Video: Duff McKagan Reunites With Axl Rose Onstage

Duff McKagan joined Axl Rose onstage for the first time in seventeen years Thursday night, playing bass on "You Could Be Mine" (watch above), "Knockin' On Heavens Door" and "Nice Boy" at London's 02 Arena. Rumors of a full-fledged Guns N" Roses reunion are sure to come, but Rose has made it abundantly clear that he will never share a stage with Slash again. "One of the two of us will die before a reunion," Rose told Billboard in 2009. "However sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."

See photos of the early days of Guns N' Roses

Axl did play with original GNR rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin at a number of shows in 2006. "I could see doing a song or so on the side with Izzy or having him out [on tour] again," Rose said in 2009. "I'm not so comfortable with doing anything having more than one of the alumni. Maybe something with Duff [McKagan], but that's it." Last year McKagan told Rolling Stone that he's also open to the idea of working with Rose again. "I'm not going to be one of those guys who's like 'fuck that, that'll never happen.' he said. "It could very well happen. I love Axl. We've been through a lot of shit together that nobody can take that away from us."

Photos: Axl Rose's paparazzi punch-out

McKagan joined Jane's Addiction this year, only to split with the group in September over musical differences. Earlier this week, Slash announced on his MySpace page that Velvet Revolver is auditioning new singers. "It's great to hook up with Duff, Matt & Dave after all this time," Slash wrote. "I'll keep you posted on any interesting developments from those sessions as they happen. The creative juices are definitely flowing. I'm positive something awesome is going to surface soon."

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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