Bumblefoot To Focus On Solo Career

[wasted]

There is no hope for new guns if BBF is sayonara, this guy is an exceptional player, he could be as superlative as Bucket and Slash if given the opportunity... Axl is an intelligent fellow and musically advanced more than 99% of us...he ain't thick by any means so I'm not quite sure what he's playing at with pampering Ashba and dwindling time away, if he lets this happen he obviously still has several screws loose still.

I guess if Axl sees CD II as done, like the majority of songs Ron contributed to are done and maybe he feels Dj needs to be involved and Fortus has some parts/songs then Ron really is involved.

Starting from ground zero when you already have3 albums of material just isn't realistic?

Edited December 21, 2014 by wasted

[stella]

I never got why the whole "he's just here for the money" idea was taken as a slight to Ron. Why wouldn't he be there for the money? He's an adult, he has to make a living. Most of us work in whatever field we're in...for a paycheck, not out of the kindness of our hearts.

It doesn't mean that you can't be passionate about your work, take immense pride in your work and want to do the absolute best job you possibly can. And as someone said above, BBF's repeated statements about wanting to play, write and record really do show that he cared. Come on, this is the guy who got onstage and played when he was in so much physicial agony that he looked like he was about to faint - and he gave it everything he had; he didn't just phone it in.

Edited December 21, 2014 by stella

[DieselDaisy]

I watched this circus play Riff Raff on youtube the other day and I saw this joker, shred. Fuckin awful. He also played the riff wrong. Probably one of the worst covers I have ever heard.

[DR DOOM]

I just don't see how Ron leaving is supposed to signal the end of Axl's GNR...any of them (except Axl) could leave and it wouldn't really make a lick of difference.

Let's look at Ron: what's his big contribution?

Un-necessarily adding "hot licks" onto material ( the Chinese Democracy stuff) he had absolutely nothing to do with creating.

How many (actual) new songs have been written and recorded since he joined in 06? Zero.

Basically it boils down to "he's a really nice guy and he's cool to the fans" which while true doesn't count for much here, does it?

Besides his token solo spot, the guy's job in Guns is to play either Slash/Izzy or Robin/Bucket/Paul's material onstage- besides a tacked on lick here and there on some CD songs the guy is just a tour guitarist, he's a Gilby Clarke at best.

At least Gilby got Axl to be on his album, even if it was just for a cover

The success of Guns N Roses has nothing to do with any of the guys currently in the band (except Axl) - if Ron left and was replaced by Shredder X would it really make a lick of difference?

edit: lick of difference

Edited December 21, 2014 by DR DOOM

[Tadsy]

Yawn

This band is done, axl and his hired helpers have hit the end of the road.

Other than hardcore fans of this band, no one else has given a single shit about anything that's happened since 1993

Fact.

[wasted]

I don't know, fans do seem to like Chi dem, Better, SOD, TIL, TWAT, Catcher.

[wkuk04]

Now if Bumble can refrain on using GNR's name on all future appearances, that would be great.

Why should he? It's the band he's known for and he gave them nine years of his life. Plenty of musicians remind people of the bands they were in.

Maybe so...he's been bitching for so long but ain't complaining about his checks. I know he's been ill, car accident what not but there's no need to bitch when the band your in increased your profile 80/90% compared when you were playing on your silly guitar & raping Brian May's guitar solos.

[dalsh327]

Just with tribute bands, You Tube bedroom musicians and out of work friends of the band, they wouldn't have to struggle hard to find a replacement player.

[magisme]

I just don't see how Ron leaving is supposed to signal the end of Axl's GNR...

It's not. Axl can twiddle his thumbs and do lame ass tours with or without BBF. We just can't masturbate over the most stable lineup ever if he's out.

Edited December 21, 2014 by magisme

[wkuk04]

But he is far more talented than Ashba. I'd like Axl to give Sterling a chance, he's young and hungry.

[AxlsMainMan]

Nuno Bettencourt time.

[wkuk04]

Nuno Bettencourt time.

I can't get the image/sound of More Than Words out my mind now.

Edited December 21, 2014 by wkuk04

[Rovim]

Don't get a replacement. I d take Izzy and make Fortus lead.

No shred on a Guns album? you must be losing your damn mind.

Can Fortus really lead though? I remember something Len said about how Richard always misses the mark when it comes to solos.

Sometimes his note choices and approach don't really meet what you expect when listening to a Guns solo.

Robin had it, Slash of course, and Bucket too. Even Bumble has that Brian May shred thing and quirky approach to his leads which at least takes it to a new place so Axl and Bumble share that Queen connection, not to mention Axl choosing Bumble's catcher solo and lead playing over May himself and you can hear how easy it is for Ron to come up with or play a May type solo.

I know where DJ wants to take it I think. Just follow Slash's melodic and to the point approach with back to basics classic Guns sound. So that can work imo.

On top of that who will play the technically challenging solos though? Slash had some very fast solos for example where I don't see DJ doing them in the Slash way very well. It's his phrasing mostly.

So Richard will need to step up, but I don't think Axl will give up on the 3 guitar thing soon.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Rovim

[wkuk04]

I quite like Fortus, he's underated in this current line-up I think and he doesn't constantly whine.

[Rovim]

I quite like Fortus, he's underated in this current line-up I think and he doesn't constantly whine.

He's a Jeff Beck follower. DJ is mainly a Slash influenced player. I don't hear anything amazing about their lead playing. Not Slash levels. Not something that can just grab me in that way.

Robin did that with his Better solo. That's like the perfect balance between a soulful Slash type solo, and something new which in this case is Robin's staccato playing and unique phrasing with his sharp, piercing guitar tone.

Bucket pulled it off with his There Was A Time outro as well.

I think Bumble, Fortus, and DJ all lack something or a combination of things to cover all the Slash bases, or at least enough of them.

DJ lacks the chops, good phrasing, and imagination, but has that melodic thing about his playing.

Bumble's solos are too out there and not lyrical and melodic enough to make it Slash like. His tone is kinda different too and I don't care for it all the time. He made that guitar weep with his wide bends on his Catcher solo though and he has unlimited technical skills and he can play sleazy. Has that metal edge which was always a part of Slash's guitar style.

and then there's Fortus. Good at replacing Izzy as far as playing goes, but lacks something crucial to make him a Slash replacement. I feel if he was the only lead guitar player for Guns, i'd be bored. As a rhythm player, he's great though but thank fuck Bucket came along and demolished so Axl chose him over Fortus.

You need a special talent and an original approach in order to bring Guns what it needs if you're a lead guitar player.

Axl's lack of sanity made him lose a bunch of good replacements. What a shame.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Rovim

[RussTCB]

Nuno Bettencourt time.

He's touring and making a new album with Extreme in 2015.

[EvH]

Who cares about BBF anyway? #TakeABulletForPitman

Nuno Bettencourt time.

Oh god, yes.

[Tom2112]

I just don't see how Ron leaving is supposed to signal the end of Axl's GNR...any of them (except Axl) could leave and it wouldn't really make a lick of difference.

Let's look at Ron: what's his big contribution?

Un-necessarily adding "hot licks" onto material ( the Chinese Democracy stuff) he had absolutely nothing to do with creating.

How many (actual) new songs have been written and recorded since he joined in 06? Zero.

Basically it boils down to "he's a really nice guy and he's cool to the fans" which while true doesn't count for much here, does it?

Besides his token solo spot, the guy's job in Guns is to play either Slash/Izzy or Robin/Bucket/Paul's material onstage- besides a tacked on lick here and there on some CD songs the guy is just a tour guitarist, he's a Gilby Clarke at best.

At least Gilby got Axl to be on his album, even if it was just for a cover

The success of Guns N Roses has nothing to do with any of the guys currently in the band (except Axl) - if Ron left and was replaced by Shredder X would it really make a lick of difference?

edit: lick of difference

Yes, most shredders are just shredders, they don't have melodic sensibilities and most can't sing so...

I like to think I'm pretty aware of guitar players, and i can't think of many who could fill Bumbles spot off the top of my head. The fact is, gnr circa 87-95 had no need for a shredder, in 2015 people have come to expect it, there's an entire album with advanced guitar playing, and I can't see Axl turning from that style anytime soon. Axl has said that Richard has that Stones-ey feel, he obviously thinks Ashba shares some of the same characteristics (bluesy) of Slash's style and Bumble/bucket were the modern edge taking the gnr sound away from hard rock/blues rock.

Ron won't make or break the band at this stage but he would be a loss, in the sense that people know him and are finally getting to know the line up, for GnR it goes back to the revolving door of musicians thing that gets thrown at them, for Bumble he begins the next chapter of his career as the ex-GnR guitar player, try as he may I don't think he can escape the shadow of GnR.

[phaeryen]

Fortus is a seasoned professional as far as guitar playing goes. Easy to see why he's gotten all the requests to play in whatever band he has been touring in. He does things Slash could never do, but Slash never had to do that kind of stuff, he became a superstar as a young dude playing wasted the way he does. And that's all he does. A onesided, one trick pony in comparison.

Robin Finck is even less of a guitarist than Slash is. All he ever was was that guy who played guitar in NIN. And what Axl wanted was the NIN guitar sound, or the industrial cool of the band, and being the naive guy Axl is, he just shopped up robin finck like a kid in a candy store. it wasn't a great idea. any decent sound engineer worth a penny would have been able to conjure up the nin guitar sounds up. atleast if we look at the times when Axl started to cook up his "masterwork".

[niceguy]

Look at the stepladder Axl has descended with his employees over the years. I mean, imagine in 1996 if you said that Axl will hire Ron and DJ and Fortrus and THAT is GNR, all hail GNR, these guys ARE Appetite, they ARE Illusions. What a crock of shit.

Who's Axl's gonna get after Ron? Bobby Joe from down at the local middle school? Fat Dad Rick from the local suburban bar band?

It doesn't matter, just put on an mp3 of Slash's playing. That's all that these employees are doing anyway.

[Gackt]

They've taken a big loss if Bumble left the band. Good luck trying to find another axe-man that can replicate a solo like this:

http://youtu.be/ZpJbVQHIBgg?t=4m15s

Edited December 21, 2014 by RussTCB

[Rovim]

Look at the stepladder Axl has descended with his employees over the years. I mean, imagine in 1996 if you said that Axl will hire Ron and DJ and Fortrus and THAT is GNR, all hail GNR, these guys ARE Appetite, they ARE Illusions. What a crock of shit.

Who's Axl's gonna get after Ron? Bobby Joe from down at the local middle school? Fat Dad Rick from the local suburban bar band?

It doesn't matter, just put on an mp3 of Slash's playing. That's all that these employees are doing anyway.

Fat Dad Rick? Bobby Joe Down? they are Illusions, they are Appetite guys.

Middle aged suburban band looking at the stepladder.

Put on an mp3 of Slash. What a crock of shit. It doesn't matter.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Rovim

[wkuk04]

Axl should have just thrown the cheque book at Zakk Wylde when Slash quit.

[The Sandman]

He'll still be there.

[Matheus Davanso]

I told you guys that Ron was out of Guns N' Roses!

But I do not know who will be the replacement!

But great things will happen in the band! Keep your ears open!

In January you will know!