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Velvet Revolver

December 15, 2023

Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of punk band Wasted Youth, and Scott Weiland (lead vocalist) formerly of Stone Temple Pilots. The band formed in 2002 and was active until 2008, when Weiland left the band abruptly to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots.

Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver in 2007. From left to right: Dave Kushner, Duff McKagan, Scott Weiland, Slash, Matt Sorum (behind the drums)
Background information
OriginRancho Santa Margarita, California, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyVelvet Revolver discography
Years active2002–2008
(one-off reunion: 2012)
Labels
Spinoff of
Past members

In 2004, the band achieved commercial success with their debut album, Contraband. Despite positive reviews, some critics initially described Velvet Revolver as a mere combination of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N' Roses, and criticizing them for a "disconnection" between Weiland and the rest of the band. With their single "Slither", they won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band released Libertad in 2007, driven by the release of the single "She Builds Quick Machines", and embarked on a tour with Alice in Chains.

In April 2008, Weiland was fired from Velvet Revolver and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots. Velvet Revolver was put on indefinite hiatus and in November of that year, requested to be released by their record label RCA Records to allow themselves "complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish" replacing Weiland.

Although Velvet Revolver worked on new material and auditioned new singers following Scott Weiland's departure, the band has not released any new material and only performed publicly once since 2008, when they reunited with Weiland for a one-off reunion show on January 12, 2012, at a benefit concert. This proved to be their last performance together before Weiland's death on December 3, 2015. Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N' Roses in 2016.

History edit

Foundations (2001–2002) edit

Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum were members of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. However, disagreements with singer Axl Rose resulted in Slash leaving the band in 1996 and McKagan departing in 1997 shortly before Sorum was fired.[1] Following their departures the trio focused on separate projects, with Slash reforming Slash's Snakepit[2] and McKagan reforming 10 Minute Warning[3][4] as well as recording his second solo album,[3] while Sorum rejoined the Cult.[5]

By 2001, Slash's Snakepit had disbanded for the second time.[6] Slash began working with the Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and an unnamed bassist on a new project:[7] writing the music for what would become "Fall to Pieces".[8] McKagan reformed Loaded,[9] previously his band for the tour in support of Beautiful Disease,[10] with Geoff Reading. McKagan also added both Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse to the lineup.[11] Following a tour of Japan in 2002,[12] former Zilch, Wasted Youth, Electric Love Hogs, and Dave Navarro guitarist Dave Kushner joined Loaded in place of Mike Squires.[13]

Formation (2002–2003) edit

When musician Randy Castillo died from cancer in 2002, Slash, McKagan, and Sorum performed at a benefit concert to raise money and commemorate Castillo,[14][15] with Josh Todd and Keith Nelson of Buckcherry as well as B-Real and Sen Dog of Cypress Hill.[16] Recognizing that their musical relationship was still intact,[17] the trio began rehearsing with Todd[17] and Nelson, working on material that would become "Dirty Little Thing",[18] but eventually decided against forming a group with them.[19][20] During a Loaded show at West Hollywood's Viper Room,[20] McKagan re-introduced Dave Kushner to Slash, who were previously friends in junior high and high school.[13][21] Kushner was invited to jam with the group and was soon invited to join with Slash, stating that "Dave brought a cool vibe to what [they] were doing. There was no deliberation; that was it, it was a perfect fit."[21] Their former Guns N' Roses bandmate Izzy Stradlin also joined them for two weeks,[22] eventually suggesting that "Duff and [Stradlin] will sing and [they] will just do a club tour in a van." Slash states in his autobiography that it was hard to tell if Stradlin was serious or kidding.[23] After auditioning Kelly Shaefer of Atheist and Neurotica,[17] Stradlin left the group.[23]

 
Guitarist Slash performing at a concert in Nijmegen

While Shaefer's audition was unsuccessful, the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer. VH1 filmed the recruitment process,[24] which was referred to as the temporary name "The Project".[17] The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned for the band, including Stephen Shareaux, of Kik Tracee,[25] Steve Ludwin, of Carrie and Little Hell,[26] Todd Kerns, formerly of Age of Electric,[27][28][29] Sebastian Bach, formerly of Skid Row,[30] Shawn Albro of U.P.O.,[28] and Travis Meeks of Days of the New.[31] Myles Kennedy, formerly of the Mayfield Four, declined an invitation from Sorum to audition.[32] Ian Astbury of the Cult and Mike Patton of Faith No More also declined audition offers.[33] The band were also interested in auditioning Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, who had become friends with McKagan after attending the same gym.[34][35] Weiland once played on the same bill as Kushner,[30] and was in rehab at the same time as Sorum.[30][35] Weiland was sent two discs of material, and felt that the first disc "sounded like Bad Company gone wrong."[34] When he was sent the second disc, Weiland was more positive, comparing it to Core-era Stone Temple Pilots,[34] though he turned them down because Stone Temple Pilots were still together.[30]

"I just thought he was a great singer, and he'd always been on my mind for this band. He was the one vocalist that I knew had the kind of voice that would serve what we were going to do: he had a John Lennon-ish quality, a little bit of Jim Morrison, and a touch of almost David Bowie. He was the best singer to come out in a long time in my opinion."[30]

—Slash on Scott Weiland

When Stone Temple Pilots disbanded in 2003,[36] the band sent Weiland new music, which he took into his studio and added vocals. This music eventually became the song "Set Me Free".[13][36] Weiland was still unsure whether or not he wanted to join, despite delivering the music to the band himself[36] and performing at an industry showcase at Mates.[37] They recorded two songs with producer Nick Raskulinecz,[38] a recorded version of "Set Me Free" and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money", for the soundtracks to the movies Hulk and The Italian Job, respectively.[38] Weiland joined the band soon after.[34] "Set Me Free" managed to peak at number 17 on the Mainstream Rock Chart[39] without any radio promotion or a record label.[40]

It was prior to a screening of The Hulk at Universal Studios that the band chose a name. After seeing a movie by Revolution Studios, Slash liked the beginning of the word, eventually thinking of Revolver because of its multiple meanings; the name of a gun, subtext of a revolving door which suited the band as well as the name of a Beatles album. When he suggested Revolver to the band, Weiland suggested back Black Velvet Revolver, liking the idea of "something intimate like velvet juxtaposed with something deadly like a gun." They eventually arrived at Velvet Revolver, announcing it at a press conference and performance showcase at the El Rey Theatre while also performing the songs "Set Me Free" and "Slither" as well as covers of Nirvana's "Negative Creep", Sex Pistols' "Bodies", and Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy".[41]

Contraband and mainstream success (2003–2005) edit

 
Slither
A sample of "Slither" from Contraband. The band's debut single topped both the Mainstream and Modern Rock Chart. It is considered the band's signature song and is frequently the closer to their shows.
Fall to Pieces
A sample of "Fall to Pieces" from Contraband. The second single released by Velvet Revolver topped the Mainstream Rock Chart.
Problems playing these files? See media help.

Prior to the recording of their debut album, Weiland took material that the band had previously written to his studio, Lavish, in Toluca Lake. With engineer Doug Grean, Weiland rearranged the music to fit his vocals, eventually coming out with the songs "Big Machine" and "Dirty Little Thing". The band worked on new material for songs such as "You Got No Right", "Slither", "Sucker Train Blues", and "Do It for the Kids", among others. During this time Weiland was arrested at the parking lot of his studio for drug possession. Upon release from jail, he wrote lyrics to material he was given previously, writing the lyrics to the song "Fall to Pieces".[42] Velvet Revolver soon began recording their debut album. Initially, they recorded "Slither" with producer Bob Ezrin at Henson Studios, but were dissatisfied with the result.[43] After recording "Headspace" with Josh Abraham, the band liked the track enough to do the rest of the album with him.[7][43]

 
Velvet Revolver performing at Download Festival in 2005

Velvet Revolver soon gained major-label attention with Warner Bros. and Chrysalis. RCA and Elektra were also interested in signing the band.[43] They eventually signed with RCA Records.[17][43] They recorded their album at NRG Recording Studios, while Slash recorded his guitar parts at a smaller studio on the southern corner between Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard.[44] During recording, Weiland could only work for three hours a day due to a court order mandating that he stay in a halfway house.[45] The marketing campaign for Velvet Revolver in the run-up to the release of the first album was profiled as part of the Frontline program The Way the Music Died, which included interviews with the band members and producers.[46]

The resulting album, titled Contraband, was released on June 8, 2004.[47] Helped by the success of the single "Slither",[17] it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200,[48] selling over 250,000 copies in the first week.[33] Contraband went on to sell four million copies worldwide, 2.9 million of which were sold in the United States, and was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA.[33][49] Both "Slither" and "Fall to Pieces" peaked at number one on the Mainstream Rock Chart as well as number 56 and 67 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[39] "Slither" also peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Chart and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart.[50] The album's third single, "Dirty Little Thing", peaked at number eight on the Mainstream Rock chart.[39]

Critically, the album was generally well received.[51] Despite being praised for its hedonism and maturity,[47] critics noted a disconnection between "singer and band".[52][53] Velvet Revolver won the Kerrang! Award for Best International Newcomer in 2004, and the following year they won the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy Award for "Slither". They were also nominated for Rock Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards while "Fall to Pieces" was nominated for a Song of the Year/Rock Radio Radio Music Award. They recorded a new song entitled "Come On, Come In" for the movie Fantastic Four in 2005, which peaked at number 14 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. "Fall to Pieces" then re-entered the charts, peaking at number twenty-five on the Adult Top 40 the same year.[39]

Velvet Revolver toured extensively for nineteen months in support of Contraband.[54] They toured both the United States and Europe twice, while also performing in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. They performed at Live 8 and various festivals including Download Festival,[54] as well as Ozzfest. During the tour, the band members, with the exception of Kushner, began to relapse on alcohol and drugs.[55][56] Though they got clean in time for the recording of their new album, Slash felt that "[the band] lost [Weiland]" and "thought the overall spirit of everything was declining at that point."[55]

Libertad and departure of Scott Weiland (2005–2008) edit

 
She Builds Quick Machines
A sample of "She Builds Quick Machines" from Libertad. The band's first single from Libertad represents a change in music style compared to previous singles.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Weiland announced in 2005 that Velvet Revolver's next album would be titled Libertad and would be a concept album. When they started writing material, they decided against the concept idea.[57] Initially, the band started working with producer Rick Rubin on the album. However, due to his methods, such as having a crew to do the work and engineering while only popping in occasionally, and due to the fact that he was also working with other bands at the same time,[58] they decided against continuing with Rubin.[59] At the suggestion of Weiland, Velvet Revolver began working with Brendan O'Brien. Slash stated that O' Brien "brought more than just discipline to the equation, he brought a musicality that stems from the fact that he plays guitar, bass and drums. At any given moment he could play along [with the band] and it really helped the process."[59] While writing for the album, Weiland believed that his bandmates were going to reunite with Guns N' Roses when the band's manager was talking to Axl Rose about switching management companies, and were not going to record their second album. He was later convinced by the band that this was not the case.[60]

 
Bassist Duff McKagan performing at Gods of Metal in 2007

Following the completion of the album, Velvet Revolver performed for and inducted Van Halen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Weiland and Slash speaking on the band's behalf, on March 12, 2007.[61][62] The band played a medley of "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" and "Runaround".[63] Shows in South America with Aerosmith followed in April.[61] They released the EP Melody and the Tyranny on June 1[64] to serve as a precursor to the release of their new album, which featured two songs from Libertad, a cover of Talking Heads song "Psycho Killer" and a video documentary about the making of Libertad as well as a live video of the band performing "Do It for the Kids".[65]

 
Former singer Scott Weiland. Velvet Revolver's April 1 show at the Heineken Music Hall in the Netherlands was at the time the band's last performance with Weiland.

Libertad was released on July 3, 2007,[17][66] peaking at number five on the Billboard 200.[48] The album's first single, "She Builds Quick Machines", peaked at 74 on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles.[39] The second and third singles, "The Last Fight" and "Get Out the Door", both peaked at number 16 and 34 on the Mainstream Rock Chart, respectively.[67] Critical reception to the album was mixed. Though some critics praised the album[68][69] and felt that Libertad gave the band an identity of their own,[70] outside of the Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots comparisons, others described the album as "bland"[71][72] and noted that the band had yet to gel with them "play[ing] to their strengths instead of finding a collective sound."[66]

In support of Libertad, Velvet Revolver toured North America with Alice in Chains from August to October 2007.[73] They also performed at the Virgin Festival,[34] Gods of Metal, and Download in 2007.[74] A November tour of Japan was canceled after they were denied visas,[75] and in 2008, a tour of Australia was postponed, due to health issues,[76] and later canceled[77] following Weiland's decision to voluntarily enter a rehab facility.[78] On November 21, 2007, Weiland was arrested after crashing his car while driving on an L.A. highway. He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction and later released on $40,000 bail.[79] Velvet Revolver then toured both the US and the UK, as well as some European shows, on the Rock n' Roll as It Should Be tour from January 24 to April 1, 2008. They also played at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 8 the same year.[80] During the tour, Weiland "got back into his old ways",[81] which started to take their toll on the rest of the band[56] with the cancellation of the Australian tour seen as the "final blow".[55][82]

On the UK tour, the band members never spoke with Weiland, with the exception of a few arguments around the stage.[82] Tensions came to a head during Velvet Revolver's Glasgow show on March 20, 2008, where Weiland announced to the crowd that it was the band's last tour,[83] unaware that the other band members were already planning on firing him.[82][84] After Sorum posted a message about the show on his website,[83] Weiland issued a statement through Blabbermouth.net in response, saying he "made many attempts to remain cordial with the members of [Velvet Revolver], but mainly, the likes of [Sorum]" and that "[the band] were a gang. But ego and jealousy can get the better of anyone."[85] Slash later stated that it would not be Velvet Revolver's last tour.[86] Weiland's departure was announced on April 1.[87] Weiland also departed the cover band Camp Freddy,[88] which also featured Sorum, and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots,[55][88] before being fired in 2013.

Search for a new singer and solo careers (2008–2015) edit

Main articles: Slash (musician), Duff McKagan, Dave Kushner, and Matt Sorum

After Weiland's departure, the band began recording and searching for a new singer.[89] The search was sporadic with the band spending some time auditioning singers, then turning into solo projects, returning to the band, then abandoning it again. Several names were rumored to be auditioning for the band through the years. Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) was strongly rumored [90] due to his collaborations with Slash; Lenny Kravitz,[91][92] Chester Bennington of Linkin Park,[93] Steve Isaacs formerly of Skycycle and the Panic Channel,[94] Royston Langdon of Spacehog,[95] Donovan Leitch of Camp Freddy, Ours singer Jimmy Gnecco[96] and Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez,[97] as well as previous auditionee Sebastian Bach.[98] Ex-Slash’s Snakepit lead vocalist Rod Jackson was rumoured to audition, but Slash stated that he would not collaborate with Jackson again, citing his poor work ethic and unreliability. Kushner later revealed that Perez was officially hired by the band as vocalist for a brief time in 2008.[99]

Slash, McKagan, and Sorum all contributed to the song "Kissed It" for the Macy Gray album The Sellout, which was released on June 22, 2010. Despite not featuring Kushner, the trio were credited as Velvet Revolver on the album.[100] The band released their first concert DVD on November 16, 2010, entitled Live In Houston, which was filmed June 18, 2004, at the Verizon Wireless Theater while the band was touring in support of Contraband.[101][102] Slash, McKagan and Sorum made a performance at the Road Recovery benefit concert on September 13 with a guest appearance from Kushner.[103]

Velvet Revolver reunited for a one-off performance with Scott Weiland at a benefit concert for the late John O'Brien, on January 12, 2012.[104] Following a benefit show for the Road Recovery in 2011 with the other Velvet Revolver members, each one agreed to a one-off reunion before Kushner invited Weiland, who also agreed. Kushner also stated it was then unknown what Velvet Revolver's plans were for the future after the reunion show; "I know everyone's got other commitments, but I think everyone's like, 'Let's get this thing done and get through this and then we'll see.'"[105]

In April 2012, Weiland remarked that he would like to reunite permanently with Velvet Revolver, saying that "if Maynard James Keenan can do it with A Perfect Circle and Tool, then there's no reason why I shouldn't go and do it with both bands".[106] Further in May in an interview with ABC Radio Weiland said that he had reunited with the band permanently for a tour and an album,[107] which was denied a few days later by Slash in an interview with 93X.[108]

On May 12, 2014, in an interview at the MusiCares benefit concert, Slash told journalist Lucas H. Gordon that he "think[s] [they're] gonna audition a singer" in the future. However, he also stated that he would be touring with his solo band "for the next year and a half."[109]

On June 29, 2014, in an interview to Totalrock radio, Duff McKagan talked to Hayley Leggs in Clisson France about the subject of a new lead vocalist for Velvet Revolver and revealed that there had been at least one audition for the role of lead vocalist, but said that the person that they auditioned did not properly impress the remaining members of the band. He also ruled himself out of being the band's lead vocalist.[110]

On December 3, 2015, Weiland was found dead on his tour bus around 9 pm, one day before he was to perform in Minnesota with his band the Wildabouts, which ended the possible reunion.[111] Both Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N' Roses in 2016.[112]

Musical style edit

Velvet Revolver's first album, Contraband, was described by Johnny Loftus of AllMusic as an "updated version of Guns N' Roses swagger behind Scott Weiland's glammy, elastic vocals."[47] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated that "[a]nyone expecting Use Your Illusion III, though, will be in for a slight buzzkill" and that "[t]he songs suggest the pop grunge of Weiland's old band more than the careening overdrive of GN'R."[53] A number of reviewers made some comparisons to the members' previous bands,[113][114] with PopMatters reviewer David Powell stating that "Contraband is a pretty good record of unpretentious rock and roll that suffers from inevitable comparison with the best efforts of its parent bands." He went on to state that while Velvet Revolver's "heritage is evident on most of the songs", Contraband "improves with repeat listening, which is encouraging."[115] Velvet Revolver's second album, Libertad, saw the band's style change with the presence of producer Brendan O'Brien, noted by AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine.[66] Erlewine also stated that "too often, there are concessions between Weiland and the others during the course of a song."[66] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly stated that Libertad "feels both comfortingly familiar and vaguely exotic."[68] Songs such as "Let it Roll" and "She Mine" have seen some comparisons to the Doors, the Rolling Stones and the Stooges, as noted by San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Jaan Uhelszki.[70] The New York Post commented that "Slash's guitar riffs throughout this new record are as aggressive as a caged cat" and "singer Scott Weiland's vocals are crisp and controlled yet passionate."[69]

Members edit

  • Slash – lead guitar, talkbox (2002–2012)
  • Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals (2002–2012)
  • Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2002–2012)
  • Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar (2002–2012)
  • Scott Weiland – lead vocals, keyboards (2003–2008, 2012; died 2015)

Discography edit

Main article: Velvet Revolver discography
Studio albums

Awards and nominations edit

Velvet Revolver awards and nominations
Awards and nominations
Award
Wins
Nominations
Billboard Music Awards 0 1
Grammy Awards 1 3
Kerrang! Awards 1 0
Radio Music Awards 0 1
Totals[a]
Wins2
Nominations5
Note
  1. ^ Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They recognize several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.

Velvet Revolver have received one Grammy Award. The band won the Grammy when "Slither" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005. The song "Fall to Pieces" received a nomination for Song of the Year/Rock Radio Radio Music Award in 2005. The band won the Best International Newcomer Kerrang! Award in 2004 while they were nominated for a Rock Artist of the Year Billboard Music Award in 2005.

Billboard Music Awards

The Billboard Music Awards were awarded annually by Billboard magazine.[116]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Velvet Revolver Rock Artist of the Year Nominated
Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[117][118]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 "Slither" Best Hard Rock Performance Won
"Fall to Pieces" Best Rock Song Nominated
Contraband Best Rock Album Nominated
Kerrang! Awards

The Kerrang! Awards are awarded annually by Kerrang! Magazine.[119]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 Velvet Revolver Best International Newcomer Won
Radio Music Awards

The Radio Music Awards were awarded annually honoring the most successful songs on mainstream radio.[120]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 "Fall to Pieces" Song of the Year/Rock Radio Nominated

References edit

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External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Velvet Revolver.
  • Official website
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December 15, 2023
velvet, revolver, american, hard, rock, supergroup, consisting, guns, roses, members, slash, lead, guitar, duff, mckagan, bass, backing, vocals, matt, sorum, drums, backing, vocals, alongside, dave, kushner, rhythm, guitar, formerly, punk, band, wasted, youth,. Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N Roses members Slash lead guitar Duff McKagan bass backing vocals and Matt Sorum drums backing vocals alongside Dave Kushner rhythm guitar formerly of punk band Wasted Youth and Scott Weiland lead vocalist formerly of Stone Temple Pilots The band formed in 2002 and was active until 2008 when Weiland left the band abruptly to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots Velvet RevolverVelvet Revolver in 2007 From left to right Dave Kushner Duff McKagan Scott Weiland Slash Matt Sorum behind the drums Background informationOriginRancho Santa Margarita California U S GenresHard rock alternative metalDiscographyVelvet Revolver discographyYears active2002 2008 one off reunion 2012 LabelsSony BMG RCASpinoff ofGuns N Roses Kings of Chaos Loaded Neurotic Outsiders Road Crew Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts Slash s Snakepit Stone Temple PilotsPast membersSlash Duff McKagan Matt Sorum Dave Kushner Scott WeilandIn 2004 the band achieved commercial success with their debut album Contraband Despite positive reviews some critics initially described Velvet Revolver as a mere combination of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N Roses and criticizing them for a disconnection between Weiland and the rest of the band With their single Slither they won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance The band released Libertad in 2007 driven by the release of the single She Builds Quick Machines and embarked on a tour with Alice in Chains In April 2008 Weiland was fired from Velvet Revolver and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots Velvet Revolver was put on indefinite hiatus and in November of that year requested to be released by their record label RCA Records to allow themselves complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish replacing Weiland Although Velvet Revolver worked on new material and auditioned new singers following Scott Weiland s departure the band has not released any new material and only performed publicly once since 2008 when they reunited with Weiland for a one off reunion show on January 12 2012 at a benefit concert This proved to be their last performance together before Weiland s death on December 3 2015 Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N Roses in 2016 Contents 1 History 1 1 Foundations 2001 2002 1 2 Formation 2002 2003 1 3 Contraband and mainstream success 2003 2005 1 4 Libertad and departure of Scott Weiland 2005 2008 1 5 Search for a new singer and solo careers 2008 2015 2 Musical style 3 Members 4 Discography 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External linksHistory editFoundations 2001 2002 edit Slash Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum were members of the hard rock band Guns N Roses However disagreements with singer Axl Rose resulted in Slash leaving the band in 1996 and McKagan departing in 1997 shortly before Sorum was fired 1 Following their departures the trio focused on separate projects with Slash reforming Slash s Snakepit 2 and McKagan reforming 10 Minute Warning 3 4 as well as recording his second solo album 3 while Sorum rejoined the Cult 5 By 2001 Slash s Snakepit had disbanded for the second time 6 Slash began working with the Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and an unnamed bassist on a new project 7 writing the music for what would become Fall to Pieces 8 McKagan reformed Loaded 9 previously his band for the tour in support of Beautiful Disease 10 with Geoff Reading McKagan also added both Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse to the lineup 11 Following a tour of Japan in 2002 12 former Zilch Wasted Youth Electric Love Hogs and Dave Navarro guitarist Dave Kushner joined Loaded in place of Mike Squires 13 Formation 2002 2003 edit When musician Randy Castillo died from cancer in 2002 Slash McKagan and Sorum performed at a benefit concert to raise money and commemorate Castillo 14 15 with Josh Todd and Keith Nelson of Buckcherry as well as B Real and Sen Dog of Cypress Hill 16 Recognizing that their musical relationship was still intact 17 the trio began rehearsing with Todd 17 and Nelson working on material that would become Dirty Little Thing 18 but eventually decided against forming a group with them 19 20 During a Loaded show at West Hollywood s Viper Room 20 McKagan re introduced Dave Kushner to Slash who were previously friends in junior high and high school 13 21 Kushner was invited to jam with the group and was soon invited to join with Slash stating that Dave brought a cool vibe to what they were doing There was no deliberation that was it it was a perfect fit 21 Their former Guns N Roses bandmate Izzy Stradlin also joined them for two weeks 22 eventually suggesting that Duff and Stradlin will sing and they will just do a club tour in a van Slash states in his autobiography that it was hard to tell if Stradlin was serious or kidding 23 After auditioning Kelly Shaefer of Atheist and Neurotica 17 Stradlin left the group 23 nbsp Guitarist Slash performing at a concert in NijmegenWhile Shaefer s audition was unsuccessful the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer VH1 filmed the recruitment process 24 which was referred to as the temporary name The Project 17 The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out The Rise of Velvet Revolver A number of lead singers auditioned for the band including Stephen Shareaux of Kik Tracee 25 Steve Ludwin of Carrie and Little Hell 26 Todd Kerns formerly of Age of Electric 27 28 29 Sebastian Bach formerly of Skid Row 30 Shawn Albro of U P O 28 and Travis Meeks of Days of the New 31 Myles Kennedy formerly of the Mayfield Four declined an invitation from Sorum to audition 32 Ian Astbury of the Cult and Mike Patton of Faith No More also declined audition offers 33 The band were also interested in auditioning Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland who had become friends with McKagan after attending the same gym 34 35 Weiland once played on the same bill as Kushner 30 and was in rehab at the same time as Sorum 30 35 Weiland was sent two discs of material and felt that the first disc sounded like Bad Company gone wrong 34 When he was sent the second disc Weiland was more positive comparing it to Core era Stone Temple Pilots 34 though he turned them down because Stone Temple Pilots were still together 30 I just thought he was a great singer and he d always been on my mind for this band He was the one vocalist that I knew had the kind of voice that would serve what we were going to do he had a John Lennon ish quality a little bit of Jim Morrison and a touch of almost David Bowie He was the best singer to come out in a long time in my opinion 30 Slash on Scott Weiland When Stone Temple Pilots disbanded in 2003 36 the band sent Weiland new music which he took into his studio and added vocals This music eventually became the song Set Me Free 13 36 Weiland was still unsure whether or not he wanted to join despite delivering the music to the band himself 36 and performing at an industry showcase at Mates 37 They recorded two songs with producer Nick Raskulinecz 38 a recorded version of Set Me Free and a cover of Pink Floyd s Money for the soundtracks to the movies Hulk and The Italian Job respectively 38 Weiland joined the band soon after 34 Set Me Free managed to peak at number 17 on the Mainstream Rock Chart 39 without any radio promotion or a record label 40 It was prior to a screening of The Hulk at Universal Studios that the band chose a name After seeing a movie by Revolution Studios Slash liked the beginning of the word eventually thinking of Revolver because of its multiple meanings the name of a gun subtext of a revolving door which suited the band as well as the name of a Beatles album When he suggested Revolver to the band Weiland suggested back Black Velvet Revolver liking the idea of something intimate like velvet juxtaposed with something deadly like a gun They eventually arrived at Velvet Revolver announcing it at a press conference and performance showcase at the El Rey Theatre while also performing the songs Set Me Free and Slither as well as covers of Nirvana s Negative Creep Sex Pistols Bodies and Guns N Roses It s So Easy 41 Contraband and mainstream success 2003 2005 edit nbsp Slither source source A sample of Slither from Contraband The band s debut single topped both the Mainstream and Modern Rock Chart It is considered the band s signature song and is frequently the closer to their shows Fall to Pieces source source A sample of Fall to Pieces from Contraband The second single released by Velvet Revolver topped the Mainstream Rock Chart Problems playing these files See media help Prior to the recording of their debut album Weiland took material that the band had previously written to his studio Lavish in Toluca Lake With engineer Doug Grean Weiland rearranged the music to fit his vocals eventually coming out with the songs Big Machine and Dirty Little Thing The band worked on new material for songs such as You Got No Right Slither Sucker Train Blues and Do It for the Kids among others During this time Weiland was arrested at the parking lot of his studio for drug possession Upon release from jail he wrote lyrics to material he was given previously writing the lyrics to the song Fall to Pieces 42 Velvet Revolver soon began recording their debut album Initially they recorded Slither with producer Bob Ezrin at Henson Studios but were dissatisfied with the result 43 After recording Headspace with Josh Abraham the band liked the track enough to do the rest of the album with him 7 43 nbsp Velvet Revolver performing at Download Festival in 2005Velvet Revolver soon gained major label attention with Warner Bros and Chrysalis RCA and Elektra were also interested in signing the band 43 They eventually signed with RCA Records 17 43 They recorded their album at NRG Recording Studios while Slash recorded his guitar parts at a smaller studio on the southern corner between Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard 44 During recording Weiland could only work for three hours a day due to a court order mandating that he stay in a halfway house 45 The marketing campaign for Velvet Revolver in the run up to the release of the first album was profiled as part of the Frontline program The Way the Music Died which included interviews with the band members and producers 46 The resulting album titled Contraband was released on June 8 2004 47 Helped by the success of the single Slither 17 it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 48 selling over 250 000 copies in the first week 33 Contraband went on to sell four million copies worldwide 2 9 million of which were sold in the United States and was certified 2 platinum by the RIAA 33 49 Both Slither and Fall to Pieces peaked at number one on the Mainstream Rock Chart as well as number 56 and 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively 39 Slither also peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Chart and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart 50 The album s third single Dirty Little Thing peaked at number eight on the Mainstream Rock chart 39 Critically the album was generally well received 51 Despite being praised for its hedonism and maturity 47 critics noted a disconnection between singer and band 52 53 Velvet Revolver won the Kerrang Award for Best International Newcomer in 2004 and the following year they won the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy Award for Slither They were also nominated for Rock Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards while Fall to Pieces was nominated for a Song of the Year Rock Radio Radio Music Award They recorded a new song entitled Come On Come In for the movie Fantastic Four in 2005 which peaked at number 14 on the Mainstream Rock Chart Fall to Pieces then re entered the charts peaking at number twenty five on the Adult Top 40 the same year 39 Velvet Revolver toured extensively for nineteen months in support of Contraband 54 They toured both the United States and Europe twice while also performing in Australia New Zealand and Japan They performed at Live 8 and various festivals including Download Festival 54 as well as Ozzfest During the tour the band members with the exception of Kushner began to relapse on alcohol and drugs 55 56 Though they got clean in time for the recording of their new album Slash felt that the band lost Weiland and thought the overall spirit of everything was declining at that point 55 Libertad and departure of Scott Weiland 2005 2008 edit nbsp She Builds Quick Machines source source A sample of She Builds Quick Machines from Libertad The band s first single from Libertad represents a change in music style compared to previous singles Problems playing this file See media help Weiland announced in 2005 that Velvet Revolver s next album would be titled Libertad and would be a concept album When they started writing material they decided against the concept idea 57 Initially the band started working with producer Rick Rubin on the album However due to his methods such as having a crew to do the work and engineering while only popping in occasionally and due to the fact that he was also working with other bands at the same time 58 they decided against continuing with Rubin 59 At the suggestion of Weiland Velvet Revolver began working with Brendan O Brien Slash stated that O Brien brought more than just discipline to the equation he brought a musicality that stems from the fact that he plays guitar bass and drums At any given moment he could play along with the band and it really helped the process 59 While writing for the album Weiland believed that his bandmates were going to reunite with Guns N Roses when the band s manager was talking to Axl Rose about switching management companies and were not going to record their second album He was later convinced by the band that this was not the case 60 nbsp Bassist Duff McKagan performing at Gods of Metal in 2007Following the completion of the album Velvet Revolver performed for and inducted Van Halen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Weiland and Slash speaking on the band s behalf on March 12 2007 61 62 The band played a medley of Ain t Talkin bout Love and Runaround 63 Shows in South America with Aerosmith followed in April 61 They released the EP Melody and the Tyranny on June 1 64 to serve as a precursor to the release of their new album which featured two songs from Libertad a cover of Talking Heads song Psycho Killer and a video documentary about the making of Libertad as well as a live video of the band performing Do It for the Kids 65 nbsp Former singer Scott Weiland Velvet Revolver s April 1 show at the Heineken Music Hall in the Netherlands was at the time the band s last performance with Weiland Libertad was released on July 3 2007 17 66 peaking at number five on the Billboard 200 48 The album s first single She Builds Quick Machines peaked at 74 on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles 39 The second and third singles The Last Fight and Get Out the Door both peaked at number 16 and 34 on the Mainstream Rock Chart respectively 67 Critical reception to the album was mixed Though some critics praised the album 68 69 and felt that Libertad gave the band an identity of their own 70 outside of the Guns N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots comparisons others described the album as bland 71 72 and noted that the band had yet to gel with them play ing to their strengths instead of finding a collective sound 66 In support of Libertad Velvet Revolver toured North America with Alice in Chains from August to October 2007 73 They also performed at the Virgin Festival 34 Gods of Metal and Download in 2007 74 A November tour of Japan was canceled after they were denied visas 75 and in 2008 a tour of Australia was postponed due to health issues 76 and later canceled 77 following Weiland s decision to voluntarily enter a rehab facility 78 On November 21 2007 Weiland was arrested after crashing his car while driving on an L A highway He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction and later released on 40 000 bail 79 Velvet Revolver then toured both the US and the UK as well as some European shows on the Rock n Roll as It Should Be tour from January 24 to April 1 2008 They also played at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 8 the same year 80 During the tour Weiland got back into his old ways 81 which started to take their toll on the rest of the band 56 with the cancellation of the Australian tour seen as the final blow 55 82 On the UK tour the band members never spoke with Weiland with the exception of a few arguments around the stage 82 Tensions came to a head during Velvet Revolver s Glasgow show on March 20 2008 where Weiland announced to the crowd that it was the band s last tour 83 unaware that the other band members were already planning on firing him 82 84 After Sorum posted a message about the show on his website 83 Weiland issued a statement through Blabbermouth net in response saying he made many attempts to remain cordial with the members of Velvet Revolver but mainly the likes of Sorum and that the band were a gang But ego and jealousy can get the better of anyone 85 Slash later stated that it would not be Velvet Revolver s last tour 86 Weiland s departure was announced on April 1 87 Weiland also departed the cover band Camp Freddy 88 which also featured Sorum and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots 55 88 before being fired in 2013 Search for a new singer and solo careers 2008 2015 edit Main articles Slash musician Duff McKagan Dave Kushner and Matt Sorum After Weiland s departure the band began recording and searching for a new singer 89 The search was sporadic with the band spending some time auditioning singers then turning into solo projects returning to the band then abandoning it again Several names were rumored to be auditioning for the band through the years Myles Kennedy Alter Bridge was strongly rumored 90 due to his collaborations with Slash Lenny Kravitz 91 92 Chester Bennington of Linkin Park 93 Steve Isaacs formerly of Skycycle and the Panic Channel 94 Royston Langdon of Spacehog 95 Donovan Leitch of Camp Freddy Ours singer Jimmy Gnecco 96 and Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez 97 as well as previous auditionee Sebastian Bach 98 Ex Slash s Snakepit lead vocalist Rod Jackson was rumoured to audition but Slash stated that he would not collaborate with Jackson again citing his poor work ethic and unreliability Kushner later revealed that Perez was officially hired by the band as vocalist for a brief time in 2008 99 Slash McKagan and Sorum all contributed to the song Kissed It for the Macy Gray album The Sellout which was released on June 22 2010 Despite not featuring Kushner the trio were credited as Velvet Revolver on the album 100 The band released their first concert DVD on November 16 2010 entitled Live In Houston which was filmed June 18 2004 at the Verizon Wireless Theater while the band was touring in support of Contraband 101 102 Slash McKagan and Sorum made a performance at the Road Recovery benefit concert on September 13 with a guest appearance from Kushner 103 Velvet Revolver reunited for a one off performance with Scott Weiland at a benefit concert for the late John O Brien on January 12 2012 104 Following a benefit show for the Road Recovery in 2011 with the other Velvet Revolver members each one agreed to a one off reunion before Kushner invited Weiland who also agreed Kushner also stated it was then unknown what Velvet Revolver s plans were for the future after the reunion show I know everyone s got other commitments but I think everyone s like Let s get this thing done and get through this and then we ll see 105 In April 2012 Weiland remarked that he would like to reunite permanently with Velvet Revolver saying that if Maynard James Keenan can do it with A Perfect Circle and Tool then there s no reason why I shouldn t go and do it with both bands 106 Further in May in an interview with ABC Radio Weiland said that he had reunited with the band permanently for a tour and an album 107 which was denied a few days later by Slash in an interview with 93X 108 On May 12 2014 in an interview at the MusiCares benefit concert Slash told journalist Lucas H Gordon that he think s they re gonna audition a singer in the future However he also stated that he would be touring with his solo band for the next year and a half 109 On June 29 2014 in an interview to Totalrock radio Duff McKagan talked to Hayley Leggs in Clisson France about the subject of a new lead vocalist for Velvet Revolver and revealed that there had been at least one audition for the role of lead vocalist but said that the person that they auditioned did not properly impress the remaining members of the band He also ruled himself out of being the band s lead vocalist 110 On December 3 2015 Weiland was found dead on his tour bus around 9 pm one day before he was to perform in Minnesota with his band the Wildabouts which ended the possible reunion 111 Both Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N Roses in 2016 112 Musical style editVelvet Revolver s first album Contraband was described by Johnny Loftus of AllMusic as an updated version of Guns N Roses swagger behind Scott Weiland s glammy elastic vocals 47 David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated that a nyone expecting Use Your Illusion III though will be in for a slight buzzkill and that t he songs suggest the pop grunge of Weiland s old band more than the careening overdrive of GN R 53 A number of reviewers made some comparisons to the members previous bands 113 114 with PopMatters reviewer David Powell stating that Contraband is a pretty good record of unpretentious rock and roll that suffers from inevitable comparison with the best efforts of its parent bands He went on to state that while Velvet Revolver s heritage is evident on most of the songs Contraband improves with repeat listening which is encouraging 115 Velvet Revolver s second album Libertad saw the band s style change with the presence of producer Brendan O Brien noted by AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine 66 Erlewine also stated that too often there are concessions between Weiland and the others during the course of a song 66 Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly stated that Libertad feels both comfortingly familiar and vaguely exotic 68 Songs such as Let it Roll and She Mine have seen some comparisons to the Doors the Rolling Stones and the Stooges as noted by San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Jaan Uhelszki 70 The New York Post commented that Slash s guitar riffs throughout this new record are as aggressive as a caged cat and singer Scott Weiland s vocals are crisp and controlled yet passionate 69 Members editSlash lead guitar talkbox 2002 2012 Duff McKagan bass backing vocals 2002 2012 Matt Sorum drums percussion backing vocals 2002 2012 Dave Kushner rhythm guitar 2002 2012 Scott Weiland lead vocals keyboards 2003 2008 2012 died 2015 Discography editMain article Velvet Revolver discography Studio albumsContraband 2004 Libertad 2007 Awards and nominations editVelvet Revolver awards and nominationsAwards and nominationsAwardWinsNominationsBillboard Music Awards01Grammy Awards13Kerrang Awards10Radio Music Awards01Totals a Wins2Nominations5Note Certain award groups do not simply award one winner They recognize several different recipients have runners up and have third place Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award runner up mentions are considered wins in this award tally For simplification and to avoid errors each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination Velvet Revolver have received one Grammy Award The band won the Grammy when Slither was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005 The song Fall to Pieces received a nomination for Song of the Year Rock Radio Radio Music Award in 2005 The band won the Best International Newcomer Kerrang Award in 2004 while they were nominated for a Rock Artist of the Year Billboard Music Award in 2005 Billboard Music AwardsThe Billboard Music Awards were awarded annually by Billboard magazine 116 Year Nominee work Award Result2005 Velvet Revolver Rock Artist of the Year NominatedGrammy AwardsThe Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 117 118 Year Nominee work Award Result2005 Slither Best Hard Rock Performance Won Fall to Pieces Best Rock Song NominatedContraband Best Rock Album NominatedKerrang AwardsThe Kerrang Awards are awarded annually by Kerrang Magazine 119 Year Nominee work Award Result2004 Velvet Revolver Best International Newcomer WonRadio Music AwardsThe Radio Music Awards were awarded annually honoring the most successful songs on mainstream radio 120 Year Nominee work Award Result2005 Fall to Pieces Song of the Year Rock Radio NominatedReferences edit Thomas Erlewine Stephen Prato Greg Guns N Roses Biography AllMusic Retrieved November 14 2010 Huey Steve Slash Biography AllMusic Retrieved November 14 2010 a b Torreano Bradley Duff McKagan Biography AllMusic Retrieved November 14 2010 Ankeny Jason 10 Minute Warning Biography AllMusic Retrieved November 14 2010 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 397 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 410 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Rosen Steven February 11 2006 Velvet Revolver We re Straight Up F kin Rock Part 2 Ultimate Guitar Archive Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 415 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Duff McKagan releases Dark Days as LOADED Blabbermouth net June 20 2001 Archived from the original on November 20 2002 Oliveira Daniel June 1999 Duff McKagan Interview Hard Force Magazine de Sylvia Dave September 29 2008 Duff McKagan s Loaded Interview Sputnikmusic Archived from the original on December 11 2012 Former GUNS N ROSES Bassist Announces West Coast Japanese Dates Blabbermouth net January 12 2002 Archived from the original on June 6 2011 a b c Stingley Mick July 14 2004 Exclusive Interview With Velvet Revolver Guitarist Dave Kushner KNAC Randy Castillo Benefit Concert Exclusive Fcukingcontagious net Retrieved August 27 2019 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 423 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 424 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b c d e f g Loftus Johnny Velvet Revolver Biography AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 Contraband CD booklet Velvet Revolver RCA Records 2004 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 425 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 426 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 427 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 428 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 429 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 431 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Stephen Shareaux Interview KIK TRACEE frontman June 2017 Music Legends Online June 22 2017 Retrieved May 21 2018 Supergroups like Chickenfoot never live up to the hype theguardian com March 27 2009 Canada s TODD KERNS Among Candidates For Singer Slot In Ex GNR Project Blabbermouth net December 31 2002 a b Canadian Singer Confirms Audition With Ex GUNS N ROSES Members Blabbermouth net January 4 2003 Canadian Singer TODD KERNS Misses The VELVET REVOLVER Boat Blabbermouth net September 8 2004 a b c d e Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 432 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 DAYS OF THE NEW Frontman Collaborates With Former GUNS N ROSES Members Blabbermouth net December 9 2002 SLASH MYLES KENNEDY Interviewed In London Blabbermouth net June 25 2010 a b c Milas Alexander 2010 Classic Rock presents Slash Forbidden Fruit Future Pub p 123 ISBN 978 1 85870 318 3 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help a b c d e Freedom du Lac J August 2007 Velvet Revolver A Legal Substance The Washington Post Archived from the original on September 13 2012 a b Hendrickson Matt April 2010 Scott Weiland Sobers Up Again Details a b c Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 433 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 434 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 436 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b c d e Velvet Revolver Singles Charts AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 Steele Laurie July 26 2004 Exclusive Interview With Velvet Revolver Drummer Matt Sorum KNAC Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 437 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 438 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b c d Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 439 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 440 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 441 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 The Way the Music Died Artists Stories Frontline Retrieved June 25 2010 a b c Loftus Johnny Contraband Review AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 a b Velvet Revolver Album Charts AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 Gold and Platinum Database Search Recording Industry Association of America Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved June 25 2010 UK Singles Chart info Official Charts Company Retrieved June 2 2009 Critic Reviews for Contraband Metacritic Retrieved November 17 2010 Forest Moreau Kevin June 16 2004 Velvet Landmines ShakingThrough net a b Browne David June 4 2004 Contraband Review Entertainment Weekly a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 442 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b c d Dekel Jonathan May 19 2010 Slash Sets the Record Straight on Velvet Revolver Split Spinner a b Wright Jeb May 19 2010 Sick Things An Exclusive Interview with Duff McKagan Classic Rock Revisited Archived from the original on September 19 2010 Michaels Levi September 6 2007 Velvet Revolver Drummer Matt Sorum Checks In from the Road Santa Barbara Independent Archived from the original on November 22 2008 Retrieved December 10 2010 Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 453 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 a b Slash Bozza Anthony 2007 Slash HarperCollins p 452 ISBN 978 0 00 725775 1 SCOTT WEILAND Would Pay To See GUNS N ROSES Reunion Blabbermouth net April 27 2008 a b VELVET REVOLVER To Perform For And Induct VAN HALEN Into ROCK HALL Blabbermouth net March 1 2007 VAN HALEN Inducted Into ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Photos Video Available Blabbermouth net March 9 2007 VELVET REVOLVER To Perform ROTH And HAGAR Tunes At ROCK HALL Blabbermouth net March 9 2007 VELVET REVOLVER Melody And The Tyranny EP Artwork Track Listing Revealed Blabbermouth net May 14 2007 VELVET REVOLVER Bassist Comments On Melody And The Tyranny EP Blabbermouth net May 16 2007 a b c d Thomas Erlewine Stephen Libertad Review AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 Libertad Singles Charts AllMusic Retrieved July 20 2010 a b Sinclair Tom June 22 2007 Libertad 2007 Entertainment Weekly a b Aquilante Dan July 1 2007 Velvet Revolver Libertad New York Post Archived from the original on October 21 2012 a b Uhelszki Jaan July 1 2007 Liberted Review San Francisco Chronicle Hernandez Raoul July 20 2007 Phases amp Stages The Austin Chronicle Kaye Don July 20 2007 Velvet Revolver Libertad RCA Blabbermouth net Harris Chris May 22 2007 Velvet Revolver Team With Alice In Chains For Summer Tour MTV VELVET REVOLVER Members Denied Japanese Visas Tour Cancelled Blabbermouth net July 4 2007 VELVET REVOLVER ALICE IN CHAINS More North American Tour Dates Announced Blabbermouth net November 14 2007 Velvet Revolver delay tour The Courier Mail November 29 2007 VELVET REVOLVER Cancels Australian Tour Blabbermouth net February 10 2008 VELVET REVOLVER s SCOTT WEILAND Back In Rehab Blabbermouth net February 7 2008 Velvet Revolving Door Weiland Arrested Again TMZ com December 3 2007 DUBAI DESERT ROCK FESTIVAL 2008 The Recap Blabbermouth net March 13 2008 Harris Will April 23 2003 A chat with Duff McKagan Bullz Eye a b c SLASH On Last Tour With SCOTT WEILAND We Gave Him The Cold Shoulder Like Nobody s Business Blabbermouth net April 16 2008 a b SCOTT WEILAND This Is VELVET REVOLVER s Last Tour Blabbermouth net March 21 2008 Slash Exclusive The Truth About Weiland Guitar World April 18 2008 Archived from the original on November 16 2010 SCOTT WEILAND Fires Back At MATT SORUM Ego And Jealousy Can Get The Better Of Anyone Blabbermouth net March 21 2008 SLASH This Is Not VELVET REVOLVER s Last Tour Blabbermouth net March 25 2008 It s Official VELVET REVOLVER Parts Ways With Singer SCOTT WEILAND Blabbermouth net April 1 2008 a b Ankeny Jason Scott Weiland Biography AllMusic Retrieved November 14 2010 VELVET REVOLVER Lays Down 12 New Jams According To Bassist MCKAGAN Blabbermouth net April 10 2008 Wright Jeb May 19 2010 Slash Dangerously Beautiful Classic Rock Revisited Archived from the original on October 16 2012 LENNY KRAVITZ Rumored To Be Rehearsing With VELVET REVOLVER Blabbermouth net August 12 2008 LENNY KRAVITZ I Am Not Joining VELVET REVOLVER Blabbermouth net August 12 2008 LINKIN PARK s BENNINGTON I Am Not VELVET REVOLVER s New Singer Blabbermouth net June 16 2008 THE PANIC CHANNEL Frontman I Am Not Singing For VELVET REVOLVER Blabbermouth net June 24 2008 Halperin Shirley July 30 2008 Spacehog s Royston Langdon in the running for Velvet Revolver frontman Entertainment Weekly Shea Matt December 14 2011 Matt Sorum Guns N Roses Velvet Revolver interview TheVine com au Archived from the original on January 10 2012 Halperin Shirley July 16 2009 Scott Weiland is like George Bush to me I like him now that he s gone Classic Rock Sebastian Bach speaks about possibly joining Velvet Revolver MusicRadar May 8 2008 The Story Behind FRANKY PEREZ s Short Stint As Lead Singer For VELVET REVOLVER Blabbermouth net April 15 2018 Retrieved April 23 2020 Former GUNS N ROSES Members Featured On New MACY GRAY Album Blabbermouth net May 21 2010 Live In Houston DVD by Velvet Revolver Slashparadise com Retrieved November 19 2020 VELVET REVOLVER Live In Houston DVD Due Next Month Blabbermouth net October 14 2010 Archived from the original on October 17 2010 Retrieved December 10 2010 Weyls Ryan October 6 2011 Duff McKagan on his Sensei Going Back to School and Finding a New Singer for Velvet Revolver OC Weekly Archived from the original on October 7 2011 Retrieved October 6 2011 Leonard Michael December 30 2011 Velvet Revolver Reunite Gibson com Archived from the original on January 8 2012 Baltin Steve January 6 2012 Exclusive The Reason Behind Velvet Revolver s One Night Reunion Rolling Stone Prato Greg May 1 2012 Scott Weiland Talks Avengers Tune STP Anniversary Tour Rolling Stone Wenner Media Frontman Scott Weiland Back with Velvet Revolver Band to Tour Later This Year ABC News Radio May 14 2012 Archived from the original on May 17 2012 Slash on Velvet Revolver reunion Scott Weiland is out of his mind NME IPC Media May 15 2012 Velvet Revolver Has Lead Singer Audition Coming Up Says Slash Blabbermouth net May 16 2014 DUFF MCKAGAN Talks VELVET REVOLVER Singer Search Upcoming Documentary Based On His Memoir Blabbermouth net June 29 2014 Retrieved April 23 2020 Halperin Shirley Scott Weiland Former Stone Temple Pilots Singer Dead at 48 Billboard com Retrieved December 4 2015 Guns N Roses confirm return of Slash and Duff McKagan for Coachella reunion NME com January 6 2016 Retrieved May 2 2016 Ross R S June 30 2004 Velvet Revolver Contraband Review Stylus Magazine Archived from the original on December 10 2007 Kaye Don Velvet Revolver Contraband RCA Blabbermouth net Archived from the original on August 16 2004 Retrieved November 17 2010 Powell David June 30 2004 Velvet Revolver Contraband Pop Matters Archived from the original on August 27 2009 Retrieved November 17 2010 News Archive RCA Records November 29 2005 Archived from the original on July 15 2011 Retrieved July 15 2011 35th Grammy Awards 2005 Rockonthenet com Retrieved December 8 2007 Grammy Award nominees in top categories USA Today Gannett Company Inc December 7 2004 Retrieved November 17 2012 METALLICA Named Best Band On The Planet At KERRANG AWARDS Blabbermouth net August 26 2004 Archived from the original on December 7 2005 Radio Music Awards Chiff com Archived from the original on July 8 2011 Retrieved December 10 2010 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Velvet Revolver Official website Velvet Revolver discography at Discogs nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Velvet Revolver amp oldid 1185729731, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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