Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver
Origin	Rancho Santo Margarita, California, USA
Genre(s)	Hard Rock, Acid Rock, Crack Rock, Experimental
Years active	1998 - 2015
Label(s)	Sony BMG - RCA
Former members
Scott Weiland Slash Duff McKagan Matt Sorum Dave Kushner

Velvet Revolver, named after a popular children’s toy that's notorious for firing real bullets, was widely recognized as the most chemically enhanced rock band of the 2000s. Officially formed in 1998 by several members of Guns N' Roses who weren’t named Axl Rose, the lineup wasn’t completed until a few years later, when Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots joined the group in 2003, roughly one year after STP’s predictable combustion. Also along for the ride was Dave Kushner, who, to this day, remains the answer to the oft-asked trivia question: "Who?"

Due to their shared love of recreational pharmacuticals, the band’s creative output was modest — but what little music they did manage to record between binges was surprisingly well-received. Their two studio albums became cult classics among fans and critics alike, largely thanks to Slash’s über-1337 guitar playing and Weiland’s deeply profound lyrics. But as the philosophers say, all good things must overdose, and by spring 2008, the inevitable happened: Weiland left the band, sending everything else about the group into complete and total chaos for years to come. Coincidentally, Stone Temple Pilots were reforming, he was launching a solo project, and everyone pretended not to notice the timing.

Following a disasterous reunion set with the band in January 12, 2012, Scott Weiland would leave the group permanently, and later pass away on December 3, 2015. Velvet Revolver would quietly disband that very same day, with Slash and McKagan later mending fences with Axl Rose, and rejoining Guns N' Roses as his "permanent backup musicians" in 2016.

Origins and Heroin (1998 – 2003)

By 1998, Guns N' Roses had reached the inevitable conclusion that comes from placing too many chemically unstable egos in one room: total implosion. The collapse was primarily attributed to frontman Axl Rose's ongoing battle with Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and an overwhelming compulsion to sue anyone within a 20-foot radius. With Axl holed up somewhere in a Malibu fortress arguing with his reflection, Slash assumed command of the band’s remaining husk and declared his intent to form a new group that would be, in his words, "bigger than Gn'R, faster than Metallica, and more emotionally unavailable than Billy Corgan."

From 1998 to 2003, the band dedicated themselves to rigorous musical development, which largely consisted of five years of expensive jam sessions and dramatic sunglasses shopping. Forced to abandon their original instruments — now legally the property of Axl Rose per a 17-page restraining order — they practiced with Little Tikes instruments sourced from a local Toys Я Us, until such time as a real budget could be justified. Once they could afford actual guitars again (and had stopped chewing on the plastic mics), the band recruited Scott Weiland, fresh off the smoldering ruins of Stone Temple Pilots, who brought with him raw vocal power, stage presence, and at least three types of addiction.

In 2003, the group entered the studio to record their debut album, Heroin – a searing, half-coherent concept record about drug use, fame, and vague memories of the '90s. The result was an album whose name reportedly started as a metaphor but, by day three of recording, had become disturbingly, yet unsurprisingly, literal. Released to critical surprise and commercial excess, Heroin was a breakout success, raking in millions and briefly elevating Velvet Revolver to the status of "actual band" in the eyes of the public. Band morale soared to heights previously only recorded in pharmaceutical commercials, with one member stating they were "happier than Michael Jackson on a playground at recess," a quote that has since been sealed by court order, and cancel culture.

¡Viva la Revolución! and the Departure of Weiland (2004 – 2008)

Following the release of Heroin, Velvet Revolver was briefly featured in Forbes Magazine on their prestigious list of "Top 5 Richest Bands You Wish You Were In But Never Will Be Because You’re a Poor, Talentless Pleb."

The group conducted more interviews during this period than Axl Rose had completed in his entire post-1993 career, and embarked on one of the most lavishly over-financed musical tours of 2004 and 2005, funded entirely by ticket sales, T-shirts, and probably leftover Guns N' Roses lawsuit money. With success pouring in — twice the revenue, triple the ego, and unmeasurable quantities of drugs — the band was living out exactly the fantasy Slash had sketched on the back of a napkin in rehab. And so, naturally, they celebrated: by narcotizing themselves straight through the production of their sophomore album, ¡Viva la Revolución!, released in 2007 to strong critical acclaim and collective fan confusion. Though the album was praised by music critics for “bold experimentation,” fans described it more accurately as “what happens when a rock band listens to U2 once.” Nevertheless, the band hit the road again in 2007 and 2008 for a tour that grossed nearly as much as the first, riding high both metaphorically and chemically.

That high came crashing down on April Fools' Day, 2008, when, during the final minutes of what would become their last concert, Scott Weiland took the mic and delivered one of the most unintentionally comedic farewells in rock history. "This will be the last Velvet Revolver show. Ever," he announced to a wave of laughter. Seconds later, he doubled down with soul-crushing sincerity: "I’m serious. It’s over between us. I’m sick of the drugs, I’m sick of these stupid songs... I’m sick of it all. I want to go back to my family, and leave this all behind." Pandemonium ensued. The crowd responded by throwing bottles, crying, screaming, and stampeding toward the doors. A small faction of particularly dense fans remained behind, convinced Weiland would follow it all up with a jovial "April Fools!" The real punchline, however, would come in the form of security beating them senseless and escorting them out of the arena for loitering.

Hiatus, Failed Auditions, and the Brief Return of Weiland (2009 – 2015)

In 2009, following their widely assumed demise, it was reported that Velvet Revolver had begun searching for a replacement for Scott Weiland. This led them across the United States to the nation’s most culturally significant venues, including crack houses, county jails, and motel parking lots, all of which were reportedly chosen based on Weiland’s last known whereabouts. According to the band, these efforts were “completely fruitless,” though they assured fans they would continue their search “until we’ve checked the last possible place we can without getting killed in the process.” They further stated, with the confidence of a garage sale motivational speaker, that “finding a proper singer to replace Scott has been a challenge… but, despite our shortcomings and the overwhelming weight of reality, we will prevail.”

In June 2010, Velvet Revolver took the logical next step by adding a fan poll to their outdated Geocities website, asking: “Who will be the next Scott Weiland?” Technical issues including 404 errors, DDoS attacks, and someone tripping over the router meant that only four people voted—two of whom did so ironically. Nevertheless, the band proceeded with the highest common denominator, launching a new wave of auditions. In 2011, they tested out Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor (whose emotional range was measured in decibels), and Macy Gray, who was promptly told to “kiss the dirt” after interpreting Shiver as a spoken-word jazz piece. They even reached out to the "Malcolm X of Generation X" himself, Lenny Kravitz, to no avail. Scraping the bottom of the internet, the band’s final audition of the year was Jimmy Gnecco, a name pulled from a random Google search after typing "singer not in rehab."

Desperate and emotionally compromised, Velvet Revolver finally got back in touch with Scott Weiland — who, in a rare moment of sobriety and contractual vulnerability, agreed to reunite with the band for what would become a one-off performance on January 12, 2012. The concert was intended to honor the memory of the late, great Conan O'Brien, who had been brutally murdered in 2010 by NBC executives under direct orders from Jay Leno and his Chin of Doom. What initially seemed like a glimmer of hope for a band that had spent one-third of the decade absolutely decimated was quickly extinguished, as Weiland became so moved by his own performance that he left the stage after just three songs, stating he "could not face returning again." Minutes later, adding insult to injury, he was allegedly spotted backstage shooting up in the company of a hysterical fan, who then, in a show of solidarity, reportedly joined him. The band, at their emotional and logistical limit after years of failed auditions and relapses, were described by witnesses as being "beside themselves," though one fan later clarified they may have simply been standing next to each other.

Weiland made his second and final exit shortly afterward and was, true to form, fired from Stone Temple Pilots in 2013 for "predictably unpredictable" behavior, which included showing up to rehearsals in character as himself. Meanwhile, Velvet Revolver, now in full existential denial, spent 2014 and 2015 getting back on the horse both metaphorically and literally, touring the globe like a band of gypsies in search of a chosen vocalist. It was a fool’s errand — but at least it gave them something slightly healthier to occupy their time with.

The Death of Weiland and the Future (2015 – Present)

On December 3, 2015, as Velvet Revolver found themselves spiritually disoriented and physically dehydrated during an LSD-fueled vision quest in the Sahara Desert, still hoping to be cosmically led to a new frontman, Scott Weiland passed away at the age of 47. He was discovered lifeless in the back of a tour bus parked in the frozen wilderness of Alaska, reportedly mid-tour with his latest side project, Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts — a band he formed in rehab as part of a group therapy assignment. The band had released one studio album earlier that year, entitled Blaster, which was met with the critical enthusiasm usually reserved for the annual State of the Union address. Lacking any ties to Stone Temple Pilots or Velvet Revolver, Blaster was promptly relegated to the 99-cent bin in the far back, dusty corners of Goodwill, nestled between Creed singles and unopened Zune accessories.

The news of Weiland’s passing served as Velvet Revolver’s final reality check. Upon learning of his death, the band collectively decided to dissolve, citing "the unmistakable writing on the wall" and a shared realization that "this whole thing wasn’t going anywhere anymore." The band formally ceased operations that same day, likely while still lost somewhere outside Marrakesh.

In a bizarre twist of fate that nobody saw coming, Slash and Duff McKagan rekindled their estranged bond with Axl Rose in 2016, following 18 years of passive-aggressive silence, lawsuits, and mysterious faxed threats. Axl, reluctant to share the spotlight but not wanting to look like a complete idiot in the eyes of the world, allowed them to tour with him under the flattering moniker: Axl Rose & His Guns N’ Roses Band. Functionally reduced to glorified session musicians, Slash and Duff now clock in daily for what is widely regarded as the rock equivalent of a dead-end job, dutifully performing Appetite for Destruction from memory while Axl sprints from one oxygen tank to the next. Critics have described the reunion as "heartwarming, yet pathetic" while fans have simply been grateful that Chinese Democracy no longer counts as the band's swan song.

Discography

The discography of Velvet Revolver consists of two studio albums, one extended play (EP), and 8 singles. While a third studio album was allegedly created, the master recordings were said to have been sold for drug money. With Weiland's eventual departure, where he regrouped with Stone Temple Pilots (then subsequently got fired following 2010's Eponymous Hippopotamus), and Velvet Revolver's own consequential dissolution in the aftermath, there would be no opportunity to recover, or re-record this material, let alone confirm it.

Studio Albums:

Album	Year
Heroin	2004
¡Viva la Revolución!	2007

Extended Plays:

Title	Year
Methamphetamine and the T.S.A.	2007

Singles:

Title	Album	Year
"Set Me Free, Officer!"	Heroin	2004
"Shiver"	Heroin	2004
"Fall to Feces"	Heroin	2004
"Dirty Little Syringe"	Heroin	2004
"Come On, Come In (We Got Blow)"	Fantastic 4somes: The Album	2005
"She Sells Quick Amphetamines"	¡Viva la Revolución!	2007
"The Last High"	¡Viva la Revolución!	2007
"Get Out the Dope"	¡Viva la Revolución!	2007