Slash Trying To Put Axl Rose Feud To Rest?

 It’s a pretty universal idea that with the calendar about to flip over to a brand new year, thoughts of the last 365 days merge with hopes for the next. Slash has been doing some pondering of his own.  In a recent Esquire magazine column titled “Slash: What I’ve Learned,” there’s an interesting series of quotes from the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist — including some about his former band.

First off, he has some insights into his own existence. “I never want to draw attention to myself, but that’s all I do” he says. “It’s a constant quest to find that harmony, to connect with it, where everything that you want to come out of it comes out. Those moments are rare, but they’re like drugs: Once you get going on it, you’re constantly jonesing for it.”

The topics range from women (“It’s par for the course for me to find the one girl that is the most exciting, outspoken, and flamboyant — the most crazy. You just have to meet my wife’”) to playing music (“There’s a moment you arrive at … It’s an otherworldly thing, like when a painter gets the right combination of colors together”).

Other topics include drugs, guitars and — of course — Guns N Roses. “When I see footage of Guns N’ Roses, I see that f–king hunger and attitude. You could not f–k with those five guys,” he said. “It was just raw. It was this lean, hungry thing on its way up. It was as sincere as any rock ‘n’ roll that I’ve ever heard, and I’m proud of that.”

But what of his old partner in crime, Axl Rose?  “The split between Axl and I was a quiet one. But because there was so much attention on the breakup — and are we going to get back together? — it got built up into this monster that led to a kind of animosity that wasn’t the focus for me. Neither one of us wants to be down each other’s throats for no reason. At this point, I’m trying to put it to rest. So I try to avoid the subject.” While that doesn’t exactly spell reunion for next year’s Rock Hall induction, it doesn’t rule it out either!

Perhaps his path in life is best summed up by this quote: “Guitar is the best form of self-expression I know. Everything else, and I’m just sort of tripping around, trying to figure my way through life.” Maybe that’s why he is rarely seen without axe in hand!

To wrap things up, Slash so elegantly had this to say: “I don’t know if that giraffe was trying to kiss me. But it was an experience. Have you ever seen a giraffe’s tongue? It’s about two feet long.” Actually, we have no idea what he’s on about there … but nonetheless, it is pretty amusing!