Duff McKagan: Inspiring and Painful

Posted yesterday at 2:00 pm by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

So I have finally arrived back home in Seattle after being on the road for the last two months. Traveling and playing gigs sometimes gives me a chance to witness or be a part of some pretty spectacular events. Whether getting a chance to see another inspiring band play or slipping and falling in a unfamiliar shower, life on the road is never without a daily event, it seems. Here I will list a few events that have highlighted my last eight weeks:

1) As I have previously written about, I had a chance to see Soundtrack of our Lives twice in Germany. If you are looking for music to set a tone for your summer, may I suggest getting Communion, SOOL's new double record. Super-cool and vibey.

2) Was bestowed the honor of sitting at the "big kids' table" with Billy Gibbons and Jeff Beck at the MOJO Awards in London: Whoa...! Was also given the pleasure of presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to the Manic Street Preachers that night. Pretty damn cool for sure.

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Inspiring and Painful"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (27)

Tour Bus Logic and Our Obesity Situation

Posted June 25 at 1:29 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Follow him on Twitter @Duff64.

I think with all of us, no matter how hard we try to remain politically correct and mind our social manners, it remains well-nigh impossible to police our private thoughts. I've been doing a lot of well-documented traveling lately, and with it comes plenty of time in the air.

Martin Feveyear (our band's tour manager) and I were having a philosophical discussion on the bus over our morning coffee. Apparently, there is more and more talk among airlines on whether to charge, um, "wide" people for an extra seat. The airlines are further talking about installing a limited amount of wide seats just for those people who fit the profile, pun intended. If you travel as much as Martin and I do, it's more than likely you have been squeezed into a tight place next to a person who has no business sitting in a seat meant for the thin-ish. It's just plain uncomfortable for both parties involved.

How would someone arbitrarily make the decision about who would or would not have to purchase this more expensive (for sure) seat? As this conversation broadens on our tour bus, there are differing opinions. Here's a sample of what I heard as the guys sauntered down to the bus kitchen: "It's not someone's fault if they are fat!" "There is always the excuse of a 'thyroid problem.' That's bullshit!" I know that everyone reading this piece will have their own strong opinion on this matter, but these two opinions probably shed light on the two furthest ends of the spectrum.

Continue reading "Tour Bus Logic and Our Obesity Situation"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (43)

We Are the Road Crew

Posted June 18 at 2:30 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Follow him on Twitter @Duff64.

Out on the road and touring as a rock band, artists wholeheartedly rely on their crews. The term "roadie" is thought of as an archaic and demeaning term, replaced now with guitar tech, drum tech, sound engineer, production manager, and wardrobe person.

As an artist, you make the record, book the tours, get the T-shirts made (merch), tour for an average of 14 months, then go home to rest and make another record. If you are a professional crew person, however, the road NEVER ends.

Since we have been out on this Mötley tour, I have been reunited with a few people who I have worked with over the last 22 years of touring:

Continue reading "We Are the Road Crew"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (22)

A Finnish Beginning to Summer

Posted June 11 at 1:34 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Follow him on Twitter @Duff64.

Late spring in Europe and the U.K. means only one thing for the music lover over here: FESTIVAL SEASON! Of course, these festivals are good for both the fans AND the bands that play in front of them, as festivals will usually put an act in front of more people than they could otherwise garner by simply doing a club tour. This season for Loaded has thus far been, well, . . . colorful, let's say.

Continue reading "A Finnish Beginning to Summer"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (23)

Duff McKagan: Midwest Rock and Saying Good-Bye

Posted June 4 at 1:40 am by Duff McKagan

Deanne Deesay

Duff McKagan, left, and Mike Squires during Loadeds's set, April 9, 2009, at The Crocodile. McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Follow him on Twitter @Duff64.

The ongoing saga of Loaded's tour continues for me and the fellas for now and the foreseeable future. This week we were included on the bills of some of the bigger rock festivals in the Midwest. They do summer rock festivals like they do college football: BIG. Slipknot and Korn have been the staple headliners for most of these gigs, and while both these acts are definitely a sight to watch, it is often a surprise opener you've never heard of who steals the day (at least for me).

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Midwest Rock and Saying Good-Bye"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (27)

McKagan Soars in the NYT

Posted June 2 at 3:57 pm by Mike Seely

The great Seattle rocker/Reverb columnist is the subject of the NYT's Frequent Flier column today, ripping on Miami's airport, praising London's, and expressing his preference for traveling alone, because, as he puts it, "What if some roadie forgot about an illegal substance in a coat pocket when you are going to someplace like ultra-drug-stringent Dubai?"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (1)

Duff McKagan: You Can't Fall From the Floor

Posted May 28 at 1:10 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Follow him on Twitter @Duff64.

I woke up on the bus last Friday morning after a great night of well-deserved sleep. The previous night in Wantaugh, Long Island marked the end of an eight-in-a-row run that took Loaded from Detroit and weaved us through to the Northeast. Often, it's the THINGS and PEOPLE I see on the road that make for much more interesting stories than the common backstage view.

As I stumbled out of the bus, I found myself in the parking lot of a quaint bayside hotel called the Freeport Inn and Boatel. Sound familiar? This is the one-and-the-same place where Joey Buttafuoco and his "Long Island Lolita" Amy Fisher had their much-publicized daytime trysts back in the early '90s. But it wasn't this experience alone that made that day interesting for me.

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: You Can't Fall From the Floor"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (27)

It's Been That Kind of a Week

Posted May 21 at 5:49 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

Last week for me kind of ran a whole sort of gamut of different activities, discussions, and even inner-self discussions I experienced. Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just kind of look back and go "Huh?" Let me explain.

On Monday night, my phone rang at home (nobody calls me at home anymore). My wife picked up and said it was for me. Apparently I had given the OK at some point to appear live on a hour-long financial AM radio show in Los Angeles (not a small market!). So there I was, live on the radio, with the host immediately peppering me with pretty pointed questions on my thoughts for economic recovery.

Let me back up a second and tell those of you who don't know that I have a weekly financial column at Playboy.com. It's nothing too heavy or groundbreaking—rather I try to educate and explain complicated financial jargon to readers in hopes that we can all get a sort of leg up as these markets begin their slow climb to health. A few years back, I DID go to the Albers School of Business at Seattle U., but a business guru it did not make of me.

Continue reading "It's Been That Kind of a Week"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (74)

Duff McKagan: Seriously, Who Cares?

Posted May 14 at 1:22 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

I've recently noticed some things in the media and TV that have me asking myself one simple question: who fucking cares?! Miss USA and Perez Hilton. The Apprentice, Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey, Brad and Angelina, Jen and John...ugh.

The girl from La Jolla who recently caused an uproar during the Miss USA Pageant. Apparently Perez Hilton, one of the judges, asked Miss California what she thought of gay marriage. First of all, it's such a predictable setup, with the outwardly gay guy asking the vocal Christian girl her thoughts on same-sex marriage. Of course she will toe the party line and say that she believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Of course Perez will feign shock and disbelief. Of course every major network will feature this story and unearth nude or scantily clad pictures of Miss La Jolla. Of course, of course, of course... the shit sells. The result? Perez becomes a bigger celebrity, and the Miss USA Pageant makes much-needed headlines. The new Miss USA will be a HUGE celebrity, no doubt selling tons of future copies of US and Star magazines. She will be in demand and garner big-money appearance fees (of which Donald Trump, as the head of the Miss USA Pageant, will get the lion's share). Everyone wins. Did anyone think this was a spontaneous occurrence? The only real losers are those fighting for same-sex marriage issues in our courts. This whole deal has cast a Christian-right light on this thing—those in political office may be afraid to do battle because of their constituency. A shame for sure.

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Seriously, Who Cares?"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (48)

Summer at the McKagan Tent

Posted May 7 at 1:20 am by Chris Kornelis

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

By Duff McKagan

Summer is fast approaching, and parents everywhere are faced with the perennial dilemma: What are we going to do with the kids? My wife and I are certainly no different when it comes to planning summertime family activity.

This past spring break sucked for my kids (and in turn, it sucked for Susan and I). First, our kids had two weeks off when all their friends had one. Secondly, our 11-year old daughter was hit with a week-long stomach flu and bronchitis. Lastly, it rained the whole fucking two weeks! What were we supposed to do? A guy can only take his daughters to the Hannah goddamn Montana movie so many times! My wife could only take them for a "mani/pedi" so many times!

Continue reading "Summer at the McKagan Tent"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (48)

Duff McKagan: Rocking the South, Dodging the City Council

Posted April 30 at 6:36 am by Duff McKagan

Deanne Deesay

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

As I revealed last week, I am back out on the road with Loaded. This is our first-ever foray into the U.S. rock marketplace. A band like Loaded is perhaps a risky endeavor, considering the more mainstream leanings of the American ear.

East and West Coast cities (Seattle, New York, Boston, L.A.) are places that harbor a music scene that allows for all types of bands to come through and find an audience. In the true spirit of Loaded, however, we did things the hard way and started our tour last week in the South. Huh?

Let me preface this subject by saying that I think the southern part of the U.S. is stunningly beautiful and its people extremely charming, affable, and friendly. The South, however, is a place a rock band might come after they have "broken" a bit worldwide, or at least nationwide. I'm not sure why, but the South is often the last place record companies try to market a band—perhaps because it is more spread out and rural, and hence it's tougher to spread the "word."

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Rocking the South, Dodging the City Council"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (35)

Duff McKagan: Rock Has Changed, My (Facebook) Friends

Posted April 23 at 6:53 am by Duff McKagan

Deanne Deesay

Watch a slideshow of McKagan's band, Loaded, at the Crocodile on April 9.Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

So here I go again; off on yet another of the by-now-countless rock tours required to support a new record (I think the count now stands at 10 records, hence 10 tour campaigns). Doing this for the past 20-odd years has afforded me a serious bird's-eye view of just how drastic this business of music has changed.

"Hey! I'm your Facebook friend!" is probably the most common greeting a band or artist hears out here on the road these days. For a band to even think about a mere modicum of success these days, they must know how to reach the listener or potential fan via the Internet. Back in the day, radio was the one-and-only vehicle a band or artist had to get any recognition outside their hometown. Today, pretty much all the rock radio stations are owned by one or two corporate conglomerates whose only interest is to sell advertising space. Advertisers don't want anything close to danger anywhere even remotely close to their product being pimped. This makes for really safe and REALLY boring radio. (We are lucky in Seattle, though. KISW has somehow kept a bit of individuality and honor, playing what they want on Joleen's show, etc.) You may wonder why it is that you hear the same 10 fucking songs on your local station. These 10 songs have been "tested" vigorously.

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Rock Has Changed, My (Facebook) Friends"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (60)

Duff McKagan: Why I'm an Eternal Optimist

Posted April 16 at 6:26 am by Duff McKagan

Deanne Deesay

Watch a slideshow of McKagan's band, Loaded, at the Crocodile on April 9.Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

Hey, Kids! Hear Daily Weekly columnist Krist Novoselic and Reverb's Duff McKagan fill in as hosts of the Ron & Don Show on KIRO 97.3 FM, Thursday, April 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.

I'm that guy who is constantly trying to see the "good" or "bright" side of most things. Reason and common sense do play into my rosy visions, and therefore inform me that not everyone or every situation may agree with the way that I look at it/them. I think that the moment that jadedness or ill will seeps into a person's thought process, it's then a dangerous and slippery slope toward what could be all-encompassing grey gloomy-Gusdom. To hell with that.

Obama has been sharply criticized by the conservatives of this country for not being "tougher" with the Europeans on his recent trip there for the G20 Economic Summit. Sure, pledges were made for some $1.1 trillion for a continental version of our TARP, but some say that Obama should have been sharper in tone and more bellicose in nature. I guess I'm not as cynical.

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Why I'm an Eternal Optimist"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (35)

Merle Haggard, Mark Lanegan, and Your Summer Reading List

Posted April 9 at 8:06 am by Duff McKagan

Merle Haggard. Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. His band, Loaded, plays the Crocodile at 8 p.m. tonight.

This city of Seattle never ceases to surprise and intrigue me. It is a cultural and artistic melting pot, and that is for sure. I try and see life through much more than just "a musician's" eyes, but often it is at musical events that I feel closest to my comfort zone. Maybe here I can let down my veil of adult, my facade of judgment. Perhaps my observations are less colored by outside factors whilst I am in a club or a theater.

Sometimes I will see 100 gigs a year and find very little to be inspired by. At other periods in my life, I will see three or four shows in a short amount of time that just seem to make me a better person. Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at the Paramount the other night gave much more to me than I could have hoped for.

Continue reading "Merle Haggard, Mark Lanegan, and Your Summer Reading List"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (44)

Duff McKagan: Croc and Loaded

Posted April 2 at 6:45 am by Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan's column runs every Thursday on Reverb. Loaded plays the Crocodile on Thursday, April 9. Doors are at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.

I think by now that anyone who reads this column is pretty damn sure I play in a band that doesn't carry the history of GN'R or the current popularity of Velvet Revolver. No, I am in one band that, while actually staying together LONGER that any of those previous bands, remains popular only in our own comical minds. Yes, I refer to this band of excellent gentlemen somewhat aptly dubbed LOADED.

On April 7 we're releasing Sick, our first record in some eight years. To start things off we wanted to keep it real and keep it local. The Crocodile has been so kind as to let us play on Thursday, April 9. Many thanks to Susan Silver, Sean Kinney, and Eli the booker. I for one cannot thank this crew enough. Playing the first gig of our world tour right here in town seems apropos—the Croc is a venue that I have many fond and fine memories of. (I think I played drums with the Fastbacks there one night before Guns did the Kingdome. My memory is indeed a tad foggy from those days in general, but that is a whole different story.)

Continue reading "Duff McKagan: Croc and Loaded"

Topics: Duff McKagan

Permalink | Comments (47)