Velvet Revolver
Encyclopedia
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock
supergroup
consisting of former Guns N' Roses
members Slash
, Duff McKagan
, and Matt Sorum
, alongside Dave Kushner
formerly of punk
band Wasted Youth
. Stone Temple Pilots
vocalist Scott Weiland
was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until 2008. 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, criticizing them for a "disconnection" between Scott 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 left Velvet Revolver and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots
. Velvet Revolver has been on indefinite hiatus since April 2008, and in November of that year, the band was released by their record label RCA Records
at their request to allow them "complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish" replacing Weiland.
The release of Slash's self-titled debut solo album and Duff McKagan's addition to the Jane's Addiction
lineup seemed to put the future of the band in doubt. However, McKagan left Jane's Addiction a few months after joining. Velvet Revolver then wrote new songs and briefly auditioned singers before once again resuming their hiatus.
Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum were members of hard rock band Guns N' Roses
. Slash and McKagan had been members since 1985, while Sorum joined the band in 1990. Guns N' Roses toured and achieved international success following the release of the albums Appetite for Destruction
, Use Your Illusion I
, and Use Your Illusion II
. However, a distancing relationship with singer Axl Rose
resulted in Slash, in 1996, and McKagan, in 1997, leaving the band while Sorum was fired the same year. Following their departures, the trio focused on separate projects with Slash reforming Slash's Snakepit
and McKagan reforming 10 Minute Warning
, as well as recording his second solo album while Sorum rejoined The Cult
.
Despite being involved with other projects, the trio occasionally collaborated. Slash guested on McKagan's unreleased second solo album Beautiful Disease, while the trio recorded original music for the independent film Soundman in 1998. They also performed together with Lanny Cordola
, Chuck Wright
, and Teddy Andreadis
for a one-hour plus concert at the Slamdance Film Festival
in Park City, Utah
to promote the film in 1999. Rumors quickly arose of a Guns N' Roses reunion, however, McKagan stated that they "[were] just [t]here to play. It's not that big of a deal, but [they] play good together."
By 2001, Slash's Snakepit had disbanded for the second time. Slash began working with The Black Crowes
drummer Steve Gorman
and an unnamed bassist on a new project: writing the music for what would become "Fall to Pieces". McKagan reformed Loaded
, previously his band for the tour in support of Beautiful Disease, with Geoff Reading
. McKagan also added both Mike Squires
and Jeff Rouse
to the lineup. Following a tour of Japan in 2002, former Zilch
, Wasted Youth
, Electric Love Hogs
, and Dave Navarro
guitarist Dave Kushner
joined Loaded in place of Mike Squires.
When musician Randy Castillo
died from cancer in 2002, Slash, McKagan, and Sorum performed at a benefit concert to raise money and commemorate Castillo with Josh Todd
and Keith Nelson of Buckcherry
as well as B-Real
and Sen Dog
of Cypress Hill
. Recognizing that their musical relationship was still intact, the trio began rehearsing with Todd and Nelson, working on material that would become "Dirty Little Thing", but eventually decided against forming a group with them. During a Loaded show at Hollywood's Viper Room
, McKagan introduced Kushner to Slash, who were previously friends in junior high and high school. 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." Their former Guns N' Roses band mate Izzy Stradlin
also joined them for two weeks, 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. After auditioning Kelly Shaefer of Atheist
and Neurotica
, Stradlin left the group.
While Shaefer's audition was unsuccessful, the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer, with VH1
filming the recruitment process while being referred to as the temporary name "The Project". The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned for the band, including Todd Kerns
, formerly of Age of Electric
, Sebastian Bach
, formerly of Skid Row, Shawn Albro of U.P.O.
, and Travis Meeks
of Days of the New
. Myles Kennedy
, formerly of The Mayfield Four
, declined an invitation from Sorum to audition. Ian Astbury
of The Cult
and Mike Patton
of Faith No More
also declined audition offers. The band were also interested in auditioning Stone Temple Pilots
singer Scott Weiland
, who had become friends with McKagan after attending the same gym. Weiland once played on the same bill as Kushner, and was in rehab at the same time as Sorum. Weiland was sent two discs of material, and felt that the first disc "sounded like Bad Company
gone wrong." When he was sent the second disc, Weiland was more positive, comparing it to Core
-era Stone Temple Pilots, though he turned them down because Stone Temple Pilots were still together.
When Stone Temple Pilots disbanded in 2003, the band sent Weiland new music, which he took into his studio and added vocals. This music eventually becoming the song "Set Me Free". Despite delivering the music to the band himself, Weiland was still unsure whether or not he wanted to join them, despite performing at an industry showcase at Mates. They recorded two songs with producer Nick Raskulinecz
, a recorded version of "Set Me Free
" and a cover of Pink Floyd
's "Money
", for the soundtracks to the movies The Hulk
and The Italian Job
, respectively. Weiland joined the band soon after. "Set Me Free" managed to peak at number 17 on the Mainstream Rock Chart without any radio promotion or a record label. 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
' "Pretty Vacant
", and Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy
".
, 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. It was during this time that 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 song "Fall to Pieces". 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. After recording "Headspace" with Josh Abraham
, the band liked the track enough to do the rest of the album with him.
Velvet Revolver soon gained major label attention with Warner Bros.
and Chrysalis
. RCA
and Elektra
were also interested in signing the band. They eventually signed with RCA Records. 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
. During recording, Weiland could only work for three hours a day due to a court order mentioning that he was to stay in a halfway house
. 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.
The resulting album, titled Contraband, was released on June 8, 2004, and, helped by the success of the single "Slither
", debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
, selling over 250,000 copies in the first week. Contraband went on to sell four million copies worldwide, 2.9 million of which were sold in the United States, and was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA
. Both "Slither" and "Fall to Pieces
" managed to peak at number one on the Mainstream Rock Chart as well as number 56 and 67 on the Billboard Hot 100
, respectively. "Slither" also peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Chart and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart
. The album's third single, "Dirty Little Thing
", peaked at number eight on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Critically, the album was generally well-received. Despite being praised for its hedonism and maturity, critics noted a disconnection between "singer and band". 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 also received a nomination for Rock Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Award
s 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.
Velvet Revolver toured extensively for nineteen months in support of Contraband. 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
and Ozzfest
. It was during the tour that the band members, with the exception of Kushner, began to relapse on alcohol and drugs. Though they managed to get 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."
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, they decided against continuing with Rubin. 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 [the band] and it really helped the process." He also said that the "sessions were consistent, everyone was there, everyone contributed, and everyone appreciated what each player was doing" and that the "mutual participation surpassed the first Guns sessions." While writing for the album, Weiland believed that his band mates 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.
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. The band played a medley of "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
" and "Runaround". Shows in South American with Aerosmith
followed in April. They released the EP Melody and the Tyranny
on June 1 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".
Libertad was released on July 3, 2007, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. The album's first single "She Builds Quick Machines
" peaked at 74 on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles. 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. Critical reception to the album was mixed. Though some critics praised the album and felt that Libertad gave the band an identity of their own, outside of the Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots comparisons, others described the album as "bland" and noted that the band have still to gel with them "play[ing] to their strengths instead of finding a collective sound."
In support of Libertad, Velvet Revolver toured North America and Canada with Alice in Chains
from August 2007 to October. They also performed at the Virgin Festival
, Gods of Metal
, and Download in 2007. A November tour of Japan was canceled after they were denied visas, and in 2008, a tour of Australia was postponed, due to health issues, and later canceled following Weiland's decision to voluntarily enter a rehab facility. 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. 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. It was during the tour that Weiland "got back into his old ways", which started to take their toll on the rest of the band with the cancellation of the Australian tour seen as the "final blow".
On the UK tour, the band members never spoke with Weiland, with the exception of a few arguments around the stage. 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, unaware that the band were already planning on firing him. After Sorum posted a message about the show on his website, 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." Slash later stated that it would not be Velvet Revolver's last tour. Weiland's departure was announced on April 1. Weiland also departed the cover band Camp Freddy
, which also featured Sorum, and has since reunited with Stone Temple Pilots
.
Velvet Revolver soon began recording new material before going on hiatus, while a number of singers were rumoured to be working with the band. Amongst them were Lenny Kravitz
, Chester Bennington
of Linkin Park
, Steve Isaacs formerly of Skycycle
and The Panic Channel
, Royston Langdon of Spacehog
, Donovan Leitch of Camp Freddy, and Scars on Broadway
guitarist Franky Perez
, as well as previous auditonee Sebastian Bach. Slipknot
and Stone Sour
singer Corey Taylor
unsuccessfully auditioned for the band, while Velvet Revolver invited both Myles Kennedy and Shooter Jennings
to join. However, with Kennedy still in Alter Bridge
and Jennings recording a new album, both turned the offer down. The band also approached their record label in June 2008, asking to be released from their recording contract to allow them "complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish" replacing Weiland. Sony BMG/RCA dropped the band from the label in November of the same year.
the same year McKagan also released the band's second album, entitled Sick
, in 2009. They completed the recording of their third album with producer Terry Date
in 2010, and began collaborating with filmmaker
and documentarian
Jamie Burton Chamberlin on a film based on the album the same year. McKagan joined Jane's Addiction
in March 2010, replacing founding bassist Eric Avery
. However, his tenure with the band lasted only five months, with his departure from the band announced on September 6 of the same year.
Kushner began composing music for film and television. He co-wrote the theme song entitled "This Life
" for FX series Sons of Anarchy
, receiving an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
in 2009 and an ASCAP Award in 2010. In 2010, he and John O'Brien composed the music for the ABC
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
. He also contributed music to the films Four Christmases
and Couples Retreat
. Kushner also collaborated with Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez, who had previously worked with Velvet Revolver, releasing songs under the pseudonym of DKFXP
. One of the songs, "Beyond the Wire", was later used in the film Hisss, with the new title of "Beyond the Snake". The song featured vocals and lyrics by Shruti Haasan
. In 2010, Kushner and Dave Navarro
collaborated on a cover of The Kinks
' "You Really Got Me
" to be used in a Hyundai
commercial.
Sorum continued work on cover band Camp Freddy's debut album before guesting on Sammy Hagar
's solo album Cosmic Universal Fashion
. He also produced two songs, entitled "Are You Blind" and "Coming For You", for Los Angeles-based band, Drive A, in 2008. In 2010, Sorum formed the cover band Carnival of Dogs with Franky Perez, L.A. Guns
guitarist Tracii Guns
, and former Ozzy Osbourne
and Billy Idol
bassist Phil Soussan
before going on to tour with Motörhead, temporarily filling in for drummer Mikkey Dee
. He also began working with Cherie Currie
, formerly of The Runaways
, on her new solo album.
Slash worked on his solo album, writing and demoing songs before sending them to numerous singers and musicians. Recorded with producer Eric Valentine
, Slash, released on March 31, 2010, featured a number of guests such as Andrew Stockdale
of Wolfmother
, M. Shadows
of Avenged Sevenfold
, Kid Rock
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Myles Kennedy
, Chris Cornell
and Fergie, among others. His band for the tour in support of the album consisted of Myles Kennedy, guitarist Bobby Schneck, and drummer Brent Fitz
. It also included early Velvet Revolver audtionee Todd Kerns on bass. He also guested on Rihanna
's album Rated R
on the song "Rockstar 101
", as well as Kennedy's debut solo album while also confirming that his next solo album would feature Kennedy as the sole vocalist.
, and also stated in May that, unlike the "Guns N' Roses situation", he and Weiland are still friends. Weiland also later stated that his time with the band was a "great experience until near the end" and that he "[does not] hold any resentment towards any of the guys in the band." Velvet Revolver soon began writing new songs and auditioning new singers, with Slash stating that "the new material is a lot heavier than what Velvet Revolver has put out, so [he is] dying to put out the quintessential Velvet Revolver record." Rumors quickly arose that Myles Kennedy was to be the new Velvet Revolver vocalist due to his collaborations with Slash. However, Slash confirmed that no effort was made to have Kennedy join the band. Kennedy also stated that while joining "Velvet Revolver [would] be enticing, [he made plans] and [his] plate is pretty full."
Slash, McKagan, and Sorum all contributed to the song "Kissed It
" for the Macy Gray
album The Sellout
, which was released on June 22. Despite not featuring Kushner, the trio were credited as Velvet Revolver on the album. The band released their first concert DVD on November 16, entitled Live In Houston, which was filmed in 2005 while the band was touring in support of Contraband. The same month, Slash revealed that a "big name" singer is due to audition soon for Velvet Revolver, with more auditions also being held in December. Sorum revealed in December that the band were close to finding a new singer. They agreed on one person, describing him as "younger and stronger." Despite being positive, they plan to continue rehearsing with the singer in January before making a decision. In January 2011, it was revealed that the band had nine demos recorded, and was due to make a decision on their singer; Matt Sorum also revealed that the band was likely to release its next album before the end of 2011, so long as they find time to record together. In a video interview with Vintage Rock at NAMM
2011, Sorum stated that the rest of the band do not necessarily share his opinion of the "mystery singer." Previous auditionee Corey Taylor
has been rumored to be the singer Velvet Revolver were working with. In an interview with Billboard
, Taylor neither confirmed nor denied the rumor. In an online chat for ESPN
, McKagan also stated that he "can neither confirm nor deny" that Taylor was the new singer though he later revealed in an interview with MusicRadar
, that Velvet Revolver recorded songs with him. Slash later confirmed that Velvet Revolver was looking at Taylor as a possible replacement for Weiland. However, due to his solo tour, no decision was made. Slash has since stated that the band have not found a suitable singer, with the band continuing their hiatus for the next few years while members focus on other projects. Following a performance by Slash, McKagan and Sorum, and a guest appearance from Kushner, at the Road Recovery benefit concert on September 13, McKagan stated that the band might write songs with one of the guest singers.
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." A number of reviewers made some comparisons to the members previous bands 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." With Velvet Revolver's second album Libertad seen the band's style change with the presence of producer Brendan O'Brien
, noted by Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
. Erlewine also stated that "too often, there are concessions between Weiland and the others during the course of a song." Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly stated that Libertad is "feels both comfortingly familiar and vaguely exotic." Songs such as "Let it Roll" and "She Mine" seen some comparisons to The Doors
, The Rolling Stones
and The Stooges
, noted by San Francisco Chronicle
reviewer Jaan Uhelszki. 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."
Former members
. 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 Award
s were awarded annually by Billboard
magazine.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005 || Velvet Revolver || Rock Artist of the Year ||
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Award
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
|| "Slither
" || Best Hard Rock Performance
||
Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards are awarded annually by Kerrang! Magazine
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || Velvet Revolver || Best International Newcomer ||
Radio Music Awards
The Radio Music Awards were awarded annually honoring the most successful songs on mainstream radio
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005 || "Fall to Pieces
" || Song of the Year/Rock Radio ||
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
consisting of former Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
members Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, and Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
, alongside Dave Kushner
Dave Kushner
David "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
formerly of punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
. Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
vocalist Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until 2008. 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, criticizing them for a "disconnection" between Scott Weiland and the rest of the band. With their single "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
", they won the 2005 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
.
The band released Libertad in 2007, driven by the release of the single "She Builds Quick Machines
She Builds Quick Machines
"She Builds Quick Machines" is a rock song by Velvet Revolver, and was released as the first single off the album Libertad on May 21, 2007. The song was made available for digital download on May 16, 2007. Besides being featured on Libertad, "She Builds Quick Machines" was also featured on the EP...
", and embarked on a tour with Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. In April 2008, Weiland left Velvet Revolver and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots
2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour
The 2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour was a 75-date reunion tour for the popular American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, who originally disbanded in 2003. The tour, which kicked off on May 17, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio at the Rock on the Range festival, ran throughout the summer and ended on...
. Velvet Revolver has been on indefinite hiatus since April 2008, and in November of that year, the band was released by their record label RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
at their request to allow them "complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish" replacing Weiland.
The release of Slash's self-titled debut solo album and Duff McKagan's addition to the Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
lineup seemed to put the future of the band in doubt. However, McKagan left Jane's Addiction a few months after joining. Velvet Revolver then wrote new songs and briefly auditioned singers before once again resuming their hiatus.
Formation (1996–2003)
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. Slash and McKagan had been members since 1985, while Sorum joined the band in 1990. Guns N' Roses toured and achieved international success following the release of the albums Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
, Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
, and Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
. However, a distancing relationship with singer Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
resulted in Slash, in 1996, and McKagan, in 1997, leaving the band while Sorum was fired the same year. Following their departures, the trio focused on separate projects with Slash reforming Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit were an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band, with equal contributions by all members...
and McKagan reforming 10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. They became famous locally as one of the first bands to adapt the popular punk sound to something slower and heavier, paving the way for grunge bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone before breaking up in 1984.-Early years...
, as well as recording his second solo album while Sorum rejoined The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
.
Despite being involved with other projects, the trio occasionally collaborated. Slash guested on McKagan's unreleased second solo album Beautiful Disease, while the trio recorded original music for the independent film Soundman in 1998. They also performed together with Lanny Cordola
Lanny Cordola
Lanny Cordola is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer. He has been a member of bands such as Giuffria, House Of Lords, and Magdallan ....
, Chuck Wright
Chuck Wright
Chuck Wright is an American bassist, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He originally joined Quiet Riot in 1982, performing bass on several tracks for their hit album, Metal Health, as well as contributing backing vocals. He left and rejoined Quiet Riot multiple times,...
, and Teddy Andreadis
Teddy Andreadis
Teddy 'Zig Zag' Andreadis is an American piano/harmonica player who has worked with many popular musicians, including Carole King, Guns N’ Roses, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Alice Cooper, Bruce Willis, and the Boxing Gandhis. In 1999 he was voted “Outstanding Keyboardist of the Year” by the L.A. Music...
for a one-hour plus concert at the Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
to promote the film in 1999. Rumors quickly arose of a Guns N' Roses reunion, however, McKagan stated that they "[were] just [t]here to play. It's not that big of a deal, but [they] play good together."
By 2001, Slash's Snakepit had disbanded for the second time. Slash began working with The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
drummer Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman is a musician best known as the drummer of the American hard rock band The Black Crowes. He also spent some time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics.- Early career :...
and an unnamed bassist on a new project: writing the music for what would become "Fall to Pieces". McKagan reformed Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
, previously his band for the tour in support of Beautiful Disease, with Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading is an American musician. In his career, Reading has been a member of a number of groups, including Loaded , Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, The Disciples Geoff Reading (born February 23, 1968, in Rochester, New York) is an American musician. In his career, Reading has...
. McKagan also added both Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
and Jeff Rouse
Jeff Rouse (musician)
Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
to the lineup. Following a tour of Japan in 2002, former Zilch
Zilch (band)
Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
, Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
, Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs were a short-lived American funk metal band formed in San Diego, California in 1991. The band's lineup consisted of John Feldmann , Dave Kushner , Donni Campion , Kelly LeMieux and Bobby Hewitt...
, and Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
guitarist Dave Kushner
Dave Kushner
David "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
joined Loaded in place of Mike Squires.
When musician Randy Castillo
Randy Castillo
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
died from cancer in 2002, Slash, McKagan, and Sorum performed at a benefit concert to raise money and commemorate Castillo with Josh Todd
Josh Todd
Josh Todd is an American musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Buckcherry.-Background:...
and Keith Nelson of Buckcherry
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
as well as B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
and Sen Dog
Sen Dog
Sen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
. Recognizing that their musical relationship was still intact, the trio began rehearsing with Todd and Nelson, working on material that would become "Dirty Little Thing", but eventually decided against forming a group with them. During a Loaded show at Hollywood's Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
, McKagan introduced Kushner to Slash, who were previously friends in junior high and high school. 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." Their former Guns N' Roses band mate Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
also joined them for two weeks, 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. After auditioning Kelly Shaefer of Atheist
Atheist (band)
Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...
and Neurotica
Neurotica (band)
Neurotica was started around 1995 by singer Kelly Schaefer and guitarist Shawn Bowen. Performances in local clubs brought the band to the attention of AC/DC singer and Sarasota resident Brian Johnson, who helped them find a management deal and produced their debut album, Seed...
, Stradlin left the group.
While Shaefer's audition was unsuccessful, the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer, with VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
filming the recruitment process while being referred to as the temporary name "The Project". The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned for the band, including Todd Kerns
Todd Kerns
Todd Kerns and grew up in Lanigan, Saskatchewan is a Canadian musician who has worked with several successful Canadian bands, most notably Age of Electric...
, formerly of Age of Electric
Age of Electric
Age of Electric was a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s.The band, consisting of two pairs of brothers, formed in Lanigan, Saskatchewan in 1989. The members were guitarists Ryan Dahle and Todd Kerns, bassist John Kerns and drummer Kurt Dahle. Ryan, Todd and Kurt all contributed vocals as...
, Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
, formerly of Skid Row, Shawn Albro of U.P.O.
U.P.O.
U.P.O. was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997. Since 2004, the band's line-up has included Shawn Albro , Chris Weber , Ben Shirley and Tommy Holt . Previous members include Zoltan Bathory and Philippe Mathys.To date, U.P.O...
, and Travis Meeks
Travis Meeks
Travis Shane Meeks , is an American musician, and is the lead singer, guitarist and song writer for acoustic rock band Days of the New.-Early life and career:...
of Days of the New
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
. Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
, formerly of The Mayfield Four
The Mayfield Four
For the telephone signalling method known in the UK as MF4, see Dual-tone multi-frequencyThe Mayfield Four was an American rock band formed by Myles Kennedy in Spokane, Washington in 1996...
, declined an invitation from Sorum to audition. Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
of The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
and Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
of Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
also declined audition offers. The band were also interested in auditioning Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
singer Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
, who had become friends with McKagan after attending the same gym. Weiland once played on the same bill as Kushner, and was in rehab at the same time as Sorum. Weiland was sent two discs of material, and felt that the first disc "sounded like Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
gone wrong." When he was sent the second disc, Weiland was more positive, comparing it to Core
Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)
The album was released on September 29, 1992 on Atlantic, the same day Alice in Chains released Dirt, another important album of the grunge era. Despite high sales, the album received mixed to negative reviews. Critics blasted the band as "rip-offs" of grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Alice in...
-era Stone Temple Pilots, though he turned them down because Stone Temple Pilots were still together.
When Stone Temple Pilots disbanded in 2003, the band sent Weiland new music, which he took into his studio and added vocals. This music eventually becoming the song "Set Me Free". Despite delivering the music to the band himself, Weiland was still unsure whether or not he wanted to join them, despite performing at an industry showcase at Mates. They recorded two songs with producer Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.-Production career:Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville on a 8-track recorder that his grandfather bought for him...
, a recorded version of "Set Me Free
Set Me Free (Velvet Revolver song)
"Set Me Free" is the debut single by Velvet Revolver, released in 2003. It initially appeared on the Hulk soundtrack, and eventually wound up on their debut album, Contraband.-Alternative versions:...
" and a cover of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Money
Money (Pink Floyd song)
"Money" is the sixth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by bassist Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original vinyl LP, and is the only song on the album to enter the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", for the soundtracks to the movies The Hulk
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
and The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
, respectively. Weiland joined the band soon after. "Set Me Free" managed to peak at number 17 on the Mainstream Rock Chart without any radio promotion or a record label. It was prior to a screening of The Hulk at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
that the band chose a name. After seeing a movie by Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios is an American production company founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox. Revolution was formerly a strategic partner of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed and marketed Revolution's films. The company's film division...
, 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
Revolver (album)
Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber...
. 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
El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
while also performing the songs "Set Me Free" and "Slither" as well as covers of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's "Negative Creep", Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
' "Pretty Vacant
Pretty Vacant
"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the third single from their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song marked the band's only appearance on the British music show Top of the Pops...
", and Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy
It's So Easy
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Slash - lead guitar* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Cover versions:...
".
Contraband and mainstream success (2003–2005)
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 GreanDoug Grean
Doug Grean is an American record producer, audio engineer, and guitarist based in Los Angeles. He has worked with many major artists, including Sheryl Crow, Ricki Lee Jones, Glen Campbell, Scott Weiland, Slash, Velvet Revolver, Stone Temple Pilots, The Crystal Method, Tim McGraw, Cyndi Lauper,...
, 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. It was during this time that Weiland was arrested at the parking lot of his studio for drug possession
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
. Upon release from jail, he wrote lyrics to material he was given previously, writing the song "Fall to Pieces". Velvet Revolver soon began recording their debut album. Initially, they recorded "Slither" with producer Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
at Henson Studios, but were dissatisfied with the result. After recording "Headspace" with Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham is a Grammy-winning record producer and co-owner of Pulse Management and Check Your Pulse Publishing. He has produced songs and albums for many of the industry's most successful artists such as Velvet Revolver, 30 Seconds to Mars, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson and Courtney Love...
, the band liked the track enough to do the rest of the album with him.
Velvet Revolver soon gained major label attention with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and Chrysalis
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
. RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and Elektra
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
were also interested in signing the band. They eventually signed with RCA Records. They recorded their album at NRG Recording Studios
NRG Recording Studios
NRG Recording Studios is a recording facility located in North Hollywood, California that was created by producer and mixer Jay Baumgardner in 1992.- Facilities :*Studio A console: custom vintage Neve 8068 built by Pat Schneider...
, while Slash recorded his guitar parts at a smaller studio on the southern corner between Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. During recording, Weiland could only work for three hours a day due to a court order mentioning that he was to stay in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
. 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.
The resulting album, titled Contraband, was released on June 8, 2004, and, helped by the success of the single "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
", debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling over 250,000 copies in the first week. Contraband went on to sell four million copies worldwide, 2.9 million of which were sold in the United States, and was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. Both "Slither" and "Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)
"Fall to Pieces" is a song by Velvet Revolver written by band vocalist Scott Weiland that appears on their debut album Contraband. It was the band's third single and was very successful. "Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad about then lead singer Scott Weiland's battle with heroin and its toll on...
" managed to peak at number one on the Mainstream Rock Chart as well as number 56 and 67 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, respectively. "Slither" also peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Chart and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The album's third single, "Dirty Little Thing
Dirty Little Thing
"Dirty Little Thing" is a hard rock song by the supergroup Velvet Revolver, released as the fourth single off the band's debut album Contraband...
", peaked at number eight on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Critically, the album was generally well-received. Despite being praised for its hedonism and maturity, critics noted a disconnection between "singer and band". 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 Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
Grammy Award for "Slither". They also received a nomination for Rock Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s 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
Come On, Come In
"Come On, Come In" is a song by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 superhero film Fantastic Four. When released as a promotional single in the United States on June 21, 2005, the song reached number 14 on the American Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" for the movie Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (film)
Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the...
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.
Velvet Revolver toured extensively for nineteen months in support of Contraband. They toured both the United States and Europe twice, while also performing in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. They performed at Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
and various festivals including Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
. It was during the tour that the band members, with the exception of Kushner, began to relapse on alcohol and drugs. Though they managed to get 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."
Libertad and hiatus (2005–2008)
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. Initially, the band started working with producer Rick RubinRick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
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, they decided against continuing with Rubin. At the suggestion of Weiland, Velvet Revolver began working with Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
. 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 [the band] and it really helped the process." He also said that the "sessions were consistent, everyone was there, everyone contributed, and everyone appreciated what each player was doing" and that the "mutual participation surpassed the first Guns sessions." While writing for the album, Weiland believed that his band mates 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.
Following the completion of the album, Velvet Revolver performed for and inducted Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, with Weiland and Slash speaking on the band's behalf, on March 12, 2007. The band played a medley of "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" is a song by Van Halen, from their 1978 eponymous debut album.When Eddie Van Halen originally wrote the song a year before the album was released, he did not consider it good enough to show his bandmates....
" and "Runaround". Shows in South American with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
followed in April. They released the EP Melody and the Tyranny
Melody and the Tyranny
Melody and the Tyranny is an EP released by Velvet Revolver as a precursor to their album Libertad. It includes two tracks from Libertad as well as the Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer" and a live rendition of "Do It for the Kids", a song from Velvet Revolver's debut album, Contraband...
on June 1 to serve as a precursor to the release of their new album, which featured two songs from Libertad, a cover of Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
song "Psycho Killer
Psycho Killer
"Psycho Killer" is a song by American New Wave band Talking Heads from their 1977 album Talking Heads: 77, written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. The band's "signature debut hit" features lyrics which seem to represent the thoughts of a serial killer. Allmusic calls it a...
" and a video documentary about the making of Libertad as well as a live video of the band performing "Do It for the Kids".
Libertad was released on July 3, 2007, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. The album's first single "She Builds Quick Machines
She Builds Quick Machines
"She Builds Quick Machines" is a rock song by Velvet Revolver, and was released as the first single off the album Libertad on May 21, 2007. The song was made available for digital download on May 16, 2007. Besides being featured on Libertad, "She Builds Quick Machines" was also featured on the EP...
" peaked at 74 on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles. The second and third singles, "The Last Fight" and "Get Out the Door
Get Out the Door
"Get Out the Door" is the third single from Velvet Revolver's second album Libertad. This song is about a transvestite. Also, the song's solo features the use of a talk box by lead guitarist Slash.-Song History:...
", both peaked at number 16 and 34 on the Mainstream Rock Chart, respectively. Critical reception to the album was mixed. Though some critics praised the album and felt that Libertad gave the band an identity of their own, outside of the Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots comparisons, others described the album as "bland" and noted that the band have still to gel with them "play[ing] to their strengths instead of finding a collective sound."
In support of Libertad, Velvet Revolver toured North America and Canada with Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
from August 2007 to October. They also performed at the Virgin Festival
Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest is a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK...
, Gods of Metal
Gods of Metal
Gods of Metal is the biggest Italian metal festival, held annually since 1997. It takes place in early summer, usually on the first or second weekend of June...
, and Download in 2007. A November tour of Japan was canceled after they were denied visas, and in 2008, a tour of Australia was postponed, due to health issues, and later canceled following Weiland's decision to voluntarily enter a rehab facility. 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. 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
Rock n' Roll As It Should Be
Rock n' Roll as It Should Be was a 2008 concert tour by American hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver. The tour covered the United States and Europe , beginning on January 24 and concluding on April 1...
tour from January 24 to April 1, 2008. They also played at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 8 the same year. It was during the tour that Weiland "got back into his old ways", which started to take their toll on the rest of the band with the cancellation of the Australian tour seen as the "final blow".
On the UK tour, the band members never spoke with Weiland, with the exception of a few arguments around the stage. 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, unaware that the band were already planning on firing him. After Sorum posted a message about the show on his website, Weiland issued a statement through Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
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." Slash later stated that it would not be Velvet Revolver's last tour. Weiland's departure was announced on April 1. Weiland also departed the cover band Camp Freddy
Camp Freddy
Camp Freddy is a group of established musicians who play rock and roll covers at various shows around America. The band is composed of core members Dave Navarro , Billy Morrison , Matt Sorum , Donovan Leitch, Jr. and Chris Chaney...
, which also featured Sorum, and has since reunited with Stone Temple Pilots
2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour
The 2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour was a 75-date reunion tour for the popular American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, who originally disbanded in 2003. The tour, which kicked off on May 17, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio at the Rock on the Range festival, ran throughout the summer and ended on...
.
Velvet Revolver soon began recording new material before going on hiatus, while a number of singers were rumoured to be working with the band. Amongst them were Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park....
of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Steve Isaacs formerly of Skycycle
Skycycle
Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Skycycle was led by singer/songwriter Steve Isaacs. He formed Skycycle with guitarist Sven Shenar, bassist Kelly Castro and drummer Rob Brown.- Albums :Skycycle released a self-produced demo tape named Siren in 1997...
and The Panic Channel
The Panic Channel
The Panic Channel was an alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2004, following the third break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band consisted of former Jane's Addiction members, Dave Navarro , Stephen Perkins , and Chris Chaney , alongside Steve Isaacs...
, Royston Langdon of Spacehog
Spacehog
Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
, Donovan Leitch of Camp Freddy, and Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway is an American-Armenian rock band, founded by System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan. The band's eponymous debut album was released on July 29, 2008....
guitarist Franky Perez
Franky Perez
Franky Perez is an American musician best known as the guitarist for Scars on Broadway as well as being a solo artist. He has released two solo albums, Poor Man's Son and My 4th of July, and performed with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash in his live band before Slash has assembled the tour band...
, as well as previous auditonee Sebastian Bach. Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
singer Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
unsuccessfully auditioned for the band, while Velvet Revolver invited both Myles Kennedy and Shooter Jennings
Shooter Jennings
Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is an American singer-songwriter active in the country music and Southern rock genres as well as making his first foray into psychedelic rock in 2009...
to join. However, with Kennedy still in Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
and Jennings recording a new album, both turned the offer down. The band also approached their record label in June 2008, asking to be released from their recording contract to allow them "complete freedom to go through whatever process it would take to accomplish" replacing Weiland. Sony BMG/RCA dropped the band from the label in November of the same year.
Hiatus activities (2008–2010)
McKagan reunited with previous band Loaded in 2008, releasing an EP entitled Wasted HeartWasted Heart
-Personnel:Loaded*Duff McKagan – vocals, guitar*Mike Squires – guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, backing vocals*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocalsProduction personnel...
the same year McKagan also released the band's second album, entitled Sick
Sick (Loaded album)
Sick is the second studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009 in Europe and April 7 in...
, in 2009. They completed the recording of their third album with producer Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
in 2010, and began collaborating with filmmaker
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and documentarian
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Jamie Burton Chamberlin on a film based on the album the same year. McKagan joined Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
in March 2010, replacing founding bassist Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
. However, his tenure with the band lasted only five months, with his departure from the band announced on September 6 of the same year.
Kushner began composing music for film and television. He co-wrote the theme song entitled "This Life
This Life (Theme from Sons of Anarchy)
"This Life" is a theme song for the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, written by singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner, producer Bob Thiele Jr...
" for FX series Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
, receiving an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
in 2009 and an ASCAP Award in 2010. In 2010, he and John O'Brien composed the music for the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7 is an American crime drama series about Detroit's leading homicide unit, created by Jason Richman for ABC. It features an ensemble cast of actors including Michael Imperioli and James McDaniel...
. He also contributed music to the films Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
and Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Peter Billingsley with contributions to the script by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox, Curtis Hanson, and Greg Beeman. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Åkerman and...
. Kushner also collaborated with Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez, who had previously worked with Velvet Revolver, releasing songs under the pseudonym of DKFXP
DKFXP
DKFXP is the name of a musical collaboration between Franky Perez , of Scars on Broadway, and Dave Kushner , of Velvet Revolver...
. One of the songs, "Beyond the Wire", was later used in the film Hisss, with the new title of "Beyond the Snake". The song featured vocals and lyrics by Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
. In 2010, Kushner and Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
collaborated on a cover of The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' "You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
" to be used in a Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
commercial.
Sorum continued work on cover band Camp Freddy's debut album before guesting on Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
's solo album Cosmic Universal Fashion
Cosmic Universal Fashion
-Personnel:*Sammy Hagar - lead vocals, guitar*Michael Anthony - bass, vocals on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10*Billy Gibbons - vocals on track 6*Billy Duffy - guitars on track 4*Matt Sorum - drums, percussion on track 4*Bootsy Collins - backing vocals on track 8...
. He also produced two songs, entitled "Are You Blind" and "Coming For You", for Los Angeles-based band, Drive A, in 2008. In 2010, Sorum formed the cover band Carnival of Dogs with Franky Perez, L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
guitarist Tracii Guns
Tracii Guns
Tracii Guns is an American guitarist best known as the founder of glam metal group L.A. Guns as well as the supergroups Brides of Destruction and Contraband. He was also involved in the formation of the first lineup of Guns N' Roses but eventually left the group and was replaced by guitarist...
, and former Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
bassist Phil Soussan
Phil Soussan
Phil Soussan is a bass guitarist, songwriter and producer who has gained notoriety as a member of a host of famed rock and roll bands, including some who have been fronted by such vocalists as Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Vince Neil, Johnny Hallyday and John Waite, as well as a membership in Beggars...
before going on to tour with Motörhead, temporarily filling in for drummer Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
. He also began working with Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie is an American singer, actress and chainsaw artist. Currie was the lead vocalist of The Runaways, a hard rock band from Los Angeles in the mid-to-late 1970s.-Life and career:...
, formerly of The Runaways
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
, on her new solo album.
Slash worked on his solo album, writing and demoing songs before sending them to numerous singers and musicians. Recorded with producer Eric Valentine
Eric Valentine
Eric Valentine is an American record producer, who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride and has subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Taking Back Sunday, Nickel Creek, Queens of the Stone Age, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth,...
, Slash, released on March 31, 2010, featured a number of guests such as Andrew Stockdale
Andrew Stockdale
Andrew James Stockdale is an Australian hard rock musician, he is the lead singer, lead guitarist and the only mainstay member of the rock band, Wolfmother which formed in 2000. In 2007, alongside his Wolfmother band mates, he won 'Songwriter of the Year' at the APRA Awards...
of Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...
, M. Shadows
M. Shadows
Matthew Charles Sanders , better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for the American metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life and musical beginnings:...
of Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
, Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and Fergie, among others. His band for the tour in support of the album consisted of Myles Kennedy, guitarist Bobby Schneck, and drummer Brent Fitz
Brent Fitz
Brent Fitz is a Canadian-born musician and recording artist known best known as a drummer, but also a multi-instrumentalist having worked with Slash, Theory of a Deadman, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Union, The Guess Who, Lamya, Streetheart, Harlequin, Econoline Crush, Eagle & Hawk and Indigenous.-...
. It also included early Velvet Revolver audtionee Todd Kerns on bass. He also guested on Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's album Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
on the song "Rockstar 101
Rockstar 101
"Rockstar 101" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the album's fourth overall single on June 2, 2010 through Def Jam. "Rockstar 101" was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Rihanna,...
", as well as Kennedy's debut solo album while also confirming that his next solo album would feature Kennedy as the sole vocalist.
Possible return and continued hiatus (2010–2011)
After running into one another on a flight to Las Vegas in February 2010, Slash stated he had "no issues" with Weiland and that he was excited to hear the new Stone Temple Pilots albumStone Temple Pilots (album)
Stone Temple Pilots is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. The album was released worldwide from May 21 through May 27, 2010, and is the band's first album since Shangri-La Dee Da . The album is the result of the band's reunion, which occurred in April 2008...
, and also stated in May that, unlike the "Guns N' Roses situation", he and Weiland are still friends. Weiland also later stated that his time with the band was a "great experience until near the end" and that he "[does not] hold any resentment towards any of the guys in the band." Velvet Revolver soon began writing new songs and auditioning new singers, with Slash stating that "the new material is a lot heavier than what Velvet Revolver has put out, so [he is] dying to put out the quintessential Velvet Revolver record." Rumors quickly arose that Myles Kennedy was to be the new Velvet Revolver vocalist due to his collaborations with Slash. However, Slash confirmed that no effort was made to have Kennedy join the band. Kennedy also stated that while joining "Velvet Revolver [would] be enticing, [he made plans] and [his] plate is pretty full."
Slash, McKagan, and Sorum all contributed to the song "Kissed It
Kissed It
"Kissed It" is a song by the American soul singer Macy Gray. It is the second U.S. single from her fifth album The Sellout. The song was released digitally on May 24, 2010 in the United States and features the musicians of Velvet Revolver and Guns N' Roses, Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum.The...
" for the Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
album The Sellout
The Sellout
The Sellout is the fifth studio album by American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Macy Gray, released on June 22, 2010 in the United States. The album's lead single, "Beauty in the World" was released in April 2010...
, which was released on June 22. Despite not featuring Kushner, the trio were credited as Velvet Revolver on the album. The band released their first concert DVD on November 16, entitled Live In Houston, which was filmed in 2005 while the band was touring in support of Contraband. The same month, Slash revealed that a "big name" singer is due to audition soon for Velvet Revolver, with more auditions also being held in December. Sorum revealed in December that the band were close to finding a new singer. They agreed on one person, describing him as "younger and stronger." Despite being positive, they plan to continue rehearsing with the singer in January before making a decision. In January 2011, it was revealed that the band had nine demos recorded, and was due to make a decision on their singer; Matt Sorum also revealed that the band was likely to release its next album before the end of 2011, so long as they find time to record together. In a video interview with Vintage Rock at NAMM
NAMM Show
The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA, at the Anaheim Convention Center...
2011, Sorum stated that the rest of the band do not necessarily share his opinion of the "mystery singer." Previous auditionee Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
has been rumored to be the singer Velvet Revolver were working with. In an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Taylor neither confirmed nor denied the rumor. In an online chat for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, McKagan also stated that he "can neither confirm nor deny" that Taylor was the new singer though he later revealed in an interview with MusicRadar
MusicRadar
MusicRadar is a website for musicians. It covers information pertaining to artists and music, special features, product news and reviews, music lessons and a social network service in the style of Facebook and Myspace...
, that Velvet Revolver recorded songs with him. Slash later confirmed that Velvet Revolver was looking at Taylor as a possible replacement for Weiland. However, due to his solo tour, no decision was made. Slash has since stated that the band have not found a suitable singer, with the band continuing their hiatus for the next few years while members focus on other projects. Following a performance by Slash, McKagan and Sorum, and a guest appearance from Kushner, at the Road Recovery benefit concert on September 13, McKagan stated that the band might write songs with one of the guest singers.
Musical style
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." David BrowneDavid Browne
David Browne is an American journalist and author. He was the resident music critic at Entertainment Weekly between 1990 and 2006. He was an editor at Music & Sound Output magazine and a music critic at the New York Daily News before EW...
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
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." A number of reviewers made some comparisons to the members previous bands with PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
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." With Velvet Revolver's second album Libertad seen the band's style change with the presence of producer Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, noted by Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
. Erlewine also stated that "too often, there are concessions between Weiland and the others during the course of a song." Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly stated that Libertad is "feels both comfortingly familiar and vaguely exotic." Songs such as "Let it Roll" and "She Mine" seen some comparisons to The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
, noted by San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
reviewer Jaan Uhelszki. The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
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."
Band members
Current members- SlashSlash (musician)Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
– lead guitar (2002–present) - Dave KushnerDave KushnerDavid "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
– rhythm guitar (2002–present) - Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
– bass, backing vocals (2002–present) - Matt SorumMatt SorumMatthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
– drums, backing vocals (2002–present)
Former members
- Scott WeilandScott WeilandScott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
– lead vocals, keyboards (2003–2008)
Discography
- Contraband (2004)
- Libertad (2007)
Awards and nominations
Velvet Revolver have received one Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. The band won the Grammy when "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
in 2005. The song "Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)
"Fall to Pieces" is a song by Velvet Revolver written by band vocalist Scott Weiland that appears on their debut album Contraband. It was the band's third single and was very successful. "Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad about then lead singer Scott Weiland's battle with heroin and its toll on...
" 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
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
in 2005.
Billboard Music Awards
The Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s were awarded annually by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005 || Velvet Revolver || Rock Artist of the Year ||
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
Grammy Awards of 2005
The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Queen Latifah , and televised in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year...
|| "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
||
Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards are awarded annually by Kerrang! Magazine
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || Velvet Revolver || Best International Newcomer ||
Radio Music Awards
The Radio Music Awards were awarded annually honoring the most successful songs on mainstream radio
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005 || "Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)
"Fall to Pieces" is a song by Velvet Revolver written by band vocalist Scott Weiland that appears on their debut album Contraband. It was the band's third single and was very successful. "Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad about then lead singer Scott Weiland's battle with heroin and its toll on...
" || Song of the Year/Rock Radio ||