Slash almost joined Poison!

Yes, it’s true, Slash once auditioned for Poison back in the mid-1980s. W hen Poison’s original guitarist, Matt Smith, split from the band, the glam-rock kings held auditions. I t came down to two names:  Slash and C.C. DeVille.  Slash later said he “killed the songs,” but it wasn’t his scene.  He didn’t dig the makeup, the teased hair, or the glitzy vibe.  “I hated Poison,” he admitted, “but in those days you did whatever you had to do.”  As he was leaving the audition, C.C. DeVille was walking in and Slash knew right then, “That should be the guy.”  Poison wanted image, flash and glam.  Slash was pure rock grit.  In the end, both made the right call:  Slash went on to define hard rock with Guns N’ Roses, while Poison became the poster boys for hair metal excess.

The guitar showdown: Slash vs. C.C. DeVille

Two L.A. guitar heroes from the same scene, but totally different animals.  Slash, with his top hat and Les Paul, brought blues-soaked fire to Guns N’ Roses’ raw tone, soulful bends and solos that still give goosebumps.  C.C. DeVille, on the other hand, was the life of the glam-party, all flashy riffs and catchy hooks.  He penned Poison classics like “Talk Dirty to Me” and kept arenas jumping with his high-energy playing and neon swagger.

Who’s better?

Let’s call it like it is, Slash takes the crown.  His legacy, skill and influence are miles ahead.  The man’s solos are etched into rock history, but credit where it’s due:  C.C. DeVille was exactly what Poison needed.  He wasn’t trying to be a blues god;  he was out to make the world dance, drink and sing along.  Slash may be the heavyweight champion of guitar heroics, but C.C. ruled the Sunset Strip in his own wild, glitter-covered way.

In the end, that near-miss audition might’ve been fate’s smartest play, because rock got two legends instead of one mismatched band.