Yesterday, Duff McKagan teased that he planned to rejoin Guns N’ Roses for more than just a few songs. Now we have confirmation that McKagan will indeed be filling in for current bassist Tommy Stinson for five South American dates, starting on April 6 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In an exclusive to Billboard, Stinson explained that McKagan is simply helping his old friend Axl Rose out as he has gigs with The Replacements that conflict with the South American shows. “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 fuck 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.” Stinson also shares that McKagan joined GN’R for rehearsals in Los Angeles as far back as last month. “It’s pretty great to play these songs again, and looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again. South America is always a radical place for rock n roll…and I’m honored to be doing this thing, in that place,” McKagan added in a statement given to Billboard.
Granted, this doesn’t mean McKagan is rejoining GN’R permanently, but this certainly helps those hoping for a reunion of the original GN’R lineup. It’s also worth noting that though McKagan has only been confirmed for five South American dates, Billboard reports that Stinson won’t be back onstage with GN’R until the band’s show on May 13 in Bethlehem, PA. Whether that means McKagan will also be joining GN’R at this year’s Revolver Golden Gods Awards performance remains to be known.
