Comedian and actor Andrew Dice Clay recalled his role in putting Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan back together in Guns N’ Roses, saying he knew his efforts had paid off when he heard a radio report in his car.

In 2016 – with the reunion public after several years of backstage negotiations – Clay told Rolling Stone that, while others may have helped the original band members get back together, he was “very aggressive” with his own efforts. He’d known the band since the ‘80s when they started hanging out together, and his son had pointed out that Rose had no ill-will toward him, making Clay – and his notoriously outspoken manner – a prime candidate to go into action.

In a new interview with Loudwire, Clay recalled meeting Slash in Australia, probably in 2011. “He goes, ‘Well, I’m here to play the national anthem for their football game,'" he said. "And then I go, ‘Oh yeah, okay, that’s big. … You’re Slash! You understand? … You’re one of the greatest guitarists in the world. What’s wrong with you?’ I go, ‘What kind of argument did you guys have, decades ago, that you can’t put this back together? … You peaked rock ’n’ roll, you had a fight, and now you’re doing a fucking football game?’”

You can watch the interview clip below.

On his return to the U.S. Clay called McKagan, and they discussed a “next move.” A major concern, said the comedian, was that “through the years Slash would be condescending with his stupid Twitter bullshit, so we gotta get him to send positive shit out there. ... And as far as Axl, I go, ‘I’ll take care of him in Vegas.’”

He arranged with GNR road manager Tom Mayhew to be the opening act at Guns N’ Roses’ final residency show in Las Vegas, and then he watched Rose’s existing lineup in action. Afterward he told the singer, “You’re playing for 3,000 people – I could do that!”

Clay added that he thought Rose's "musicians are amazing, Bumblefoot, all those guys – amazing. I go, ‘But they’re not the real band. But they’re playing exactly what the band plays. I don’t know what you’re doing. You need to put this back together.”

Seemingly, as a result of Clay’s efforts, Slash wished Rose a happy birthday on Twitter in February 2012. Clay recalled later hearing a KLOS discussion about reunion rumors. “I’m in my car going, Yes! I did it!" he said. "And I knew I did the job. And to this day I’m thrilled about it because they are doing 100,000 people a night. It’s the biggest band in the world and I’m just thrilled for them.”

 

 

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