Duff McKagan still has an appetite for L.A. and making rock music that lasts

Forty years of rock ‘n’ roll has taken Duff McKagan on a wild ride, from the gritty streets of Seattle to the glamorous stages of the world. From his humble beginnings as a bassist in the early 80s punk scene, through the meteoric rise and fall of Guns N’ Roses, to his successful solo career and philanthropic efforts, Duff has proven himself to be a true rock legend.

Approximately four decades and two months back, Duff McKagan stepped foot in Los Angeles for the first time as a greenhorn punk rocker, aspiring to dominate the globe. The city, having recently hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, was shedding some of its Olympic luster. As McKagan remembers it, Hollywood was a whirlwind of crime and drug abuse back then, with helicopters constantly patrolling the area, gang conflicts raging, and the crack cocaine epidemic at its peak. He himself was a victim of muggings while walking to work. “It felt like the Wild West,” he recalls, “but not in a favorable sense.

After a few weeks of sleeping in his car, McKagan moved into the Amor building on Orchid Street in Hollywood, behind what’s now Ovation Hollywood, and began a musical journey that saw him and his bandmates in Guns N’ Roses become one of the most recognized bands of all time, accumulating accolades, selling out stadiums and earning induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band’s 1987 debut, “Appetite for Destruction,” remains an album inextricably linked with Los Angeles. As the Guns N’ Roses bassist says, the songs that comprise that album were rooted in the reality of 1980s Hollywood.

According to McKagan, everything you need is in ‘Appetite.’ These tales are based on real events. That was the era of Hollywood, and at that time in L.A., we were experiencing a surge of home invasions rather than drive-by shootings.

During this period, McKagan lived in multiple apartments, one of which was in Miracle Mile, close to the El Rey Theater where he’s performing on his Lighthouse tour this Wednesday. Although it’s not exactly a full-circle moment (as in 2019, McKagan performed a solo show at the same venue to promote his first solo album, “Tenderness”, which was later released as a live album), he can’t help but be amazed by his journey that led him to become a rock survivor.

Six decades back, as he chuckles over Zoom from his Seattle residence with a view of the water, McKagan, now 60, expresses amazement!

From 1994 onwards, McKagan has frequently moved between his hometown Seattle and the location where his band formed, eventually taking over the global music scene. His children attended school in Los Angeles, and he maintains a strong bond with the city. He feels a connection to Hollywood because of the effort he’s invested there; he considers himself deserving of a “bedpost notch” in L.A.’s book. [Laughs] Los Angeles has been instrumental in his personal growth and success.

After an unexpected reunion eight years ago, Duff McKagan continues to enjoy performing with Guns N’ Roses while also maintaining his own solo career. McKagan radiates pride as he discusses his recent European tour, marking his first tour in support of his second solo album, titled “Lighthouse.

In October 2023, the album titled “Lighthouse” was unveiled, produced by Martin Feveyear who has previously collaborated with McKagan on two Loaded albums. This production showcases McKagan blending heartfelt narratives, such as the title track dedicated to his wife of 25 years, Susan, with perceptive commentaries about the current global situation, like in “I Saw God on 10th Street,” where he urges society to mend its ways before it’s too late. McKagan approximates that he penned and recorded close to 60 songs for this album, largely during the pandemic, and played most of the instruments himself. The album also boasts appearances from old friends like Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Iggy Pop, and Slash from Guns N’ Roses.

For nearly seven years, McKagan had been touring extensively. However, at the start of 2024, he decided to take some time off. He humorously shared that he celebrated the album’s release from a hotel room in Boise. To unwind, he spent time in Hawaii and at his home in Washington, yet he didn’t cease writing songs. Post his break, he visited Stone Gossard’s studio in Seattle (McKagan’s city studio was destroyed by a fire in a neighboring building), where he developed 15 fresh compositions.

He mused that the songs on GarageBand weren’t meant to stay as simple acoustic demos; he’s written enough of those already, he chuckled. Since 2015, McKagan has been in a creative frenzy. With just his acoustic guitar, he continually composes new tunes, as evident by the songs he wrote this year. “I have ideas stored for various projects,” he says. Ideas for melodies and themes flowed effortlessly, and the past near-decade has been one of the most productive periods in terms of songwriting throughout his career.

In October, McKagan unveiled two tracks: “All Turning Loose,” a lively collaboration with Lee Ving from Fear, and the fast-paced rock number “My Name Is Bob,” featuring Joey “Shithead” Keithley of D.O.A., whom McKagan affectionately refers to as his ‘KISS.’ Additionally, he released a live recording of David Bowie’s “Heroes” in London, done in partnership with his long-time friend and bandmate Steve Jones from Neurotic Outsiders.

In this tour, McKagan gathered a fresh set of musicians to breathe life into his songs. “It’s a privilege to perform with these talented individuals,” he expresses about the Seattle-based musicians in his band, whom he describes as “an excellent group, filled with top-notch players.” He acknowledges that the chemistry was apparent during rehearsals. “I could tell it was exceptional because I would walk in, and they’d already be playing something so well that I’d worry about ruining it,” he explains, expressing the satisfaction any musician would feel in such a situation.

In my role as a supporter, I’ve witnessed an exciting transformation: Some of the demonstrations have moved from my personal computer to the stage. During soundchecks for certain European shows, I shared some of these concepts with my bandmates, and together we’ve crafted a sound that has me genuinely enthused.

He remarks that he’s not accustomed to it. He’s typically envisioning various aspects of a keyboard, but now, everything is directly in front of him.

As his current tour concludes, McKagan intends to record music soon, expressing enthusiasm about potential new Guns N’ Roses projects in the near future.

Currently, he expresses that he’s in an excellent place in his life. He often conveys in his music that things will improve, and he truly believes this to be true. Although he isn’t sure what ‘everything’ refers to, it symbolizes hope, goodness, kindness, and being bold. In essence, he advises against acting like a jerk.

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2024-11-12 14:35