Former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan has appeared to make a dig at Axl Rose after the singer refused to attend the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Rose posted a lengthy letter online recently detailing his reasons behind his rejection and reiterated his desire not to reform the original line-up of the classic rock band.

Speaking in a column in the Seattle Weekly, McKagan responded to Rose's rejection by stating that the induction is about the fans, not about individual members. He said:

"My band, Gnr, will be inducted into the so-fancy Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And on that night, I will honour not myself or the chicken dinner they will most surely provide, but I will be honouring all those people who call themselves the fans of our group called Guns N' Roses."

He continued: "In the end, it's not about who does or doesn't show up from the original band, and I back whatever reason this guy or that has for not coming. It's all good. The songs are the important bit here... and the message they most certainly still must carry."