Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5 1964) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
, who is best known for his thirteen-year tenure in the
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
band
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
. He is currently the bassist for the hard rock band
Velvet RevolverVelvet Revolver is a 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 singer Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer since their formation until parting ways...
, lead vocalist and guitarist for his own solo
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
project
Duff McKagan's LoadedLoaded is an American hard rock supergroup that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1999. Originally comprising vocalist, bassist and songwriter Duff McKagan , guitarist Michael Barragan , guitarist Dez Cadena and drummer Taz Bentley Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard...
, and a weekly
columnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating copy that can sometimes be strongly opinionated. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs on the Internet....
for SeattleWeekly.com.
He also writes a weekly financial column for Playboy.com called Duffonomics.
Early years (1964-1985)
Michael Andrew McKagan was born in
Seattle, WashingtonSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
, the youngest of eight children born to Elmer (Mac) and Alice (Marie) McKagan. They were a musical family with every member playing at least one instrument. It was his brother Bruce who taught him his first bass lines, though he developed his own skills playing along to
19991999 is the fifth album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 charts in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983...
by
PrincePrince Rogers Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He performs under the mononym Prince but has also been known by various other names, most notably the unpronounceable symbol which he used as his stage name between 1993 and 2000...
and
Black FlagBlack Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes...
's Damaged.
Although best known as a bass player, Duff also played drums in several bands, including a stint with Seattle pop-punk band the
FastbacksThe Fastbacks were a pioneering Seattle band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch , and friends Lulu Gargiulo and Kim Warnick , they disbanded in 2001...
(which he joined at the age of 14 in 1979) and The Vains with Chris Utting. Between 1979 and 1982 he lead and played guitar in punk band The Living who opened shows for Husker Du and DOA and had a devoted following. Initially the band included Chris Utting (The Vains) and Duff and Chris would switch on drums and guitar to play songs penned by John Conte, Chris and Duff. By 1980, Chris was out of the band so Duff could focus on guitar and newcomer Greg Gilmore was brought in as full time drummer at which point the band became considerably more powerful and focused. The band played numerous shows and recorded as yet unreleased demos. The Living were notable for the presence of future
Mother Love BoneMother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/early 1990s Seattle music scene...
drummer
Greg GilmoreGreg Gilmore is a musician in Seattle, Washington, and co-founder of the recording label First World Music. Although born in France, Gilmore grew up in the Seattle area....
(as well as Todd Fleischman and charismatic frontman John Conte). It could be argued that the seed of "
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
" began with the Living as they combined Clash/Bad Brains style punk with more classic rock, midtempo songs and glam covers and were easily the most notorious band in Seattle at the time (besides The Fartz). After the demise of The Living Duff played in The Fartz before both Duff and Greg Gilmore joined up with The Fartz to form 10 Minute Warning, which also included future Skinyard bassist Daniel House. 10 Minute Warning soon replaced Fartz singer Blaine with Steve Verewolf. At the time, Greg Gilmore also played in the heavy psychedelic band Chubby Children before moving on to Mother Love Bone. Besides drums and bass, McKagan also has the ability to play other musical instruments: he plays guitar and even played piano on the song "Misery" from the Loaded album
Dark Days.
Answering an ad for a bass player in a local magazine, McKagan headed to California, at age nineteen. In California, he met guitar player
SlashSaul Hudson , better known by his stage name Slash, is an English musician. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, he moved to Los Angeles, California as a child, where he began his career in the music industry. Slash is arguably best-known as the former lead guitarist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses,...
and drummer
Steven AdlerSteven Adler is a well known American rock drummer. He is most famous for his tenure as a member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he performed and recorded from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
of the band
Road CrewFormed in 1983 by future Guns N' Roses members Steven Adler and Saul Hudson , Road Crew were a garage band that served as a musical outlet for Adler and Hudson. The only two constant members of the group, they saw a long succession of L.A. musicians in and out of the band...
at L.A.'s legendary 24-hour deli and rock hangout,
Canter'sCanter's Deli is a famous Jewish delicatessen in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles, California, near the border of West Hollywood.The Canter family originally opened up a delicatessen in Jersey City in 1924....
. Duff expected some punk with a penchant for
'70sThe 1970s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1970, to December 31, 1979.In the Western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and political and economic liberty of women, continued to grow...
rock, but found two long-haired guys instead.
He describes his home city as "a rowdy
rock 'n' rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...
town with a hip underground."
Guns N' Roses (1985-1998)
From the wreckage of the bands
L.A. GunsL.A. Guns are an American glam metal band whose music is frequently associated with the L.A. glam metal scene which grew up around the Sunset Strip in the 1980s, in particular the sleaze rock subgenre. Guns N' Roses, which once featured three of the original L.A...
and
Hollywood RoseHollywood Rose was a pre-Guns N' Roses band of singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin. The band went through several line-up changes and featured founding guitarist Chris Weber, bass players Steve Darrow and Rick Mars, and drummer Johnny Kreis....
,
Axl RoseW. Axl Rose is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of rock band Guns N' Roses....
and
Izzy StradlinJeffery Dean Isbell , more widely known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician, best known as one of the lead songwriters and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1985 to 1991.-Early life:...
joined
Tracii GunsTracii Guns is an American hard rock guitarist who has played with a number of well-known rock and metal bands and solo artists over the years. Among these are Guns N' Roses, Brides of Destruction, L.A. Guns, Killing Machine.In the mid-1980s, Axl Rose started Guns N' Roses with Tracii...
,
Ole BeichOle Beich was a Danish guitarist and bass player, born in the city of Esbjerg. In his younger years he became a local rock 'n' roll icon with his Fender Telecaster, his good looks, his long blonde hair and his attitude. His own favorites were The Rolling Stones, Ten Years After, Cactus, Led...
, and
Rob GardnerRob Gardner is a rock drummer who played in the original versions of hard rock bands Guns N' Roses and L.A. Guns.He played in both bands with Axl Rose, Tracii Guns, and Ole Beich. He also played in L.A. Guns with Michael Jagosz, who was replaced by Axl Rose after he was sent to jail. He played on...
to form
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
. Initially formed to meet booked gigs for the disbanded acts, the new line-up was finalized on June 6, 1985. Duff became the band's bassist, replacing Ole Beich, and after two days of rehearsal, the newly formed group played their debut gig as GN'R on a Thursday night at the Troubadour. As with ex-rhythm guitarist
Izzy StradlinJeffery Dean Isbell , more widely known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician, best known as one of the lead songwriters and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1985 to 1991.-Early life:...
, McKagan also had his crack at handling lead vocals on GN'R songs such as
Use Your Illusion IIUse Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by hard 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 seen together as a double album...
s "So Fine" and a handful of songs off of the cover album The Spaghetti Incident?, including live favorite "Attitude", originally by The Misfits.
He brought his
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
influences to the group, being a huge fan of
Sex PistolsThe Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They are responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
,
RamonesThe Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first punk rock group. Formed in Forest Hills, Queens, New York in 1974, all of the band members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname 'Ramone', though none of them were actually related. They performed 2,263 concerts, touring...
, and
The ClashThe Clash were an English rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk, they experimented with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly...
; even citing
Paul SimononPaul Gustave Simonon is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. His most recent work is his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007.- Biography :Simonon was born in...
of the Clash as his favorite bassist. He is also a huge fan of
Sid ViciousSid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols.- Early life :...
.
Adler and Izzy departed the band in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Meanwhile, in 1990, Duff and
SlashSaul Hudson , better known by his stage name Slash, is an English musician. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, he moved to Los Angeles, California as a child, where he began his career in the music industry. Slash is arguably best-known as the former lead guitarist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses,...
co-wrote and played a few songs on Iggy Pop's "
Brick by BrickBrick 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 and opted for a hard-rock sound...
."
Solo years (1993-2002)
After a half-hearted attempt at drug rehabilitation, he kick-started a solo career with 1993's Believe in Me. In 1994, McKagan's
pancreasThe pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to...
had swelled to football sized dimensions (due to acute alcohol-induced
pancreatitisPancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that can occur in two very different forms. Acute pancreatitis is sudden while chronic pancreatitis "is characterized by recurring or persistent abdominal pain with or without steatorrhea or diabetes mellitus."...
) and he underwent emergency surgery at
Northwest Hospital and Medical CenterNorthwest Hospital & Medical Center, opened in 1960, is a full-service nonprofit health care provider located on a beautifully landscaped 33 acre campus just minutes north of downtown Seattle. It is Seattle's only independent full-service, non-profit hospital north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal...
in Seattle, WA. The doctors told him that if he did not quit drinking, he would be dead within a month, so McKagan quickly became sober.
In 1995 he collaborated with Slash in his solo project "
Slash's SnakepitSlash's Snakepit was a rock band formed by then-Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash in 1994. Fellow Guns N' Roses members Matt Sorum , Gilby Clarke also joined him. On bass was Mike Inez of Alice in Chains. Eric Dover sang lead vocals...
", co-writing a song called "Beggars and Hangers-On", which he played live at the Palace during a Snakepit show in May of that year. He would go on to form
Neurotic OutsidersNeurotic 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...
, an alternative rock super-group consisting of GN'R drummer
Matt SorumMatthew William Sorum is an American hard rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses...
, "
Sex PistolsThe Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They are responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
" guitarist
Steve JonesStephen Philip Jones is an English rock guitarist and singer, best known for his highly influential work as guitarist and founding member of the punk band Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
, and John Taylor of
Duran DuranDuran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
on bass. They played the L.A clubs circuit in the late 90s, and toured the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1996. A self-titled album was released in September 1996. After that, he put back together
10 Minute Warning10 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.-The Early...
, the band he played in before joining
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
. They recorded some of their songs to release an album with the
SeattleSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
-based label
Sub PopSub Pop is a record label founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington in 1986. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
, published May 5, 1998.
In the years that followed, McKagan became a father and concentrated on his solo career. He recruited
Abe Laboriel Jr.Abe Laboriel Jr. is an American session musician drummer who has been recorded on many popular albums.-Early life:Laboriel is the son of bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr....
, Michael Barragan, and
Izzy StradlinJeffery Dean Isbell , more widely known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician, best known as one of the lead songwriters and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1985 to 1991.-Early life:...
to help him record Beautiful Disease, with a 1999 release on
Geffen RecordsGeffen 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:...
. However, this album was never released due to a merger between Geffen and Interscope, which caused McKagan to be dropped from the label. Despite this, he went on tour recruiting former
Black FlagBlack Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes...
's
Dez CadenaDez Paul Cadena is an American 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...
, ex Twisted Roots'
Paul RoesslerPaul Roessler was a prominent member of the L.A. punk scene during the late 1970s and '80s. He played keyboards in bands such as The Screamers, Twisted Roots, 45 Grave, Nervous Gender, SAUPG, Geza X and the Mommymen, Mike Watt and the Secondmen, Nina Hagen and The Deadbeats...
, and former Morning Glories' Michael Barragan.
Duff also tried an acting career in 1997. He had a part in the TV serial
SlidersSliders is an American science fiction television series that ran for five seasons from 1995 to 2000. The series focuses on a group of travelers who "slide" between parallel worlds by use of a wormhole referred to as an "Einstein-Rosen-Podolsky bridge."...
, which aired in May of that year, as a dead rocker vampire.
On August 27, 1997, he had his first child, Grace, with model/swimsuit designer Susan Holmes. They married on August 28, 1999. On July 16, 2000, they had their second child, another girl, Mae Marie.
In 1999, he recruited drummer Geoff Reading (New American Shame), guitarist
Dave DedererDave 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...
(The Presidents of the United States of America), and keyboardist Martin Feveyear to form
LoadedLoaded is an American hard rock supergroup that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1999. Originally comprising vocalist, bassist and songwriter Duff McKagan , guitarist Michael Barragan , guitarist Dez Cadena and drummer Taz Bentley Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard...
. They recorded the album
Episode 1999: LiveEpisode 1999: Live is the debut live album by American hard rock band Loaded. Self-released in May 1999, it was recorded at two shows in Los Angeles, California – March 17 at Al's Bar and March 27 at The Opium Den.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
, which was sold only through their web site.
Then, he participated to the album Humanary Stew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper
, and helped his former GN'R bandmate Izzy Stradlin with the album Ride OnRide 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...
.
In 2000, he put together another band called Mad for the Racket, also known as The Racketeers, with
MC5KICK OUT THE JAMS The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1964 and active until 1972. They played hard rock music that also included blues-rock, psychedelic rock, rock & roll and garage rock...
's
Wayne KramerWayne Kramer may refer to:*Wayne Kramer , American guitarist*Wayne Kramer , South African film writer and director...
and Damned's Brian James. For a drummer, they recruited several guest stars, such as
Stewart CopelandStewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks.-Background:...
(
PoliceA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
),
Clem BurkeClem Burke is an American musician who is the drummer for the band Blondie...
(
BlondieBlondie is an American rock band founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk rock scenes of the mid 1970s...
), and Brock Avery. In 2001, he reunited with Loaded for the club circuit in Seattle. He also ran a marathon in 2001 with bib number "11468."
In August 2001, a new version of Loaded, with Michael James Squires on guitars and
Jeff RouseJeffrey Norman Rouse is an Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Record Holder in swimming from the United States...
on bass, toured
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during his spring breaks while getting his Bachelor's Degree and released the album
Dark DaysDark Days may refer to:* Dark Days , by Coal Chamber* Dark Days * Dark Days * Dark Days , a 2000 film by Marc Singer...
, a mix of new material and re-recorded tracks from the unreleased album Beautiful Disease
. Duff also toured Japan with Izzy Stradlin to support Izzy's new album River
. Duff also appeared with J-Biography:Jun Onose , or J, is the former bassist of the Japanese band Luna Sea. He was born August 12, 1970. He still plays bass, but also sings lead vocals in his own band....
, ex-Luna SeaLuna Sea is a Japanese rock band. It was formed in 1989 by Ryuichi Kawamura, Yasuhiro "Sugizo" Sugihara, Shinobu "Inoran" Inoue, Jun "J." Onose and Shinya Yamada, a lineup that remained consistent until the band's breakup in 2000...
bassist, in a number of magazines and venues during his tour in Japan that J opened for.
Duff produced the controversial debut EP Get Off by
Betty BlowtorchBetty Blowtorch was an all-female hard rock band from southern California. The band was formed in 1998 by three members of Butt Trumpet. After releasing the 2001 full-length, Are You Man Enough?, the group toured with Nashville Pussy. During the tour, drummer Judy Molish and guitarist Sharon...
and also appeared in the documentary film Betty Blowtorch And Her Amazing True Life Adventures, directed by
Anthony ScarpaAnthony Scarpa is a filmmaker and musician born and raised in New York City. His 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”...
.
Velvet Revolver (2002-Present)
Since April 2002, Duff has played bass guitar for the group
Velvet RevolverVelvet Revolver is a 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 singer Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer since their formation until parting ways...
together with ex-Guns N' Roses' members,
SlashSaul Hudson , better known by his stage name Slash, is an English musician. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, he moved to Los Angeles, California as a child, where he began his career in the music industry. Slash is arguably best-known as the former lead guitarist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses,...
and
Matt SorumMatthew William Sorum is an American hard rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses...
, as well as guitarist
Dave KushnerDave Kushner is an American rock guitarist currently with the American rock group Velvet Revolver, who are on fall after the departure of Scott Weiland, the band's lead singer....
and former
Stone Temple PilotsStone Temple Pilots, often abbreviated to STP, is an American rock band consisting of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz . The band found immediate success with the release of their debut album Core in 1992, which was certified 8× platinum by the RIAA...
singer
Scott WeilandScott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notably known for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots, and also for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver. After a five-year hiatus, the STP reunion tour kicked off at the Rock on the...
. Their debut album
ContrabandThe English word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," derived via Italian contrabbando from Latin contra "against" + Middle Latin bannum , denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed,...
was released in 2004 and peaked at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. The group's second album, entitled LibertadLibertad, the Spanish word for "freedom", may refer to any of the following:-Geography:*Argentina**Libertad, Buenos Aires Province**Libertad, Chaco*Belize**Libertad, Belize*Mexico**Libertad, Chihuahua**Libertad, Chiapas**Libertad, Quintana Roo...
, was released on July 3, 2007. McKagan toured with the band, until Singer
Scott WeilandScott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notably known for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots, and also for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver. After a five-year hiatus, the STP reunion tour kicked off at the Rock on the...
left the band on April 1, 2008, to reunite with Stone Temple Pilots.
Other appearances
Duff has more recently been seen playing bass with
The Presidents of the United States of AmericaThe Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as The Presidents, is 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, drummer and vocalist Jason...
.
On March 6, 2006, Duff made an appearance along with
PanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell , then known as Diamond Darrell, in 1981. Bassist Rex Brown then known as Rex Rocker would join in 1982, with vocalist Terry Glaze...
and
DownDown is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2009, the band consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein, bassist Rex Brown, and drummer Jimmy Bower....
vocalist
Phil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the frontman for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for heavy metal band Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records.-Childhood and early life:Anselmo grew up in the inner city of New Orleans...
, playing guitar for
Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley. Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released...
for VH1 Decades of Rock Live
show.
He also played some songs on Zilch'sZilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
album Skyjin, a tribute to
hide, was a popular Japanese musician. More commonly known by his mononymous stage name Hide , written in all lowercase letters by the artist, he was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the popular heavy metal band X Japan from 1987 to 1997...
.
In 2001 Duff appeared on
Mark LaneganMark 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...
s fifth solo album
Field SongsField 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 in 2004 Duff also appeared on the Mark Lanegan Band album
BubblegumBubblegum is an album by Mark Lanegan, released in 2004 on the Beggars Banquet label under the name "Mark Lanegan Band" ....
along with
Izzy StradlinJeffery Dean Isbell , more widely known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician, best known as one of the lead songwriters and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1985 to 1991.-Early life:...
.
In 2009 Duff appeared at his daughters school,
The Buckley SchoolThe Buckley School is a college preparatory day school, founded in 1933 by Isabelle Buckley. It is located in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, which is in the San Fernando Valley...
's benefit charity concert and Loaded members Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse, where they covered
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...
by
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
.
Duff has started doing an occasional hour-long radio show on KISW 99.9FM in Seattle called 'Duff McKagan's Radio-Loaded.'
Bass guitars
McKagan's longtime main bass was a white mid-'80s Fender Jazz Bass Special, which had been pieced together with an ash body, a maple neck and a rosewood fretboard. Currently McKagan only uses it during recordings. The bass has also been replicated and released as a Duff McKagan signature P Bass model in October 2007 by Fender, several copies of this bass were also built by the Fender Custom Shop in the original and various other finishes to be used during tours. McKagan has also become a fan of the new Fender
Aerodyne bass as well as the more expensive Duesenberg Star basses. In the past, he used Kramer basses, most notably in the Sweet Child O' Mine
video and a Gibson Les Paul standard bass. He exclusivley uses Seymour Duncan Pickups and Rotosound swingbass strings. In addition to bass McKagan also plays an acoustic Guild guitar on various acoustic songs such as Patience.
Amplification
McKagan has been using
Gallien-KruegerGallien-Krueger is an instrument amplifier manufacturer, also referred to informally as GK. The company is based in Stockton, California, and was founded in 1968. Its products are used by many professional bassists including: Flea, Greg Lake and Les Claypool....
amplifiers throughout his entire career, his first being a GK400RB model. He used up to four Gallien-Krueger 800RB heads with GK 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets with Guns N' Roses. His current set up includes a Gallien-Krueger solid state 2001RB head, however a second head is brought along as a backup. His signal is then fed to four GK 4x10RBH which gives him sixteen speakers being run by one head putting out 1080 watts. For effects he usually only uses a chorus effect most often a
YamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
SPX-90 or occasionally a Boss pedal. Other effect he's been known to use are the Z-vex Wooley Mammoth fuzz and an MXR M-80.
Personal life
On August 27, 1997, he had his first child, Grace, with model/swimsuit designer
Susan Holmes
Susan Holmes- McKagan is an American born model, tv personality, and designer. She has appeared on the covers of U.S. and/or international editions of Vogue, W, Marie Claire, Glamour, Maxim and Playboy. She is also known as the public face and founder of her ten- year plus business venture...
. They married on August 28, 1999. On July 16, 2000, they had their second child, another girl, Mae Marie.
With The Fartz
- You We See Crawling (1982)
- Because This Fuckin' World Still Stinks (1998)
With Guns N' Roses
- Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide is a four-song EP released by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses on December 16, 1986 on the label, UZI Suicide. . When referred to by the band members talking about the EP, they have simply called it Live Like a Suicide...
(1986)
- Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. Released in 1987 , it was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart. As of September 2008, the album has been certified diamond by the RIAA, accumulating worldwide sales in...
(1987)
- EP
The second EP by Guns N' Roses, released after Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, was released in Japan only. The cover of the EP states Guns N' Roses, hence it is often called as such. It is also known as Live from the Jungle, named so because part of the large red text on the album's obi strip reads...
(1987)
- G N' R Lies
Lies, aka G N' R Lies, is the second studio album by the hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1988 . According to the RIAA, it has sold 5 million copies in the United States and about 12 million copies worldwide to date....
(1988)
- Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other named Use Your Illusion II, thus they are sometimes seen together as a double album...
(1991)
- Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by hard 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 seen together as a double album...
(1991)
- "The Spaghetti Incident?"
"The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth album by hard 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....
(1993)
- Live Era: '87–'93 (Live) (1999)
- Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on March 23, 2004. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the Billboard 200 chart...
(2004)
With Izzy Stradlin
- 117°
117° is the second album by Izzy Stradlin, released on March 9 1998. Two of the songs, "Memphis" and "Good Enough" were originally planned and written for Stradlin's previous band, The Ju Ju Hounds, but due to the breakup of the band, he used them for this record.-Track listing:#Ain't It a Bitch...
(1998)
- Ride On
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...
(1999)
- River
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....
(2001)
- On Down the Road
On Down the Road is a studio album released by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin in 2002 . It is his fifth solo album.-Track listing:#You Betcha#Gone Dead Train#Monkeys#On Down the Road#Sweet Caress#Coke’n...
(2002)
- Concrete
Concrete is former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin's ninth solo album, released only on iTunes in 2008.-Track listing:# "Ball" - 3:06# "Circle" - 3:49# "Easy" - 3:11# "Concrete" - 4:57# "Drove" - 4:04# "Ship" - 2:52# "G.B." - 3:08...
(2008)
With Loaded
- Episode 1999: Live
Episode 1999: Live is the debut live album by American hard rock band Loaded. Self-released in May 1999, it was recorded at two shows in Los Angeles, California – March 17 at Al's Bar and March 27 at The Opium Den.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
(1999)
- Dark Days
Dark Days is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. Recorded between December 2000 and February 2001 at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, it was self-released in July 2001...
(2001)
- Wasted Heart
Wasted Heart is the first EP, and third release overall, by American hard rock band Loaded. It was released on September 22, 2008, after frontman Duff McKagan's current band, Velvet Revolver, went on hiatus, following the departure of lead singer Scott Weiland.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Duff...
EP (2008)
- Sick
Sick is the second studio album by Duff McKagan's Loaded, released via Century Media on April 7, 2009, following the EP Wasted Heart from 2008...
(2009)
With Mark Lanegan
- 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...
(Track 12) (2001)
- Bubblegum
Bubblegum is an album by Mark Lanegan, released in 2004 on the Beggars Banquet label under the name "Mark Lanegan Band" ....
(Track 7) (2004)
With Velvet Revolver
- Contraband
Contraband is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, released on June 8, 2004 by RCA Records. A commercial success, Contraband debuted at number one on the American Billboard 200 chart and was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA.-Background and recording:Velvet Revolver...
(2004)
- Melody and the Tyranny
Melody and the Tyranny is an EP released by Velvet Revolver as a precursor to their album Libertad. Melody and the Tyranny includes two tracks from Libertad as well as the Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer" and a live renditon of...
(2007)
- Libertad (2007)