Slash Is Bringing His Snakepit to Town

Slash's Snakepit, the rock group led by Slash of Guns 'n' Roses, will appear in Korea for the first time next week.

The band will perform at the Trade Convention Center in Pusan on Monday and at the Millennium Hall in Centralcity, Seoul, on Tuesday. The group's Asian tour is scheduled to begin in Taiwan on Saturday, according to Yim Seon-young of Isagong, the band's Korean agent.

The members of Slash's Snakepit are Slash, the sometime Guns 'n' Roses guitarist, whose real name is Saul Hudson; Matt Sorum, formerly the drummer for Guns 'n' Roses; Mike Inez on bass; Eric Dover, formerly the guitarist for Jellyfish, and the rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke. Their first album "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," was released in 1995.

Slash rose to fame in the rock world while he was with Gun 'n' Roses. Formed in 1985, that band released its first album, "Appetite for Destruction" in 1987. It spawned three Top 10 singles.

The band's popularity continued to grow with subsequent album releases, including "G N' R Lies" (1989), "Use Your Illusion" I and II (both 1991) and "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999). These albums, containing such songs as "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City," sold more than 20 million copies.

Slash is considered an icon of rock and roll decadence. Besides his music, he has also appeared in several movies including

"The Dead Pool" (1988), the fifth in the "Dirty Harry" series with Clint Eastwood; "Private Parts" (1997), an autobiography of the radio host Howard Stern, and "The Underground Comedy Movie" (1999), in which Slash played a vagabond drunk with a passion for the guitar. Despite his forays into the acting, Slash has said that his central passion remains music.

The concerts in Korea will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets cost 50,000 won and are available from major bookstores including Jongro Books (02-722-7843), Kyobo Bookstore (02-736-1444) and Yongpoong Bookstore (02-399-5616) in Seoul.

For more information, call Isagong (English service available) at 02-534-2166.

by Kim Jae-seon