Forever Notorious

Having performed with the LA legends as a keyboardist, percussionist and back-up vocalist since 1990, Dizzy Reed is the second longest serving member of the band – second only to the colourful, outspoken and dramatic vocalist, Axl Rose, who has been there since the band's inception in 1985. After that, you have members that have been with the now eight-piece group since 1998, 2002, 2006 and even 2009. It could be said that the turnover is high.

Reed seems to be a little reserved himself – not necessarily clipped on his words, but gently spoken, polite, and never raising anything that could at all been deemed unnecessary. He even immediately admits to “exaggerating just a bit” after commenting that in terms of their tour schedule: “I usually find out about stuff the same way everyone else does – on the internet.” Perhaps that is part of the secret to his longevity in the band.

“I think there's no doubt that this is the strongest line-up we've ever had. You can just feel it,” he comments, on their current creative juices. They've been slowly but surely building the stockpiles for the follow up to 2008's massively overdue sixth album Chinese Democracy. He says he has contributed “more songs than I can count” and that “it's pretty much all I do”.

“Everyone's been sending some stuff back and forth. There's a lot of stuff in the can. At some point I'm pretty sure we're all going to get together and start jamming and seeing what sticks on the wall. It's more in seeing what the moment dictates, and we'll see what happens.”

But are they aiming for some new twists, or to deliver what is expected of them? “There always seem to be tricks up someone's sleeve, sometimes that I don't even know about. Honestly, I think that with the band we have now, and we've been together now for three years, things are just going along so good. We're tight, it's a well oiled machine. It's still a rock band. It's Guns N' Roses man. I guess you could call it a classic vibe, but I think that's what we do.”

In April 2012, the band's classic line-up was invited to join the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Both Rose and Reed declined to attend the ceremony. “I personally didn't think it was right to not invite the new band – the current members of Guns N' Roses. I didn't think that was cool at all. Also, I was only allowed one guest, and the rest of my family would have had to pay full price for tickets, and I was like, 'Where does that money go anyway?' So the whole thing was just kind of... the concept, and the fact that I was considered, is very honourable. As far as the whole process, I just didn't understand where that was coming from.”

The 49-year-old has recently been touring with his solo band, and reveals that an album is mostly in the can. “I have 12 tracks that I've recorded. I'm kind of waiting to have enough free time, and the right time, to get them all mixed properly, and then put them out. I go out and play when I can, and the feedback on all the songs has been great. People are always asking where they can get them. I think that's a good sign.

“It's just pure rock'n'roll,” he describes. “We made a point to go in and track everything old school, and capture live tracks, live performances, and turn them into good songs. It's me singing everything, and I can tell you right now, I'm nowhere near the level of Axl as far as singing goes, but I try.”

Guns N' Roses will be playing the following dates:

Tuesday 12 March - Allphones Arena, Sydney NSW
Wednesday 13 March - Hunter Stadium, Newcastle NSW
Sunday 17 March - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC
Wednesday 20 March - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane QLD