Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I just read this today from the GNR period to finish (the leaked unedited version no doubt, I’ve put it below)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/148btdp ... caTK9/view

WTF is wrong with this guy? At every turn he comes across unironically as an egotistical weirdo and massively lacking in self awareness.

From throwing EVERYBODY under the bus, to dating a 19 year old when he’s 44, to demanding Duff tell Axl to make him the drummer for the 2016 reunion, the whole thing is just … weird. The ‘Velvet Lounge’ he had on the VR tour where he was doing degrading groupie stuff until Weiland told him to grow up (lol) and how embarrassing ‘80s Motley Crue’ shtick was, was funny and embarrassing

There’s tons more that I can’t be bothered to mention.

I always thought he was cool before reading this, even though he neither dressed nor looked it. Judge a book by its cover, I guess is the moral of the story.

I perused this a couple years back, and, yeah, if anyone’s wondering why Matt’s never been asked back to GN’R, they haven’t really bothered to look into it.

He’s always seemed like a douchebag in interviews.

While I've only had 1 quick interaction with him and it was 'meh', nothing to see here...

I have heard for years, he was a dick and arrogance is def flowing from his person!

$tEvil

Why did Slash and Duff work with him in Velvet Revolver if he's such a dick?

PhrozenInferno wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 12:37 pm I just read this today from the GNR period to finish (the leaked unedited version no doubt, I’ve put it below)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/148btdp ... caTK9/view

WTF is wrong with this guy?

Thanks for posting!

MetalSludgeCEO wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 1:05 pm While I've only had 1 quick interaction with him and it was 'meh', nothing to see here...

I have heard for years, he was a dick and arrogance is def flowing from his person!

$tEvil

Lotta dicks out there hahaha

SterileEyes1 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 12:57 pm I perused this a couple years back, and, yeah, if anyone’s wondering why Matt’s never been asked back to GN’R, they haven’t really bothered to look into it.

I never have bothered to wonder. I’d rather see Coke Stroke back behind the kit.

The songs didn't sound right when he was drummer. Didn't leave enough space around some notes and didn't groove right. Was OK in some of the more powerful stuff, but didn't swing the way I wanted those songs to sound.

Rocker4Real wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 1:08 pm Why did Slash and Duff work with him in Velvet Revolver if he's such a dick?

At that time, you were either Team Axl or Team Not Axl.

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 6:48 am

Rocker4Real wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 1:08 pm Why did Slash and Duff work with him in Velvet Revolver if he's such a dick?

At that time, you were either Team Axl or Team Not Axl.

And in the entire book he basically fawns over Axl and completely trashes Slash and Duff, Slash especially.

I have always wondered was there another side to the Axl/Slash fallout other than the usual Axl prima donna stuff, but still - Sorum clearly wasn’t happy at being left out of the reunion, so went scorched earth.

The way he speaks about GNR too is so off the mark, like it’s his band and he’s some icon rock star.

The Lars stuff was funny, I’ll give him that. Not surprised one bit that Lars was snivelling about around the early 90s to see what they were up to. Fragile ego.

Thanks for the link to his book. Mildly interesting read.

Jesus he really does come across as a total prick in his own book. Much like Don Felder did in Heaven and Hell.

He was a scab with no swing and a huge Norwegian forehead. He should have shut the fuck up and sucked Axl's dirty pickle.

It's a fun airport book.

Sorum is an insufferable rockstar idiot, but I also believe him when he says Axl was generous about splitting things and that Slash was the one always shutting that down. Their old manager gave some credence to that at some point - told a story about how Slash's Dad had done album covers for huge records but was broke, and Slash was determined not to end up like that.

Did get a laugh about Sorum tracking the drums for the Snakepit albums, disappearing to New York to binge drink nonstop for over a month, and then being FURIOUS that Slash hired a singer and finished the album while he was gone.

Also... Dizzy got three women pregnant during the UYI tour? Fuck me!

Also.... what is up with him giving girls money and moving them into the house the day after he fucks them?

I skimmed through and read the chapters I was interested in. Pretty entertaining. I liked the Phil Spector part. Sounds typical for what I've heard about him.

When did Sorum have the pleasure/pain of working with Spector?

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 2:27 pm When did Sorum have the pleasure/pain of working with Spector?

He said Kato Kaelin invited him to the session. Spector got him to play on some track Celine Dion was going to sing on. She ended up leaving because Spector made her wait too long.

I read The Cult stuff, not much I already didn't know.

Looked to see if he mentioned why he left/got the boot from Camp Freddy but didn't see anything relevant.

I must say, these are the types of rock books I enjoy reading: coke, sex, and plenty of name-dropping. It's cool to hear the stories. I didn't realize he was that much of a cokehead. I would have thought he was just a semi-normal drinker, especially since he replaced Adler for drug issues.

I never know what to think about guys like this. You'd assume that on a major label, you'd have to act professional and not be a total drug addict. But then you have your Keith Richards, John Entwistle, and Scott Weiland types, who are completely off the Richter. I guess labels put up with it with the aged-out stars who bring in the money. Not sure if newer bands have it the same.

I read the book a few years ago and my takeaway was that he thinks he's way more important than he was.

To me he was a replacement drummer in a small band (The Cult) and a replacement drummer in a huge band (GnR), but he talks about himself like he was a genius founding member and creative force in a rock band.

I don't know much about him songwriting wise, but I don't think he had much to do with either The Cult or Guns' creative output.

I could also never understand why GnR would replace a drummer like Steven Adler with a drummer like Matt Sorum. But that's not reflection on his talent but rather style.

Velvis wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 11:37 pm I could also never understand why GnR would replace a drummer like Steven Adler with a drummer like Matt Sorum. But that's not reflection on his talent but rather style.

It's pretty simple - when a guy is a colossal fuck up, the number one criteria for his replacement is "not a fuck up." Sorum is annoying as shit, but he's a pro. He's gonna show up on time, he's gonna know the songs, he's not going to make mistakes. Everything else is second to that. Doesn't matter if he's boring. Doesn't matter if he doesn't swing.

As you can see from the random assortment of guys that followed Sorum in the years since, that still stands.

^^^^^
This.

GnR were a band full of junkies. Sorum was not a junkie. He's hired. Didn't Adler lose the gig because he couldn't play on Civil War?

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 9:47 am Didn't Adler lose the gig because he couldn't play on Civil War?

No.

Thanks for the link. I'm enjoying the fuck out of this book. Just like Kiss, leave it to the drummer to write the autobiography with the most dirt.

But this is my favorite line...

"It was the first time I had played the songs from Appetite for Destruction, and I stuck to
the script. I played Steven Adler’s fills, even trying as much swing as he
did, but that’s not really my style."

Love all the responses in this thread about how Sorum was such a "pro." He was a junkie and showed up late to soundchecks and stuff too. Plenty of stories about cocaine, heroin, waking up late, and being an asshole. Can't believe he got 5%, then 10% of the band. Is that an ownership stake? If so, the guy won the lottery.

PhrozenInferno wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 12:37 pm dating a 19 year old when he’s 44

Maybe he likes firm bosoms, I dunno, can't really fault a guy for not being into saggy tits.

There's a reason he's called Matt Scrotum

FreddyFender wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 9:04 am

Velvis wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 11:37 pm I could also never understand why GnR would replace a drummer like Steven Adler with a drummer like Matt Sorum. But that's not reflection on his talent but rather style.

It's pretty simple - when a guy is a colossal fuck up, the number one criteria for his replacement is "not a fuck up." Sorum is annoying as shit, but he's a pro. He's gonna show up on time, he's gonna know the songs, he's not going to make mistakes. Everything else is second to that. Doesn't matter if he's boring. Doesn't matter if he doesn't swing.

As you can see from the random assortment of guys that followed Sorum in the years since, that still stands.

I am sure there were other drummers available that could play more like Adler and also not be a drug addict while be able to show up and not make mistakes.

Who says they were looking for someone that played like Adler?

Axl had a wildly different vision for the band by the time UYI came around. He was listening to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry and shit.

The reason Slash's Snakepit came to be was that Axl basically didn't want to do anything that sounded like AfD/Lies, but that's pretty much all that Slash writes.

Meh. You'd be surprised how many musicians and bands do not know what a good drummer IS. They always think it is meter, consistency and a machine-like sense of tempo.

...all of which are secondary aspects of good drumming.

...but why band ALWAYS choose a more ordinary drummer to replace an extraordinary one.

FreddyFender wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:25 pm Who says they were looking for someone that played like Adler?

Axl had a wildly different vision for the band by the time UYI came around. He was listening to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry and shit.

The reason Slash's Snakepit came to be was that Axl basically didn't want to do anything that sounded like AfD/Lies, but that's pretty much all that Slash writes.

Obviously, someone in the band wasn't (Axl) looking to get an Adler alike, but the general consensus of the fan base would rather someone who played similar to the guy who was a big part of the sound of their 30 million selling debut rather than some with the exact opposite style, feel, and sound.

Snorum sounds like a robotic drum machine which is the complete opposite of Adler.