What Do 'Angry Birds' and Slash Have in Common? (original) (raw)

Slash is easily one of the most iconic figures in rock. The guitar legend has been playing for decades, inspiring fans throughout his musical career with Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and his own solo work. So what makes Slash starstruck?

A trip to Rovio's studios in Helsinki, Finland, to talk about Angry Birds, apparently.

"I walked in and it was massively colorful. There were Angry Birds gummies and sodas and giant plush toys and Legos," he says. "It sort of let my inner nerd come out."

While Slash says his mission in going to Rovio was to meet the artists and pick their brains, he and they were all collectively starstruck and didn't get down to serious business.

"Once a bunch of Rovio employees came backstage to my show later, only then did we start talking, It was so cool," Slash says. "I managed to find out who designed [Angry Birds] Space and who wrote the theme song."

Slash is very proud of his Angry Birds fandom. Last August, he told Mashable he spent hours playing Angry Birds Space. Because of that article, Rovio reached out to the guitarist, said Rovio Marketing Vice President Philip Hickey.

Now fans who download the update to Angry Birds Space [iTunes link] will be treated to the new rockin' theme song, along with information about Slash's new album Apocalyptic Love, which he is on a world tour to support.

"We're huge Slash fans, and Slash is a huge Angry Birds fan, so this was just an ideal match." Hickey said. "It all happened very organically and was just a lot of fun on both sides. Our fans will love the track! Slash rocked the Angry Birds Space theme like only he could!"

Slash worked up the song while on tour in South America with his band, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, far away from Rovio's headquarters.

"You can do a lot of global things from one spot which you could never really do," Slash says of the technology that assisted him. "It always really involved a lot of mail or shipping in the old days."

Slash was able to utilize one of the apps he helped developed in the process: IK Multimedia's AmpliTude Slash app, which allows any musician to use the effects pedals and amplifiers that Slash uses to record.

While Slash says he still insists on doing some things the old-fashioned way -- albums always need to be recorded in the same studio, for instance -- he does say technology has helped his creative processes immensely.

"One of the great things for me is I write and record way more than back in the old days -- 70% of the stuff I came up with probably go lost. Now when I have an idea I always have a device in front of me," he says.

Technology wasn't always something Slash embraced, he says.

"I got my first cell phone in 1999 because my tour manager made me so he could always get a hold of me. Then I got a Blackberry and it really changed by life. I was able to take care of all the band business on the phone," he says.

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Now he's all about iDevices, with an iPhone and iPad -- which is where he plays Angry Birds Space most often. It's another thing that's changed about him since mobile technology invaded his life. Gaming was never a pastime he pursued.

"'I'm drawn to unique things. I'm not into spending hours chasing someone through a labyrinth or shooting them. I like artistically creative games that appeal to me and my short attention span. Someone turned me on to Angry Birds Space for the iPad, and I thought it was brilliant. The actual gravitational way this game works, the wacky creativeness. It made me wonder where they got the idea from."

Currently Slash says he rotates between Angry Birds Space, Angry Birds Star Wars and Bad Piggies.

"When I'm traveling it's great. I can get through one screen in a sitting while waiting for something to happen, or I can play for hours on the bus." he says. "Those are my three pastimes for bus rides: read, Angry Birds and playing guitar."

Other games haven't held his attention as much, though he says he also likes Temple Run, poker games and Tetris, and "stuff my kids download for me."

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Becoming Slashbird

Along with the new theme song and a portal to purchase Slash's music right from Angry Birds Space, fans are also treated to another surprise in game: the Slashbird. The bird appears in the game, along with on special edition posters and upcoming t-shirts produced by Rovio.

"One of the coolest things about being me is that people think I'd make a cool cartoon, and to be an Angry Bird was so flattering," he says. "I'm personally a huge fan of all kinds of animation."

Of course, he's already figured out a way his character could get some real playtime, and he pitched it to Rovio.

"Angry Bands would be great, because there's so many potential characters in music that have that look or personality about them," he says.

Rovio should take note; hopefully they're already hard at work on that one.

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