Velvet Revolver

The origins of Velvet Revolver trace to a 2002 spring jam session that brought ex-Guns N' Roses members Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass, and Matt Sorum on drums back onstage together. Their enduring chemistry prompted the trio to start developing fresh material while holding auditions for vocalists under the working title "the Project." Early candidates such as Buckcherry's former frontman Josh Todd and Neurotica's Kelly Shaefer failed to advance beyond initial tryouts. By the start of 2003 the search had become public enough to attract VH1 cameras documenting the process. Dave Kushner, previously of Wasted Youth and associated with Dave Navarro, came aboard as second guitarist. Troubled STP vocalist Scott Weiland joined shortly afterward; the fit proved immediate, yielding the energetic glitter-metal track "Set Me Free" for the Hulk soundtrack. By June the group had adopted the name Velvet Revolver and installed Weiland as lead singer, even as outstanding possession charges from a May arrest remained unresolved. The band secured a deal with RCA and balanced live dates with recording sessions throughout the remainder of 2003 around Weiland's mandated rehab. RCA first slated the debut album Contraband for an April 2004 release, later shifting the date to May and finally to June. That spring Weiland navigated court proceedings and recovery while Slash and Duff handled promotional duties, building anticipation among fans. The single "Slither" appeared as a fierce, ambitious rocker anchored by Slash's distinctive guitar style and climbed the active rock charts. When Contraband arrived it drew praise for blending signatures from STP and Guns N' Roses with an unexpected embrace of hedonistic maturity. The band's second album, Libertad, arrived in 2007. In December 2015 Weiland was discovered deceased in Bloomington, Minnesota, during a tour with his band the Wildabouts.