Velvet Revolver is a Rock and roll supergroup with three former members of Guns n' Roses - Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum along with Scott Weiland, the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. It also features Dave Kushner of the 80's hardcore punk band, Wasted Youth .

Band History

Velvet Revolver was formed when three Guns n' Roses alumni - Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums) - joined together to play a benefit concert for fellow musician Randy Castillo in 2002. They decided to form another band together. When Izzy Stradlin declined an invitation, the band recruited guitarist Dave Kushner who had previously played with Wasted Youth and Dave Navarro. Kushner went to school with Slash and had worked with McKagan in the band he'd played with before forming Velvet Revolver, "Loaded". The quartet were referred to under the temporary moniker, "The Project" pending the selection of a permanent name.

The quartet then set about recruiting a lead singer with the recruitment process filmed by VH1. A number of lead singers auditioned including the Canadian rock and roll icon Todd Kerns formerly of age of electric , Josh Todd formerly of Buckcherry, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Kelly Shaefer of Atheist/Neurotica and Travis Meeks of Days of the New but were unsuccessful. Scott Weiland had become friends with McKagan and had played on the same bill as Kushner when Stone Temple Pilots were known as Mighty Joe Young and Kushner was in the Electric Love Hogs . Weiland heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer and the band clicked. Slash suggested the name Revolver for the project and Weiland suggested the addition of Velvet to the title.

Velvet Revolver recorded its first track "Set Me Free" for The Hulk soundtrack in 2003. The band is also responsible for a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money", featured during various parts of the movie The Italian Job. The band played their first live gig at the El Rey in Los Angeles in June 2003. It recorded its first album Contraband in the latter part of 2003 with recording complicated by Weiland's court appearances for drug charges and his subsequent sentencing to undertake rehabilitation.

The Contraband album was released in June 2004 debuting at #1 on the Billboard album charts, #11 on the British album charts, and #2 in the Australian charts. The first single "Slither" topped a composite world modern rock chart in June, reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #5 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Slither, which is also the band's first music video, has also reached #64 on the Billboard Hot 100, gone top 20 in Finland and top 40 on a European composite chart, Canada, and Australia. Since then, the band has released two more singles: the ballad "Fall to Pieces" and the hard-rocker "Dirty Little Thing," both of which have videos featured for them. The prior has been remarkably successful not only in the rock circle but also on modern music stations.

As of March 2005, "Contraband" had sold roughly 1.6 million copies in the United States, and the rigorous touring in support of the album has reached global scales. Already, the band has toured both the United States and Europe twice, while also hitting Australia and Japan. For the Spring of 2005, the band has several Canadian dates lined up as well as a headlining arena tour for the U.S. In addition to this, they are slated to open for Black Sabbath in Europe this summer, before likely finishing a second album sometime this fall.

Members

As of 2005, Velvet Revolver consisted of

• Scott Weiland - Vocals (ex-Stone Temple Pilots)
• Slash - Guitar (ex-Guns n' Roses)
• Dave Kushner - Guitar (ex Dave Navarro, Wasted Youth)
• Duff McKagan - Bass (ex-Guns n' Roses)
• Matt Sorum - Drums (ex-Guns n' Roses, The Cult)

Discography

• Contraband, was released on June 8, 2004

External Links

• The Official Website
• dB Loss blurb, references article from Rolling Stone, 2004-01-08
• All Music Guide Velvet Revolver page
• VH1 Velvet Revolver biography
• Shoot the Sh*t Velvet Revolver Fansite