Duff McKagan Discusses Jane’s Addiction Gig

Last week, Jane's Addiction announced that they'd found a replacement for original bassist Eric Avery, who left the band for a second time last month, in former Guns N' Roses bass slapper Duff McKagan. This week, McKagan opened up about the new job, saying it was an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.

"I think people sometimes actually believe that because I was in Guns N' Roses, I must have a money tree growing in my backyard," McKagan explains. "Daddy (that is what they call me around here) has got to go out and earn a living just like most anyone else. Something like a chance to write, record, and perhaps even perform with a band of the quality of Jane's Addiction does not come around every day. I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it. The music that we have been writing is an extension of that mutual respect."

Now that he's in Jane's, does that mean curtains for his side project, Loaded, and Velvet Revolver, who continue to search for a frontman to replace Scott Weiland? No way, says Duff.

"Loaded will always be something I do," he says. "It is more a way of life and a way to express music and have a fucking blast with those guys than anything else. I'm sure we have hopes of one day having a song that gets a lot of play on the radio or something like that, but that is not what drives us. Velvet Revolver had an amazing climb from absolutely nothing to something that people around the planet got into. That is also an amazing thing to observe from the inside. I won't be the guy to say it was anyone's fault that we came to an end with Scott Weiland; shit just happens. If you've been doing this as long as I have, you just learn to shut your mouth and fucking move on. Velvet is in a period of downtime right now, and perhaps we will one day get a new singer. For now, though, I have to look at opportunities when they are presented."

Duff says he's been a huge fan of Avery's playing since the 1980s, and that his stepping in is not, to his mind, a move to replace Eric. "I have a lot of respect for this band and the guys in it," McKagan says. "The music that we have been writing is an extension of that mutual respect. And it's a blast! Perry Farrell is an absolute visionary. Dave Navarro has always been a guitar player who I have had a lot of respect for. Playing in a rhythm section with Stephen Perkins is almost trancelike. Kick-ass for sure. I also want to make it clear to Jane's fans that I really appreciate all of the kind words and sentiment directed to me."