Gilby Clarke, a former guitarist of legendary band Guns N' Roses, along with his band members E.J. Curse and Troy Patrick Ferrell, was in Dhaka to present rock 'n' roll during their maiden tour of Bangladesh. A day before their performance on Friday evening at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, The Daily Star caught up with the internationally acclaimed guitarist and his band for an exclusive interview. Excerpts:

How does it feel to be performing in Dhaka?

Gilby: So far, so good. It's been only a few hours since we're here. What's really special about Bangladesh is its people. Everybody is so kind and they are hospitable. We can feel the warmth.

What are the things that inspire you to do music?

Gilby: What inspired me when I was younger is different from what inspires me now. When I was younger it was all about dream. Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith those were the bands I was listening to when I was young. And I was attracted to the guitar. I wanted to be a guitar player. I knew what I wanted to do, and I kept starting new bands, and working with many people.

Nowadays it's a little bit easier and a little bit harder. It's easier because we are a lot more focused and we know what we are doing, but the world is different. It's harder to do what we want to do now, as you don't have the control anymore.

You've been a part of GN'R back in 1991; how was the journey with them?

Gilby: GN'R was very popular, and things were great at that time. We were playing at stadiums and the records were selling out. That was a great time for rock 'n' roll. When we brought out “The Spaghetti Incident”, the band was really clicking; we had just finished a two-and-half-year tour. Everybody knew their place; Slash and I knew what we needed to do on guitars. Everybody knew what songs we were playing and we knew how to get a good performance. I love that time.

How would you compare your solo career with the career you had with GN'R?

Gilby: There's no comparison actually. GN'R is a little bit more successful; just a little bit more. Artistes move on to solo careers, because there's something they cannot do with a band. My solo albums are an extension of music I like. When you work solo you have more control over what you're doing and you get to work with a lot of people.

You've collaborated with many musicians; which have been the most special experiences?

Gilby: I played guitar for the band Heart. Ann Wilson from Heart is an incredible singer. She sings great every single night. Slash is great. One of the things that I admire about Slash is that he really is keeping the rock 'n' roll flag flying right now.

There must be a lot of guitars in your collection; which one is your favourite?

Gilby: My favorite guitar is Zemaitis. I honestly don't know how many guitars I have, but I guess I own around 70 guitars.

Which band has the greatest influence on you?

Gilby: It's hard to say, but I would say the Rolling Stones.

Would you consider collaborating with a Bangladeshi singer/band?

Gilby: Absolutely. I've collaborated with Pakistani singer Atif Aslam on stage. As musicians we like to collaborate with other musicians. A good song is a good song; it doesn't matter where it comes from.

Do you have any message for your fans in Dhaka?

Gilby: Of course! Keep rock 'n' roll alive. We need rock music back alive and well. And that's why we are doing these tours