The guitarist that Slash resented for years
Being in a touring rock band is far from the easiest thing in the world. Even though playing music among friends might be fun whenever the opportunity arises, it’s a different story when managers become involved, giving people obligations about how the music should be played or when the next album needs to be in the can. Although Guns N’ Roses’ evolution felt like a travelling circus throughout the late 1980s, Slash remembered having disdain for one of his fellow guitarists.
When the band first got together in Los Angeles, though, there was a good chance that they could have kept going as two independent outfits. Even though Slash and drummer Steven Adler were making a name for themselves in the band LA Guns, Indiana transplants Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin were slowly beginning to give them a run for their money in their band, Hollywood Rose.
After having the idea of combining both bands, the newly rechristened Guns N’ Roses was born, with Seattle acolyte Duff McKagan joining on bass guitar. Although Slash was the one grabbing the attention of every audience with his insane lead guitar skills, Stradlin was the one who had songwriting in mind whenever he played.
Serving as the Los Angeles-based answer to artists like Ronnie Wood and Brad Whitford, Stradlin was known to be the quiet member of the group, keeping a sage-like presence whenever the band played live. Although he never played anything flashy, his tasteful rhythm guitar work was just what the group needed, making the band jump on songs like ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Right Next Door To Hell’.
By the time the band finished their massive double album Use Your Illusion, though, Stradlin was unwilling to commit to the bullshit on the road. Newly sober, Stradlin was not one for partying anymore and started to draw a line in the sand between himself and the rest of the band, especially when it came to Axl Rose’s lavish backstage parties.
Combined with Rose’s reluctance to take the stage on time, Stradlin left the fold for good midway through the tour, replaced by guitarist Gilby Clarke. While Slash had his fair share of problems during each show, he did have a problem with how Stradlin decided to leave the rest of the group behind.
When talking about his time in the band, Slash remembered having a problem with Stradlin for years, telling Louder, “I don’t think anybody judged anybody else on how they behaved outside of being able to show up and do the gig. I was admittedly resentful of that whole trip with Izzy leaving because whatever had gone on for him that forced that sudden change, I was like, man, I died eighteen times prior to that! It didn’t faze me!”.
Then again, Stradlin may have been getting out of the band for his safety as well. Since the band had been known as some of the biggest partiers in the world, Stradlin knew that he didn’t want to fall off the wagon; instead, he wanted to focus on fading into the background and making the occasional solo record. Considering the massive amount of drugs flying around the band then, it also wasn’t out of the question for any member of the band to leave the tour in a body bag rather than on a plane.
