Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum recently reflected on his time with Velvet Revolver. He expressed his belief that the supergroup had the potential to match the success of his previous band. His comments were shared during an interview on Get On The Bus.
Sorum addressed the comparison between Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses. He acknowledged the differences in their commercial success while highlighting what he considered the strengths of the later band.
“No, it [Velvet Revolver] wasn’t as big as Guns N’ Roses, but it could have been,” Sorum said. “Just didn’t last long enough.”
The drummer elaborated on his perspective regarding the band’s achievements and his personal growth during that period.
“I don’t think it’s about the size, actually. You’re playing an arena and you’re plenty big enough,” he continued. “For me, it was probably the best because I was a lot clearer-minded, too. So, I’d gone through stuff. We’d all gone through stuff, you know, we’d all made some mistakes. The band, the other band had broken up. You know, we really wanted to keep it together.”
Sorum also reflected on the band’s eventual dissolution and their notable achievements, including their Grammy win.
“Unfortunately, it kind of fell into bad habits again and the same old sh*t and the wheels came off,” he said. “But I still reflect back on that, especially picking up the Grammy. We never got a Grammy with GN’R ever. That was a big moment. Three Grammy nominations and then we won one and it was like people say awards whatever but I don’t know it’s nice to get one.”
Sorum’s confidence in Velvet Revolver’s potential wasn’t entirely unfounded. The band achieved significant commercial success during their brief existence.
Wikipedia reported that their debut album Contraband debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 256,000 copies in its first week. The album’s commercial performance demonstrated the drawing power of the supergroup. The group featured former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum alongside former Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland.
The band’s success extended beyond album sales. WMMR noted that their lead single “Slither” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart for eight consecutive weeks. This achievement highlighted the band’s ability to dominate rock radio and connect with audiences in a way that validated Sorum’s belief in their potential.
The Grammy win that Sorum referenced was particularly significant for the band members. Wikipedia documented that Velvet Revolver won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for “Slither” in 2005. This recognition came after the band received three Grammy nominations, marking a career milestone that had eluded the members during their time with their previous bands.
Despite their early success, Velvet Revolver’s career was relatively short-lived. Wikipedia confirmed that Contraband eventually sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, proving the band’s commercial viability. However, internal conflicts and personal struggles ultimately led to their dissolution. This left fans and band members alike to wonder what might have been if they had managed to stay together longer.
