Members of Guns ‘n Roses, Rolling Stones Form New Band

by Nick DeRiso

Current members of Guns n’ Roses and the Rolling Stones form the nucleus of a new group called Dead Daisies, which just concluded an Israeli tour. A EP of new band-written material is also in the works.
Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus from GN’R, and Stones bassist Darryl Jones join singer Jon Stevens, guitarist David Lowy and drummer Charley Drayton in Dead Daisies. Reed is the longest-tenured member of Guns n’ Roses, after Axl Rose. Drayton is best known for his earlier work with the Divinyls, while Stevens had a stint in INXS. Stevens and Lowy have also worked with GN’R alum Slash on some of the music.
Reed says the group is taking a no-nonsense approach: “We actually recorded three new songs in the middle of that last tour,” Reed says. “When people hear it – there’s not a lot of bands doing this – I think they’re pleasantly surprised. You’re making people happy because you’re playing good rock ’n’ roll music. There’s not any other way to describe it. It’s just good rock ’n’ roll music.”
Reed says he will juggle commitments with GN’R while continuing in Dead Daisies. The band hopes to enter the studio sometime during its February tour of Australia.