We could call this the Foo Fighters route perhaps, although the album features several drummers of note such as Matt Cameron, Ministry’s Bill Rieflin and one Josh Freese, formerly of the Vandals and now session man to the stars. Including one Axl Rose. In fact Freese seems to be fast becoming the hot session man around town...

Yeah, he’s a busy guy, grins Chris. He was showing up playing from like noon to four, then he’d go off from like nine till four in the morning playing with Axl, and then he’d show up the next day when we needed him. He’s got lot of energy though, so he was OK.

So, did you get any sneak insights into the Guns N’ Roses record?

Not really. He’s also very, uh, word careful. We asked him certain questions, but he knew what he should and shouldn’t talk about. I just wanted to know what it felt like for him to be playing ‘Sweet Child 0’ Mine’ with a band made out of all these punk rock guys and Axl, cos I think that’s really fucking weird, but it must be kind of cool.

Going from Chris Cornell to Axl Rose and back must have been a bit of a trip - two very different ways of working, I would imagine.

Yeah, but I think they actually have a lot of creative freedom with what they’re doing with Axl, they’re getting to write parts and stuff - and when he’d come to work with me it’s almost the opposite of what you would think. I would tell him exactly what to play when the song was finished.

Now there’s a thought - Chris Cornell out control-freaking Axl Rose...