WHEN you think of great rock music venues, Witney doesn’t immediately spring to mind in the way Glastonbury, Reading or Leeds do.

But the town was treated to a visit by rock ’n’ roll royalty on Thursday when former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and his new band, Walking Papers, dropped by ahead of their upcoming European tour.

The group hosted a musical workshop at Fat Lil’s diner in Corn Street in association with the Witchwood School of Rock.

Rock school students took part in a Q&A session with Duff where he told them about life in a famous band.

Some were lucky enough to perform on stage with him. The day finished with a half-hour set by Walking Papers.

School founder Lee Wyatt-Buchan said getting Duff and his band to come was a real coup.

He said: “It’s very surreal. He’s a rock legend. He’s been in some incredibly big bands, so for him to be in Witney is awesome.”

The event came about after a rock school staff member met Duff at a gig by his other band, Loaded, at the O2 Academy in Oxford in 2011. Although the bassist expressed an interest in coming to the school it took months for a suitable date to be found.

Mr Wyatt-Buchan said he hoped the experience was inspirational for the students, adding: “They’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.”

One of the bands from the school who got the chance to perform alongside Duff was Twisted State of Mind. Bassist Ben Comley, 13, guitarist and vocalist Luke Ashby, 12, and drummer Damon Marshall, 13, all from Witney, are big fans of the rocker.

Damon said: “Guns n’ Roses were one of the bands that got me into rock and metal.”

All three want to be professional musicians when they grow up. Ben said: “Being in a band would be so amazing. It would be the best job.”

Duff himself thought the rock school was a great idea. He said: “I see young rockers learning and some of them are better than I am! They’ve got that bright look in their eyes and the mysteries of rock are still alive to them.”

He added music was a great way to keep young people occupied. He said: “I would have got into a lot of trouble in my teenage years, and playing in bands really led me out of all the trouble.”

The school caters to budding musicians between the ages of six and 18 and holds weekly sessions in Witney and Shipton-under-Wychwood.