Axl Rose says Guns N' Roses will turn their full attention to completing their next album as soon as their current run of Las Vegas shows has ended – and there's a chance the result could be Chinese Democracy 2.
And the frontman has also hinted that original bassist Duff McKagan could return to the fold after having stood in for Tommy Stinson on the band’s recent South American tour.
GN’R are committed to a residency in Vegas until the middle to the month, but Rose – who last week rejected the tag of “world’s best singer” – says their next mission will be to complete studio work they’ve already begun.
He tells Revolver (via Blabbermouth): “We recorded a lot of things before Chinese was out. We’ve worked more on some of those things and we’ve written a few new things – but basically we have what I call the second half of Chinese.
“After Vegas we’re going to start looking very seriously at what we’re doing in that regard.”
He adds that another studio project, an album of remixes created out of GN’R’s 2008 record, has been “done for a while.”
McKagan was given a warm welcome when he rejoined Rose for five shows in April, while Stinson was busy with his Replacements reunion – and he made a surprise appearance on Saturday night in Vegas. The singer says: “It went really well. The Duff that plays these shows with us isn’t the Duff that I know from what I’d call old Guns.
“He worked really hard on the parts and he liked playing the songs from Chinese. And he got along with the guys really well. He and some of the band and crew were doing yoga together.”
Asked about the chances of more work together, Rose says: “It’s possible. I don’t know yet – it depends on scheduling and what shows Tommy wants to do with the Replacements.”
Meanwhile, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner has confirmed the band hadn’t been permanently put to rest, despite having been on hiatus since firing frontman Scott Weiland in 2008.
Bandmate Slash recently said another vocalist was to be tried out in the near future, although it might be another two years before he had time to concentrate on VR again.
Now Kushner tells Alternative Nation: “It’s one of those things that no one wants to close the door on – but replacing Scott is a hugely arduous task.
“We all have kids and busy lives, so it just depends on when the stars align and we all start a conversation for some reason.”
But he’s glad that modern communication has made it easier for them to audition people without committing too much. “We get to move forward without having to get too physically or emotionally involved,” he says. “It’s like a dating service – you can look at the pictures online, talk to the people online, see an interview with them, before you even set up a date with them.”
