Atlantic City Weekly

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South Jersey rock fans are really lucky. Every summer bands take the many area stages and treat listeners to awesome shows and great music. This weekend, fans can look forward to the return of Velvet Revolver to the Borgata. The band is comprised of members of some of the biggest and most notorious rock bands ever (guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses; vocalist Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots). Both GNR and STP are known for their well-documented incidents of drug abuse, arrests, concert no-shows and other assorted dramas, as much as they are known for making some of the best rock music in the last 20 years. The result of the union, Velvet Revolver, continues to make great rock 'n' roll.

Their first album, Contraband, yielded hits such as "Fall To Pieces" and "Slither." Their latest release, Libertad, contains tunes such as "Dirty Little Thing," "She Builds Quick Machines" and a really cool cover of ELO's "Cant Get It Out Of My Head." AC Weekly spoke with Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner last week, to get to know the least known member of the band, and talk about the evolution of Velvet Revolver.

How has the tour been going so far?
The tour has been amazing. The crowds have been great. The energy has been great.

You've played Atlantic City before. What's that been like?
My wife is from Jersey and all her family are from Jersey, so I feel like I'm kind of Jersey by default now. And I think that as far as crowds go, across the United States at least, New Jersey is definitely my favorite place to play. I don't know if it's because my family is here now or because ... I don't know if it's the water, but there's something about the Jersey crowds. They're so passionate about what we do. They're just really not afraid to show it.

Where are you from and where did you get your chops?
I've been trying to do this for a long time. I grew up in Hollywood. I went to junior high and high school with Slash. I was playing in a punk band called Wasted Youth when Guns N' Roses were first starting to get big. I've been in a bunch of bands from Infectious Groove to Danzig to Dave Navarro's solo project.

How did Velvet Revolver come about?
I was doing this one project in Japan about seven years ago. Duff's band was opening. That's when [we] really became friends. I remember being in this diner in L.A. with Duff and Matt came in. He said we want to do this benefit [for the family of Ozzy Osbourne's late drummer Randy Castillo] and raise some money. He was pitching this to Duff while I was just spectating. [He said] 'We're gonna do this thing and have some guest singers. We're gonna get Keith and Josh from Buckcherry .. and Slash.' I went to that show. That vibe felt really good to Matt, Duff and Slash so they ended up saying: 'Let's try to see if this works as a band.' After two months with Keith and Josh, it just didn't mesh right. Fortunately for me, because Duff called and [asked me to] come down and play and see what happens. From there on out we would rehearse every day. We wrote songs every day. We started putting the feelers out for singers. It took us 10 months before we got Scott. We knew right away when [he] came in that he was the guy. The first thing we did was a cover of "Money" by Pink Floyd for the Italian Job soundtrack, and then we did "Set Me Free" for The Hulk ... and that's how it all started.

On the new CD you have a new song called "Pills, Demons, Etc." Is there still any of that going on in the band?
There's some people that still fly that flag for the rest of the band. But ... I certainly don't. There's [so many] people that have passed away from overdoses ... We really are the survivors of this thing. The longer the time that you don't do those things, the more aware you are of how many people it takes out.

There seems to be a certain level of respect and calmness with Velvet Revolver. Is there any fighting behind the scenes?
It's like any relationship; basically you're married to four other guys. It's like in the beginning of a relationship [when] someone will say you really see what [the relationship] is made of once you go on vacation together. [On tour] you're with them 24 hours a day ... There's some people that have more drama than others, but it's bound to happen. And if you look at ... the other two bands where [the guys] come from [Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots] whether you like it or not, part of what made those bands interesting, besides the music, was the volatility of both bands and the volatility of their members. [With Velvet Revolver] everyone's got really strong opinions about what they feel is right. People are older now, they've got families, their own agendas. Yet there still is the commonality of wanting to create something great.

Stone Temple Pilots is no longer a band. Guns N' Roses goes on with Axl Rose. What are the chances of those bands reuniting?
For my own sake I hope that doesn't happen. It's something you think about once in a while, but ... no one's planning a Guns N' Roses reunion in the near future. And with STP, who knows? I haven't heard about that either.

What is the future of Velvet Revolver?
You just never know. You kinda hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Is there another album in the cards?
I feel another album is definitely [possible].

When Velvet Revolver was formed, did you feel it was a project or something that would go the long haul?
I remember about six months into it talking to my wife and saying I just don't know if this is gonna happen. I remember getting a call from Limp Bizkit's manager and being asked to try out, and turning it down. I had a gut feeling that something [was] gonna happen. I just feel that, as far as the musicianship and as far as the personalities, this is where I want to be.

Velvet Revolver, with Alice in Chains
Where: Borgata Event Center
When: Saturday, Aug. 25, 8pm
How Much: $125-$95