'Sex, psych meds & rock 'n' roll'

Velvet Revolver’s Scott Weiland is off drugs … and on a tangent
By Matt Pais

It should come as no surprise that, largely due to voice concerns and scheduling conflicts, it took about 12 attempts to get Scott Weiland on the phone. The Velvet Revolver (and former Stone Temple Pilots) singer has always been unpredictable.

Throughout his career, Weiland has been plagued by drug problems, popping in and out of rehab. And--on a less self-destructive level--he's changed his hair color with astounding regularity. But he's also fronted STP, one of the biggest rock bands of the '90s, and Velvet Revolver, one of the few genuine hard rock bands of this century. The group, made up of Weiland, Dave Kushner, and Guns 'n Roses alums Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, releases its second album, "Libertad," in July and was recently dubbed "the best rock 'n' roll band left on the planet" by Sammy Hagar.

After an old-fashioned, hard-partying rock 'n' roll career, Weiland has a lot to say. We got him talking while he was on his way to the airport in L.A.

How he's different from some other people: "No matter how many times I get hit and go down, I keep on getting back up. I keep on getting back up. And keep on getting back up. And keep on getting back up."

On life without drugs: "It's something that's been a whole different kind of world. I don't know, man. It's been a very trippy [freakin'] life."

On the new album: "I think when people listen to the record they'll hear a band that grew a lot from all the touring that we did supporting the first record and a band that's really [grown] to know each other and found its identity. And through that experience I think we ended up really being able to trust each other and have the balls to walk out to the edge and kinda say, 'Hey, the world's not flat. Go ahead, jump.'"

On being a band that makes albums, not just singles: "I tell ya, it's a lot harder now to do it, to fight the fight, than it was in the '90s. People pretty much gave us a free reign to do [whatever] we wanted to do. We still do that, but I tell ya, it's like goin' [freaking] 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali now. "

On his relationship (or lack thereof) with Guns 'n Roses singer Axl Rose: "Oh, man. I have never spoken to him, but I've gotten messages from him through [drummer] Matt Sorum. They speak every once in awhile. I know that he was a fan of STP back in the early days of Guns. Well, I guess it wasn't the early days; it was just sort of mid-days, early-mid days ... I think that--depending on his mood--he vacillates between being into the idea [of Weiland playing with former Guns members] and kinda diggin' it and then hating my guts."

On Chicago: "It's one of my favorite cities. I grew up in Cleveland, so I'm a Midwest guy. There's amazing food; great, great weather in the summertime. I actually love the snow too. My wife always goes with me to Chicago so I always get laid. And she likes to go cuz there's amazing shopping. I love Chicago."

On touring these days: "It ain't the same world of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Well, you know, a lot of sex when my wife's on the road. It's pretty good too. Chicago's always a fun place for it … sex, psych meds, and rock 'n' roll."

Matt Pais is the metromix music and movies producer.