Slash Reflects On Guns N’ Roses Becoming His Side Project

Guns N’ Roses’ iconic guitarist  Slash talked about his new album with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators in an interview with Guitar.com. He also responded about whether GN’R is his main focus or not, considering his busy schedule.

After GN’R was established in 1985, Slash was hired as the guitarist. He left the band in 1996 when some conflicts emerged between him and Axl Rose. Later on, Slash reunited with the band in 2015 to headline at Coachella in 2016, as Billboard declared. Since 2016, the band members have had a good relationship, as they mentioned in the previous conversations.

In addition to his tenure with Guns N’ Roses, Slash has worked on new music with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. They have released their first studio album in four years, titled ‘4.’ His successful collaboration with Kennedy earned the appreciation of his fans. However, it also raised the question of whether Guns N’ Roses became more of a side project for Slash.

In a recent interview, Slash said that Guns N’ Roses didn’t become a side project for him. He stated that in GN’R, their main focus has been taking pleasure in what they have done. According to him, because they are focusing on having a good time while making the music, GN’R has come to its place today. As Slash stated, their success comes from the idea of having little expectations. He added that they have not been doing anything else than just trying to deliver their enjoyment to the audience.

He said in his words:

“No, I’ve been thinking about this. I think one of the great things about GNR and why there’s such longevity is that I don’t wanna jinx it, but it’s because we don’t take it too seriously. Guns N’ Roses was obviously my entire life, and that’s where I come from. I’ll always be part of it, and I don’t mind being recognized as ‘that guy from that band.’ At this point, I’ll probably do it till I’m pushing daisies.

It’s always been a lot of fun, but it became a really big band, so the tension is palpable. Like with Velvet Revolver, everybody around that band had all these delusions of grandeur. Not the band itself but the people around it. It was very difficult, so it didn’t stand a chance long-term. With this band, it just sorts of does what it does for the fun of it. I don’t think we’ve had any real expectations, and we’re not trying to be huge or do anything apart from having a good time. That’s why it’s been so easy and gone by as quickly as it has. We spend a lot of time on the road, and we just have a good time. Nobody really thinks about all the other bullsh*t.”

Guns N’ Roses has impressed many people with their music tastes and skills. As Slash mentioned, their success comes from the idea of loving what they want. The most important aim of Guns N’ Roses is to deliver their enjoyment to the audience without putting any expectations for themselves.