| The Outpatience | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Hard rock |
| Years Active: | 1995–1997 |
| Label: | Reality Entertainment |
| Associated Acts: | Guns N' Roses, Billy Joel, Eddie Money, David Lee Roth, Seal, Von Groove, Dear Mr. President |
| Past Members: | Mike Shotton West Arkeen Joey Hunting James Hunting Abe Laboriel Jr. Gregg Buchwalter |
The Outpatience was an American hard rock group formed in California by the guitarist West Arkeen, who is best known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses songs, in 1995.[1] The band released one album, Anxious Disease in 1996, but soon disbanded following Arkeen's death on May 30, 1997, in Los Angeles as a result of a drug overdose.
Following his success as a prominent rock songwriter, writing and co-writing several songs for Guns N' Roses, Brother Cane, Phantom Blue, Asphalt Ballet and Duff McKagan, Arkeen started his own project, The Outpatience, in 1995. The group's line-up was rounded up by the vocalist Mike Shotton of Von Groove, the guitarist Joey Hunting of Billy Joel, David Lee Roth and Dear Mr. President/Flesh & Blood, the bass guitarist James Hunting of Eddie Money and David Lee Roth, the drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. of Paul McCartney and the Seal keyboard player Gregg Buchwalter. The band recorded its first album, Anxious Disease, which featured notable guests such as Guns N' Roses' members Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan as well as the guitarist Steve Stevens. It was produced by Noel Golden, whose credits include Slash's Snakepit, Neurotic Outsiders and the Beth Hard Band, and co-produced by Arkeen. The album was mixed by Duane Baron, whose credits include Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and Poison.[2] It was released in Japan in 1996 and was looking for labels in the States when, on May 30, 1997, Arkeen was found dead in his Los Angeles home. His management company said that he had been at home recovering from severe burns and that his death was the result of an "accidental opiate overdose".[3] In 2004, Anxious Disease received a posthumous release in the US and Europe.