Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson has confirmed hints made by Duff McKagan that he will rejoin the band for five shows in South America this month while Stinson plays previously scheduled dates with The Replacements.
"I had those Replacement shows come up the same time the (South American) tour came up, and it got to be a scheduling issue right out of the gate," Stinson tells Billboard. "I didn't want to f anyone up in Guns by saying, 'Hey, I can't do this tour' or anything like that. Luckily someone was able to reach out to Duff and he was amenable to the idea and was into doing it. It's Duff being the kind of good sport he is, trying to help Axl (Rose) out. So I'm like, 'Thanks dude, for covering my ass on this one.' I think people are gonna be really stoked about it. It's gonna be fun for everyone."
Rumors flew on Monday when Duff tweeted a photo of setlists full of GNR tunes, writing, “Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil! See y'all in the next few weeks, Si? GNR.”
McKagan will fill-in for Stinson with GNR starting April 6 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and for the balance of the South American tour, including shows in Asuncion, Paraguay on April 9, La Paz, Bolivia on April 12, Recife, Brazil on April 15 and Fortaleza, Brazil on April 17.
"It's pretty great to play these songs again, and looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again,” Duff said via his publicist. “South America is always a radical place for rock n roll...and I'm honored to be doing this thing, in that place."
Stinson says McKagan joined GNR for rehearsals in Los Angeles last month and will likely run through the set again before the Buenos Aires show, but Stinson notes that, "He's a great bass player. It's gonna be a breeze. The only bummer is I don't get to see one of the shows he plays, especially after playing his parts for 17 years. It would be interesting to see how he plays them. There's a couple things I could use some pointers on."
When Duff first re-teamed with pal Axl Rose in London in 2010, it marked the first time in 14 years the pair had performed together, sending fans around the world into a frenzy; McKagan repeated the feat again in December of 2011 for back-to-back dates in Vancouver and Seattle.
Meanwhile, Stinson will play Coachella with The Replacements, including shows on April 11 and April 18.
See also:
Duff McKagan to rejoin Guns N’ Roses for South American tour
VIDEO: Guns N’ Roses kick off South American tour in Brazil
VIDEO: Matt Sorum issues final preview of new solo album Stratosphere
VIDEO: Matt Sorum performs new music on KLOS Los Angeles
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