BBF on leaving GNR: "The reign of doom is over"

[J Dog]

I liked the way he did Don't Cry live. Not the complete song but when it was just him and sometimes Axl would come out at the end. That sounded good.

[Len Cnut]

People that slag off Bumble make me fuckin' laugh. He's the nicest sweetest most all round safe fella that GnR ever had, was an absolute diamond to fans, it's almost like you prefer to be treated like cunts.

[Rovim]

Initially it seemed obvious for Axl to hire guys who weren't fans of the original line-up, since he was trying to "bury" old GN'R. It was kind of a good plan, really -- hire another punk-based bassist, another unique guitarist, another Izzy, but make sure they have different musical backgrounds. Move the GN'R b®and forward.

But over time, as they turned into a so-called legacy act, this became irrelevant. So while Ron could have helped transition the sound of GN'R forward (no matter whether you're a fan of his or not, it certainly would have been a different sound and thus one that may justify the expenditure of former bandmembers), the fact that he never had a chance to release music with GN'R makes Axl's attempts at hiring non-fans of GN'R rather a moot point.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so calculated. Who knows. Maybe Axl just wanted talented dudes.

I don't know...

Punk based bassist, Izzy on steroids is how Axl described Fortus, The guitarist from NIN which he described as his Randy Rhodes, and an iconic special talent (Bucket) I think only Brain wasn't so calculated, he just liked his feel and wanted to incorporate his talent.

He said in 2002 in the VMA interview "how do you rebuild something that already was?" or something like that. I think it was a calculated attempt at recreating the classic Gn'R elements but making it also different, fresh. More modern styles, with Axl's influences, but still Guns music.

Now that the Chinese project is recorded, I don't know what Axl wants to do. It will take him time to release CD ll and support it live, and if he hired DJ Ashba that could mean a shift in direction. And considering he ain't using Bumble probably at all, and him liking DJ's ideas according to Ashba, it's not so clear what his creative intentions are after Chinese.

He said Bucket and Robin were right for the Chinese project, and said he always considered it a double, so maybe that means it ain't over until he releases the second half, and it will be mainly the same players like he said (Robin and Bucket) with maybe Bumble's work on top of it and a DJ song or solos added in.

People that slag off Bumble make me fuckin' laugh. He's the nicest sweetest most all round safe fella that GnR ever had, was an absolute diamond to fans, it's almost like you prefer to be treated like cunts.

What do you think about his guitar playing and solo music? do you think he is right for Axl's Gn'R?

Edited February 14, 2015 by Rovim

[jmapelian]

I never liked that BBF guy ...

I can never sit thru 1 minute of his interviews

[Damn_Smooth]

I never liked that BBF guy ...

I can never sit thru 1 minute of his interviews

So use your common sense and don't.

[Len Cnut]

Initially it seemed obvious for Axl to hire guys who weren't fans of the original line-up, since he was trying to "bury" old GN'R. It was kind of a good plan, really -- hire another punk-based bassist, another unique guitarist, another Izzy, but make sure they have different musical backgrounds. Move the GN'R b®and forward.

But over time, as they turned into a so-called legacy act, this became irrelevant. So while Ron could have helped transition the sound of GN'R forward (no matter whether you're a fan of his or not, it certainly would have been a different sound and thus one that may justify the expenditure of former bandmembers), the fact that he never had a chance to release music with GN'R makes Axl's attempts at hiring non-fans of GN'R rather a moot point.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so calculated. Who knows. Maybe Axl just wanted talented dudes.

I don't know...

Punk based bassist, Izzy on steroids is how Axl described Fortus, The guitarist from NIN which he described as his Randy Rhodes, and an iconic special talent (Bucket) I think only Brain wasn't so calculated, he just liked his feel and wanted to incorporate his talent.

He said in 2002 in the VMA interview "how do you rebuild something that already was?" or something like that. I think it was a calculated attempt at recreating the classic Gn'R elements but making it also different, fresh. More modern styles, with Axl's influences, but still Guns music.

Now that the Chinese project is recorded, I don't know what Axl wants to do. It will take him time to release CD ll and support it live, and if he hired DJ Ashba that could mean a shift in direction. And considering he ain't using Bumble probably at all, and him liking DJ's ideas according to Ashba, it's not so clear what his creative intentions are after Chinese.

He said Bucket and Robin were right for the Chinese project, and said he always considered it a double, so maybe that means it ain't over until he releases the second half, and it will be mainly the same players like he said (Robin and Bucket) with maybe Bumble's work on top of it and a DJ song or solos added in.

People that slag off Bumble make me fuckin' laugh. He's the nicest sweetest most all round safe fella that GnR ever had, was an absolute diamond to fans, it's almost like you prefer to be treated like cunts.

What do you think about his guitar playing and solo music? do you think he is right for Axl's Gn'R?

Anythings right for GnR at the moment because they are not representative of a cohesive image as they were back in the day.

[rudolf1978]

via Guns N' Fn' Roses:

Ron Thal interviewed in Thailand. Jokes about not having to play with them anymore (GNR) and no more of this song (SCOM).

That the "reign of doom" is over.

http://pattaya103.com/guns-n-roses-ron-bumblefoot-thal-interview-thailand/

Thanks to FunkyMonkey at HTGTH

I dont want to listen 15 min of that strange guy.So,can someone post in what min he said that....pls.....

[username]

Initially it seemed obvious for Axl to hire guys who weren't fans of the original line-up, since he was trying to "bury" old GN'R. It was kind of a good plan, really -- hire another punk-based bassist, another unique guitarist, another Izzy, but make sure they have different musical backgrounds. Move the GN'R b®and forward.

But over time, as they turned into a so-called legacy act, this became irrelevant. So while Ron could have helped transition the sound of GN'R forward (no matter whether you're a fan of his or not, it certainly would have been a different sound and thus one that may justify the expenditure of former bandmembers), the fact that he never had a chance to release music with GN'R makes Axl's attempts at hiring non-fans of GN'R rather a moot point.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so calculated. Who knows. Maybe Axl just wanted talented dudes.

I don't know...

Punk based bassist, Izzy on steroids is how Axl described Fortus, The guitarist from NIN which he described as his Randy Rhodes, and an iconic special talent (Bucket) I think only Brain wasn't so calculated, he just liked his feel and wanted to incorporate his talent.

He said in 2002 in the VMA interview "how do you rebuild something that already was?" or something like that. I think it was a calculated attempt at recreating the classic Gn'R elements but making it also different, fresh. More modern styles, with Axl's influences, but still Guns music.

Now that the Chinese project is recorded, I don't know what Axl wants to do. It will take him time to release CD ll and support it live, and if he hired DJ Ashba that could mean a shift in direction. And considering he ain't using Bumble probably at all, and him liking DJ's ideas according to Ashba, it's not so clear what his creative intentions are after Chinese.

He said Bucket and Robin were right for the Chinese project, and said he always considered it a double, so maybe that means it ain't over until he releases the second half, and it will be mainly the same players like he said (Robin and Bucket) with maybe Bumble's work on top of it and a DJ song or solos added in.

All of this would have made SO much sense initially. And especially if CD had been released before 2004. Or even better, in 2001/2002. Let's not forget Fortus wasn't even in yet in 2001. Great plan! But somewhere between 2004 and 2010 it really stopped mattering completely. The fire went out. There was no serious intent to release. There was nothing to fight or nothing to prove. So it didn't matter who was in the band. It became bland. Nostalgia-oriented.

Looking back, CD didn't fail when it was released. I think it had already failed somewhere between 2002 and 2004. That's when the real fire and urge of it died.

After that CD just got bloated (no pun intended) and when it finally came out, it really didn't matter anymore.

Edited February 14, 2015 by username

[moreblack]

I never liked that BBF guy ...

He was the greatest talent in the band and reached out to fans on numerous occasions. Dunno how you could never like the guy. He did all he could. I don't blame him.

In a sense, I have no idea other than money, why him or Buckethead agreed to a job they were clearly overqualified for.

[J Dog]

Initially it seemed obvious for Axl to hire guys who weren't fans of the original line-up, since he was trying to "bury" old GN'R. It was kind of a good plan, really -- hire another punk-based bassist, another unique guitarist, another Izzy, but make sure they have different musical backgrounds. Move the GN'R b®and forward.

But over time, as they turned into a so-called legacy act, this became irrelevant. So while Ron could have helped transition the sound of GN'R forward (no matter whether you're a fan of his or not, it certainly would have been a different sound and thus one that may justify the expenditure of former bandmembers), the fact that he never had a chance to release music with GN'R makes Axl's attempts at hiring non-fans of GN'R rather a moot point.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so calculated. Who knows. Maybe Axl just wanted talented dudes.

I don't know...

Punk based bassist, Izzy on steroids is how Axl described Fortus, The guitarist from NIN which he described as his Randy Rhodes, and an iconic special talent (Bucket) I think only Brain wasn't so calculated, he just liked his feel and wanted to incorporate his talent.

He said in 2002 in the VMA interview "how do you rebuild something that already was?" or something like that. I think it was a calculated attempt at recreating the classic Gn'R elements but making it also different, fresh. More modern styles, with Axl's influences, but still Guns music.

Now that the Chinese project is recorded, I don't know what Axl wants to do. It will take him time to release CD ll and support it live, and if he hired DJ Ashba that could mean a shift in direction. And considering he ain't using Bumble probably at all, and him liking DJ's ideas according to Ashba, it's not so clear what his creative intentions are after Chinese.

He said Bucket and Robin were right for the Chinese project, and said he always considered it a double, so maybe that means it ain't over until he releases the second half, and it will be mainly the same players like he said (Robin and Bucket) with maybe Bumble's work on top of it and a DJ song or solos added in.

All of this would have made SO much sense initially. And especially if CD had been released before 2004. Or even better, in 2001/2002. Let's not forget Fortus wasn't even in yet in 2001. Great plan! But somewhere between 2004 and 2010 it really stopped mattering completely. The fire went out. There was no serious intent to release. There was nothing to fight or nothing to prove. So it didn't matter who was in the band. It became bland. Nostalgia-oriented.

Looking back, CD didn't fail when it was released. I think it had already failed somewhere between 2002 and 2004. That's when the real fire and urge of it died.

After that CD just got bloated (no pun intended) and when it finally came out, it really didn't matter anymore.

When everything came to a sudden halt during the '02 tour, that's when it went down. If he could have kept that Bucket/Brain/Robin/Tommy line up together, and released CD then, that was his chance to make it legit, to make it something that could stand on it's own, and I mean that for the band and album.

[Apollo]

No matter what, Bumblefoot will always forever be known as the "former guitarist of GNR". Just like the rest of the other members.

Does he think anyone would have heard of him if Axl didn't hire him for GNR? I doubt it.

You do realize that Slash has been more successful than Axl since he left GnR, right?

And you think that Buckethead is forever going to be known as the "former guitarist of GnR"???

Yes, many people who don't just obsess about Axl and have a large assortment of musical tastes HAD heard of Bumblefoot before he was in GnR and we'll continue to follow his career after.

No offense, but you make some of the most idiotic posts I've ever seen on this forum.

[War2k14]

Does Axl look like he would share his hamburgers with anybody? Come on Now!

[Strange Broue]

So the Reign of paychecks is over, i guess

[username]

Initially it seemed obvious for Axl to hire guys who weren't fans of the original line-up, since he was trying to "bury" old GN'R. It was kind of a good plan, really -- hire another punk-based bassist, another unique guitarist, another Izzy, but make sure they have different musical backgrounds. Move the GN'R b®and forward.

But over time, as they turned into a so-called legacy act, this became irrelevant. So while Ron could have helped transition the sound of GN'R forward (no matter whether you're a fan of his or not, it certainly would have been a different sound and thus one that may justify the expenditure of former bandmembers), the fact that he never had a chance to release music with GN'R makes Axl's attempts at hiring non-fans of GN'R rather a moot point.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so calculated. Who knows. Maybe Axl just wanted talented dudes.

I don't know...

Punk based bassist, Izzy on steroids is how Axl described Fortus, The guitarist from NIN which he described as his Randy Rhodes, and an iconic special talent (Bucket) I think only Brain wasn't so calculated, he just liked his feel and wanted to incorporate his talent.

He said in 2002 in the VMA interview "how do you rebuild something that already was?" or something like that. I think it was a calculated attempt at recreating the classic Gn'R elements but making it also different, fresh. More modern styles, with Axl's influences, but still Guns music.

Now that the Chinese project is recorded, I don't know what Axl wants to do. It will take him time to release CD ll and support it live, and if he hired DJ Ashba that could mean a shift in direction. And considering he ain't using Bumble probably at all, and him liking DJ's ideas according to Ashba, it's not so clear what his creative intentions are after Chinese.

He said Bucket and Robin were right for the Chinese project, and said he always considered it a double, so maybe that means it ain't over until he releases the second half, and it will be mainly the same players like he said (Robin and Bucket) with maybe Bumble's work on top of it and a DJ song or solos added in.

All of this would have made SO much sense initially. And especially if CD had been released before 2004. Or even better, in 2001/2002. Let's not forget Fortus wasn't even in yet in 2001. Great plan! But somewhere between 2004 and 2010 it really stopped mattering completely. The fire went out. There was no serious intent to release. There was nothing to fight or nothing to prove. So it didn't matter who was in the band. It became bland. Nostalgia-oriented.

Looking back, CD didn't fail when it was released. I think it had already failed somewhere between 2002 and 2004. That's when the real fire and urge of it died.

After that CD just got bloated (no pun intended) and when it finally came out, it really didn't matter anymore.

When everything came to a sudden halt during the '02 tour, that's when it went down. If he could have kept that Bucket/Brain/Robin/Tommy line up together, and released CD then, that was his chance to make it legit, to make it something that could stand on it's own, and I mean that for the band and album.

My point exactly. They might have even been able to pick it up in 2003 or something. But then 2004 came, Bucket left and the whole idea of becoming a legit productive band went down the crapper.

[LA_0013]

Won't miss him.

Technically brilliant, but no real sense of melody IMO. And he has a long track record of whinging.

Say what you want about Ashba - at least he comes across as loyal and committed to the cause.

Ron kinda reminds me of that ex-girlfriend that convinces you that you're incredibly lucky to have her. Then years down the line you wake up and realise its actually you that introduced her to all your mutual friends and funded all her shit.

LA

[Apollo]

I'm most disappointed that we never got to hear a song that both Axl and BBF worked on.

Spending eight years in a band and never getting to contribute to new music - that's got to be tough for an artist to take.

Some guys stick around because they love the money.

Others value their musical creativity and integrity over a fat paycheck. I'm amazed people are actually criticizing BBF for leaving. The dude chose music over cash - and the Axl lovers who drone on about how much more integrity Axl has than Slash (because Slash releases music every couple of years) are now bashing BBF for choosing his own career over just being a paid member of a band who has no say in the band's creativity.

[Chris 55]

He's clearly just joking around here, the same way Noel Gallagher does before playing Wonderwall, about how tired he is of the hit. I think he's out, don't get me wrong, but this is nowhere near confirmation.

Stop giving people a reason not to drama queen!

[Mysteron]

The 'official-ness' of the interview was the 'from Guns N' Roses'.

The retort from BBF was delirious humour after a long flight.

BBF may have left, but thread title is misleading, a little.

[smokingarthur]

Won't miss him.

Technically brilliant, but no real sense of melody IMO. And he has a long track record of whinging.

Say what you want about Ashba - at least he comes across as loyal and committed to the cause.

Ron kinda reminds me of that ex-girlfriend that convinces you that you're incredibly lucky to have her. Then years down the line you wake up and realise its actually you that introduced her to all your mutual friends and funded all her shit.

LA

Nonsense, talking about loyalty and DJ in the same sentence??? What kind of loyalty includes shameless self promoting, lack of proficiency and James Bondian tales of beating up fans and flower pots?? Ron is at least a real person, DJ is a fucking muppet. His only loyalty it to himself.

[Tom2112]

Won't miss him.

Technically brilliant, but no real sense of melody IMO. And he has a long track record of whinging.

Say what you want about Ashba - at least he comes across as loyal and committed to the cause.

Ron kinda reminds me of that ex-girlfriend that convinces you that you're incredibly lucky to have her. Then years down the line you wake up and realise its actually you that introduced her to all your mutual friends and funded all her shit.

LA

Committed to the cause? are you kidding me? He's so bloody fake! He's just taking the ride like everyone else, getting what he can from it and doing everything he can while he can to align his name with GnR. He is a member of GnR so that's fine, but let's be honest, he hasn't done anything for GnR just yet, beyond gaining negative criticism on the band for hiring a guy who wears a hat and moves like slash on stage... still waiting for the positives.

Ron is a whinger, he doesn't see how good he's got it. At the same time he's pretty great, because he gives blunt honesty (missing from the GnR camp). I don't think Ashba would ever argue with Axl or call him on any bull shit, whereas Bumble probably would... that's much closer to a real band member and not just a hired hand.

[Bono]

The Zealots are out in full force in this thread alright. It's hilarious to see how so many of you are actually offended and mad about his comment and then resort to trashing the guy in an attempt to validate your love for Axl. Also those of you saying he should never use GnR to promote himself and not utter their name in interviews need to get a fucking grip. He was the best part about Guns N' Roses since 2006. At least HE treated the fans with respect. He's clearly the only one who was more interested in doing something creative and moving forward rather than leeching off the past. The fact that some of you think he should simply praise his time in GnR as the greatest thing that has ever happened and he owes everything in his entire life to GnR is absurd. Clearly he's the only one who was remotely honest about what a fucking joke it was dealing with that band. Yes he's more well known now and he obviously knows that but at the same time he had to sit there and be part of the butt of jokes for almost 9 full years. Guns N Roses didn't do a fucking thing and yet this guy through it all showed the fans nothing but respect. Some of you need a kick in the teeth. You really do.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Bono

[jbhutto]

I'm most disappointed that we never got to hear a song that both Axl and BBF worked on.

Spending eight years in a band and never getting to contribute to new music - that's got to be tough for an artist to take.

Some guys stick around because they love the money.

Others value their musical creativity and integrity over a fat paycheck. I'm amazed people are actually criticizing BBF for leaving. The dude chose music over cash - and the Axl lovers who drone on about how much more integrity Axl has than Slash (because Slash releases music every couple of years) are now bashing BBF for choosing his own career over just being a paid member of a band who has no say in the band's creativity.

Yeah, but at this point hasn't BBF gained all of the recognition/connections/etc from GnR that he's ever going to get? It's not like the good ship GnR hasn't sprung a leak or two at this point. Things have been trending downward since 2011. What I'm trying to say is that Ron isn't really a hero or villain in this situation, he made a choice that is going to come with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, it is what it is. Even looking back to 06 he had to have had some cognizance of the situation he was getting himself into, so he certainly isn't a victim.

More than anything I'm just kinda glad this whole ordeal is over. It'll be exciting to get to see who GnR replaces BBF with, and BBF seems happy enough and is doing his own thing again.

So yeah, bring on part 2 of the interview, seems like they were finally starting to get serious at the end.

Edited February 15, 2015 by jbhutto

[Yesterdays-Civil-War]

More than anything I'm just kinda glad this whole ordeal is over.

Exactly this!

At this point I'm content with certainty over rumours.

[The Glow Inc.]

Say what you want about Ashba - at least he comes across as loyal and committed to the cause.

I'd say he's committed to the status quo, just like Team Brazil and Jarmo.

[Bobbo]

To me, Bumble was the Myles Kennedy of Axl's nu venture. He's technically a great player, but his tone is fucking atrocious, and his style of playing just didn't compliment Axl well at all.

He was great with the fans, but was too whiney for far too long. Either pull the trigger or put the fucking gun down already.

All he contributed creatively were some last minute after thoughts, so replacing him shouldn't be that big a deal. Especially since the songs where he was a bigger presence are seldom played anyways .

I will say that it is amazing how working with Axl is sucha pain in the ass that he can't even hold onto c-list musicians with very limited lucrative options. I mean, you gotta wonder at what point Axl stops and checks himself. He brings people in who can barely fill out a bar on their own, and takes them to perform in front of thousands of people, opening huge windows of opportunities they would have never otherwise had, and still manages to chase them out the door. Even if it's indirectly caused by Axl, it's still fucking mindboggling. Ffs man