Next year is going to be a busy one for Guns N’ Roses. According to Slash, anyway.
In an interview with Loudwire Nights, the guitar icon was asked about his future plans and said, “I’m going into the studio with the Conspirators (his project with Myles Kennedy), getting a new record done and then after that, 2025 is all about Guns N’ Roses.”
“We’re trying to get some things going with that. I think there’s a small tour in the summertime next year. I heard a rumour about that anyway, so that’s going to be focused on that. But prior to that, it’s the S.E.R.P.E.N.T tour and then the Conspirators.”
Last month Slash said in another interview that Guns N’ Roses are “trying” to make a new album. With these new comments it looks unlikely that any work on it will start before the New Year.
Since he rejoined in 2016 the band have toured extensively and released a number of one-off singles, but tracks like Absurd, Old Skool and The General have all been off-cuts from the torturously long Chinese Democracy sessions, of which Slash played no part at all.
In other Slash-related news, GNR producer Mike Clink has been singing the curly-mopped one’s praises. In an interview with Guitar World he said that the thing that set Slash apart isn’t his gear, but his “hands and fingers.”
“Slash became one of the most iconic guitar players for a reason. When you hear that tone, you know it's him. It doesn't matter what notes he's playing, it's the tone and that signature sound. It's what all guitar players strive for, but few accomplish. It's not just the amp or the guitar. It's in the hands and fingers."
"That's what sets guitarists apart. It's how they attack the strings and settle into the track, using the instrument to its full dynamic range. Stevie Ray Vaughan was the master of that. Talk about smooth! That guy was so in the pocket. And I think Slash is right there with him. It’s a different style, but he has that same sense of flow - very much standing as the glue holding it all together."
Clink has observed the guitarist at close quarters over a long period. He was at the controls for all of the GNR albums during their initial phase as well as 1995’s It’s 5 O’ Clock Somewhere album, which was released under the name Slash’s Snakepit.
He reunited with him on the guitarist’s current Orgy Of The Damned album, a blues covers project that features collaborations with Brian Johnson, Iggy Pop and Billy Gibbons.
