The early 2000s were a strange and chaotic time for hard rock. The genre was caught between the fading glory of the ’90s and the uncertain future of a digital music age. Supergroups were popping up left and right—some spectacular, some forgettable, and some so wild they almost didn’t sound real. And tucked into that whirlwind was a short-lived band called Planet Us, a star-studded project that should have burned brighter than it did.
But the juiciest twist of all? Before it even had the chance to find its footing, the group tried to recruit Slash, the legendary top-hatted Guns N’ Roses guitarist. And the story of why that didn’t happen is just as fascinating as the band itself.
What Was Planet Us?
If you don’t remember Planet Us, don’t feel too bad—most people don’t. Unlike Velvet Revolver or Audioslave, which exploded into the mainstream, Planet Us was more of a blink-and-you-miss-it experiment.
The band formed in 2002 and boasted a lineup that, on paper, was a rock fan’s fever dream:
Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen) on vocals
Neal Schon (Journey) on guitar
Michael Anthony (Van Halen) on bass
Dean Castronovo (Journey) on drums
Later joined by Joe Satriani, guitar virtuoso extraordinaire
For a hot second, this crew looked like they might dominate arenas and crank out stadium-shaking anthems. But here’s the kicker: before Satriani was recruited, the band had its eyes set on none other than Slash.
Why Slash?
At that moment in history, Slash was fresh out of Guns N’ Roses and in a bit of a creative wilderness. He was still jamming with Slash’s Snakepit, a band that had a loyal cult following but never managed to reach the massive heights of GN’R. On paper, joining a supergroup with fellow icons like Hagar and Schon seemed like a perfect match.
For Planet Us, snagging Slash would have given them instant credibility and a dangerous edge. Hagar and Schon brought the melodic hooks, Anthony the rock-solid bass, Castronovo the thunderous rhythm—but Slash would have been the firepower, the one who could light up the entire project with a single solo.
It made sense. It should have worked. But Slash said no.
The Reason He Walked Away
According to those close to the project, Slash wasn’t entirely convinced that Planet Us was worth his time. He was restless, sure, but he wasn’t looking for a project that would exist as a side hustle. Slash wanted something real, something with legs.
And truthfully, Planet Us never gave him that confidence. The band wasn’t designed to be a long-term commitment. With its members pulled from active groups like Journey and Van Halen, everyone knew it would be a “between gigs” type of deal. Slash reportedly took one look at the schedules and the lack of long-term vision and politely declined.
Instead, Slash kept his energy focused on Snakepit and—more importantly—the future. Just a year later, he would link up with Scott Weiland, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum to form Velvet Revolver, a band that would storm the charts and prove to be one of the most commercially successful supergroups of the 2000s.
Looking back, it’s clear Slash made the right call. But man, what a “what if.”
The Short Life of Planet Us
So what happened to Planet Us after Slash turned them down? They went forward, roping in Joe Satriani as their guitarist, which was hardly a downgrade. In fact, Satriani brought his own brand of jaw-dropping skill that elevated the project in a completely different way.
Planet Us recorded a handful of tracks, most notably “Vertigo” and “Peeping Through a Hole.” But because of label politics, scheduling nightmares, and a general lack of cohesion, the band never truly got off the ground.
The songs they did produce ended up being scattered across other projects. “Vertigo” wound up on the Hagar/Satriani/Anthony/Chad Smith project Chickenfoot years later, while other demos sat in limbo. The potential was undeniable, but the execution? Almost nonexistent.
By 2003, Planet Us had fizzled out quietly, more a footnote than a headline in rock history.
Imagine If Slash Had Said Yes
Here’s where things get deliciously speculative. Imagine if Slash had joined. The gritty snarl of his Les Paul cutting through Hagar’s vocals, backed by the thunder of Anthony and Castronovo—it could have been an absolute monster.
And let’s not forget: this was the early 2000s, when fans were starving for authentic hard rock to counter the nu-metal explosion. A Slash-fueled Planet Us might have bridged the gap between classic rock loyalists and younger fans looking for something raw and dangerous.
Instead, Slash held out, and Velvet Revolver filled that void instead—selling millions of records, winning Grammys, and proving that the rock supergroup still had life in it. Planet Us, meanwhile, slipped into obscurity, a tantalizing “what could have been.”
The Legacy of a Missed Opportunity
In the end, Planet Us is remembered less for what it accomplished and more for what it almost accomplished. The fact that they tried to bring Slash on board shows just how ambitious the project could have been.
But ambition alone doesn’t make history. Without Slash, without commitment, without the right timing, Planet Us never had a shot at becoming more than a fun side project.
Still, for hardcore rock fans, the story remains one of the juiciest near-misses of the era. A project that could have been legendary if just one man—the man in the top hat—had decided to pick up his guitar and say yes.
Final Thought
Slash’s decision not to join Planet Us wasn’t just a matter of preference—it was a turning point. If he had jumped in, maybe Velvet Revolver never would have existed. Maybe we never would have gotten “Slither,” “Fall to Pieces,” or the Grammy-winning rebirth of a rock icon.
Planet Us burned briefly and quietly, while Velvet Revolver roared. But the ghost of that almost-supergroup still haunts the halls of rock history, whispering the words every fan loves to ponder:
What if?
Leave a Reply