Entrevista a Duff por Alan Paul
Who are your guitar heroes?
Johnny Thunders and Steve Jones. Steve and Johnny both have a
quick, staccato bluesy thickness to their playing that I love.
And I was fortunate enough to be in a band [the Neurotic
Outsiders] with Steve.
What was your worst gig ever?
My worst ever was actually in a dream. When Guns N' Roses sold
out the L.A. Forum for five nights, I was in shock that we could
be that big. The first two nights Keanu Reeves was right up front,
rocking real hard, and I had a dream that we played and there was
no one else in the Forum except for Keanu Reeves, sitting all
alone in the front row. It was horrible.
How about your best gig?
The first time Guns played Madison Square Garden. There's nothing
like the energy you feel when you're the king of New York for a
day. Everyone from the people in the hotel to the cab driver
knows what you're there to do and seems to rally behind you. It's
a tremendous experience.
Any fashion tips for guitarists?
Never buy a neon-colored instrument.
What is the one piece of gear you couldn't live without?
Now that I'm singing, my Eventide Harmonizer.
So what happened to GN'R?
I don't know. Your answer's as good as mine. Basically, I think
the fame got to us. It got too big and no one knew how to contain
each other and keep some sort of continuum going. It ws a
volatile situation, which made the band exciting, but big
business and volatility don't mix. There was an electricity
within the band, so that even at rehearsal, it was just blazing.
And like with any electrical circuit, if you chop the wire,
remove any source, it's not going to run at full power. Or if you
add more lamps, it's just not gonna be the same. It's a shame
because I think we should have at least made a record for all the
fans all over the world who supported the Use Your Illusion tour
so well. I am so proud of what we accomplished, not on a business
level - which obviously was also huge - but just as five guys who
met on the streets of Hollywood with one idea - to make
uncompromised rock and roll and make it be heard. And we did that,
man. We succeeded.