Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash recently revealed that “there were a lot of different issues” that held back Izzy Stradlin from being involved with the band’s reunion tour. While Guns N’ Roses “Not In This Lifetime” tour features the “classic era” lineup of Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, and singer Axl Rose with past occasional guest appearance by drummer Steven Adler, Stradlin has not taken part in any shows on the tour. The unconfirmed reports have also claimed that he turned down a five-figure fee to play with Guns N’ Roses at the April 2016 reunion shows. Slash also revealed if Axl Rose is ‘Unprofessional’ diva.
Slash opens up on Izzy Stradlin on joining Guns N’ Roses
In a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, Slash has offered more information on the circumstances that led to Izzy’s absence from the tour. When Classic Rock writer Paul Elliott asked Slash if Stradlin ever explained why he didn’t want to be a part of GNR again, Slash said:
“I haven’t really talked to him since then. There were a lot of different issues that I’m not really going to get into. We wanted it to work out, but we couldn’t seem to meet eye to eye on the whole thing. So it just never happened.”
A couple of years ago, McKagan told Classic Rock that he doesn’t think Stradlin “ever wanted to” be part of the Guns N’ Roses reunion. “We tried to make it work, but it just didn’t,” he explained. “And in a situation like this, you’re really in it, man. You either get on it or you don’t, because the train’s moving forward. The good thing is, Slash really likes playing with Richard Fortus [GN’R guitarist since 2002], and Slash is somewhat picky about that kind of stuff. They get on great as far as a two-guitar player relationship goes.”
He continued: “To be honest, I haven’t taken a lot of time to go back on the Izzy thing because we just move forward, and things are so good. And as I’ve found out many times in my life, things are supposed to happen as they happen.”
In 2018, Izzy blamed his non-involvement with the Guns N’ Roses reunion tour on the fact that he and the other guys in the band were unable “to reach a happy middle ground through the negotiation process.” He also previously claimed that he stepped away from the reunion because the band didn’t want to “split the loot equally.”
