Fortus on Slash & Duff: 'I Think We All Agree It Clicked Instantly' [Update Page 7 - ''I Don't Think This Band Has Ever Sounded Better Than It Does Right Now'']

[Silent Jay]

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus was interviewed on a recent edition of the "Fueled By Death Cast" You can listen to the chat here. (begins at 31:00/half an hour long interview)

Quote

 

Speaking about how GUNS N' ROSES has evolved since he joined the band back in late 2001 or early 2002, Fortus said: "Well, it's morphed through several different incarnations since I've been in it and some pretty big changes. When I came in, I was really drawn to it because originally it was [drummer] Josh Freese and [basist] Tommy Stinson and [guitarists] Robin Finck and Buckethead… I wasn't that familiar with Buckethead, but also Brain [drummer Bryan Mantia] came in. And those were all guys that I had worked with before and was really excited to play with. I was a huge REPLACEMENTS fan and, obviously, a big [NINE INCH] NAILS fan. So working with those guys was really intriguing to me. I wasn't that familiar with… I mean, obviously I knew GUNS N' ROSES and I knew 'Appetite [For Destruction]' and I knew all the big hits, but I never really owned a record; it just wasn't my genre. [But] it makes total sense, 'cause they were… GUNS N' ROSES really was separated from that L.A. hair-metal scene, which is who I sort of lumped them in with initially, but once you get into it, you realize it's much more akin to classic rock and punk rock. So it makes perfect sense that I would relate to it. Once I got into it, it fit really well for me, because that's my background — equal parts BLACK FLAG and ROLLING STONES."

Fortus also talked about how a partial reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup came together in 2015 after guitarist Slash and singer Axl Rose re-established contact after many years of not speaking to each other. "It sort of creeped up, and it sort of all happened very organically," he said. "We didn't have a bass player — Tommy had left to go do [THE REPLACEMENTS] stuff — and we didn't have another guitar player. And we said, 'Well, we know a couple of guys,' and it just sort of happened in that way… And Duff [McKagan, GUNS N' ROSES bassist] and I knew each other. I don't know how much Slash was familiar with me or with [drummer] Frank [Ferrer], but we all got together and sort of felt out how it would be and how it was to play with each other, and it really… You know, some things click, some things don't. And the three of us [Duff, Slash and I] definitely clicked… I think we all agree it clicked instantly. And Frank maybe took a little bit for them to get used to playing with him, 'cause he's a different drummer than Matt [Sorum], who they'd been playing with. But it really just seems to come together well, and everybody's pretty psyched about it."

*blabbermouth--

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Silent Jay

[Mendez]

Fortus inadvertently suggests that Frank sucks

Edited May 7, 2017 by Mendez

[StrangerInThisTown]

Conclusion, even from inside the band about Frank:

blows ass

Who would have thought?

[Jane M.]

Dizzy always forgotten. 

Nobody clicked with him?

[Zoot]

This band is so fucking weird. No PR unless it's about Seattle's traffic or coffee.

[killuridols]

It is so sad to read stuff like "since we didn't have a bass player and a lead guitarist, we had to call Duff & Slash" 

 

Lamest. band. ever. 

[FuriousStyles]

I was a huge REPLACEMENTS fan and, obviously, a big [NINE INCH] NAILS fan. So working with those guys was really intriguing to me. I wasn't that familiar with… I mean, obviously I knew GUNS N' ROSES and I knew 'Appetite [For Destruction]' and I knew all the big hits, but I never really owned a record

 

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

Conclusion, even from inside the band about Frank:

blows ass

Who would have thought?

HA! gee what a surprise!!! 

[Fourteenbeers]

17 minutes ago, killuridols said:

It is so sad to read stuff like "since we didn't have a bass player and a lead guitarist, we had to call Duff & Slash" 

 

Lamest. band. ever. 

I have to agree....

 

 

[soon]

Its worth listening as theres more GnR stuff there.  Listeners will know that Axl, especially now with Duff and Slash strive to keep thing fresh. (cough, bullshit!!)

and also you'll hear that:  "thats awesome." 

Heres the thing: Fortus says that after this summer break, "Its gonna be full on" for a while.    WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!  Sounds good to me!!!!!!

Especially since Frank might be gone.  Just sayin'

[2414225]

2 hours ago, Mendez said:

Fortus inadvertently suggests that Frank sucks

and he says that he didn't like GnR stuff actually. He and Frank are simply not GnR. I have nothing against these guys, but you can simply hear that they are not 100% into the real GnR sound. 

4tus: "Its's the most healthy incarnation of GnR". Yeah, drug free.

Edited May 8, 2017 by 2414225

[2414225]

25 minutes ago, Fourteenbeers said:

I have to agree....

 

 

come on...axl's comment was much better: 

reporter: "so, what was the reason for this reunion?"

axl: "well it was actually the promoter of coachella."

translated it means: "well, it was the amount of money which changed my mind"

[Fourteenbeers]

25 minutes ago, 2414225 said:

come on...axl's comment was much better: 

reporter: "so, what was the reason for this reunion?"

axl: "well it was actually the promoter of coachella."

translated it means: "well, it was the amount of money which changed my mind"

You could be right... and while we are talking about "lame" and "Coachella"... here's some proof why those two words belong together

A popular coffee table book circa 2065. (via ryot)

Edited May 8, 2017 by Fourteenbeers
---

[bigpoop]

Quote

I don't know how much Slash was familiar with me  

Say  what?

 

 I thought one of the reasons why Fortus is perfect, and why it is truly right and proper that it is now FORTUS TIME...is that Slash was just dying to play with him, tried to get Fortus for his band etc etc.

 

What happened to that?

[Mendez]

28 minutes ago, 2414225 said:

and he says that he didn't like GnR stuff actually. He and Frank are simply not GnR. I have nothing against these guys, but you can simply hear that they are not 100% into the real GnR sound. 

4tus: "Its's the most healthy incarnation of GnR". Yeah, drug free.

He said he didn't listen to anything from GNR aside from the hits and that he knew Appetite. He never said he didn't like them, only that he initially lumped them into glam rock/metal of the 80s as many people do and didn't realize there was more to their sound and were more akin to his rock tastes such as Sabbath.

 

And when he says its the most healthy incarnation of GNR, he said that he's been in. Likely meaning that none of the band members are throwing shade at one another or anything like might have happened with 2002-2014 band.

[Mendez]

10 minutes ago, Fourteenbeers said:

You could be right... and while we are talking about "lame" and "Coachella"... here's some proof why those two words belong together

A popular coffee table book circa 2065. (via ryot)

I don't know why people hate on Coachella so much. They have an all star lineup of the most popular mainstream acts (as well as lesser known acts), and the people that I know who have attended have a great time.

[Original]

I was canking some 2017 live stuff today and kept thinking- Frank sucks.  He must have some incriminating pics of Axl or something....why not bring Matt on board?  

[Ratam]

1 hour ago, killuridols said:

It is so sad to read stuff like "since we didn't have a bass player and a lead guitarist, we had to call Duff & Slash" 

 

Lamest. band. ever. 

This

[Mendez]

2 minutes ago, Original said:

I was canking some 2017 live stuff today and kept thinking- Frank sucks.  He must have some incriminating pics of Axl or something....why not bring Matt on board?  

Possibly because he is way more difficult to work with than expected out of a drummer

[Original]

20 minutes ago, Mendez said:

Possibly because he is way more difficult to work with than expected out of a drummer

For Axl/TB- possibly.  For Slash n Duff- obviously no.  And you'd think Axl wants someone who knows how to actually play the Guns catelog properly.  

Edited May 8, 2017 by Original

[ludurigan]

[New Interview] Richard Fortus on Guns n Roses: "It Just Wasnt My Genre"

"I mean, obviously I knew GUNS N' ROSES and I knew 'Appetite [For Destruction]' and I knew all the big hits, but I never really owned a record; it just wasn't my genre"

 

[triad]

6 minutes ago, ludurigan said:

[New Interview] Richard Fortus on Guns n Roses: "It Just Wasnt My Genre"

"I mean, obviously I knew GUNS N' ROSES and I knew 'Appetite [For Destruction]' and I knew all the big hits, but I never really owned a record; it just wasn't my genre"

 

Nice truncation.  Keep reading, man.  

3 hours ago, Silent Jay said:

[But] it makes total sense, 'cause they were… GUNS N' ROSES really was separated from that L.A. hair-metal scene, which is who I sort of lumped them in with initially, but once you get into it, you realize it's much more akin to classic rock and punk rock. So it makes perfect sense that I would relate to it. Once I got into it, it fit really well for me, because that's my background — equal parts BLACK FLAG and ROLLING STONES."

 

[themadcaplaughs]

BREAKING NEWS:

Slash and Duff will gladly play with anyone Axl tells them to in order to receive massive pay days. 

[RONIN]

So basically to surmise:

Fortus wasn't really familiar with Guns let alone a fan. THIS is the guy they drafted into the band? 

Atleast Buckethead and Bumblefoot were Guns N' Roses fans. 

One other thing - this interview makes it seem less likely that we'll have Stradlin' and Adler re-joining. From the way Fortus is talking, this lineup will be together for awhile (post-SA tour).

[RONIN]

29 minutes ago, Original said:

For Axl/TB- possibly.  For Slash n Duff- obviously no.  And you'd think Axl wants someone who knows how to actually play the Guns catelog properly.  

Were Duff/Slash on good terms with Matt after VR disbanded? I was under the impression Matt became increasingly difficult to work with towards the end of VR...