This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

This isn't about reconciling with the mercurial Axl Rose.

This isn't about reuniting with the original Guns N' Roses.

This is about Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators playing a sold-out show this coming Thursday at The Depot in Salt Lake City.

That's all it's about — and that's enough.

Yes, Slash's recent revelation to Sweden's Aftonbladet TV that he's ended his two-decade feud with Rose — coupled with the news that two of the guitarists in GN'R's current incarnation have quit in the past few months — set the rock 'n' roll rumor mill into overdrive with speculation about an impending mother of all comebacks.

Yes, Axl and GN'R are part of Slash's past, and yes, the legendary rock guitarist has acknowledged previously, it's conceivable that one day they could again be part of his future. But the only role they play in his present is when some of the songs he wrote with them emerge in his performances with The Conspirators.

So no, this is not about them.

It's about Slash and it's about Myles Kennedy and it's about The Conspirators and it's about rows of '59 Gibson Les Paul Standards and stacks of Marshall 2555 Silver Jubilee and AFD100 amps and top hats and 1,200 people at The Depot losing their minds and bobbing their heads when that half-step-tuned-down opening riff from "Sweet Child O' Mine" hits their eardrums.

That's what it's about.

Slash, one of the most talented, incendiary guitarists in the history of rock 'n' roll, is coming to Salt Lake City — and that's enough.

"Re: Slash," came the corresponding pre-emptive directive from his PR staff, "he is available for email interviews at this time. He's available to answer questions about this tour, the new CD/DVD and the most recent album. If that is acceptable to you, please send along your questions and we can proceed."

The byproduct of Axl fatigue and GN'R overload in every interview after that infamous Swedish interview.

Fair enough, especially considering that in the 20 years since Slash left a by-then bastardized version of Guns, he's been all about staying busy enough in the present to reduce all those conversations about when his past and future will collide to little more than background noise. The noise he has been making in the meantime, though, can hardly be relegated to the periphery of consciousness.

That email interview never did happen. He never was available. Slash, as previously mentioned, keeps himself very busy.

Just look at the last two years of his career.

First, there was a summer 2014 arena tour opening for some lil' ol' band called Aerosmith. Maybe you've heard of them?

Then came his third "solo" album, "World On Fire," which is actually his second recorded with The Conspirators. The September 2014 release joined his other albums in making a top-10 debut in the modern rock category.

Less than 10 days after the release of "World On Fire," The Conspirators partnered with Guitar Center and DirecTV for a promotional show at one of the famous Sunset Strip venues where GN'R cut its teeth and rose to fame. Their concert there yielded the double album/DVD "Live at the Roxy 9.25.14," which came out this past June.

Beyond that, he's toured the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and now the U.S. again. He's been scoring the soundtrack for "The Hell Within," the latest title from his movie company, Slasher Films. He did a guest spot on the Hollywood Vampires supergroup album featuring the likes of Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, the Eagles' Joe Walsh, Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, The Doors' Robby Krieger and … actor-turned-guitarist Johnny Depp?

Yup.

He's also become involved with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a result of a 2013 trip to South Africa with another temporary supergroup, Kings of Chaos. A visit to a wildlife preserve sparked his interest in the issue of elephant slaughter in the ivory trade, and proceeds from the sale of the "World On Fire" track "Beneath the Savage Sun" — written about that very subject — go to support the IFAW.

In the end, though, it's all about playing and performing.

He keeps going back to the recording studio, he keeps going in front of audiences. And audiences, in turn, keep going back, too.

When The Depot's website first published news of the tour stop some three months ago, it came with the disclaimer "Show is 21+ and will sell out." The former part of that statement was never in question. Neither, it turned out, was the latter.

This Thursday, Slash will be backed by Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz and Frank Sidoris. There will be no Axl Rose. There will be no Guns N' Roses.

And there will be no problem with that.

That's what it's about.

Twitter: @esotericwalden