Slash slams Weiland in new interview

Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has slammed former singer Scott Weiland in a new interview with England's Kerrang! magazine. When asked how the band felt when Weiland announced onstage in Scotland that the audience was watching "the last tour by Velvet Revolver," Slash replied, "(Scott) didn't know that we were already planning on extraditing him. When we started touring the second record, it just felt like we were losing Scott as far as our connection went. During the tour with Alice In Chains (in August 2007), he was just out to lunch."

Slash added that Weiland was supposed to go to rehab after the Alice In Chains tour, but didn't, which Slash called "the final blow."

The guitarist said that the relationship between Weiland and the rest of the band took a turn for the worse on their last jaunt together. Slash revealed, "We basically didn't speak a word that whole time. We gave him the cold shoulder in the U.K. like nobody's business. There were a couple of arguments around the stage, but other than that, nobody spoke to him."

Slash also said that the group "sort of got used to (Weiland) not being around," adding, "He's always been separate and doing his own little thing."

As for rumors that Slash nicknamed Weiland "J.A." for "Junior Axl," a reference to Slash's former Guns N' Roses bandmate Axl Rose, the guitarist said, "No, I never called him that. There were a few similarities though. What became really irritating was that I had the same problem with Scott as I had when I toured with Axl. I just couldn't get the guy onstage on time. That I can't accept...I will not be in a situation where a guy is making the audience wait half an hour or an hour or more."

Slash said that Velvet Revolver is "looking forward to finding a new singer," although he declined to mention any possible candidates.

Weiland was dismissed from Velvet Revolver on April 1st, just as a reunion tour with his previous band, Stone Temple Pilots, was being officially unveiled.