Guns N’ Roses Confirm Original Lineup Reunion

Following Coachella’s lineup announcement, Guns N’ Roses have released a statement confirming that Slash and Duff McKagan are back in the band.

Thus far, no additional tour dates or plans have been announced.

Although the band never officially broke up, Axl Rose has been the band’s only original member since 1997 when bassist McKagan departed. This version of the band has toured on-and-off since the early aughts, but their official output has been slim. In 2008, the band released the long-gestating Chinese Democracy. 

In the interim, Slash, McKagan, and drummer Matt Sorum (who replaced Adler in Guns N’ Roses in 1990) formed Velvet Revolver, which was fronted by late Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

In recent years, there hasn’t been any love lost between Axl and the original members. “Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after Lies,” Axl said in 2009. “In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided—and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.”

But this year, Axl and Slash reconciled. “It was probably way overdue, you know,” Slash said. “But it’s, you know, it’s very cool at this point.”