Book Review: It’s So Easy (And Other Lies) – Duff McKagan The Autobiography

The what: The story of Michael ‘Duff’ McKagan, Seattle teenage punk rocker who moves to LA and strikes it big as the bass player for Guns N’ Roses, and everything else that follows.

Duff ‘The King of Beers’ goes home in 1994 after touring with Gn’R for years, wakes up in excruciating pain only to find his pancreas has burst. That is his wake up call from years or partying. And holy shit did Duff party; he partied with Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, he partied with Penthouse pets (and married/divorced one) and he partied with the various flotsam and jetsam of the LA Sunset Strip. It’s also fascinating to see how he meets Slash, Izzy, Steve and Axl. They lived in the seedy part of Hollywoord and set up their rehearsal area in a rental space between the prostitutes and junkies. Their first tour out of town failed and he recalls how they pulled through and formed a stronger bond. Eventually Guns N’ Roses exploded in the mid 80s and the world tours that followed and inevitably the friction that happened along the way. Duff was a full-blown alcoholic and at one point he doesn’t even remember visiting Czechoslovakia during a European tour – he only realised when he saw the stamp in his passport. Damn.
After a few years of living the high life cracks appears in the system and Izzy and Steven quit, Axl is a diva arriving hours late for shows, resulting in more than one riot.

But after Gn’R he turns his life around. From bloated coke-fiend alcoholic he gets back in shape and sets personal goals. This isn’t just a typical rock star success story. There’s a a theme of working hard to achieve your goals, then losing your vision and rebuilding it from scratch. There’s also a focus on Velvet Revolver and how Duff helped Scott Weiland with his addictions.

After 13 years of not talking to Axl Duff is in London for a business meeting and realises Axl is staying on the same floor of the hotel. No spoilers but it’s a pretty good read.

Fun fact: You know Duff Beer? Know where they got the name from? Yep.

The verdict: I have a newfound respect for my favourite Gn’R member. This is a fascinating story of rock and roll debauchery, and pulling yourself together after it all collapses. From car-stealing teenage scumbag to being in ‘the most dangerous band on the planet’ to bloated alcoholic to a respected family and business man. Duff rules. This book rules.

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