Bassist Tommy Stinson on Guns N’ Roses: ‘I Left It in a Good Way’
Though the full lineup for Guns N' Roses upcoming shows has not been confirmed, there have been strong rumors as to which past and present members are taking part and which are not. One of those rumored to not be involved is Tommy Stinson, who joined the band on bass in 1998. But with Duff McKagan's return confirmed, Stinson revealed in a new interview what many suspected -- that he was no longer with the band.
Speaking to The Current, Stinson stated, "I think everyone kind of knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I mean, roughly, I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour. I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don't know -- it must have been about five tour that they called me to do, and I just can't do 'em."
He adds, "I think Axl [Rose] got to the positions where he was like, 'Okay, so what am I gonna do now? Cause I don't have a band, blah, blah, blah.' So I think it worked out. And I think they'll have fun. It will be a healing thing for 'em, if it works out good. I will be good for them."
Just last fall, Stinson stated that he was unaware of what was going on with the band despited the rumors of a potential reunion with past member. At the time, he stated, "I'll be perfectly honest with you, man. I hope they do [reunite] because when you go back to where you started from and just check that out, and feel that for a moment after you've gone on and done all these other things, you know, there's a reward that comes with that, and I had that with the 'Mats. It's a good thing; it's a good thing to do once in a while, and I hope it works out for 'em, if it actually happens."
When he speaks of "the 'Mats," Stinson is referring to the Replacements, his band of the '80s and early '90s. The group's reunion tour actually led to a scheduling conflict at one point, where Rose called upon Duff McKagan to sub in for Stinson on bass for some South American shows. When quizzed about the current lineup of the band, Stinson revealed that all he was aware of was Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, which has all been public knowledge for the past month.
As for his current plans, Stinson reveals that he's working on a record with a few friends in a band-style setting that he hopes to wrap up by early March. So be on the lookout for that coming later this year.
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