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Re: Ron w/ Gary Hoey raising funds for tour at Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ga … -gods-tour
Leaving almost immediately after the Vegas shows, Ron will be on this tour for the next month or so. Guess he's already had time to focus on the second half of Chinese.
Hi friends, I'm Gary Hoey and my friend Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal are heading on the road for the GUITAR GODS TOUR (featuring Yngwie Malmstein and Uli Jon Roth). We need your help to bring all our bandmates and crew on this crazy tour. Five weeks and 13,000 miles of bouncing around the US and Canada is no easy task when you are an independent artist. We will do anything for our fans. We had this crazy idea we could all share one rhythm section to make the tour financially possible, but Bumblefoot and I said HECK NO! We have to take our bands, that's what our fans want.
Of course, this is going to cost a crap load of cash! $13,000 in fuel just for starters. paying for band, crew, insurance, food (They don't work for pizza and beer anymore) All the funds we raise will go to the expenses of this tour. And if we don't reach our goal, no one gets charged a dime. We will offer some great rewards for your support. And any pledge even $5 will get you access to the exclusive video diary from the road we will be adding often. We can't thank you enough and we hope to see you on the Guitar Gods Tour, best regards from Gary and Bumblefoot. Rock on!
- FlashFlood
- Rep: 55
Re: Ron w/ Gary Hoey raising funds for tour at Kickstarter
Sevendust financed their new acoustic album on Kickstarter (going to see them tonight in Boston, actually). There were a lot of cool perks you could get for pretty cheap, and some that weren't so cheap but still pretty cool - (10k to have them play a private show? Wish I had it!)
But that's Sevendust. A band that had modest success but never really broke through like some of their peers. And they were looking for cash to finance an album...not to pay for people's lunch. This is the lead guitarist for "The Most Dangerous Band in the World" that has "Sold 5 Trillion Albums Worldwide". Looks a little weird when he's panhandling. A little sad, even.
This isn't an indictment of Ron, just wondering what the hell they're paying these guys to be in GNR.
Re: Ron w/ Gary Hoey raising funds for tour at Kickstarter
From MyGNR
Hey all, long time no argue. Lol... I knew going into this Kickstarter how it could be perceived, and that haters are gonna hate no matter what, but just so you know where I'm coming from.....
Gary & I (& our bandmates/crew) are sharing a vehicle together, it's $60,000 just for the vehicle expenses, then getting tour insurance for the band members & all... we get a flat fee for performing as openers for Yngwie, the original agreement for our expenses got hijacked, and we want to take care of our band members the best we can. Gary's done a Kickstarter campaign before and suggested we do this for the tour, he's my buddy, he'll always have my support. I know on my end it comes off to some as a 'millionaire begging' and apologize for rubbing any of you the wrong way - but simply, I'm helping the people involved in this tour & having fun offering what I can in return. 
That's it. Nobody's forcing anyone to participate, it's not like you get nothing in return, it's out there for those who choose to take part in it.
Most of the solo gigs I've done have been for charitable causes [Red Cross, Navy Seals, juvenile diabetes, Operation Smile, men's & women's health issues, burn victims, The Grammy Foundation, Rays Of Sunshine, Music Rising “Icons of Music” for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Oxfam's Tsunami Relief & Global Emergency Fund, Earthquake Relief Fund, Humanitarian Water & Food Award, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Little Kids Rock and Rock Asylum for children's education, Dubai Autism Centre, NGO Wildlife Trust of India, a board member of the MS Research Foundation, spokesperson for Knockout For A Cause Foundation to fun school programs, a member of “Musicians On Call”, visiting orphanages and children's hospitals all over the world - to name a few], just so you know I'm not one who doesn't give.
OK, back to the regularly scheduled program here... for whoever's going to be at the Vegas GNR show tonight I'll be by the box office before doors open around 7:30 saying hi (as I do every night), please come say hello
Thanks,
Ron
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Ron w/ Gary Hoey raising funds for tour at Kickstarter
While I understand Kickstarter can be beneficial, Alot of artists and content creators that already have a substantial or above average income from their projects abuse the site network's system like crazy. I remember I fund an album from a great musician and while the album turned out awesome, the after math of the kickstarter itself was pretty negative. She grew a big ego and started abusing the term crowd sourcing even though she was already on a major label. Doing that VIP shit for concerts and not paying backing musicians that were supposed to support her and her band's tour. Like Axl, I went to this show and she still showed up an hour and a half late for her performance. Most of her backing musicians played solo sets.
Anyway....
I am seeing Hollywood directors and producers using the site and it makes me sick. NOT EVERYONE NEEDS TO USE KICKSTARTER. They have the money!
There are a few kickstarters I funded that I'm still waiting on to be finished. Such as the Superman Lives doc and a few other things. The guy who is producing is at least updating progress and he talks about it on the AMC movie talk show which is pretty interesting to watch.
I was looking at some of packages for Ron and the boys' kickstarter and the rewards just don't seem worth the hassle. Wish them luck with getting some money. Yeah..I'm wondering how much he and some of the band members are making in GNR nowadays. Should be pretty good salary to put up with no new recordings as of late.
Re: Ron w/ Gary Hoey raising funds for tour at Kickstarter
In spite of what Kickstarter say, it's obvious to the general observer that crowdfunding and celebrities should not mix. Kickstarter claim "celebrities using the service brings us new users who go on to back other projects", but the public know that all of these celebrities have the contacts to raise these funds privately so most just see it as ripping off fans. BBF certainly isn't the first to put his name on a crowdfunding project, and I believe his post is sincere, but I'm still convinced he will earn more in a single month than I probably do in a year. Celebrities should probably leave crowdfunding to those who really need it - e.g. charities, small business startups, tech innovations etc, as the backlash and public perception can't be worth it. Just my opinion of course
I'm also wondering why none of the rewards seem to include tickets to see the "Guitar Gods" gigs? I assumed that was a given, since your financing the tour, but none of the rewards seem to mention that. Much like the (failed) Rapidfire Kickstarter which didn't include getting to hear the music you were supposedly 'backing' until paying for the $125 reward 
