McKagan’s return to Castle Donington – which straddles the borders of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – was just the latest in a string of appearances there, with The Walking Papers, Loaded and Velvet Revolver as well as with Guns N’ Roses.
The first time GNR played Monsters of Rock was in 1988, and McKagan recalled how the young band had to make a quick detour from their US tour with Aerosmith.
“We were on tour with Aerosmith but we had been booked for Donington,” he said.
“The only caveat on that tour was we had to go to Donington, so we played New York with Aerosmith, did the gig [at Donington], and then flew back.”