Members:

Scott Weiland - lead vocals
Slash - lead & rhythm guitars
Dave Kushner - rhythm guitar
Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals
Matt Sorum - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Velvet Revolver was formed when three former members of Guns N' Roses, Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) joined to play a benefit concert for fellow musician Randy Castillo in 2002. They subsequently decided to form a new band that would bring the spirit of rock back to the mainstream. Izzy Stradlin was initially invited to be the band's rhythm guitarist, but both Stradlin and the band decided against this due to his aversion to lead singers and life on the road. The band recruited guitarist Dave Kushner, who had previously played with Wasted Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, The Infectious Grooves, and Dave Navarro. Kushner had attended school with Slash and had worked with McKagan in Loaded, the band in which he played before joining Velvet Revolver. The quartet were referred to under the temporary name "The Project" for a short period pending the selection of a permanent title for this emerging supergroup.

The quartet then set about recruiting a lead singer, with VH1 filming the recruitment process. The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned, including Canadian Todd Kerns (formerly of Age of Electric), Josh Todd (of Buckcherry), Michael Matijevic (of Steelheart), Sebastian Bach (formerly of Skid Row), Kelly Shaefer (of Atheist/Neurotica), Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge), who declined any invitation, and Travis Meeks (of Days of the New), all of whom were unsuccessful. Reportedly, ex-Faith No More singer Mike Patton was also approached early in the process, but he declined the offer to front the band. Scott Weiland had become friends with McKagan and had once played on the same bill as Kushner. Weiland heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer and the band clicked.

Contraband was released in June 2004, debuting at #1 on the Billboard album charts selling 256,000 in its first week of release.

In October 2006, Scott Weiland announced that Libertad would most likely be released spring to later spring 2007, while a few months later Slash gave May 2007 as the expected release date. The group recorded in Los Angeles with producer Brendan O'Brien, who stepped in for the band's original choice, Rick Rubin, after that arrangement "did not work out," frontman Scott Weiland told Billboard.com. "All of our hopes have even been elevated over the past three weeks," he said. "We were really excited about six months ago, when we first began writing. Then we really kind of flat-lined for a while."

On May 13th, 2007, Duff McKagan announced that possibly 2 songs from Libertad ("She Builds Quick Machines" and either "Let It Roll" or "Get Out The Door") will be playable on the videogame Guitar Hero III.