Did DJ and BF leave because they knew about the reunion?

[Matt13]

I keep reading posts about lots of speculation about why DJ and BF left the band when they did in multiple threads for the last few months. It baffles my mind how so many people don't see the connection between the reunion and their departures.

My theory is, Slash and Axl have been friendly for some time now. Maybe going back as far as 2014. No question their relationship was cordial by summer 2015. Surly the guys in 'nuGNR' were privy to this and saw the writing on the wall (that a reunion was inevitable at that point). I believe DJ bowed out gracefully, making the decision for Axl to work with Slash again in GNR all the more easier. I also believe that Bumble was so cryptic about everything because, although he suspected a potential reunion, he wanted to leave the door open in the event it didn't actually happen or GNR decided to retain 3 guitarists (Fortus, Slash, Bumble... for example). I can't blame the guy, either. GNR was a good paycheck for them and with Slash on board, an even bigger payday would be in play for them.

What do you think? Did DJ and Bumble leave on their own accord not knowing about a reunion (IE- tired of GNR inactivity and lack of releasing new material)? Or do you believe they saw a reunion coming and stepped aside?

If it's the latter... I commend DJ for bowing out like he did, stepping aside so something bigger than him could take place. And find it a little crappy on Bumble's part... leaving everyone guessing and milking the GNR name. Last time I checked, DJ wasn't playing gig's full of GNR songs that he didn't write. BF really has left a bad taste in my mouth.

[tbaugerud]

I think you are onto something. I guess they mud have known.

[Black Sabbath]

They may have known depending on how long it's been in the works, but regardless I don't think it was the sole reason for them leaving.

[Len Cnut]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

[Billsfan]

You could make a case for dj that he just wanted to do different things, not so much with bumble. He was always the most honest nuGNR member that suddenly has been completely quiet, even to the point of refusing to acknowledge he was out after the band confirmed it. I say he knew it was in the works.

[estrangedtwat]

I for one wouldn't be opposed to DJ coming on stage maybe ONCE and doing a jam with Slash. It would be kind of funny to see Slash and Lil Slash together on the stage...one with the real top hat and the other with his fake stitched up wannabe hat. Then he can can get the fuck off the stage forever.

[Lies They Tell]

The day DJ left the band I predicted that Slash was coming back. There just didn't seem to be any other explanation for DJ:s departure. He knew that Axl wanted Slash to return so he left.

Bumblefoot on the other hand might have left because of different reasons. Probably cause nothing was happening in the band and he got frustrated. Of course the reason why nothing was happening was probably because Axl was negotiating with Slash and he didn't want to release CD2 before he knew if Slash was coming back or not.

[Graeme]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

With all due respect, you're wrong. I care.

[Bono]

They left because GnR was a do nothing, shit show outfit. But of course they knew something was up.

[Len Cnut]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

With all due respect, you're wrong. I care.

So do i, big fan of Tommy Stinson so i cant disregard them all but suffice to say whatever voices there are they amount to a drop in the ocean.

[Graeme]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

With all due respect, you're wrong. I care.

So do i, big fan of Tommy Stinson so i cant disregard them all but suffice to say whatever voices there are they amount to a drop in the ocean.

It's really frustrating.

[Len Cnut]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

With all due respect, you're wrong. I care.

So do i, big fan of Tommy Stinson so i cant disregard them all but suffice to say whatever voices there are they amount to a drop in the ocean.

It's really frustrating.

Goes to show you that for all the screeds on here in defence of NuGnR and people rationalising this shit it pretty much was just the Axl show for the OVER-fucking-WHELMING majority. And it kinda still is.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Len B'stard

[kanudo19]

Dj definitely knew. Bumble wanted to leave the band for quite some time, hell he confirmed to me that he had left the band way before the rumors about his departure started.

Perhaps the possible reunion was the final nail on the coffin for Bumble. He always expressed interest in going forward but he kept around hoping that Axl would get his act together and work on some new shit, maybe he heard talks of a reunion and realized the next step was back and not forward so he quit or maybe he just had enough. Don't know, don't care.

Just my two cents.

Edited January 6, 2016 by kanudo19

[Facekicker]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

[Graeme]

I don't think anyone gives a flying rats fuck to be honest. Not being rude, i quite like Bumble (Ashba was a total quim tho!), just stating facts, most GnR fans would not object to most of the members of NuGuns being rounded up and shot in the streets by firing squad if it meant some semblence of a reunion, which is apparently what we have here.

With all due respect, you're wrong. I care.

So do i, big fan of Tommy Stinson so i cant disregard them all but suffice to say whatever voices there are they amount to a drop in the ocean.

It's really frustrating.

Goes to show you that for all the screeds on here in defence of NuGnR and people rationalising this shit it pretty much was just the Axl show for the OVER-fucking-WHELMING majority. And it kinda still is.

I refer you to my previous message.

[Amir]

I don't think Axl and Slash were on speaking terms back when Bumble handed in his resignation. When Slash was asked about his relationship with Axl during the mini-Duff reunion in April 2014 he said they still weren't speaking. Of course he could have been lying, but I think the reunion didn't come into motion until after the Vegas Residency ended and Bumble quit. Looking at what he was left with, namely Ashba, I guess Axl decided to give his old bandmate a call.

I also wonder how much old flames were responsible for this? Was Slash getting back with his ex Meegan and divorcing Perla a factor? What about Erin and Axl (have no idea if they have been in contact but she has been posting about him constantly on social media over the past year or two)?

Edited January 6, 2016 by Amir

[themadcaplaughs]

They may have known depending on how long it's been in the works, but regardless I don't think it was the sole reason for them leaving.

This would be my best guess. I'm sure they were aware things were going down, particularly with Duff around. That being said, it seems they all had their own additional reasons for departing. Bumbelfoot made it clear for some time that he valued his solo career and he got to pursue that by making a solo record that almost no one listened to and starting a band taht the lead singer refused to commit to other than saying he was a hired hand.

Although DJ put a better face on it, I am sure he got frustrated by all of his songs not being used by Axl. Clearly, he values Sixx A.M. which has definite touring plans and two albums coming out.

[11dayempire]

Wasn't Bumble's beef that he wanted to present Axl with completed songs that he'd get a sole writing credit on, and Axl prefers to work a different way – composing songs from multiple different riffs and ideas?

[Intercourse]

Once Duff was on tour with Axl I started to believe that peace talks would begin.

Axl was elated with Duff there, it was obvious, the crowds were bat shit crazy for them too, that can't have been missed by the band.

Axl respects the man obviously so it had to happen that he would have been asking after Slash etc if both men were hanging out and talking about old times (which Duff said they did).

I bet Duff opened a lot of communication lines and got things started. In 2011, Slash said about this call.

"All things considered, that would be a call I would be surprised to get. If that really happened, I would have to clean out my junk drawer, too, but I don't see it happening. But if it did happen, I would do whatever it takes to at least have a conversation about it."

so this must have come to pass...

I would say that the guys knew for sure something was up but were probably told via the grapevine that things were happening.

DJ has enough going on to walk away in a classy fashion which he did, Bumble seemed more desperate and let himself down whinging all the way out the door while being even more cryptic and media paranoid than TB, which surprised me as I though he was a class act.

[Billsfan]

I don't think Axl and Slash were on speaking terms back when Bumble handed in his resignation. When Slash was asked about his relationship with Axl during the mini-Duff reunion in April 2014 he said they still weren't speaking. Of course he could have been lying, but I think the reunion didn't come into motion until after the Vegas Residency ended and Bumble quit. Looking at what he was left with, namely Ashba, I guess Axl decided to give his old bandmate a call.

I also wonder how much old flames were responsible for this? Was Slash getting back with his ex Meegan and divorcing Perla a factor? What about Erin and Axl (have no idea if they have been in contact but she has been posting about him constantly on social media over the past year or two)?

I completely disagree. I say they were speaking before the last Vegas residency. If anyone admitted to that it would have buried slashs solo record before it came out and it would have buried the last Vegas residency before it began. All anyone would have focused on was reunion and it would have been worse. No way they just started speaking in August and all of a sudden decided to reunite in a matter of minutes

[Amir]

I don't think Axl and Slash were on speaking terms back when Bumble handed in his resignation. When Slash was asked about his relationship with Axl during the mini-Duff reunion in April 2014 he said they still weren't speaking. Of course he could have been lying, but I think the reunion didn't come into motion until after the Vegas Residency ended and Bumble quit. Looking at what he was left with, namely Ashba, I guess Axl decided to give his old bandmate a call.

I also wonder how much old flames were responsible for this? Was Slash getting back with his ex Meegan and divorcing Perla a factor? What about Erin and Axl (have no idea if they have been in contact but she has been posting about him constantly on social media over the past year or two)?

I completely disagree. I say they were speaking before the last Vegas residency. If anyone admitted to that it would have buried slashs solo record before it came out and it would have buried the last Vegas residency before it began. All anyone would have focused on was reunion and it would have been worse. No way they just started speaking in August and all of a sudden decided to reunite in a matter of minutes

If they were speaking before April 2014 then why did the release of Appetite for Democracy get held up by Slash not initially signing off on it? The negotiations over the release of that may have been a contributing factor as well.

Everything Axl says in the Revolver interview from the Golden Gods in April 2014 as well seems to point to him being against a reunion with Slash: http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?/topic/207515-revolver-interview-with-axl-rose/

[downzy]

No.

Neither left because a reunion was underway. Based on the little i know, I don't think formal talks between the various camps started in earnest until August of 2015.

I believe both DJ and Ron left for similar reasons (relating to their involvement, or lack thereof, in the crafting of new music for the follow up to Chinese Democracy).

In fact, I'd argue that Ron and DJ quitting helped to force the issue assuming Axl still wanted to keep going with Guns N' Roses. He was likely faced with the situation of having to find two new guitarists to tour behind music that had little to do with them. He did that already and doing it again likely wasn't wiling to try it again. The next option was to get back together with Slash with the help of Duff and make oodles of money. Not sure anyone in his position would choose the former.

All I can say is that all communications between our staff and anyone connected with GNR effectively ended in August of 2015. Once the decision was made to see whether a reunion was possible, radio silence was essentially put into effect. That policy seemed to be in place until a week or two ago. I don't really blame them. Considering what was at stake and the amount of money involved, I wouldn't want anything getting out either. But hopefully now that plans for 2016 become a little more in focus the lines of communication will reemerge.

[-W.A.R-]

DJ did i think. i actually think they let him quit instead of firing him.

DJ quit in at the end of July a month later Slash spoke about speaking with Axl. i think this was all coordinated and had been in the works for awhile and was done i guess to drum up interest and the price tag for any suitor that was looking to host the reunion

DJ has even alluded that he stepped aside for the old band to get back together

[ronartest2004]

No.

Neither left because a reunion was underway. Based on the little i know, I don't think formal talks between the various camps started in earnest until August of 2015.

I believe both DJ and Ron left for similar reasons (relating to their involvement, or lack thereof, in the crafting of new music for the follow up to Chinese Democracy).

In fact, I'd argue that Ron and DJ quitting helped to force the issue assuming Axl still wanted to keep going with Guns N' Roses. He was likely faced with the situation of having to find two new guitarists to tour behind music that had little to do with them. He did that already and doing it again likely wasn't wiling to try it again. The next option was to get back together with Slash with the help of Duff and make oodles of money. Not sure anyone in his position would choose the former.

All I can say is that all communications between our staff and anyone connected with GNR effectively ended in August of 2015. Once the decision was made to see whether a reunion was possible, radio silence was essentially put into effect. That policy seemed to be in place until a week or two ago. I don't really blame them. Considering what was at stake and the amount of money involved, I wouldn't want anything getting out either. But hopefully now that plans for 2016 become a little more in focus the lines of communication will reemerge.

Who approached who? Did axl approach duff about a reunion with slash or what it the other way around?, or no middle man (duff)?

[downzy]

DJ did i think. i actually think they let him quit instead of firing him.

DJ quit in at the end of July a month later Slash spoke about speaking with Axl. i think this was all coordinated and had been in the works for awhile and was done i guess to drum up interest and the price tag for any suitor that was looking to host the reunion

DJ has even alluded that he stepped aside for the old band to get back together

Nope, didn't happen like that based on the little I know.

DJ quit closer to the beginning of July. It was announced at the end of July.

Axl was disappointed and surprised when DJ quit.

DJ can revise history all he wants to make himself look like the hero, but that wasn't the case.

No.

Neither left because a reunion was underway. Based on the little i know, I don't think formal talks between the various camps started in earnest until August of 2015.

I believe both DJ and Ron left for similar reasons (relating to their involvement, or lack thereof, in the crafting of new music for the follow up to Chinese Democracy).

In fact, I'd argue that Ron and DJ quitting helped to force the issue assuming Axl still wanted to keep going with Guns N' Roses. He was likely faced with the situation of having to find two new guitarists to tour behind music that had little to do with them. He did that already and doing it again likely wasn't wiling to try it again. The next option was to get back together with Slash with the help of Duff and make oodles of money. Not sure anyone in his position would choose the former.

All I can say is that all communications between our staff and anyone connected with GNR effectively ended in August of 2015. Once the decision was made to see whether a reunion was possible, radio silence was essentially put into effect. That policy seemed to be in place until a week or two ago. I don't really blame them. Considering what was at stake and the amount of money involved, I wouldn't want anything getting out either. But hopefully now that plans for 2016 become a little more in focus the lines of communication will reemerge.

Who approached who? Did axl approach duff about a reunion with slash or what it the other way around?, or no middle man (duff)?

No clue. As I said, once we got into mid August and right after Slash commented on the easing of tensions, communications between this forum, its staff, and anyone connected with GNR ceased. I think very few know anything other than the key players and their management teams. And it probably should stay that way until they're sharing the stage.