GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

jamester

9-2010
Musikkpraksis magazine (Norway)
SEPT 2010 Bumblefoot Interview
PHOTOS & PODCAST AT: http://musikkweb.no/html/news/Bak%20sce … _824677143
VIDEO AT: http://musikkweb.no/html/news/MP TV_608106243

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09/18/2010
http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=8721&p=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_De … ngs_played
http://www.gunsnroses-livestats.com/setlist.php?gig=174

Encore
24. Madagascar
25. Whole lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-853OToJfs
26. Band jam
27. Paradise city
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kD5KKmp9eg
Setlist notes

The arena is packed. After 'mr. brownstone' Axl says "what a great crowd, what a great audience. And all these girls.." Tommy and Richard spin around the drum riser during 'this I love'. Before the pink floyd band jam Axl sings a bit of 'we want the funk'. Someone in the crowd brought a sign saying 'Fuck Azoff, thanks for being here".

AFTER PARTY AT THE BOX, VIENNA

jamester

9-2010
Bumblefoot Interview GitarPlus magazine (Indonesia) SEPT 2010
20100901_-_GitarPlus_(Indonesia)_cover.jpg Back in 1995, what was your overall concept for "THE ADVENTURES OF BUMBLEFOOT"? And then what's actually you do for the re-released edition? Were there any ‘repairs’ made to this one?

“The Adventures Of Bumblefoot” was originally released by Shrapnel Records in 1995. It's a guitar-oriented instrumental CD, originally with 12 songs and 2 additional bonus tracks. The concept for the album started a few years before... my girlfriend was in school to become a veterinarian, I was helping her study - one of the animal diseases was 'Ulcerative Pododermatitis', also known as 'Bumblefoot'. One of the treatments for this illness was to apply hemorrhoid ointment to the patient's foot and wrap it in a ball bandage. There was something absurd, yet entertaining about all of this information, haha. I immediately pictured a super-hero that looked like a giant foot morphed with a bee, and I wrote a song that sounded like a theme song for this character – like a cartoon of a 'bumbling' fictional 60's spy character, sort of like the Pink Panther, but a little more quirky. I called the song 'Bumblefoot' and it was released on a comp CD of instrumental guitar music called 'Guitars On the Edge, Vol. 4' (Legato Records, released Feb. 1994). When I signed my record deal with Shrapnel Records a few months later, this song inspired the concept for that album. I called the album 'The Adventures Of Bumblefoot', the 'Bumblefoot' song would be the opening track, followed by other songs also named after animal diseases. The album art had the image of the 'Bumblefoot' in my head I had at the very beginning, the 'flying foot' with black & yellow stripes, wings, a stinger, and five toes... I also made other characters that represented each of the songs, scattered throughout the album art. Not your usual concept for an album, haha... it was something different.

Soon after its release, the album was out-of-print, not available any more. The only way to get it was to find a copy in a record store that carried rare albums, or on eBay. I've seen people sell copies of it for as much as $600. And now 15 years later, Shrapnel is re-releasing it. I worked with Shrapnel on the re-release, I updated the artwork and added 5 additional bonus tracks from a videogame soundtrack I did back then, around the same time the album first came out. I'll be selling autographed copies of the CD at www.baldfreak.com - it's the official webstore for all my CDs & merch. And I'll be donating $5 from every autographed album to Multiple Sclerosis research. I also made a transcription book of the album - it took 6 months to write out, it's 200 pages. It has every detail of what I played on the album – notes, fingers, picking, tablature... that will be at the webstore too. 20100901_-_GitarPlus_(Indonesia)_p22.jpg What was the philosophy for the guitars on "THE ADVENTURES OF BUMBLEFOOT"? Did you get the idea instantly or has been in your mind for years? Did you have an overarching goal in terms of feel or tones when you began this project?

It all started with the 'Bumblefoot' song, and I think it set a direction for the album... rock music with some experimental, progressive, jazz ideas... the songs would begin in different ways – sometimes a drum beat, where the accents in the rhythm would lead to a guitar riff. Or it would start with a melody, but mostly it was an overall feeling I was trying to give... people often compared the music on this album and the next few albums that followed it to Frank Zappa, the way the music had complexity and also humor. It was serious music that didn't take itself too seriously.

How many takes did you do and what equipment did you use during "THE ADVENTURES OF BUMBLEFOOT" recording session? And how do you feel about it now?

Most of the album was recorded in the Summer of 1994. I used my home-made Swiss Cheese guitar for all the electric guitar tracks ( http://www.bumblefoot.com/gear/04-swiss … guitar.php ) into a Marshall head & cabinet. My recording gear was two ADAT digital tape recorders and a Mackie 24-channel board, 2 Alesis 3630 compressors, a Boss SE-50 multi-FX unit and an Alesis Midiverb. I laid drum tracks first, with an Alesis HR16 drum machine. I didn't have my own studio, everything was set up in the basement of my parent's house. It was a very simple home studio. My equipment was 5 feet away from the central air-conditioner for the house - every time it went on, it was too noisy to record and I'd have to stop and wait for it to shut off. I had a foot-switch I used to punch-in any overdubs and re-takes. The foot-switch had a slight delay to it, so I would have to hit it early, at the 'wrong' time, in order for it to activate at the right time. I didn't have studio speakers, so I recorded and mixed the entire album using an old cheap pair of headphones that I was familiar with. Some things would be good on the first take, others would take repeated takes until it had the right feel. Listening back, I'm happy with the album the way it is.

Now let's talk about your days with GNR. How did Axl make contact with you? Were you a fan of GNR before joining them? 20100901_-_GitarPlus_(Indonesia)_p23.jpg remember hearing Guns N' Roses for the first time, when they first released the 'Appetite' album. I was watching MTV at 3am and the video to 'Jungle' came on, and I thought 'this band is something special'. I first started talking with GNR in July 2004. I got an email from Joe Satriani, saying he recommended me to the gig. A band member, the manager, and the producer got in touch soon after and we started making plans. It wasn't until 2006 that we made it official, hit the road and started recording together.

How do things work in GNR? Has your life changed a lot since becoming a member of GNR? Is Axl easy to work with?

The only change in life is that time is more scarce. Doing so much more touring now with GNR, I'm always racing against the clock to catch up on everything else I need to do. Everybody in GNR is easy to work with, and everybody is free to be who they are, that's very cool.

Guitarwise, What do you think has been your biggest learning experience while touring with GNR?

I think I learned how important guitar tone really is. The tone makes all the difference in how pleasant the listening experience is, and should never be neglected. When I first joined GNR in '06 we jumped right into touring and I didn't have time to experiment with heads, speakers, microphones... by the time we started to tour again in '09, I had put time into every aspect of the tone, and it made a big difference. That was my biggest lesson – don't neglect your tone. Between you and DJ Ashba, how do you work together? Is there any kind of formula to how you decide who plays what?

DJ is a tasteful melodic player. Often he takes on these guitar parts and I do more of the technical parts, but there's no solid rule to it, we just take each song and think about what would compliment it best.

How has it been to recreate GNR old songs, do you try to emulate Slash's sound? Or you have your own formula?

I try to respect what he wrote for the songs. I don't want to re-write the songs, I want to play the songs the best I can, and give the audience the song in the way they would know it and want it. For fast phrases in the solos I may give it my own thing, but I keep the melodies the same.

What are the most your GNR's favorite songs to play live?

I love playing the big hits, because the audience loves it. But also I love the newer songs, like Shackler's Revenge, Scraped... in the newer songs I play parts that I wrote and recorded, switching back and forth between the fretted and fretless on the double-neck... ( http://www.bumblefoot.com/gear/15-vigier-doubleneck.php )

Gearwise, can you detail your stage-gear (with GNR), what’s your signal chain? How much does the live set-up differ from country to country? How many times do you have to switch guitars? And how many guitars do you normally take out on the road?

On stage with GNR, I'm using the Vigier GV single-cutaway guitar, 2 custom-built Vigier fretted/fretless double-neck guitars, a Parkwood PW370M acoustic guitar, and a Godin nylon-string electric. The Vigier's go to an Engl Invader 100W head, with a Dunlop wah and a TC Electronic 'Nova' multi-FX unit in the amp's FX loop. From there the head goes to a 4x12 'Hermit' iso-cab ( www.hermitcab.com ) loaded with Celestion speakers, mic'd with two AT4050's 20100901_-_GitarPlus_(Indonesia)_p27.jpg going to the Front Of House... I use this in every country. In total I bring 7 guitars – the double-neck and a backup, the GV and a backup (the backup is a Gibson Les Paul '59 re-issue from '89), the acoustic and a backup, and the Godin nylon string. Depending on the order of songs in the set, I could sometimes use the same guitar for a few songs, other times I'm changing every song. (It would be possible to do all the electric guitar parts on the double-neck, if I drop-D tune for some of the 'Chinese Democracy' songs...)

Slash and his band will come to Jakarta-Indonesia for a concert on 3 August, any possibility to see GNR too?

I would *love* to, but I don't think we have any confirmed shows there yet. I hope I can come there with GNR, or with my solo music, I'd be very happy....!

Thank you Mudya, and the readers of GitarPlus - it's always a pleasure!!

Ron

jamester

9-2010
Bumblefoot Interview GAFFA (Denmark) SEPT 2010 ENGLISH - DANISH

Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: The continued adventures

After having been a member of Guns N' Roses for over four years, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal talks about, among other things, the re-release of his 1995 debut album, his take on Chinese Democracy, as well as the wide range of his musical preferences.
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By Mikkel Elbech
Photo: Jarmo Luukkonen

Almost exactly three years after I first interviewed Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, a request arrived in my inbox, asking me if I'd like to do a follow-up to the first one. But of course I would. After the Rock 'N Rev festival in Sturgis, South Dakota, and before Ron once again headed to Europe with Guns N' Roses, modern communication allowed a direct link-up between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ron's home in New Jersey.

Sitting on his couch with a little black and white cat squished up next to him, he was eager to talk about the re-release of his debut album, The Adventures Of Bumblefoot (originally released in 1995), along with bonus tracks originally made for the Sega game, Wild Woody, and the accompanying 200-page tab book, as well as his thoughts on Rock Band. Furthermore, Ron talks about his contributions to Chinese Democracy and its subsequent release in November 2008, as well as giving an insight into his musical preferences – such as who'd be in his dream line-up and what his favorite songs by various bands are.

Never free from the strain of controversy, the band's current tour was preceded by two Internet-fused rumors: One that claimed that Ron was out of the band, and another that the tour was canceled. The cause of the latter was Axl's Twitter-account being hacked, leading to an announcement, seemingly directly from the frontman, that the forthcoming 26 dates weren't happening. Obviously, neither were true, and the tour could kick off as planned. (Well, almost as planned – the first two shows at Reading and Leeds were affected by curfew disagreements, and the fourth show in Dublin was paused for 25 minutes due to objects being thrown at the band.)

Being from Denmark and having attended the show in Aalborg on June 14th that ended the previous leg of the tour, I naturally started off by giving Ron my compliments for what I considered a great show. Turns out that Ron was specifically fond of that specific show:

– To me, that was the best show we ever played! There are certain shows where you just can't connect and plug into what's going on, and you feel like you're not there, no matter what you try to do. It's this separation between your brain, your body, and your soul! But there was something about that last show we did in Aalborg – it just felt like a perfectly functioning machine. Everything seemed solid, and we seemed so in sync. It felt like the perfect show. We were as connected as we ever were.

Are there specific moments during the show that you remember?

– I remember at one point I was on the ground, and it took me a while to get up! I remember thinking, “I need to sit here for a while”, and the head of security came over and asked me if I was okay, and I just gave him the thumbs up – “just taking a breather!”. And when you've got a 30 pound double neck guitar around your neck, it definitely wears you out a bit.

It's a town quite far from Copenhagen, which, being the capital, is naturally the city that most bands visit. As an audience member, it's often obvious that the crowds of smaller towns are different from big cities. Can you sense that when you're on stage?

– Sometimes it's crazier in a smaller town. Sometimes they're more into it. Maybe it feels like a bigger event if it's a town that most bands don't go to. I think that makes a difference.

Did it feel like that in Aalborg?

– Well, the crowd definitely kicked fucking ass! They were loud and really into it. But it's hard to say. If I played Aalborg and Copenhagen back to back, I could probably have a better opinion about it, but even from other gigs I've done, there's definitely something about playing smaller towns. I have nothing against the big towns, and I don't want to stereotype things here, but it almost feels more personal.

Climbing the personal Everest

What made this year the perfect one to re-release your debut album?

– The label finally decided to do it! Shrapnel Records own all the rights to that album and the one that came after it, Hermit, so I can't release it on my own. It's solely up to them what they want to do with it, and after I left the label in 1997, they never reprinted the album, so nobody could get it – except if you'd find one at some obscure store or on eBay. So they contacted me last year and said they'd like to re-release the album, and I was happy as hell! You wanna see all your music out there and available for people, so we got started re-vamping the artwork and adding the Sega tracks.

I read that it took you 6 months to transcribe the whole album for the accompanying 200-page tab book. Was it harder than you thought?

– It was harder than making the album! Just for the hell of it, in 1997, I decided to take every guitar track and put them all on a cassette, and then just listen to a few seconds at a time – remembering and learning everything I played, writing it down and putting it into the software. This year I fixed them all up – aligned them and took care of all the typesetting – and then put them into PDF-files, did artwork for them and so on, and that had to be another six months. So it was a huge undertaking, but I'm really glad I did it. It was my own personal Everest that I climbed!

Were you surprised at some of the compositions, in terms of how you've developed as a composer?

– Not really. Going back and looking at all that stuff, it all kind of made sense in my own twisted brain. “Alright, I put that #9 there to bring it into this”, and “I kind of understand why I augmented the 11 to give it that sense of something impending” – it all made sense!

You're donating five bucks for every cd sold to Multiple Sclerosis research. Why this specific disease?

– It became a personal thing when one of my closest friends was diagnosed – also around 1997, so it was quite a year. At that time, he was a guitar player in a band, and he just shifted his priorities and started this non-profit organization to raise money that goes directly to the labs doing research. And his friends and family all volunteered, and we just took our time to arrange concerts and different events that would raise money. And nobody takes a salary – we make sure that every cent really goes toward research. His site is msrf.org. Also, with anything I do that's autographed – whether it's a photograph or a cd, but if I sign it – five dollars goes towards MS research.

To what extent do you feel obliged, as someone who's done quite well for himself, to donate money to charity?

– I always felt that if you have something to give, it doesn't hurt you to give it. It takes very little effort to do something kind in this world, and if you can – just do it. When my friend was diagnosed, it raised my awareness – and it's a shame that it takes things like that, but we're living our lives and all these things exist, and we can't just randomly pick between them.

You started releasing songs to the Rock Band Network in June. Doesn't it bug you that the guitar playing doesn't really resemble reality at all?

– No! I like it! 'Cause it's not just about playing guitar – it's about connecting with the music. It's about getting to know songs that these kids would never hear – maybe not using an analogue guitar, but a digital one. And it does make kids want to become even more connected and start playing the real thing – and making the music that ends up on the games, instead of just playing what somebody else made. And I could be wrong, but I think that by the end of the year, we'll have the next version of Rock Band where you can play real instruments. So that's gonna completely change everything – we're gonna see some crazy players out there!

Can you play your own songs on the hardest difficulty setting?

– Aw, dude, I suck at it so bad! I can get five seconds in, and then I'm destroyed!

Not the new guy anymore

You became a member of the band but a few years before the release of Chinese Democracy, but you ended up playing on all the songs. To what extent did you add new parts to them, and to what extent were you redoing existing parts?

– I didn't redo anybody's parts. I only added my own things. And then in the studio they would make the decisions – let's keep this in, let's leave this out, let's make this louder, let's make this lower – but everything I played was my own stuff, whether it was rhythm chords or a solo.

Did you or anyone make a special effort to make sure you were on all the tracks?

– We just did a whole lot of time in the studio, and I kept playing and playing and playing – until we ran out of songs! I played on the stuff that wasn't released, too. I mean, there's a whole big chunk of music from that era, and I played on pretty much everything. Then they decided what to put out, and I'm sure something at some point will happen to the other existing songs. But I'm hoping we could write some music now, with the current line-up, and do something completely fresh.

You're pushing your five year anniversary as a member of the band. How is it different to be a member of Guns N' Roses today than it was when you first joined?

– Well, I'm not the new guy anymore! In the beginning, they didn't know what the hell to make of me, but now I think they get it. The good and the bad. And the ugly. And the very ugly! When I first joined, I'm sure they thought, “who's this dude that the stork just left on our doorstep?” Tommy, who was always a punk guy, knows I grew up with a lot of that stuff, and we connect on that level. Me and Richard will be jamming and talking about old Yes music. And actually, the first song that me and Richard both learned to play was Rock N' Roll Hoochie Koo! We all e-mail, call and text when we're on different sides of the continent, and when we're on the same side, we hang and jam. Frank brought his drums to my house last week and we just jammed for a few hours, and the week before that we went over to Sebastian Bach's house and jammed.

How is he doing?

– He's doing well! He's gonna be very missed on this next leg of touring. He's phenomenal live. He's so fucking good. And everyone he's had in his band was always great. But we've got some good bands coming with us, so it's cool... But it would be nice to also have Sebastian.

How did the atmosphere in the band change after Chinese Democracy was finally released?

– Oh, man! It was like having wandered in the desert for forty years and then finally crossing the border! It was very soon after that we all congregated back in LA and started rehearsing. At that point, Robin had moved on, but since then he and I have probably become even closer. I've seen him every time he was in town with Nine Inch Nails, and we've gotten to hang a bit. DJ had joined the band, and we spent a lot of time really making sure that when we started touring again we'd be very prepared. We made sure the guitar parts were perfectly coordinated, and that our tones and sound and gear were complimentary to each other. That everyone would stand out in their own place without stepping on anyone, so the sound wouldn't get too messy. Compliments to the front house guys, 'cause they're a big part of that. They put something a little forward and something a little back, making it as good as it could ever sound.

From Moscow to Athens via Seoul

What's your take on the reception of Chinese Democracy?

– It's like any album – some people are gonna love it, some are gonna hate it, and some are not gonna care either way. Production-wise, you can look at it two ways. Either it's The White Album, or it's Pet Sounds – a big, personal statement. There was so much production, and it was such a fine, fragile balance of getting everything just right. To me, it's more like an orchestration. It wasn't the typical raw rock recording, and I think it took people a minute to understand that, 'cause I think a lot of them were expecting Appetite II. With the Use Your Illusion albums, things were already heading in this direction, and if you take all these years of growth and suddenly you come out of the cocoon with this thing, it's definitely a shock to people. But now that people are more familiar with it, I see them singing along to all the new songs. And that's good. I like that certain ones stand out for people. Like Catcher In The Rye, for instance. There's so much going on, and it's a beautiful song with so many nice melodies in there. And speaking of Yes, one of my favorite Yes albums is Going For The One, and the things going on at the end of Catcher In The Rye remind a lot of me of the title track on that album. It just keeps going and coming around again and building and saying more. There's improvising on it, and the guitars and vocals sort of dance around with each other. And that's fucking cool!

Is Axl a Yes fan?

– You know, I don't know. I never asked him. I should text him. “Do you like Yes? This is a yes or no question!”

Chris Cornell has talked about how he thinks albums should be reviewed ten years after their release, 'cause that's when they will be seen in the proper context. Do you think he has a point?

– Oh, totally. When Chinese Democracy was released, it still had all the baggage attached to it. “It took this long to make, and rumors say it was this expensive! And it doesn't have the original band members on it!” And it biases people's opinion of what they're listening to, when they have all that stuff on their mind. But if you give it time and look back on it, all those things are no longer relevant, and you're just looking at it for what it is – an album, a collection of music – and you'd get to review it with a fresh take. So I think as more time goes on, people are gonna start appreciating that album more.

Is there something a critic wrote that really bugged you?

– Just the usual stuff. Everyone wants their opinion to be the truth, and then they'll voice it as if it is the truth. It's what they believe, so it's the truth to them, but it doesn't mean it's the truth to you, and you just have to agree to disagree.

You've got a big European tour coming up. What shows of the 26 are you especially looking forward to?

– All of them! There are certain places that I'm curious about, 'cause I've never been there. Like Serbia, Croatia and Belfast. And I love being part of the first incarnation of Guns N' Roses to play at a place. Like Seoul, South Korea, and Moscow.

Where have you been in the world that have made you think, “just let me stay here”?

– Moscow. I've been there a good couple of times, and it feels more and more like home and I have more and more fun every time I come back. And Japan.

What are the things that have made your trips there so enjoyable?

– Um, probably none that I should say! A lot of these places I just go to with my wife, and we experience things together, and that's really what does it. She's come out to so many of the shows, when I'm on tour – like London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Sydney, Milan, and Athens. I loved Athens! I had a great time there. Just one day last year, when I was on tour with Lita Ford, and my wife came out, and we just spent a day walking around the whole city and had a beautiful dinner on this rooftop restaurant overlooking the Acropolis. That was one of those moments, definitely.

Playing with Mozart, Bonham and Dio

You have a lot of fans that have been very excited about meeting you. Which artists have you yourself been the most excited about meeting?

– The guys in Kiss. I've met Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley a couple of times, and that was really cool. Also the guys in Avenged Sevenfold and Dream Theater. And Fozzy. All of them were a pleasure to hang out with. But who have I met where I definitely had to keep my cool? Um... Steven Tyler! That was last year at Sturgis, and we were both watching Toby Keith. Steven was standing right next to me, so I introduced myself, and we chatted just for a brief second. He was the nicest fucking guy.

If you could play just one concert with your dream line-up, who – alive or dead – would be in it? And you can't mention any GN'R members.

– I think I would put Amadeus on keys. He was just a fun guy and such a wise-ass. At least according to how he's been portrayed. On drums, I think I'll go with John Bonham. I'm gonna go with all dead people here. On bass? Jaco Pastorius. He was insane – so fucking good. One of those guys who inspired a whole generation of bass players. And the singer? I'm thinking... 'Cause I wanna have John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in there, too. This is becoming a big fucking band! But who would be a good, dead singer? No, wait, I'm gonna go with an alive one. Tony Harnell from the band TNT.

And then yourself on lead guitar, I assume?

– No, I'm just gonna sit down and watch them and be, like, “I'm not worthy!” I don't even wanna be in the band – I just wanna assemble them and listen to them! But no okay, I'll be in there on, I guess, guitar. But I'll probably spend more time listening than playing.

Where would you play?

– I guess in the underworld, since they're dead! But wait! Fuck! Dio!! Tony would have to be excluded from the band, 'cause I'm going “bring out your dead!”, and he'd go, “I'm not dead yet! I feel fine!”. So it's Dio on vocals instead. And we would play in my living room every fucking night. No, okay, we'll do the Garden. Madison Square Garden, New York City. That's home.

What's the song that you just can't get out of your head these days?

– Okay, this will make you laugh, and it'll be completely unexpected. It's a song called Bat Macumba by Os Mutantes from their self-titled album, which came out in 1968. It's this Brazilian psychedelic rock band, which was very “Cream meets psychedelic-era Beatles”, and I have that song stuck in my head. Probably because I listened to that album eight times in a row. It goes like this: (plays guitar and sings) “Bat macumba, ê ê, bat macumba, oba, bat macumba, ê ê, bat macumba, oba...” Like that, over and over. It's been in my head for a good couple of weeks now.

What's your guiltiest musical pleasure?

– The one thing that I'm ashamed to admit that I love to listen to? I don't know if I'm ashamed. I'm proud to say that I think the Bee Gees were fucking amazing songwriters and singers.

What made you think of them?

– I started just listing bands, starting from A, and I didn't wanna say ABBA, so I got to B and came up with the Bee Gees! But let's add to that: Dusty Springfield's “You Don't Have To Say You Love Me”. And “Misty Blue” by Engelbert Humperdinck. “With These Hands” by Tom Jones. But this is stuff that I'm absolutely not ashamed of in any way. Actually I'm rather proud to share this information. Yet most people might not consider it cool.

Do you have a favorite joke?

– Oh boy. I'm trying to think of the words to the one in my head. Um... “How many e-mail responses do you have to make before people believe the tour isn't canceled? A thousand!” Twitter-gate! There were also rumors that I was quitting the band, and that's not true either. I'm still here. The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated! But what's my favorite joke? “I'm a tee-pee, I'm a wig-wam, I'm a tee-pee, I'm a wig-wam! Relax, you're two tents!” And I saw one with a picture of two snowmen standing next to each other, and one of them says to the other one, “do you smell carrots?” They're so stupid. And then, of course, there are the raunchy ones. “What's the best thing about fucking twenty(-)four-year-olds? There's twenty of them!” But that's too terrible.

Favorite tunes

Finally, I'm gonna mention a bunch of bands, and then you tell me your favorite song by them – is that cool?

– Sure. But it might take me a second to come up with my favorite.

Led Zeppelin?

– Dang, that's a fucking tough one. I'm such a huge Zeppelin fan, and I love every fucking song! The first one that comes to my mind is Friends.

The Beach Boys?

– God Only Knows. Do you know that song? (starts playing it on guitar and singing along) Now I can't stop playing! (reaches the minor 6th chord) That's what does it! That's the chord that goes right through me and makes the song my favorite! Like in What It Takes by Aerosmith!

So that's your favorite Aerosmith song?

– No, it's Nobody's Fault. That one and S.O.S. (Too Bad).

The Beatles?

– Holy fuck. Every fucking song they ever touched. But I'm gonna go with Strawberry Fields Forever.

Pink Floyd?

– Holy shit, another tough one. But I might go with Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Blondie?

– Blondie! Nice! Parallel Lines is one of the first albums I got. Dreaming is a great song, but let me think. Not the disco-y stuff like Call Me or Heart Of Glass. 11:59 is a good song... Sunday Girl... But you know what, for now I'll go with Dreaming, 'cause that's first one that popped into my head.

Nirvana?

– Verse Chorus Verse.

Black Sabbath?

– The first thing that popped into my head was Fairies Wear Boots. But there are so many great fucking songs.

The Rolling Stones?

– Gimme Shelter.

Metallica?

– To me, the Master Of Puppets album was the pinnacle of amazingness, and Disposable Heroes is one of my favorites. But there's a million old Metallica songs that I fucking love. Creeping Death. But it's a tough one. There are certain bands where every single song they'd play at a concert would make you go “yaaay!” But I'll go with one of those two I mentioned, or even Battery.

Bon Jovi?

– Bon Jovi?! Oh shit, let me think. Fuck. I might have to go with the big one, Living On A Prayer. I'm gonna get beat up after this! “He would rather be in Bon Jovi!!”

Soundgarden?

– Every fucking song they made, from the “fuck you” song all the way to now. I might go with The Day I Tried To Live.

The Jesus And Mary Chain?

– Oh shit, I don't know. What do you recommend?

The Darklands album.

– I don't know enough of their stuff. I gotta check them out.

Oasis?

– (starts playing Don't Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall) It might be Wonderwall. I know it's a cheesy pick, 'cause it's the popular one, but it's a fucking good song. And I'm a sucker for cellos!

Johnny Cash?

– A Boy Named Sue! That's a good one. And I loved his covers. Rusty Cage!

Sex Pistols?

– Who Killed Bambi?

Kiss?

– Oh, that's a tricky one, 'cause I was raised on that. 100,000 Years. But again, it's one where I could name fifty songs!

Guns N' Roses before you joined the band?

– I'll go with Don't Cry.

And then your favorite song from Chinese Democracy?

– I'm gonna go with Shackler's Revenge. Now I've got Kiss songs in my head. (starts playing and singing Let Me Know) And then at the end, they go into the whole jam! (plays on) And that was the coolest thing! What a great way to end it! Holy shit!

INTERVIEWED AUG 20, 2010

jamester

9-2010
Bumblefoot Interview Vortex.cl (Chile) Sept 2010
Exclusive with the guitarist of Guns N' Roses

* Fecha: 2010 Septiembre 02
*
*
* (Original interview August 20, 2010)

4 years ago I had the great experience to have an interview with you, then you told me about your album "Normal", your experience with Mattias IA Eklundh. As well as your experience as a producer, how did it come the idea to get your own "Custom Shaped Bumblefoot Guitar" and being part of the G3

Then you were living another musical moment very cool i think, you got married too Over the years I've followed your career especially when you told me in an email your were gonna be part of the Guns n' Roses, then it came a long tour for "Chinese Democracy", your new solo album "Ab Normal", your acoustic album "barefoot" and many tours all over the world ... that even finally brought to you to visit my country.

About this and much more i would like talk now. First If we look the past ¿What does mean for yourself your album "Normal"nowadays?

Today I see the Normal album as the beginning of a crazy roller-coaster ride, that leads up to this moment.... it's part of my own GNR chapter, it was events with GNR that got me to write a lot of the album.

It was 2004, and dealing with the music business inspired songs like Real, The Color of Justice, Rockstar For A Day.

Is it crazy to be part of GNR. ¿How did you make " Abnormal" after being a member of GNR and going back to the studio to keep working in your own career?

It's big juggling act, juggling time. When GNR takes a break, I lock myself in the studio and work on my own music, other people's music, everything else. It's a battle against the clock, 24/7.

GNR finished touring in mid-2007 and I went into the studio and started working on the 'Abnormal' CD, while also recording bands for a friend's TV show 'Talking Metal On Fuse'

By the time I finished and released Abnormal it was mid-2008, soon after 'Chinese Democracy' was released and I quickly put out an acoustic Ep, 'Barefoot' in Dec 08.

In early 09 we started rehearsing for the next batch of touring, took a break for the Summer and I toured the US & Europe playing guitar with Lita Ford, went back for final rehearsals with GNR in the Fall and hit the road in Dec 09.

Been touring since, and during any breaks in between legs of the tour, I'm right back in the studio taking on years of work that have been waiting to get done, guest solos for albums and producing other people... while I was rehearsing in 09 I spent 6 months mixing the 'Automata' album by the band 'Return To Earth' (Metal Blade records) - the album was released this week, great band!

By Kimmo Pulli

You dont have too much time for your family.

10 things at once while racing against the clock, haha.My wife would come visit while I was in LA, and she joins me on tour whenever possible. She's the best. I call her my 'Partner In Crime'.

Your first album "The Adventures Of Bumblefoot" is about to be re-released with a complete songbook of the album. Why did you choose re-released this album? .and there is a chance to get re-released "911", "Hands", "Uncool" or the Sheet music book?

Shrapnel Records owns all the rights to the album, so it was completely up to them whether the album would/could be available or not. It was released in '95, on Roadrunner Records in Europe & Japan... when I left the label in 97 they stopped manufacturing, and the album making 'out-of-print'. No more copies, became a collectible on eBay, haha.

It stayed this way for a decade, and then last year Shrapnel got in touch, said they wanted to re-release it. I was happy as fuck - so we worked together on tweaking the artwork and adding some bonus tracks from a video game soundtrack I did for Sega in '96..

Starting this week you can get signed copies at my li'l webstore (www.bumblefoot.com/store) and $5 from every album is being donated to Multiple Sclerosis research. The songbook.

In 97, I decided to take on the challenge of transcribing the 'Adventures' CD inits entirety. Every note played, the fingers, picking, musical notation, TAB, noises, vocals, everything. It took 6 months of re-learning the album and writing out the parts, probably another 6 months just for typesetting and art work and making it all 'book ready'. 200 pages... I gotta say, writing out the album was tougher than making the making itself, haha.

That's at the ol' webstore too. All the other albums, “Hands”, “9.11”,“Uncool”, “Forgotten Anthology”, “Normal”, “Abnormal”,” Barefoot” - they're all available at my webstore, on iTunes and all those kinda sites, they're all available.

Will I ever do sheet music for the other albums? I don't know if I'll live long enough to have time to.

Ok I remember 4 or 5 years ago it was very difficult to get your records in South America, I got mine with my good friend Gustavo Serrano of CDk.cl, however today I see you have your webstore in Brazil with your last 3 albums. Could we have the complete merchandising in near future?

Yes, I'm selling CDs on MercadoLivre.com , thanks to the help of wonderful friends in Brazil! A way to make it easier for South Americans to get the albums. If there is a demand for more CDs and merch, I'll definitely make them available.

It would be great to have available all the albums for Southamerica thru Mercadolibre.com

Tell me about your experience in the contest "Be My Guest" in South-America during the tour with GNR?, tell me some anecdotes of that visit. i participe in this contest but i did not win.

That was a fun contest! That was something I put together on my own with my label Bald Freak. I wanted to do something special for the S. American tour, and it worked out well smile Everyone I met with that won the contest were great, so gracious and kind, really enjoyed meeting them all. Just hanging out, having good conversation, playing guitar.
Some got to hang a bit with Axl as well, which was an added treat for them. You entered the contest? Aaahhh!!!! Sorry man, next time we'll have to figure a little something out, non-contest-related.

"Barefoot" solo artist's latest production.

Tell us about GNR and ¿What was your "REAL" contribution to the "Chinese Democracy"? About REAL im just kidding hope u get it hehe.

A *pun*! A Chilean Pun! Love it! Ha,ha. We'd spend 14 hours a day in studios in LA and NY between touring, I'd hear some song I never heard before and start feeling out ideas, rhythm stuff, riffy stuff, melodic stuff, noodly-noodly stuff, fretless stuff, different amps, pickups, guitars, fx, just a lot of experimenting, for every song. In the end there were plenty of options and possibilities, and decisions were made on what to keep, what to ditch, what to boost, what to duck.

What are GNR currently doing ? Is there a new material out soon? Any idea when GNR would be visiting us again?

Don't know when we're coming back to S. A., we have a whole lot of the planet we still need to visit. In a few days I'm flying out to London to start the European GNR tour, we'll be there for 2 months. After that, we'll see what comes together. Ya can't predict anything about the future, just have to see what's able to happen.

Few months ago in my country there was an horrible earthquake, in fact GNR was one of the first bands to play for a massive audience after the earthquake, what did you think then? Do you have friends in Chile?

The earthquake was a big deal in the US, very concerned. Immediately people from Chile started emailing me asking us to please not cancel our show there, they need us to give them a break, some happiness. I heard a lot of personal stories about loss, it was very sad. And this is why I say you can't predict anything - you never know what's going to happen, all you can do is not forget this, appreciate the good people and good things around you, be a good person and leave behind something positive.

Good to know musician like you, are worried about what was happening here, bringing all your good vibes to CHIle. We really appreciate it.

The whole world was worried and wishing you good vibes.

I waited for about 2 hours to all of you to see on the stage, it started a little bit late lol.

Um, yeah. It was.

Tell me Ron of what's to come in your solo career, more albums and when they would be done some dates to tell? and what type of music we should expect?

I think putting out the Adventures album is giving me the itch to do more instrumental guitar music. I have a hard time writing on the road - it can get intense, and I need time away to re-charge my batteries and get inspired, I don't get that on the road. But I'm going to try hard to write while I'm in Europe. I'm going to force it out, haha. It's been 2 years since my last albums came out, and I need to make more music.

With Guns N 'Roses in Santiago on March 22

Im pretty sure lot of your fans are expecting a brand new album very soon....well we will not take more of your time, i know this next monday you will start a new tour to UK with GNR, more than sure you wanna spend more time with Mrs bfoot eating sushi. i would like ask you for the last 2 things ? Thanx for your time , and hope to see you soon here in Chile.

Great chatting with ya, thanks for the cool questions and all! And the puns!! Lol.

Interview: Johnny Verdugo.
[youtube]SOhxj0DJNZU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
por : Johnny Verdugo

Axlin16

Axl Rose wrote:

"What the fuck do you know? That's right! You don't know jack fucking shit you fucking ignorant, know it all, fucking deluded, misguided, self important, self righteous, pious, small minded, clueless, loud mouthed, arrogant cunt.
No one needs your opinions n' having to deal with your constant abuse of privileges or the miniscule amount of power you've had here you wield like an angry, lesbian, wannabe, high school parking lot rent-a-cop always mouthing off like you're some kind of authority which you're far from. I have to say it saddens me you continue to babble your horseshit to unsuspecting fans n' any names n' numbers you have are of people like you who try n' hurt others to promote themselves at their expense. That's the only real thing you got bitch.
It's like Revolver's (another forum member) if not edited, cloudy recollection of events as I've never asked for anyone's shirt bein' thrown out of anywhere let alone say I did but hey he won a contest so he must be credible, whatever, no good deed goes unpunished. I don't work for you or have to do a goddamn thing you think ever. Your opinions of anything whatsoever don't count or mean jack shit to me or anyone in this camp. You're garbage, plain and simple. You're not a fan or a voice of reason... you're a sick n' diseased mind spilling it's bile over the internet. Well now you can drink up the rewards of the crap that's been spillin' out of your pie hole forever here n' enjoy the fermented, feted n' vulgar response you've been cultivating n' aching for... for so long. Find another board this one doesn't need you. Oh n' feel free to jump in all you wanna be web warriors, ho defenders n' bitch boi's, you ain't needed either.

If only Axl had been on MyGN'R in 2002-2004, when her cunt-levels were at all-time high's. Even then she was banning people for being Buckethead fans or questioning her MSG 2002 post-show appearence where apparently she sucked Axl's cock and he told her the name of the first single, but she couldn't tell anybody because then she wouldn't be able to tell rumors apart from the real deal.

jamester

9/23/2010 Belgrade
http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=8738
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Belgr … _north.jpg
http://gnrworld.wordpress.com/2010/09/2 … ska-arena/
http://www.newgnr.com/forum/index.php?topic=46732.25
http://www.gunsnroses-livestats.com/setlist.php?gig=176

GUNS N ROSES
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010. 9:00pm
BELGRADE ARENA

With great pleasure we inform you that the legendary American hard rock band Guns N Roses will perform 23rd September in Belgrade Arena, which is the organizer of the concert.

Showtime: 23.09.2010 21:00
Day: Thursday
Event: Guns N Roses
Venue: Belgrade Arena

Parter - fan pit 4,950 din. or 48.14 euro
Parter regular 3,450 din. or 33.5 euro
Level 200 - I category 5,450 din. or 53 euro
Level 200 - II category 4,450 din. or 43.2 euro
Level 400 - I category 3,450 din. or 33.5 euro
Level 400 - II category 3,100 din. or 30.1 euro
Skyboxes-zahtev poslati na callcenter@cs.rs 14,500 din. or 141 euro

60370_434989921262_716056262_5653489_2468435_n.jpg?w=457

Date: September 23, 2010
City: Belgrade, Serbia
Venue: Beogradska Arena
Attendance: 14,000 Sold Out
Opening act(s):
Danko Jones Play the Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fIkqWujFI4
Nightshift

Setlist:

Encore
25. Band jam
26. Madagascar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLm6elc0iqc
27. Whole lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)
28. Band jam
29. Paradise city
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRvzGmM7aFk
30. Belgrade - The End
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0yAXRFllWA&translated=1

Setlist notes
There's a sign at the front saying 'welcome to the sweet child of Belgrade). Axl picks up a Serbian flag during 'Sweet child o' mine' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmMPpjlojE . Axl played the piano with his foot. Later he picks up another banner saying 'I can smell paint... huffing in Serbia'.

Guns and roses in Belgrade 23.09.2010 - Darren Jay Ashba and Zoran Ucukalo:

jamester

10-2010
Axl Rose Bentley Incident TMZ
Axl Rose - Alleged Bentley Abuser
Thursday • October 21, 2010 10:06:27 AM

TMZ.com reports: You'd think with a name like Axl -- dude would have some respect for a quality automobile -- instead Mr. Rose is accused of beating the hell out of a $192k Bentley.

The Guns N' Roses singer is being sued over a 2006 Bentley Flying Spur -- a pretty badass ride.

According to a lawsuit filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Axl leased the car through Bentley Financial Services back in 2005 -- then flaked on $73,976.42 in payments and fees.

But here's the rub ... Bentley claims when Axl returned the car (several months past the actual due date) -- the car had some serious damage including:

-- Cracked windshield
-- Two damaged tires
-- Broken glass on the left rear tail light
-- Two dented doors
-- Gouged bumper

Plus, Bentley says Axl turned in a "mismatched spare key" and a "broken remote key" -- and he was 42,397 miles over his contracted limit.

Bentley wants Axl to fork over the $73k ASAP ... including $91 for a missing key.

Source: TMZ.com

RussTCB

removed

jamester

10-2010
Witchwood School of Rock hosted a workshop with Bumblefoot and Frank Ferrer from Guns n Roses. This secret gig was held in Fat Lil's in Witney on 12th October 2010 where several bands, including The Reaper, had the chance to perform on stage with Bumblefoot and Frank jamming along. This is the evening news coverage of the event.
[youtube]oaKddSMi1ec&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Edit: 11-12-2010
bumblefoot

Pics from Witchwood School Of Rock UK last month - Frank & I were guest teachers for the day smile http://www.chillphotos.com/wsor_gnr.html 2 minutes ago via web
http://www.bumblefoot.com/press/2010101 … 8UK%29.htm
20101013_-_Oxford_Mail_(UK)_p3.jpg
School Of Rock kids play with Guns N' Roses heroes
9:40am Wednesday 13th October 2010
By Tom Jennings

WANNABE music stars got to jam with their heroes yesterday when members of US rock legends Guns N’ Roses came to town.

Lead guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and drummer Frank Ferrer joined aspiring rock stars from Witchwood School of Rock at Fat Lil’s, in Corn Street, Witney.

They performed several classic Guns N’ Roses songs, including Paradise City and some of the youngsters’ own tunes.

Harry Nolan, 13, who played bass guitar was stunned he got to play along on one of the group’s biggest hits.

Guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, front, and drummer Frank Ferrer, back, with Witney group Elm, from left, Eddie Finch, Harry Nolan and Oscar Finch

He said: “I love Guns N’ Roses and Sweet Child o’ Mine inspired me to want to play a bass. I never thought I would be able to play with them. It’s great.”

Marnie Wood, 16, sang some of her band’s tunes with Ron Thal and said: “At the start of one of our songs Ron noodled a bit – it was brilliant.

“It’s the best experience I have ever had with singing.”

Mr Thal said: “We get to do something besides waking up in a hotel room, driving on the bus and playing on the stage, we get to be human and interact and share in a more personal way.

“When you’re on stage there’s a bit of a connection there, but not like this.

“You can’t stop a Guns N’ Roses show and say: ‘Hey, does anybody have questions?’ “The thing is, when we started we were kids, we were them, and we wish we had something like this back then.”

Mr Ferrer said: “Talking to the kids is always great.

“Time is tough on the road, but we try and make time for this, especially for something like this.

“This is a big deal for them, but it’s a big deal for us too. We never get to come to a town and meet real people.”

Witchwood School of Rock events organiser Mike Dove said he got them to appear after contacting Mr Thal to get a School of Rock T-shirt signed for publicity.

Mr Dove said: “He came back to us and proposed the idea of coming to jam with our kids when he was next touring England, and now they’re here.

“It’s bonkers – we can’t believe this has happened to us.

“This is just what we were looking for to move to the next stage and to spread the message out there to people about how important the rock school is and what we can do.”

The aspiring rock stars have already played to hundreds of people at the Witney Music Festival in March and Fat Lil’s in June. They play the town’s Corn Exchange on October 29.

The celebrations coincide with the opening of a new branch of the rock school at Henry Box School, on November 4.

Posted at: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/844750 … es_heroes/

jamester

10-2010
San Sebastian, SPAIN 10/10/2010
http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/boar … c=60920.20
http://www.gunsnroses-livestats.com/setlist.php?gig=183
http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=8771

imagen.php?id=420
thumb600-concerts-2010-europe-1010_san_sebastian-scene01.jpg
Date: October 10th, 2010
City: San Sebastian, Spain
Venue: Velodromo Anoeta
Attendance:4,000 The arena holds 5,500 spectators
[opening act(s)
Sebastian Bach
"Slave To The Grind"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRoMCZCuJSM
"Monkey Business"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUj64yIyO5c
"18 & Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmsagNH … re=related

Setlist for Velódromo de anoeta

1. Chinese Democracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFmHD9Tw … re=related
2. Welcome to the jungle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDMXaB-tAKQ&feature=fvst
3. It's so easy
4. Mr. Brownstone
5. Sorry
6. Shackler's revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cVCsb9UarU
7. Richard Fortus guitar solo (James Bond theme)
8. Live and let die
9. Band jam/10. This I love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBP0HhErcfo
11. Better
12. Rocket queen
13. Dizzy Reed piano solo (Ziggy Stardust)
14. Street of dreams
15. You could be mine
16. DJ Ashba guitar solo (The ballad of death)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgi6tzrTBCU
17. Sweet child o' mine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xniQwhOq … re=related (poor video)
18. Band jam (Another brick in the wall pt. 2)
19. Axl Rose piano solo (Goodbye yellow brick road/Someone saved my life tonight)
20. November rain
21. Bumblefoot guitar solo (Pink Panther theme)
22. Nice boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnRwe8Jj9m0&translated=1
23. I.R.S.
24. Knockin' on heaven's door
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yv_ugoNZ1I&translated=1
25. Nightrain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWChuw7f … re=related

Encore
26. Bumblefoot guitar solo (Improv)
27. Don't cry

28. Band jam
29. Madagascar
30. Whole lotta Rosie (AC/DC cover)
31. Band jam
32. Paradise city

Setlist notes

Shows starts later because the stage arrived late in the afternoon. During 'paradise city' Bumblefoot plays the guitar behind his head again.
Bumble coaxes Axl & Dj out for a rare performance of Don't Cry
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 … 6055603084

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

Re: GnR Band Member Interviews from 2009-10 Tour

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