Guns N’ Roses Member Reflects on Band’s Legacy, Velvet Revolver, and More

Matt Sorum discussed his years with Guns N' Roses during a recent interview. The drummer said he reflects on those days with pride. That experience gave him credibility for the rest of his career.

"It's like watching somebody else's movie," Sorum said. "That moniker lives with me, and it's given me a level of cache that's taken me around the world doing other things."

Sorum played drums until 1996. He appeared on Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in 1991, plus The Spaghetti Incident? in 1994. Those records earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012 alongside Steven Adler.

"Axl Rose probably the greatest frontman of that era and probably years after," Sorum added. "I see videos pop up on Instagram. I'm, like, 'Wow, we were pretty good.'"

Sorum also discussed Velvet Revolver. He formed the band in 2002 with Duff McKagan and Slash from Guns N' Roses, plus Dave Kushner. Scott Weiland joined the band as singer after they had searched for two years.

Velvet Revolver released Contraband in 2004 and Libertad in 2007 through RCA/Sony BMG. The first record sold three million copies. The band earned three GRAMMY nominations and one win. They dismissed Weiland in Apr. 2008.

"I was hoping it'd be more of a long thing and we'd still be here, but unfortunately it didn't go that way," Sorum said. "When we made Contraband, I felt like I was 20. We all got in great shape. We all got cleaned up."

He recalled a moment in Manhattan when a fan recognized him and McKagan as members of Velvet Revolver rather than their previous band. "We had created something new," Sorum said. "Scott Weiland was one of the greatest rock and roll frontmen that I've been honored to work with." Weiland died in Dec. 2015 at age 48. 

Sorum will perform with Geezer Butler and Paul Rodgers on Mar. 2 at the 2026 Sound & Vision Awards at the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre. The concert benefits his Adopt the Arts program, which provides music education for over 3,500 students in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley. Tickets run from $150 to $500.