Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses: 'I was studying the gospels, and I got into martial arts'

In advance of his solo show in Dublin, Duff McKagan talks GNR, his own output, and whether his old band will make new music together 

Duff McKagan plays in Dublin in September. Picture: Charles Peterson

Guns N' Roses emerged in the mid-1980s as a breath of fresh air, blowing away the over-produced hair-metal pop of the time with a a blast of punk, hard-rock and the New York Dolls essence of gritty dirt behind the fingernails glam. The five original members documented their hard-living existence in Ronald Reagan's recession-hit America with Appetite For Destruction.

Bass player Duff McKagan now 60 is for many the beating punk rock heart of the group. He returns to Dublin for a solo show on the back of a string of solo albums: Tenderness (2019), Lighthouse (2023) and the recent Tenderness Live In Los Angeles.