Guns N' Roses 2009

 

What the Spies Said

Notes from the arena dress rehearsals in LA:

Richard Fortus is playing through a 1973 Jose Marshall along with a Friedman "Marsha" amp and some modified Randall modules, all driven by a Randall RT-2 power amp. His pedals are incorporated with all of the above (pictured) and are racked and switched through a custom system built by Dave Friedman of Rack Systems Ltd. Fortus has 2 Randall isolation cabinets with Celestion Golds and Celestion G12H loudspeakers. He's playing a Chet Atkins Gretsch guitar, a Gibson ES-335 and a bunch of Fender Telecasters and Gibson Les Pauls.

DJ is also using a "Marsha," as well as a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier tube amp. The Mesa Boogie plugs into a 4x12 with Golds and the Marsha is using V30's. DJ has a ton of different Les Paul's he's playing with.

Ron is sticking with his Engl heads played through Marshall 4x12s. He's using Vigier guitars. He has a double-neck Vigier with a fretless.

... And, just in case you were wondering, the lineup is still: Axl, Dizzy, Tommy, Chris, Richard, Ron, DJ and Frank

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=628969

Bumble Puts His Foot In His Mouth

A message from Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal regarding his comments in the i heart guitar interview:


Regarding the end of the interview about GN'R touring, it came off in the printed transcription to sound like I was citing the economy like some lame excuse...

"It’s just that when it comes to battling the economy ... there are so many variables that could make it not work."

I wasn't saying the sole reason GN'R hadn't toured was due to the economy, or the economy only - folks gotta read the whole sentence, up to where it ends with a period.

You know, the period. As in "I'm complaining about Ron's interview because I have my period."

There are "many variables that could make it not work."

In other words, as I've been telling everyone for years, I don't give any specific info about GN'R's business in my own personal interviews.

Don't ask Azoff about my guitar parts, don't ask me about GN'R's business.

The BumbleForum


This whole charade is pretty sad, and I actually feel bad for Ron who is a nice guy and a talented musician.

For further discussion: Bumble Puts His Foot In His Mouth

Even Newer New Bumblefoot Interview (New)

Peter Hodgson at i heart guitar just conducted another new interview with Guns N' Rose master of P.R. and fan liason, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

A brief excerpt follows.

What are your memories of Australia on the Guns N' Roses tour?

Oh man, let’s start off with the flight to Australia. At first I was dreading the flight because it was a good 14 hours, but it was the most comfortable flight I’ve ever been on. It was the first time I actually had a full comfortable night’s sleep on an airplane in my entire life, so it’s the first time I ever experienced that. So it was off to a good start.

I think we landed in Sydney then shot all the way over to Perth. Then we drove up to Fremantle and visited Bon Scott’s grave, paid our respects. Just the little things you remember. I remember being on a train and there was a young girl who had part of her face painted – she was going to a football game and the way it looked was something different to what you see in America. She had a little flag painted under her eye. It’s the little things like that. I remember those things more than the shows. Just the normal, human moments. Those are the things that really stand out.

Y’know, the view from the hotel in Sydney overlooking the Opera House and the bridge and everything. Walking around with my wife, Sebastian Bach and a couple of guys from his band, and suddenly some guy in a trenchcoat comes running up to us going “Hey! Hey! Hey!” and he opens his coat up and pulls out Axl’s microphone. It turns out that the night before, when Axl through his microphone out, that’s the guy that caught it. Oh what else ... I remember also in Sydney eating in a really nice restaurant along the water at night… just the nice moments like that.

The shows are always ... how do you even describe a show? It starts and your brain is in this other mode, and next thing you know the show is over and it’s more like one of those hazish dreams: “Did I just play, or didn’t I?” So unless something very significant happens in the show, I don’t really remember the show in a very clear way. But it’s everything after.

Going back afterwards and meeting Chris Szkup and his girl, hanging with them. I can still picture seeing them and this nice drawing they gave me in a frame, which is hanging in my living room right now. It’s hanging over my wife’s head as she’s sitting on the couch right now watching Hell’s Kitchen on TiVo. So it’s little things like that. No matter what happens, good or bad, those are the fond memories that make it an endearing experience you cherish. The dinners, the hanging out.

Are there any plans for more GN'R touring?

There have been a lot of plans, it’s just that when it comes to battling the economy ... there are so many variables that could make it not work. I’m guessing at this point that if something is confirmed, management would let everyone know. So at this point if I said anything it would be premature, so I should just wait for them to say anything.

(As usual, this is just a short snippet. You can read the full interview here.)

GNR Evolution Q&A with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

Yesterday, GNR Evolution published an interview with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

I've copied a brief excerpt of the Q&A below.

GNR Evolution Q&A with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

GnREvolution: I would like to ask if your solos on "Shacklers" and "Riad" were influenced at all by Buckethead and did you secretly try to out do him?

Bumblefoot: Hahaha, no and no. Listen to my demos from 20 years ago and you'll find that I play the way I play, long before there were buckets on anyone's head or bumbles on anyone's feet. Guys from the same era like me, Bucket, Mattias Eklundh, Christophe Godin, Guthrie Govan, and plenty more, all have a similar thread in the spirit of what we do.

No one's copying each other, the same way most 70's blues rock guitarists aren't copying each other - but there was something in the air at the time their cast was solidifying, that affected how they expressed themselves. This happens throughout every era of music, and in our case, the transition from the fun gluttonous 80s into the tighten-your-belt 90s, a time when cultures began to merge, big hair rock turned toward funk rock, grunge, rap rock ... there was an open-mindedness, more of a multi-mindedness that occurred. Listen to any of our solo albums, you'll hear what I mean.

GnREvolution: Are there any songs on Chinese Democracy that nearly didn't make it? What can you tell us about the alternate album artwork and CD booklet?

Bumblefoot: Ah man, I never get into things that haven't happened - it can affect the final outcome of things, ya can't do that. It's like going up to a stranger and saying, "In 10 seconds I'm gonna try to steal your car." Guaranteed, the outcome won't be the same. So I never talk about plans, things that haven't happened yet - also, as I'm here typing this, managers could be walking out of a meeting in LA, and I don't know what's up until they tell me. Anything I'd say would be mis-information until it's so absolutely undeniably definite, in which case you'd probably find out from them soon after I did.

In my own band, there's less riding on things, it's OK to open the window and let everyone see inside. And I enjoy that, making videos in the studio as an album's being recorded, letting people know what I'm planning for myself - no biggie, if the plans don't happen, it's not like multi-million dollar companies have invested time and the work of hundreds of people are affected by the change. There's a need for protection and privacy when it comes to GN'R biz, or anything on that level. I know it can make you feel frustrated, invisible, abandoned - even though it sucks, I hope you understand that there's too much at stake to risk being irresponsible with information.

GnREvolution: Do you have anything to say about the chemistry of the members of Guns N' Roses, either person to person, or as a whole group? And what the hell happened with Robin, it's so weird he left on the eve of the album release?

Bumblefoot: I can't and won't speak on Robin's behalf, it's totally up to him if he wants to share anything about it. Me, I'm in touch almost daily with members of the band and crew, we hang when we can. I see Frank most often because we live near each other on the East Coast. But we all have phones, email, we're in touch pretty often.



GnREvolution: Did you work on any of these tracks which Axl confirmed as working titles of future GN'R Material or was your involvement in the recording process strictly limited to the songs which appear on Chinese Democracy? (Ides Of March, Berlin (Oklahoma), Atlas Shrugged, Oh My God, Silkworms, Down By The Ocean, Soul Monster (Leave Me Alone), Seven, The General, Thyme, Quick Song, Zodiac).

Did you contribute to writing any new material for GN'R that we won't hear until some possible future album? Is the material you've heard for the follow up albums heavier or is it pretty much the same ballad to rocker ratio as appears on CD? Basically anything you can tell us about any future GN'R material would be appreciated...

Bumblefoot: I played on a good handful of songs that weren't on Chinese Democracy. [I] can't predict what the fate of any of those songs will be. I haven't written any new songs with GN'R, [but I] would like to see it get to that point.

(This is but a short excerpt, you can read the full interview here.)

Q&A with Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal

Appetite for Discussion

Are you on Dizzy's solo record?

Yes.

What future music projects will you be involved in?

I have a new band that's coming together quickly; we should be out there by the Fall. More info as soon as we have something recorded and shows booked.

You can read the full interview here.

Waiting World Tour 2009: The Big Chinese Medley

The coolest Guns N' Roses video since "November Rain."



Thanks: Faldor

Bumblefoot Interview - Brazilian Guitar Player Magazine

There's a "new" Bumblefoot interview in the current issue of Brazilian Guitar Player Magazine (with Joe Satriani on the cover).

It's pretty much the same Bumblefoot interview we've read several times before - but at least he's talking!

Guns N' Roses' Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
by Henrique Inglez de Souza

Delayed, expensive, polemic. Those are some of the most common words for Chinese Democracy, the so spoken of latest album from Guns N' Roses. Released at the end of 2008, it was the first studio record in 15 years and brought significant changes. Among other things, the band is really different from the time they had Slash. The band's hard rock added eletronic music elements and now has not only two, but three guitar players - the current ones are Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Richard Fortus and DJ Ashba.

Putting aside comparsions, Chinese Democracy is historic. Now you can read this exclusive interview with Bumblefoot, one of the five guitar players who recorded the album.

How do you join Guns N' Roses?

In 2004, Joe Satriani put me in contact with managers, producers and band members.

When did you record your parts for Chinese Democracy?

Before the North-American tour in 2006, in Los Angeles studios. After the tour, we finished in New York, in the begining of 2007.

What was your work?

When I joined the band, the songs were already written and recorded. I added my parts and some new stuff, like the fretless guitar in the title-track verses. We spent 10 hours or more a day in the studio. I recorded everything I brought, testing different ideas with the fretless guitar for rhythm and solos. At the end of each day, we heard the material and decided the final touches.

What was your gear in those recordings?

For the most part, I kept a simple setup: Gibson Les Paul plugged in a Marshall JCM800. Sometimes I used a wah-wah (Vox or Dunlop) or distortion (Boss Blues Driver). I used a lot of the fretless guitar Vigier Surfreter.

Your tone mixes rawness with some blues.

Yeah, it's a classic rock very simple, which creates a good contrast and balance with the other guitar tones in the album. We tried some amps and also different guitars and pickups setups for each song. We tried everything and we chose the best tones. Credit goes to the sound engineer guys and producers, they were amazing.

Are there songs for two more albums besides Chinese Democracy? Are you making some kind of trilogy?

I wouldn't expect a trilogy because I learned that each album gets its own life and it doesn't matter if we want to plan this kind of thing. It doesn't always work. The songs on Chinese Democracy were not all of what we recorded. There's more and we expect to use it on the next albums.

Which of the old songs do you like to play live?

Some because of its energy and groove, like "My Michelle" and "It's So Easy," others for the solos, like "Nightrain" and "November Rain," besides the ones the crowd loves like "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City."

Do you keep the original line or come up with something new in the old songs solos?

In some I keep faithful to the original because there is solos that are more than just solos. They are an important melody and gives an identity to the song. To change it would be like changing the lyrics. This is the case in "November Rain" ending solo. But in songs like "Nightrain" and "Paradise City" I can jam something different every night, playing with my inspiration.

How do you, Fortus and DJ share the guitar parts?

In a general way, I do the most crazy stuff, DJ gets the melodic parts and Fortus plays something in the middle of all this. It's a good way of keep our identity in this wall of guitars. We do something like that in the rhythm, when I play the low tonic of the chords and riffs with the bass. Fortus fills up the rest of the chords while DJ puts something on top of that. This is the general idea, but it all depends on what sound better for each song. We're getting along well and working a lot on our guitar sounds. We tried different instruments and heads. We're polishing the sound that the crowd will hear, which is very important. After all, whats the use of getting a great guitar tone on stage if the sound that makes to the crowd is bad? Everyone, band and staff, worked hard to make sure that the sound that people hear will be the best.

Is there a solo on the new album that could be as classic as Sweet Child O' Mine?

Oh, I don't know! The current band and the old one sound different. It's hard to say. I'm more of a fan of the song as a whole than the solos. To me, "Sorry" and "This I Love" stand out from the others in a general way. "Better" could also be the song of this album. It starts with a remarkable riff. It has a cool sound.

Are you inspired by any of the Guns N' Roses ex-guitarists?

I try not to be. Not to be direspectful, but because I want everything to be authentic, untied and without any influence in relation to how a particular guitar player would play. Otherwise I wouldn't be truthful to myself. Integrity is everything in life. I've already met Gilby Clarke a few times and Izzy Stradlin was with us in the 2006 tour. They are both great guys. If it was to be inspired by them, it would be in a personal level in a way I could play with integrity and still be myself.

How is to work with Axl Rose?

Axl has a vision of work in which I believe. Part of it is to let your bandmates be themselves, creativity-wise and letting them do what they have in mind. It's great!

From the things we hear and read about Axl, what is not true?

Almost everything. [laughs] Don't believe in half of what you read and doubt the other half. People don't want the truth, but instead they want to be entertained. They believe and repeat whatever story is entertaining, even if it trashes a person's name. Don't believe it unless you have seen it with your own eyes.

Thanks to Voodoochild at HTGTH.

Dizzy Reed and Friends

Dizzy Reed & Friends will be appearing at The Viper Room every Saturday in August at 10PM.

The Viper Room is at 8852 West Sunset Boulevard, in West Hollywood, California.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that this latest Dizzy Reed project is in someway related to his "upcoming" solo album.

Featuring keyboards and vocals by Dizzy Reed, and lyrics by Del James and Dizzy Reed, the album was recorded over the past 5 years or so in California.

It features guitars by Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Alex Grossi (Bang Tango, Beautiful Creatures, Adler's Appetite), Todd Youth (Danzig, Murphy’s Law, D-Generation), Whitey Kirst (Iggy Pop), Ricky Warwick (The Almighty), Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint, DC4) and Bobby Hamble (Biohazard).

Bobby Hamble plays on the track "Cheers To Oblivion."
Jeff Duncan plays on the track "Mother Theresa."
Alex Grossi seems to be the "main" guitarist, he claims to have played on every track.

Tommy Stinson, Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), Greg Coates (The Bangkok 5) and Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot), all share bass duties on the record.

On the drums, Dizzy has Frank Ferrer, Frankie Banelli (Quiet Riot), Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.) and Adrian Young (No Doubt). Anthony "Tiny" Biuso (The Dickies, T.S.O.L.) also plays drums on two tracks.

The disc is due out sometime this century.

I've been looking forward to hearing more of Dizzy's material ever since I heard these 2 tracks of his from The Still Life Soundtrack.

I really do like his voice and I hope the new material he's got has the same "glam" feel as these 2 tracks.

Did I mention that I love Bowie and T-Rex?

"The Air"


"Silent Light"

Chinese Democracy Guitar Tab Book

Coming June 30 from Hal Leonard, The Chinese Democracy Guitar Tab Book.

Awesome. It's great to see things moving again with this project. I hope the book is well done. There's a lot of guitars on this record, so it could be a pretty sweet book (if they do it well).

Amazon

Adler's Looking Forward to Seeing You

Don't miss Adler's Appetite at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL on July 4 where they will be on the same bill as LA Guns and Lita Ford with Bumblefoot.

June
13 - Las Vegas, NV - Cheyenne Saloon
15 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sodo Niteclub
16 - Oklahoma City, OK - Rock Theater
18 - Tolono, IL - Radmaker’s
19 - Cedar Rapids, IA - Rock 198 KFMW Festival
20 - Shaumburg, IL - Chicago City Limits
21 - Greenville, WI - Route 51
23 - Warren, MI - The Ritz
25 - Harris, WI - The Back Door
26 - Waterloo, IA - Reverb Rock Room
27 - Monroe City, MO - The Dam Rally
28 - St Louis, MO - The Library
30 - New Bedford, MA - New Wave Cafe

July
01 - Rumford, ME - The Shak
02 - Farmingdale, NY - Crazy Donkey
03 - Cinncinati, OH - Riverstar Entertainment Complex
04 - Bridgeville, IL - Toyota Park Festival
05 - St Paul, MN - Taste Of Minnesota (Harriet Island)

August
15 - Lake Elsinore, CA - Storm Stadium Rock Fest
28 - Universal City, CA - City Walk

Part II of NEW Bumblefoot Interview

A HUGE "Thank-you" goes out to eye2eye at the Chinese Democracy Forum.


Q : Which song on Chinese Democracy did you contribute the most to?

Ron : Oh, that's not an easy question. In "Shackler's Revenge" there is of course my solo. But sometimes I played things normal listener won't hear. For example in the song "I.R.S". I don't play solos on this, but I laid down a lot of guitars in the background, the most among the Chinese Democracy songs. They're not heard at first, but they're there for sure. Only know, when we start to play those songs during rehearsals, I start to remember how many guitars I recorded. I totally forgotten about them. Hmm, if I have to point songs with my biggest contributions I'd choose "Shackler's Revenge", "Catcher in the Rye" and "Chinese Democracy" on that one my rhythm parts changed song a lot. I also used fretless guitar on "Scraped". Those songs really show my guitar playing. Also I add small parts here and there, for example short bluesy solo at the end of the second verse of "Better". Generally I really like my rhythm parts, for me they're the most important think I recorded, they changed a lot. After those parts songs became more rock n' roll than industrial.

Q: What do relationships inside the band look like? Is it democracy inside or it is "Chinese democracy" with one man rule?

Ron: I'd say that there is democracy inside. We all have great contributions to the band, we share opinions, ideas. We all make choices...People from outside like to make theories, that in GN'R there is only one man ruling. It's not true. Of course, Axl has all the rights to the name. If some is to make a definitive decision, of course it's up to him. But it's not a dictatorship. He treats as all very well. And we respect it. I won't run all over the world with statement that Guns N' Roses is my band and everyone do what I tell to do. We won't behave that way, Axl as well not. As far as ideas - musical or other are concerned everyone gives opinions and we all are interested in all points of view, others feelings.

Q: Do you meet each other outside the studio?

Ron : Of course. There are weeks, when we go out together almost every day, sitting whole night and going into trouble (laugh). We're in touch all the time. For example last week I went to San Diego to play charity show with Nashville country artists. I played on acoustic guitar with them, then as a band member. It was all for navy veterans. On the way there I exchanged about 30 messages with Axl , basically doing jokes all the time. It's how it look like. Last night, phone rings, I reach for it and I see funny message from Axl I replied immediately. And we write to each other like this all the time almost without stop. Or Richard sent us all e-mails in which he was making fun of George Bush. Yesterday I, Frank and guys from the band were at the hotel and started a party. Customers made a lot complains about noise , co we have to go down to continue party in the lobby. We all make such things as it happens in the pack of friends.

Q: How often do you make rehearsals?

Ron : I've been in L.A. since January. At first we had try-outs for new guitar players. Then I took care of my equipment: amps, etc. I was checking what would be the best for the tour, it took some time. Also we needed some tweaks when DJ joined us. Those months were very intense, because of practicing all the stuff. I hope we'll move our asses and start touring.

Q: Is there any new material played on those rehearsals?

Ron : At the moment no. We're focused on Chinese Democracy. We must played that material through before we do something new. I feel that we are not finished with it - no matter how stupid it sounds. We didn't do everything what is right, with that album. We didn't make a tour, some other things lacked. So before we start something new, we must be sure that we did everything he could with that album.

Q: There were information about Chinese Democracy being first part of trilogy, It is rumored that the material has been already recorded. Or maybe you started recording something new in that line-up?

Ron : I would like it to be that way, to create together. But I played on many other songs, I added solos, rhythm parts, fills some of them didn't make it on the album. I don't know if it be a trilogy out of this or it was only a rumour , which gone out of control. Maybe there was such idea, but ideas change. When you record an record, you start with one idea, but finish with something totally different and have to discard previous ideas. It's hard to say, maybe on the one stage there were plans of doing trilogy, but as far as I'm concerned I don't think it will happen. But it is possible it was an idea or it was only loud thinking and someone took it as a definitive plan. It happened with my albums as well. Last one was supposed to be double - one CD with heavy stuff, second with ballads. I discarded that idea and I created Abnormal.

PART I

ANOTHER New Bumblefoot Interview

Thanks to eye2eye @ the Chinese Democracy Forum.

Q : Having this in mind. I want to know how you share guitar duties in Guns N' Roses. In the past it was simple : there was guy who played solos, and there was guy who played rythm. Now there are three guitar players...

Ron : You're right, in the post there was rythm and solo player. Now you got three solo players, and every with totally different style. DJ is someone like Slash, he plays melodic parts, but also can play very fast. He is very talented guy. Richard Fortus can play everything on awesome level. I'm also very flexible considering style, but I play usually all weird stuff - tapping, untypical sounds etc. So I think that I am responsible in GN'R for all the crazy, weird, new parts, DJ is for melodies and Richard has a share in everything. We share it that way, but it is also why I don't play as much melodic parts as I am able to. But that is how it works in Gn'R.

Q: Does the proportions changed when DJ joined the band ?

Ron : Not really. We tried to keep it as it worked in the past. By the way some songs have as much as three solos so everyone plays one in that case.

Q: And how it looked like on Chinese Democracy?

Ron : I played a lot of things. Many rythm parts, many solos. In some songs, solos had been recorded for years. And after such time it seemed that playing anythind different in that place wouldn't be a good idea. We simply left it as it was. Live I play all the parts, orginally written and recorded by Buckethead and those, which I recorded myself. DJ will take Robin parts along with Richard. Richard of course plays his parts as well. Guitar wise there is a lot of interesting things on Chinese Democracy.

There's much more to this interview here.

Ron: "I Would Love to Get Out There and Play"

Nightwatcher's House of Rock
Interview and text by Nightwatcher © 2009

May 31, 2009

NHOR : Any plans yet for touring that you're aware of?

RT : Right now nothing is confirmed. Nothing is definite. If pieces fall into place, it could happen. That's the most political way I can say I know nothing. (Laughs) In other words, it could happen, I hope it happens, maybe it'll happen, I'd like for it to happen. I know a lot of other people who would like for it to happen, and if everything works out it will happen. But there are a lot of variables involved, down to every little thing to making sure that all the pieces are in place so that we can do this the right way.

NHOR : That's a very skillful way of dodging that question, I'm impressed....

RT : Thank you. I'm getting good at this. I think I'm going to run for mayor soon. I've had years of practice now. (Laughs)

NHOR : Now that 'Chinese Democracy' has been released, are you relieved that at last you don't have to continually answer the question, "When is the album coming out?"

RT : No, because now everyone's saying, "When's the next album coming out?" (Laughs)

NHOR : So... when's the next Guns album coming out?

RT : There ya go. I think it was about two days before people starting coming up and asking me, "So, when's the next album coming out?" Man, give us a chance. (Laughs)

NHOR : Are you satisfied with your performances on 'Chinese Democracy', or are there some that you wish you could go back and change?

RT : I'm as satisfied as I'm capable of being. Because no matter what I do, within a week I'm hearing all the things that I'd want to do differently. What I'd want to add, change the tone, or replay. That's always how it is. Because with any album, the mixing process is never done. It continues for years after the album's out, it's just happening in your head. And the stuff that's in your head, you can't do anything about it. You're haunted by it. So within a week of anything I do, whether it's my album or 'Chinese Democracy', I start getting haunted by little things. Like, how I bent that note, man I should've got more of a squeal out of it. Or, shit, I should've put a harmony on this. I could've had a better melody for that. Whatever it is. So I am as happy as I'm capable of being.

NHOR : Your solo albums and with your band Bumblefoot are very non-commercial in relation to what gets played on radio these days. Whereas with Guns there's a much better chance something you've played will be played on radio. How did you feel hearing something you've played on, such as the new GNR, on the radio for the first time?

RT : I think I felt hungry. I was on my way to dinner. (Laughs) It was cool. The first time I heard it there was a feeling of relief. Not just for myself, but there were so many GNR fans who were waiting for so long for music to be legitimately released. It was a feeling of being happy for them, that they finally got that, after such a long wait and sticking it out, that something was finally out there. I was pretty damn happy.

NHOR : The album recently was certified platinum here in the United States. Amongst the Guns camp, is there satisfaction in how the album has sold thus far?

RT : It's hard to say. I think it's pretty much a given, with pretty much any musician, no matter how much it sells, you're going to want to sell more. Those are the driving forces that keep musicians going. The constant striving to do more, do better, to up it even more. That's just something which is inherent in every musician's nature. So I never really asked them. I never said, "Hey Axl, are you happy with this shit?" (Laughs) We don't talk about that stuff. We talk about stupid movies, crack jokes and stuff like that.

But I could only assume that most people feel like I do. I would love to do more videos, and just shove it down the world's throat even more. I would love to get out there and play for every person that has ears and do whatever we can. Because you know, when you put out an album, it's like having a baby. You want to raise that baby for the most life that it can have. You want to do what you can for it. So it's that kind of thing. What can I do to give this baby a better life? That's pretty much how it is. So no matter how well it's doing you always want more for it. It's the paternal instinct.

NHOR : What is the one thing that people would be surprised to know about Axl?

RT : I don't know. I find that people that don't know him are the ones that have all these crazy ideas about him. The people that do know him have a lot of good things to say about him. He's got some really nice friends who have become my friends. I've crossed the line from people that don't know him to one who does, and I don't know what people know or don't know anymore. I do know that there's a lot of wrong information about him out there. It kind of bums me out to see and read things that I know are totally bullshit.

NHOR : A lot of people have this conception of the new Guns N' Roses just being Axl and the rest of you being hired hands, which I'm sure you're aware of. How much of a band is this configuration?

RT : That's just part of the whole negative crap that's part of the baggage of being a new Guns N' Roses. That whole thing of blah blah blah, they're just hired guns... blah blah blah... they're not the original members blah blah blah you're not my real mommy, blah blah blah. (Laughs)

Considering there are guys in the band who have been there 18 years to whatever amount of time it is, and considering that we see each other on a daily basis, and when we're not, we're speaking to each other all the time, hanging out and doing things together, jamming and playing on each other's albums, and doing everything band members do... I'd say it's pretty much a band. Whether people want to acknowledge that or not, that's up to them, and whatever floats their boat. It doesn't change the truth.

You can read the full article here.

Loaded with Bumblefoot @ the Gramercy Theater

Monday night, current Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal updated his Twitter status with this message:

Duff McKagan's LOADED 8pm Tue May 19 2009 Blender Theater 127 E23 St NYC. (I'll be there, maybe with guitar in hand for a song or two....?)

This sounds like fun to me and should be a pretty cool gig.

I'll be updating this page later on with any eyewitness reports / video that surfaces.

Here are some pictures, thanks to shepoutsherbest at CD.com via gunns5 at MYGNR




"Ron played the last song with them, it was a Medley of 'I Wanna Be Your Dog,' some Journey song, 'Tush,' 'Living After Midnight,' 'T.N.T.,' and 'Wild Horses.'

I am sorry to say that they played no GN'R songs, but Duff did play 'Dust N' Bones,' 'It's So Easy,' 'So Fine,' and 'Attitude.'"

Talking Metal
Blender Theater
BBF 2 see Duff's Loaded
Twitter.com/MackArillo
Bumblefoot playing with Duffs band Loaded