Slash On Drugs: 'It Was A Lot Of Fun'

Alongside the release of his second solo album "Apocalyptic Love", Slash appeared "Piers Morgan Tonight" for an in-depth interview about his past, which you can see in the player below.

Through the 1990s Slash famously battled drug addiction. During the interview he was proud to say he's been sober for 7 years - but that doesn't mean his old lifestyle wasn't fun.

"I don’t have any regrets about any of it," Slash told Piers. "It was a lot of fun, and I think a lot of that whole sort of lifestyle - that freedom of doing anything you want to do and have a good time however you want to do it is all great.

"But it catches up with you at some point. You don’t see it coming. There’s an invisible line that you cross."

Slash went on to discuss why Guns N' Roses will never reform in its original line-up. The last time he spoke to Axl Rose was when he left the band in 1996, but Slash points out that he didn't exactly leave GN'R. Rather, he declined to join the "new" GN'R which Axl was forming. "I was given a contract to basically join his new band," he said. "It took about 24 hours before I decided this is the end of the line."

Watch Slash discuss drugs and partying:

Watch Slash explain why the old GN'R is over for good:

Have you bought the new Slash album? Share your first reaction to it in the comments.

Comments

[Mr Brownst0ne]

Love Slash, hate Piers Morgan.

[Minivirus2]

Unlike the headline, I don't think Slash was trying to glorify his drug use, but rather was commenting on his life as whole at the time.

[GrungeHippie26]

Minivirus2 wrote:

Unlike the headline, I don't think Slash was trying to glorify his drug use, but rather was commenting on his life as whole at the time.

Its a personal thing anyways. Drug use is putting substances into your OWN body so we have no room to criticze people for it. There's nothing to regret.

[henboyrules]

He wasn't glorifying drug use, he was simply saying that he had fun while on drugs. I mean, you find me one person who says that from the first second of being on drugs they hated it. No one will say that because of what it does to your body. And with the GNR thing, I respect Slash so much for the fact that he's not going to even think about that possibility because he knows that it wouldn't be a good time, and that would cause a bad show.

[john_kimble]

Slash is honestly the best guitar player in rock today.

Zacky Mylde couldn't carry his jockstrap in a suitcase.

[Brownerz]

I feel sorry for Slash, it looks cool and all but having to wear his top hat all the time would piss me off.

[iommi600]

"But it catches up with you at some point. You don’t see it coming. There’s an invisible line that you cross."

If only Layne Staley noticed that line

[DaveMustaine7]

Pier Morgan is a dick! Let Slash finish what he was saying before you dismiss him and go onto another subject.

[tehshizpumpkin]

If only Layne Staley noticed that line

I think a lot of people wished he did.

[BradTheBluefish]

"I was given a contract to basically join his new band," he said. "It took about 24 hours before I decided this is the end of the line."

Wait, what!!!

[YOURMOMSGUITAR]

Tomorrows headline: Dave Grohl goes to parties!

[crazysam23_Atax]

BradTheBluefish wrote:

"I was given a contract to basically join his new band," he said. "It took about 24 hours before I decided this is the end of the line."

Wait, what!!!

Meaning, he thought about it for a bit and then decided he didn't want to be part of the new "Axl & Friends" group.

[HigherThanAMile]

john_kimble wrote:

Slash is honestly the best guitar player in rock today.

Zacky Mylde couldn't carry his jockstrap in a suitcase.

Has anyone ever told you that there is no such thing as the best guitarist in any genre?

"I have a lick that's better than Jeff Beck's and Jeff has a lick that's better than mine, but Jimi Hendrix is better than either of us." -Eric Clapton

Blow yourself away when you play, don't worry about impressing everyone else.

[WheredMyRockGo?]

Slash is the man. And even though he's kind of branded now it seems like he does everything for fun and for the love of music and isnt really in it just to make money. That's good to see.

[Alice2Mudgarden]

drugs are cool

[Mouloudo]

man this dude is a lie lol... I mean that's been more than 10 years that I read in his interviews that his sober ( check velvet revolver era interviews), then he tells us he's sober since 2005?

[calger14]

Good to see someone being 100% honest!

[Xomar]

Thanks slash for not doing it for the money- if he doesn't want to do GNR he shouldn't. Stupid Piers Morgan. That's CNN for you

[mtl4life]

I saw an interview with Slash on Canadian TV where Slash said that he was in the band Poison for a short time before CC Deville joined the band. Slash also said that Pose-on is souless!

[vppark2]

Brownerz wrote:

I feel sorry for Slash, it looks cool and all but having to wear his top hat all the time would piss me off.

i was thinking the same thing lol

[vppark2]

YOURMOMSGUITAR wrote:

Tomorrows headline: Dave Grohl goes to parties!

and makes up his once dance...it's called The Grohl ladies.

[vppark2]

vppark2 wrote:

YOURMOMSGUITAR wrote:

Tomorrows headline: Dave Grohl goes to parties! and makes up his once dance...it's called The Grohl ladies.

own*

[mschup27]

Mouloudo wrote:

man this dude is a lie lol... I mean that's been more than 10 years that I read in his interviews that his sober ( check velvet revolver era interviews), then he tells us he's sober since 2005?

People relapse

[Camron62\m/]

uh drugs are bad? mkay?

[hazydavy]

GrungeHippie26 wrote:

Minivirus2 wrote:

Unlike the headline, I don't think Slash was trying to glorify his drug use, but rather was commenting on his life as whole at the time.

Its a personal thing anyways. Drug use is putting substances into your OWN body so we have no room to criticze people for it. There's nothing to regret.

There is room to criticize when people put things into their own bodies and society pays. Not the case here, but I had to point out the distinction between a celeb/artist doing it and those who can't afford their addictions and wind up as pariahs.

[thebigredjj10]

hazydavy wrote:

GrungeHippie26 wrote:

Minivirus2 wrote:

Unlike the headline, I don't think Slash was trying to glorify his drug use, but rather was commenting on his life as whole at the time.

Its a personal thing anyways. Drug use is putting substances into your OWN body so we have no room to criticze people for it. There's nothing to regret.
There is room to criticize when people put things into their own bodies and society pays. Not the case here, but I had to point out the distinction between a celeb/artist doing it and those who can't afford their addictions and wind up as pariahs.

Well that puts it beyond the realm of a person doing drugs that affect their own bodies. It crosses the line where a person chooses to either endanger or make more difficult the lives of others, whether it be irresponsible drug use (that they chose) or other.
For example, if a person gets extremely inebriated and starts attacking people, them being drunk does not absolve them of their actions. They are the ones who decided to put themselves in a position where they might do something stupid while intoxicated.
But, I'm probably sure I'm not disagreeing with you, but just adding to your point.

[spiff-corgi]

"There’s an invisible line that you cross."

Honest to God thought he was gonna say, "There's an invisible line that you snort."
In all seriousness who wouldn't look back on a time when they partied and had sex and did drugs with some fond memories. It doesn't mean taking drugs is an overall positive thing, it means that from any crazy part of your life you'll look back and be like, "Fuck that was epic."
I think he's trying to say it's part of what makes you, both as a musician and a person.

[mathman51]

At the time ,really, what was there not to like about their lifestyle? They released a huge debut album in Welcome to the Jungle which was riddled with drug inferences,They were hanging out with peers who like them grew up on the strip so their exposure to the scene was part of the course. I mean, did you see pics of the strip in the 80s? Derelicts,trannies,dealers,users, homeless they were all there. Hell they probably had to climb over this sort to get into the clubs to play. Does he endorse it? Is he stupid, To endorse that would cost him any endorsements but did he have fun living on the edge of life....hell yes and what kid wouldn't. The bigger story is what it took out of him to regain control of his life. Only time will tell that and if Steven Adler is still living then I think Slash is doing alright. Hats off to both of them for rising to the top and making the Hall.Too bad Axl couldn't use addiction as a reason for being a tool but hey, some things just can't be fixed

[viduc13]

Piers looks a little like Brian May

[rockerwannabe]

Does anyone else think that Slash now wears prescription sunglasses? Check it out. It's my latest theory but I need more grant money.

[swave75]

Brownerz wrote:

I feel sorry for Slash, it looks cool and all but having to wear his top hat all the time would piss me off.

He is pretty much stuck wearing it forever.

[GunsNRyche]

mathman51 wrote:

At the time ,really, what was there not to like about their lifestyle? They released a huge debut album in Welcome to the Jungle which was riddled with drug inferences,They were hanging out with peers who like them grew up on the strip so their exposure to the scene was part of the course. I mean, did you see pics of the strip in the 80s? Derelicts,trannies,dealers,users, homeless they were all there. Hell they probably had to climb over this sort to get into the clubs to play. Does he endorse it? Is he stupid, To endorse that would cost him any endorsements but did he have fun living on the edge of life....hell yes and what kid wouldn't. The bigger story is what it took out of him to regain control of his life. Only time will tell that and if Steven Adler is still living then I think Slash is doing alright. Hats off to both of them for rising to the top and making the Hall.Too bad Axl couldn't use addiction as a reason for being a tool but hey, some things just can't be fixed

Did you seriously call the album Welcome to the Jungle? lol

[foopeppers]

Love how Piers Morgan is now in the US cos everybody hates him here in the UK!

On another note, I just think Slash is the coolest guy alive. He neither knows nor cares how much money he was offered to rejoin GNR...truly a man of integrity. Plus anyone who hires out multiple hotel rooms in one night in order to sleep with different girls has got to be a trueLAD and a genius.

[stonedhippos]

from the title, i had an image of slash talking like towely from south park saying, "wanna get high?"

[Slap-happy]

Mouloudo wrote:

man this dude is a lie lol... I mean that's been more than 10 years that I read in his interviews that his sober ( check velvet revolver era interviews), then he tells us he's sober since 2005?

He was clean when VR was founded and has since admitted to having a couple of incidents where he found himself using again - oxycontin (sp?), if I recall. It happens - get over it.

[theused101]

when these uys say sober they mean sober no wine or nuthin.

[LynchMobster]

crazysam23_Atax wrote:

BradTheBluefish wrote:

"I was given a contract to basically join his new band," he said. "It took about 24 hours before I decided this is the end of the line."

Wait, what!!!Meaning, he thought about it for a bit and then decided he didn't want to be part of the new "Axl & Friends" group.

it was more the musical direction axl wanted to pursue. axl wanted to move towards a more industrial sound while slash wanted to continue with the hard-rocking, raw and dirty blues style that put gnr on the map in the first place

[BongHooitz]

piers morgan is a fag

[alvich]

slash is shit IMO

[Miyagi84]

Don't really have a problem with drugs except for heroin and crack, and cocaine, due to their incredibly addictive properties, so to a certain extent I agree with him. I remember the part in his autobiography when he said he started seeing little pixies that he thought were trying kill him... that doesn't seem like fun, in fact I remember him saying it was terrifying. Maybe that's the line you have to draw in the stand to stop doing drugs?

[jrcsgtpeppers]

henboyrules wrote:

He wasn't glorifying drug use, he was simply saying that he had fun while on drugs. I mean, you find me one person who says that from the first second of being on drugs they hated it. No one will say that because of what it does to your body. And with the GNR thing, I respect Slash so much for the fact that he's not going to even think about that possibility because he knows that it wouldn't be a good time, and that would cause a bad show.

i disagree. many people hate weed at first. i was one of them.

[sword shredder]

Might as well title the article 'DRUGS ARE FUN'.

[Municipal Waste]

sword shredder wrote:

Might as well title the article 'DRUGS ARE FUN'.

Well... they are.

[Virtuosofreak]

Too bad that many(THANK GOD THAT NOT ALL OF THEM) of our beloved rock musicians were drug/alcohol addicts in the past.
If Guns 'N' Roses wouldn't have used drugs,maybe they'd still be together up to this day.