ComEnts

Saw "The Velvet Revolver Story" on TV last night, brilliant. Everything from rock star hissy fits to Scott Weiland being "mysterious" and "enigmatic". Apparently, before they recorded their album they were auditioning for a singer and saw a bunch of wannabes and semi-famous types before Weiland left Stone Temple Pilots and wandered in for an audition with them. It worked, he got "on board" and they arranged a showcase to pitch a song to Hollywood film types to try and get it picked up on a soundtrack ("The Hulk", as it turned out). So, the band have a day to rehearse this one song with Scotty-boy before the showcase - does he turn up? Does he bollocks! Great footage of Slash sitting there in the rehearsal place looking philosophical and muttering "..singers, eh?", Matt Sorum trying to pass off minor anger attacks as good-humoured banter and Duff just looking worried. Now, I don’t know how much of this was staged - it was well done if it was - but apparently Scott turned up about 5 mins before the film industry types did (the next day), rocked out and they got the song on the soundtrack.

I'm not too impressed with Slash's lead playing on Contraband, but the songs are immense, "Fall to Pieces" is a classic track, and "Slither" was the riff that killed off Guns and Roses for me. Stone Temple Pilots' "Core" is another of my fave albums of all time, STP, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, are among my favourite bands. I'm still waiting for Jerry Cantrell to open auditions for a new band - I'd be in the queue for that, definitely. Apparently he's retired to his ranch, tho - fair play, he didn't exactly have the easiest time of it with Layne Staley, etc. Still, if you dance with the devil, etc.