I was never into hanging out on the Sunset Strip. When it came to Guns N' Roses and the scene that was going on then, that was something we pretty much hated. That was what we had to scratch and claw through, and as soon as we got established enough to leave, we never went back.

The last time I talked to Axl was in 1996. That was the last time we exchanged any sort of words. There was a rumor that I talked to him a while back [and asked to rejoin the band]. I did go to his house one night, and I talked to his assistant about something that had to do with this lawsuit that we were involved in. But it got turned into something else. He went out and made a press release that said I actually spoke to him, which was all bullshit. I was really shocked.

Whenever society gets too stifling and the rules too complex, there's some sort of musical explosion.

Guitars are like women. You'll never get them totally right.

For me, the original Guns N' Roses is the embodiment of a certain kind of chemistry that really couldn't be duplicated.

I once asked Axl why he left the 'E' off his name. He started crying and said he thought he'd spelled it right.

When it comes to actually writing, I like to write in a full room with the amps blasting, and a big drum set.