Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash is hopeful that the younger generation will save rock and roll.
In a new interview with MNPR Magazine, the guitarist was asked about his thoughts on the rock scene. He first admired the blues scene and explained how he loved it was so vibrant. The guitarist also wished that the rock scene was as much vibrant, but praised rock for having younger musicians now:
“I see that there is some — a lot of kids that are doing rock and roll on their own now, away from the record companies and away from all the bullshit that was going on in the ’90s and in the first decade of the millennium. They’re creating their own music for themselves.”
He also e explained how the current rock scene is different than before:
“No one’s trying to make money from it. No one’s trying to get a big record deal. No one’s ambitions are limos and f*cking hot chicks — it’s all about the music, and it’s really important because I think that’s what’s gonna bring the rock scene back around. And that rock scene will always be there. Anyway, but so that’s sort of cool.”
Slash Hates The L.A. Music Scene
Slash shared in another interview that while he had wonderful memories from ages 7 to 12, he wasn’t exactly a fan of the music scene in his hometown when Guns N’ Roses arrived. He mentioned that he was raised in the L.A. music scene and it was great, but it later turned into something else:
“I was kind of raised in the L.A. music scene, and it was great. I watched it go through these music trends in my short little lifetime up to that point. But what it turned into in the ’80s was something unrecognizable from an integrity point of view and a creative point of view.”
Regarding the music scene in Los Angeles during the ’80s, Slash said he ‘hated’ the scene:
“[I] fucking hated the whole scene.”
He believed bands from the U.K. had some credibility, but in Los Angeles, it was ‘just bullshit.’ He then added:
“Everybody was fucking converting to the industry standard to get a record deal and get girls.”
He also mentioned that he felt proud that GNR stood as ‘the antithesis of all of that.’
You can listen to the interview below.