Duff McKagan
Encyclopedia
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964) is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses
, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with the band, he released a solo album, Believe in Me (1993), and formed the short-lived supergroup
Neurotic Outsiders
.
Following his departure from Guns N' Roses in 1997, McKagan briefly reunited with his pre-success Seattle punk band 10 Minute Warning
. He then formed the still-active hard rock band Loaded
, in which he performs lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Between 2002 and 2008, he played bass in the supergroup Velvet Revolver
with his former Guns N' Roses band mates Slash
and Matt Sorum
.
In addition to his musical career, McKagan has established himself as a writer. He has written weekly columns on a wide variety of topics for SeattleWeekly.com
, Playboy.com, and ESPN.com
. A former high school drop-out, he attended Seattle University
's Albers School of Business and Economics in the early 2000s, and subsequently founded the wealth management firm Meridian Rock.
by Prince
and Damaged
by Black Flag
. Although he was an honors student
, McKagan dropped out of Roosevelt High School in the tenth grade and earned his GED.
and D.O.A.
, and developed a devoted following.
In 1980, McKagan joined the pop-punk band the Fastbacks
as their drummer. He appeared on their 1981 debut single "It's Your Birthday", which was issued on guitarist Kurt Bloch's label No Threes Records, and on the song "Someone Else's Room", which was included on the Seattle Syndrome Volume One compilation album, also released in 1981. In 1982, McKagan became the drummer for the hardcore punk band The Fartz
, with whom he recorded several demos, five of which were included on their 1990 album You, We See You Crawling. After several line-up changes, The Fartz evolved into the post-punk band 10 Minute Warning
, for which McKagan played guitar.
In 1983, McKagan moved to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as an appetizer server at a Black Angus
restaurant in Northridge. Answering an ad for a bassist in a local newspaper, he met guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler
, with whom he formed the short-lived band Road Crew
. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-time Black Flag
vocalist Ron Reyes
, and worked on material that included the main riff of what would become the Guns N' Roses
song "Rocket Queen
". Slash eventually disbanded the group due to them not being able to find a singer, as well as Adler's lack of work ethic compared to himself and McKagan.
in Guns N' Roses, which was newly founded by singer Axl Rose
and guitarist Izzy Stradlin
of Hollywood Rose
. McKagan's Road Crew band mates Slash and Steven Adler joined the band that same month. After two days of rehearsal, the line-up played its debut gig at The Troubadour on June 6. In 1987, Guns N' Roses released its debut album, Appetite for Destruction
, which to date has sold over 28 million copies worldwide, 18 million of which in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the US. The following year, the band released G N' R Lies
, which sold over five million copies in the US alone, despite containing only eight tracks, four of which were included on the previously released EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. In 1990, Steven Adler was fired from the band because of his heroin addiction; he was replaced by Matt Sorum
of The Cult
.
In May 1991, Guns N' Roses embarked on the two-and-a-half-year-long Use Your Illusion Tour
. The following September, the band released the long-awaited albums Use Your Illusion I
and Use Your Illusion II
, which debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 respectively on the US chart
, a feat unachieved by any other group. In November of that year, Izzy Stradlin abruptly left the band; he was replaced by Gilby Clarke
of Kill For Thrills. In 1993, the band released "The Spaghetti Incident?"
, a cover album of mostly punk songs, which proved less successful than its predecessors. McKagan took on lead vocals on four songs, including live favorite "Attitude", originally by the Misfits. That same year, McKagan released his debut solo album, Believe in Me, on which he sang lead vocals and played virtually every instrument.
In 1995, with Guns N' Roses largely inactive, McKagan formed the supergroup
Neurotic Outsiders
with Steve Jones
of the Sex Pistols
, John Taylor of Duran Duran
, and his Guns N' Roses band mate Matt Sorum. Originally a gathering of friends jamming together at the Viper Room
in Hollywood, they released their self-titled album on Maverick Records
in 1996. The band played a brief tour of Europe and North America, before disbanding in 1997. McKagan left Guns N' Roses as its last original member in August of that year.
's Stone Gossard
, who convinced him to reunite 10 Minute Warning. Singer Christopher Blue was brought in to replace Steve Verwolf, who was serving a term in federal prison. In 1998, the band released their self-titled album on the well-known Seattle label Sub Pop
. The album featured nine tracks, including two new versions of songs originally recorded by The Fartz, namely "Is This the Way?" and "Buried". 10 Minute Warning played its last show on August 22, 1998 at the Roseland theater in Portland
, Oregon
.
McKagan's second solo album, Beautiful Disease
, was intended to be released in 1999, but became lost in the legal shuffle of the merge between Geffen Records
and Interscope Records
. McKagan was dropped from Geffen's roster, and subsequently lost all commercial rights to release the record. For the tour supporting his ill-fated solo album, he formed the band Loaded
, which consisted of McKagan on bass and vocals, Dez Cadena
, formerly of Black Flag, on guitar, Michael Barragan, formerly of Plexi
, on guitar, and Taz Bentley
, formerly of The Reverend Horton Heat
, on drums. Loaded independently released the live record Episode 1999: Live
, before disbanding in late 1999.
In 2000, McKagan reformed Loaded, remaining as the lead vocalist but switching from bass to rhythm guitar, and adding drummer Geoff Reading
of Green Apple Quick Step
, guitarist Mike Squires
of Harvey Danger
, and bassist Jeff Rouse
of Alien Crime Syndicate
. Both Squires and Rouse joined after the recording of the band's debut album, Dark Days
, released in 2001. Dave Dederer
, formerly of The Presidents of the United States of America
, took up recording duties for the album. In 2002, while on tour, both Squires and Rouse left Loaded to join the reformed Alien Crime Syndicate. Former Wasted Youth
and Electric Love Hogs
guitarist Dave Kushner
and former Burning Witch
bassist George Stuart Dahlquist were brought in to replace them. McKagan and Kushner went on to form Velvet Revolver
, putting Loaded on hiatus.
singer Scott Weiland
completed the line-up. In 2004, they released their debut album, Contraband
, which debuted at No. 1 on the US chart and sold two million copies. Their second album, Libertad, was released in 2007 to mixed reviews; it failed to achieve the same commercial success as its predecessor. The band toured extensively, until Weiland left in April 2008 to reunite with Stone Temple Pilots. Velvet Revolver has been on hiatus since Weiland's departure.
McKagan subsequently reunited Loaded, with Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse returning to the group, and that same year, they released the EP Wasted Heart
. In 2009, the band released its second studio album, Sick
, and embarked on tours with Mötley Crüe
and Black Stone Cherry
. Later that year, Geoff Reading departed the band; he was replaced by Isaac Carpenter
, formerly of Gosling
, Loudermilk, and The Exies
.
In 2010, McKagan briefly joined Jane's Addiction
, with lead guitarist Dave Navarro
originally confirming that McKagan had joined the band on a permanent basis. On joining the band, McKagan stated, "Something like a chance to write, record, and perhaps even perform with a band of the quality of Jane's Addiction does not come around every day. I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it." He worked on several songs with Jane's Addiction and played four shows with the band—two in Los Angeles, and two in Europe, including one at Rock in Rio
in Madrid. On September 6, six months after McKagan joined the band, Jane's Addiction announced that they had parted ways due to the fact that "musically [they] were all headed in different directions."
On October 14, 2010, McKagan appeared on stage with Guns N' Roses for the first time since 1993 at The O2 Arena
in London. He played bass on "You Could Be Mine
", electric guitar on "Nice Boys" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door
", and acoustic guitar and tambourine on "Patience". McKagan then returned to Loaded, with whom he recorded a third studio album, The Taking
, which was released in 2011. A documentary on both the album and the band, by filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin, is to be released the same year.
's Brick by Brick
. In 1995, he collaborated with Slash on his solo project Slash's Snakepit
; he co-wrote "Beggars and Hangers-On" off their album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
, which he played live during a Snakepit show in May of that year. In 1998, McKagan collaborated with his former Guns N' Roses band mate Izzy Stradlin on his solo album 117°
. The following year, he played on Stradlin's album Ride On
, and joined him on a tour of Japan supporting the album. Also in 1999, he contributed to the album Humanary Stew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper
. In 2001, McKagan played on the album Skyjin by Zilch
, Mark Lanegan
's solo album Field Songs
, and Izzy Stradlin's album River
. The following year, he played on Stradlin's album On Down the Road. In 2004, he again collaborated with Mark Lanegan on his album Bubblegum, along with Stradlin.
McKagan played on three tracks off Izzy Stradlin's 2008 album Concrete
, including the title track, as well as seven songs off his album Wave of Heat
, which was released in 2010. Also in 2010, McKagan appeared on Slash's eponymous debut solo album; he played on the track "Watch This" with Dave Grohl
on drums. That year, he also made a guest appearance—along with Slash and Matt Sorum—on Macy Gray
's album The Sellout
, and appeared on the Manic Street Preachers
song "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun" off their album Postcards From a Young Man
.
film The Dead Pool
, and in 1997, he played a rocker vampire in an episode of the television series Sliders
. In 1999, he appeared in Anthony Scarpa
's documentary film Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures, which focuses on the all-female hard rock band Betty Blowtorch
, whose debut EP Get Off McKagan produced the same year.
In addition to his musical career, McKagan has established himself as a writer. Since August 2008, McKagan writes a weekly column for SeattleWeekly.com
, from January to December 2009, he wrote a weekly financial column titled "Duffonomics" for Playboy.com, and since January 2011, he writes a weekly sports column for ESPN.com
. McKagan's autobiography, It's So Easy (And Other Lies), was released on October 4, 2011.
In 2011, McKagan founded Meridian Rock, a wealth management firm for musicians. Headed by McKagan and British investor Andy Bottomley, the firm aims to educate musicians about their finances.
McKagan was one of the last people confirmed to see Nirvana
frontman Kurt Cobain
before he committed suicide on April 5, 1994. He sat next to Cobain on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle on April 1. McKagan later recalled, "I didn't have any foresight that the guy was going to do what he did. I could tell he was bummed out, and I'd been that way before....I thought I'd ask him to come stay at my house, I turned around and he was gone."
On May 10, 1994, at the age of 30, McKagan became gravely ill due to acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis
, which caused his pancreas to swell to the size of a football and leak digestive enzymes into his body, causing third-degree burns. He was taken to Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, where he was monitored until the swelling went down. He was told by his doctors that he would be dead within a month if he did not stop drinking. Although McKagan had made previous attempts to curb his alcoholism, this health crisis was his incentive to become sober for good.
A high school drop-out, McKagan enrolled in a basic finance course at Santa Monica Community College in 1994; he explained that going over the financial records from his Guns N' Roses
days had made him want to understand the process more, stating, "I couldn't make sense of it. I didn't know how much we had made or lost on the tour. As a 30 year-old millionaire, how do I admit to somebody that I don't know what the fuck I'm doing?" In 2000, after attending several more classes at Seattle Central Community College
, he enrolled full-time at Seattle University
's Albers School of Business and Economics. When Velvet Revolver
took off in his final year as an undergraduate student, McKagan took a hiatus from business school to go on tour; he is still one semester short of graduating.
, which features an ash body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard. McKagan currently uses it only during studio recordings. Several copies of this bass were built by the Fender Custom Shop
in the original and various other finishes to be used on tour. In 2007, Fender replicated and released this bass as the Duff McKagan Signature P Bass
. In the past, McKagan used Kramer
basses, and at one time had a Kramer endorsement. He can be seen playing a Kramer bass in the video for the 1988 Guns N' Roses
hit "Sweet Child o' Mine
". McKagan has also used the Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass
, the Duesenberg Star Bass
, the Gibson Les Paul bass
, and the Gibson Thunderbird
bass. He uses Seymour Duncan
pickups and RotoSound
swingbass strings.
McKagan also plays an acoustic Guild
guitar, which can be heard on various acoustic songs, including "Patience" by Guns N' Roses. On Velvet Revolver
's 2007-2008 tour, he used a Gibson J-200
Pete Townshend
signature acoustic guitar. Among his selection of electric guitars are a Fender Telecaster
, which he used on the tour supporting his debut solo album, Believe in Me, several GMP guitars, which he used with Neurotic Outsiders
, a selection of Gibson Les Paul
models, and two Japanese Burny
models.
McKagan has used Gallien-Krueger
amplifiers throughout his career; his first was a GK400RB model. With Guns N' Roses, he used up to four Gallien-Krueger 800RB heads with GK 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets. His current set-up includes a Gallien-Krueger solid state 2001RB head, whose signal is then fed to four GK 4x10RBH cabinets. McKagan usually only uses a chorus effect, most often a Yamaha
SPX-90 and occasionally a Boss
pedal. Other effects he's been known to use are the Z.Vex
Woolly Mammoth fuzz and an MXR
M-80. For guitar amplification, McKagan uses an old Marshall
JCM800 2204 head hotrodded by Bogner
, which he nicknamed the "Seattle Head".
With The Fartz
Solo
With Neurotic Outsiders
With 10 Minute Warning
With Loaded
With Velvet Revolver
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with the band, he released a solo album, Believe in Me (1993), and formed the short-lived supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
.
Following his departure from Guns N' Roses in 1997, McKagan briefly reunited with his pre-success Seattle punk band 10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. They became famous locally as one of the first bands to adapt the popular punk sound to something slower and heavier, paving the way for grunge bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone before breaking up in 1984.-Early years...
. He then formed the still-active hard rock band Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
, in which he performs lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Between 2002 and 2008, he played bass in the supergroup Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
with his former Guns N' Roses band mates Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
.
In addition to his musical career, McKagan has established himself as a writer. He has written weekly columns on a wide variety of topics for SeattleWeekly.com
Seattle Weekly
Seattle Weekly is a freely distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly...
, Playboy.com, and ESPN.com
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. A former high school drop-out, he attended Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
's Albers School of Business and Economics in the early 2000s, and subsequently founded the wealth management firm Meridian Rock.
Early life
McKagan grew up in the working-class U District of Seattle, the youngest of eight children born to Alice Marie and Elmer "Mac" McKagan. He has been called "Duff" since toddlerhood, to which he once referred as "an Irish thing." Following his parents' divorce, his mother supported the family by taking a job as a typist. He was taught how to play bass by his brother Bruce, and he further developed his skills by playing along to the albums 19991999 (album)
1999 is the fifth studio album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most...
by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and Damaged
Damaged (Black Flag album)
Damaged is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released in December 1981 through SST Records. In 2003, the album was ranked number 340 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time....
by Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
. Although he was an honors student
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
, McKagan dropped out of Roosevelt High School in the tenth grade and earned his GED.
1979–1985: Early years
McKagan once claimed to have been a member of 31 bands in Seattle, variously playing drums, guitar, and bass, although he admits that most of them were party bands that played together only once. In 1979, at the age of 15, McKagan formed the punk band the Vains, in which he played bass; they released the single "School Jerks" in 1980. During this time, he also played guitar in the punk band the Living, which opened shows for Hüsker DüHüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
and D.O.A.
D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
, and developed a devoted following.
In 1980, McKagan joined the pop-punk band the Fastbacks
Fastbacks
The Fastbacks were a Seattle punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch , and friends Lulu Gargiulo and Kim Warnick , they disbanded in 2001...
as their drummer. He appeared on their 1981 debut single "It's Your Birthday", which was issued on guitarist Kurt Bloch's label No Threes Records, and on the song "Someone Else's Room", which was included on the Seattle Syndrome Volume One compilation album, also released in 1981. In 1982, McKagan became the drummer for the hardcore punk band The Fartz
The Fartz
The Fartz were originally formed in 1981 and were one of the first well-known hardcore bands from Seattle, Washington. They were signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Record label...
, with whom he recorded several demos, five of which were included on their 1990 album You, We See You Crawling. After several line-up changes, The Fartz evolved into the post-punk band 10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. They became famous locally as one of the first bands to adapt the popular punk sound to something slower and heavier, paving the way for grunge bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone before breaking up in 1984.-Early years...
, for which McKagan played guitar.
In 1983, McKagan moved to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as an appetizer server at a Black Angus
Black Angus Steakhouse
Black Angus Steak and Seafood Restaurant was founded in 1964 by Stuart Anderson of Seattle, Washington. The restaurant chain is based in Los Altos, CA. -History:...
restaurant in Northridge. Answering an ad for a bassist in a local newspaper, he met guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
, with whom he formed the short-lived band Road Crew
Road Crew
Road Crew were an American garage band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1984. The band was composed of future Guns N' Roses members Slash, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers while writing material...
. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-time Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
vocalist Ron Reyes
Ron Reyes
Ron Reyes is an American musician most noted as the second singer for the Los Angeles punk rock group Black Flag. Reyes, who is of Puerto Rican descent, joined Black Flag after original vocalist Keith Morris had quit to form the Circle Jerks...
, and worked on material that included the main riff of what would become the Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
song "Rocket Queen
Rocket Queen
"Rocket Queen" is the closing song of Appetite for Destruction, the debut album of the rock band Guns N' Roses.-Background:According to frontman W. Axl Rose:...
". Slash eventually disbanded the group due to them not being able to find a singer, as well as Adler's lack of work ethic compared to himself and McKagan.
1985–1997: Guns N' Roses, Believe in Me, and Neurotic Outsiders
In June 1985, McKagan replaced bassist Ole BeichOle Beich
Ole Beich was a Danish musician best known as the bassist for the original lineups of L.A. Guns and Guns N' Roses.-Early life:...
in Guns N' Roses, which was newly founded by singer Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
and guitarist Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
of Hollywood Rose
Hollywood Rose
Hollywood Rose was an American hard rock group formed in 1983 and is best known as the precursor group for what would eventually become Guns N' Roses. The group was founded by Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber while they were aided during live shows by Rick Mars, Johnny Kreis, Steve Darrow...
. McKagan's Road Crew band mates Slash and Steven Adler joined the band that same month. After two days of rehearsal, the line-up played its debut gig at The Troubadour on June 6. In 1987, Guns N' Roses released its debut album, Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
, which to date has sold over 28 million copies worldwide, 18 million of which in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the US. The following year, the band released G N' R Lies
G N' R Lies
-Personnel:*W. Axl Rose - lead vocals, whistle on "Patience"*Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, rhythm acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8, backing vocals*Slash - lead guitar, lead acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8...
, which sold over five million copies in the US alone, despite containing only eight tracks, four of which were included on the previously released EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. In 1990, Steven Adler was fired from the band because of his heroin addiction; he was replaced by Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
of The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
.
In May 1991, Guns N' Roses embarked on the two-and-a-half-year-long Use Your Illusion Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
. The following September, the band released the long-awaited albums Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
and Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
, which debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 respectively on the US chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, a feat unachieved by any other group. In November of that year, Izzy Stradlin abruptly left the band; he was replaced by Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...
of Kill For Thrills. In 1993, the band released "The Spaghetti Incident?"
"The Spaghetti Incident?"
"The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
, a cover album of mostly punk songs, which proved less successful than its predecessors. McKagan took on lead vocals on four songs, including live favorite "Attitude", originally by the Misfits. That same year, McKagan released his debut solo album, Believe in Me, on which he sang lead vocals and played virtually every instrument.
In 1995, with Guns N' Roses largely inactive, McKagan formed the supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
with Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, John Taylor of Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, and his Guns N' Roses band mate Matt Sorum. Originally a gathering of friends jamming together at the Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
in Hollywood, they released their self-titled album on Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
in 1996. The band played a brief tour of Europe and North America, before disbanding in 1997. McKagan left Guns N' Roses as its last original member in August of that year.
1997–2002: 10 Minute Warning reunion, Beautiful Disease, and Loaded
Following his departure from Guns N' Roses in 1997, McKagan moved back to Seattle, where he met with many of his old friends, including Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's Stone Gossard
Stone Gossard
Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, who convinced him to reunite 10 Minute Warning. Singer Christopher Blue was brought in to replace Steve Verwolf, who was serving a term in federal prison. In 1998, the band released their self-titled album on the well-known Seattle label Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
. The album featured nine tracks, including two new versions of songs originally recorded by The Fartz, namely "Is This the Way?" and "Buried". 10 Minute Warning played its last show on August 22, 1998 at the Roseland theater in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
McKagan's second solo album, Beautiful Disease
Beautiful Disease
Beautiful Disease was to be the second solo album released by ex-Guns N' Roses's bassist Duff McKagan in 1999. However, it was shelved after a merger between McKagan's label Universal and Polygram....
, was intended to be released in 1999, but became lost in the legal shuffle of the merge between Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
and Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. McKagan was dropped from Geffen's roster, and subsequently lost all commercial rights to release the record. For the tour supporting his ill-fated solo album, he formed the band Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
, which consisted of McKagan on bass and vocals, Dez Cadena
Dez Cadena
Dez Paul Cadena is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag. Since 2001 Cadena has played guitar with the Misfits...
, formerly of Black Flag, on guitar, Michael Barragan, formerly of Plexi
Plexi
Plexi was a gothic noise rock band consisting of Michael Angelos , Michael Barragan , and Norm Block . No other members were ever in the band, though they occasionally utilized a Moog player during live performances. Their original name was Godseed...
, on guitar, and Taz Bentley
Taz Bentley
Patrick Bentley, better known as Taz or The Taz, is an American rock and roll drummer.Taz is currently a member of the Burden Brothers.-With Burden Brothers:* 8 Ball * Queen O' Spades * Beautiful Night...
, formerly of The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician Jim Heath as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, on drums. Loaded independently released the live record Episode 1999: Live
Episode 1999: Live
-Personnel:Loaded*Duff McKagan – vocals, bass*Michael Barragan – guitar*Dez Cadena – guitar*Taz Bentley – drumsAdditional personnel*Nick Raskulinecz – recording, mixing...
, before disbanding in late 1999.
In 2000, McKagan reformed Loaded, remaining as the lead vocalist but switching from bass to rhythm guitar, and adding drummer Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading is an American musician. In his career, Reading has been a member of a number of groups, including Loaded , Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, The Disciples Geoff Reading (born February 23, 1968, in Rochester, New York) is an American musician. In his career, Reading has...
of Green Apple Quick Step
Green Apple Quick Step
Green Apple Quick Step, often abbreviated as GAQS, is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. Their sound was described as hard-edged, post-grunge rock. The band began as Inspector Luv and the Ride Me Babys in Tacoma, Washington before becoming Green Apple Quick Step, in Seattle, by 1992...
, guitarist Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
of Harvey Danger
Harvey Danger
Harvey Danger was an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, and rose to prominence in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." On August 29, 2009, the band played its final show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle....
, and bassist Jeff Rouse
Jeff Rouse (musician)
Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
of Alien Crime Syndicate
Alien Crime Syndicate
Alien Crime Syndicate, often abbreviated to ACS, were a rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1997. From 1999 to the band's breakup in 2005, the lineup consisted primarily of Joe Reineke , Jeff Rouse , Nabil Ayers , while guitarists Jason Krevey, Mike Squires and Mike Davis were also...
. Both Squires and Rouse joined after the recording of the band's debut album, Dark Days
Dark Days (Loaded album)
-Personnel:*Duff McKagan – vocals, bass, guitar, piano on "Misery", production*Dave Dederer – guitar, production*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocals, percussion, production...
, released in 2001. Dave Dederer
Dave Dederer
Dave Dederer, best known as guitarist and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America, was born on October 5, 1964. An alumnus of Seattle, Washington's The Bush School and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, he founded The Presidents with fellow Bush School alumnus...
, formerly of The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America (band)
The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew,...
, took up recording duties for the album. In 2002, while on tour, both Squires and Rouse left Loaded to join the reformed Alien Crime Syndicate. Former Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
and Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs were a short-lived American funk metal band formed in San Diego, California in 1991. The band's lineup consisted of John Feldmann , Dave Kushner , Donni Campion , Kelly LeMieux and Bobby Hewitt...
guitarist Dave Kushner
Dave Kushner
David "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
and former Burning Witch
Burning Witch
Burning Witch was an American doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998.-History:Burning Witch formed on Capitol Hill, Seattle in early 1995. After the breakup of the doom/death band Thorr's Hammer in 1995, Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson and Jamie Sykes formed Burning...
bassist George Stuart Dahlquist were brought in to replace them. McKagan and Kushner went on to form Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, putting Loaded on hiatus.
2002–present: Velvet Revolver, Loaded reunion, and Jane's Addiction
In 2002, McKagan founded the supergroup Velvet Revolver with his former Guns N' Roses band mates Slash and Matt Sorum, and Loaded guitarist Dave Kushner. Stone Temple PilotsStone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
singer Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
completed the line-up. In 2004, they released their debut album, Contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
, which debuted at No. 1 on the US chart and sold two million copies. Their second album, Libertad, was released in 2007 to mixed reviews; it failed to achieve the same commercial success as its predecessor. The band toured extensively, until Weiland left in April 2008 to reunite with Stone Temple Pilots. Velvet Revolver has been on hiatus since Weiland's departure.
McKagan subsequently reunited Loaded, with Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse returning to the group, and that same year, they released the EP Wasted Heart
Wasted Heart
-Personnel:Loaded*Duff McKagan – vocals, guitar*Mike Squires – guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, backing vocals*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocalsProduction personnel...
. In 2009, the band released its second studio album, Sick
Sick (Loaded album)
Sick is the second studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009 in Europe and April 7 in...
, and embarked on tours with Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry is an American rock band formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They are signed to Roadrunner Records. The band consists of Chris Robertson , Ben Wells , Jon Lawhon , and John Fred Young...
. Later that year, Geoff Reading departed the band; he was replaced by Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, audio engineer and session musician. Carpenter is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock group Gosling as well as its previous incarnation Loudermilk...
, formerly of Gosling
Gosling
Gosling might refer to*A young goose*Gosling *Henry Gosling Prize, awarded to young European artists*Gosling Emacs, an Emacs implementation*Gosling's Rum, a brand of Bermuda rumPeople with the surname Gosling:...
, Loudermilk, and The Exies
The Exies
The Exies are an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997. Their name, "The Exies", is short for "The Existentialists". Their two Virgin Records releases, Inertia and Head for the Door , have sold over 400,000 copies combined.-History:The Exies formed in 1997 when singer and...
.
In 2010, McKagan briefly joined Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, with lead guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
originally confirming that McKagan had joined the band on a permanent basis. On joining the band, McKagan stated, "Something like a chance to write, record, and perhaps even perform with a band of the quality of Jane's Addiction does not come around every day. I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it." He worked on several songs with Jane's Addiction and played four shows with the band—two in Los Angeles, and two in Europe, including one at Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
in Madrid. On September 6, six months after McKagan joined the band, Jane's Addiction announced that they had parted ways due to the fact that "musically [they] were all headed in different directions."
On October 14, 2010, McKagan appeared on stage with Guns N' Roses for the first time since 1993 at The O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London. He played bass on "You Could Be Mine
You Could Be Mine
"You Could Be Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their 1991 fourth studio album Use Your Illusion II. It was released as the band's seventh single, and the first from the Use Your Illusion albums, in June 1991...
", electric guitar on "Nice Boys" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.-Story line and song structure:...
", and acoustic guitar and tambourine on "Patience". McKagan then returned to Loaded, with whom he recorded a third studio album, The Taking
The Taking (album)
The Taking is the third studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It was produced by Terry Date in Seattle, Washington, and was released on April 19, 2011 through Eagle Rock Entertainment. Writing for the album began in 2009, while the band were touring in support of Sick...
, which was released in 2011. A documentary on both the album and the band, by filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin, is to be released the same year.
Session work
In 1990, McKagan—along with his Guns N' Roses band mate Slash—co-wrote and played several songs on Iggy PopIggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
's Brick by Brick
Brick by Brick
Brick by Brick is an album released in June 1990 by the American singer Iggy Pop. After attracting mixed reviews for much of his 1980s output, Pop hired longtime Stooges fan Don Was as producer, who would later produce Avenue B, and opted for a hard-rock sound...
. In 1995, he collaborated with Slash on his solo project Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit were an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band, with equal contributions by all members...
; he co-wrote "Beggars and Hangers-On" off their album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (album)
-Personnel:Slash's Snakepit*Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, production*Eric Dover – lead vocals*Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar, backing vocals*Mike Inez – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums...
, which he played live during a Snakepit show in May of that year. In 1998, McKagan collaborated with his former Guns N' Roses band mate Izzy Stradlin on his solo album 117°
117 (album)
117° is the second album by Izzy Stradlin, released on March 9, 1998. Two of the songs, "Memphis" and "Good Enough", were originally recorded by Stradlin's previous band, Ju Ju Hounds, but due to the breakup of the band, he used them for this record....
. The following year, he played on Stradlin's album Ride On
Ride On (Izzy Stradlin album)
Ride On is the third album released by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. It also features Duff McKagan who is also an ex-member of Guns N' Roses-Track listing:#Ride On #California #Spazed #Primitive Man...
, and joined him on a tour of Japan supporting the album. Also in 1999, he contributed to the album Humanary Stew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. In 2001, McKagan played on the album Skyjin by Zilch
Zilch (band)
Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
, Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
's solo album Field Songs
Field Songs
Field Songs is an album by Mark Lanegan, released in 2001 on the Beggars Banquet label.The two largest instrumental contributors are Mike Johnson and Ben Shepherd. The album also features Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver as well as Lanegan's ex-wife, Wendy Rae Fowler.The album represents a...
, and Izzy Stradlin's album River
River (Izzy Stradlin album)
River is the fourth studio album by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. It is the third album to feature ex-Guns N' Roses bass guitarist Duff Mckagan-Track listing:All songs written by Izzy Stradlin unless noted otherwise....
. The following year, he played on Stradlin's album On Down the Road. In 2004, he again collaborated with Mark Lanegan on his album Bubblegum, along with Stradlin.
McKagan played on three tracks off Izzy Stradlin's 2008 album Concrete
Concrete (Izzy Stradlin album)
Concrete is former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin's ninth solo album, released only on iTunes in 2008.The Izzy Stradlin band has two guitar players but the song "Drove" features 3 guitar tracks...
, including the title track, as well as seven songs off his album Wave of Heat
Wave of Heat (Izzy Stradlin album)
Wave of Heat is former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin's eleventh solo album, released only on iTunes in 2010.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Izzy Stradlin - vocals, rhythm guitar*Rick Richards - lead guitar...
, which was released in 2010. Also in 2010, McKagan appeared on Slash's eponymous debut solo album; he played on the track "Watch This" with Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
on drums. That year, he also made a guest appearance—along with Slash and Matt Sorum—on Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
's album The Sellout
The Sellout
The Sellout is the fifth studio album by American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Macy Gray, released on June 22, 2010 in the United States. The album's lead single, "Beauty in the World" was released in April 2010...
, and appeared on the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
song "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun" off their album Postcards From a Young Man
Postcards From a Young Man
Postcards from a Young Man is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, which reached the number 3 spot on the UK Charts. The Manics began recording the album in October 2009 at their Faster Studio in Cardiff...
.
Other ventures
McKagan has two minor acting credits; in 1988, he appeared with his Guns N' Roses band mates in the Dirty HarryDirty Harry (film series)
Dirty Harry is the name of a series of films and novels starring fictional San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, portrayed by Clint Eastwood...
film The Dead Pool
The Dead Pool
The Dead Pool is a 1988 American action thriller film about the manipulation of a "dead pool" game by a serial killer, whose efforts are foiled by a hardened detective. It is the fifth and final film in the Dirty Harry series, set in San Francisco, California and starring Clint Eastwood as...
, and in 1997, he played a rocker vampire in an episode of the television series Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
. In 1999, he appeared in Anthony Scarpa
Anthony Scarpa
Antonia Scarpa is a filmmaker and musician born and raised in New York City. Her family emigrated to Brooklyn from the small Sicilian town of Polizzi Generosa, the same town from which Martin Scorsese’s family came. Scarpa founded the alternative rock / performance art / circus act “Naked Sun”...
's documentary film Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures, which focuses on the all-female hard rock band Betty Blowtorch
Betty Blowtorch
Betty Blowtorch was an all-female American hard rock band from Southern California.-Biography:The band was formed in 1998 by three members of Butt Trumpet. After releasing the 2001 album, Are You Man Enough?, the group toured with Nashville Pussy. During the tour, drummer Judy Molish and guitarist...
, whose debut EP Get Off McKagan produced the same year.
In addition to his musical career, McKagan has established himself as a writer. Since August 2008, McKagan writes a weekly column for SeattleWeekly.com
Seattle Weekly
Seattle Weekly is a freely distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly...
, from January to December 2009, he wrote a weekly financial column titled "Duffonomics" for Playboy.com, and since January 2011, he writes a weekly sports column for ESPN.com
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. McKagan's autobiography, It's So Easy (And Other Lies), was released on October 4, 2011.
In 2011, McKagan founded Meridian Rock, a wealth management firm for musicians. Headed by McKagan and British investor Andy Bottomley, the firm aims to educate musicians about their finances.
Personal life
On May 28, 1988, McKagan married his first wife, Mandy Brixx; the couple divorced less than two years later on April 1, 1990. He remarried in September 1992 to Linda Johnson, but this marriage too ended in divorce in September 1995. McKagan married his current wife, model and swimsuit designer Susan Holmes, on August 28, 1999. They have two daughters together, Grace (born August 27, 1997) and Mae Marie (born July 16, 2000). McKagan and his family reside in his hometown of Seattle, Washington.McKagan was one of the last people confirmed to see Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
frontman Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
before he committed suicide on April 5, 1994. He sat next to Cobain on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle on April 1. McKagan later recalled, "I didn't have any foresight that the guy was going to do what he did. I could tell he was bummed out, and I'd been that way before....I thought I'd ask him to come stay at my house, I turned around and he was gone."
On May 10, 1994, at the age of 30, McKagan became gravely ill due to acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
, which caused his pancreas to swell to the size of a football and leak digestive enzymes into his body, causing third-degree burns. He was taken to Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, where he was monitored until the swelling went down. He was told by his doctors that he would be dead within a month if he did not stop drinking. Although McKagan had made previous attempts to curb his alcoholism, this health crisis was his incentive to become sober for good.
A high school drop-out, McKagan enrolled in a basic finance course at Santa Monica Community College in 1994; he explained that going over the financial records from his Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
days had made him want to understand the process more, stating, "I couldn't make sense of it. I didn't know how much we had made or lost on the tour. As a 30 year-old millionaire, how do I admit to somebody that I don't know what the fuck I'm doing?" In 2000, after attending several more classes at Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
, he enrolled full-time at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
's Albers School of Business and Economics. When Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
took off in his final year as an undergraduate student, McKagan took a hiatus from business school to go on tour; he is still one semester short of graduating.
Equipment
McKagan's longtime main bass was a mid-'80s Japanese Fender Jazz Bass SpecialFender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
, which features an ash body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard. McKagan currently uses it only during studio recordings. Several copies of this bass were built by the Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
in the original and various other finishes to be used on tour. In 2007, Fender replicated and released this bass as the Duff McKagan Signature P Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
. In the past, McKagan used Kramer
Kramer Guitars
Kramer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. Kramer produced aluminum-necked electric guitars and basses in the 1970s and wooden-necked guitars catering to hard rock and heavy metal musicians in the 1980s; Kramer is currently a division of Gibson Guitar Corporation...
basses, and at one time had a Kramer endorsement. He can be seen playing a Kramer bass in the video for the 1988 Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
hit "Sweet Child o' Mine
Sweet Child O' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S...
". McKagan has also used the Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass
Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass
The Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass is an electric bass guitar created by Fender and was introduced to the US market in late 2004.The Aerodyne Jazz Bass is usually equipped with a split single-coil 'p-bass' pickup at the mid position and a single-coil pickup from a Jazz Bass at the bridge position...
, the Duesenberg Star Bass
Duesenberg Guitars
Duesenberg Guitars is a German company producing high-end electric guitars and basses with a distinctive Art Deco design since 1986. The company's name alludes to the legendary car company Duesenberg....
, the Gibson Les Paul bass
Gibson Les Paul bass
The Gibson Les Paul bass is a bass guitar first manufactured by Gibson in 1969, just after the relaunch of the Les Paul guitar in 1968. Initially it was a short scale bass guitar, like the EB0 and EB3...
, and the Gibson Thunderbird
Gibson Thunderbird
The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson.-Background and introduction:The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the Precision Bass twelve years earlier.The Thunderbird was...
bass. He uses Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
pickups and RotoSound
RotoSound
-History of Rotosound:Started in the late 1950's by James How -a musician and engineer by trade. How started manufacturing music strings for many famous artists across the world. Still a family run business all Rotosound strings are made in England....
swingbass strings.
McKagan also plays an acoustic Guild
Guild Guitar Company
The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company...
guitar, which can be heard on various acoustic songs, including "Patience" by Guns N' Roses. On Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
's 2007-2008 tour, he used a Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200 is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson entered into production of this model in 1938 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially called the Super Jumbo, changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200. It was made at the Gibson Factory in...
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
signature acoustic guitar. Among his selection of electric guitars are a Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
, which he used on the tour supporting his debut solo album, Believe in Me, several GMP guitars, which he used with Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
, a selection of Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
models, and two Japanese Burny
Burny
Burny is a range of Gibson replica guitars produced by Fernandes Guitars.-History:Fernandes was established in 1969 in Japan. The Burny brand was used for the Gibson replicas and the Fernandes brand was used for the Fender replicas. Fernandes initially made acoustic guitars and started making...
models.
McKagan has used Gallien-Krueger
Gallien-Krueger
Gallien-Krueger, also referred to as 'GK' , is an instrument amplifier manufacturer. The company is based in Stockton, California, and was founded in 1968....
amplifiers throughout his career; his first was a GK400RB model. With Guns N' Roses, he used up to four Gallien-Krueger 800RB heads with GK 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets. His current set-up includes a Gallien-Krueger solid state 2001RB head, whose signal is then fed to four GK 4x10RBH cabinets. McKagan usually only uses a chorus effect, most often a Yamaha
Yamaha Pro Audio
Yamaha Pro Audio, Inc. is a company that offers a complete line of professional audio products for the live sound and sound reinforcement markets...
SPX-90 and occasionally a Boss
Boss Corporation
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
pedal. Other effects he's been known to use are the Z.Vex
Z.Vex Effects
Z.Vex Effects is a boutique effects pedal company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their name derives from the name of founder Zachary Vex. The company's most famous product is the Fuzz Factory. All of their pedals are hand painted at their factory in Minnesota...
Woolly Mammoth fuzz and an MXR
MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
M-80. For guitar amplification, McKagan uses an old Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
JCM800 2204 head hotrodded by Bogner
Bogner
Bogner is an American guitar amplifier manufacturing company founded by Reinhold Bogner in 1989 in Los Angeles, California, best known for the Shiva, Ecstasy, and Überschall guitar amplifiers.-Models:*Ecstasy 100A and 100B:...
, which he nicknamed the "Seattle Head".
Discography
With Guns N' Roses- Appetite for DestructionAppetite for DestructionAppetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
(1987) - G N' R LiesG N' R Lies-Personnel:*W. Axl Rose - lead vocals, whistle on "Patience"*Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, rhythm acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8, backing vocals*Slash - lead guitar, lead acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8...
(1988) - Use Your Illusion IUse Your Illusion IUse Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
(1991) - Use Your Illusion IIUse Your Illusion IIUse Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
(1991) - The Spaghetti Incident? (1993)
With The Fartz
- You, We See You Crawling (1990)
Solo
- Believe in Me (1993)
- Beautiful DiseaseBeautiful DiseaseBeautiful Disease was to be the second solo album released by ex-Guns N' Roses's bassist Duff McKagan in 1999. However, it was shelved after a merger between McKagan's label Universal and Polygram....
(1999; unreleased)
With Neurotic Outsiders
- Neurotic Outsiders (1996)
With 10 Minute Warning
- 10 Minute Warning (1998)
With Loaded
- Dark DaysDark Days (Loaded album)-Personnel:*Duff McKagan – vocals, bass, guitar, piano on "Misery", production*Dave Dederer – guitar, production*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocals, percussion, production...
(2001) - SickSick (Loaded album)Sick is the second studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009 in Europe and April 7 in...
(2009) - The TakingThe Taking (album)The Taking is the third studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It was produced by Terry Date in Seattle, Washington, and was released on April 19, 2011 through Eagle Rock Entertainment. Writing for the album began in 2009, while the band were touring in support of Sick...
(2011)
With Velvet Revolver
- Contraband (2004)
- Libertad (2007)