RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL Says He Got 'Death Threats' Over Botched Guitar Solo During GUNS N' ROSES Concert

[Stay.Of.Execution]

"My biggest 'Spinal Tap' moment was definitely [playing with GUNS N' ROSES at the] Rock In Rio [festival] in Brazil in 2011. And it was pouring rain. And the rain was like a few inches high on the stage; they were sweeping it up. It was almost as high as the top of the pedal boards. I remember pyro was misfiring. It was that wet that it was just crazy. And I remember trying to play on the fretless guitar, and my fingers were so pruned up, my skin was so… And I couldn't… It was like trying to play on a wet balloon — trying to push through it all; everything's soaked."

 

He continued: "There was this lovely girl in the front row that had a 'Star Wars' stormtrooper helmet that she was holding. And I said, 'Yeah, give me the helmet,' and I figured I would put it on and play with it on for a bit. So, I got the helmet, and I put it on my head, and as soon as it touched my cheeks, it's like it fused to it, 'cause my skin, everything was so wet. And I remember just saying, 'Oh, shit.' And as soon as I said the 'S' curse, everything just fogged up and now it's, like, 'All right, I have this helmet that is gonna take a little bit of effort to remove.' And that's not good when you're trying to play guitar in a song. And I can't see anything; it's completely fogged up. And the iconic solo [to 'Welcome To The Jungle'] that I had to play was about to come up and it was, like, the opening of the show and everything, and it's, like, 'Oh god. This is not gonna work out well.' So if I remember right, I managed to get the helmet up at least like over my eyes and keep it there. And then I think I nodded, like, 'Ah, good.' And it flopped right back down. So, it got to one point, like halfway through the solo, where I just had to stop playing and pull this helmet back so I could see what I was doing. And those few seconds that I stopped playing, he next day I got hundreds — hundreds — of furious e-mails from Brazilians, saying how I like destroyed their life and death threats and all this stuff. And to this day, 12 years later, every once in a while someone will send me an e-mail with a screenshot of me wearing that helmet, saying, 'Ha ha ha.'"

 

https://blabbermouth.net/news/ron-bumblefoot-thal-says-he-got-death-threats-over-botched-guitar-solo-during-guns-n-roses-concert?fbclid=IwAR1ksN2jQKbEiCcIxn9wYP1-37-WJWuZkHZhkHiUUNhsvp6P7a8KgmRTiBc

 

[Axls_Moustache_Rules]

11 minutes ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

I got hundreds — hundreds — of furious e-mails from Brazilians

[WhazUp]

Man I wonder how many letters DJ got then

[Gunner Gilby]

It's rock n roll for fucks sake. It's better when it's raw and imperfect. For the most part Bumble did an amazing job. It's disgusting that anyone would use death threats.

[Gordon Comstock]

Always thought he got way too much shit for what was obviously supposed to be a fun moment. He fucked it up, but he was far from the worst part about that performance. There's a million other performances of WTTJ if you want a 'perfect' version anyway.

Credit to Ron - the guy was on stage at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was a 'big moment' for that lineup, he's playing one of their biggest hits, and he still went out of his way to interact with a fan.

[gnfnrs1972]

It still isn't as bad as Axl singing Grandma Mickey style in a yellow raincoat. I guess they didn't know his email address.

[highvoltage]

Death threats Ron? Really?

I get some fans in this part of the world can be fanatical, but Bumblefoot porking one single solo was hardly the worst thing about this concert. Not by a long shot. Fake news IMO.

[tony adler]

4 hours ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

"My biggest 'Spinal Tap' moment was definitely [playing with GUNS N' ROSES at the] Rock In Rio [festival] in Brazil in 2011. And it was pouring rain. And the rain was like a few inches high on the stage; they were sweeping it up. It was almost as high as the top of the pedal boards. I remember pyro was misfiring. It was that wet that it was just crazy. And I remember trying to play on the fretless guitar, and my fingers were so pruned up, my skin was so… And I couldn't… It was like trying to play on a wet balloon — trying to push through it all; everything's soaked."

 

He continued: "There was this lovely girl in the front row that had a 'Star Wars' stormtrooper helmet that she was holding. And I said, 'Yeah, give me the helmet,' and I figured I would put it on and play with it on for a bit. So, I got the helmet, and I put it on my head, and as soon as it touched my cheeks, it's like it fused to it, 'cause my skin, everything was so wet. And I remember just saying, 'Oh, shit.' And as soon as I said the 'S' curse, everything just fogged up and now it's, like, 'All right, I have this helmet that is gonna take a little bit of effort to remove.' And that's not good when you're trying to play guitar in a song. And I can't see anything; it's completely fogged up. And the iconic solo [to 'Welcome To The Jungle'] that I had to play was about to come up and it was, like, the opening of the show and everything, and it's, like, 'Oh god. This is not gonna work out well.' So if I remember right, I managed to get the helmet up at least like over my eyes and keep it there. And then I think I nodded, like, 'Ah, good.' And it flopped right back down. So, it got to one point, like halfway through the solo, where I just had to stop playing and pull this helmet back so I could see what I was doing. And those few seconds that I stopped playing, he next day I got hundreds — hundreds — of furious e-mails from Brazilians, saying how I like destroyed their life and death threats and all this stuff. And to this day, 12 years later, every once in a while someone will send me an e-mail with a screenshot of me wearing that helmet, saying, 'Ha ha ha.'"

 

https://blabbermouth.net/news/ron-bumblefoot-thal-says-he-got-death-threats-over-botched-guitar-solo-during-guns-n-roses-concert?fbclid=IwAR1ksN2jQKbEiCcIxn9wYP1-37-WJWuZkHZhkHiUUNhsvp6P7a8KgmRTiBc

 

They spelled DJ Assbas’s name wrong 

[Sledge]

Not surprised. Sometimes when I voice an opinion and wake up the next day before opening this site I sigh then say "Ok who says it's time to die". It hasn't happened just feels that way with fans sometimes. 

[Rindmelon]

I remember this at the time & shook my head at what i was seeing, but then I did that pretty much the whole gig. Wishing death on someone because of it is clearly mad, but nothing surprises me tbh

[rumandraisin]

Funny that we thought Axl was so bad at Rio and in that era when in hindsight the voice was great compared to 2019 onwards. The rest of the 2011 run was killer compared to what we have now. 

[tboneman]

3 hours ago, highvoltage said:

Death threats Ron? Really?

I get some fans in this part of the world can be fanatical, but Bumblefoot porking one single solo was hardly the worst thing about this concert. Not by a long shot. Fake news IMO.

Actually I think it's super easy to believe. Some people are just crazy. 

[username]

7 hours ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

"My biggest 'Spinal Tap' moment was definitely [playing with GUNS N' ROSES at the] Rock In Rio [festival] in Brazil in 2011. And it was pouring rain. And the rain was like a few inches high on the stage; they were sweeping it up. It was almost as high as the top of the pedal boards. I remember pyro was misfiring. It was that wet that it was just crazy. And I remember trying to play on the fretless guitar, and my fingers were so pruned up, my skin was so… And I couldn't… It was like trying to play on a wet balloon — trying to push through it all; everything's soaked."

 

He continued: "There was this lovely girl in the front row that had a 'Star Wars' stormtrooper helmet that she was holding. And I said, 'Yeah, give me the helmet,' and I figured I would put it on and play with it on for a bit. So, I got the helmet, and I put it on my head, and as soon as it touched my cheeks, it's like it fused to it, 'cause my skin, everything was so wet. And I remember just saying, 'Oh, shit.' And as soon as I said the 'S' curse, everything just fogged up and now it's, like, 'All right, I have this helmet that is gonna take a little bit of effort to remove.' And that's not good when you're trying to play guitar in a song. And I can't see anything; it's completely fogged up. And the iconic solo [to 'Welcome To The Jungle'] that I had to play was about to come up and it was, like, the opening of the show and everything, and it's, like, 'Oh god. This is not gonna work out well.' So if I remember right, I managed to get the helmet up at least like over my eyes and keep it there. And then I think I nodded, like, 'Ah, good.' And it flopped right back down. So, it got to one point, like halfway through the solo, where I just had to stop playing and pull this helmet back so I could see what I was doing. And those few seconds that I stopped playing, he next day I got hundreds — hundreds — of furious e-mails from Brazilians, saying how I like destroyed their life and death threats and all this stuff. And to this day, 12 years later, every once in a while someone will send me an e-mail with a screenshot of me wearing that helmet, saying, 'Ha ha ha.'"

 

https://blabbermouth.net/news/ron-bumblefoot-thal-says-he-got-death-threats-over-botched-guitar-solo-during-guns-n-roses-concert?fbclid=IwAR1ksN2jQKbEiCcIxn9wYP1-37-WJWuZkHZhkHiUUNhsvp6P7a8KgmRTiBc

 

"COME TO BRAZIL!" they said. 

It'll be fun, they said. 

[Gunner Gilby]

10 minutes ago, tboneman said:

Actually I think it's super easy to believe. Some people are just crazy. 

Sadly yes. The internet and Facebook is full of toxic and unhinged people. I like watching Dr Who for instance. The last showrunner Chris Chibnall cast the first female to play the Dr and tried to add to the canon of the show. I got threatened and insulted a bunch of times just for saying I enjoyed aspects of Jodie Whittaker's portrayal and some of the newer stories. Some folks are nuts and can't respect opinions and have intelligent conversations.

Ron seemed like a pretty cool guy, was an excellent guitar player and in this instance was trying to interact with and make a fan happy. So fucking what if one whole time he missed a few notes. 

Anyone who claims to be a fan of something or someone and makes death threats is a piece of shit. There's absolutely no excuse.

[gavgnr]

I still laugh about that moment now. Ron is a good lad 

[rumandraisin]

He's still whining I see almost ten years after leaving. 

[SoulMonster]

I can never relate to fans who get angry over such innocuous, unproblematic Spinal Tap moments. It was fun then, it is fun now. Lighten up, you crazies. The same with the yellow rain coat. It's a rain coat. It is yellow. Who cares? It's like the coat and the Stormtrooper hat became focal points for all the disappointment and bitterness and anger and disillusions they felt.

[Rindmelon]

36 minutes ago, rumandraisin said:

He's still whining I see almost ten years after leaving. 

I don't think the way he phrased it could be described as whining and tbf if people threatened to kill you for screwing up a solo you probably at the least have the right to whine about it.

[THELINESMAN]

I thought it was funny 

[Freightrain]

11 hours ago, highvoltage said:

Death threats Ron? Really?

I get some fans in this part of the world can be fanatical, but Bumblefoot porking one single solo was hardly the worst thing about this concert. Not by a long shot. Fake news IMO.

And not 1 death threat..... Hundreds!!! 

[DeNfr]

yes Ron must be lying about that because it totally makes sense to lie about something that happened to you
12 years ago to recount your most "spinal tap" moment and everyone knows that Guns N'Roses fans are the
most mentally balanced in the known universe and Brazilians are not at all hot-blooded I call bullshit on that 

[highvoltage]

If a lie is more entertaining than the truth, people will go with the lie

Don't get me wrong, I'm not on some anti-BBF crusade (I love the dude, his music, most of what he did in GN'R).

I'm sure he got a lot of nasty messages after the solo, and I'm sure some people wished death upon him. All I'm saying is hundreds of death threats (really, even one) is probably bullshit or some heavy exaggeration. 

[allwaystired]

The stormtrooper helmet was by no means the worst thing about that show! 

Fucking hell it was bad. What a night that was!  

[bmus1]

17 minutes ago, highvoltage said:

If a lie is more entertaining than the truth, people will go with the lie

Don't get me wrong, I'm not on some anti-BBF crusade (I love the dude, his music, most of what he did in GN'R).

I'm sure he got a lot of nasty messages after the solo, and I'm sure some people wished death upon him. All I'm saying is hundreds of death threats (really, even one) is probably bullshit or some heavy exaggeration. 

I mean, if he was reading YouTube comments circa 2011-2012 about GNR, hundreds sounds low.

[Stay.Of.Execution]

20 minutes ago, highvoltage said:

If a lie is more entertaining than the truth, people will go with the lie

Don't get me wrong, I'm not on some anti-BBF crusade (I love the dude, his music, most of what he did in GN'R).

I'm sure he got a lot of nasty messages after the solo, and I'm sure some people wished death upon him. All I'm saying is hundreds of death threats (really, even one) is probably bullshit or some heavy exaggeration. 

I think You're underestimating how crazy Brazilian fans are.