A month after Guns N’ Roses were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, keyboardist Dizzy Reed is now talking about why he decided to pass on the event.
“Well, you know, Axl [Rose] decided not to go because he felt that it wasn't right, and I stand by him,” Reed tells EspyRock. “The reasons he gave made sense to me and I agreed with him, so I chose not to go as well.”
Read Axl’s full statement declining the Rock Hall here.
Axl’s declaration that he would not only pass on the event but decline his acceptance prompted former members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum to rally the troops and execute a plan to play the Rock Hall at the last minute, according to comments by Slash. The former members were joined by Gilby Clarke (who was not inducted) and Myles Kennedy (Slash, Alter Bridge), who handled vocals on three GNR classics for the Cleveland crowd.
"Well, it wasn't without controversy, as you know, but the whole concept was an honor," adds Dizzy. “It came and went, and it is there, but right now the [current European] tour is the most important thing. I've just been focusing on that and believe me, it takes a bit of preparation for me to get ready to come out and do this. It has been quite a hectic few weeks with that and the tour leading up to when we got on the plane to head out.”
As the second-longest standing member of GNR (next to Axl), Reed was asked if he feels his role in the band has changed over the years.
“You know, I don't think it has changed a whole heck of a lot, to be honest. [laughs] I just try to add, and I always have, what I can to the music in the studio and to the performance when we are performing live,” says Dizzy. “I think, if anything, I've been given a little more freedom over the years because I've become a better performer. I've been given a little more freedom to do things that I wouldn't have in the past. In the past, it was, ‘You're not going to play on this song,’ and that was many, many, many years ago, but now things are different a little bit. Like I said, the most important thing is that I just try to add what I can to make the songs better. In the studio, I just try whatever I can, throw some ideas around and just see what sticks to the wall, but it's all about making the songs better. Live, it is kind of a similar process, but I kind of know what is going to work and what is not going to work. I try not to have any redundancy of sound or tone or anything and visually for the people who are there to see the show.”
Read more with Dizzy Reed at EspyRock here.
Guns N' Roses Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine / Paradise City
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame – Cleveland, OH – April 14, 2012
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