‘Appetite for Destruction’ Engineer Recalls Slash’s ‘Funny’ Habit While Soloing
A lot of musicians make faces while they are playing their instruments, and it's often just a natural habit that comes with intense focus. In Slash's case, he doesn't just make faces while he solos — he also drools, according to a sound engineer named Micajah Ryan who's worked with Guns N' Roses.
Ryan recalled Slash's demeanor while they were creating Appetite for Destruction during an interview on the Full in Bloom podcast.
“He did have a habit that was really funny," Ryan remembered. "I don't know if you ever noticed it — you'll see it in videos. He concentrates so hard when he's doing the solos that his lower lip protrudes, and his drool — saliva pools in his lower lip — and it will eventually spill over into long strings of saliva all the way down to the ground."
"And it happened in the studio countless times. He's so focused when he plays, he doesn't realize he's drooling, or doesn't care. I never did figure out which one it was, whether he didn't realize it or he didn't care."
Ryan went on to praise the guitarist's immense work ethic.
"When they say that Slash is going to go into the studio and 'play his music,' Slash doesn't 'play.' He works," the engineer corrected. "He works his freaking butt off, and to me, that's the misnomer of this kind of language of, ‘Oh, they're going in to play their stuff.’ It's a lot harder than playing, there's nothing frivolous about it at all."
Listen to the full episode below.
Slash's work ethic never quite dissipated. From what we know, he worked on new material for both Guns N' Roses and his fourth studio album with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators during the lockdown. There isn't a timeline for either so far, but stay tuned for any further updates.
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