Bumblefoot interview from a NY-newspaper..

[Wando]

Q&A: Bumblefoot

Learning lessons from Guns N' Roses

By MATT SARTWELL

THE JOURNAL NEWS

First there was Slash. Now, there's Bumblefoot.

That last name might not have the same cutting resonance as the first, but for guitarist Ron Thal the handle has done him just fine.

Thal, 37, is a Purchase College professor who teaches the art of producing music and, as of May, a member of the newly reformed Guns N' Roses

Thal has the unenviable task of filling the shoes of the aforementioned Slash.

Guns N' Roses - megahit band of the '80s and '90s - broke apart over a decade ago due in part to the antics of its firebrand frontman Axl Rose. Slash is gone, along with all the original members except Rose.

The band has just returned to the United States after a successful European tour, and will play at the Continental Airlines Arena on Nov. 5.

Controversy continues to dog Rose, who was arrested briefly in Sweden after biting a security guard.

Still, critics' reviews for the band's live shows have been overall positive.

Thal, who lives in Brunswick, N.J., is one of the bands' three guitarists with Robin Finck and Rich Fortus. Also in the lineup is bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Brain, keyboardist Chris Pittman and Dizzy Reed.

Bumblefoot spoke by phone to the Journal News on Nov 3.

Q. Let's get this out of the way, how's Axl doing and how's the band holding up after the European tour?

"Everyone is doing great, the European tour was a great way for the band to come together. I had only been playing with the band a week before the tour started. The fans were very welcoming and we got a lot of love. ... We got a chance to feel out a lot of songs. ... Axl is fine and he's better than ever and anyone who's been to the shows will agree."

Q. Growing up in the Tri-State area, how does it feel to be playing on your home court - as part of one of the most famous bands of all-time?

"It's a dream come true. When I was 5 years old I got the Kiss 'Alive' record and that's what made me want to be musician. That's what made me want to do this. Then, the first concert I saw when I was 9 was Kiss at Madison Square Garden. And my goal was to some day play Madison Square Garden that same way - with all the bombs and the pyro. And now we're playing Continental and MSG. So, after 30 years of busting me ass, not giving up, I'm finally there."

Q. In an article in The Journal News a few months ago, we quoted students and faculty as saying that you are an amazing guitarist and a regular guy. Would you describe yourself as either of those?

"Maybe a regular guitar player and an amazing guy. (Laughs) I think I'm pretty regular. And as far as playing guitar, all that stuff is all a matter of opinion. If people like what I'm doing than great. If they don't? Then I guess I've got a little more practicing to do. "

Q. So where do you stand at Purchase College right now? Will you be returning at any point?

"I would love to if they would take my crazy self back. I miss it. I miss the students ... and all the professors. It's just a great place to be. ... It's kind of a hiatus, but we're just not sure how long this hiatus is going to be. Every semester I'm like, 'Oh, Guns booked more shows.' "

Q. What's your general philosophy on teaching music?

"Learn as much as you can and then forget everything you learned. Go by your gut, and heart, and your spirit. Leave all the [the things you've learned] in the back of your mind and have a lot of trust. It's supposed to be a natural thing ... Know the rules, so you don't have to play by the rules."

Q. Is there anything you miss about teaching when you're on the road?

"Yeah, I miss being in a room with a bunch of hungry minds where we share ideas and experiment and explore things ... reach new epiphanies, even if it's sitting in front of a computer screen and showing them a new technique for making a snare drum sound consistent and strong."

Q. I've read accounts that you got the nickname Bumblefoot when you were helping your girlfriend study for her veterinarian exams. Is that true? And why did it stick?

"Yeah. And I can say she's now been my wife for 10 years, so she must have done good on the test. It was one of those sleepless nights and she had a thousand pages to memorize and one of the diseases in her book was called Bumblefoot and I thought it sounded like such a silly sounding name that I ended up writing a song about a superhero called Bumblefoot. And then it ended up becoming the name of my band and then my own nickname. Now, I'm stuck with it. And now I'm stuck in this cool band with the name of a Saturday morning cartoon character."

Q. Bumblefoot is better than Buckethead (a former GN'R guitarist), but it's not quite as cutting as Slash, either. Do you think you need to edge it up a little for your next handle?

"You know I spoke to them about that before joining the band. You know, "Does Bumblefoot match the coolness of Guns N' Roses?" If this was Primus or Mr. Bungle or a band like that it would work. But they were like, 'Naw man, that's you. Keep it.' ... It's not me, it's a side of me. It's a Ziggy Stardust, not a David Bowie."

Q. Last question. Are you playing any part with the long, long awaited GN'R 'Chinese Democracy" record and is there any definite word on its release date?

"(Laughs) I was politely asked that I decline answering any questions regarding the album ... but there are about nine songs that we have worked up to play live, but we usually do four."

If you go ...

Who: Guns N' Roses W/ Papa Roach and Sebastian Bach

When: 8:30 p.m., Nov. 5

Where: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, N.J.

Tickets: $89.50, $59.50, $39.50

Call: 201-507-8900, 609-520-8383 and 212-307-7171 or visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.meadowlands.com.

Also:

Guns N' Roses plays Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. on Nov. 10th. The show is sold out. For more information, visit www.thegarden.com

For more information on Bumblefoot, or to listen to Ron Thal's original music, visit www.bumblefoot.com.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...owSBAmZuqZ80%3D

Thanks to Bandita over Here Today Gone To Hell.

[Xevon]

chinese democracy

blues

maddy

better

irs

twat

prostitute

if the world

rhiad

these are the nine songs, right?

[bandita]

You beat me to it, I was just coming over to post this :xmasssanta:

[Mango]

That's cool.

About the "working on 9 songs to play live", there will be just 2 yet unheard songs, i think....

Chinese Democracy

Madagascar

The Blues

Rhiad And The Bedouins

I.R.S

Better

There Was A Time

Prostitute

If The World

M.

[Wando]

Mango & Xevon, yea.. I think so too.

Sorry Bandita :xmassrudolph:

[bandita]

That's cool.

About the "working on 9 songs to play live", there will be just 2 yet unheard songs, i think....

Chinese Democracy

Madagascar

The Blues

Rhiad And The Bedouins

I.R.S

Better

There Was A Time

Prostitute

If The World

M.

That is still most of the album and I find it very promising! rock2

[inthisriver]

Thanks for posting that. Great article. I don't need to say it but I'm going to.

Bumblefoot is Awesome!

[rockstar81]

First there was Slash. Now, there's Bumblefoot

COME ON...You ain't serious right? I stopped reading after that.

Edited November 4, 2006 by rockstar81

[john3voltas]

First there was Slash. Now, there's Bumblefoot

COME ON...You ain't serious right? I stopped reading after that.

Agreed but then one has to acknowledge that Ron is a huge guitar player.

If I can't have Slash then I definitely want to have Robin and Ron on my team.

[rockstar81]

First there was Slash. Now, there's Bumblefoot

COME ON...You ain't serious right? I stopped reading after that.

Agreed but then one has to acknowledge that Ron is a huge guitar player.

If I can't have Slash then I definitely want to have Robin and Ron on my team.

You forgot the best... this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpZcn9wwdOk

[highvoltage]

This is more promising than just being an interview. It also means they've lifted the gag order on BBF as far as talking about GN'R in interviews goes.

I'd say it's a step closer to a release.

[john3voltas]

You forgot the best... this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpZcn9wwdOk

No I didn't.

I (as opposed to Axl) just think that 2 guitar players are enough for a rock band.

And if I had to choose 2 out of those 3 I'd stick with Ron and Robin.

Don't get me wrong, Richard is definitely a great guitar player but whenever I see a solo from him I always see him loose the right tone which is something that also happens with Robin but just not as much as with Richard.

As for Ron, I'd say he is the very best thing next to Slash and Bucko.

And if we let Brian go it will make me very sad.

I love his work on the drums.

I've seen some huge Frank's performance with YCBM at PR but it sounded...fake.

All in all I still love the 2k2 lineup but now it seems that the 2k6 lineup is in better shape than the 2k2 counterpart.

[rockstar81]

I think you need to go to a GN'R gig. i went to, and Fortus is the 2nd most impressive guitar player I have ever seen in my life right after Slash (I saw Slash aswell). To be honnest, Richard impressed me as much as Slash, and I'm an old fan! People were blown away. My friend, who didnt knew about Richard, was blown away. I heard people said "wow" and "wah" about him when he came close to us onstage. His stage presence is terrific. very energetic and he plays like a guitar hero.

You really need to see him onstage to believe it. If he had joined GN'R in 1991 or 1992, he would have become a guitar-hero.I also think that 2 guitar players are enough for Guns N' Roses, I didn't like the 3 players idea aswell, and after having seen the gig, I would go with the Finck/Fortus combo. Don't get me wrong, bbf was good but he plays too fast and lacks melody in his playing. GN'R never was about the shredd, it's always been about the melody, the bluesy vibe, and the feeling. However, of course, Bumblefoot is 1 million times better than BH for Guns N' Roses. he fits better.

Anyway, we all have our own opinion though.

Edited November 5, 2006 by rockstar81

[axl_rose_gnr]

chinese democracy

blues

maddy

better

irs

twat

prostitute

if the world

rhiad

these are the nine songs, right?

Catcher In The Rye?

[Allen8R]

First there was Slash. Now, there's Bumblefoot

COME ON...You ain't serious right? I stopped reading after that.

Agreed but then one has to acknowledge that Ron is a huge guitar player.

If I can't have Slash then I definitely want to have Robin and Ron on my team.

You forgot the best... this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpZcn9wwdOk

That guy is my favorit guitarist in Guns N' Roses. It's a shame that Robin has most of the leads and not him... I jst plain old don't understand it at all.

If he plays the novemebr rain solo like that, imagine what he would do with SCOH.

A8R

[john3voltas]

I think you need to go to a GN'R gig.

...

Anyway, we all have our own opinion though.

Yep, I was there in the front row of RIR06.

From where I was standing I saw less of Richard than of Robin/BBF but in the end I left there knowing that they are all very good.

And you can't keep that many awfully good guitar players in the band for much longer.

They need their space because they're all lead guitar players and they keep doing rhythm guitar for 70% of the show waiting for their turn.

But Axl ought to know that much better than me or anybody else.

Maybe he wants to play safe after Bucko almost stopping GN'R due to his departure.

I dunno.

All in all these are just lucky guessing and opinions and everybody is entitled to have his own .

[FinckFortus]

I think you need to go to a GN'R gig. i went to, and Fortus is the 2nd most impressive guitar player I have ever seen in my life right after Slash (I saw Slash aswell). To be honnest, Richard impressed me as much as Slash, and I'm an old fan! People were blown away. My friend, who didnt knew about Richard, was blown away. I heard people said "wow" and "wah" about him when he came close to us onstage. His stage presence is terrific. very energetic and he plays like a guitar hero.

You really need to see him onstage to believe it. If he had joined GN'R in 1991 or 1992, he would have become a guitar-hero.I also think that 2 guitar players are enough for Guns N' Roses, I didn't like the 3 players idea aswell, and after having seen the gig, I would go with the Finck/Fortus combo. Don't get me wrong, bbf was good but he plays too fast and lacks melody in his playing. GN'R never was about the shredd, it's always been about the melody, the bluesy vibe, and the feeling. However, of course, Bumblefoot is 1 million times better than BH for Guns N' Roses. he fits better.

Anyway, we all have our own opinion though.

Right on. Finck and Fortus are a great combo! I would still keep Ron though, for sure, he just rips up the solos, especially NR and Nightrain.

[W. Axl Kev]

Ron, Richard and Robin do such a great job for GN'R. Robin gets most the leads because New Guns N' Roses began properly with him and Axl. They've stuck it out and he gets the role. Besides... he's fuckin' excellent. No he doesn't play them exactly like Slash, nor does he intend to - His work on the new material is brilliant.

I'd like to hear Ron on a future Guns record if we ever get that far.

[smokingarthur]

Bumblefoot is a stand-up, classy guy. What can I say. He is an excellent musician and I look forward to seeing what he can bring to the table. There's no point comparing him to Slash of BH, since their styles are so different. If anything, Bumblefoot is more natural fit for a band like GNR. Having said that, not many play with the pot melting emotion that Slash has in spades. And only the very most technically gifted can handle a Buckethead session.