People magazine's annual issue is out featuring the world's most beautiful people.
SLASH made the cut and is on the Mane Men section honoring men with great long hair. But you knew that all the time, didn't you?
G-TARanaki International Music Week will be held in New Zealand's New Plymouth.
SLASH will be headlining the show. The show is from August 11-15 in New Plymouth, Taranaki. SLASH will perform in concert
on Saturday night at the TBS Stadium and the Saturday night Midnight Session at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth. G-TARanaki will
be the only chance to see SLASH in New Zealand this year. Tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster from Monday, May 31.
Some GNR purists were enraged that Fergie did the vocals on "Paradise City". SLASH
says they are taking it too seriously. He met Fergie when he did a Black Eyed Peas fundraiser called Peapod. He thought
Fergie would be Puerto Rican, but she is a white girl from Orange County!
When SLASH was to appear at the Staple Center in LA with Black Eyed Peas, he was tuning his
guitar backstage when him manager asked if Tom Cruise could come in and say hello? SLASH said yes and in came Tom and wife
Katie Holmes. Cruise said he is a really big fan and wanted to meet SLASH. Neither one seemed to know whether to play the
celebrity or the fan. SLASH said in his soft voice that he was a bit nervous to go onstage. Cruise said the same thing
happens on a movie set and that means it will be a good performance. After Cruise left, SLASH said it was one of the
weirdest thing to happen in two weeks! He opined that Cruise was very nice and not as short as everyone says he is.
DJ Meltdown of Detroit, Michigan's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station interviewed SLASH
on May 2nd.
Another SLASH show has been announced! This will be in Boston on September 15th
at the House of Blues. Exclusive fan presale for the show! Check out slashonline.com for all information. Tickets are
$29.50 and $39.50 and go on sale May 7 at 10 am through Live Nation.
SLASH was in Australia on April 28 at The Palace in Melbourne to launch the new
channel, MTV Classic. Myles Kennedy belted out the vocals of most of the songs. Andrew Stockdale was there for "By The
Sword". Angry Anderson sang "Nice Boys", the Rose Tattoo cover GNR had on GNR Lies. The setlist was: "Nightrain",
"Back From Cali", "Beggars and Hangers-on", "Nice Boys", "Civil War", "Sucker Train Blues", "Nothing to Say", "Starlight",
SLASH solo - Godfather theme, "Sweet Child O' Mine", "By The Sword", "Woman", "Slither", "Paradise City".
Today the NorVa in Norfolk, Virginia announced that SLASH will play the room Saturday,
Sept. 18. SLASH will play with his touring band featuring Myles Kennedy of AlterBridge on vocals. Tickets are $25 in
advance and go on sale Saturday, May 1 at Ticketmaster outlets, Kelly's Backstage Tavern and norvatickets.com. Let's make
it a sell out!
SLASH has announced three Australian shows to support SLASH. Tickets go on sale
Friday, May 7 at 9 am:
Wed., Aug. 11 - Melbourne, Palace Theatre - 18+
Thurs., Aug. 12 - Brisbane, The Tivoli - 18+
Mon., Aug. 16 - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - Lic A/A
SLASH announced that the video of "By The Sword" will appear on slashonline.com on April 28.
SLASH quit smoking awhile back but not when his mother was dying from lung
cancer. He said his addiction to cigarettes increased when his mother was in the hospital for seven months. SLASH decided
to quit when he developed pneumonia and couldn't smoke for two weeks. He says he is giving quitting a shot but is finding
it hard. He has dedicated SLASH to his late mother, Ola Hudson. Ms. Hudson past away in August, but SLASH was
determined not to stop him from completing his album. His mother was his greatest supporter and wanted him to finish the
album.
The staff at Enclave in Chicago were delighted when the Black Eyed Peas stopped in. Fergie sang about how she's "so 3008" and we're
"so 2000 and late". Will.i.am headed for Crobar for another club appearance. SLASH joined Fergie and her husband Josh
Duhamel in the heavily guarded VIP section. SLASH had performed "Sweet Child O' Mine" with Fergie during the Peas
sold-out show at the United Center show earlier that night.
Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones says he helped teach SLASH tips and tricks on the axe.
He taught SLASH when SLASH was a child. Now the favor is being returned with Ronnie picking up tips from SLASH.
When SLASH played the Roxy recently, it was like GNR in 1991 all over again. SLASH played
songs from SLASH, GNR and Velvet Revolver. SLASH played for an hour and 40 minutes with just a short pause before
the encore "Slither" and "Paradise City". Myles Kennedy handled the vocals and other famous guest stars included Andrew
Stockdale and Steven Adler. SLASH also played his famous "Godfather Solo".
You just never know who's going to jump on stage with SLASH. A couple of weeks back
SLASH was joined by comedian Jim Carrey. Carrey jammed on "Black Betty" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". The venue
was Cozy's in the Valley.
SLASH made an appearance recently at Dodger Stadium in LA recently
where he performed the National Anthem prior to the opening of the first of three games between the LA Dodgers and
the San Francisco Giants. Dodgers won 10 - 8. SLASH is preparing for his tour. In album news, SLASH became the
week's highest charting new release on the Billboard 200. The album topped charts in Canada and Sweden and landed in the Top
10 in Finland (#2), Switzerland (#3), Norway (#4) and Denmark (#6). Poland came in at #11 with Spain at #26 and the UK
at #30. May and June tour dates are as follows:
5/21 - Walker, MN - Northern Lights Casino
5/22 - Atlantic City - Borgata Hotel and Casino SOLD OUT
5/23 - Columbus - Rock on the Range - Crew Stadium
5/30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Megaland - Pinkpop
6/02 - Copenhagen - Copenhagen Live - 10-Oren
6/04 - Nurburg - Rock Am Ring - Nurburgring
6/05 - Nuremburg - Rock Im Park - Zeppelinfeld
6/10 - Milan - Palalido
6/12 - Nickelsdorf - Novarock - Pannoia Fields II
6/19 - Clisson - HellFest - HellFest Open Air
The sixth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert will celebrate women in recovery and salute
Betty Ford and the Betty Ford Center at Club Nokia in LA on May 7th. The evening will feature special performances by
SLASH with Beth Hart and other artists. SLASH and Beth Will perform their own "Mother Maria" as well as the Stones'
"Sister Heroin" and Led Zep's "Whole Lotta Love". All proceeds benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund which provides members of
the music community access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources.
SLASH will be part of the Glastonbury Festival which is scheduled for
June 23-27. This is the largest performing arts festival in the world with over 350 acts performing across 12 stages. Other
artists include U2, Muse, Pet Shop Boys, Jackson Browne and Stevie Wonder. SLASH will be playing on Sunday, June 27th on
the Pyramid Stage.
Aussie rocker Angry Anderson will reunite on stage with SLASH after 18 years to perform
a Rose Tattoo hit for the launch of MTV Classic. The Rose Tattoo frontman and SLASH will come together at the Pay
TV event in Melbourne, Australia to perform "Nice Boys", a song GNR covered.
Reports are coming in about the success of SLASH. The album debuted at #1 on both the
Nielsen Soundscan Album Chaart and the iTunes Album Chart. SLASH has also been certified gold during its first
week of release. The first single, "By The Sword" featuring Andrew Stockdale is currently Top 20 at rock radio.
SLASH is among the acts newly-added to the Wireless Festival line-up for 2010.
Snoop Dog, Wiley, D12 have also been added. The events take place in London's Hyde Park on July 2-4. SLASH will play on
Sunday, July 4.
SLASH made a guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with
host Bob Coburn on Monday, April 12 at 8:30 pm. SLASH was there to promote his new album.
Two of the original members of GNR stopped by Loveline recently. SLASH was
there promoting SLASH, and Steven Adler just dropped in out of the blue. It made for great radio hearing the guys
talk about the good old days.
SLASH is headed for US Top 10 Debut. SLASH is charting about 60,000 albums sold in
the first week. This should be enough to push the album into the Top 10. And sure enough, the album entered the Top 10
in the number 3 position.
The annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards are back for a second time on April 8th
at Club Nokia in LA. SLASH will be performing. The idea behind this award show is to recognize heavy metal music which
is largly forgotten with Grammy's and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. SLASH says that Myles Kennedy, Andrew Stockdale, Lemmy
and Dave Grohl will be part of his live performance.
SLASH didn't realize three songs from SLASH were being played on ESPN in and out of
commercial breaks. People kept telling him that they loved the songs they'd heard on ESPN. SLASH said with all his
traveling, he hadn't heard it himself. The songs played on ESPN are Fergie's "Beautiful Dangerous", Kid Rock's
"I'll Hold On" and Myles Kennedy's "Starlight". Good choices!
When SLASH was booked to appear on the April 6 Tonight Show, NBC didn't think he'd
show up with an "I'm With Coco" pin. Coco is Conan O'Brien who engaged in a heated war with NBC over moving Jay Leno to
his prized TV slot. SLASH went on the show to proudly show where his loyalties lay in the Late Night Wars. Leno's crew
worked around the problem and did all they could to make sure the pin didn't get much airplay. In fact, it only made a brief
hilarious performance.
Is Velvet Revolver over? SLASH says no! He says next year we're supposed to get back
together and start looking for a singer in earnest. They have to see where Duff is at that point. Duff is currently a
member of Jane's Addiction. SLASH says he himself will be touring through October. Then, VR will get together at the start
of 2011 and make plans.
SLASH tweeted that he will be making a triumphant return to the Guitar Hero series by
way of the upcoming Guitar Hero 6. "We're All Gonna Die" (Iggy Pop) and "Ghost" (Ian Astbury) will appear on Guitar Hero 6.
Ultimate Guitar USA, LLC, a US-based online global social media company for the
guitar enthusiast community, has formed a joint venture with SLASH. SLASH and Ultimate Guitar will co-develop and co-own
digital assets associated with SLASH's online initiatives including his official web site, slashonline.com. The joint
venture will develop and release a variety of SLASH-brand mobile apps as well as instructional videos featuring SLASH.
SLASH is celebrating the release of his first solo album with a signing session on
Tuesday, April 17 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Starting on April 6, release day, the first 300 people to buy SLASH
will get a pass to bring back on April 17 for admission to the signing. Signing is limited to one item per person. Signing time is 2 pm.
SLASH composed the score for the upcoming Mexican film This Is Not A Movie,
produced and directed by Olallo Rubio. SLASH said the film is "...very cutting edge, very artistic, and a little bit
trippy." SLASH has now composed the score for six segments which Rubio is very happy with.
SLASH's touring band consists of vocalist Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), bassist Todd
Kerns (Sin City Sinners, Static in Stereo, Age of Electric), rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck (Weezer, Green Day) and drummer Brent
Fit (Alice Cooper, Vince Neil). SLASH says he is really glad to have Kennedy on the tour. There are two songs by him on
SLASH, and he can perform any other songs on the album as wll as the GNR stuff. The band has been added to this
year's Hellfest Festival scheduled for June 18 - 20 in Clisson, France.
SLASH will be honored at the third annual Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF). SSMF will
celebrate SLASH's contributions to the history of the Strip as well as the music industry. This year's event will feature
live performances in six musical venues on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28. The three day event will conclude
with a street festival. As part of the big event, City of West Hollywood officials will declare August 26th to be SLASH
Day.
On Thursday, April 1st, Gibson Guitar will partner with Monster Energy Drink in
launching the energy drink manufacturer's global SLASH promotion where fans can enter to win a "money can't buy experience"
to be a guest at a private concert with SLASH. Fans can visit slash.monsterenergy.com on April 1st to learn how they can win
that prize. Additional winners will receive the limited addition Gibson Appetite Les Paul guitar. In the US and Canada,
fans are encouraged to check their local retailers beginning April 1st for the Limited Edition Slash/Monster Energy multi-packs.
For details, visit www.monsterenergy.com. In Australia, New Zealand and Europe, the grand prize is a trip to attend the
private concert and exclusive backstage meet and greet with SLASH along with the Limited guitar.
Slash and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother are shooting a video for "by the
Sword" on April 3rd and 4th in LA. They're looking for 75 male/female extras, 18-22 years old of all ethnicities. Looking
for punk/rock and roll types. Submit name, photo, age and cell number to slashmusicvideo@gmail.com.
SLASH has changed bassists in his touring band. Todd Kerns is replacing Dave Henning.
He joins vocalist Myles Kennedy, rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck and drummer Brent Fitz.
SLASH will jet into Australia in April to headline the launch of the new music channel
MTV Classic. SLASH will perform some GNR classics as well as tracks off his forthcoming SLASH at the April 28 event
at the Palace Theatre in Melbourne.
The instrumental track on SLASH is "Watch This" featuring Dave Grohl on drums and
Duff McKagen on bass. SLASH says he had no plans to do an instrumental, but he finally got in touch with Dave who said he
didn't want to sing; he wanted to play drums. The three sat down and and did a demo. In three or four takes it was done!
SLASH will perform at the second annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone.
Taping the performance will be Thursday, April 8 at LA's Club Nokia. It will air on VH1 Classic on Saturday, May 22.
Joining SLASH will be Dave Grohl and Lemmy on the electrifying Motorhead single "Ace of Spades".
SLASH spoke out in March on the laws on homosexual marriage in California. Currently, homosexual marriage is outlawed there.
SLASH and Perla did a video for the web in favor of changing the law. Unfortunately the law has yet to pass.
Due to legal reasons, "Paradise City" featuring Fergie and Cypress Hill had to be withdrawn from the limited edition deluxe
version of the new SLASH album. A brand new track, "Back From Cali" featuring Myles Kennedy is in its place. The exclusive "Baby
Can't Drive featuring Alice Cooper and Nicole Scherzinger still remains. The SLASH Fan Pack contains this album along with
an exclusive 132 page deluxe Classic Rock magazine, a woven SLASH patch and a giant fold out poster. The Fan Pack goes
on sale April 7th.
SLASH says he was afraid to call up the rockers that appear on SLASH and ask
them to guest on a track. He says it took years of collecting enough credibility to call someone and ask them to play or sing.
He says it was nerve wracking just to call and see if they would do it or not.
Dave Grohl agreed to a guest appearance on SLASH's album when they bonded over chats
during the school run. The two became friends after discovering their kids went to the same school. SLASH and Dave said
they started to chat, and SLASH asked Dave to sing on the album. Dave said he would play drums instead and the result is
the rocker "Watch This" also featuring Duff.
SLASH has announced a myriad of activities for the week of SLASH's release. The album
will be released on Tuesday, April 6th. On that day, SLASH will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On Thursday, April
8th, he will be on his friend George Lopez's show. Also on April 8th, will be the Revolver Golden Gods ceremony from
Hollywood (airs May 22 on VH1), and on Friday, April 9th, SLASH will be on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
"By the Sword", the first single off SLASH's new album will be released as a digital
single on March 28. The track was co-written by and features a guest appearance by Andrew Stockdale of Australia's Wolfmother.
"By the Sword" is available for streaming at AOL right now. You may have heard that the initial choice for the first single
was to be Ozzy on "Crucify the Dead". But Ozzy himself had a new album coming out, so "By the Sword" was chosen. The album
is due out April 6th. SLASH will tour on the album with Myles Kennedy doing the vocalist honors. SLASH's touring band
will appear at Columbus, Ohio's Rock On The Range festival in May.
Nickelodeon is getting an auction together for this summer. Celebrities will
design Dora the Explorer backpacks. SLASH is designing one! A limited supply of each backpack will be auctioned off globally
in the US, UK, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands and others. One hundred percent of the US proceeds will benefit the
Children's Defense Fund. The proceeds in other countries willl go toward childhood education.
SLASH and Perla went to the Global Green USA 7th Annual Pre-Oscar Party. The party was
called "Greener Cities for a Cooler Planet". It was held at the Avalon in Hollywood on March 3. Perla wore a beautiful
green dress!
Global Sound Lodge, Matt Sorum and Lanny Cordolla, have released a new single,
"Hands Together" featuring SLASH. The song was written for the Haitian people in this time of tragedy in their homeland.
All proceeds from the song will be donated for Haitian relief. The song is available for downloading via iTunes.
The first single off SLASH is Andrew Stockdale on "By the Sword". The song
debuted live at SLASH's November 2009 LA benefit for homelesss kids. It's a real rocker that starts with a slow-rising solo that
goes into a guitary hero moment then climaxes with a rock barrage and Stockdale's impassioned vocals. A rocker!
SLASH was in England for promotional work, and he did a presentation at the Schockwaves
NME Awards on February 24. He presented Muse with the Best British Band Award at the event. When asked who his guitar idol
is, he said, "Pete Townshend. Today it's Pete Townshend". SLASH said Townshend is a great guitar player, great songwriter,
and has a great personality. While in the UK, SLASH blasted UK rock stars and said the UK music is "tame, predictable and faceless".
He said he is down on music in general right now and said the UK is lacking any bona fide rock legends in the making. He also
said he doesn't just single out the UK...music world wide is undergoing a hard time. SLASH remains positive that this will
pass.
Travis Barker is a busy and in demand musician. He has Blink-182's reunion album going
on. His own solo record is due out in June and features all manner of guest spots...including SLASH!
SLASH was at the Shockwaves NME Awards on February 24th. He gave out an award to Muse
which he said was well deserved. Lilly Allen was there, and SLASH seemed to be a secret admirer. He really wanted someone
to introduce him to Lilly Allen, and we hope someone did! Arctic Monkeys' Matt Helders said he really wanted to meet
SLASH! Don't we all?!
SLASH has been getting around with his European tour. He stopped into a Wonderland
themed party celebrating the release of Alice in Wonderland. It's said he was accompanied by a group of bodyguards
and hung out with Trinny Woodall, the British TV fashion critic. SLASH said he showed up because he's buddies with
Woodall's husband and felt out of place at a fashion gathering. He said he had no idea why he was there in his jeans and
shirt, and five minutes later, he left.
SLASH says he's in talks to appear at this summer's Download Festival. He said there are a couple of other ones under
consideration. He'll be doing some in Germany, too. He'll start doing shows in April and a couple in May. Then he'll be
touring properly in June doing the UK summer festivals. US tour will be this fall.
"By The Sword" will be the first single off SLASH, and it will be on the
radio on March 1. The track was co-written and sung by Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother. So be listening for that one!
SLASH spent more time navigating the red tape for his solo album than he did recording it. It took four months to make the
record. The thing that made it take the longest was getting releases from all the guest artists' record companies. It was well worth it since he got to be in the studio
with Ozzy and Lemmy, his teen heroes.
Over the weekend of February 20th, SLASH took part in PokerStars.net's North American
celebrity charity tournament in Vegas. On the way from L.A., SLASH ran into Scott Weiland. It was the first time the two
had talked since the last show of the last VR tour. SLASH said that now that he and Scott are not at odds with each other
in the band, he has no issues with Scott; and he's excited about the new STP album coming out. As for the poker tournament,
SLASH didn't win. Perla tweeted that they had a wonderful time in Vegas.
On December 16, 2009 SLASH performed with Jason Bonham and Steve Lukather on the
Mark and Brian morning show in L.A. They did a hard-rock version of "We Three Kings" along with "Black Dog", "Talk To You
Later" and "Living After Midnight".
In all the excitement of the new album and the forthcoming tour, Velvet Revolver has
not been forgotten. SLASH will resume his search for VR's singer after he completes his solo tour. SLASH says he and Duff
McKagen will have to be on the same schedule for this. Right now, Duff is working with Jane's Addiction. SLASH says the
new singer will not be someone that's already well known in a band - someone who is just on the verge of discovery. SLASH's
tour is expected to begin in late April/early May and conclude by October. SLASH also commented that he has no plans to write
another book but down the line, who knows?
There's another future SLASH collaboration that could take place. SLASH says
he might do a rock record with Fergie in the future! The two have done many appearances together, and Fergie recorded
a single and a bonus track on SLASH's debut album - "Paradise City" with Cypress Hill. Fergie is planning to explore her
passion for rock music on her next solo album. She's set to team up with SLASH for this project. SLASH says Fergie has
"...this killer rock 'n' roll voice".
The second annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards is back. This is the hard rock
and heavy metal music awards show presented by Epiphone. It will take place April 8 in Club Nokia in L.A. The show will
be televised on VH1 Classic May 22. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster. SLASH is a nominee for Best Guitarist. New for this
year, fans can cast their votes at www.revolvermag.com/goldengods. Voting ends on March 31. So get over there and vote for
SLASH!
Rock on the Range returns to Columbus, Ohio May 22 and 23. This year's blowout features
one of the first performances by SLASH's new band. There will be more than 38 bands on 3 stages. Getting to see SLASH's
new band will be a standout feature. Two day passes are about $100. A special pre-sale has already begun with the general
onsale starts Feb. 20. A really cool thing is that SLASH has announced he is going to use songs from the GNR days. He says
Myles Kennedy, the frontman, knows the songs and sings them great. He adds that Myles can sing them in the register and from
the heart. So get your tickets to Rock on the Range and prepare to be blown away! SLASH said fans can expect plenty of
oldies - songs from VR, GNR and Snakepit. There will be songs from Alter Bridge and Myles Kennedy, too.
This is an act to be seen. Get out those GNR t-shirts!
Doug Fieger, frontman for The Knack, died of lung cancer after battling lung cancer. He
was 57. The Knack are best known for their hit single "My Sharona". SLASH took to Twitter to say that Fieger was one of
the most spiritually enlightened people he has ever known. He will be missed.
SLASH will be at the Canadian Music Week as part of a special celebrity interview. The
interview takes place March 11 at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel from 4 to 5 pm. it's part of the Digital Music &
Media Summit held March 11 and 12, which looks at how the music and entertainment industries are changing content and
the way people consume media. SLASH will discuss his "memories and insights on life, love and playing loud." Canadian
Music Week takes place March 10 to 14 in Toronto. SLASH will also be playing at his appearance. Visit cmw.net to register
for a delegate pass or purchase a limited ticket to this individual event.
This is the cover of Stephen Wesley's new album, The Road. SLASH played on the
song "Cowgirl" with BC Jean doing the vocals. You can download the song or the entire album on Amazon. You can also
purchase the CD on Best Buy. Stephen said, "Obviously having someone of his stature is an indescribable feeling....he was kind,
thoughtful, and genuinely interested in making his ...song..to be the absolute best it could be."
This is the cover art for the debut SLASH solo CD. SLASH will be released
in the UK on May 10 through Roadrunner Records. The standard album release will be preceded by a "fan pack" in which the
Roadrunner album will be bundled together with a highly collectable special issue of a Classic Rock's magazine
dedicated to SLASH's career. The cover prices is just under 15 pounds and will be available nationwide. SLASH will
be released in North America on April 6 via EMI Label Services. The Japanese release will take place on March 24 via
Universal Music. A special edition of the CD will include a bonus DVD featuring making-of-the-album footage
and a free poster in the first pressing. It was produced by Eric Valentine, and the logo is by SLASH's brother with
Ron English doing the painting. The Classic Rock
SLASHPack will be the only album with two bonus tracks, "Baby Can't Drive" (featuring Alice Cooper and Nicole
Scherzinger) and a cover of "Paradise City" (featuring Fergie and Cypress Hill). The track list is as follows with the
singer in parentheses:
1. Ghost (Ian Astbury, featuring Izzy Stradlin)
2. Crucify the Dead (Ozzy)
3. Beautiful Dangerous (Fergie)
4. Promise (Chris Cornell)
5. By the Sword (Andrew Stockdale)
6. Gotten (Adam Levine)
7. Doctor Alibi (Lemmy)
8. Watch This Dave (Dave Grohl, Duff McKagen)
9. I Hold On (Kid Rock)
10.Nothing To Say (M. Shadows)
11.Starlight (Myles Kennedy)
12.Saint Is A Sinner Too (Rocco De Luca)
13.We're All Gonna Die (Iggy Pop)
It was rumored that Ozzy's song would be the first single off the album, but now it looks like M. Shadows' will be. Ozzy
made time to do SLASH's album although he is busy with his own. He called SLASH "...a lovely, lovely man...and ...a real good
friend".
Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy is doing a solo album, and SLASH has contributed
a guitar solo. The album is due out early in 2010, so we should be seeing it soon. Mark said, "As always, he knocked it out
of the park!" SLASH announced that Kennedy will be fronting his band for the forthcoming tour. SLASH said, "...he is by far
one of the best rock and roll singers out there today. I'm really honored and proud to be working with him." SLASH will be
announcing the other band members shortly. Speaking of the tour, SLASH wants to hear from everyone as to where they want
him to come. Follow SLASH on Twitter.com/slashhudson and let him know. We sent him three suggestions, and he said they are
on his list!
SLASH and Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas were part of the Super Bowl in a very unusual way.
Will.i.am remixed The Who's "My Generation", and it started off as a commercial. The Who played the halftime show at the
Super Bowl. Pete Townshend was consulted, and Will.i.am asked if he could talk about his generation. The result is
new lyrics. The remix is on iTunes, and the money made goes to Haiti. As soon as halftime was over, the song became available
for purchase. You can find it on iTunes, Amazon, Dipdive, and The Who's Official Site for $1.29 with all proceeds
going to relief organization Oxfam America to benefit Haiti. The revised lyrics cover the earthquake, and SLASH played on the remix so this is a highly collectable download.
Win a chance for you and your band to record an EP with SLASH! SLASH says he's really
into the idea of inspiring young guitar players and discovering new rock talent. Bands across the US are invited to send
their music to yournextrecord.com for a chance to win. The winner gets to do a 3-song EP produced by Mike Clink, SLASH
will write, record and perform on your single, and there will be a management deal with "The Collective" (the team behind
SLASH), your single featured on iTunes, World-wide digital distribution of your music through Tunecore, $10k Guitar Center
shopping spree, $10k in new gear and endorsement deals from Ernie Ball, opening slot on SLASH's Monster Energy Bash and
an editorial feature on your band in Guitar World. So get your music together and check out YourNextRecord.com and
ernieball.com for
all the details. The contest is sponsored by Ernie Ball, Guitar Center and SLASH.
Another cool campaign from Ernie Ball, Guitar Center and SLASH is one everyone can
get into. Just go to your Guitar Center store and pick up packs of Ernie Ball electric guitar string sets. Hidden inside
select packs are gold, silver, red, black and white picks. Each pick has a corresponding prize:
*Gold - Flight, hotel and ticket to attend a private masterclass with SLASH
*Silver - Custom Ernie Ball Music Man instrument
*Red - $500 Guitar Center shopping spree
*Black - Signed copy of SLASH's solo record
*White - Free pack of Ernie Ball strings
The packs are only at Guitar Center stores, and 1,000 prizes will be awarded. The promotion runs February 1 - April 30, 2010.
Check www.ernieball.com/slash for more information.
Haiti was devastated by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12. Since that time, musicians
have been rushing to bring out singles and albums to aid in the star-studded recovery effort. One of these is "Download
to Donate for Haiti", a 10 track album of previously unreleased music. One such track is from SLASH, and it is titled
"Sister Maria" and features blues singer/songwriter Beth Hart. This song is a masterpiece! You can buy just the song for
99 cents on iTunes. The entire album is just $7.99, and we encourage you to buy the whole thing and burn your own copy.
100% of the funds received will go to the Haiti efforts. Also, there was a George Lopez benefit February 4 at the Nokia
Theater in LA where SLASH and Beth Hart did two numbers.
The 2010 Grammy Awards were spectacular with great performances between the rewards. Hopefully,
you got a chance to see the show. SLASH performed with Jamie Foxx, T-Pain and Doug E. Fresh on "Blame It On Alcohol". You
know there's a party happening when SLASH is in the house, and the four were amazing. T-Pain said it was fun to work with
SLASH even though it was a little embarrassing because no one knew who T-Pain was. The world of hip hop collided with that
of rock onstage!
For more than 30 years, Clive Davis has thrown his pre-Grammy
party. The Black Eyed Peas opened the show. Fergie donned a black leather jacket, and SLASH came onstage to join her
in "Sweet Child O' Mine". Davis was disappointed that half the house left after three hours of music and told the crowd they
must be in the wrong business! The true fans would have loved to be there for the whole six hours!
Wolfmother's creative controller Andrew Stockdale is keeping company with the
A-list on SLASH's debut album. Stockdale appears on SLASH singing "By the Sword". SLASH says he handpicked the
Australian rocker. SLASH says Wolfmother is in his current playlist with their Cosmic Egg along with mixes of
his own record!
With all this talk of equipment reminiscent of Appetite, there has been more talk of
a reunion of the old Guns N'Roses. SLASH stated he turned down "seven, eight-digit kinds" of money to reunite with GNR since
he left the band. SLASH has reached out a few times to Axl, but he has always met with a sharp rebuff. It seems nearly
impossible that the two could ever create any music together. The amount of money has no effect.
At the Winter NAMM 2010, Gibson released a preview of the new SLASH signature
Les Paul. The guitar is inspired by the axe that SLASH played on the Appetite for Destruction album and practically
every recording since. There will be different versions for every wallet, and they will be released in limited quantities. It is
made to look like the Derrig replica that SLASH plays now, only less-orangey. It is being called the "Appetite" guitar
although that is only its unofficial name. Also at NAMM, SLASH was gifted with a Heavy Leather NYC strap and sent his thanks
personally on twitter and facebook. The new SLASH pickups were also available at NAMM. These are from Seymour Duncan, and
we can say we were backstage at the Les Paul testimonial in Cleveland when the subject was under discussion. Heavy stuff!
This pickup uses an Alnico 2 magnet. However, the SLASH model is wound with just enough boosted output
to push a stock Les Paul toward the sweet sustain and rude crunch that characterizes SLASH's sound.
At the Winter NAMM in 2010, SLASH unveiled his new Marshall AFD100 amp. The amp recreates the fabled 100-watt JCM2203 SLASH
used to record the 1987 Appetite for Destruction album. SLASH said the original amp was so good he basically stole it
from SIR - that's who they were renting it from. Later, SIR took it back. The amp disappeared, and so this AFD100 recreates
the 1987 amp. If you go to www.afd100.com, you can follow the progress of the amp and be ready to send in your order!
SLASH is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He owns 80-90
guitars at any one time. He dismisses talk of signing a deal with B. C. Rich guitars. He says he uses them for the tremolo
arm and uses Gibsons 70% of the time. He gets sent a new one every 15 years. SLASH is the first musician to have a signature
amp created by Marshall for him. SLASH says he is getting a new sig guitar and amp in 2010. More on this later.
Lemmy, the documentary delving into the private and public lives of Motorhead
frontman Lemmy Kilmister, will make its world premiere in March at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin.
The film is already out on DVD. It is available at Amazon.com. The film features high profile friends and peers such
as SLASH. SLASH does commentary on this film. If you'd like to see a film where SLASH plays extensively, then you need to
rent or buy The Wrestler. The soundtrack is made up of songs from various artists, but the guitar parts in the score
are played by SLASH.
Indian actress Carol Furtado got her big break performing on MTV alongside SLASH. She
says she saw him at rehearsals over the coffee table but didn't recognize him. He had his hair pulled back, and his face
was showing. It wasn't till she got on stage that she knew she'd been working with SLASH! Carol went on to become an actress
rather than heading down the rock and roll path. She is famous for her Bollywood work but hasn't forgotten her MTV work with
SLASH!
Poker has become the hottest new game in Hollywood! SLASH went to the Bahamas
to play in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Here he's pictured with tennis legend Boris Becker. Sadly, he got knocked out
early by Kelly Rowland who refused to bow to SLASH's bluff. The event was held in mid-January in the Aura nightclub at the Atlantis Resort
and Casino. Better luck next time, SLASH!