2013.04.18 - Men Style Fashion - Interview with Bumblefoot

Rock Star Fashion – Interview with Bumblefoot from Guns ‘N Roses

By Gracie Opulanza / 18 April 2013 / 0 Comments

MenStyleFashion loves Rock Star fashion and we were pleasantly surprised when Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, guitarist of Guns ‘N Roses,  started following MSF. So Gracie had to grab an opportunity.  What does a rock star wear for 2013?

How would you describe your off stage image? For example semi – formal eccentric rock?

Off stage, when not at a formal event or anything, casual rock. I’m a jeans-and-T-shirt guy. I usually wear the same things on stage as I do off – an interesting T-shirt I got shopping in SoHo or the East Village (NYC) or something as a gift, or something vintage or personal. For a while I had some health issues and was wearing a long black priest-like coat and had black and red blood dripping down my eyes – the external often reflects the internal. You just express yourself without thinking too much about it, sometimes it’s understated and other times it’s bold.

Do you follow trends or do you like to create them?

I just wear what makes me feel like ‘me’, whoever ‘me’ may be at that moment, haha. I enjoy contrast, and usually end up doing something odd or silly with the hair on my head, on my face, and what I’m wearing, solely to amuse myself (and confuse others…?) My own thing happens by just rolling with life whatever direction it takes.

What are your thoughts about how men’s fashion evolving right now in your arena?

As time goes on we become a greater sum of more-and-more parts, whether music, fashion, social conscience… we tend to have more ingredients from the past ‘modernized’ in some way through contemporary elements. I’ve seen more retro-’80s glam in the younger rock bands around the world in the last few years… as long as people are having fun and being who they are, it’s all good.

What’s a favourite piece of clothing or accessory you always wear? Why do you do this?

My ‘beard bling’. I have gold strings and chains braided into my beard. Without it, I’d have an out-of-control “chin fro”, haha.

Male grooming is becoming huge. Do you have facials? Body scrubs or ?

I don’t do much pampering, I’ve always been more of a caveman. I cut my fingernails and toenails, that’s it, haha.

Long hair for men. Any particular advice or products you use for your hair?

Conditioner, conditioner, conditioner! Don’t over-shampoo it, you need some of your own oil in there, skip a day when you can. To avoid tangles and breakage in straight or wavy hair: hold your hair in a fist a few inches from the ends, and brush the ends. Then grab your hair in a fist an inch or two higher and brush again from below the fist to the ends. Do it again an inch or two up, keep going until you can brush the full length of your hair. Do this before washing your hair too.

Any particular shoe label and style you go for?

Don’t have any favorites, if anything I prefer good solid boots over sneakers…

Sometimes stars have special requests what are yours before you go on stage?

None. I try to get to the venue early, have dinner with the crew, go to the meet-n-greet, warm up my fingers, and hit the stage. I have no rituals, superstitions, special needs. I think my backstage rider for shows says “Blueberries.” And if they don’t have them, fine. I’m there for the audience, not the blueberries.

Define what it means to you regarding being a confident man?

When you rank honesty over approval. When you don’t compete and challenge others due to pettiness. When you speak and write respectfully. When women feel safe with you. When you don’t make assumptions and react to them. When you have more brains than ego, you’re a confident man.

If you were to design one thing for men this year regarding fashion. What would it be?

Other than the ‘beard bling’? Haha… We don’t do enough with men’s pants. Patches, rips, layers, laces, multiple fabrics, different cuts… I want torn denim pants with patches & strips of leather laced on the sides that are tight on the thighs and flair on the bottom – where are they? Of course that’s not a mainstream thing and there are indie designers making plenty of great custom clothes, but overall I feel that men’s pants as a whole have been a little plain. So if I could design something this year, it’d be pants with just a bit more complexity.

Who would you classify as your fashion icon? And why?

Those that stand out in my mind are Steven Tyler, Keith & Mick (Rolling Stones), the Ramones, the appeal for me is that they all come off as just being themselves.

Any cool gigs coming up you want to promote?

I’ll be teaching a week of guitar workshops and jams on the island of Corfu in northern Greece, June 10th - 17th at the Corfu Rock School www.corfurockschool.com

I’m on an acoustic album called “Tony Harnell & The Wildflowers feat. Bumblefoot” with a portion of proceeds going to www.metavivor.org Metastitic Breast Cancer Research. Our record release party is April 19th at The Cutting Room in NYC. Check out www.twitter.com/tonyharnell and www.facebook.com/tonyharnellfans for more info on the album.

Then on April 20th & 21st I’ll be at the First Annual NYC ot Sauce Expo www.nychotsauceexpo.com sharing my line of Bumblefoot hot sauces, yes! More info on the hot sauces at http://bit.ly/bumblefkd

Guns ‘N Roses will be headlining Rocklahoma www.rocklahoma.com May 24th, River City Rockfest www.rivercityrockfest.com May 26th and The Governer’s Ball governorsballmusicfestival.com in NYC June 8th

Source: http://www.menstylefashion.com/rock-star-fashion-interview-with-bumblefoot-from-guns-n-roses/

Sometimes stars have special requests what are yours before you go on stage?

None. I try to get to the venue early, have dinner with the crew, go to the meet-n-greet, warm up my fingers, and hit the stage. I have no rituals, superstitions, special needs. I think my backstage rider for shows says “Blueberries.” And if they don’t have them, fine. I’m there for the audience, not the blueberries.

Define what it means to you regarding being a confident man?

When you rank honesty over approval. When you don’t compete and challenge others due to pettiness. When you speak and write respectfully. When women feel safe with you. When you don’t make assumptions and react to them. When you have more brains than ego, you’re a confident man.

Gotta say I always thought Bumblefoot is a nice & down-to-earth guy, this confirms it once again!

Ditto Uli

I really liked his answer to what it is to be a confident man.

Does anyone here have a good image of Bumblefoot from this period wearing his coat and with the blood makeup?