Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum has opened up about why he wasn’t invited to take part in the band’s 2016 reunion.
In a excerpt from Sorum’s upcoming memoir, Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories, the drummer reveals that he learned of the partial reunion of the band’s classic line-up via the internet even though he was on a South American tour with his former GN’R bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan.
Sorum said he confronted Mckagan once he learned of the news, at which point the bassist told him that frontman Axl Rose wanted to use his own drummer, Frank Ferrer. “Go to Axl and tell him you want me on drums. Period. Now’s the time,” Sorum responded. To which Duff replied: “Oh, man. I already signed the deal.”
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Sorum said he’s gotten over the fact that he will probably never play with Guns N’ Roses again.
“I’ve come to terms with the fact that they’re doing their own thing, and I’m doing mine,” he said. “I can’t say that when it went down, I was completely happy with the circumstances. At the same time, I feel really good about my time in the band.”
Asked why he thinks he wasn’t invited on the reunion tour, he replied: “I think Axl is a loyal guy. He likes his band he’s had for a long time. He didn’t look at it that way…If anyone in that band is loyal, it’s probably him. He was like, ‘I’m going to bring my guy [Frank Ferrer]. If I get Slash, that’s cool. If I get Duff, that’s cool too. And that’s enough.’ That’s how it went down, and that’s what they’re doing.”
Sorum said he was invited to appear as a guest on the reunion tour but that he didn’t accept the offer as there was no money involved. Asked if he would accept if he was approached about it again, he said: “I guess I’d have to wait until that call comes to make that decision.”
“Right now, I have a baby and I’m nesting,” he continued. “I have a lot of different things going on in my life. I just produced Billy Gibbons’ new record. I’m about to start my own. I have six startup companies. I’m a busy guy. It’s gotta be what works with my life. I feel really good about my time in the band. And I always thank Guns N’ Roses for my legacy going forward.”
Arriving on February 25, ‘Hard Skool’ will mark the first new record from Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan together in 28 years. Slash and McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, after leaving following their 1993 studio album, ‘The Spaghetti Incident?’.