Musician

That connectivity with the audience that I get to enjoy, that's my church. It's not one of ego or anything like, 'I'm on the stage and the lights.' It's just this connectivity, and it's always been that way for me.

My grandfather John came from Cork. I have six degrees of separation in Ireland.

Being from a big band is great because you can do other bands.

I have panic attacks here and there, like in the weirdest places ever, and I've learned to deal with them.

When you're in a band, it's a close-knit thing. There's a lot of emotional stuff.

Personally, I had made a good amount of dough for a 30-year-old guy, but I didn't know a thing about money. I'm not a dumb guy, but I couldn't figure them out.

My twenties were tumultuous at best... I think.

I think you can tell stories and give perspectives and yet still keep stuff for yourself, too. I keep a lot of my life private, even in a public forum like writing.

I'm not Cormac McCarthy, but I can get my point across in a thousand words.

I've never been one to just play safe music and think that's all there is to it.

Music was going to be my thing. Was I going to make a living at it? That was kind of a joke. It was just my passion, and if I was broke doing my passion, so be it.

Axl's favorite record in 1987 was 'Faith,' by George Michael.

I don't know if I have a favorite song.

There is definitely an art to the dance that is being in a band.

Left to my own devices, I tend to go darker and weirder, and it's fun.

I had a column for the 'Seattle Weekly' for five years, and there was one column that was called 'How To Be A Man,' and it was kind of tongue in cheek; it was really tongue in cheek. And I got a book deal from that column.

I read Slash's book because we were on the road together with Velvet Revolver when that came out.

We wrote the songs we wrote - we took from our own experiences, melded it together, and wrote what became 'Appetite For Destruction.'

Guns N' Roses is a weighty subject, but in the same breath, I don't take it that seriously.

Three weeks into being in Hollywood, I was playing with Slash through an ad in the paper.