| Three former members of Guns n' Roses have joined forces with Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland to form a new band: Velvet Revolver. The former GN'Rers -- Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, along with Weiland and former-Suicidal Tendancies guitarist David Kushner -- have recorded tracks for the scores of two movies being released in Summer 2003: The Italian Job (a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money") and The Hulk (an original track titled "Set Me Free"). An album is expected from the band in March/April 2004, with another GN'R alum, Izzy Stradlin, reportedly co-writing some of the songs. (Seemingly, the 5/19/03 arrest of Weiland on drug possession charges has not derailed the project as had been anticipated earlier.)
Weiland learned of the project through his wife, who was friends with McKagan's wife. Prior to the selection of Weiland, Slash, McKagan and Sorum had interviewed several hundred candidates for the role of lead singer, auditioning ex-Skid Row shrieker Sebastian Bach, Days of the New's Travis Meek and A. Jay Popoff from Lit. The band also had made appearances with Sen Dog and B-Real from Cypress Hill on the mic.
Until May 2003, the group had only been known as "The Project." Weiland then let it slip that the band would be performing under the name "Reloaded" (which may have taken its name from McKagan's side project, Loaded). In June 2003, the band announced its current name.
Sources:
EW.com - http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,452412~10~0~ex-gnrplayershirescott,00.html
Late Night Guest Archive - http://www.petersreviews.com/late_night_guest_archive.html
Yahoo! News - Weiland: Stoned Temple Pilot? - http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=795&ncid=799&e=2&u=/eo/20030519/en_music_eo/11826
E! Online News: Guns N' Weiland - http://yahoo.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,11808,00.html?yhnws
Velvet-Revolver.com - http://www.belowempty.com/Velvet-Revolver/main.php
Weiland Discusses Genesis Of Velvet Revolver, Yahoo!LAUNCH (6/24/03) - http://launch.yahoo.com/read/news.asp?contentID=213913
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