November 18, 2025 • 48 mins
Roddy Bottum, Faith No More founding member and keyboardist, has penned his memoir. We get candid about "The Royal We," fear of coming out in the 80s, the infamous Guns N' Roses tour, and much more.
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https://www.instagram.com/roddybottum
https://linktr.ee/roddybottum
Our website:
www.afdpod.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I loved watching that man when we were on tour.
They were amazing, such a presentation, it was such an era.
Are you fair, I'm good, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm doing well. Just a little bit of a warning.
I have my two and a half year old runner
around here, so he may make an appearance.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Yeah, what's his name?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
His name is Harrison Rex, named after George name.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
That's cute, Harrison.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, we love that name. We thought first, split second
and we'll get into it later Axel, but I didn't
want to go all full gena are into his name.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Axel is a cute name, but I prefer Harrison is
really good. Will you call him Harry or you just
stick with Harrison.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We're gonna stick with Harrison. I mean, obviously, if he
gets older and he doesn't like it, we'll we'll talk.
But now, same thing with his hair. His hairs past
his shoulders. A lot of people think he's a girl,
but long hair. Don't care. Whanna just like me use
it before you lose it?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Right, that's cute? Yeah you might as well.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Right on. So welcome to the podcast, Roddy. My name
is Brando. Appetite for Distortion, Episode number five hundred and
forty one. How are you, sir? How are you doing today?
I know you're pretty busy.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm great, Branda. That's so many episodes five and eighty one.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, well that's a lot. Forty one but yeah, forty one.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Still, that's a lot of episodes. You must be getting
really good at what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, I'm trying. I mean, our friend here, our mutual friend,
Bill can tell you. I mean, I've been iHeart for
over ten years, been in radio for twenty, but somehow
this little side project of a G and R themed
podcast has just allowed me to interview people like you.
And I've had Alice Cooper on and Henry Rollins and
all these amazing people that I've always looked up to
(01:47):
to have to kind of have a conversation with all
through what I call six Degrees of gn R Bacon
in insane.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I didn't realize that's what your show is, but I'm
coming to terms with it right now. Fascinating. Well, know,
I have a real connection to have you read my book.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yes I haven't read the whole thing, but I have
read parts. I know you certainly have connections to the GNR,
and I'm prepared to talk about them, but we can
save it because I want to talk about just the beginning,
you know, how you started with the book, and because
it's not all about GNR. So when did you decide
to write The Royal we And congratulations for it being
(02:24):
published in how long of a project has it been?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Thanks? Brando? Do you go by Brando or Brandon?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I guess it's also a duality issue. I have. I
have Brandon Weisler up here for my producer name, but
I'm going to change it to Brando right now so
it's less computing.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You'll be brand Okay, that's cool, Thanks Brando. Yeah. I
started writing this book kind of during COVID times a
little bit, and it was during a time that the
Trump presidency was first starting and there were a lot
of voices out in the world that was sort of
shouting a lot of hateful things, and it just felt
like an important time for me, as a gay man
(03:01):
living the life that I have to sort of shout
my truth back and throw that into the mix. So
just sort of as presentation and as a sort of
like a big heralding of who I am and how
I speak and how I live my life. That felt
really important to me. So I just started to kind
of chronologize my life, my traumas, everything that I've lived
(03:24):
onto paper, and over the course of it, I'm going
to say, like I don't know, six months it became
a book that wasn't really the intention at first, but like,
I really liked my writing style. I liked the way
that I was saying things, and it felt like something
that was going to work in that regard, and I
read a lot and maybe halfway through my process, I decided,
(03:49):
you know what, I'm going to make this. I'm going
to turn this into a book. And it was a
definite decision. And look at me now.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'll look at you now while I mean thanks as
a fan of faith no more and someone who champions
what you stand for. You know, my sister in law
is gay and I have family friends. It's you know,
it's one thing for you know, a straight man to
speak up. You know, it's I have certain privileges, and
(04:18):
I don't know reading your book, you know, I'm forty two.
I think I forgot that Elton was like kind of
hiding it for a bit because he's obviously very out.
Now we're in a very different world now where you
see comments like oh, I don't need to know this,
I don't need to know this. Well, there's a reason
why you need to know, because if you look at
your story and the struggle that you had hiding it
(04:40):
so all these years later, is it still is it
difficult still to talk about? Or do you feel a
little bit more strength in who you are having gone
through everything? You have.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Definite strength. I like have a real sense of pride
and who I am and who I have been and
what I've done. I have no shame, which is sort
of like contrary the way that I was brought up.
I was encouraged to have shame as a kid by
people like the Elton John who didn't really talk about
their sexuality and didn't talk about like you don't know,
you know, the premise of you didn't need to know
this yet, like now in today's age, and who I
(05:13):
am and how I've lived and sort of the pride
with which I'm able to sort of like carry myself
with you do need to know that this is something
you need to know. If you don't know this as
a strong and powerful force and a person that can
be passionate and thoughtful and contribute to our sense of
a nation, our sense of a community. You've got to
get on board and you have to sort of like
open your mind up. And so to my premise is
(05:36):
all about that, Like if you don't know this, yeah
you do need to know this. It's important. You need
to know gay people. You need to know a queer
voice because it's an accepting and unique characteristic that kind
of makes a big part of what we are as
a country as a community important.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I agree, I absolutely agree, and just as a parallel,
not the same, but it's always like the silent battle
I champion. Obviously I mentioned gen our podcast, But my
secondary theme I like to say is mental health. I
talk about my battle depression. Yeah, I talk about my
battle depression. I lost my father to suicide about twelve
years ago. I wanted to end my life before that.
(06:19):
After that, obviously you have in a much better place
now with I never thought I would have a sign
and get married. I survived. I've come through it. Not
all my friends did. And it's scary. And I have
a neurological disability. So some people just see me walking
with a limp and they think I'm trying to act cool.
They don't realize I have like braces and so it's
it's anyone who has a silent battle. I really respect you,
(06:44):
you know, coming forth with that, But I want to
talk about just a little bit of the music as well,
because I'm sure it shaped the music. Who you were,
Who You are, so one of my favorite songs ever.
We care a lot. Can you take us back to
you writing the lyrics in what inspired that?
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Yeah, that's that's fun that you bring that up. Like,
thanks for sharing that about yourself first, Branda, that's really
intense and powerful, like mental health for sharing Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I mean that's something like you know, I mean, back
when I was a kid, that's something we didn't really
pay a lot of attention to. And I talk about
it in the book, like I had so many friends
and people in my life that were so eccentric and insane,
(07:27):
and I mean that in the best possible way, just
exciting people and looking back on it now, like a
lot of those people took their lives and a lot
of those people were dealing with mental illness. But as
a people back in those days, in the nineteen eighties,
we didn't speak about it as such that much. So
it's something that's like now, I think it's a lot
easier for us to talk about and that's definitely for
(07:49):
me progress. But how it came up in terms of
life music for me was interesting, Like we at the
time that We Care a Lot. We wrote We Care
a Lot. I think there was a collective sort of
like consciousness of like helping each other out in a
weird way, like I think at that stage in the game,
like Live Aid was happening, the first sort of Live Aid,
(08:11):
which was this huge concert that raised money for people
in need, and like Bob Geldoff, like he had sort
of like spearheaded a movement back then. He was a
singer of Boomtown Rats, and he spearheaded sort of a
movement in which like musicians came together and helped. And
(08:32):
we're kind of politicized in helping people in need. And
at the time that was sort of like really odd
and we didn't really necessarily feel a part of that,
but it was something that was in our collective consciousness,
like helping people and being heroic. And I bring that
up because in writing the words for We Care a Lot,
they were really cheeky and funny when we wrote them,
(08:55):
and we talk about the Transformers, We talk about Madonna,
We care a lot about Madonna, and we caught for
mister T. I said those words because I think mister
T was like arrested for some sort of like drug
charge back then or something like that. But anyway, it
was very topical, and at that time in our world,
like things had become topical in a way that they
(09:18):
hadn't before. This was before social media, and we would
just learn about things like on the news or in
the newspaper. And it was really a kind of long
winded sort of explanation, but anyway, it sort of came
down to, like superheroes and like helping people was this
new concept that was kind of funny and weird, and
the slogan we care a Lot sort of tapped into
(09:40):
that in a cheeky, funny kind of way. I don't
know how else to explain it, but it was this
sort of funny thing. At the same time, like run
DMC was just happening, and we hadn't really heard rap
so much in my world, and like Grandmaster Flash had
just happened, and like this sulsonic force was happening, and
there were these news sounds on the radio and in
(10:01):
our mix that we're kind of dance but also rock,
and what we did was sort of like create a
combination of like that kind of vibe, a rap sort
of like thing with guitars, and then this sort of
slogan of like helping people in a way like we
care a lot, which was sarcastic but at the same
(10:22):
time also not. That's a really long winded explanation. I
hope it makes sense to you. Brandow.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I loved hearing it now. No, I do appreciate that
that answer, long water or not, it's your answer. That's
the one I wanted, and it's a that that stands
the test of time whatever comes on my playlist. It
just it sounds fresh and just a lot of the
stuff that you've wrote, and I want to get into
more of your music, some things you addressed in in
your book, and I have some fan questions. I know
(10:49):
I only get you for a limited amount of time,
so I'll try to cram it as much as I can.
But I know, you know obviously you processing what you
appetite for distortion really was. And it's kindkind of talk
about on the theme of music and where we started,
because you do talk about your way with words. You've
referend it before. Guns and the Roses is how you
(11:10):
refer to them in your book? Any reason for like
the choices and when you you know, into the guns
and roses, why guns and the roses? And I don't
know if you both just funny, I mean made me
make me smile.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I was kidding, it's funny. I don't know really why.
I think, like all my life I've kind of like
used with my sisters and my family and my good friends,
We've always kind of like been into nicknames, and that
always sort of just for whatever reason, initiates a chuckle
amongst ourselves and we'll call things like different things. And
for some reason that was funny to me to call
(11:45):
guns and roses the guns and the roses. I don't
know why, but it just kind of made me smile. Also,
the whole premises of my book is I don't really
give a lot of last names. Like I talk about Courtney,
I talk about Kurt, I talk about you know who,
famous people who were in my lives, but I never
used last names. The premise being I don't want to brag,
(12:07):
like the notion of bragging to me, particularly in sort
of the concept or the medium of a bio sort
of story or a memoir. I'm really not into sort
of the bragging aspect. So to call The Guns and
the Roses the Guns and the Roses is a little
bit left of center, and it isn't so much on
(12:28):
the money, and it just made sense to me in
a prosy kind of way.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
I like it, And you're right with the because I said,
I ain't read the Higher Thing yet I have to
read it. Then my son stops me to read like
good Night Moon or like the ABC, so I can
only read so much of like adult stuff around him.
But yeah, the only person which you had no choice
to use your full name was Slash because he has
no last name, which I thought. It just made me laugh.
So if we could talk a little bit about that
(12:54):
infamous tour, is it was as bad as an experience
for faith no more as you've heard in the past.
You know, Mike Patton in his interviews has been very
anti Axel. You weren't really like that in your book.
But I want to preface it, and if anyone's gonna
ask this question, I feel like I'm a little nervous
asking you. But if anyone's gonna do it. I think
(13:16):
it's come from my show. I've interviewed people about one
in a Million before, because you do talk about that
in the book, and I've interviewed both Tracy and Roberta,
who you were on tour with they had the backup singers,
and and Ernie c from a body count. They all
gave very insightful answers about what Axel really is and
(13:37):
just the usage of the words. I thought Tracy's hit
home most for me that she understood who he is
and who he isn't, but perhaps it lacked the sensitivity
that it could still hurt people even though he wasn't
that person. So if you're if you're comfortable, you know,
what do you what do you think about that song?
Did it make you hesitant to even go on that tour?
Did you? Because yeah, Axel a unique character and I
(14:02):
don't know firsthand you do.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, thanks for that question, Brandon. It is it brings
up a lot of sort of like potentially, yeah, of
all little things. When we agreed to go on that tour,
it was like, how could you say no Guns N' Roses?
And Metallica asked us to open up for that circus
of the tour and that was the biggest tour that
had ever happened in the world, you know, and of course, yeah,
(14:27):
we're gonna do it. And we jumped in knowing what
we were doing at the time, like as a gay man,
like jumping into that sort of forum when that song
was out there and Axel did use the F word
and the N word in the same song, like that
was problematic for sure, straight up, and you know, I
mean there were pickets and stuff and people. For sure,
(14:50):
they got a lot of flak for that, and it
did strike me as just like a little bit insensitive
for a white man to sort of be throwing those
words around. That's not really his language to use. And
you could say, like I guess, like, oh, he would
just be a badass, he'd just be an exel, But yeah,
it's it's really it was really insensitive. And I don't
(15:11):
know if if they were the type of band to
me that sort of like had like a higher regard
or sort of humanity in that way. Like I don't
mean to be all aheady head, like I liked Guns
and Roses. They were fun to watch, and you know,
I love Metallica or like a big band in my world,
but it just felt like there was a lack of
sensitivity in their overall presentation. And you know, that's kind
(15:34):
of something that they were too. Like I mentioned badass,
they were kind of a badass rock and roll band,
you know, and they didn't really care too much about
what people thought of them, and uh, okay, pats off
to that. But I think in the process, yeah, it
was a different era and I think they probably offended
a lot of people, and coming from a white man perspective,
(15:55):
that's a little problematic, you know. And it was back
then and it is now, and that's just is what
it is. And you could be badass and not care
what people think about you, but you know, there's gonna
be repercussions. It's you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I always looked at it at the perspective and again,
I have to step aside from my fandom and listen
to the people who are around it. That it was
just like a it's talking as a character, like kind
of like a Quentin Tarantino like he does in his movies,
and some people are offended by the language he uses
in his movies. So that's shit. I always saw because
if it was just trying to be a badass. That
(16:29):
that's not I don't think that's cool either, just to
be a badass. But if you're telling a story, and
for you to tell that story, you have to use that,
I guess. But I see that it has hurt all
the people, and they left it off the box set.
I'm sure they, I'd like to think, I'm I can't
speak for them. Of course, times have changed, you know
that they're they're certainly not of a song they're going to
(16:50):
play live anytime soon. Sure, anything like that.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I mean, it's happened a lot of time. Like think
about Patty Smith. You know, I had rock and roll
N Word. You know, that was huge song for her
and that was a huge statement that she made. Yeah, yeah,
N word you know that. You know that song is
a song. I think she shied away from like doing
(17:14):
that now, But it was a different mindset and it's
a different that was even earlier than the guns and
roses sort of using those words. But I mean, we're
not foreign to sort of like people pushing buttons and
people you know, being provocative, and I definitely am of
that camp. Like I'm a very provocative person and part
of my book is all about pushing buttons and throwing
(17:36):
things out into the world that like are going to
offend people. So I get that vibe. But for me,
there's a line that I would never cross, and one
of those lines is a racial line. I would never
go in that sort of arena, whether I'm speaking from
a character or not. Like, I get it, like, and
I have problems with Quinton Tarantino.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, and I respect that, And I wouldn't tell you
any certainly anything different. So I appreciate you. You're insightful.
You're insightful answer. It just stinks, I think for G
and R fans because the music is so good, so
we can't really enjoy it. You know, we're not gonna
go around blasting on the stereo, well.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That particular song maybe, you know. I mean, you know,
I'm a big fan too. They'd sound amazing, Like I
loved watching that band when we were on tour. They
were amazing, you know, such a presentation, it was such
an era. It was really special.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Uh. Let me, I want to squeeze in like a
couple quick fan question or two before I know you
have another interview. Unrelated. This is from Connie pat from Greece,
A longtime listener. He wants to let you know there's
a small niche of people over there that celebrate Live
at Brickston Academy is the greatest live album of all time.
Do you remember anything from that day?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Absolutely? It was such a fun show. My parents came
to that show that was in Brixton, and that was
sort of a cusp for Faith No War when we
first started like playing these big performances. We played a
couple in a row at Brixton Academy and it might
have been like a bunch in a row, but I
remember they all sold out and it was a real
problem moment. Like my parents came. I remember we all
(19:14):
took the tube and went there on the train to
Brixton and got My parents were with me. It was
a really special.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Time, right.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I love that performance.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Thank you, Thank you for sharing that and one quick
one where I let you go. Obviously, Jim Martin was
famously absent from the reunion, and now I believe that.
I think it was one of your previous interviews that said,
Mike Patton is shows no interest. Is you think Beith
no more is is done and you're just moving on
to the next thing, or you're not even thinking of
that anymore.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
People keep asking that and then I like kind of
am candid about it, and I get a lot of
I don't get flack for it, but I get mess represented.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
So I'm just to say no answer if you want.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yeah, I mean, I don't even want to say no path.
I mean, I don't really feel we about it, but
I just like I keep answering that question and then
it turns into a headline like Roddy Bottom says Faith
No More calls it quits. I'm not saying that. I'm
just like, I'm really proud of what we did. I
will just leave it at that. We did such a
great we have such a great legacy that BND. We
really challenged the norm, and we really carried ourselves in
(20:19):
a really profound way that I'm so proud of. I
don't personally feel the need to like continue and you know,
propagate that anymore than we have. Like, I think we
did a great job and I can sit back and
be proud of that and not have to do it again.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I can agree with that Faith No More is one
of the top bands rock bands ever, I just so
much more. I want to talk to you about I mean,
the SNL performance, all these things. But I hope we
get to do this again because I know you're your
press for time.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
It would be fun. I really appreciate your sensitivity and
like what we've talked about. Thanks for tactical with me.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Thanks for talking with me too as an honor, And
as I said, I hope we get to do this again.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Actually say the book takes a lot. Give Harrison you
got it.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I was hoping he would say hi, but he's he's
putting the laundry away with my wife. Another one of
those interviews that I could have gone on for an
hour if not to, but sometimes it's good to limit
them and leaving you wanting more. And this was through
my job and what that's why he's doing a radio
tour and I get my slot and grateful for it.
(21:27):
And I'd like to think based on a conversation and
being sharing with each other, and that's why I do that.
Sometimes people who don't know about me though, because catch
they'll they'll see a certain guest and then want to
watch that or listen to the interview and like, why
is this dude, other dude talking so much? I don't
want to hear him. It's about the other person. Well, yeah,
(21:48):
I don't want to hear myself that much, either believe
it or not. But it's about connection and getting a
certain answer and hopefully getting respect because he's they do
hundreds and thousands of interviews, so you're hoping for that
connection to get the best conversation. And that's how it happens,
and that's at least how I think it happens. So
I want to do a little post interview conversation, but
(22:10):
before I do, if you're if you're not familiar with
the other interviews I reference talking about One in a
Million with erniec and Tracy and Roberta. Let me play
you some highlights right now, and so it's all right
here for you. So it's about six minutes, three different
interviews on them, just you know, about a two minute
and highlight of each. So uh, for your listening pleasure
(22:31):
or viewing pleasure, depending upon how you're consuming this, uh, Tracy,
Tracy Amos, Roberta Freeman of course, the backup singers background
singers for Use Your Illusion. They've been on my podcast,
both very very sweet sweet people. Roberta has been on
a few times and gave very thoughtful answers to me
(22:52):
asking about one in a million, and Ernie C who
has been on a couple of times as well. Awesome dude,
uh giving a very very straight up answer. Is Axel
racist because he used this word? Well, here are their
answers and we'll talk more on the other side. What
your thoughts were when Axel used that word in uh
(23:12):
in one in a million, because there are people who
still claim that Axel was a racist because of that song,
which it's more of a character in my view, and
what the way it is and kind of like there
goes the neighborhood describing the scene. So what were your
thoughts when when a.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Million came out?
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I have no thoughts on that whatsoever. That didn't bother me.
It didn't even raise an eyebrow, you know it. It's
the one the person that says it would intense and
raised the eyebrows exact So I know, you know, he's
not that dude. You know, he can say whatever he
wants to say. If he's not that dude. You know,
we do a lot of cop killer. We're killing cops.
We're not killing cops. You know, he can say what
(23:48):
he wants to, but he has you know, that's not
in his heart. You know, his body guard was a
black man for the longest, you know, so if you racist,
why would you have a black man protect your life?
You know, So that bothered me at all.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
I was like, yeah, okay, you know I had I
had already done. I was getting off with a tourist, Cinderella,
and I was like, yeah, let me go on the
world with them, you know. And from what I learned
to hang out with Slash and didn't get any racist
vibe or anything. I think it's it's really important to
(24:27):
talk about this because it's so controversial, and at the
time I didn't Maybe it was my ignorance or my
I was so young, and you know, I was just like, oh,
rock and roll, you know, I just I And because
I didn't know the song, you know, I wasn't really
introduced to the song. I had heard fans or non
(24:48):
fans say, aren't they racist? And I'm like no, but
and people would say how about that song and be
like what song?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
You know?
Speaker 4 (24:55):
So that's my bad, you know. It's like that is
my mistake, ignorance of not researching, you know, the band
before I started working for them. However, you know, at
the time, I think, you know, I probably had the
same reaction that you did. Where I thought he was
(25:16):
Axel was speaking from the point of view of racist America,
and that's how you know, Middle America or racist America,
whatever he thinks. And he was just thinking out loud,
you know, And especially because I never got a personally
a racist vibe from Axel. He was always super not
(25:41):
only like super sweet and kind to me, but he
was very respectful, like, you know, he wasn't like the
other guys, or the other guys would cuss in front
of us and be vulgar and you know, just be
rock and roll, you know, and Axel was really like
he would never cuss in front of me. He would
always address me properly. He was very very sweet to me.
(26:03):
And so that being said, you know, I was I
guess I couldn't let myself believe that those lyrics meant
that he thought I was in it.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
I almost said it.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
He thought I was what he said in the in
the lyrics progress.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I'm ignorant to it. I just grew up with thinking
like it's and I'm a Northerner, I'm a new Yorker.
I was like Duke's of hazard, and I'm like, I
don't know, it's a Southern thing. I had no idea
how bad it was. I look back a like there
are clips of like the Golden Girl episodes about this,
and I'm obviously using just pop culture. I had no
idea how offensive it was. I looked at like Axe
(26:42):
Rose or Tom Petty. No way were they doing it
to be offensive wearing Confederate flags. That's my view of it.
When he went on stage in a Confederate jacket, did
you they make you feel a certain way? Because I
asked her about one in a million, then something that
I have to learn. Maybe just using that word in
a poetic way it doesn't make it okay. So I
(27:02):
don't know if you have any I know it's a
big transition of questions as far as depth, but I
don't know. If you give it everything that you work on.
Something tells me that you're passionate about this stuff?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Are I wrong? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:17):
No, I'm very, very very passionate about it.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
But you know, I I would say that you know
him using the in word I the way I took
it when he said it, it was not being used
it was using in the context of how he was
saying it. He wasn't using it in a way that
(27:41):
was defaming black people, But at the same time, it
was lacking in the sensitivity of understanding the and appropriateness
of that line, you know. And I think that's the
whole thing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I think.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I look at it as like we're souls in human okay,
So really doesn't matter what color your human form is
except for the lessons you gain from that human form.
You know, what, family, what, even your religion, they're all
lessons for your soul. That's just my way of looking
at it. So when I see someone, you know that's
(28:19):
into the Confederate flag, does it bother me?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Does it offend me?
Speaker 5 (28:23):
I feel a little twinge, you know. If they're not
being prejudiced on top of it, I just let it
go as part of their Okay, they'll figure out that's
not cool, you know, it's part of their path. But
if they're using it in a manner that is directly hateful,
(28:44):
that's a different story than I usually will not be
in their presence. I would quit. I would speak to
them about it, I would speak against it.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
So I need to have the hard conversations here. I
said at the beginning of the podcast, why would I
want to do this if it's just talking about my
favorite song for an hour? Oh I love Guns or
Roses and that's all it is. I wouldn't be doing
this for nine years. Yes, I love this band and
(29:16):
the people who make it up, you know, past presence.
I've had some sort of musical connection or personal connection
to all of them in a way, starting when I
was younger. Like a lot of things, you grow up
with and feelings can change and you look at things
with a different perspective, and you know, here I am.
You know, I found Guns of Roses so early on.
(29:39):
I was only four when Appetite came out, so it
took a little bit later for me, and now here
I am doing a g n R podcast for nearly
ten years with my wife and son playing in the background.
Hopefully they're not being too distracting for you, but this
is what it is. At least they stayed out of
the interview with Roddy and I was able to get
it done. So I wanted to talk about when I
(30:01):
announced he was coming on, you know, like, why would
you have him on? Because Faith No More is notorious
for not be hating that tour. He's just gonna say
negative things, and that wasn't my first thought. My first
thought was like, Wow, I love Faith no more. I'm
never gonna chance, gonna get a chance to probably interview
anybody else from that band, certainly not Mike Patton. Let
(30:24):
me interview Roddy. And he has other messages to talk about,
not just with guns and roses, as you heard, you know,
smart guy, you know, talking about mental health. There's other
things to talk about. So I also I want to
be the interviewer because he has been asked about one
(30:45):
in a million before and again it's in his book.
So I think it's best to come from an interviewer
who has the perspective that I do, and that that's
not an ego thing. It's well, I just played it
for you. I've done interviews about it. I don't believe
Axel to be the negative person that the most of
(31:06):
the media has portrayed him to be over the years.
I'm not that person. I've spoken to enough people and
gotten enough positive stories that I think I have an
accurate assessment of who Axel is enough without knowing the guy.
You know, he's flawed just like the rest of us,
and the childhood that he came from is horrific and
(31:26):
the fact that he's still here is a miracle, you know,
talking about mental health. He could have easily left us,
like Kirk Colebain, I mean, and that's so scary to say.
And that's if Roddy comes on, I want to talk
to him more about the curt and Courtney and things
like that. And I only apologize to a listener, Nathan,
(31:47):
who wrote out so many good questions for Roddy, and
I'm so sorry it could not get to them. But
as you could see, you know, I want to make
sure that you know I have a balance of like
what are they here to promote? I knew I wanted
to talk about one in a million and just have
that connection. So it's even ten twenty minutes goes by fast.
(32:10):
It just goes by fast. So Nathan, if it comes
on again, I will prioritize your fan questions. I wanted
to get that out that I did not forget you
and all the other fan questions that were out there
for Roddy. I appreciate. I pay attention to everything you say.
And this relates to why would you have somebody on
this says something negative about guns and roses. So the
(32:30):
name that usually comes up, and it's really the only
person that has said like really negative things on the
podcast is Alan Niven, and I guess gott to preface
everything with Allen has always been so kind and generous
to me, and that's the only I would never I
can never speak ill of him. That's my experience. That's
why I couldn't tell Roddy. I can't tell him to
(32:53):
feel any difference because that's his experience. I'm not gonna
tell him like, no, Axles, not this person. If you
make he don't feel this way, that's the way you feel,
that's the way you feel. So Alan has just made
me feel good about, you know, what I do in
a career, the way I conduct my interviews. He's just
very kind to me. But that does not mean I
(33:14):
agree with everything that he says. The first time I
had him on, and I always give credit where credit
is due, even though I don't talk to the dude anymore.
But Mitchell Lafon you know, introduced me, you know, via internet,
introduced me, and for whatever reason, Alan gravitated. We had
a real we had a connection. I tried to do
(33:34):
that in an interview, not just hey, tell me all
of the dirt, tell me about this, yes, No, I
want a connection. So Alan and I developed some sort
of connection. We would have off aur conversations and things
like that. And it was that first interview where the
story went viral that Izzy may or may not have
shown up at a sound check. That's been said by
(33:57):
that was said by Alan. I've heard other or you know,
if you want to call inside sources or whatever, that
he may have had his facts wrong. But I mean,
so that's just what Alan said. And that's why G
and R hates clickbait. Even if he has part of
the story right, it may not be all of the story.
So that went viral, and why would I not be
you know, why do I get to cut that out? Like,
(34:17):
oh my god, that's amazing. And the second time he
came on, he even made a point that like, I
don't want to just always talk about guns or roses, Like,
let's talk about mental health. Let's talk about how And
I said, like, let's talk about how you felt after
you got fired in your career and your life afterwards,
and you know, mentally surviving and it was a really
(34:38):
strong conversation, and he was it might have been like
a long ass time since he came on again. You know,
we would send emails every so often, things like that,
especially since because during for a while I was still
connected with Doug in writing that book, and but whatever reason,
Doug connected with me as well. I don't go out
of my way. I don't try to befriended any When
(34:59):
I make a connection, it's not to make a friend,
it's to have a positive experience, because that'd be weird
if I try to befriend every person I interview. It's
this isn't dating. I'm not trying to date who I'm
talking to. It's sometimes you made a stranger on a
on a train, or it could be a stranger with
(35:21):
the mic, and this is something that clicks. So Doug
an eye for a while, we clicked Alan and I,
you know, clicked in a certain way. So when I
was approaching episode five hundred, I wanted to have like
a big guest and not really expecting that I could
get anybody. I can't get Dough, I can't get Slash.
(35:43):
It's like I can't I'm not going to get somebody
like that. You know, I always keep hoping, but it's
like I, I guess I'm un lock. I really did
not think Alan would agree, because he said, I don't
I've done doing podcasts for a while. He did, he
didn't really want to talk anymore. I know he had
done podcasts for a long time, especially with Mitch, but
he he was tired of it, and I think that's
(36:06):
partially why he wrote his book to get it over with, which,
if you haven't noticed, is postponed again until next year.
You may have read Allan is currently suing guns or Roses, namely,
I guess Axel for the delay in the book. I
didn't think he was that bad. He didn't say anything
(36:27):
that he hasn't said before in a podcast. But then again,
I'm not GNR, I'm not Axel, so I don't know.
If an NDA was signed. I'd like to think all
those things were they were aware of the publisher. Allan
would know what he could say what he can't say.
So it is very interesting. I believe you could still
find the book digitally, like it's on Kindle and stuff
(36:50):
like that, but the hard hard copy is delayed. I
didn't I didn't get a hard copy. I was sent
a PDF, and that's when I was able to read it,
and I made a point to read it because again,
when I reached out to Alan for episode five hundred,
it was just to kind of like, let's have a
somebody who had been a fan favorite of guests, and
let's just have a fun conversation. I really or I
(37:11):
was not now I remember, I wanted to talk about
the Doug book. I thought it would be a fun
conversation to talk about my journey, especially since I know
he wasn't a fan of Doug. He's not a fan
of Doug. He really kind of like hates Doug. I
hate using that word. And if you remember the conversation,
I wasn't gonna file on, but I wanted to have
kind of like a therapy session with Alan about my
(37:32):
book and get some stories cleared up. On his end,
it would just be about like him and Doug, and
then it blew up into something else. I had no
idea who was coming out with the book, no idea
when he I approached him, so he was happy to
do it, of course, and then he was starting to
do like a ton of other interviews as well, which
I thought I was getting like an exclusive two hours
(37:54):
with Alan Navin turned into something else, you know, a
book promotion tour, which is fine whatever. It's not like
I wouldn't want to talk to him again, but he
was in that conversation. I believe he mentioned now Axel
gets fifty percent of guns or Roses income now, And
you can call it. I'm you could say it all.
(38:14):
I say it about myself. I can. I'm naive. Sometimes
as prepared as I think I am for a conversation,
I'm not fully prepared. You know. I wish there's always
part of me that wishes I had a producer, like
why I producer everything, but somebody else who can like
hear something and like kind of send me like a question,
like a follow up question if it goes over my head,
or if this ever turned into live interviews, to hear
(38:37):
back from you. I didn't think to push back that
during that interview about the fifty percent, and that went
viral everywhere, and I'm sure guns are Roses and the
management did not like that, and some fans didn't like that.
He's always talking shit about Axel. But I think people
need to recall when I had him on again after that,
which we spoke about just to talk about his book book,
(39:00):
and there's a lot of things in his book other
than guns or Roses. I did follow up on that question.
It's just funny. Vice recently picked up just the fifty
percent quote, but did not follow up my my follow
up question, which was for the in the next interview,
which I can understand why it's missed, where Alan says
I have no firsthand knowledge of how this breaks down,
(39:24):
you know, kind of just yeah, if Axel gets fifty
percent and it's we don't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
I understand that Axel Rose, when you think of Guns
and Roses, shouldn't be fifty percent of the band and
all the songwriting credits, whether it's slashed off Izzy of course,
all these other people. But it's a business, this band,
whether you like it or not. There's also a brand
that employs hundreds, if not thousands. I don't think they
employ thousands of people. Maybe they do, I don't know.
(39:50):
I don't know the crew and all the tentacles that
might go out to other things about you know, creating
merch and graphics, and you know, I don't know who's
under the Guns of Roses umbrella as far as how
many people they employ. But that's it is a brand now.
It's not just five dudes anymore, and it hasn't been
(40:13):
for a very long time. So that's why I get it.
I didn't push back hard enough. And I don't usually
push back that hard too on a guest because they're
not there for me to sequester them. Like with Roddy,
I'm not gonna push back too hard. I'm like, Okay,
here's my thoughts on one in a million, tell me yours.
(40:33):
With Allen, I pushed back a little bit, but then
you saw he'd get angry. Why would I want to
make him angry. We're friendly. It's just, you know, it's
I just don't want to be that interviewer. I don't
want to be. I know that sometimes that can make
for good radio, good for good podcasting, but in this
world there's too many gotcha moments and too many overreactions
and people world has enough stress. I really want to
(40:57):
make this like a stress free, fun, environmental listen to
where we do talk about serious things. It's not gonna
be again always fluff, but I want to talk about
I mean, guns are roses, they have serious things in
their past and they're present. That's why they're my favorite
band that they're not, just as much as I love
some of those hair metal bands that are just all
(41:18):
about sex, drugs and rock and roll. The reason why
I gravitated towards Guns of Roses and why I did
this podcast is they are just a deeper, more flawed,
more human band than most, and let's talk about those
things when they happen. Let's try to do it with
the right perspective. You know, I'm not gonna be that
(41:39):
host that's gonna go all in. I'm not gonna go
all in on Axl. I had what I thought was
the right perspective on his quote unquote tantrum. He got
pissed off. He wanted to throw something at something that
wasn't working, Like I don't do that daily, Like when
Harrison's Toys goes off and starts singing something and it
doesn't stop, Like I don't. I can't show him that
(42:01):
I throw things. That's not a good thing to teach
a child. I understand that, but I get it. I
get Axel's frustration and anger at times, and that's why
I gravitated towards him. When I was a kid, Like oh,
here's somebody who's angry like me. But look at what
he creates with it. Look at that. So even if
that creation is one in a million, Look, there are
(42:21):
Quentin Tarantino movies. I like, Roddy doesn't like them. I'm
not gonna tell them not to like them. But yeah,
sometimes it's awkward in pulp fiction where he's dropping the
N bombs. It's a little but you take it in
the context of what you're doing. If he's really a
racist and that's an excuse just to say these words,
(42:42):
I think that will come out, because sometimes that happens.
People just like, oh, it's just an act, and but
there really are that person. I've never heard anything about
Axel Rose that is remotely racist or sexist, remotely. The
only negative stuff, again I really hears are from Alan,
(43:04):
and I'm not gonna take that away from him. I'm
sure there's an element of truth to all of it
that even the people that say, yeah, he was like this,
but you know he had a reason, or like he's
you know this again, I don't you hear the interviews,
the hundreds of interviews that I've done talking about Axel
I don't leave much, if any on the cutting room floor.
(43:25):
I'm not holding back some secret that Axel, you know,
Like I think Josh Freeze did this once in an
interview and credit to him, he wanted to fuck with
the interviewers and immediately because they're like, oh, so, how
is Axel Rose? What is he really really? Like, you know,
one of those interviewers are just trying to get dirt
and Josh wade up some story about like oh yeah
(43:46):
I saw him kill his dog and the interviewers like
what He's like, Nah, man, He's like he's awesome, Like
I'm just messing with you. And that's something that Alan
used to do and leak those fake stories out there.
So there's all this perception about Axel that he is.
He isn't what people think he is. But when they
see that one in a million or they see that tantrum,
(44:08):
there's that excuse to be like, oh, yeah, he is
that guy. He is that guy. Some things are artists objective.
You're allowed to be offended by it. I'm not going
to tell you what it's not. I'm not offended by
one in a million, but then again, it's not directed
towards me, So I come with that understanding. So I
come with the understanding that if it doesn't come toward
(44:30):
you when you've got to feel a certain way about it, Okay, okay,
it's a great song musically. I hope at the end
we can all agree with that. So anyway, I wanted
to have a little wrap up here to kind of
just talk about the Roddy interview and why I would
ask a difficult question if it's not going to be
(44:50):
a positive response, and talk a little bit more about
Alan in the same vein. So not that Allen has
asked but to come back on, but I think now
if I had him back on, then I'd be asking
for it, and then you know, fuck me that. You
just know, especially with the lawsuit, it's just going to
(45:11):
be pure venom. And I don't think that would be
good for anybody. I wouldn't want to have that conversation.
I wouldn't want to listen to it. I don't think
Allen wants to even have it. He's probably angry enough.
He's like, this is I didn't want to This is
me speaking. I'm just what I know about him. I
feel like this is what he's thinking. I haven't spoken
(45:33):
to him, probably since the last time I interviewed him,
maybe an email or two, but he's probably like, I
didn't want to write this book. I finally put it out.
I didn't even like writing it, and now I got
to deal with the lawsuit. What the So he's I'm
sure he's done with it. Like so that's just my guess.
But he's not going to be on the podcast anytime
(45:54):
soon because then again that's just that's his asking for it,
and I don't want to have that conversation, you know,
when I know going in that it's just going to be,
you know, throwing darts. I don't want that. So anyway,
that does it for this episode of Appetites for Distortion.
What will you see next? Well, if all goes scheduled
(46:15):
the next episode, Matt Sorum should be coming back on
the podcast. Yes, Matt Sorm And just like with a
lot of people, I'm not going after any sort of dirt.
We're going to talk about some cool things. Is work
with Arrowsmith and Young Blood and Charity. Maybe we'll get
some gn R and b R in there. I don't know.
I haven't recorded it yet, so I guess I'll find
(46:38):
out when you do. I guess when you're listening to
this also on the way one of Izzy's ex girlfriends.
Isn't that incredible? I got to credit some listeners for
this because and I credit all of you who have
sent me guests over the years. I mean, there is
no way this podcast would have could exist without you.
(47:00):
So Juliette Juliette Yima, I'm a normal to pronounce that
better once we start talking a little bit. But she's
ex girlfriend of Izzy during like the glory years. I
shared some pictures of her and Izzy at the Rolling
Stone Show on social media for you to see. Seemed
really sweet. She's still friends with Meghan and Slash. She's
(47:20):
like a world renowned makeup artist. So I'm just really
looking forward to having that conversation as well. So more
to come on Appetite for Distortion. It's not ending. This
is fun, Like this is just like I get to
do this for fun. I just have to squeeze it
in in between my wife's home plane with my son
(47:42):
and his He just calls it the room. It's it's
his bedroom where there is toys, there's a bed in there.
He doesn't sleep in it. We all co sleep. So
every night he's twisting and turning and kicking me in
the face. But I love it. I know it's not
going to be there forever. Harris, Then do you want
to say bye? Come here? I just want you to
(48:06):
end the episode with me. So can you say soon?
Soon is the word? So when we see the next
episode in the words of actual words concerning Chinese democracy,
I don't know if soon is the word, but you'll
(48:28):
see it. Yeah, thanks to the lame massed security, I'm
going home.
I loved watching that man when we were on tour.
They were amazing, such a presentation, it was such an era.
Are you fair, I'm good, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm doing well. Just a little bit of a warning.
I have my two and a half year old runner
around here, so he may make an appearance.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Yeah, what's his name?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
His name is Harrison Rex, named after George name.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
That's cute, Harrison.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, we love that name. We thought first, split second
and we'll get into it later Axel, but I didn't
want to go all full gena are into his name.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Axel is a cute name, but I prefer Harrison is
really good. Will you call him Harry or you just
stick with Harrison.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We're gonna stick with Harrison. I mean, obviously, if he
gets older and he doesn't like it, we'll we'll talk.
But now, same thing with his hair. His hairs past
his shoulders. A lot of people think he's a girl,
but long hair. Don't care. Whanna just like me use
it before you lose it?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Right, that's cute? Yeah you might as well.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Right on. So welcome to the podcast, Roddy. My name
is Brando. Appetite for Distortion, Episode number five hundred and
forty one. How are you, sir? How are you doing today?
I know you're pretty busy.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm great, Branda. That's so many episodes five and eighty one.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, well that's a lot. Forty one but yeah, forty one.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Still, that's a lot of episodes. You must be getting
really good at what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, I'm trying. I mean, our friend here, our mutual friend,
Bill can tell you. I mean, I've been iHeart for
over ten years, been in radio for twenty, but somehow
this little side project of a G and R themed
podcast has just allowed me to interview people like you.
And I've had Alice Cooper on and Henry Rollins and
all these amazing people that I've always looked up to
(01:47):
to have to kind of have a conversation with all
through what I call six Degrees of gn R Bacon
in insane.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I didn't realize that's what your show is, but I'm
coming to terms with it right now. Fascinating. Well, know,
I have a real connection to have you read my book.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yes I haven't read the whole thing, but I have
read parts. I know you certainly have connections to the GNR,
and I'm prepared to talk about them, but we can
save it because I want to talk about just the beginning,
you know, how you started with the book, and because
it's not all about GNR. So when did you decide
to write The Royal we And congratulations for it being
(02:24):
published in how long of a project has it been?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Thanks? Brando? Do you go by Brando or Brandon?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I guess it's also a duality issue. I have. I
have Brandon Weisler up here for my producer name, but
I'm going to change it to Brando right now so
it's less computing.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You'll be brand Okay, that's cool, Thanks Brando. Yeah. I
started writing this book kind of during COVID times a
little bit, and it was during a time that the
Trump presidency was first starting and there were a lot
of voices out in the world that was sort of
shouting a lot of hateful things, and it just felt
like an important time for me, as a gay man
(03:01):
living the life that I have to sort of shout
my truth back and throw that into the mix. So
just sort of as presentation and as a sort of
like a big heralding of who I am and how
I speak and how I live my life. That felt
really important to me. So I just started to kind
of chronologize my life, my traumas, everything that I've lived
(03:24):
onto paper, and over the course of it, I'm going
to say, like I don't know, six months it became
a book that wasn't really the intention at first, but like,
I really liked my writing style. I liked the way
that I was saying things, and it felt like something
that was going to work in that regard, and I
read a lot and maybe halfway through my process, I decided,
(03:49):
you know what, I'm going to make this. I'm going
to turn this into a book. And it was a
definite decision. And look at me now.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'll look at you now while I mean thanks as
a fan of faith no more and someone who champions
what you stand for. You know, my sister in law
is gay and I have family friends. It's you know,
it's one thing for you know, a straight man to
speak up. You know, it's I have certain privileges, and
(04:18):
I don't know reading your book, you know, I'm forty two.
I think I forgot that Elton was like kind of
hiding it for a bit because he's obviously very out.
Now we're in a very different world now where you
see comments like oh, I don't need to know this,
I don't need to know this. Well, there's a reason
why you need to know, because if you look at
your story and the struggle that you had hiding it
(04:40):
so all these years later, is it still is it
difficult still to talk about? Or do you feel a
little bit more strength in who you are having gone
through everything? You have.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Definite strength. I like have a real sense of pride
and who I am and who I have been and
what I've done. I have no shame, which is sort
of like contrary the way that I was brought up.
I was encouraged to have shame as a kid by
people like the Elton John who didn't really talk about
their sexuality and didn't talk about like you don't know,
you know, the premise of you didn't need to know
this yet, like now in today's age, and who I
(05:13):
am and how I've lived and sort of the pride
with which I'm able to sort of like carry myself
with you do need to know that this is something
you need to know. If you don't know this as
a strong and powerful force and a person that can
be passionate and thoughtful and contribute to our sense of
a nation, our sense of a community. You've got to
get on board and you have to sort of like
open your mind up. And so to my premise is
(05:36):
all about that, Like if you don't know this, yeah
you do need to know this. It's important. You need
to know gay people. You need to know a queer
voice because it's an accepting and unique characteristic that kind
of makes a big part of what we are as
a country as a community important.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I agree, I absolutely agree, and just as a parallel,
not the same, but it's always like the silent battle
I champion. Obviously I mentioned gen our podcast, But my
secondary theme I like to say is mental health. I
talk about my battle depression. Yeah, I talk about my
battle depression. I lost my father to suicide about twelve
years ago. I wanted to end my life before that.
(06:19):
After that, obviously you have in a much better place
now with I never thought I would have a sign
and get married. I survived. I've come through it. Not
all my friends did. And it's scary. And I have
a neurological disability. So some people just see me walking
with a limp and they think I'm trying to act cool.
They don't realize I have like braces and so it's
it's anyone who has a silent battle. I really respect you,
(06:44):
you know, coming forth with that, But I want to
talk about just a little bit of the music as well,
because I'm sure it shaped the music. Who you were,
Who You are, so one of my favorite songs ever.
We care a lot. Can you take us back to
you writing the lyrics in what inspired that?
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Yeah, that's that's fun that you bring that up. Like,
thanks for sharing that about yourself first, Branda, that's really
intense and powerful, like mental health for sharing Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I mean that's something like you know, I mean, back
when I was a kid, that's something we didn't really
pay a lot of attention to. And I talk about
it in the book, like I had so many friends
and people in my life that were so eccentric and insane,
(07:27):
and I mean that in the best possible way, just
exciting people and looking back on it now, like a
lot of those people took their lives and a lot
of those people were dealing with mental illness. But as
a people back in those days, in the nineteen eighties,
we didn't speak about it as such that much. So
it's something that's like now, I think it's a lot
easier for us to talk about and that's definitely for
(07:49):
me progress. But how it came up in terms of
life music for me was interesting, Like we at the
time that We Care a Lot. We wrote We Care
a Lot. I think there was a collective sort of
like consciousness of like helping each other out in a
weird way, like I think at that stage in the game,
like Live Aid was happening, the first sort of Live Aid,
(08:11):
which was this huge concert that raised money for people
in need, and like Bob Geldoff, like he had sort
of like spearheaded a movement back then. He was a
singer of Boomtown Rats, and he spearheaded sort of a
movement in which like musicians came together and helped. And
(08:32):
we're kind of politicized in helping people in need. And
at the time that was sort of like really odd
and we didn't really necessarily feel a part of that,
but it was something that was in our collective consciousness,
like helping people and being heroic. And I bring that
up because in writing the words for We Care a Lot,
they were really cheeky and funny when we wrote them,
(08:55):
and we talk about the Transformers, We talk about Madonna,
We care a lot about Madonna, and we caught for
mister T. I said those words because I think mister
T was like arrested for some sort of like drug
charge back then or something like that. But anyway, it
was very topical, and at that time in our world,
like things had become topical in a way that they
(09:18):
hadn't before. This was before social media, and we would
just learn about things like on the news or in
the newspaper. And it was really a kind of long
winded sort of explanation, but anyway, it sort of came
down to, like superheroes and like helping people was this
new concept that was kind of funny and weird, and
the slogan we care a Lot sort of tapped into
(09:40):
that in a cheeky, funny kind of way. I don't
know how else to explain it, but it was this
sort of funny thing. At the same time, like run
DMC was just happening, and we hadn't really heard rap
so much in my world, and like Grandmaster Flash had
just happened, and like this sulsonic force was happening, and
there were these news sounds on the radio and in
(10:01):
our mix that we're kind of dance but also rock,
and what we did was sort of like create a
combination of like that kind of vibe, a rap sort
of like thing with guitars, and then this sort of
slogan of like helping people in a way like we
care a lot, which was sarcastic but at the same
(10:22):
time also not. That's a really long winded explanation. I
hope it makes sense to you. Brandow.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I loved hearing it now. No, I do appreciate that
that answer, long water or not, it's your answer. That's
the one I wanted, and it's a that that stands
the test of time whatever comes on my playlist. It
just it sounds fresh and just a lot of the
stuff that you've wrote, and I want to get into
more of your music, some things you addressed in in
your book, and I have some fan questions. I know
(10:49):
I only get you for a limited amount of time,
so I'll try to cram it as much as I can.
But I know, you know obviously you processing what you
appetite for distortion really was. And it's kindkind of talk
about on the theme of music and where we started,
because you do talk about your way with words. You've
referend it before. Guns and the Roses is how you
(11:10):
refer to them in your book? Any reason for like
the choices and when you you know, into the guns
and roses, why guns and the roses? And I don't
know if you both just funny, I mean made me
make me smile.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I was kidding, it's funny. I don't know really why.
I think, like all my life I've kind of like
used with my sisters and my family and my good friends,
We've always kind of like been into nicknames, and that
always sort of just for whatever reason, initiates a chuckle
amongst ourselves and we'll call things like different things. And
for some reason that was funny to me to call
(11:45):
guns and roses the guns and the roses. I don't
know why, but it just kind of made me smile. Also,
the whole premises of my book is I don't really
give a lot of last names. Like I talk about Courtney,
I talk about Kurt, I talk about you know who,
famous people who were in my lives, but I never
used last names. The premise being I don't want to brag,
(12:07):
like the notion of bragging to me, particularly in sort
of the concept or the medium of a bio sort
of story or a memoir. I'm really not into sort
of the bragging aspect. So to call The Guns and
the Roses the Guns and the Roses is a little
bit left of center, and it isn't so much on
(12:28):
the money, and it just made sense to me in
a prosy kind of way.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
I like it, And you're right with the because I said,
I ain't read the Higher Thing yet I have to
read it. Then my son stops me to read like
good Night Moon or like the ABC, so I can
only read so much of like adult stuff around him.
But yeah, the only person which you had no choice
to use your full name was Slash because he has
no last name, which I thought. It just made me laugh.
So if we could talk a little bit about that
(12:54):
infamous tour, is it was as bad as an experience
for faith no more as you've heard in the past.
You know, Mike Patton in his interviews has been very
anti Axel. You weren't really like that in your book.
But I want to preface it, and if anyone's gonna
ask this question, I feel like I'm a little nervous
asking you. But if anyone's gonna do it. I think
(13:16):
it's come from my show. I've interviewed people about one
in a Million before, because you do talk about that
in the book, and I've interviewed both Tracy and Roberta,
who you were on tour with they had the backup singers,
and and Ernie c from a body count. They all
gave very insightful answers about what Axel really is and
(13:37):
just the usage of the words. I thought Tracy's hit
home most for me that she understood who he is
and who he isn't, but perhaps it lacked the sensitivity
that it could still hurt people even though he wasn't
that person. So if you're if you're comfortable, you know,
what do you what do you think about that song?
Did it make you hesitant to even go on that tour?
Did you? Because yeah, Axel a unique character and I
(14:02):
don't know firsthand you do.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, thanks for that question, Brandon. It is it brings
up a lot of sort of like potentially, yeah, of
all little things. When we agreed to go on that tour,
it was like, how could you say no Guns N' Roses?
And Metallica asked us to open up for that circus
of the tour and that was the biggest tour that
had ever happened in the world, you know, and of course, yeah,
(14:27):
we're gonna do it. And we jumped in knowing what
we were doing at the time, like as a gay man,
like jumping into that sort of forum when that song
was out there and Axel did use the F word
and the N word in the same song, like that
was problematic for sure, straight up, and you know, I
mean there were pickets and stuff and people. For sure,
(14:50):
they got a lot of flak for that, and it
did strike me as just like a little bit insensitive
for a white man to sort of be throwing those
words around. That's not really his language to use. And
you could say, like I guess, like, oh, he would
just be a badass, he'd just be an exel, But yeah,
it's it's really it was really insensitive. And I don't
(15:11):
know if if they were the type of band to
me that sort of like had like a higher regard
or sort of humanity in that way. Like I don't
mean to be all aheady head, like I liked Guns
and Roses. They were fun to watch, and you know,
I love Metallica or like a big band in my world,
but it just felt like there was a lack of
sensitivity in their overall presentation. And you know, that's kind
(15:34):
of something that they were too. Like I mentioned badass,
they were kind of a badass rock and roll band,
you know, and they didn't really care too much about
what people thought of them, and uh, okay, pats off
to that. But I think in the process, yeah, it
was a different era and I think they probably offended
a lot of people, and coming from a white man perspective,
(15:55):
that's a little problematic, you know. And it was back
then and it is now, and that's just is what
it is. And you could be badass and not care
what people think about you, but you know, there's gonna
be repercussions. It's you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I always looked at it at the perspective and again,
I have to step aside from my fandom and listen
to the people who are around it. That it was
just like a it's talking as a character, like kind
of like a Quentin Tarantino like he does in his movies,
and some people are offended by the language he uses
in his movies. So that's shit. I always saw because
if it was just trying to be a badass. That
(16:29):
that's not I don't think that's cool either, just to
be a badass. But if you're telling a story, and
for you to tell that story, you have to use that,
I guess. But I see that it has hurt all
the people, and they left it off the box set.
I'm sure they, I'd like to think, I'm I can't
speak for them. Of course, times have changed, you know
that they're they're certainly not of a song they're going to
(16:50):
play live anytime soon. Sure, anything like that.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I mean, it's happened a lot of time. Like think
about Patty Smith. You know, I had rock and roll
N Word. You know, that was huge song for her
and that was a huge statement that she made. Yeah, yeah,
N word you know that. You know that song is
a song. I think she shied away from like doing
(17:14):
that now, But it was a different mindset and it's
a different that was even earlier than the guns and
roses sort of using those words. But I mean, we're
not foreign to sort of like people pushing buttons and
people you know, being provocative, and I definitely am of
that camp. Like I'm a very provocative person and part
of my book is all about pushing buttons and throwing
(17:36):
things out into the world that like are going to
offend people. So I get that vibe. But for me,
there's a line that I would never cross, and one
of those lines is a racial line. I would never
go in that sort of arena, whether I'm speaking from
a character or not. Like, I get it, like, and
I have problems with Quinton Tarantino.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, and I respect that, And I wouldn't tell you
any certainly anything different. So I appreciate you. You're insightful.
You're insightful answer. It just stinks, I think for G
and R fans because the music is so good, so
we can't really enjoy it. You know, we're not gonna
go around blasting on the stereo, well.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That particular song maybe, you know. I mean, you know,
I'm a big fan too. They'd sound amazing, Like I
loved watching that band when we were on tour. They
were amazing, you know, such a presentation, it was such
an era. It was really special.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Uh. Let me, I want to squeeze in like a
couple quick fan question or two before I know you
have another interview. Unrelated. This is from Connie pat from Greece,
A longtime listener. He wants to let you know there's
a small niche of people over there that celebrate Live
at Brickston Academy is the greatest live album of all time.
Do you remember anything from that day?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Absolutely? It was such a fun show. My parents came
to that show that was in Brixton, and that was
sort of a cusp for Faith No War when we
first started like playing these big performances. We played a
couple in a row at Brixton Academy and it might
have been like a bunch in a row, but I
remember they all sold out and it was a real
problem moment. Like my parents came. I remember we all
(19:14):
took the tube and went there on the train to
Brixton and got My parents were with me. It was
a really special.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Time, right.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I love that performance.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Thank you, Thank you for sharing that and one quick
one where I let you go. Obviously, Jim Martin was
famously absent from the reunion, and now I believe that.
I think it was one of your previous interviews that said,
Mike Patton is shows no interest. Is you think Beith
no more is is done and you're just moving on
to the next thing, or you're not even thinking of
that anymore.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
People keep asking that and then I like kind of
am candid about it, and I get a lot of
I don't get flack for it, but I get mess represented.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
So I'm just to say no answer if you want.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yeah, I mean, I don't even want to say no path.
I mean, I don't really feel we about it, but
I just like I keep answering that question and then
it turns into a headline like Roddy Bottom says Faith
No More calls it quits. I'm not saying that. I'm
just like, I'm really proud of what we did. I
will just leave it at that. We did such a
great we have such a great legacy that BND. We
really challenged the norm, and we really carried ourselves in
(20:19):
a really profound way that I'm so proud of. I
don't personally feel the need to like continue and you know,
propagate that anymore than we have. Like, I think we
did a great job and I can sit back and
be proud of that and not have to do it again.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I can agree with that Faith No More is one
of the top bands rock bands ever, I just so
much more. I want to talk to you about I mean,
the SNL performance, all these things. But I hope we
get to do this again because I know you're your
press for time.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
It would be fun. I really appreciate your sensitivity and
like what we've talked about. Thanks for tactical with me.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Thanks for talking with me too as an honor, And
as I said, I hope we get to do this again.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Actually say the book takes a lot. Give Harrison you
got it.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I was hoping he would say hi, but he's he's
putting the laundry away with my wife. Another one of
those interviews that I could have gone on for an
hour if not to, but sometimes it's good to limit
them and leaving you wanting more. And this was through
my job and what that's why he's doing a radio
tour and I get my slot and grateful for it.
(21:27):
And I'd like to think based on a conversation and
being sharing with each other, and that's why I do that.
Sometimes people who don't know about me though, because catch
they'll they'll see a certain guest and then want to
watch that or listen to the interview and like, why
is this dude, other dude talking so much? I don't
want to hear him. It's about the other person. Well, yeah,
(21:48):
I don't want to hear myself that much, either believe
it or not. But it's about connection and getting a
certain answer and hopefully getting respect because he's they do
hundreds and thousands of interviews, so you're hoping for that
connection to get the best conversation. And that's how it happens,
and that's at least how I think it happens. So
I want to do a little post interview conversation, but
(22:10):
before I do, if you're if you're not familiar with
the other interviews I reference talking about One in a
Million with erniec and Tracy and Roberta. Let me play
you some highlights right now, and so it's all right
here for you. So it's about six minutes, three different
interviews on them, just you know, about a two minute
and highlight of each. So uh, for your listening pleasure
(22:31):
or viewing pleasure, depending upon how you're consuming this, uh, Tracy,
Tracy Amos, Roberta Freeman of course, the backup singers background
singers for Use Your Illusion. They've been on my podcast,
both very very sweet sweet people. Roberta has been on
a few times and gave very thoughtful answers to me
(22:52):
asking about one in a million, and Ernie C who
has been on a couple of times as well. Awesome dude,
uh giving a very very straight up answer. Is Axel
racist because he used this word? Well, here are their
answers and we'll talk more on the other side. What
your thoughts were when Axel used that word in uh
(23:12):
in one in a million, because there are people who
still claim that Axel was a racist because of that song,
which it's more of a character in my view, and
what the way it is and kind of like there
goes the neighborhood describing the scene. So what were your
thoughts when when a.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Million came out?
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I have no thoughts on that whatsoever. That didn't bother me.
It didn't even raise an eyebrow, you know it. It's
the one the person that says it would intense and
raised the eyebrows exact So I know, you know, he's
not that dude. You know, he can say whatever he
wants to say. If he's not that dude. You know,
we do a lot of cop killer. We're killing cops.
We're not killing cops. You know, he can say what
(23:48):
he wants to, but he has you know, that's not
in his heart. You know, his body guard was a
black man for the longest, you know, so if you racist,
why would you have a black man protect your life?
You know, So that bothered me at all.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
I was like, yeah, okay, you know I had I
had already done. I was getting off with a tourist, Cinderella,
and I was like, yeah, let me go on the
world with them, you know. And from what I learned
to hang out with Slash and didn't get any racist
vibe or anything. I think it's it's really important to
(24:27):
talk about this because it's so controversial, and at the
time I didn't Maybe it was my ignorance or my
I was so young, and you know, I was just like, oh,
rock and roll, you know, I just I And because
I didn't know the song, you know, I wasn't really
introduced to the song. I had heard fans or non
(24:48):
fans say, aren't they racist? And I'm like no, but
and people would say how about that song and be
like what song?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
You know?
Speaker 4 (24:55):
So that's my bad, you know. It's like that is
my mistake, ignorance of not researching, you know, the band
before I started working for them. However, you know, at
the time, I think, you know, I probably had the
same reaction that you did. Where I thought he was
(25:16):
Axel was speaking from the point of view of racist America,
and that's how you know, Middle America or racist America,
whatever he thinks. And he was just thinking out loud,
you know, And especially because I never got a personally
a racist vibe from Axel. He was always super not
(25:41):
only like super sweet and kind to me, but he
was very respectful, like, you know, he wasn't like the
other guys, or the other guys would cuss in front
of us and be vulgar and you know, just be
rock and roll, you know, and Axel was really like
he would never cuss in front of me. He would
always address me properly. He was very very sweet to me.
(26:03):
And so that being said, you know, I was I
guess I couldn't let myself believe that those lyrics meant
that he thought I was in it.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
I almost said it.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
He thought I was what he said in the in
the lyrics progress.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I'm ignorant to it. I just grew up with thinking
like it's and I'm a Northerner, I'm a new Yorker.
I was like Duke's of hazard, and I'm like, I
don't know, it's a Southern thing. I had no idea
how bad it was. I look back a like there
are clips of like the Golden Girl episodes about this,
and I'm obviously using just pop culture. I had no
idea how offensive it was. I looked at like Axe
(26:42):
Rose or Tom Petty. No way were they doing it
to be offensive wearing Confederate flags. That's my view of it.
When he went on stage in a Confederate jacket, did
you they make you feel a certain way? Because I
asked her about one in a million, then something that
I have to learn. Maybe just using that word in
a poetic way it doesn't make it okay. So I
(27:02):
don't know if you have any I know it's a
big transition of questions as far as depth, but I
don't know. If you give it everything that you work on.
Something tells me that you're passionate about this stuff?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Are I wrong? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:17):
No, I'm very, very very passionate about it.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
But you know, I I would say that you know
him using the in word I the way I took
it when he said it, it was not being used
it was using in the context of how he was
saying it. He wasn't using it in a way that
(27:41):
was defaming black people, But at the same time, it
was lacking in the sensitivity of understanding the and appropriateness
of that line, you know. And I think that's the
whole thing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I think.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I look at it as like we're souls in human okay,
So really doesn't matter what color your human form is
except for the lessons you gain from that human form.
You know, what, family, what, even your religion, they're all
lessons for your soul. That's just my way of looking
at it. So when I see someone, you know that's
(28:19):
into the Confederate flag, does it bother me?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Does it offend me?
Speaker 5 (28:23):
I feel a little twinge, you know. If they're not
being prejudiced on top of it, I just let it
go as part of their Okay, they'll figure out that's
not cool, you know, it's part of their path. But
if they're using it in a manner that is directly hateful,
(28:44):
that's a different story than I usually will not be
in their presence. I would quit. I would speak to
them about it, I would speak against it.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
So I need to have the hard conversations here. I
said at the beginning of the podcast, why would I
want to do this if it's just talking about my
favorite song for an hour? Oh I love Guns or
Roses and that's all it is. I wouldn't be doing
this for nine years. Yes, I love this band and
(29:16):
the people who make it up, you know, past presence.
I've had some sort of musical connection or personal connection
to all of them in a way, starting when I
was younger. Like a lot of things, you grow up
with and feelings can change and you look at things
with a different perspective, and you know, here I am.
You know, I found Guns of Roses so early on.
(29:39):
I was only four when Appetite came out, so it
took a little bit later for me, and now here
I am doing a g n R podcast for nearly
ten years with my wife and son playing in the background.
Hopefully they're not being too distracting for you, but this
is what it is. At least they stayed out of
the interview with Roddy and I was able to get
it done. So I wanted to talk about when I
(30:01):
announced he was coming on, you know, like, why would
you have him on? Because Faith No More is notorious
for not be hating that tour. He's just gonna say
negative things, and that wasn't my first thought. My first
thought was like, Wow, I love Faith no more. I'm
never gonna chance, gonna get a chance to probably interview
anybody else from that band, certainly not Mike Patton. Let
(30:24):
me interview Roddy. And he has other messages to talk about,
not just with guns and roses, as you heard, you know,
smart guy, you know, talking about mental health. There's other
things to talk about. So I also I want to
be the interviewer because he has been asked about one
(30:45):
in a million before and again it's in his book.
So I think it's best to come from an interviewer
who has the perspective that I do, and that that's
not an ego thing. It's well, I just played it
for you. I've done interviews about it. I don't believe
Axel to be the negative person that the most of
(31:06):
the media has portrayed him to be over the years.
I'm not that person. I've spoken to enough people and
gotten enough positive stories that I think I have an
accurate assessment of who Axel is enough without knowing the guy.
You know, he's flawed just like the rest of us,
and the childhood that he came from is horrific and
(31:26):
the fact that he's still here is a miracle, you know,
talking about mental health. He could have easily left us,
like Kirk Colebain, I mean, and that's so scary to say.
And that's if Roddy comes on, I want to talk
to him more about the curt and Courtney and things
like that. And I only apologize to a listener, Nathan,
(31:47):
who wrote out so many good questions for Roddy, and
I'm so sorry it could not get to them. But
as you could see, you know, I want to make
sure that you know I have a balance of like
what are they here to promote? I knew I wanted
to talk about one in a million and just have
that connection. So it's even ten twenty minutes goes by fast.
(32:10):
It just goes by fast. So Nathan, if it comes
on again, I will prioritize your fan questions. I wanted
to get that out that I did not forget you
and all the other fan questions that were out there
for Roddy. I appreciate. I pay attention to everything you say.
And this relates to why would you have somebody on
this says something negative about guns and roses. So the
(32:30):
name that usually comes up, and it's really the only
person that has said like really negative things on the
podcast is Alan Niven, and I guess gott to preface
everything with Allen has always been so kind and generous
to me, and that's the only I would never I
can never speak ill of him. That's my experience. That's
why I couldn't tell Roddy. I can't tell him to
(32:53):
feel any difference because that's his experience. I'm not gonna
tell him like, no, Axles, not this person. If you
make he don't feel this way, that's the way you feel,
that's the way you feel. So Alan has just made
me feel good about, you know, what I do in
a career, the way I conduct my interviews. He's just
very kind to me. But that does not mean I
(33:14):
agree with everything that he says. The first time I
had him on, and I always give credit where credit
is due, even though I don't talk to the dude anymore.
But Mitchell Lafon you know, introduced me, you know, via internet,
introduced me, and for whatever reason, Alan gravitated. We had
a real we had a connection. I tried to do
(33:34):
that in an interview, not just hey, tell me all
of the dirt, tell me about this, yes, No, I
want a connection. So Alan and I developed some sort
of connection. We would have off aur conversations and things
like that. And it was that first interview where the
story went viral that Izzy may or may not have
shown up at a sound check. That's been said by
(33:57):
that was said by Alan. I've heard other or you know,
if you want to call inside sources or whatever, that
he may have had his facts wrong. But I mean,
so that's just what Alan said. And that's why G
and R hates clickbait. Even if he has part of
the story right, it may not be all of the story.
So that went viral, and why would I not be
you know, why do I get to cut that out? Like,
(34:17):
oh my god, that's amazing. And the second time he
came on, he even made a point that like, I
don't want to just always talk about guns or roses, Like,
let's talk about mental health. Let's talk about how And
I said, like, let's talk about how you felt after
you got fired in your career and your life afterwards,
and you know, mentally surviving and it was a really
(34:38):
strong conversation, and he was it might have been like
a long ass time since he came on again. You know,
we would send emails every so often, things like that,
especially since because during for a while I was still
connected with Doug in writing that book, and but whatever reason,
Doug connected with me as well. I don't go out
of my way. I don't try to befriended any When
(34:59):
I make a connection, it's not to make a friend,
it's to have a positive experience, because that'd be weird
if I try to befriend every person I interview. It's
this isn't dating. I'm not trying to date who I'm
talking to. It's sometimes you made a stranger on a
on a train, or it could be a stranger with
(35:21):
the mic, and this is something that clicks. So Doug
an eye for a while, we clicked Alan and I,
you know, clicked in a certain way. So when I
was approaching episode five hundred, I wanted to have like
a big guest and not really expecting that I could
get anybody. I can't get Dough, I can't get Slash.
(35:43):
It's like I can't I'm not going to get somebody
like that. You know, I always keep hoping, but it's
like I, I guess I'm un lock. I really did
not think Alan would agree, because he said, I don't
I've done doing podcasts for a while. He did, he
didn't really want to talk anymore. I know he had
done podcasts for a long time, especially with Mitch, but
he he was tired of it, and I think that's
(36:06):
partially why he wrote his book to get it over with, which,
if you haven't noticed, is postponed again until next year.
You may have read Allan is currently suing guns or Roses, namely,
I guess Axel for the delay in the book. I
didn't think he was that bad. He didn't say anything
(36:27):
that he hasn't said before in a podcast. But then again,
I'm not GNR, I'm not Axel, so I don't know.
If an NDA was signed. I'd like to think all
those things were they were aware of the publisher. Allan
would know what he could say what he can't say.
So it is very interesting. I believe you could still
find the book digitally, like it's on Kindle and stuff
(36:50):
like that, but the hard hard copy is delayed. I
didn't I didn't get a hard copy. I was sent
a PDF, and that's when I was able to read it,
and I made a point to read it because again,
when I reached out to Alan for episode five hundred,
it was just to kind of like, let's have a
somebody who had been a fan favorite of guests, and
let's just have a fun conversation. I really or I
(37:11):
was not now I remember, I wanted to talk about
the Doug book. I thought it would be a fun
conversation to talk about my journey, especially since I know
he wasn't a fan of Doug. He's not a fan
of Doug. He really kind of like hates Doug. I
hate using that word. And if you remember the conversation,
I wasn't gonna file on, but I wanted to have
kind of like a therapy session with Alan about my
(37:32):
book and get some stories cleared up. On his end,
it would just be about like him and Doug, and
then it blew up into something else. I had no
idea who was coming out with the book, no idea
when he I approached him, so he was happy to
do it, of course, and then he was starting to
do like a ton of other interviews as well, which
I thought I was getting like an exclusive two hours
(37:54):
with Alan Navin turned into something else, you know, a
book promotion tour, which is fine whatever. It's not like
I wouldn't want to talk to him again, but he
was in that conversation. I believe he mentioned now Axel
gets fifty percent of guns or Roses income now, And
you can call it. I'm you could say it all.
(38:14):
I say it about myself. I can. I'm naive. Sometimes
as prepared as I think I am for a conversation,
I'm not fully prepared. You know. I wish there's always
part of me that wishes I had a producer, like
why I producer everything, but somebody else who can like
hear something and like kind of send me like a question,
like a follow up question if it goes over my head,
or if this ever turned into live interviews, to hear
(38:37):
back from you. I didn't think to push back that
during that interview about the fifty percent, and that went
viral everywhere, and I'm sure guns are Roses and the
management did not like that, and some fans didn't like that.
He's always talking shit about Axel. But I think people
need to recall when I had him on again after that,
which we spoke about just to talk about his book book,
(39:00):
and there's a lot of things in his book other
than guns or Roses. I did follow up on that question.
It's just funny. Vice recently picked up just the fifty
percent quote, but did not follow up my my follow
up question, which was for the in the next interview,
which I can understand why it's missed, where Alan says
I have no firsthand knowledge of how this breaks down,
(39:24):
you know, kind of just yeah, if Axel gets fifty
percent and it's we don't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
I understand that Axel Rose, when you think of Guns
and Roses, shouldn't be fifty percent of the band and
all the songwriting credits, whether it's slashed off Izzy of course,
all these other people. But it's a business, this band,
whether you like it or not. There's also a brand
that employs hundreds, if not thousands. I don't think they
employ thousands of people. Maybe they do, I don't know.
(39:50):
I don't know the crew and all the tentacles that
might go out to other things about you know, creating
merch and graphics, and you know, I don't know who's
under the Guns of Roses umbrella as far as how
many people they employ. But that's it is a brand now.
It's not just five dudes anymore, and it hasn't been
(40:13):
for a very long time. So that's why I get it.
I didn't push back hard enough. And I don't usually
push back that hard too on a guest because they're
not there for me to sequester them. Like with Roddy,
I'm not gonna push back too hard. I'm like, Okay,
here's my thoughts on one in a million, tell me yours.
(40:33):
With Allen, I pushed back a little bit, but then
you saw he'd get angry. Why would I want to
make him angry. We're friendly. It's just, you know, it's
I just don't want to be that interviewer. I don't
want to be. I know that sometimes that can make
for good radio, good for good podcasting, but in this
world there's too many gotcha moments and too many overreactions
and people world has enough stress. I really want to
(40:57):
make this like a stress free, fun, environmental listen to
where we do talk about serious things. It's not gonna
be again always fluff, but I want to talk about
I mean, guns are roses, they have serious things in
their past and they're present. That's why they're my favorite
band that they're not, just as much as I love
some of those hair metal bands that are just all
(41:18):
about sex, drugs and rock and roll. The reason why
I gravitated towards Guns of Roses and why I did
this podcast is they are just a deeper, more flawed,
more human band than most, and let's talk about those
things when they happen. Let's try to do it with
the right perspective. You know, I'm not gonna be that
(41:39):
host that's gonna go all in. I'm not gonna go
all in on Axl. I had what I thought was
the right perspective on his quote unquote tantrum. He got
pissed off. He wanted to throw something at something that
wasn't working, Like I don't do that daily, Like when
Harrison's Toys goes off and starts singing something and it
doesn't stop, Like I don't. I can't show him that
(42:01):
I throw things. That's not a good thing to teach
a child. I understand that, but I get it. I
get Axel's frustration and anger at times, and that's why
I gravitated towards him. When I was a kid, Like oh,
here's somebody who's angry like me. But look at what
he creates with it. Look at that. So even if
that creation is one in a million, Look, there are
(42:21):
Quentin Tarantino movies. I like, Roddy doesn't like them. I'm
not gonna tell them not to like them. But yeah,
sometimes it's awkward in pulp fiction where he's dropping the
N bombs. It's a little but you take it in
the context of what you're doing. If he's really a
racist and that's an excuse just to say these words,
(42:42):
I think that will come out, because sometimes that happens.
People just like, oh, it's just an act, and but
there really are that person. I've never heard anything about
Axel Rose that is remotely racist or sexist, remotely. The
only negative stuff, again I really hears are from Alan,
(43:04):
and I'm not gonna take that away from him. I'm
sure there's an element of truth to all of it
that even the people that say, yeah, he was like this,
but you know he had a reason, or like he's
you know this again, I don't you hear the interviews,
the hundreds of interviews that I've done talking about Axel
I don't leave much, if any on the cutting room floor.
(43:25):
I'm not holding back some secret that Axel, you know,
Like I think Josh Freeze did this once in an
interview and credit to him, he wanted to fuck with
the interviewers and immediately because they're like, oh, so, how
is Axel Rose? What is he really really? Like, you know,
one of those interviewers are just trying to get dirt
and Josh wade up some story about like oh yeah
(43:46):
I saw him kill his dog and the interviewers like
what He's like, Nah, man, He's like he's awesome, Like
I'm just messing with you. And that's something that Alan
used to do and leak those fake stories out there.
So there's all this perception about Axel that he is.
He isn't what people think he is. But when they
see that one in a million or they see that tantrum,
(44:08):
there's that excuse to be like, oh, yeah, he is
that guy. He is that guy. Some things are artists objective.
You're allowed to be offended by it. I'm not going
to tell you what it's not. I'm not offended by
one in a million, but then again, it's not directed
towards me, So I come with that understanding. So I
come with the understanding that if it doesn't come toward
(44:30):
you when you've got to feel a certain way about it, Okay, okay,
it's a great song musically. I hope at the end
we can all agree with that. So anyway, I wanted
to have a little wrap up here to kind of
just talk about the Roddy interview and why I would
ask a difficult question if it's not going to be
(44:50):
a positive response, and talk a little bit more about
Alan in the same vein. So not that Allen has
asked but to come back on, but I think now
if I had him back on, then I'd be asking
for it, and then you know, fuck me that. You
just know, especially with the lawsuit, it's just going to
(45:11):
be pure venom. And I don't think that would be
good for anybody. I wouldn't want to have that conversation.
I wouldn't want to listen to it. I don't think
Allen wants to even have it. He's probably angry enough.
He's like, this is I didn't want to This is
me speaking. I'm just what I know about him. I
feel like this is what he's thinking. I haven't spoken
(45:33):
to him, probably since the last time I interviewed him,
maybe an email or two, but he's probably like, I
didn't want to write this book. I finally put it out.
I didn't even like writing it, and now I got
to deal with the lawsuit. What the So he's I'm
sure he's done with it. Like so that's just my guess.
But he's not going to be on the podcast anytime
(45:54):
soon because then again that's just that's his asking for it,
and I don't want to have that conversation, you know,
when I know going in that it's just going to be,
you know, throwing darts. I don't want that. So anyway,
that does it for this episode of Appetites for Distortion.
What will you see next? Well, if all goes scheduled
(46:15):
the next episode, Matt Sorum should be coming back on
the podcast. Yes, Matt Sorm And just like with a
lot of people, I'm not going after any sort of dirt.
We're going to talk about some cool things. Is work
with Arrowsmith and Young Blood and Charity. Maybe we'll get
some gn R and b R in there. I don't know.
I haven't recorded it yet, so I guess I'll find
(46:38):
out when you do. I guess when you're listening to
this also on the way one of Izzy's ex girlfriends.
Isn't that incredible? I got to credit some listeners for
this because and I credit all of you who have
sent me guests over the years. I mean, there is
no way this podcast would have could exist without you.
(47:00):
So Juliette Juliette Yima, I'm a normal to pronounce that
better once we start talking a little bit. But she's
ex girlfriend of Izzy during like the glory years. I
shared some pictures of her and Izzy at the Rolling
Stone Show on social media for you to see. Seemed
really sweet. She's still friends with Meghan and Slash. She's
(47:20):
like a world renowned makeup artist. So I'm just really
looking forward to having that conversation as well. So more
to come on Appetite for Distortion. It's not ending. This
is fun, Like this is just like I get to
do this for fun. I just have to squeeze it
in in between my wife's home plane with my son
(47:42):
and his He just calls it the room. It's it's
his bedroom where there is toys, there's a bed in there.
He doesn't sleep in it. We all co sleep. So
every night he's twisting and turning and kicking me in
the face. But I love it. I know it's not
going to be there forever. Harris, Then do you want
to say bye? Come here? I just want you to
(48:06):
end the episode with me. So can you say soon?
Soon is the word? So when we see the next
episode in the words of actual words concerning Chinese democracy,
I don't know if soon is the word, but you'll
(48:28):
see it. Yeah, thanks to the lame massed security, I'm
going home.
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