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- Slash McKagan
- Rep: 11
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
Ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal says that he had "a lot of fun" playing in the Axl Rose-fronted group and wishes his former bandmates "well."
Just days after guitarist DJ Ashba quit GUNS N' ROSES last July, a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff that Thal was also no longer a member of the group — and had been out since the end of GN'R's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.
During an interview conducted on last month's Axes & Anchors cruise, Thal briefly commented on his time with GUNS N' ROSES, saying (see video below): "It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of everything, but that's life. It's supposed to be. You know, if you're having a lot of everything, then you're really living it, and that's what it's about. It's all good. I wish them well. I wish 'em all well. I do."
Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in early 2006 as the replacement for Buckethead.
Thal expressed frustration in 2013 with the lack of new music from GUNS, saying, "If something came out at this point, it would be very old material that is just being released now… We need to make an album of this band right now." The last new GUNS N' ROSES album, "Chinese Democracy", came out in 2008.
The reunited GUNS N' ROSES — featuring Axl Rose alongside guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan — has six shows scheduled so far, all in April: two at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival, two in Las Vegas and two in Mexico City.
The rest of the band's lineup for the shows — and a potential tour later in the year — remains unclear, although keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboard player Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer are all believed to be involved.
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-gun … 5lm5dxA.99
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
Ron lost a lot of support over his handling of the situation last year. I thought he did a terrible job with it as well but at the same time understand he was in a pickle to a certain degree.
Either bail out of the crashing plane like Bucket did or immediately announce your departure. He did this weird middle ground, double talking jive shit that would make a politician blush.
I am not much of a fan of his solo work(although I haven't heard a lot of it) but I will always appreciate how he dealt with fans those first few years in the band. He joined our site weeks after joining the band(first GNR site he joined 
) did several chats in a chicken coop containing 30-40 people and won over the crowd immediately. Said beforehand he wouldn't address any CD issues but actually gave several tidbits of info. He did read the site periodically and even though he wasn't fond of some of the posts here from some of the cyborg slunk bots and told Divney to fuck off for some reason, he must have liked lurking or he wouldn't have bothered in the first place.
Speaking of DTJ...I'll never forget when a fan asked him in 06 if they'd play Double Talking Jive and his response was.....
Double what??
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
Aww man, those chats were great. He was a fun guy to talk to, and I remember messaging him for hours on myspace and being blown away that he kept writing back. A definite class act, but I agree that he handles his departure rather poorly.
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
He handled the departure poorly, but I'm not sure he could speak freely about it. This is GNR. It's all awkward. We don't even know who's the in the damn band. Well, anyway, I knew he was out (we all knew) and when I visited the States in March last year my source told me he was out, but that Ron couldn't speak about it. I said "oh, ok" because this is after all GNR. I didn't really blame Ron at all for it.
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
why are you guys saying he handled his departure poorly?? i don't remember..??
i just assumed he was tied to a NDA, & keeping his mouth shut (for a change) was quite respectful towards Axl & TB who had frankly treated him rather shabbily thru his tenure.. hell he was maybe still under contract for quite a while after Vegas..??
i actually have a lot of time for Ron & his contribution to GnR. he suffered a lot, suffered physically, to help keep the ship afloat during some of it's darkest years. he doesn't get enough credit for that imo.
& he tried to foster a relationship with the fans that was sorely absent before his arrival.
& as to his exchange with me, frankly he's not the first person to tell me to fuck myself! but i think it was mostly done in jest. he had riled some sensitive fans by replying to something & said "fuck GnR", like he had just had enough bullshit that particular day & didn't fancy talking about them any more. & of course it blew up, 'cause, surprisingly enough, GnR fans overreacted & it caused a(nother) storm in a teacup. (i posted on here "fuck gnr?! fuck bbf!"). let's be honest, who amongst us hasn't said "fuck gnr" at least once & been fed up with the bullshit? i'm pretty sure i say it daily reading some of the posts on here
but overall it was always too easy to predict the trajectory of Ron's role in the band. we could all see it: GnR were there before Ron & there'd be a GnR after Ron. & so it's come to pass. like i say i do appreciate what he brought to the table even if it was merely as touring member.
if i was in the unenviable situation of having to be stuck in a lift with one of Ron, DJ or Finck i know who i would choose. while his style may not have been quintessential GnR i think his attitude was more a fit for the band than either DJ or Finck - i.e. he was honest & forthright.
- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
Ron had the impossible job of filling the shoes of not only Slash but BH as well. Ultimately a thankless task. A breath of fresh air as far as fan communication goes.
I wish him well, a good guy who got sucked up and spat out of the GNR vortex with little to show for it.
Re: Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Wishes His Former Ban
Okay i'm gonna be the dick
Bullshit
Ron kept the GN'R thing going because he had a solo album coming out and knew it'd sell more with all of his entire fanbase being GN'R fans, and didn't want to alienate his fanbase, knowing he had a solo record release on tap. He baited people along, when even GNR's camp released a statement saying "we've known Ron was out since the end of Vegas in 2014; no clue as to why he's continued to say he is" or whatever they said.
Thus the reason Ron treated GN'R in past tense on his profile on Facebook, but publicly refused to talk about (even to his buddy Eddie Trunk), talked VERY negative about when he would talk, treated it like it was a fucking sequel to I.R.S. or Out Ta Get Me, then all of the sudden DJ quits, releases a very complimentary statement... and... leaves. Big fuckin' deal.
There MIGHT have been a miscommunication on what exactly the NDA meant, but Ron was perpetuating what he was for his own gain. Not calling the guy a dick, but he was in a hard spot. If he would've came out from the get-go, and said "i'm out", the interest in his solo effort would've been luke warm at best. Gilby Clarke 2000-level.
But "Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal" on your release looks ALOT better. Gets you interviews booked. Gets the promo out there.
If he was out of GN'R, officially, and tried to push that album... nobody, other than Trunk, would've granted him one single interview. No one would've fuckin' cared. He knew that, and he milked it as long as he could. Maybe he felt it was owed to him.
Regardless... I was a supporter of the guy initially. But his own work turned me off to him. He's just not that great. A poor man's Satriani. Nothing more.
