Duff McKagan Quotes & Sayings

Never miss an opportunity to keep your damn mouth shut. — Duff McKagan

One of my favorite "deep thoughts" on the topic occurred when one of my other bands, Loaded, was opening for Alice Cooper a number of years back. After one particularly successful show, we got to talking about Bon Jovi. In the song "Wanted Dead Or Alive," the claim is made that "I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all." All? Let's ponder.
I have no doubt that Bon Jovi had played to a million people by the time "Dead or Alive" was released on Slippery When Wet in 1986. But did they rock them all? Couldn't it be that some dudes brought their girlfriends to the show and weren't necessarily into their music? What about some parents? Or maybe some people just didn't get rocked? Hey, it's happened to me. I've gone to gigs properly prepared to get rocked and it just didn't happen. — Duff McKagan

On March 31, 1994, I went to LAX to catch a flight from L.A. to Seattle. Kurt Cobain was waiting to take the same flight. We started talking. He had just skipped out of a rehab facility. We were both fucked up. We ended up getting seats next to each other and talking the whole way, but we didn't delve into certain things: I was in my hell and he was in his, and we both seemed to understand. — Duff McKagan

Steven Adler was really nice, and expressed himself with an infectious, almost childlike enthusiasm. He said, Listen, we're going to be great - going to get the feet stompin' and the hands clappin'. — Duff McKagan

(We wrote "Sweet Child o' Mine" later, and the "where do we go now" coda of that song actually was just sort of tacked on, which is one of the reasons we didn't anticipate it being a hit - or even a single, for that matter.) — Duff McKagan

A shake-out cruise could be just what Guns N' Roses needed. — Duff McKagan

TRY TO LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AT HOME BEFORE BED. DID I DO EVERYTHING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TODAY? WAS I HONEST ABOUT EVERY ACTION AND WORD SPOKEN TODAY? REALLY? WHO YOU LYIN' TO? YOURSELF? THAT'S PRETTY LAME. I'LL TRY HARDER TOMORROW. JUST DON'T USE! DON'T. USE. — Duff McKagan

a couple years prior we were hitchhiking to a gig with no gear. Now we were on a fucking tour bus. We could eat for free at a catered backstage buffet. Life was good. — Duff McKagan

At the end of the European leg, our lead guitar player pulled a knife on our bus driver in England. I — Duff McKagan

A few months prior, Axl had also come up with a great idea for "Patience," seemingly out of nowhere, that had immediately become the story and melody of that song. The whistle part at the beginning was another ballsy and unusual move by Axl; the song just wouldn't be the same without it. "Patience" quickly became one of my favorite GN'R songs to play live. — Duff McKagan

We had no idea it would be the last time we would ever be able to walk around L.A. without feeling like we were in a fishbowl, isolated and on display. — Duff McKagan

When I was thirty, I asked a nurse to let me die. In a couple days, I'm going to play "Cheap Sunglasses" alongside the man who wrote it. — Duff McKagan

We rehearsed at the space twice a day regardless of anything else going on in any of our lives. Many of the songs that made up Appetite and Lies - as well as more than a few from Use Your Illusion - came together in this back-alley lair. When — Duff McKagan

Of all men the drunkard is the foulest. The thief when he is not stealing is like another. The extortioner does not practice in the home. The murderer when he is at home can wash his hands. But the drunkard stinks and vomits in his own bed and dissolves his organs in alcohol. — Duff McKagan

I guess we can all look back and see things in our lives that we could or should have done differently - and better - and — Duff McKagan

Yes, confidence was knowing I could do anything. But, I realized, confidence must always be rooted in work. In sweat. In pain-good pain. And in honesty. — Duff McKagan

Here's what I believe. Shit fucking happens. That's rule one. Everybody walking the planet knows that. Rule two: things rarely turn out the way you planned. Three: everybody gets knocked down. Four, and most important of all: after you take those shots, it's time to stand up and walk on - to continue to live. — Duff McKagan

How peaceful death seemed, a simple and beautiful way out. Take me down. Take me home. Paradise ... — Duff McKagan

I always loved writing, but I feel like I really started writing when I got my BlackBerry . It was the first time I could take these crazy thoughts in my head and actually get them out. This little device became my journal on the road. — Duff McKagan

That's right: Duff McKagan, king of beers, viscount of vodka, count of coke. Champion of the world. Asshole. — Duff McKagan

Sometimes we have to face things, face people, face situations in life that we don't like to deal with," he said. "It can feel like everybody is out to get you. That's when you have to refuse to succumb, make people realize you are a force - but you also have to give and take in these situations. — Duff McKagan

Helicopters - "ghetto birds," as the other residents called them - — Duff McKagan

Axl introduced me - as usual - as Duff "the King of Beers" McKagan. Soon after this, a production company working on a new animated series called me to ask if they could use the name "Duff" for a brand of beer in the show. I laughed and said of course, no problem. The whole thing sounded like a low-rent art project or something - I mean, who made cartoons for adults? Little did I know that the show would become The Simpsons and that within a few years I would start to see Duff beer glasses and gear everywhere we toured. — Duff McKagan

Slash was already in a league of his own and watching him play guitar was a "holy shit" moment. — Duff McKagan

(we had added an unruly pug somewhere along the way) — Duff McKagan

Place pain in a steel box and let it float away," Benny would say. "Pain will always be there - it's how you deal with it that matters. — Duff McKagan

Playing in (the Neurotic Outsiders) with John Taylor was great. A lot of pussy every time we played a gig. So many chicks. It was, like, 'Wow, John, really? So this is what it was like, huh?' And there would be like a couple guys with mohawks and a guy with, like, a jean jacket coming in to see me and Jonesy! — Duff McKagan

We had a tour bus! We had a couple of real hotel rooms! And catering! Fuck, yes! — Duff McKagan

we did an acoustic set at CBGB on October 30, 1987, where we debuted "Patience. — Duff McKagan

Life is not a journey to the grave With the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, But rather to skid in sideways Thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow, what a ride! — Duff McKagan

Far fewer people know that Slash is also a world-class Russian crouch-down-and-kick-your-legs-out dancer. And — Duff McKagan

Fortunately I never came to enjoy the effect of heroin for its own sake, but floating away on a silk pillow was infinitely nicer than grinding my teeth in a drunken, paranoid stupor at the end of a coke binge. — Duff McKagan

loyal people have a mom they think is a saint. — Duff McKagan

The music had the ability to conjure images in my head and help me drown out the tension and noise I was trying to avoid at my house. — Duff McKagan

You dirty so and so. — Duff McKagan

Grace has already told me and her mom to stay completely invisible. Her exact words: "You're not invited. — Duff McKagan

When it comes to your values and personality, you are what you do in adverse situations. — Duff McKagan

Don't be a pussy. don't shy away from a situation just because it's tough. if you need to protect the one you love or things are tough at work ... pin those ears back and remember who the fuck you are. — Duff McKagan

took something serious away from it. I told myself I would never get so deep into my cups that I wouldn't be able to play. — Duff McKagan

we ended up closing the show with the cover song we had tried during sound check that afternoon, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door. — Duff McKagan