Bumblefoot has no regrets over Guns N’ Roses stint

[wasted]

9 hours ago, WhazUp said:

I totally agree with that!  And for Ron and even Tommy I do wish that there was more to show for their tenure in GNR than just one overhyped album and tons of touring lol, and Ron especially seemed to be pretty jaded with it all by the time he ended up leaving

I think the camel that broke the straw's back was when Axl said he wanted to release CD II and the remix album. A few months later everyone was quitting. I think Ron and Dj both wrote for the next album and got ignored. Kind of speculating but the lack of songwriting credits and touring other people's songs must have got old. They must have thought why don't you just get Slash and Duff to do they jobs. 

Edited March 28, 2017 by wasted

[trev]

 Axl knew everyone would shit on Bumble and DJ's GnR songs and they prolly weren't that good...that's why whatever they wrote went no where.

[Billsfan]

23 hours ago, MADDOGJONES said:

I'm with you, but I'd take Eddie over Stern any day. I love the Howard Stern show, but he doesn't let people speak, cuts them off constantly. Great show, but I don't know where he got this rep of being a great interviewer from, I just don't see it. Kurt Loader was great in my opinion.

Eddie was one of the few who had info for the fans on this threeunion tour, I don't mind him but, I get that he can be annoying to some at times

Edited March 29, 2017 by Billsfan

[Towelie]

16 hours ago, Graeme said:

I really bought into it too... That's why the band's dead to me now.

I have to say, my interest in GNR has nose-dived since Ron left.

Of course, my GNR fandom doesn't begin and end with Bumblefoot, but I grew to become a really big fan of his work during his tenure, and he was by far the most interesting thing in the band from 06-14. Even though he didn't have any writing credits on the album, his playing on songs like Shacklers and Catcher is one of the highlights of Chinese Democracy for me.

My interest in GNR has waned considerably, because it's become abundantly clear that Axl Rose has no intentions of doing anything remotely new or interesting with this band. It's irrelevant whether Ron or Slash is playing lead guitar, all Axl is interested in is touring and milking the cash cow dry. Give it two more years when the AFD5 fans realise that a new GNR album from Axl/Slash/Duff isn't ever going to come out and I think a lot of the reunion fans will start to grow weary of this band, like I did.

New Art of Anarchy album rocks. Folks who were a big fan of Chinese Democracy should check it out. Songs like Afterburn and Echo Of A Dream sound like a hybrid of Velvet Revolver and NuGNR to me. Alls worked out well for Ron in the end and I'm so glad he's no longer being held back by a lazy frontman with a colossal ego and no creativity.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Towelie

[The Glow Inc.]

4 hours ago, trev said:

 Axl knew everyone would shit on Bumble and DJ's GnR songs and they prolly weren't that good...that's why whatever they wrote went no where.

Not to be a downer but would you bet on us hearing a Slash / Duff penned GnR album anytime soon ?

I know I wouldn't...

[Billsfan]

4 hours ago, trev said:

 Axl knew everyone would shit on Bumble and DJ's GnR songs and they prolly weren't that good...that's why whatever they wrote went no where.

I don't know if that's believable. I doubt they even wrote together... IMHO I think after the whole Chinese Democracy fiasco, I think it just ripped it out of Axl and I think that's why he's probably hell bent on ever releasing new music again

[Top-Hatted One]

Listened to the new AOA album start to finish one time thru and that's enough for me. So generic and awful and I'm a big fan of Alter Bridge. I just can't stand Scott Stapp's Vedder-lite voice and Pearl Jam does nothing for me. 

I liked that song they did with Scott Weiland but the rest of that first record did nothing for me either. Oh and I hate Disturbed or ShitTurd. 

Did meet Ron a few times and Incan attest that he is a great guy. Invites fans for some post GNR show grub etc.

Not a fan of his ability to write GNR caliber songs and riffs. I gotta give him credit for nailing the old songs after really struggling in 2006.

Even if it was torturous, being in Guns definitely helped put him on the map. No one new who he was. He was playing small clubs in NY/NJ to a small niche of fans like Frank. I remember when it was rumored he was replacing Bucket long years before Hammerstein in 2006. GNR fans  scuffed at the idea then all of a sudden there he was

Edited March 28, 2017 by Top-Hatted One

[Tom2112]

21 hours ago, MADDOGJONES said:

I think one of the problems Ron had in GN'R was he didn't take shit from anyone and from a few accounts he got a lot of that when he joined the band and it only ended when he pulled a knife.

I think Ron and Axl probably butted heads on a few things, reading between the lines, from what he's said recently about Axl feeling like a "friend sometimes and a enemy at other times" and it ran it's course. He's a great guitar player and was great with the fans, but he's from different stock, he's very DIY and releases a lot stuff and does it very quickly. Take Axl out of the picture and that's still not that easy to do in a band as big as GN'R, contracted to a major label, like Universal.

True, but Ron understood clearly that his own approach wasn't something was comparable to GNR... However, he also knew there was a lot of material laying around and that if Axl wanted to make it happen he could get a song released. Universal would be overjoyed if Axl came to them unexpectedly and said "I have a couple of songs I want to release before we go out on the next leg, I'll make a video and do a little promo" even if it was just "I have a song or two I want to release" they would have gone crazy, universal like when big guaranteed sales artists release music... and GnR have always been one of those acts. 

The problem wasn't Universal saying "we don't want a follow up OR that record you have 'finished'" it was that Axl was and to some degree is still working Chinese because he believes that with the rigt time people will start to get into it. Coming on 10 years since it's release and the opinions are milder, but I don't know anyone who hated the record who now loves it... I know of a few on here who have come around to a few songs because Slash plays them, so I assume there's a couple more non forum fans that feel the same way.

[Billsfan]

On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 8:08 PM, RONIN said:

Yeah -- just a good level headed dude. Probably the nicest guy to ever be in the band. I bet he's probably under strict gag orders about leaving the band since Axl and TB know he isn't a happy camper. I'd take what Tommy says with a grain of salt given that he didn't like Ron. Tommy is also tight with Axl and is probably set for life financially from his days in GnR. He doesn't need a gag order -- the dude had a great experience with GnR. He was unemployed before GnR iirc. Going from Ron's words, it looks like DJ was booted out but allowed to save face by claiming he could have still been in the band. It's laughable to think this clown would ever share the same stage with Slash. But then again, it was a laughable thought to even think he would be hired as the lead guitarist for GnR. 

I actually feel bad for a lot of these guys like Bucket, Finck, Ron, etc. Imagine these talented, in-demand players making the decision to join Guns and expecting Axl to take over the world with GnR 2.0 only to realize that they've been set up to lose. No new music and becoming glorified touring musicians playing 30 year old songs night after night. Sometimes money just isn't enough to stay when you're that talented.

For the life of me, I'll never understand Axl. The common thread from Slash to Bucket was basically them sitting in the rehearsal studio bored and frustrated...waiting for Axl to show up. He never showed up. And when he did, it was too little, too late.

Agreed for the most part. I mean, I don't think DJ was booted. I'm listening back to the interview as we speak and, he just said "no comment, I honestly don't know. I wasn't there for the conversations" when he was asked abut DJ claiming he could have stayed on. I mean Eddie reacted like maybe Ron smiled at him about it but, chances are even Bumblefoot knew that it would have been a silly idea to have Dj and Slash sharing solos. Idk, DJ quitting when he did was completely out of left field, and going back to the thread in here about him leaving people's reactions seem to confirm that. Axl has always had a pretty wild eyed vision for how Guns N Roses should look like so, as much as some quiver in here at the thought of Ashba and Slash potentially sharing a stage, I just don't see how it's shocking. No band needs two lead guitarists, Buckethead didn't need to share leads really based on his talent. The fact that Axl wanted two people to be replacing Slash at all times shows you how much Slash meant to him and the band... Idk, he could have been saving face but I doubt it. And I think he wanted to evolve GNR in his own way that was different and made them still big but, it just never worked. It was never going to work without Slash.

I do agree about everything else though and you're spot on. I think Bucket, Robin, and Ron just had literally had enough at the times they quit. Brain probably quit for reasons other than impatience to release new material but, he had an opportunity to come back and clearly didn't miss it enough/moved on. Tommy I think always felt too loyal to Axl to publicly quit until the threeunion was announced, I think you're right there in that he probably felt he'd be cool about the thing.

I can't tell if Ron had a gag order or not, the band denied it but, it wouldn't surprise me if he actually did. Like we both know, coolest, most honest and down to earth guy GNR probably has ever had. But if anything was his Achilles heel, it was that he was too honest. Dj Ashba would get asked about new material and he'd give the same "Yeah we've been writing and working on some really cool, really gnarly new material! It'll be out next year" type of BS that the fans saw through... meanwhile, Ron would get asked the same thing and be like "We've worked on nothing. Nothings in the works so don't expect anything" type of answer, which Axl Rose hates but, at least Ron didn't piss on our ankles and convince us that it was raining.

Anyways.. rant aside but like I said I don't disagree with much of what you said. I just get a kick out of Eddie saying that Tommy made comments suggesting that he could have stayed on, when for over two years Tommy made more comments suggesting he was out that Eddie completely ignored. LOL

Edited March 29, 2017 by Billsfan

[BorderlineCrazy]

27 minutes ago, Billsfan said:

No band needs two lead guitarists, Buckethead didn't need to share leads really based on his talent. The fact that Axl wanted two people to be replacing Slash at all times shows you how much Slash meant to him and the band...

But did Axl originally want two lead guitarists? If my memory serves, Robin was the only one, Buckethead came in after Robin quit but then he came back and that's when the 3 guitarists joke started. I'm not 100% sure and I don't really care too much anyway but that's how I remember it.

47 minutes ago, Billsfan said:

I can't tell if Ron had a gag order or not, the band denied it but, it wouldn't surprise me if he actually did. Like we both know, coolest, most honest and down to earth guy GNR probably has ever had. But if anything was his Achilles heel, it was that he was too honest. Dj Ashba would get asked about new material and he'd give the same "Yeah we've been writing and working on some really cool, really gnarly new material! It'll be out next year" type of BS that the fans saw through... meanwhile, Ron would get asked the same thing and be like "We've worked on nothing. Nothings in the works so don't expect anything" type of answer, which Axl Rose hates but, at least Ron didn't piss on our ankles and convince us that it was raining.

I think people love bashing DJ but I actually believe him when he says they were writing and those kind of things. That doesn't mean Axl was actually interested in using those ideas but I think DJ was hoping he was gonna be able to be part of a new record and have his own material to play live. And I believe Ron too but the thing is he seemed to be so isolated from everyone else in that "band" that he probably wasn't involved in what they were doing. Here's a quote from Fortus:

Fortus: "DJ and I have worked on stuff… Nobody's worked on stuff with Ron.

There's so much stuff that's recorded, there's so much stuff that was done. I mean, there's three albums' worth of material, easy…

"I know this week he's [Axl] recording a lot of stuff, vocally.

"That camp is very… I don't know why. It's just that they're very… Axl is very secretive. He doesn't want stuff getting out. He wants to create stuff and then release it when it's ready. Which I… I get it. He's also a bit of a perfectionist, as you can imagine.

"The way [Axl] generally works is that he doesn't wanna take an idea that DJ sent and… What he'll do is he'll take a little piece that I sent, he'll take a little piece that DJ sent on another track, and he's always done that. Back even with the 'Appetite' stuff, he would take a little bit from this, a little bit from that, and then put it together. And when you listen to it, you can sort of hear it. When you listen to the tracks, you can hear that it's… Especially on 'Illusions', the opuses, [where] he took little bits from different people and put them together. He's got a real talent for that."

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

I believe Dj as well. He (and Tommy for that matter) was seemingly a lot closer to the Del/Team Brazil/Axl wing of the band than Ron was. Contrary to public opinion- I also think that once Axl's identified the way forward- his strong inclination is to then try and bring everyone along ("leave no soldier behind", etc.). In this case by that point Ron had already self-indentified himself as someone who was dropping out- as had Tommy w/the 'mats and other issues. I think Dj could well have still been in the GNR mix but must have had Nikki in his ear talking about double albums and tours of material he had a hand in writing and Slash coming back meaning nothing but a "bit" role for Dj in GNR moving forward, etc. and that carried the day...

 

 

Edited March 29, 2017 by AXL_N_DIZZY

[trev]

19 hours ago, The Glow Inc. said:

Not to be a downer but would you bet on us hearing a Slash / Duff penned GnR album anytime soon ?

I know I wouldn't...

Who knows...

[trev]

19 hours ago, Billsfan said:

I don't know if that's believable. I doubt they even wrote together... IMHO I think after the whole Chinese Democracy fiasco, I think it just ripped it out of Axl and I think that's why he's probably hell bent on ever releasing new music again

I think they've said they had ideas they sent to Axl...DJ for sure and I think Bumble too.  No, they never did sit in a room together and write.  

 

 

[nikosgnr]

Bumble's such a nice and funny guy and . Really, really enjoyed the CD stuff and especially Shackler's!

Seeing him playing live was killer.

[J Dog]

He shouldn't have any regrets. He had a pretty cool job and made more money than he ever did on his own. Always liked him, seems cool and genuine, he's got heart too, loves the fans. Wish him the best.

[Bumble's Bridge Pickup]

If you can tell by the username, I'm a fan

Dude's the most easily approachable guitar virtuoso out there, I once posted a vid of myself playing one of his songs on his Facebook page and he took the time to watch it and comment on it

That feels really fuckin' great and if Slash or anyone else would personally respond to the same thing, I'd also spam their Facebook with guitar covers lol.

I don't think the new AOA is very great especially because of Stapp but whatever.

[Billsfan]

5 hours ago, trev said:

I think they've said they had ideas they sent to Axl...DJ for sure and I think Bumble too.  No, they never did sit in a room together and write.  

 

 

Well then sending and exchanging ideas might be different than sitting in a room and writing? I mean, it doesn't sound like it went far...?

[trev]

54 minutes ago, Billsfan said:

Well then sending and exchanging ideas might be different than sitting in a room and writing? I mean, it doesn't sound like it went far...?

 

Right...that's how it starts.  DJ had stuff in mind for GnR. I think Bumble did too.  Never went anywhere...so it sounds like it did get Axl interested.  No they definitely didn't get together as a group and try to write.

[Mendez]

 

49 minutes ago, trev said:

 

Right...that's how it starts.  DJ had stuff in mind for GnR. I think Bumble did too.  Never went anywhere...so it sounds like it did get Axl interested.  No they definitely didn't get together as a group and try to write.

according to bumble, he would always tell the guys (probably including Axl) they should all get into a room and just jam and write together. Obviously never happened, likely because of Axl, and also maybe the members who were involved since the beginning of new GNR had an inkling that any new music written with/without Axl would go no where.

 

From Bumble's Reddit AMA in 2013:

Q: Have you guys written and/or recorded any new songs since 2009?

A: Together, that we finished? No. Playing on each other's song ideas? Yes.

 

Q: If a new GNR album happens, in your opinion, will it be mostly made of new tracks, "old" tracks or a mix of both?

A: No idea... I've said for the last 5 years that every time we're going to do a leg of touring, we should hit the studio a week before and bust out a new song that we'd release and play during that leg. If we did that there's already be a new album written by this band at this time... not that simple though, everyone has to be in agreement and it may conflict with label agreements. GAAAAHH!! Would have been great though.

 

Q: Hey Ron, you said Simple Days was supposed to have been a Guns N' Roses song. I think it's a great tune, why it didn't work out for GNR? Are there any other songs in your solo albums that were meant for the band?

A: There's going to be plenty of songs on my next releases that would have been for GNR, that I'm keeping for myself. I don't want to give songs to GNR - I want to write songs WITH GNR, so that they're truly GNR songs...

Edited March 29, 2017 by Mendez

[Billsfan]

58 minutes ago, trev said:

 

Right...that's how it starts.  DJ had stuff in mind for GnR. I think Bumble did too.  Never went anywhere...so it sounds like it did get Axl interested.  No they definitely didn't get together as a group and try to write.

Well maybe Axl wasn't so interested in reeasing new music after all...

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

38 minutes ago, Billsfan said:

Well maybe Axl wasn't so interested in reeasing new music after all...

Just speculating- but I suspect Axl's interest/enthusiasm for releasing new Guns music comes and goes. Likewise the label's interest in releasing and properly promoting new Guns music came and went during the Chinese-era too. Trick must have been trying to get times of interest/enthusiasm to overlap. I would assume the label is fully onboard now- but perhaps the safest play for all involved would just be a proper Best Of... (with some bonus "goodies"), a NITL live release of some kind and/or Appetite 30th re-issue...

[Brownstone drum]

On 29/03/2017 at 8:28 PM, Billsfan said:

Well then sending and exchanging ideas might be different than sitting in a room and writing? I mean, it doesn't sound like it went far...?

Didn't Bumble release song ideas for gnr, I think it was on YouTube. As far as I remember they all got used on his last solo album. Don't know who to pray to is a great song, sure it could have worked for gnr.

[Mendez]

22 hours ago, Brownstone drum said:

Didn't Bumble release song ideas for gnr, I think it was on YouTube. As far as I remember they all got used on his last solo album. Don't know who to pray to is a great song, sure it could have worked for gnr.

That one and Argentina he for sure had Axl in mind for, as well as some stuff on his 2008 album Abnormal

Edited March 31, 2017 by Mendez

[moreblack]

On 3/24/2017 at 0:53 PM, auad said:

Yesterday I was thinking and reflecting...

One of my conclusions:

GNR is a strange band..where all current and past members are strange people...and the fans of this is strange people too

 

How is this a recent realization?

[Brownstone drum]

1 hour ago, Mendez said:

That one and Argentina he for sure had Axl in mind for, as well as some stuff on his 2008 album Abnormal

Would have made good songs. I think Bumblefoot wrote more gnr type songs after he'd been in the band a while