Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash told New York's Newsday that being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the fact that the band's lead singer, Axl Rose, refused to be inducted along with the rest of the classic GN'R lineup closed the book on a GUNS N' ROSES reunion once and for all.

"I think that time is sort of passed at this point, but there was a period where big wads of cash were shaking in our direction," he said. "I think the concept of getting the band back together based on money is not going to happen."

Asked if the drama surrounding the GN'R Rock Hall induction — whether Axl Rose would show — was a bizarre experience, Slash said, "Given the history of the band, it really doesn't seem that bizarre. Originally I didn't want to deal with it. It was a big, unanswered question up until the 11th hour. We made do with what we had, and it turned out to be a really cool experience."

Regarding the 25th anniversary of GNR's "Appetite For Destruction", one of the most successful and important debut albums of all time which has gone on to sell more than 30 million copies, Slash said, "It doesn't seem like that long ago. The concept of a quarter of a century is crazy. It's become a very iconic record, and I'm proud of that. One of the most significant things about it is being considered a must-have for everybody's rock 'n' roll collection."

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash spoke to Loudwire about the band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The 27th annual ceremony will be held on April 14 in Cleveland, Ohio, home to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum. Also scheduled to be inducted are RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, BEASTIE BOYS, THE SMALL FACES/FACES, Donovan and Laura Nyro. Freddie King well enter the Hall Of Fame as an Early Influence, while the late producer and TV host Don Kirshner will receive the Ahmet Ertegun (nonperformer) Award and producers Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns will receive the Award For Musical Excellence.

The ceremony will be taped for broadcast by HBO, which plans to air it in early May.

Slash told Loudwire, "I would love to play. It's just, one of those things where I know that it's not going to happen, so… I just did an interview and said, 'I don't think we're playing.' [Laughs]. I mean I think it would be cool to play, but very early on when the whole thing came up, it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen — and you know, that doesn't surprise me. We've been at odds for… well, not at odds, but we just haven't had any sort of communication in a long time so… that's basically it. That's all I can tell you."

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan told RollingStone.com that there has been "no communication" about the original members of the band performing together when the group is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Asked if he knew what was going to happen at the ceremony, McKagan answered, "I don't. I know I'm going to go. I can't, at all, speak for anybody else. And won't. I'll be there with bells on." But he added, "There's been no communication about anyone playing. There was probably a day in the mid-1990s where I would have tried to gather the troops, but I'm just not that guy anymore. It's too frustrating to change anyone else . . . I'm not even sure I'd want to change how anyone else sees a situation."

On whether he hoped that the original lineup would perform together at the event, McKagan said, "I think it would be killer. Do I hope to? That's a tricky question. It would be awesome. You have those day dreams like, 'We'll go up and play 'Nightrain' and 'Brownstone' and throw down the microphone and drop off! That'll be killer!' But I doubt that'll happen."

McKagan, singer Axl Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, and drummer Steven Adler will all be inducted into the Hall, along with later members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Legendary guitarist Slash recorded a guest appearance last night (Thursday, March 15) on the forthcoming debut album from ADLER, the new band led by his former GUNS N' ROSES bandmate Steven Adler.

A photo of Slash in the studio with ADLER can be seen below.

In addition to Steven, ADLER features Lonny Paul (ADLER'S APPETITE) on guitar and Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC) on vocals/guitar. The group has completed eight songs for its debut album, which is being recorded in Los Angeles with producers Jeff Pilson (former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER/TOOTH AND NAIL bassist) and Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, ADRENALINE MOB).

"I love the music that we're creating!" states Adler. "I haven't been this excited about my band since the GN'R days. Jacob is exactly the singer I have been searching for. He has an amazing range and is a great writer and frontman. Lonny is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and the vibe is amazing!" He added, "I'm so excited for everyone to hear this record!"

Steven spent the past several years touring and recording with ADLER'S APPETITE, which played original material alongside cover versions of songs from GUNS' classic debut album, "Appetite For Destruction".

In 2010, Adler collaborated with Slash on the latter's self-titled debut solo album. He appeared on the track "Baby Can't Drive", along with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea, Alice Cooper and Nicole Scherzinger. The song was featured on an expanded edition of the album released by Classic Rock magazine.

Adler, Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin will all be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month in Cleveland, along with later GUNS N' ROSES members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

{plusone}Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation, was interviewed by "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk on yesterday's (Monday, December 19) edition of "Eddie Trunk Live" on SiriusXM satellite radio.

After Trunk tweeted that Peresman indicated during the interview that "all [members of GUNS N' ROSES] have RSVP'd that they will show" at their upcoming Rock Hall induction in April, former GN'R guitarist Slash responded with the following message: "For the record, I didn't RSVP, or in any way commit to attending the RRHF. I don't appreciate people putting words in my mouth."

GUNS N' ROSES will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next April in Cleveland, prompting speculation about whether the event could lead to a reunion of the band's original lineup.

Former GN'R bassist Duff McKagan admitted last month in an interview that he had a hard time imaging such a possibility, saying, "I can't. I can't picture it. Your guess is as good as mine. There is no picture."

In his latest SeattleWeekly.com column, McKagan addressed the upcoming induction, writing, "Music to me has never been a competitive sport. We do what we do, and if you connect with an audience and write the songs that feel good to you in the process, that is reward enough. Getting a Grammy or an American Music Award seems a little bit weird in this whole context. I mean, are you BETTER than all those other bands? No. You are just doing YOUR thing, and they theirs. It's not a competition.

"But it became very apparent to me that fans of GN'R felt very motivated for our band to 'get into the Hall.' All of those fans ARE very important to me, and thus getting this Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nod was a victory for them. And so I am deeply honored and feel very good about this whole deal. Thank you all.

"I spent a lot of time revisiting my past in the book I just wrote. Living in the past, or just revisiting it, is something I hadn't done until I was in the process of writing that book. The process became personally poignant in how much I appreciated and loved most of the characters in my past, especially the guys in that little band from Hollywood that we formed just after I moved there in 1984.

"I've done my best to avoid doing any interviews that pertain to our induction, and maybe this column will serve as all I really need to say for now. I am a grown-up now, and hope that we can achieve some grace and class when that ceremony comes. But in the end, I am only responsible for myself."

Singer Al Rose was ambivalent in a recent interview about the Hall Of Fame, and told Billboard.com in 2009 that he could never see himself playing with original GUNS guitarist Slash again, saying, "One of the two of us will die before a reunion. However sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose was presented with a key to the city about one hour into the band's concert Wednesday night (December 14) at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. Right before the group launched into its cover version of Paul McCartney's "Live And Let Die", Mayor Mike Winder walked onstage and greeted Rose, congratulating the singer on this past week's announcement that the Los Angeles-based act will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"How long do you stay open?" Rose asked the mayor after being presented with the key.

"All night for GUNS N' ROSES," the mayor replied.

GUNS N' ROSES reportedly played a three-hour set last night consisting of more than 30 songs, ending just after 2 a.m. with the band's classic track "Paradise City".

As previously reported, it has been confirmed that ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan's band LOADED will open two shows for the latest version of GUNS on that band's current North American tour. LOADED will warm up for GUNS N' ROSES on December 16 at the Key Arena in Seattle and December 17 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia.

McKagan made worldwide headlines in October 2010 when he joined GUNS onstage for four songs at a concert in London, England, marking the first time he had set foot on a stage with GUNS N' ROSES in 17 years.

GUNS N' ROSES will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next April in Cleveland, prompting speculation about whether the event could lead to a reunion of the band's original lineup.

McKagan admitted last month in an interview that he had a hard time imaging such a possibility, saying, "I can't. I can't picture it. Your guess is as good as mine. There is no picture."

Rose was ambivalent in a recent interview about the Hall Of Fame, and told Billboard.com in 2009 that he could never see himself playing with original GUNS guitarist Slash again, saying, "One of the two of us will die before a reunion. However sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED — the band led by VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan — will open for the current version of GUNS N' ROSES on the following dates:

Dec. 16 - Seattle, WA - KeyArena
Dec. 17 - Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum

McKagan made a surprise guest appearance in October 2010 with GUNS N' ROSES at London, England's O2 arena. He told Seattle radio station KISW last year that playing in London with the current version of the band he left in the mid-Nineties was "great." McKagan came onstage during the group's October 14, 2010 gig to play on "You Could Be Mine", "Patience", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Nice Boys", sticking around to take a bow with Rose and the rest of the group at the end of the show. The gig marked the first time McKagan had performed with GUNS N' ROSES in 17 years.

It was announced on December 7 that GUNS N' ROSES will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 14, 2012 in Cleveland, along with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE BEASTIE BOYS, LAURA NYRO, DONOVAN and others.

Rumors of a GUNS N' ROSES reunion with the classic lineup have been swirling for years. Rose told Billboard.com in 2009 that he doesn't ever expect to play again with guitarist Slash, saying, "One of the two of us will die before a reunion. However sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."

Rose and original GN'R rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin played a few shows in 2006.

When asked if he thinks the entire original GUNS lineup will show up at the induction ceremony, original GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler — who was thrown out of the band in 1990 — told Rolling Stone magazine, "Absolutely not," adding that the bad blood between Rose and Slash is the sole factor holding up a full GUNS reunion: "For twenty years, because of some stupid grudge, which I guarantee you that neither of them could even tell you what it was. They don't even know! . . . twenty years of great music wasn't created because of some stupid grudge."

GUNS N' ROSES played the song "Civil War" for the first time since 1993 during the band's December 4, 2011 concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off its first U.S. tour since 2006 on October 28 in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to sole original member Axl Rose (vocals), the current lineup of GUNS N' ROSES includes guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Richard Fortus and DJ Ashba, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer.

"Chinese Democracy", the 2008 album released by the current edition of GUNS N' ROSES after a 15-year wait, was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies. The long-in-the-making, 14-song CD finally arrived 17 years after the last full-length collections of original GUNS material, "Use Your Illusion I" and "II", were released, and nine years after the non-album track "Oh My God" surfaced on the soundtrack of the movie "End Of Days".

"Chinese Democracy" was made available exclusively through Best Buy.

Sydney, Australia's Triple M radio station spoke with drummer Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, THE CULT), who is in town for the Hard Rock Café opening down in Darling Harbour, a locality of the city center of Sydney.

Sorum will jam with a bunch of rock legends, including former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans and ROSE TATTOO's Angry Anderson.

When asked about the possibility of a reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup to tie in with the band's possible induction at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he responded, "You never know. Usually the way it works with GUNS N' ROSES is that it's gotta be about Slash [guitar] and Axl [Rose, vocals] first, which has been a little bit of a problem. Duff [McKagan, bass] played with Axl and actually Duff (and his band LOADED) was gonna go out on tour with Axl."

He added, "I haven't seen Axl for about six years."

Sorum told The Pulse of Radio in a 2009 interview that, if the original GUNS N' ROSES band reunites, they should perform with both him and original drummer Steven Adler. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know. I would actually say to them, 'Hey, bring both of us back,' you know. Let me play the other stuff. We'll have two drum kits. I don't care. If 'Appetite' ('For Destruction', the band's debut) sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it."

Sorum also blasted Rose for using the name GUNS N' ROSES when the original band is no longer together. Sorum said, "I'm not saying I'm an original member, okay, but I understand the core of the band, which is Slash and Duff and probably Izzy. It's a shame, and you know what, this goes back to a Paul McCartney thing. Does he call himself THE BEATLES? Not saying we were as big as THE BEATLES, but — does Sting call himself THE POLICE? No. Does Jimmy Page and Robert Plant go out there calling themselves LED ZEPPELIN? Nope."

Several members of GUNS N' ROSES visited the Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, Texas on Monday, November 7 on a day off during the band's current U.S. tour. Check out photos at this location.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off its first U.S. tour since 2006 on October 28 in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to sole original member Axl Rose (vocals), the current lineup of GUNS N' ROSES includes guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Richard Fortus and DJ Ashba, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer.

"Chinese Democracy", the 2008 album released by the current edition of GUNS N' ROSES after a 15-year wait, was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies. The long-in-the-making, 14-song CD finally arrived 17 years after the last full-length collections of original GUNS material, "Use Your Illusion I" and "II", were released, and nine years after the non-album track "Oh My God" surfaced on the soundtrack of the movie "End Of Days".

"Chinese Democracy" was made available exclusively through Best Buy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFQCTOPdYqs