VELVET REVOLVER

'Velvet Revolver' (abbreviated to 'VR') is a hard rock supergroup with three former members of Guns N' Roses — Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum (who also played with rock bands Hawk and The Cult) — plus Scott Weiland, the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots, and Dave Kushner of the 80s punk band Wasted Youth.

Contents

Band history

Formation (2002-2003)

''Contraband'' (2003-2005)

''Libertad'' (2005-present)

Van Halen induction

Cover Songs

Discography

Albums

Singles

EPs

Band members

Current members

References

External links

Band history

Formation (2002-2003)

Velvet Revolver was formed when three former members of Guns N' Roses, Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) joined to play a benefit concert for fellow musician Randy Castillo in 2002. They subsequently decided to form a new band that would bring the spirit of rock back to the mainstream. Izzy Stradlin was initially invited to be the band's rhythm guitarist, but both Stradlin and the band decided against this due to his aversion to lead singers and life on the road. The band recruited guitarist Dave Kushner, who had previously played with Wasted Youth and Dave Navarro. Kushner had attended school with Slash and had worked with McKagan in Loaded, the band in which he played before joining Velvet Revolver. The quartet were referred to under the temporary name "The Pro" for a short period pending the selection of a permanent title for this emerging supergroup.
The quartet then set about recruiting a lead singer, with VH1 filming the recruitment process. The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned, including Canadian Todd Kerns (formerly of Age of Electric), Josh Todd (of Buckcherry), Michael Matijevic (of Steelheart), Sebastian Bach (formerly of Skid Row), Kelly Shaefer (of Atheist/Neurotica), Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge), who declined any invitation, and Travis Meeks (of Days of the New) but were unsuccessful. Reportedly, ex-Faith No More singer Mike Patton was also approached early in the process, but he declined the offer to front the band. 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 Electric Love Hogs. Weiland heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer and the band clicked.

''Contraband'' (2003-2005)

Velvet Revolver recorded its first track "Set Me Free" for the ''Hulk'' soundtrack in 2003. The band also recorded a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" which is featured in the movie ''The Italian Job''. The band played its 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 marketing campaign for Velvet Revolver in the run-up to the release of the first album was profiled as part of the Frontline (PBS) program ''The Way the Music Died'', which included interviews with the band members and producers.

''Contraband'' was released in June 2004, debuting at #1 on the ''Billboard'' album charts selling 256,000 in its first week of release. The album also appeared at #11 on the British album charts, and #2 on 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, reached #56 on the Billboard Hot 100, gone top 20 in Finland and Top 40 on a European composite chart, in Canada, and in Australia.
Since then, the band has released three more singles: the ballad "Fall to Pieces", the hard-rocker "Dirty Little Thing", and "Come On Come In", all of which have videos featured for them. "Fall to Pieces" has been remarkably successful not only on rock stations but also on modern music stations. The band consequently declined an invitation to tour with KISS after learning that Poison would be a part of the bill, in an effort to distance themselves from being lumped in with bands from the '80s who had re-grouped at the time to make a buck; Velvet Revolver were out to make the statement that they were a new band. [1]
As of August 2005, ''Contraband'' had sold more than 2 million copies in the United States, and the rigorous touring in support of the album reached global scales. The band toured both the United States and Europe twice, while also hitting Australia, New Zealand and Japan.The CD had SunnComm's MediaMax DRM rootkit on it, exposing users to a computer security vulnerability.
Velvet Revolver performed at Live 8, playing "Do It For the Kids," "Fall to Pieces," and "Slither." However, only "Fall To Pieces" appears on the ''Live 8'' DVD.
In 2005, a part of ''Contraband's "Dirty Little Thing" was inserted in '', Revolution Studios' sequel to ''xXx''.
The band also recorded a new song entitled "Come On, Come In" for the 2005 movie ''Fantastic Four''.

''Libertad'' (2005-present)

During 2005, the group announced that a second album was in the works. Scott Weiland announced at the 2005 Radio Music Awards that it will be a concept album, and will be less single-driven than its previous effort, but later in the summer of 2006, Matt Sorum dismissed the claim that it will be a concept album. In December 2005, the band set ''Libertad'' (Spanish for "liberty") as the working title of the album.
In September 2006, Matt Sorum confirmed via Camp Freddy Radio on Indie 103.1 that the band had recently signed a deal with Rick Rubin to produce the new album. However, on his website, Sorum later claimed that former Stone Temple Pilots producer Brendan O'Brien would be producing the album.
In October 2006, Scott Weiland announced that ''Libertad'' would most likely be released spring to later spring 2007, while a few months later Slash gave May 2007 as the expected release date.^[1] The group recorded in Los Angeles with producer Brendan O'Brien, who stepped in for the band's original choice, Rick Rubin, after that arrangement "did not work out," frontman Scott Weiland told Billboard.com. "All of our hopes have even been elevated over the past three weeks," he said. "We were really excited about six months ago, when we first began writing. Then we really kind of flat-lined for a while."
"We thought we'd just kind of give it a shot and see if Brendan was available, and just by chance, the artist he was supposed to be working with didn't pan out," Weiland offered. "So he was available during the exact time we really needed him. He flew out within a week and it has been amazing. Bassist Duff McKagan came up to me and said, 'You know, I didn't know what it was like to really have a producer before.'" And though Weiland told Billboard.com last year he intended to weave an overall concept throughout the album, he has since "thrown that idea out the window. In my opinion, there are so many schlock concept albums that have come out in the past year," he says, without naming names. "The ground is way too over-fertile with concept records. I prefer to write a lean and rather vicious rock'n'roll record. I think that would be a better contribution to rock'n'roll at this moment."^[2]
On May 13th, 2007, Duff McKagan announced that possibly 2 songs from ''Libertad'' ("She Builds Quick Machines" and either "Let It Roll" or "Get Out The Door") will be playable on the upcoming videogame ''Guitar Hero III''.
After scrapping the original May 29 release date, Velvet Revolver settled on July 3 to unveil its second RCA album, "Libertad." It was announced on May 11, 2007 that as a precursor to ''Libertad'', the band will release an EP in June titled ''Melody and the Tyranny''.
As cover art, the album features the 10 pesos coin used during Pinochet's regime in Chile."^[3]
On the 8th June 2007, the music video for "She Builds Quick Machines" debuted in the UK, on Scuzz TV.
On Thursday 21st June 2007, Velvet Revolver performed in a concert that was streamed live via MSN Music.
On June 23rd 2007, four songs of the album were available in full stream audio onto the internet ten days before retail on BestBuy's website.
On July 31st Velvet Revolver played a concert which could be viewed on their myspace.
Libertad debuted at #5 on Billboard 200 with 92,000 albums sold.
It was announced by WWE that "Let It Roll" will be the official theme song for the 2007 Diva Search. link
In 2007, Velvet Revolver was nominated for Album Of The Year and Band Of The Year by Classic Rock magazine. link

Van Halen induction

On March 12, 2007, Velvet Revolver stood in for Van Halen for their induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of Van Halen, only former bassist Michael Anthony and former singer Sammy Hagar attended. Eddie Van Halen was reportedly in alcohol rehabilitation and David Lee Roth reportedly did not attend because he could not agree on which song to sing on stage with Velvet Revolver. The band played a medley of "Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love" and "Runaround." Sammy Hagar introduced Velvet Revolver as "the best rock and roll band left on the planet." Anthony and Hagar joined Paul Shaffer and the house band on stage to perform "Why Can't This Be Love".

Cover Songs

Velvet Revolver is known for performing a wide variety of cover songs, including:

★ Across The Universe by The Beatles (performed at the 2005 Grammy Awards)

★ Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love by Van Halen (performed at Van Halen induction ceremony)

★ Angie by Rolling Stones (preformed at second ever concert)

★ Bodies by Sex Pistols (live version appears on Contraband)

★ Can't Get it Out of My Head by Electric Light Orchestra (appears on Libertad)

★ Crackerman by Stone Temple Pilots (performed live in concert)

★ Dead and Bloated by Stone Temple Pilots (preformed live in concert)

★ Dead Flowers by Rolling Stones (preformed acoustically by Scott, Duff, and Slash in concert)

★ Dream Police by Cheap Trick (performed live in concert)

★ Five to One by The Doors (preformed live in concert)

★ I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones (preformed live in concert)

★ Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots (performed live in concert)

★ Its So Easy by Guns N' Roses (performed live in concert)

★ Mr. Brownstone by Guns N' Roses (performed live in concert)

★ Money by Pink Floyd (Appears on the Italian Job soundtrack)

★ Negative Creep by Nirvana (live version appears on the Slither single)

★ No More, No More by Aerosmith (appears on the European edition of Contraband)

★ Patience by Guns N' Roses (performed live in concert)

★ Roadhouse Blues by The Doors (preformed live in concert)

★ Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin (preformed live in concert)

★ Psycho Killer by Talking Heads (Appears on the iTunes version of Libertad)

★ Runaround by Van Halen (performed at Van Halen induction ceremony)

★ Sex Type Thing by Stone Temple Pilots (performed live in concert)

★ Starfucker by Rolling Stones (preformed live in concert)

★ Surrender by Cheap Trick (appears on the European version of Contraband)

★ Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton (released as a single to benefit victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake)

★ Used to Love Her by Guns N' Roses (performed live in concert)

★ Vasoline by Stone Temple Pilots (performed live in concert)

★ Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (performed live in concert)

Discography

Albums

★ '''Contraband''' June 8, 2004 '#1' (U.S., 2x Platinum), (Canada, 2x Platinum)

★ '''Libertad''' July 3, 2007 '#5'

'Year'	'Title'	'Chart positions'
		Billboard Top 100	UK Album Chart	ARIA Australia Charts	Canadian Album Chart
2004	''Contraband''	1	11	2	1
2007	''Libertad''	5	6	10	2

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions				Album
		U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Modern Rock	U.S. Mainstream Rock	UK Singles Chart
2003	"Set Me Free"	-	32	17	-	''Hulk'' soundtrack, ''Contraband''
2004	"Slither"	56	'1' (4 weeks)	'1' (9 weeks)	35	''Contraband''
2004	"Fall to Pieces"	67	2	'1' (11 weeks)	32	''Contraband''
2005	"Dirty Little Thing"	-	18	8	-	''Contraband''
2005	"Come on, Come in"	-	-	14	-
2007	"She Builds Quick Machines"	104	14	2	-	''Libertad''
2007	"The Last Fight"	-	-	29	-	''Libertad''

EPs

★ '''Melody and the Tyranny''' June 6, 2007 (EP limited to 5,000 copies in Europe)

Band members

Current members

★ 'Scott Weiland' - lead vocals

★ 'Slash' - lead & rhythm guitars

★ 'Dave Kushner' - rhythm guitar

★ 'Duff McKagan' - bass, backing vocals

★ 'Matt Sorum' - drums, percussion, backing vocals

References

1. Slashsworld.com
2. www.billboard.com
3. www.gnrdaily.com

External links

★ Velvet Revolver Official Site

★ Velvet Revolver @ RCA Records

★ RCA Records

★ Velvet Revolver VH1 Artist Page

★ Velvet Revolver MTV Artist Page

★ Velvet Revolver AOL Artist Page

★ Velvet Revolver Billboard Artist Page

★ Velvet Revolver All Music Guide Artist Page

★ Velvet Revolver Rolling Stone Artist Page

★ Fan website

★ The last fight music video
'Other Sites'

★ Scott Weiland talks about "Libertad"