Is this Ron's "goodbye"?

[SoulMonster]

I've said it before: Bumblefoot is a big drama queen.

[bacardimayne]

His fortune cookie tweet really pissed me off. If you're going to leave, leave. Enough of this posturing with the fans bullshit.

[saber_]

If Bumble quits, I hope he does a tour with Slash, like Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth did when they were both out of Van Halen.

The "ex-gnr" tour. Bucket and Izzy could come too.

[PITBOSS]

if ron leaves, big if, he will be elevated to rock god status and be immortalized on the board.

[Estranged Coma]

Tobias in 2015!!!!

[saber_]

Bring Back Paul!

[SoulMonster]

It's like Bumble's continuously gauging his status among the fan base like some neurotic little girl.

Edited April 19, 2014 by SoulMonster

[bacardimayne]

So let's get into hypotheticals and say he leaves. What happens?

Scenario 1:

Axl goes it alone with Ashba and Fortus. Probably has to drop Estranged, Shackler's and Better from the set. Tears are shed worldwide and an international day of fasting is created.

Scenario 2:

Axl hires some 20-something shredder for 50 bucks a night and they can keep playing the hard songs. The world keeps spinning.

[Amir]

He seems committed to the 3-guitar schtick, Fortus and Finck reckoned they could handle things as a duo in '06 up until Axl brought Bumble in. I can't see DJ being happy to share the spotlight with another guitarist, though, it'd have to be a background shredder like Bumble if Axl wants to keep his homeboy happy.

[Bruno P.]

It'd be funny if Ashba tried to play Estranged. I would watch on utube just for the lols.

[PITBOSS]

So let's get into hypotheticals and say he leaves. What happens?

Scenario 1:

Axl goes it alone with Ashba and Fortus. Probably has to drop Estranged, Shackler's and Better from the set. Tears are shed worldwide and an international day of fasting is created.

Scenario 2:

Axl hires some 20-something shredder for 50 bucks a night and they can keep playing the hard songs. The world keeps spinning.

are those our only options? just bring in zakk wylde or something......

really i'd rather see dj leave than ron.

[Nulla Lex Ink.]

I think if Bumblefoot leaves, the first thing Axl will do is run to Buckethead. When Buckethead says "no," he'll go to Robin Finck, and depending on if he's busy or not, he'll come on board for a few years and leave when more opportunities come along, or he'll just say no. In that latter case, he'd most likely hire some relatively unknown guitar player or a big up and comer, neither of which would be able to say no to an opportunity of exposure like this. I can't see him hiring a big name like Zakk Wylde for some reason. I couldn't even see him hiring a guy like John 5, who only dedicated fans of Rob Zombie/David Lee Roth/Marilyn Manson would know of, although I do think he could make himself fit in with the band.

But honestly, I'm thinking it will happen soon. Within the next year or so, Bumble will leave. It's sad, since he's so talented, but it's also good for that exact reason. Being in Guns N' Roses is like being a dog brought home from the pound and made to wear the old dog's collar and tag. But anyways, after he leaves, I expect some others to follow one way or the other, either through being fired or quitting themselves. I just got this feeling that once he leaves the dam will break, so to speak, and yet again, we'll have an all new Guns N' Roses.

[Mysteron]

No, he says, "The GNR S. American tour has one show left"

If you cannot guess what is coming to an end, then you really are thick

[Bruno P.]

He's not saying 'fuck it' and leaving. He's doing everything that's scheduled until mid 14's, then it's up to Axl what they're gonna do next. It's not like he doesn't give a fuck to his band mates, he cant simply quit all of a sudden like some people here are suggesting. He's professional, not a fan in a forum pretending that he knows what's best for Axl, Guns and Ron himself. If he goes out there saying that he's gonna quit, it'd be a mistake because people would put in doubt the current tour, the next residency, etc. If he's ready to leave, great. If not, I doubt he'll stick for another year or so, unless something really huge musically wise happens - and we all know it's not happening.

[RocketQueen1985]

Will I be surprised if Bumblefoot leaves? No.

Will I be surprised if Bumblefoot stays? No.

As things are at the moment I feel it can go both ways.

[bacardimayne]

He's posturing for more money. That's all this is.

[RocketQueen1985]

He's posturing for more money. That's all this is.

I'm not pretending to know Bumblefoot or his feelings but I won a meet and greet with him last year and along with a few other fans I got to talk to him for about an hour and a half.

I don’t think it's about money, I think he's genuinely frustrated with the state of the band and the lack of new material. He made it clear to us that he needs to write, needs to create music so his solo career is very important to him in that sense.

He also answered our questions about Axl and from his answers he seems to genuinely care for Axl. I think he's torn between his loyalty to Axl and really wanting to create music with him and being so frustrated that it's just not happening.

Again I'm not trying pretend I know how he feels, it's merely my impression after having talked to him that day.

[Pinball Wizard]

He's posturing for more money. That's all this is.

I'm not pretending to know Bumblefoot or his feelings but I won a meet and greet with him last year and along with a few other fans I got to talk to him for about an hour and a half.

I don’t think it's about money, I think he's genuinely frustrated with the state of the band and the lack of new material. He made it clear to us that he needs to write, needs to create music so his solo career is very important to him in that sense.

He also answered our questions about Axl and from his answers he seems to genuinely care for Axl. I think he's torn between his loyalty to Axl and really wanting to create music with him and being so frustrated that it's just not happening.

Again I'm not trying pretend I know how he feels, it's merely my impression after having talked to him that day.

Spot on.

[bacardimayne]

So what does passive-aggressively venting your frustrations on Twitter accomplsih? All it does is make the band look even more dysfunctional.

[Pinball Wizard]

So what does passive-aggressively venting your frustrations on Twitter accomplsih? All it does is make the band look even more dysfunctional.

I get what you are saying, and I agree with you in a sense.

But I take ron venting his frustrations over Ashba's bullshit of "we have tons of material recorded" any day. At least I can trust what BBF is saying and I don't fool myself into thinking anything else.

Plus, it must be really claustrophobic to be in a situation where everyone around you don't seem to care...at least when BBF says those things I see it as "look, I'm frustrated as well as you are...but there's nothing *I* can do about it".

If he in fact leaves I'd be really, REALLY, disappointed. Not at him, thought. I'd be sad for GNR, but happy for his personal/artistic happiness.

[RandallFlagg]

It's pathetic how Axl only got one record out of Buckethead and Finck (though I don't doubt he's hoarded material that he probably sifts through to cut and paste the new guy's noodling every now and then) and zero records from BBF who's been in a highly functioning and capable band for what, seven odd years now? Way to use real talent Axl.

[Amir]

So what does passive-aggressively venting your frustrations on Twitter accomplsih? All it does is make the band look even more dysfunctional.

I get what you are saying, and I agree with you in a sense.

But I take ron venting his frustrations over Ashba's bullshit of "we have tons of material recorded" any day.

And I'll take it over DJ's "if you bite the hand that feeds..." tweet. Responding to a tweet expressing frustration at lack of artistic creativity with "SHUT UP AND TAKE THE MONEY, BITCH"? Speaks volumes about the difference in character between the two.

[bacardimayne]

Ashba's "we have tons of material recorded" shit, while yes, complete bullshit, is just him being a company man. He's saying what Axl tells him to say. It's a complete yes man thing but at least he's trying to promote a positive image of Guns N' Roses, like a member of the band should.

Ron on the other hand is just being difficult for some reason. What does he hope to achieve? Does he think that his passive aggressive Twitter bitching will convince Axl to put out a new album? Does he think he'll get a raise out of it? I just don't get it. I don't see the motive. All it does is make the band look bad.

It's like a WWE wrestler doing a shoot interview about "what really goes on" behind the scenes. Which is admirable, until you realize that wrestler is still on Vince's payroll and wrestling at his shows. Then it just makes no fucking sense.

Edited April 19, 2014 by bacardimayne

[The Sandman]

Paul Huge is waiting in the wings...

[Amir]

Ashba's "we have tons of material recorded" shit, while yes, complete bullshit, is just him being a company man. He's saying what Axl tells him to say. It's a complete yes man thing but at least he's trying to promote a positive image of Guns N' Roses, like a member of the band should.

Ron on the other hand is just being difficult for some reason. What does he hope to achieve? Does he think that his passive aggressive Twitter bitching will convince Axl to put out a new album? Does he think he'll get a raise out of it? I just don't get it. I don't see the motive. All it does is make the band look bad.

If he's actually leaving after the Vegas residency, then maybe he's giving a heads-up so fans are prepared.

If he isn't, then all that fortune-cookie stuff is feel-good bullshit.

As much as I like the guy, it's sad that at this point I'm rooting for the former. If Axl has well and truly given up on releasing new music, then Bumble should go for his own sake.