Slash (Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver)

Name: Saul Hudson
Born: 23rd July, 1965 (Stoke-on-Trent, England)

Profile: He is a British-American musician. Best-known as the former lead guitarist of the hard rock band "Guns N' Roses" (GNR), with whom he performed and recorded between 1985 and 1996, he later formed the eponymous "Slash's Snakepit" and co-founded "Velvet Revolver" with his former bandmates.

History: As a young boy, Slash was influenced by a musical school teacher who had a Gibson Les Paul guitar and was always playing "Cream" and "Led Zeppelin" songs, he straight away wanted to be a guitarist.

After deciding to form a band with friend Steven Adler, Slash decided to pick up the bass guitar as Adler had declared himself lead guitarist. Slash stopped in at Fairfax Music School and told the receptionist he wanted to play the bass, and at that time met his teacher who told him that in order to learn he would need a bass of his own. Slash went home and asked his grandmother and was given a worn-out, single stringed flamenco guitar. After hearing his teacher play "Brown Sugar" by ear, Slash realized that the guitar was his calling.

In 1983, Slash formed the band "Road Crew", a Motörhead tribute band, with childhood friend Steven Adler. He placed an advertisement in a newspaper for a bassist, and received a response from Duff McKagan. When "Road Crew" disbanded, Slash joined a local band known as "Black Sheep", the band shared an agent with another new group known as "Hollywood Rose".

In 1984, both bands opened for "Stryper". After the show, Slash and lead singer Axl Rose were introduced to one another by a friend. The two quickly became friends, and several months later, Slash and Steven Adler were invited to join with Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin as the band "Guns N' Roses (GNR)".

After his departure from "GNR", Slash focused on his side-project, Snakepit, playing a few tour dates before disbanding the group in 1998. Over the next decade, Slash became an in-demand session musician, recording music with the likes of Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Insane Clown Posse, Ronnie Wood, Bad Company, Cheap Trick, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

In 2002, he reunited with Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum for a tribute concert. Realizing they still had the chemistry of their days in "GNR", they decided to form a new band together. The band that featured Slash, McKagan, and Sorum also featured former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and "Velvet Revolver" was born.

Influences: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Django Reinhardt

Axology: 1985 Gibson Les Paul Standard; Marshall 100-watt Jubilee heads and Crybaby wah-wah.

Signature song(s): Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses (Appetite for Destruction, 1988) and November Rain - Guns N' Roses (Use Your Illusion I, 1991)

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOwFkTGndGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTa18Aq4-jQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW0c3F1KhcM

"..... My basic roots come from a certain hard rock background. You can do a million things with that base" - Slash