A short one shot inspired by this picture:-

When the King Met the Jester

Introduction & Interview by Jackie Malchons


If I said to you Slash and asked you what’s the first thing that comes to mind, you’d probably tell me one of three things; big hair, cigarettes or Guns n’ Roses! But if you don’t know who this dude is, well you’re either a Martian from outer space or you’ve been living under a rock for the past twenty years! The man is legendary; his rifts are instantly recognizable as nothing short of genius, he’s swapped poetry with Bob Dylan, smoked crack with Alice Cooper, and moshed with the moonwalker himself Michael Jackson. So with the passing of his dear friend – the elusive gloved one and on the cusp of his eponymous debut solo album being released (which to us die-hard fans has been a long time coming), the much anticipated, collaboration packed record is finally here. The “Sweet Child” guitarist talks exclusively to Hype Magazine about the dear friend who regrettably didn’t make it onto the final cut: the one and only King of Pop.

Jackie: Slash it’s so good to see you. This has to be the most insane buzz over the expected launch of any solo album in a long time. What’s it feel like to add this to your list of accomplishments?

Slash: Man it feels awesome; the fact that I was in total control from start to finish and rather than me working on other artists’ records I got to call in some friends to help lend their vocals felt F-ing awesome bro.

JM: You’ve played with so many musical legends over the years but the one everyone is talking about at the moment is Michael Jackson. Do you have any favourite memories that really stick out in your mind?

S: Man Michael Jackson was such a cool cat, legend through and through. I have so many amazing memories of him.

JM: You worked with him on a number of albums is that right?

S: Yeah and a few shows too. I remember trying to teach him the riff to black & white (laughs).

JM: Serious?

S: Yeah we were taking a break from rehearsing the MTV 10th year Anniversary show. I was messing around with some chords and having a smoke, I have a picture of it in my studio back in Cali, and well anyways he just stood there watching me. I was always a little wary when we were on a break ‘cuz he was such a practical joker but this particular occasion he admitted to me he was fascinated with the way I played, said my playing was totally uninhibited and came from the heart like the way he danced; he joked that I had the fastest fingers he’d ever seen (laughs).

JM: I’ve seen that photo can you tell us something that would surprise us about MJ?

S: Yeah he asked for a drag of my cigarette (laughs).

JM: For real?

S: Man for real, I told him to go buy his own pack of Marlboro's (laughs). Nah we joked around all the time, he called me “The Jester” cuz I always knew how to make him laugh.

JM: Wow man that’s funny. But back to him being fascinated with your playing, I guess you could say that’s a pretty big compliment coming from THE KOP?

S: I swear the guy is a genius, people think he’s this shy and quiet dude who talks with a funny voice and carries a chimp everywhere he goes but that’s B.S. The man knows his stuff he takes it all in. At that anniversary show he was first to arrive and last to leave, he’s a perfectionist big time and no one can take that away from him. He’d say “Slash you think you could hold off longer on that B chord…” he couldn’t play a B chord if his life depended on it but he still knew the structure to the song! He was astonishing man, even after we became friends he still had me star-struck and I never get star-struck (laughs).

JM: Slash star-struck? You’re a legend yourself man–

S: –but you got to understand the energy he had onstage was infectious and offstage people just gravitated towards him, me included. He would be doing scales warming up his voice and I’d be off to the side jamming along trying to make music to his vocal exercises (laughs) I’d never do that sh!t with Axl.

JM: Did it bother you much that he was a Pop artist?

S: Nah not at all. He could rock out like the best of ‘em. I mean "give in to me" total rock fest if you ask me. I just wish he would’ve done more rock songs. Would’ve kept me in studio work for a long, long time (laughs hysterically).

JM: If he was still with us do you think he would’ve made a guest appearance on your album?

S: Man that was my ultimate goal when I set out to record these songs but just when we started the process he passed on. Before that happened he was getting ready to do those shows at the O2, I thought “wouldn’t it be funny to have MJ do a heavy metal song?” But I guess it was too late.

JM: That would have been awesome! Maybe he would’ve asked you to perform Black & White at the O2 shows?

S: Man I would’ve been there in a heartbeat. Like I said on twitter, working with Michael was great, he wasn’t a dictator or one of those idiosyncratic a**holes that feel like they can get away with being an a**hole because they’re so great. Michael was the embodiment of music, I’ll miss him dearly.

JM: Slash I want to thank you for being so honest with your memories of MJ and here’s hoping he’s rocking out upstairs with the big guy to the tune of your latest album.

S: Yeah here’s hoping man.