Slash and his band were part of Rockfest yesterday (May 12) at Liberty Memorial Park in Kansas City, Mo. Before his set, he sat down to discuss his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Guns N’ Roses, playing at festivals and the first time he picked up a guitar.

Although Slash has already talked about Guns N’ Roses being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at great length, it doesn’t stop the questions from coming, and Slash always answers them with style and grace. When asked about the evening, Slash said, “It was a special evening, it was definitely cool. I went into it with mixed feelings about the whole thing but when the time actually came it turned out to be a really great night and it was a cool feeling, a cool honor.”

Slash also had some interesting thoughts on rock festivals and their importance to the rock community, explaining, “There’s a certain kind of energy that you get at festivals, festivals are what make people know that rock and roll is alive and well. It’s one of the key things where everyone gets together and there’s this palpable energy that happens. It’s just great to be a part of it.”

When asked about the first time he picked up a guitar, he was quick to say that it wasn’t about money, and it wasn’t about picking up chicks, explaining, “It wasn’t about bucks, it never was. It was about guitar, it was about music. I was 14 when I picked it up, 1980 I guess it was, I got turned on to it through Steve Adler. We were best friends at the time and he had one at his house, I got into it and I’ve been hooked on it ever since.” He continued, saying, “Prior to that I had no inclination to play an instrument whatsoever. I liked music but I was not aspiring to do anything in the music business, never even thought of it.”

Slash’s new solo disc ‘Apocalyptic Love’ is due out on May 21.

Watch the Full Interview with Slash at Rockfest

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