The Classic Rock Archive
> Browse > Latest IssueSearch the Archive
Enter your search below and click "Search".
(e.g. 'hendrix' or 'guitar solo')
Your Account
You're not logged in! Logging into the archive will allow you to flag and retrieve articles you're especially interested in.
> Login to your account > Register* UK GUNS N’ ROSES
From page 17 of Classic Rock Magazine January 2006
Cover of January 2006 issue.
INTERVIEW: BRETT CALLWOOD
The band formerly known as Bad Obsession have earned themselves a reputation as the best GN’R cover band in the country. And, to emphasise the point they’ve dubbed themselves UK Guns N’Roses, clever or what? Their Slash, real name Al, told us how it happened...
* When and why did you start doing this? We started back in 2003. We’ve been friends and played together for a long time. I finished university and met up with the guys, a local singer came down and started jamming with us, and the whole thing took off. We didn’t realize how successful it was gonna be but people kept coming. There was just so much demand, but we didn’t think we’d end up doing this professionally. * Do you play a ‘greatest hits’ set, or specific albums?
We do the really commercial, popular stuff, but we also throw in the odd obscure tune and some of the pieces from the live DVDs you don’t get on the albums. We just try to recreate the live Guns N’ Roses experience. * Are you look-alikes? Do you dress up? We do, yeah. Guns N’ Roses’ music is quite a visual thing, so we work hard at it. Obviously, some of us are flawed naturally. You can’t have toned skin if you haven’t got it. We try our best to give people what they want. I used to wear a wig, but they’re more of a pain than they’re worth.
* Towards the end of the set, do you put a KFC bucket on your head? You know, for humour... and accuracy.
Ha! No... fucking... way. We did think about it once. We were playing up north and one of the guys came back with a KFC bucket. The look on my face was enough I think. I stamped on it and threw it out the window. That was the end of that.
* Do you ever get the ‘frustrated artist’ feeling and want to play your own songs?
We’re not going to stop doing the Guns N’ Roses stuff, but we are writing at the moment – it’s not too GN’R, because you can’t do stuff that’s been done before, but we have a lot of stuff that we’re looking to bring out around mid 2006.
* If you were given the chance to join Guns N’ Roses (and let’s face it, it’s not out of the question right now), would you go for it? I’d be a fool to turn it down. Quite how my bandmates would take it, I don’t know but I’m sure they’d do the same to me.
