34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
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34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
CHAPTER INDEX
- FEBRUARY 2014: AXL COMMENTS ON THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' SUPER BOWL PERFORMANCE
- FEBRUARY 2014: AXL COMMENTS ON DANISH ZOO FEEDING A GIRAFFE TO THEIR LIONS
- PLANNING A SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!
- FEBRUARY-APRIL 2014: SLASH TALKS ABOUT A REUNION
- FEBRUARY 2014: SLASH HOPES THERE WILL BE NO GN'R BIOPIC
- MARCH 2014: 'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY" 3D FILM IS ANNOUNCED
- MARCH 2014: DUFF TO REPLACE TOMMY FOR APRIL SHOWS IN SOUTH AMERICA
- MARCH 20-APRIL 3, 2014: THE BRAZILIAN LEG OF THE 2014 SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
- APRIL 6, 2014: PLAYING BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, WITH DUFF
- SONG: RAW POWER
- APRIL 9-17, 2014: THE REST OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
- APRIL 23, 2014: AXL RECEIVES THE GOLDEN GODS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- REACTIONS TO HAVING HAD DUFF BACK IN THE BAND
- JANUARY-MAY, 2014: NEW MUSIC BEFORE THE VEGAS RESIDENCY?
- MAY 13 AND 16, 2014: BETHLEHEM (PA) AND ROCK ON THE RANGE
- MAY 21, 2014: RADARONLINE CLAIMS AXL IS RETIRING; GUNS N' ROSES SAYS NO
- WORKING ON NEW MUSIC WHILE IN LAS VEGAS?
- MAY 21-30, 2014: THE BAND'S SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!
- MAY 28, 2014: AXL RESPONDS TO TOPPING LARGEST VOCAL RANGE LIST
- MAY 31, 2014: DUFF REPLACES TOMMY AGAIN DURING THE RESIDENCY
- JUNE 4-7, 2014: THE END TO THE RESIDENCY, THE END TO AN ERA
- JUNE 2014: TOMMY IS OUT OF GUNS N' ROSES
- 2014-TODAY: TOMMY AFTER GUNS N' ROSES
- JUNE 7, 2014: BUMBLEFOOT LEAVES GUNS N' ROSES
- BUMBLEFOOT AFTER GUNS N' ROSES
- SUMMER OF 2014: SLASH AND AXL AGREE TO ALLOW THE RELEASE OF DVDS WITH CO-WRITTEN MATERIAL
- JUNE-JULY 2014: THE 'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY 3D' CONCERT FILM
- HAS DUFF PAVED THE WAY FOR A REUNION?
- A BREAK FROM TOURING AFTER THE RESIDENCY
- JUNE-OCTOBER, 2014: NEW MUSIC AFTER THE VEGAS RESIDENCY?
- JUNE 2014: AXL IS FEATURED IN A BUDWEISER COMMERCIAL
- JULY 2014: AXL SIGNS THE THE TOPPS HEAVY METAL CARD
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2014: SLASH RELEASES 'WORLD ON FIRE'
- NOVEMBER 2014: MARC CANTER WORKS ON THE SCRIPT FOR A GUNS N' ROSES MOVIE THAT IS EVENTUALLY SCRAPPED
- NOVEMBER 2014-FEBRUARY 2015: PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE NEXT ALBUM?
- 2014- : VELVET REVOLVER, PART IX
- FEBRUARY 2014: AXL COMMENTS ON DANISH ZOO FEEDING A GIRAFFE TO THEIR LIONS
- PLANNING A SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!
- FEBRUARY-APRIL 2014: SLASH TALKS ABOUT A REUNION
- FEBRUARY 2014: SLASH HOPES THERE WILL BE NO GN'R BIOPIC
- MARCH 2014: 'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY" 3D FILM IS ANNOUNCED
- MARCH 2014: DUFF TO REPLACE TOMMY FOR APRIL SHOWS IN SOUTH AMERICA
- MARCH 20-APRIL 3, 2014: THE BRAZILIAN LEG OF THE 2014 SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
- APRIL 6, 2014: PLAYING BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, WITH DUFF
- SONG: RAW POWER
- APRIL 9-17, 2014: THE REST OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
- APRIL 23, 2014: AXL RECEIVES THE GOLDEN GODS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- REACTIONS TO HAVING HAD DUFF BACK IN THE BAND
- JANUARY-MAY, 2014: NEW MUSIC BEFORE THE VEGAS RESIDENCY?
- MAY 13 AND 16, 2014: BETHLEHEM (PA) AND ROCK ON THE RANGE
- MAY 21, 2014: RADARONLINE CLAIMS AXL IS RETIRING; GUNS N' ROSES SAYS NO
- WORKING ON NEW MUSIC WHILE IN LAS VEGAS?
- MAY 21-30, 2014: THE BAND'S SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!
- MAY 28, 2014: AXL RESPONDS TO TOPPING LARGEST VOCAL RANGE LIST
- MAY 31, 2014: DUFF REPLACES TOMMY AGAIN DURING THE RESIDENCY
- JUNE 4-7, 2014: THE END TO THE RESIDENCY, THE END TO AN ERA
- JUNE 2014: TOMMY IS OUT OF GUNS N' ROSES
- 2014-TODAY: TOMMY AFTER GUNS N' ROSES
- JUNE 7, 2014: BUMBLEFOOT LEAVES GUNS N' ROSES
- BUMBLEFOOT AFTER GUNS N' ROSES
- SUMMER OF 2014: SLASH AND AXL AGREE TO ALLOW THE RELEASE OF DVDS WITH CO-WRITTEN MATERIAL
- JUNE-JULY 2014: THE 'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY 3D' CONCERT FILM
- HAS DUFF PAVED THE WAY FOR A REUNION?
- A BREAK FROM TOURING AFTER THE RESIDENCY
- JUNE-OCTOBER, 2014: NEW MUSIC AFTER THE VEGAS RESIDENCY?
- JUNE 2014: AXL IS FEATURED IN A BUDWEISER COMMERCIAL
- JULY 2014: AXL SIGNS THE THE TOPPS HEAVY METAL CARD
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2014: SLASH RELEASES 'WORLD ON FIRE'
- NOVEMBER 2014: MARC CANTER WORKS ON THE SCRIPT FOR A GUNS N' ROSES MOVIE THAT IS EVENTUALLY SCRAPPED
- NOVEMBER 2014-FEBRUARY 2015: PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE NEXT ALBUM?
- 2014- : VELVET REVOLVER, PART IX
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
FEBRUARY 2014
AXL COMMENTS ON THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' SUPER BOWL PERFORMANCEIn early 2014, Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at the Super Bowl show, leading people to speculate that the performance had been pre-recorded, including Axl:
In The Name Of Science
In regard to the internet’s “no wireless” controversy regarding the Red Hot Chili Peppers Superbowl performance as reported on ESPN…
I enjoyed the show and I’ve no idea what the real story is nor would I want to suggest or imply anyone wasn’t actually performing or that what they were playing wasn’t what we actually heard. That said I feel it’s important to always look on the positive side of things and to give the benefit of doubt.
So consider that maybe sometime before their actual performance that rather than use a guitar cord or standard wireless, that in the name of science and for all mankind Flea courageously had a newly invented breakthrough in microchip technology installed in his ass that picked up the frequencies of his bass and transmitted them to his amplifier.
Maybe they all had microchips installed in their asses and not only pick up the frequencies of their instruments but get Direct TV and the internet too! Like Google Glass… Google Ass! They could be “Scientific Pioneers!” Like Buzz Aldrin and shit! True (pardon the pun)ASS-tro-nots! Or like Superbowl crash test dummies for bands kinda like those cars that drive themselves!
And besides… If the band wasn’t really playing or wireless or whatever and Anthony was really singing they may have set a new world record for the largest karaoke audience ever! Awesome!
So relax and show some pride! This is probably all just Google finding new ways to enrich our lives with the selfless volunteering of the Peppers and the ever ongoing creative process of true innovation or perhaps a new lounge bar record of super magnificent proportions and a new pinnacle of human achievement not seen since the sign language guy in South Africa!
God Bless America, the Peppers n’ technology… PN’T!
Ax
In regard to the internet’s “no wireless” controversy regarding the Red Hot Chili Peppers Superbowl performance as reported on ESPN…
I enjoyed the show and I’ve no idea what the real story is nor would I want to suggest or imply anyone wasn’t actually performing or that what they were playing wasn’t what we actually heard. That said I feel it’s important to always look on the positive side of things and to give the benefit of doubt.
So consider that maybe sometime before their actual performance that rather than use a guitar cord or standard wireless, that in the name of science and for all mankind Flea courageously had a newly invented breakthrough in microchip technology installed in his ass that picked up the frequencies of his bass and transmitted them to his amplifier.
Maybe they all had microchips installed in their asses and not only pick up the frequencies of their instruments but get Direct TV and the internet too! Like Google Glass… Google Ass! They could be “Scientific Pioneers!” Like Buzz Aldrin and shit! True (pardon the pun)ASS-tro-nots! Or like Superbowl crash test dummies for bands kinda like those cars that drive themselves!
And besides… If the band wasn’t really playing or wireless or whatever and Anthony was really singing they may have set a new world record for the largest karaoke audience ever! Awesome!
So relax and show some pride! This is probably all just Google finding new ways to enrich our lives with the selfless volunteering of the Peppers and the ever ongoing creative process of true innovation or perhaps a new lounge bar record of super magnificent proportions and a new pinnacle of human achievement not seen since the sign language guy in South Africa!
God Bless America, the Peppers n’ technology… PN’T!
Ax
Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Super BowlFebruary 3, 2014
Afterwards, Flea would admit everything but Anthony Kiedis' vocals had been pre-recorded.
Oh well, so much for science! But hey, they still got that karaoke thing going for 'em! Awesome! They're right up there with the sign language guy, whose deep n' heartfelt dedication, absolute total commitment, conviction (or maybe that was just the other 3 tire binding, poor sob burning murderers), absence of sanity, and ultimate public achievement should not b forgotten! God Bless Mandela for his consideration n' generosity, for foreseeing this noble event and kicking the bucket (too soon?) allowing us this, not unlike the Superbowl, historic, heroic n' amazing event! Amen!!
Twitter, February 5, 2014
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
FEBRUARY 2014
AXL COMMENTS ON DANISH ZOO FEEDING A GIRAFFE TO THEIR LIONSIn a month where Axl was unusually active commenting on current news over twitter, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark would slaughter a 2-year-old surplus Giraffe and feed it to their lions, causing uproar in the media and initiating a series of sarcastic tweets from Axl:
Just enjoying the lion's share of some tasty baby Giraffica sliders! Mmmmm! What'll them crazy Danes think of next!
Twitter, February 10, 2014
But seriously, let me get this straight... The Danes killed a 2yr old baby giraffe, chopped it up n' fed him to the lions (allegedly in front of kids) to avoid inbreeding rather than find a place for it. Maybe this is a big problem over there I don't know but I'm not getting how this deters siblings n' various other assorted Danish family members from fuckin' each other?! J/K
TwitLonger, February 11, 2014
Lemme get a Giraffica, a homemade cherry Danish, some 'o them pre-fried Pepper's... Oh! n' a liter of cola!
Twitter, February 11, 2014
Giraffica franchises r blowin' up like dandelions! I'll take a dbl Marius Happy Meal n' a McGrib 2 go! Det hænger mig langt ud af halsen!!
Twitter, February 13, 2014
Dear Director, No more Giraffables please, thank you! Ur borderless buddy, Axl
Twitter, February 13, 2014
Then on February 17, Axl would post a longer statement regarding the giraffe killing and his previous tweets:
Over the past week I've put out a few intentionally sarcastic tweets in response and calling attention to the killing of an 18 month old baby male giraffe named Marius by the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark.
And in that regard I think that without more information or a better understanding of not just how this particular breeding program works or why it's believed to be necessary and seemingly without room for exception or public opinion... to the average person it would seem that...
1.) Marius could have been spared and was a waste of a healthy young animal's life.
2.) The manner in which he was if not euthanized then disposed of seemed particularly barbaric, unnecessary and a vulgar or grotesque display of inconsideration and complete disregard for public sentiments adding a level of morbid spectacle and horrendousness difficult for most to comprehend by doing so not just in front of but for what seems some misguided or twisted sense of educational purposes for children.
and...
3.) The seemingly cold and clinical responses and attitudes regarding this unfortunate event by those involved appearing to be somewhat defiant, arrogant and even seeming somewhat perversely satisfied with themselves and their actions going as far as to express "pride" in their decisions comes off as completely heartless in regard to the animals and seems extremely disrespectful toward the general public on this issue.
Perhaps their comments were taken out of context? Perhaps there's something lost in translation? I don't know that anyone is trying to say or act in this situation as if they truly know more than these particular or any professional animal caretakers or zoologists etc. but I do know that at present plenty of lay people worldwide do not understand or approve of what took place here. And again without more information and better understanding of the breeding program and why this was deemed the appropriate course of action this event seems misguided and a crime against the very nature those in such positions are thought to be involved with as protectors and caretakers of such animals.
One can attempt to justify these choices as those taking into consideration a bigger picture scientifically but in my view there seems to be more than one perspective to that picture and it would appear that adherence to such a rigid or strict nature of such clinical focus may be disregarding the public impact of their actions.
For most normal everyday people that love, care about and enjoy animals this event has been a tragedy. An unexpected, unimaginable and what for many is most devastating a seemingly avoidable horror show that somehow seems lost on the professionals involved and those speaking for the zoo a facility that's in my opinion thought to exist for the animals, the public, educational purposes and science in as best a sense of harmony as possible. Just as it's a privilege for the public to visit, view and experience these animals it's also a privilege to work with and care for the animals and have the opportunity to do so while interacting and/or working with the public.
Unfortunately somehow in this instance all or much of that seems to have been forgotten.
Axl
And in that regard I think that without more information or a better understanding of not just how this particular breeding program works or why it's believed to be necessary and seemingly without room for exception or public opinion... to the average person it would seem that...
1.) Marius could have been spared and was a waste of a healthy young animal's life.
2.) The manner in which he was if not euthanized then disposed of seemed particularly barbaric, unnecessary and a vulgar or grotesque display of inconsideration and complete disregard for public sentiments adding a level of morbid spectacle and horrendousness difficult for most to comprehend by doing so not just in front of but for what seems some misguided or twisted sense of educational purposes for children.
and...
3.) The seemingly cold and clinical responses and attitudes regarding this unfortunate event by those involved appearing to be somewhat defiant, arrogant and even seeming somewhat perversely satisfied with themselves and their actions going as far as to express "pride" in their decisions comes off as completely heartless in regard to the animals and seems extremely disrespectful toward the general public on this issue.
Perhaps their comments were taken out of context? Perhaps there's something lost in translation? I don't know that anyone is trying to say or act in this situation as if they truly know more than these particular or any professional animal caretakers or zoologists etc. but I do know that at present plenty of lay people worldwide do not understand or approve of what took place here. And again without more information and better understanding of the breeding program and why this was deemed the appropriate course of action this event seems misguided and a crime against the very nature those in such positions are thought to be involved with as protectors and caretakers of such animals.
One can attempt to justify these choices as those taking into consideration a bigger picture scientifically but in my view there seems to be more than one perspective to that picture and it would appear that adherence to such a rigid or strict nature of such clinical focus may be disregarding the public impact of their actions.
For most normal everyday people that love, care about and enjoy animals this event has been a tragedy. An unexpected, unimaginable and what for many is most devastating a seemingly avoidable horror show that somehow seems lost on the professionals involved and those speaking for the zoo a facility that's in my opinion thought to exist for the animals, the public, educational purposes and science in as best a sense of harmony as possible. Just as it's a privilege for the public to visit, view and experience these animals it's also a privilege to work with and care for the animals and have the opportunity to do so while interacting and/or working with the public.
Unfortunately somehow in this instance all or much of that seems to have been forgotten.
Axl
Twitter, February 17, 2014
https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s0hrai
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
PLANNING A SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!
In 2012, Axl would tell USA Today that he would consider doing a second residency in Las Vegas if the first turned out well [USA Today, October 30, 2012]. And in the beginning of 2014, this second residency had been planned:
We're going to be back at the Hard Rock, at The Joint. We're doing a residency. It's going to be a true rock 'n' roll Las Vegas month at the Hard Rock, for sure.
I just bought a house in Las Vegas. It’s home to me – so it’s going be a lot of fun. The last residency was just awesome. The cool part is that we have a chance to play to the crowd. We don’t have to worry about tearing down to get to the next city or state. It allows us to do a little bit extra – fun things and we get to turn it into a real theatrical type show and have a lot of fun with it.
Well, you know, I think it was just a matter of time. I think it's just a good fit for a lot of rock bands including Guns N' Roses to go there and just, you know, camp out for a little bit and, you know, put on a great show for people because this is about entertainment and that's what we are about, you know, with a rock and roll edge, a rock and roll twist.
The show [=residency in 2012] was awesome and people came from all over to see one or two shows. And you know, before it was over, we were talking about doing it again, how great it would be. And now we are, and looking forward to it.
[...] I was told about [the second residency] recently. I'm not sure how long it's been in the works, but I do know that the first one we did was great, it was a lot of fun. They really put on a great production there. And, you know, they created this great... And I enjoyed it a lot. And I enjoyed not having to the travel. Sometimes it gets [?] just being in the same place for a month was cool so I know we were talking about doing it again. So I'm glad they're having us back. I think it's a wonderful idea. And I'm totally into it.
[...] we were there a few years ago and we had such a darn good time and they treated us so well and the band was so appreciative that we said, "Let's go back, let's do it again." And so we are. And it's gonna be a really, really good time.
It was just, you know, it was sort of eliminating the travel aspect which can be tiring sometimes. Sometimes that can be like the hardest part of touring, is getting up to catch a plane or jump out on the bus right after the show to drive 800 miles. And obviously it is easier for the crew. But you have to be careful not to get sucked into because, you know, every night. That could have a negative effect and it can get a little depressed. Although it is fun and would you like to get the tables and mix it up with the people? That's another great thing about doing that there is, you know, we're a little more accessible and, you know, we can hang out with some, you know, some of the fans [?] in the casino. And we'll be bringing my truck this time so that if I need to, I can go see some of the other great stuff that Las Vegas has to offer.
The residency was formally announced in February, revealing that it would last from 18 May 21 to June 7:
"If some is good, more is better!" Bobby Reynolds, vice president of booking for AEG Live Las Vegas, told USA TODAY. "That's our take on welcoming back Guns N' Roses to The Joint. Our first residency with GNR was fantastic in every way imaginable. The band and the fans loved the venue, and the business was great for everyone else involved. We want all of the Guns N' Roses fans across the globe to come see what one of the iconic rock 'n' roll bands can do when they have the best venue in the world to do it in, in a city made to party. We are gearing up for another epic residency."
Chas Smith, vice president of entertainment for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, weighed in, "We are really looking forward to having one of the true American rock 'n' roll bands back and performing at The Joint. Every time we have Guns N' Roses play in The Joint, it just keeps getting better.
"What more can I say than it's a great honor to have one of the most iconic rock 'n' roll bands in the world coming back to rock The Joint for nine more shows! We are all excited about this next run."
Chas Smith, vice president of entertainment for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, weighed in, "We are really looking forward to having one of the true American rock 'n' roll bands back and performing at The Joint. Every time we have Guns N' Roses play in The Joint, it just keeps getting better.
"What more can I say than it's a great honor to have one of the most iconic rock 'n' roll bands in the world coming back to rock The Joint for nine more shows! We are all excited about this next run."
Being asked if it is difficult playing the same venue every night:
No, it’s actually fun! Especially Vegas! It is the perfect city for GNR – we like to play long shows. It’s a city that never sleeps – We like to Sin! – a lot, LOL! The after party’s are awesome. We’re all staying in these hotels that are just massive. Some of the fans work their way in – It’s cool you get to run into fans in the hotel a lot. It’s cool meeting these people who allow you to do the things you do for a living.
Well, the last time that we played there we did have a few features that are more exclusive to Vegas, could only be really... we had some incredibly long and high ego ramps for the guitarists to run out on. You're really, like, above you playing if you're down on the floor. And we had a flying grand piano that actually fly up in the air and play November Rain, and so we can't really bring that with us everywhere. And I'm not sure what we're gonna have this time. Unfortunately, we can't have the flying pianos at festivals and whatnot. But the good thing about Guns N' Roses is if you take away any gimmicks and explosions and the lights, that you just strip it down, you know, it's a big band playing great songs, and that's what really counts when it comes to music of any kind. And playing it for people.
And talking about how they will mix things up every night:
You know the real cool thing about a Guns show is that it’s so unpredictable and so exciting, especially being in the band it’s really exciting. I have a vague idea of the set list. Very rare do we follow it. I don’t ever physically see a set list for a 3 hour show that we play. So every song we play we call one after another because that’s how we play it. Every night varies which is cool and makes it exciting. We like to throw in surprises and Vegas is the perfect place for that.
[...] we get a chance to plant our feet into the ground [?] so speak for, you know, a good solid three weeks, which allows us many things. We can do a completely different unique show for people. You know, we don't have to tear down our show right after and get to the next city. So, you know, last residency there were like flying pianos and aerial harness and strippers everywhere. And it was just a really fun experience. And you know, I think that's the coolest part about doing their residency, you know?
As for what Axl was up to:
He’s doing great. He’s been texting me funny texts all morning. He is in good spirits and he’s really excited about Vegas and Rock on the Rang
Poster announcing the No Trickery! residency
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
FEBRUARY-APRIL 2014
SLASH TALKS ABOUT A REUNIONAs usual, Guns N' Roses would pop up in most interviews Slash did and he would repeatedly respond to inquiries on a future GN'R reunion:
It's not even something I like to dwell on. I don't even like to make to make comments because you end up with quotes that sometimes exacerbate the issue. It's really not at the forefront of my mind. I've got other things going on. I'm very, very proud - endlessly proud - of everything the band stood for and everything that's gone on with it. And the fact that there's still so much attention and interest in the band however many years after I was in it, I feel very humbled and honoured by all that. But I don't spend my time thinking about what you guys are thinking about! You know? It's all whatever happens, happens and in the meantime I'm doing other stuff.
With Duff returning to play selected shows with Guns N' Roses as Tommy played with The Replacement, Slash would be asked what this meant for a possible reunion with him and Axl:
What Duff does is what Duff does. It doesn't really concern me. Duff's relationship with Axl is different to mine. That call to me is just not going to happen. [...] I don't judge Duff. He's cool. He just has a way more amicable, neutral relationship with Axl than I do.
And later in the year he would be asked if he ever contemplated what could have been if he hadn't left the band:
I don’t think about that because that’s not what happened, so what’s the point? People are always like, ‘What if you had done things differently?’ Not only with G N’ R. But it’s just such a waste of time. Things happened and it’s done. I sort of loathe looking back and fantasizing about anything one way or another because in the end it didn’t happen.
And mention that he was fed up with media trying to stir up controversy and create unnecessary drama:
I’m not bored with the fascination with [Guns N’ Roses music]. What I’m bored with is all the brouhaha with stuff the media have no idea what they are talking about..the causing of unnecessary conflict between the original members. It’s just a lot of drama and sensationalism — everyone is trying to capitalise on that. I’m sick of it.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
FEBRUARY 2014
SLASH HOPES THERE WILL BE NO GN'R MOVIESlash was not hoping for a Guns N' Roses biopic:
I would not like to see a Guns N' Roses biopic. It's really rare where you see actors portraying live musicians (well). I don't think rock and roll translates in the movies, I don't think they really get the gritty vibe of what it's like.
I hope they never do that. The thing about rock movies is that they never give the reality of rock and roll, they never do it justice, it always turns out to be a parody. Even the best rock movies are laughable. [Unless they're intended to be a parody] and then they're funny. 'Spinal Tap' was great, but I think 'Spinal Tap' got under everybody's skin and we haven't been able to get rid of it since. But very few rock movies are really credible. So when you're doing a story like that, artistic license and so on, it makes me very nervous.
By 2019, he had not changed his opinion:
I thought the Motley movie [=The Dirt] was great. Actually, I just saw it a couple of days ago, and it really took me back to the early days in the 80's all the way through their career, because I just remember everything that sort of happened along the way. And then it gave me an insight, sort of internal details that I wasn’t really aware of. But I thought that came out great. I wouldn’t want to do a Guns movie like that. I couldn’t imagine trying to find somebody to play the different members of the band (laughs). It just doesn’t even seem possible.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MARCH 2014
'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY" 3D FILM IS ANNOUNCEDBumblefoot had previously talked about a future live DVD:
If it was up to me we'd have live DVDs of every leg of every tour with backstage footage and interviews and funny moments, it would be like a dozen sequels to Spinal Tap, haha. Ah well...
In December 2012, Bumblefoot would be asked if any DVDs were coming out from the Las Vegas residency the band had just finished::
Don't know. I mean, we had a video that were recorded from London in the end of May or early June and that never came out.
Then in March the DVD was announced based on taping form one of the residency shows in 2012:
Guns N' Roses' 3D film, "Appetite For Democracy", will receive a theatrical release in early April. It will also be made available in several different formats, as detailed below.
Filmed during Guns N' Roses' "Appetite For Democracy" residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino' in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 2012, celebrating twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy", the elaborate Vegas-style production features Axl Rose at the top of his game with his current lineup performing some of GNR's biggest hits, including "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Mr. Brownstone", "November Rain" and "Paradise City".
This is the first live concert release from Guns N' Roses since "Use Your Illusion II" in 1992.
The "Appetite Of Democracy" package, with a running time of two hours and 47 minutes, is directed by Kerry Asmussen and produced by Barry Summers.
[...]
This absolute ambush on the city of sin, captured in HD/3D, puts you in the best seat in the house for an electrifying once in a lifetime live concert performance.
Filmed during Guns N' Roses' "Appetite For Democracy" residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino' in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 2012, celebrating twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy", the elaborate Vegas-style production features Axl Rose at the top of his game with his current lineup performing some of GNR's biggest hits, including "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Mr. Brownstone", "November Rain" and "Paradise City".
This is the first live concert release from Guns N' Roses since "Use Your Illusion II" in 1992.
The "Appetite Of Democracy" package, with a running time of two hours and 47 minutes, is directed by Kerry Asmussen and produced by Barry Summers.
[...]
This absolute ambush on the city of sin, captured in HD/3D, puts you in the best seat in the house for an electrifying once in a lifetime live concert performance.
More than a month later, DJ was asked if it is really coming out:
You know, I heard it is, and then I heard it wasn't, then I heard it is. [?] it's as unpredictable as, you know, the next song in our show, you just never know what to expect, pretty much. But, you know, I hope it does because, you know, they did like a crazy amount of camera shoot that's all shot in 3D and it's really, really cool, you know? So hopefully the fans will get a chance to experience that soon.
The film would be released in June [see later chapter].
In February 2014, Frank would be asked if there is always as much chaos in the GN'R camp as it seemed:
Well, I wouldn't call it chaos, but I definitely would say that it's edgy and a bit off the rails. But that's what it is. That's what GN'R is. That's why people love it and that's why people you know wear the patches and the T-shirts and buy the records and put up the posters. Because it's kind of still has that bit of that outlaw kind of off the rails, you know, doesn't conform, you can't put it in a box type of thing. So I don't think chaotic is the right word, but it's definitely not normal. Definitely not by the numbers, for sure. And I don't think that this band will ever work that way, because it's just not his personality, it's not the spirit of the band, you know. I mean, I wouldn't call any more chaotic than like as the Sex Pistols were like or or the Ramones were like, you know, where it just has kind of like this edgy thing to it, you know. But I think that's just the nature of the beast, and that's like before, way before I was in a band, you know, that was always there.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MARCH 2014
DUFF TO REPLACE TOMMY FOR APRIL SHOWS IN SOUTH AMERICAIn late March 2014, Duff would inform through tweet that he would be visiting South America with Guns N' Roses for shows panning April 6-15.
Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil! See y'all in the next few weeks, Si? GNR.
Twitter, March 31, 2014
The scheduled shows would partially overlap with Tommy's reunion shows with The Replacements at Coachella in mid-April [for more information about Tommy and The Replacements, see previous chapter], which explains the need to replace Tommy.
Tommy had actually previously talked about how Duff could possibly step in for him in the future:
I’m not going to miss anything with Guns since it’s been my main gig for the last 14 years, but if I had to miss, the person I could call is (original Guns N’ Roses bassist) Duff (McKagan). He would do it and the old fans would get a kick out of it.
Confirming that Duff would replace him when he was doing shows with the Replacements:
I had those Replacement shows come up the same time the (South American) tour came up, and it got to be a scheduling issue right out of the gate. I didn't want to fuck anyone up in Guns by saying, 'Hey, I can't do this tour' or anything like that. Luckily someone was able to reach out to Duff and he was amenable to the idea and was into doing it. It's Duff being the kind of good sport he is, trying to help Axl (Rose) out. So I'm like, 'Thanks dude, for covering my ass on this one.' I think people are gonna be really stoked about it. It's gonna be fun for everyone.
Later, Duff would talk about the request to step in:
I was in Australia with the Walking Papers when I got this call: “Could you do these shows? Axl’s in a pickle.” I thought about it a lot. I called Slash and said: “I think I’m gonna do this. He’s in a bind, man, and I'd do if for you.” So I went and did it, five or six shows.
Walking Papers was touring Australia in February and early March of 2014, suggesting that he got the call not many weeks before the first Guns N' Roses show.
Duff would look forward to joining Guns N' Roses on stage again:
It's pretty great to play these songs again, and looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again. South America is always a radical place for rock n roll...and I'm honored to be doing this thing, in that place.
As for what this meant about Duff and Axl's relationship:
I don't know that Duff and Axl ever even had bad blood. I don't really know the whole story. But he came up and played with us a couple years back, and they got along great. Whatever their history is, they're certainly fine now -- I means, as fine as you can be after knowing someone for 30-plus years.
And talking about having to miss the shows:
[Duff]'s a fucking great bass player. It's gonna be a breeze. The only bummer is I don't get to see one of the shows he plays, especially after playing his fucking parts for 17 years. It would be interesting to see how he plays them. There's a couple things I could use some pointers on.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MARCH 20-APRIL 3, 2014
THE BRAZILIAN LEG OF THE 2014 SOUTH AMERICAN TOURThe South American Tour of 2014 would start with an extensive run consisting of eight shows in Brazil: HSBC Arena, Rio De Janeiro (March 20), Esplanada do Mineirão, Bela Horizonte (March 22), Nilson Nelson Gymnasium, Brasilia (March 25), Anhembi, Sao Paolo (March 28), Estadio Durival Britto, Curitiba ( March 30), Devassa on Stage, Florianopolis (April 1), and Pavilhao Da Fiergs, Porto Alegre (April 3).
Tommy and Richard in Porto AlegreApril 3, 2014Photo by Del James
At the show in Brasilia on March 25, Bumblefoot met his friend, guitarist Marceloa Barbosa, and mentioned that he would quit Guns N' Roses [Facebook, April 7, 2016].
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
APRIL 6, 2014
PLAYING BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, WITH DUFFOn April 6, Guns N' Roses played its first full show with Duff since 1993 at Ferro Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The last time Duff played a full show with GN'R was also in Buenos Aires, on July 17, 1993.
Tommy and Duff practising before the show
RELEARNING THE OLD SONGS, AND LEARNING THE NEW SONGS
Suddenly going back to do those songs, I sat down… There was a setlist… There was, like, 30 songs. My body knew the songs, my fingers knew the songs, but my ears… There was, like, some sort of weird hearing-the-band-for-the-first-time-ever sensation, because I hadn't listened to it for such a long time… It was kind of like… I don't know, man… [It was like] having a pair of pants when you were 20, then you gained a bunch of weight, and then you had a bunch of health problems, and then you got over the health problems and lost the weight, and now you're 50 and you're putting on those pants and they fit again. [And you're, like], 'All right. I've been through all this stuff, and those pants fit again.' And it was kind of like that, I guess."
It wasn't hard [to relearn the Appetite songs]. No, I mean, you know, those songs are part of your makeup. So your body kind of, suddenly, like, adheres to the- [...] I mean, I remember I listened to Appetite and played along to it, I have this little setup where I can play along to music. [...] So I had my little setup, but with Appetite. I put Appetite up and played through the record and then either Illusion songs and it got into the Chinese Democracy songs.
As for whether Duff was challenged to pick up the new material:
Duff's... He's an amazing musician. He's a perfectionist. He's a consummate professional, so, you know, definitely... You know, we hit the rehearsal studio a little bit and... But he came through and it sound great.
THE SHOW
Axl introducing Duff:
[Give] a hearty welcome to the new guy, Mr. Duff McKagan.
Ferro Stadium, Argentina, April 6, 2014
Duff would comment on the occasion:
It's pretty great to play these songs again. And l'm looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again. South America is always a radical place for rock 'n' roll ... and I'm honored to be doing this thing, in that place.
And after the show:
Muchos Gracias Buenos Aires. That was such a majestic crowd. I had a fuckin blast!
Twitter, April 7, 2014
Slash would also be asked to comment upon Duff reuniting temporarily with Guns N' Roses:
What Duff does is what Duff does. It doesn't really concern me. Duff's relationship with Axl is different to mine. That call to me is just not going to happen. [...] I don't judge Duff. He's cool. He just has a way more amicable, neutral relationship with Axl than I do.
This show would be the debut of Raw Power from the band's 1993 The Spaghetti Incident?.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
Album:
The Spaghetti Incident?, 1993, track no. 5.
Written by:
Iggy Pop and James Williamson (Iggy Pop and the Stooges).
Musicians:
Vocals: Duff N' Axl
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Slash
Rhythm Guitar: Gilby Clarke
Bass: Duff McKagan
Drums: Matt Sorum
Keyboards: Dizzy Reed
Live performances:
'Raw Power' was debuted for the April 6, 2014, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when Duff stepped in for Tommy who had a scheduling conflict. In total it has, as of {UPDATEDATE}, been played {RAWPOWERSONGS} times.
The Spaghetti Incident?, 1993, track no. 5.
Written by:
Iggy Pop and James Williamson (Iggy Pop and the Stooges).
Musicians:
Vocals: Duff N' Axl
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Slash
Rhythm Guitar: Gilby Clarke
Bass: Duff McKagan
Drums: Matt Sorum
Keyboards: Dizzy Reed
Live performances:
'Raw Power' was debuted for the April 6, 2014, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when Duff stepped in for Tommy who had a scheduling conflict. In total it has, as of {UPDATEDATE}, been played {RAWPOWERSONGS} times.
Lyrics:
Dance to the beat of the living dead
You'll see baby, stay away from there
Raw power is sure come runnin' to you
If you're alone and you got the feel
So am I baby let's roll on outta here
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
Raw power's got a magic touch
Raw power is much too much
Happiness is a guaranteed
It was made for you and me
Raw power, honey just won't quit
Raw power, I can feel it
Raw power, hear it can't be spared
Poppin' eyes and a fashion feed
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Everybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
And you know that ain't right
I look in the eyes of the southern girl
Fall deep in love in the underworld
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
If you're alone and you got the shakes
So am I baby and I got what it takes
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
Raw power's got a healing hand
Raw power can destroy a man
Raw power is so more than soul
Got a son called rock and roll
Raw power, honey just won't quit
Raw power, I can feel it
Raw power, honey give me a spin
Get up baby and kiss my feet
Ev'rybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Ev'rybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Raw power it's got no place to go
Raw power honey you don't wanna know
Raw power is a guaranteed O.D.
Raw power is laughin' at you and me
I wanna know
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Raw power, raw power
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Dance to the beat of the living dead
You'll see baby, stay away from there
Raw power is sure come runnin' to you
If you're alone and you got the feel
So am I baby let's roll on outta here
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
Raw power's got a magic touch
Raw power is much too much
Happiness is a guaranteed
It was made for you and me
Raw power, honey just won't quit
Raw power, I can feel it
Raw power, hear it can't be spared
Poppin' eyes and a fashion feed
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Everybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
And you know that ain't right
I look in the eyes of the southern girl
Fall deep in love in the underworld
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
If you're alone and you got the shakes
So am I baby and I got what it takes
Raw power is sure to come runnin' to you
Raw power's got a healing hand
Raw power can destroy a man
Raw power is so more than soul
Got a son called rock and roll
Raw power, honey just won't quit
Raw power, I can feel it
Raw power, honey give me a spin
Get up baby and kiss my feet
Ev'rybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Ev'rybody always tryin' to tell me what to do
Don't you try, don't you try to tell me what to do
Raw power it's got no place to go
Raw power honey you don't wanna know
Raw power is a guaranteed O.D.
Raw power is laughin' at you and me
I wanna know
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Raw power, raw power
Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
Quotes regarding the song
We did two Stooges songs, but Axl liked the vocal on "Raw Power" the best.
Guitar Player, January 1994
One of the first bands I heard that really turned me when I was about 13 was Iggy And The Stooges. I was in a band later that was lucky enough to do a cover and it was Guns N' Roses we did Raw Power on The Spaghetti Incident and I think Axl and I did it like a duet-ish type of thing.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
APRIL 9-17, 2014
THE REST OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN TOURThe next show of the South American tour took place in Jockey Club, Asuncion, Paraguay, on April 9. This show was almost cancelled because of technical difficulties, but the band ended up playing a long show of 27 songs.
The tour followed with a show at Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia, on April 12.
The band (except Axl) in Bolivia
The show unusually opened with You Could Be Mine. According to rumors, Axl was anxious about singing at the high altitude and decided to change the setlist order.
Altitude! We're at some fuckin' Altitude! Thanx La Paz! Who's friggin' idea was it to open w/YCBM?! Someone shoot that guy! Ha! Thanks.
Twitter, April 13, 2014
Later, Duff would tell an anecdote about him and Richard doing Yoga while in La Paz and how this conflicted with some fans' perpective of what Guns N' Roses members should be doing:
I was with actually with Richard from the band. And I went down and played some gigs with those guys in South America in 2000... I don't know when it was. '12, '13, '14, whatever it was. I forget. And we were up in, it was amazing. We're up in that... the highest city up there. La Paz, Bolivia. I mean, you land at 13,000 feet and they have oxygen in the airport because people just pass out. You can't just land at 13... [...] But we did. The hotel was kind of down at 10 and a half thousand feet. So we came down and it was an easier thing, but it took us a couple days to... there was oxygen in the room. [...] So we did yoga out in this yard. It was like 80 degrees out in this kind of a yard they had at the hotel. And somebody took a picture of me and Richard and some people in the band doing yoga. Right now, I was like leading the thing. And yeah, somebody commented, "You can't do Guns N' Roses and do yoga!" I didn't know those rules.
The tour concluded when the band returned to Brazil for two shows, at the Chevrolet Hall, Recife, on April 15 and at the Centro de Eventos de Fortaleza, Fortaleza, on April 17.
Looking back at the South American tour:
Yeah, you know, all around it was great. It's always great to to head down south. They definitely dig the rock'n'roll music down there. And they treat us great. And you can get past the language barrier and the, you know, some of the strange foods and whatnot. Pretty fun.
[Axl and I] had such a great time together. We played a show in La Paz, Bolivia, at an altitude of twelve thousand feet. I’d done mountain climbing. I said: “Ax, man, the air is thin up there.” Seriously, people pass out when they come off the plane. They have oxygen at the airport. And we gotta play a rock show there, in a soccer stadium where they don’t have games any more because no other team will go and play because it’s not fair. So I was taking Diamox, mountain climber shit, and I gave some to Axl. We go through this journey together, and to watch him sing up there… man, it was an amazing experience.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
APRIL 23, 2014
AXL RECEIVES THE GOLDEN GODS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDTALKING ABOUT THE AWARD BEFORE THE AWARD SHOW
On April 23, 2014, Axl would be honored with the James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards show in Los Angeles.
Golden Gods poster2014
Axl would reference the show in a tweet a few days prior:
Happy Easter!! Good 2 b home! Lookin' 4ward 2 the Golden Bods.... I mean uh... Gods!! Yeah! Those too!!
Twitter, April 20, 2014
Commenting upon the honor:
It was actually kind of a surprise to me. And I appreciate it and stuff, but personally, I don't feel like I've done enough of anything to have a lifetime achievement award. But that's just me. I know other people were really happy for me about it so that was a good thing. I just feel like, you know, it's been a long, slow process beyond comprehension with Chinese Democracy, but it's still moving forward and there's a lot more that we hope to do.
And being asked who he thought deserved such an award:
It's hard to say. Mick Jagger? To me, Mick Jagger is one of the greatest athletes who ever lived, just for how much he puts into it onstage. I saw the Stones in Vegas on their last tour and it's evident how hard they work at it.
And being asked if he thought he would continue working at 70 like Jagger:
I'm starting to get there! [Laughs] Bastard makes you work for it, doesn't he?
Bumblefoot would comment on being back at the Golden Gods:
Ah, it's great. I was here last year and presented a guitar award to the amazing John 5, it was a pleasure, and now I have the privilege to be back and to perform. So it's nice, I'm happy to be here. Very happy.
And be asked about what Axl thoughts about getting the award:
I haven't asked him, I don't ask, that's like an interview question, I'm not like, "Axl, so tell me, what do you think about getting this award?" It's like, "Hey man, what songs are we doing tonight?"
I spoke to him a little bit about it the other night. He's not a big fan of awards in general when it comes to music. I've never met anyone with that much musical integrity. Like, he's the only guy I've ever seen in this business that refuses to do things solely for money and I have a lot of respect for him for that.
ARTISTS TALKING ABOUT AXL WINNING THE AWARD
During the awards show, many artists would talk about Axl:
To a lot of people what was part of the fascination was that Axl Rose was danger personified.
He had that way of talking to the audience and speaking his mind that they could relate to.
Vocally, you know, nobody can quite do the things that Axl can do, the way he does them. And that's the thing that sets, I think, great vocalists apart from just good singers.
I mean, Axl is just totally one of a kind, you know, we took them out on their first tour and I've been friends of Axl's since they became a band but I've been a friend of Slash too, I'm kind of in the middle of both of them. But I haven't seen Axl in 20 years, so it will be great to see him tonight.
I mean, it's pretty cool. You know, if Axl Rose shows up on time and performs on time then he deserves the award, if he doesn't, booo!
Yeah, I mean, we went out with them not too long ago. We would get up and jam on Whole Lotta Rosie with the guys every night so it was a good time. I've known Axl for a...he's a great guy and obviously a legendary frontman and the whole nine yards.
You know what, Axl is a very intricate guy, obviously. But any real artist is on a tilt, you know, to some people I'm considered a great artist and if you talked to my family they'd go, "Yeah, he's a little off." You know, you have to be a little off to do what we do.
He's amazing.
Yeah, watching him kick ass every night. Pretty impressive. [Being asked about the biggest misconception about Axl] That he can't sing 2.5 hours of the most unbelievable acrobatics of vocals.
And Richard and DJ would talk about Axl's singing skills:
When he's singing it's definitely a cathartic experience. He's exercising demons, you know, and it's intense.
It will blow your eardrums clean out of your head.
NICOLAS CAGE AND ANDREW DICE CLAY INTRODUCE AXL
Nicolas Cage and Andrew Dice Clay would introduce Axl. Clay would talk about Axl before the show and Axl would talk about both Cage and Clay:
[...] it's an honor for me tonight because I get to bring on Axl and his band, you know, which I am a little bit nervous about because I've got a long history with them and the last time I introduced them at the Rose Bowl, I screwed that intro up [laughs]. [...] Well, you know what, when it's friends of yours you want to do it right. You know, it's not like nerves, it's not that I'm scared, it's just that I want to do the right thing.
I've known Dice for a long time. But I hadn't seen him since we played the Gibson Amphitheatre [in L.A.], back in '06, I think. And I don't exactly know how everything came together with his speech, but he did ask me before the show if I had been Gmail-ing him. And I was like, "Nope. I don't Gmail." So somebody's been Gmail-ing Dice, acting like they're me.
[Cage]'s a big fan. We hadn't met before, but it's my understanding that he reached out wanting to do it. So it came together and we met before the show and it was really cool. But I didn't hear anything that he or Dice said about me onstage. It didn't come through my in-ear [monitors]. And really, anything they did say that was complimentary, it's probably better that I didn't hear it so I wasn't more embarrassed.
Cage's and Clay's award speeches:
In my line of work I've been honored to meet a lot of big stars. The truth is, when you get up close, your heroes, it's usually a disappoint. But this next honoree is the real deal. He is an original. Long before he became an icon, he had an appetite for destruction. And all of these years later, he's still hungry. The Beatles started it, and Guns N' Roses brought rock to a peak. Rock and rollers and rollettes, the one, the only, my friend, Axl Rose!
His voice. His poetry. His composition. His piano playing. His moves. His guts. His originality. There are infinite reasons to look love Axl Rose! When I was prepping for my role in Ghost Rider, I took some cues from Axl's cobra like onstage movement. You remember that one? Axl inspires me. Not just his music. But the purity and the passion which he embodies rock and roll. Trends may come and go, but Axl Rose is always 100% himself. When he first arrived here in LA back in 1982, there were a lot of pretenders on the scene. People who thought denim, leather, big hair made you a rock star, but Axl brought something undeniably real and dangerous to the music. I saw Axl perform live at the Troubadour just before Appetite for Destruction was released. he did Welcome to the Jungle, I was there, it was the first live performance of that and I never forgot it. Generations have come and gone since then, but they're still only one Axl Rose, so it is with great respect, awe and reverence that we give the Golden Gods Lifetime Achievement Award and welcome a true hero, an inspirational force, the legend, the maverick, rock and roll original, Mr. Axl Rose!
Axl did a short acceptance speech:
Thank you, thank you very much. It cost me an awful lot to pay him to say all that stuff. Anyway, I want to thank our band, crew, all of our lineups, our lineup right now, I want to thank our sound man and producer Caram, and all of you. Thank you very much.
THE CONCERT AT THE AWARD CEREMONY
Usually, the headlining act would play a few songs, but Guns N' Roses played nine songs.
We wanted to do that [=play a longer set]. We were very happy that you guys allowed us to do that. We were glad to be asked to do it and we had fun with it.
Review of the show in Metal Assault:
And lastly, Guns ‘N Roses took the stage as the headlining live act of this event, playing a surprisingly long set which lasted for about 75 minutes and spawned 11 songs, certainly not the norm for these Golden Gods shows wherein no band has ever played more than 3 or 4 songs. There was a 15-minute lull before they appeared at 10:45 PM, and the same old rumblings of Axl Rose’s lateness started circulating amongst people in my vicinity, some even speculating whether Axl was going to play the show at all. But the band came out and delivered more than what anyone would have expected, featuring the return of bassist Duff McKagan not only to boost the rhythm section and backing vocals but also to give the band a more ‘legit’ collective persona specially in the eyes of those who’re fixated on the classic lineup. Granted, Axl Rose started out sounding uneasy on the vocals but from the fourth song onwards, he upped his level, and slower songs like ‘Better’ and ‘This I Love’ allowed him more breathing room which in turn resulted in him giving his 100 per cent on the last few songs of the set, including the beautiful ‘November Rain’ and culminating in a great rendition of ‘Paradise City’. Guitarists Bumblefoot, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus were excellent as always, playing the songs with absolute perfection, and besides the GNR songs they played a couple of delightful little jams as well, including Bumblefoot’s intro teaser of Zeppelin’s ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. Together, all eight members of the band combined to deliver an excellent Guns ‘N Roses set, which in the honest words of my photographer/friend Matt Nielson, was a lot better than when he saw the band back in ’92. That in itself speaks a lot for the current lineup, and I would urge people who hate Guns ‘N Roses without giving them a semblance of a chance to go check out a live show (not a live stream, an actual show) and decide for yourself. My only complaint from this set would be the excessively long version of ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’, which if shortened down would perhaps serve the band and their audience a lot better. Other than that, this GNR set was an apt end to an event that began on a fantastic note and had a lot of filler in between.
Prior to the Golden Gods Awards show it was announced that Duff would again step in for Tommy [Blabbermouth, April 21, 2014]. After the show, Duff tweeted:
Great to share a stage with my bro @axlrose over these past few weeks. The guys in the band were super cool to this 'outsider'.MissTheSongs.
Twitter, April 24, 2014
After the show, Dizzy would talk about having been nervous since it was a live broadcast, but that things had gone down without a hitch:
You know, it was, it was a great experience all around. It was a wonderful night. They did such a great job, you know, with the whole production and it was really cool that Jim and Don, Eddie, were hosting because those guys are awesome. And just, you know, a lot of great bands. It was really cool to see Slayer. That was amazing. And so it was a great experience. I'm usually a little nervous doing live TV, but that went off without a hitch and apparently it sounded great, I haven't seen it yet. So, but it was just, it was a great night for everybody. And yeah, you know, it's like, they keep it real, so it's good to, you know, to support the....And not to, you know, some of the other awards are just a little... I don't know what their criteria is these days for a Grammy or whatnot, but you know, it was a good fit and I'm glad we did it.
Actually, you know, it was great. You know, I'm always a little skeptical and a little... [?] worried, but, you know, doing live TV sometimes can be a little stressful and that turned out great. And there was a great crowd there and just, you know, a great night. A lot of great bands. Really cool. The guys from That Metal Show were hosting, [?] Jim and Don and Eddie, which was really cool. And we had a good time. It sounded great. And Axl got a wonderful award for his lifetime achievement. And so that was fine. It was the exception, like I said, I'm used to be a little bit worried about live TV but that turned out great.
[...] that turned out really great, it was great night, a great night for Axl, a great night for everybody. So many great bands. They did a great job with the show, and I'm always a little nervous about doing live TV, but that went off without a hitch, and it was really cool to see a Jim and Don and Eddie there hosting. And just, yeah, it was just, it was it was a great night. It really was. We had a great time and I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it sounds great. And you know, it's great for Ax to get the Lifetime Achievement Award. And yes, we're all very proud, very happy and they have a good thing going down there so it was great to be a part of it.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
REACTIONS TO HAVING HAD DUFF BACK IN THE BAND
It was great going and playing those shows with him. We had a good time.
______________________________________
And yeah, Duff did join us, Paul had some shows with his old band The Replacements, and so Duff was kind enough, and luckily enough, he was available. He was kind enough to come fill in. And that was a lot of fun. It was good to see him again and good to be on stage with him. A treat for all of us and for all the people down there.
It was such a treat, it was a blast, you know. It's just good to see him and to be able to hang out with him, you know. And just to, you know, tell a few stories to some of the guys that weren't around back then and... but just, it was a treat for all of us and for the fans. It was just really cool that he was able to, you know, he was available and willing to to come help us out because, you know, Tommy had some commitments with The Replacements that he had. And so we... you know, it turned out really cool.
It went really well. He worked really hard on the parts and he liked playing the newer songs from Chinese. And you know, it's pretty funny because we'd go to talk about certain things from Illusions, and there's things he doesn't remember, there's things I don't remember. We kind of finish some of each other's memories sometimes. And the Duff that played these shows with us isn't really the Duff that I knew from what I'd call "Old Guns" or the Appetite lineup or the Illusions lineup. Because with this lineup, everybody goes out and tries to do their very best, and every guy's on. I don't have to tell the other guys what to do, they do it on their own. They push each other really, really hard. That also pushed Duff, and he liked the challenge of that. And he got along with the guys really well. He and some of the band and crew were doing their yoga together during the days we were out there, so...
It's been fantastic. [...] Great to spend time with him. He's really a fantastic human.
It's been great for the fans, you know, it's great to share the stage with Duff. I mean, he's such a nice dude, great guy, and-
[Duff] has joined us on stage a couple of times in the past few years but we've never done an entire show together and we did half a dozen, we did in South America and we did Golden Gods. It's nice. It's nice to play with him, he's, you know, he's rock solid and he's just a sweetheart of a guy and it's just a good person to play with. That's how it is like, when... I don't know, musicians... you're just musicians and other musicians, it's like, you just enjoy playing with different people and you just love the experience, but you don't think of it from the context of, like, as a fan saying, "Wow! I can't believe I'm playing with this person!" You almost think of it at this musical level where you're both musicians and you're just kind of vibing out as musicians and you don't think about that stuff. So like, even, you know.. what was it? Like half a year ago, I played with Ace and Peter and do, like, Hooligan with Peter, he hadn't played that song in like 30 years. And as a KISS fan I would be peeing in my pants, I'd be like, "Oh my god, I'm gonna play with these guys," but when you're on the stage it's more like you're just really focused on the song and connecting musically and just getting a real kick out of that and having fun with it and you don't think about the rest.
You know, come to think of it, it did inject a little bit of energy, a little bit of enthusiasm. You know, it's great to see Duff and it was just a pleasure to be around him again and kind of a trip to see him on stage. Definitely treat for, you know, for the guys who haven't, you know, hadn't played with him in the past. And also a huge treat for the fans and it was cool, it was great, that Duff was available to do that and willing to do that. And you know, we love Tommy but he had to go do a thing with The Replacements and so it all worked out great. [...] Duff is such positive person around and a consummate professional too, so. But yeah, it was just kind of funny when Axl would introduce him and he would say that Tommy Stinson had some [?] reunion shows with The Replacements that he was committed to so we "found a replacement for the replacement [?] replacement" [laughter.] It was kind of a trip. But it was a blast and like I said, you know, it was really cool that he was able to do it and now, you know, we're welcoming our friend Tommy back and we're ready to go kick some ass.
It was great to see Duff again and play with him. He's just a great overall positive person, and a good friend. We fell out of touch for a long time, so for me, personally it was just great to see him and be around him again. Tommy's a great player, too, and the shows are great with Tommy, but it was a lot of fun to play with Duff. He's got a certain sound and a certain feel; I think he had to kind of feel it out a little bit wtih Guns again this time, which is weird because he started the band, but once he got into it, it was great.
He is such a sweetheart. Before he joined as a guest in a previous tour and then he returned to do full shows with us. It was just nice to spend some quality time with him. Now I know from the fans’ stand point this is a big thing, but for me it’s like hanging out with a friend who I have such great conversations with.
Duff would talk about how this was an opportunity to "get [his] old pal back" and:
I was going to go out and play with a guy, we went through the gutter, from nothing, to believing in our music.
Duff would also describe Axl as being punk and one who cannot lie:
I came from a punk rock background, and that guy was more punk rock that anybody I'd seen, because everything is real. There's no put on, it's real, and that's punk rock. He was honest, and real, the guy can't lie, he can't. That bear honesty and truth from that guy is more punk rock than anything else. He was born a frontman, it's natural. That's not something you can go home and practice, it's just, you've got it or you don't. Once you have it, you always have it. We just had a really good time, we traveled together. (Laughs) I kept him waiting in a van for a half hour. I didn't know, I thought we were supposed to meet in a lobby, and he was laughing when I got to the van. I finally got this text: 'We're waiting for you dude.' 'A-ha,' he goes, 'Touche.' 'I didn't mean to make you wait, I was in the lobby.'
And how they had connected again:
After playing with Axl last spring and those guys, I just missed playing with him, I've got to be honest. I'm like dude, we should have been doing this for the - so much time has passed, of course. We talked about some things, we did, we thought we were just this gang, we weren't going to fall into any typical rock crap, no man. We fell into every one of them man, and we were laughing about that.
Responding to the interviewer suggesting this was different to back in earlier years:
Back in the day? No. Definitely not doing yoga. [Laughs] That's when they would drink as much as they could. And they had this game they would play where they would jump over this ditch and slam themselves into a fence. And then slide down into the ditch, kind of in a coma. That was their version of exercise back then.
And discussing hearing Duff sing:
That was a fun thing about some of these shows. Because there's also things like that little line in "Civil War" "Peace could last forever." Duff wrote that line, and he sings it. And I've always been a fan of Duff's voice. There's a punk element to it and a sincerity to it. I like hearing it.
Axl would also get asked if he thought Duff might do more with the band:
It's possible. I don't know yet. It depends on scheduling, or what shows Tommy [Stinson] wants to do with the Replacements and stuff like that. And you know, almost everybody in the band has some kind of issue going on, personally. There's people who have lost family members. Other people are dealing with separations. Sometimes court gets in the way. Real life!
Slash would insist it was not that big a deal and refer to Tommy as "what's his name":
It really isn’t that big a deal. Duff told me he was going to fill in for what’s his name.
It was fine. When he told me he was doing the shows, I didn’t think much about it. Why would I care? If you remember correctly, Duff was the last guy in the band.
While Matt would be more congenial:
Well, Duff’s like a really consummate gentleman, he’s always been the mediator. I think he got caught in the middle of all the other stuff. So for him to mend fences [with Axl Rose], it was cool. It’s time. Rather than sitting around and saying “What if?” He was really cool about it, he sent us all emails. It was nice, it felt cool, it felt right.
In 2019, Duff would look back at having played with the band again and indicate that it served as a primer for Slash and Duff rejoining the band permanently in 2016:
So I went and did it, five or six shows. The best part was Axl and I got a chance to talk and hang. And playing those songs, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable boots. It was pretty epic. We realised: this is just two of us, and it has that old kind of nasty swing to it. And, you know, one thing led to another, Axl called Slash, and the three of us started talking.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
JANUARY-MAY, 2014
NEW MUSIC BEFORE THE VEGAS RESIDENCY?2014 would start with Tommy saying it is a good time do make a record:
We want to make a new album, so I think it's a good time to do something about it. But there are eight guys (in the band) living in different cities and it's hard to get everyone together. I am trying to write songs and send them over the internet, I want to make it happen. We've talked about doing a new record, but we don't know when it will be.
And Bumblefoot would again say he still hadn't written anything with the band and didn't want to write songs for the band:
Haven't written anything together with the GNR guys, would rather write together than bring my own songs in, I want to write 'with' GNR, not 'for' GNR, I want things to be as authentic as possible.
Despite this, on Bumblefoot's next solo record two of the songs had been intended for Guns N' Roses [see later chapter], indicating that he did actually write songs with GN'R in mind.
Yet, DJ would claim they had worked on new music:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
And in April:
I hope we would fucking throw ourselves in the studio and make another record. A bunch of us have been writing stuff, so hopefully we'll get something going.
Richard was hoping for a release in 2015:
We are working on stuff and hopefully, hopefully very soon we're gonna have new stuff out. [...] Well, in the next year, within the next year.
We all have our home studios. We all record ideas and pass them around and we had to, you know, it's that type of [?]
When asked when fans could see new music, DJ insisted again, despite having stated this for a long time, that creating a new album was the band's main focus:
Hopefully soon, that’s everybody’s main focus. With Guns the engine is a lot bigger to turn then let’s say Sixx:AM where there’s only 3 of us. The thing about Guns is that we have so much recorded material. It’s not a matter of a lack of material. It’s actually the opposite and sifting through tons of songs and figuring out what is going to be the next Guns N' Roses album. I think that’s the challenge.
Specifically asked if GN'R now is only a touring entity:
I think, no, I don't think that at all. I joined this band. I'm a songwriter, I'm a producer. I feel, as a songwriter/producer, that I could bring something to the table. If I didn't, I wouldn't be in the band. I've turned down more gigs out there than I've taken, but this is something where I feel very passionate about the music and passionate about the band, and I feel like I personally can help bring something to the table. And you know, I think our main goal in the future is to write the next best Guns N' Roses record. That's what I'm excited about.
We have tons of material. You know, before I even joined the band, there were three albums worth recorded. There's tons of songs already recorded that Axl's been playing me. And, you know, of course I'm a writer, everybody in the band writes songs Everybody has their own piles of songs too, so lack of material is not our problem, it's, you know, taking all the material that we have, you know, and making sense of it, focusing it into what we feel would be just a kick-ass album, you know?
When I joined the band five years ago they had three albums worth of material recorded. There is a ton of stuff that nobody has heard that is really, really good. Of course I am a songwriter, producer and so are a lot of the other guys, so everyone has their pile of songs. It is to the point where we don’t have a lack of material, we have an abundance and we have to really sit down and sift through it and make the best sense of it all.
Around the same time, Dizzy would joke saying it can't take another 14 years (from the release of Chinese Democracy in 2008), because he might not be around then:
Yes, there's gonna have to be [new music]. And no, it's not gonna be another 14 years because I don't know, you know, eventually some of us can start, you know, go away. [laughter] I don't know if I can make it another 14 years or whatever it's going to be.
And also:
[A new album is] the plan although we haven't really discussed it for a while. But I know that there's a lot of stuff that, you know, people need to hear, that's ready to come out. So it's going to happen, I just don't have an actual date for you yet. But my fingers are crossed but they're getting a little bit looser so I think it can be happening soon.
And before the residency, Dizzy would be asked if it was possible they would play any new songs:
You never know. You just you never know, if [?] cover songs. I know that we've all been working hard, just trying to get some stuff shored up. So it is a possibility. Anything's possible. Anything is possible. With Guns N' Roses, anything is possible.
And that it was just a matter of deciding what songs to release:
There’s a sh*tload of it. It’s there. It’s just a matter of—once it gets to a certain point, I’m not sure who’s going to make that decision, but there are songs that are done or close to being done that just need to be selected and grouped together and released. That’s where things are at with that.
[...] before I joined the band, there's two more albums' worth of songs that already had been recorded and Axl's played me a part of it. It's great stuff. I can't wait. I think we're gonna tear into it. And, of course, I'm a songwriter and producer, and I have 13 or 14 brand new songs, and everybody kind of has their own songs. So lack of songs really isn't the problem. It's… To be honest, we've been touring so hardcore since I've been in the band — we've been around the world four or five times in the last five years — so it's just a matter of, really, 'Hey, let's stop touring for a bit and put together what we feel.. Let's sift through [all] the songs and song ideas and put together what we feel is gonna be the next best Guns N' Roses record.
LOOKING SERIOUSLY AT WHAT TO DO
In connection with the Golden Gods Awards show in April, Axl would finally talk about the band's plans and confirm they basically had the follow-up ready and also the remix album:
We recorded a lot of things before Chinese was out. We've worked more on some of those things and we've written a few new things. But basically, we have what I call kind of the second half of Chinese. That's already recorded. And then we have a remix album made of the songs from Chinese. That's been done for a while, too. But after Vegas [Guns N' Roses performed a residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino that ran through early June], we're going to start looking very seriously at what we're doing in that regard.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MAY 13 AND 16, 2014
BETHLEHEM (PA) AND ROCK ON THE RANGEAfter the Golden Gods Awards show, the band played two more shows in the US before their second residency in Las Vegas, at Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA, on May 13, and Rock on the Range in Columbus, OH, on May 16.
Excerpts of review of the Bethlehem show in The Express Times, May 14, 2014:
[...] it wasn't really Guns N' Roses so much as it was Guns N' Roses doing their best Guns N' Roses impression at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.
The band's three lead/rhythm guitarists each made it clear they are more than capable of handling -- and mimicking -- the riffs originally made famous by former, and founding, members Slash and Izzy Stradlin. Current guitarists DJ Ashba, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thai and Richard Fortus are extremely talented in their own right. But their interpretations of the well-known leads and solos often became lost in self-indulging and excessive variations.
Then there is Rose.
The enigmatic front-man was surprisingly quiet throughout the night. He did take a minute to address the sold-out crowd. "How you doin'? This is a nice place you got here. We'll try to stop by more often," he said.
Rose, for the most part, still has his vocal chops -- dropping his signature rafter-shaking howl several times throughout the night. His voice is still powerful and commanding -- when it is on target. Rose's pipes' wavered between strained and pitch-perfect. He soared on "Live and Let Die," but was scratchy on "Rocket Queen."
[...]
Though he (briefly) delighted fans with his signature snake-like dance/shimmy, for someone who is the face and last remaining original member, Rose spent a good chunk of the concert obscured off-stage. Several times Rose introduced a band member and then disappeared to let him take the spotlight for a solo -- most of which meandered and brought the pace of the concert to a crawl. The solo spots grew tiresome as the show dragged on (clocking in at 2 1/2 hours.)
The group had no problem recreating Guns N' Roses' back catalog. Yet it was hard to shake the feeling that the band was trying to prove to naysayers and curious parties that they can play their predecessors' licks just as good, if not better.
At least it took less than 45 minutes for the band to set foot on stage.
The band's three lead/rhythm guitarists each made it clear they are more than capable of handling -- and mimicking -- the riffs originally made famous by former, and founding, members Slash and Izzy Stradlin. Current guitarists DJ Ashba, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thai and Richard Fortus are extremely talented in their own right. But their interpretations of the well-known leads and solos often became lost in self-indulging and excessive variations.
Then there is Rose.
The enigmatic front-man was surprisingly quiet throughout the night. He did take a minute to address the sold-out crowd. "How you doin'? This is a nice place you got here. We'll try to stop by more often," he said.
Rose, for the most part, still has his vocal chops -- dropping his signature rafter-shaking howl several times throughout the night. His voice is still powerful and commanding -- when it is on target. Rose's pipes' wavered between strained and pitch-perfect. He soared on "Live and Let Die," but was scratchy on "Rocket Queen."
[...]
Though he (briefly) delighted fans with his signature snake-like dance/shimmy, for someone who is the face and last remaining original member, Rose spent a good chunk of the concert obscured off-stage. Several times Rose introduced a band member and then disappeared to let him take the spotlight for a solo -- most of which meandered and brought the pace of the concert to a crawl. The solo spots grew tiresome as the show dragged on (clocking in at 2 1/2 hours.)
The group had no problem recreating Guns N' Roses' back catalog. Yet it was hard to shake the feeling that the band was trying to prove to naysayers and curious parties that they can play their predecessors' licks just as good, if not better.
At least it took less than 45 minutes for the band to set foot on stage.
The Express Times, May 14, 2014
Before playing on Rock on the Range, Dizzy and DJ would talk about the upcoming show:
Yeah I’m really excited! One of my super good friends Danny Wimmer runs the whole thing – it should be a great festival. Also for the first time we’re going set up the tent/booth there for the Ashba clothing line and I’ll be giving out free shots of Jager and Monster Energy. I hope people come out and say hello, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
[I'm] very excited. And I didn't realize until just now that it was the biggest rock festival in in the country. So now I'm even more excited. [...] And you know what? You know, it's, you know, in Ohio, which is, you know, that's the first place, you know, that's where Rock'n'roll was born. So we're ready, man. We're gonna come, and we're gonna bring it.
It's going to be a lot of fun. You know, it's Danny Wimmer, it's his festival and he used to manage me years ago. [...] And just a great guy, can't wait. I've always wanted to play Rock on the Range and now we're here. [...] It's an amazing experience, yeah. Yeah, I just went out and spent over two hours signing and meeting people and everybody's so cool and just in good spirits out here, so.
We are excited too! You can expect a lot of rockets, bombs, and more! Just expect a high energy, fun, unpredictable rock show. If you have never seen this band live it is an amazing experience and we are going to come out, no pun intended, guns blazing for sure.
And Dizzy would talk about Axl:
The guy is singing his a-- off. He sounds better than ever. He can still command a crowd. In so many ways, it doesn’t matter who’s behind him. When he sings those songs, it’s Guns N’ Roses.
And what Axl's doing when he is not singing:
I know when I’m doing my thing, he’s telling jokes in my in-ear monitors, trying to get me to crack a smile or break my concentration. It’s kind of a standoff, kind of a game. … I don’t have my eye on him. I don’t really know what he’s doing. But he is telling some killer jokes.
Around the same time, Axl would also talk about trying to mess with bandmates by telling jokes in the in-ear monitor:
But one thing I do like to do when I'm not playing or singing onstage is I like talking through the microphone into the other guys' in-ears and telling them jokes and stuff to try to mess up their playing. [Laughs] [...] DJ and Dizzy [are the easiest to mess with]. I'll talk to them during their solos. That's always a lot of fun..
Rock on the Range posterMay 16, 2014
Outside of the US we’re used to the big shows. In the United States it’s a lot tougher these days. It’s cool how all these bands are coming together to put on a weekend of good music and partying. It should be tons of fun for everyone, I’ve never been there. But I’ve heard a lot about it so personally I’m really excited to go there.
Dizzy would talk about the show afterwards:
It was a great night. It was a little chilly, but luckily it didn’t rain when we played. We had a blast and it was just really good to see a lot of the other bands that were there. Some friends that we hadn’t seen in a while and that was very cool. We had a great time and hope we can do it again.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MAY 21, 2014
RADARONLINE CLAIMS AXL IS RETIRING; GUNS N' ROSES SAYS NOOn May 21, RadarOnline would claim Axl was considering retiring after the upcoming Las Vegas residency and that the band members had been told nothing would happen after the scheduled shows:
Legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses are set to split, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.
The band, who first formed in Los Angeles in 1985 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, will call it a day after their Las Vegas residency wraps up June 7th.
“Band members have been told their calendars are free following Vegas,” a source close to the band tells RadarOnline. “Axl (Rose) is considering retiring and it’s done. Band members and support staff were surprised when told the news and are actively looking for work.”
[...]
“Axl has made enough money and wants to stop touring,” adds another source. “He is considering retiring.”
The band, who first formed in Los Angeles in 1985 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, will call it a day after their Las Vegas residency wraps up June 7th.
“Band members have been told their calendars are free following Vegas,” a source close to the band tells RadarOnline. “Axl (Rose) is considering retiring and it’s done. Band members and support staff were surprised when told the news and are actively looking for work.”
[...]
“Axl has made enough money and wants to stop touring,” adds another source. “He is considering retiring.”
The following day Guns N' Roses responded:
Tweet from Guns N' RosesMay 22, 2014
"A very solid source within the band's camp" would also confirm to Loudwire that the retirement rumours was "bullshit" but the band had been notified their calendars were cleared after the residency and that hence the band would not tour in a while [Loudwire, May 21, 2014].
Later, Dizzy would be asked about the rumour and how it had started:
I have no idea. I got an email and had to Google it. I don’t know, I think they should have to name our sources, then we’d all know how that came about, wouldn’t we? If anyone is going to publish or print anything out of the blue, I think they should have to reveal their sources. So, I don’t know how that came about, and haven’t heard that that’s true. We didn’t talk about it last night but I will say this, if he’s retiring, then I’m fucking retiring too.
You know, so much of that crap gets out there, you can't believe any of it. At this point, having been in the band for so long, nothing surprises me. When I hear things like that I immediately dismiss them until I hear further. I'm never really concerned enough to even ask where it came from, or why, because if it's that important I'll be getting a phone call.
It seems likely the band members had been told the band would take a well-earnt break after the residency, since they picked up various side projects fairly quickly [see later chapter].
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
WORKING ON NEW MUSIC WHILE IN LAS VEGAS?
Like in 2012, before coming to Las Vegas, band members would speculate that being in the same area for a period could result in them writing together and working on new songs:
We've been talking about [recording some new stuff], we've been working on shit. I tossed a song around to the guys a little while back and we're gonna... we're probably going to get into it a little more when we get to Vegas. We have some time to, you know, [?] and write stuff.
As stated in the quote above, Tommy had submitted a song to the band, possibly a result of Bumblefoot's plan for each band member to bring in one song to get the writing going [see previous chapter].
And DJ would reiterate that he didn't join the band to only play the guitar and that he had submitted as much as 13-14 songs (something he had also talked about previously, see earlier chapter):
I didn’t join this [band] just to play guitar. I joined because I believe I can bring something to the table as a songwriter, producer. We have a lot of stuff written. I’ve written 13 or 14 songs. Whatever ends up on the record, no one knows at this point. I know everybody’s main focus is to get together as a band and put together what we feel collectively is the best Guns N’ Roses record.
DJ would also again talk about songs Axl had probably not recorded yet:
What I’ve heard that Axl has is insane stuff. I’ll be sitting in his hotel room, and he’ll just be playing his piano and singing, and I’ll be like ‘Dude, what is that?’ ‘Oh, just some shit I’m playing around with.’ And it’ll be like ‘November Rain’ shit. Like, ‘Holy shit, the world has to hear this tomorrow.’ I pray to God the world gets a chance to hear the stuff that he has up his sleeve. He has some amazing songs sitting there.
And state that he was felt he had more to offer as a producer and songwriter in Guns N' Roses than a guitar player:
I'm still a fan of Guns, I always will be, and that's the only reason I'm in this band is because, you know, I felt really connected to the band. You know, I grew up cutting my teeth on, you know, the guitar style and this so for me it was like putting on a glove, it felt natural so, you know, I turned down quite a few big gigs and this is one that I just couldn't turn down, I felt like I had something I could offer, you know, and as a songwriter, producer, you know, I feel like i can honestly bring something cool to the table for the future of this band, so that's why I'm here. Not so much to play guitar.
Yet, right after the residency, Bumblefoot was asked about progress with the new album and answer shortly:
See what happens.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MAY 21-30, 2014
THE BAND'S SECOND RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS - NO TRICKERY!A few days prior to the show, DJ was still not sure how this residency would be different than the previous residency nor their regular touring gigs:
I’m excited to see what it is myself. There’s a lot of talk of really exciting stuff to be done this time. [...] Our goal is to do a show that’s completely different than the last one we did there. And obviously, we know we’re there for three-four weeks straight, so the other obstacle is how do we make the show different from night to night?
And talking about meeting fans:
After the shows there’s nights where we throw parties and you get a chance to run into fans all over the hotel, at the center bar and different restaurants. It’s just a really cool, closed environment, a little more intimate setting where you get a chance to meet some of the people who are coming out. That’s the fun part for me.
Then, a few days later, DJ would again talk about how no one would know what they would play:
We have five hours of material. We don’t follow a setlist, ever. We all know the songs and Axl will call out the next song and the lighting and sound guys need to be on their games. It’s always a reckless rock ’n’ roll experience.
He would also mention new pyrotechnics:
We will have some pyrotechnics, new stuff that I don’t want to give away, and the lighting guys know exactly to a T where we should be. It’s good because when we go out there, the music is our focus. We’re not into synchronizing moves. We feed off and react to the crowd, and sometimes I don’t know what’s going on. I’ll be drunk off my (butt), and a roadie will drag me back so I won’t get blown away.
And Dizzy would talk about the band having a few "surprises up [their] sleeves" in terms of their setlists:
Obviously we’re going to play the classics, and we’re going to do some Chinese Democracy stuff. I think we have a few more little surprises up our sleeves as well.
THE SHOWS
The first show took place on May 21, and despite the promises of surprises, the setlist was identical to their previous show at Rock on the Range, albeit a bit shorter. The next show took place on May 24.
Excerpt of May 24 review in Vegas Seven:
On this night—the second performance of a nine-show residency that runs through June 7—GNR gave a packed house what they came to hear: “Welcome to the Jungle”; “Sweet Child O’ Mine”; “November Rain”; “You Could Be Mine,” etc. And they once again also provided some frosting on the cake by covering Zeppelin (“Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You”), The Who (“The Seeker”), the Stones (“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”) and the Sex Pistols (“Holidays in the Sun”). This, of course, in addition to Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Live and Let Die”—two covers off 1991’s Use Your Illusion that are regular staples of GNR shows. By the time the confetti stopped falling after perennial show-closer “Paradise City”—at well past 2 a.m.—GNR had ripped through more than 25 songs/jams. For that, nobody could’ve complained he didn’t get his money’s worth.
Still, is it frustrating that Rose, who has almost doubled the size of his band, refuses to mend fences with Slash and the rest of the original lineup? Of course (again, though, credit for finding very capable replacements). Is it disappointing that one of rock’s greatest singers no longer has the same vocal range and at times gasps for air? No question (although by no means did Rose shortchange the crowd in terms of energy and effort). And would it be nice if he dumped a couple of Chinese Democracy songs and perhaps a guitar solo in favor of some seldom-played deep cuts (“Get in the Ring,” “My Michelle” and “Think About You” come immediately to mind)? Absolutely.
Still, is it frustrating that Rose, who has almost doubled the size of his band, refuses to mend fences with Slash and the rest of the original lineup? Of course (again, though, credit for finding very capable replacements). Is it disappointing that one of rock’s greatest singers no longer has the same vocal range and at times gasps for air? No question (although by no means did Rose shortchange the crowd in terms of energy and effort). And would it be nice if he dumped a couple of Chinese Democracy songs and perhaps a guitar solo in favor of some seldom-played deep cuts (“Get in the Ring,” “My Michelle” and “Think About You” come immediately to mind)? Absolutely.
Then followed shows on May 25, May 28 and May 30.
The band takes a bowHard Rock Hotel and Casino, May 30, 2014
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MAY 28, 2014
AXL RESPONDS TO TOPPING LARGEST VOCAL RANGE LISTOn May 19, 2014, Spin Magazine would write an article about a list presented at Concert Hotels that showed that Axl had the largest singing range, with just over 5 octaves, of those studied [Spin, May 19, 2014].
"The World's Greatest Singers"Concert Hotels, 2014
This article prompted Axl to send Spin a humble letter:
Big thanks to all the fans and media for the props reacting to the Spin top vocalists article.
From what I could tell, the original article was for the most part only talking about the professionally recorded vocal range of the singers they compared calling the entire group “The World’s Greatest Singers.” It’s very flattering and humbling to be included in such an illustrious ensemble.
If I had to say who I thought the best singers were, I’d say first that I don’t know there’s a definitive answer as in my opinion it’s subjective, and second that my focus is primarily rock singers.
That said, I enjoy Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Dan McCafferty, Janice Joplin, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Don Henley, Jeff Lynne, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Scott, Etta James, Fiona Apple, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and a ton of others (predominantly 70’s rock singers) and would rather hear ANY of them anytime rather than me!
Peace!
Axl
From what I could tell, the original article was for the most part only talking about the professionally recorded vocal range of the singers they compared calling the entire group “The World’s Greatest Singers.” It’s very flattering and humbling to be included in such an illustrious ensemble.
If I had to say who I thought the best singers were, I’d say first that I don’t know there’s a definitive answer as in my opinion it’s subjective, and second that my focus is primarily rock singers.
That said, I enjoy Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Dan McCafferty, Janice Joplin, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Don Henley, Jeff Lynne, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Scott, Etta James, Fiona Apple, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and a ton of others (predominantly 70’s rock singers) and would rather hear ANY of them anytime rather than me!
Peace!
Axl
And Dizzy would voice his opinion:
I can’t argue with that. I’ve made similar comments before. I think if everyone had a chance to really sit down and dissect what he has done over the years on certain songs and CDs, his voice is his instrument. It’s mind blowing and yes, his range in incredible. I have mad respect for him as a singer, songwriter and as an artist and a friend. He’s amazing.
LARGER STUDY IN VVN MUSIC
VVN Music then did a larger study which including more singers, and here Axl ended up with the 5th largest vocal range, with Mike Patton on top [Spin, May 27, 2014].
Excerpt of VVN's listMay 2014
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
MAY 31, 2014
DUFF REPLACES TOMMY AGAIN DURING THE RESIDENCYFor the May 31 show at the Las Vegas residency, Duff again replaced Tommy.
LV, here I come! They tell me there is a rock show there tonite. Maybe I'll check 'er out?!
Twitter, May 31, 2014
Axl would explain the unexpected replacement from the stage:
Mr. Stinson, Tommy Stinson, had some issues that he had to deal with today.
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, May 31, 2014
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
JUNE 4-7, 2014
THE END TO THE RESIDENCY, THE END TO AN ERAThe residency continued with a show on June 4. For this show the band played Yesterday's for the first time since 1993. They also played Prostitute which hadn't been played since 2009. Furthermore, to honor Doc Neeson, frontman of The Angels, who had just passed from cancer, the band also covered Marseilles.
Yeah, and when Doc passed, GN'R was [...] in Vegas, doing a residency and we did Marseilles. A few shows we did that in honor to him. [...] I actually came down, we were doing a rehearsal that day and I just heard the news and I told to Axl and Axl sat at the piano and thought for a second and he said, "You know, I was really hoping I would get to see him again." Yeah, so I suggested we... I actually just started playing it and he said, "Let's do it." And so we did that night. Without half the band hearing it before [laughs]. Yeah... some of the guys had never heard it, so...
The band played Marseilles again for the next show on June 6 which was a whooping 29-song show.
The final show of the residency took place on June 7.
[...] my favorite part of playing live is the personal stuff. You know, every gig like with GN'R, I'm reaching my guitar out into the crowd so that they can strum the chords, if there's anyone on stage and just run over to them, it's like, "Yeah, play the guitar!" Oh god, even, you know, the Vegas show, for the last two shows, one of the the dancers on stage - because we had pole dancers- and so I gave her the guitar, I was like, "Here, play!" and I jumped up on the pole and turned upside down [laughing].
Nicholas Cage and Andrew Dice ClayHard Rock Hotel and Casino, June 7, 2014
After the residency, Dizzy, DJ and Richard would talk about the benefits of doing a stationary series of live shows:
I guess, you know, the main difference obviously is is the travel, and there's less of it. So you can bring more stuff because you don't have to pack it up everyday, and just try to make yourself, you know, feel at home. And I really enjoyed doing the residencies myself. But it's just a... yeah, I mean, when you're younger and you first start rolling around in the bus, whatever, you just think, "Man, this is the life!" But it starts to take its toll after a while, flying too, especially these days. It's really difficult. So you know, if you eliminate that aspect there's a certain comfortability that's there. And I think the band just... it's, you can build momentum more, I think, by, you know, a couple shows into it everything's kind of rolling along like right away as opposed to the... you know, the room's not changing, the venue is not changing every night, so maybe like, you know, sometimes when that happens you go from indoors to outdoors and you know, all of a sudden you have, you know, it doesn't sound the same in your ears or in the monitors. You know, you don't really get that with what you're doing that stuff. And you know what? There's a casino outside and there's Jägermeister and you can just, you can have a blast. [...] I think the main thing is that, you know, when you're in Vegas, I think most of the people there, not all the people, but they don't have to get up and go to work in the morning, they don't have to go home, they don't have to worry about the babysitter or the kids, because they're there having a good time and to see a show. You know, everywhere else they're there to have a good time at the show, but, you know, it's back to reality the next day for everybody making Vegas, in most cases, you know, they have a couple more days without pretending there's somebody else before they go back to whatever they're doing.
It is a different experience. It is fun to get to really build a show like that. You don’t have to tear it down every night. You can do things that you would normally do every day in your set. It also gives you a chance to stretch out a bit. In case we get bored? We can change things up. Especially Axl, he doesn’t like anybody to be too comfortable.
I actually do [prefer residencies] to be honest because what's cool about that is you get to kind of set up shop and it's home for me but we are all in the hotels and get to party with the fans and hang out with them a lot more instead of play the show, get on the bus and go you know? I enjoy it big time.
THE END TO AN ERA; THE END TO NUGNR
The June 7, 2014, show in Las Vegas would be the final show for Bumblefoot, DJ, Tommy and Chris, and the final show before a reunited Guns N' Roses played their first show on April 1, 2016. As such it was also the end to the "nuGN'R" era.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
JUNE 2014
TOMMY IS OUT OF GUNS N' ROSES2012-2014: TOMMY'S PROBLEMS AT HOME
In 2017, Tommy would shed some light on the reasons for having Duff replace him in 2014::
[Touring with GN'R] really was a lot and it really required, sadly, because of my circumstances with my ex-wife, to have to put a whole lot of crazy shit into play just to be able to do those tours towards the end, because I had this young daughter.
The couple divorced in 2012, resulting in Tommy becoming a a full-time dad:
[My marriage] went fuckin’ south in a bad, bad way. [...] [I became a] fuckin’ full-time dad – and happily a full-time dad.
Talking about being a single dad:
It changes everything. It changes, you know, your focus. It changes your entire outlook on things. It makes what was once frivolous a lot more frivolous. It makes what was once important really important.
Looking back at this period:
I had to kind of basically (sighs)…I had to say I couldn’t do a bunch of tours right around the time my relationship with my soon-to-be-ex fell apart and had to basically, had to be a stay at home dad. And luckily at the same time, as I was not able to do a four to six-week tour, the Replacements went out and did the reunion stuff on weekends. The weekend gigs I could manage with being a stay-at-home dad and all the stuff going on in my life. But the reality is, I really couldn’t do a four-week tour of Europe or a six-week tour of this or that. I had to say I couldn’t do it because I had a little kid. And I don’t regret any of that.
JUNE 2014: LEAVING THE BAND TO FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS
Tommy would later explain how his problems at home had affected five planned tours and that this has soured his relationship with the band:
I wasn’t intending to quit Guns N’ Roses. But I had to tell them, I think, five times in a row my situation at home was so screwed up I couldn’t tour.
I think that due to some of the things that happened towards the end when I was in the band…from my part in it, I wasn’t able to tour for a while because of my family situation at home was very unstable. I had to take care of some shit. So I had basically had to turn down I think it might have been as many as 5 different tours that they wanted to do.
You know, I mean I felt bad for Axl because I think he kinda got side-swiped a bit by some of the stuff that was going on. He knew…they all knew…what was going on with me and there was nothing I could do about it. I didn’t have any backup plan to help me with my 8-year-old kid or any of that, so it got to be pretty rough quick.
It was a good gig for me; I won't josh you on that. It was kind of weird. It was a troubling bit. I really literally had to turn down some tours with them and they got kind of frustrated with that, I think, that I couldn't go out. And I just kind of had to walk away because my circumstances were so bleak at home, and I had to just deal with it. Every musician, probably, that gets to any sort of place in their life where they're doing okay will probably attest, when you start to try to have family and kids, it gets real hard.
By June 2014, Tommy had effectively left Guns N' Roses [Rolling Stone, January 27, 2017] although this was not made public and in contrast to Bumblefoot [see later chapter] he managed to avoid talking about this to the press. Tommy would comment on being out of the band first on January 21, 2016, after it was confirmed Duff and Slash had rejoined the band:
I think everyone kinda knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I had to start turning down tours because I was unable to tour and I got into a position personally where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don't know, it must have been about five tours that they called me to do and I just said I can't do them. [...] At that point, they, I think Axl got to the position, ok so what am I going to do now, cause I don't have a band. Blah blah blah so. [...] I think it worked out. And I think they'll have fun. It will be a healing thing for them if it works out good. It will be good for them. [...] I know that it's Duff and it's Slash and it's Axl and that's all I know right now.
In the above quote, Tommy alludes to the period where his personal life resulted in Duff replacing him for tours in 2014, and suggested this paved way for the semi-reunion. If so, the process of Tommy leaving had been a gradual process starting in 2014 and finally being cemented by the confirmation that Duff had formally rejoined the band in 2016.
TOMMY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GN'R AFTER HE LEFT
In contrast to Bumblefoot [see earlier chapter], Tommy seems to have left the band on completely amicable terms and had nothing negative to say about his previous band and band mates:
I’ll be honest with you: [Axl Rose] was always very good to me, and it was always a really good gig. It wasn’t necessarily the easiest gig, but it was always good. I have nothing but gratitude for it. If they got [the modern lineup] together again and wanted me to play, of course I’d have to think about it.
I'm good friends with everyone in the band. [...] The only one I don't really know all that well is Slash, and that's probably just because I don't remember meeting him at some point. Maybe back in the 1900s. But yeah, these are all guys, they're all my friends and the crew, all the crew guys, I know a lot of these guys.
It was a great gig for me. I was in that band almost seventeen years. It was fun for me. It was good for me. I’m just happy they’re all out there. They had the same stigma that The Replacements went through, but they’re doing great. It’s not all the band members, but people should love it. If you’re a fan, you’re going to love it.
It was a great run for me, financially it was great for me and it did a lot for me. It formed a lot of relationships that I still have today and I'm pretty stoked about that I'll always be grateful for those kind of things.
It was a really good run for me with them and I've seen two of those shows since and saw everyone and made peace with it. It's part of my life that is over, and I couldn't be more thankful for it. It was a great run. I made money and they kept me out there doing stuff. A lot of my friends are still in that band, and I'm glad for them.
I mean,, you know, that was a very good gig for me. I have nothing but good things to say [...].
And ya know what? For all practical purposes, it was a great gig for me. And I’ll tell you what, I have nothing but respect for those guys, all of them. A bunch of them are my friends. The only one I don’t know is Slash so much. It was a great gig. And ya know, I wouldn’t take any of it back.
He would go on to say he didn't miss being in Guns N' Roses but that he miss the people [NYS MUSIC, December 10, 2019].
As for talking about the professionality of Axl:
You know what? Dude is the most professional... He couldn't get drunk before a show and do what he does. I mean you watch him perform, he gets out, he puts 1000% into it. I wasn't there in the 80s and 90s when they were in their heyday and all that, but I know that me touring with Guns N' Roses, the dude couldn't do what he did. He just came out... you kind of gotta go with his flow. When he's ready to get up there and play, that's when you hit it and you hit it hard, you hit it 1000%, you know.
[That Axl is difficult to work with is] one of the biggest misconceptions about him. He is a very hard working dude that has a very particular way he wants to do things. I’ll be honest with you, if he’s doing anything other than he wants to be doing and you’re in the room, you don’t want to be in there, but when he’s doing what he wants to do, he’s great and he’s doing a great job.
People ask me all the time, 'Is he really an asshole?' No, he wasn't; he's actually a pal of mine. We had a good working relationship. It wasn't always easy, but neither is a marriage, or any other relationship you have that's long lasting. There are things going on, bumps and all that. But for the most part, he was great to me. All the stories you heard are completely blown out of proportion, as far as I'm concerned. His reputation was a little more mythological than actual reality.
[Axl]’s definitely very much misunderstood. You know, he’s an emotional guy. He’s gotten a bad rap for it, and letting his emotions get the better of him at times. A lot of what his bad rap is about is a lot of phooey. I’ve know the guy for 20 years now. We’ve had our issues back and forth, but he’s always had a heart of gold. I don’t think anybody knows that part of him. When he’s your friend, it’s a kind of lifer sort of thing. I think when him and Slash split up, it was such a painful thing, like your brother leaving you or your family breaking up. I saw those guys, and they’re having a ball. I am glad for all of them.
And how Axl is misunderstood:
[Axl]'s definitely someone who's very misunderstood. You know, he's an emotional guy, he's gotten a bad rap for his emotions probably getting the better of him at times, but a lot of what his bad rap is about, I think, is a lot of fooey. I've know the guy for twenty years now, and we've had our issues back and forth but he's always had a heart of gold. And I don't think anybody really knows that part of him. He's your friend, you know, fucking a lifer kind of thing. And that's great.
Talking about how it had been touring with GN'R and whether he thinks the fans had been fair:
I do. You have to look at what we were selling them, and that was the main voice of Guns N' Roses and an entirely different lineup, and a lineup that changed a few times. To be perfectly honest with you, they came out in droves to see Axl Rose. He's the man who was the front guy of the whole thing. I think the fans were more than ingratiating to us. I still get people Facebooking me and saying, 'Oh, man, we really loved you in the band. Thank you for keeping it going for all those years.'
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
2014-TODAY
TOMMY AFTER GUNS N' ROSESIn February 2015, Tommy would again work on solo music, releasing the singles Can't Be Bothered and L.M.A.O.:
It was kind of a perfect-storm scenario where a few of my friends were going to be in New York state at the same time, so I seized the opportunity. [...] I haven’t had a chance to make real band recordings like this since probably Bash & Pop.
Explaining the lyrical themes:
There’s a lot of personal upheaval in these songs. A lot of my experiences over the last few years have pushed me to the brink in a lot of ways, but I think I’m going to turn a corner soon.
By 2019, Tommy had moved into an apartment:
I am in the Hudson Valley. I still live in Hudson, New York. I sold my house and moved into an apartment complex so that I wouldn't have to shovel, mow, or fix anything ever again. [...] There's some funny ass people that live here though, dude. I'm telling you, it's great. They're young and old. It's a funny, it's almost like a retirement community.
2016-2017: BASH & POP
In 2016, Tommy revived his old band Bash & Pop:
I have two things going on right now, I made a band record and it’s turning into exactly what I want it to and I’ll save the punch line for another time, but it’s been very satisfying. I love the energy you get from a band, that’s the most satisfying thing for me ever, and that should come out in the new year.
I made a new record, a band record, which I am very stoked about. The band record that I tried to make with Bash & Pop years ago ended up being Steve Foley and I for the most part. It was kind of a band record with friends of mine coming over and filling it out.
This record, I recorded everything completely live over in my own studio. I have one whole room in my house that is just a studio. It’s two rooms, really. One’s a control room; one’s a live room. We put up a couple of microphones and let it all flow.
I’ve always liked the band thing -- the camaraderie, the team vibe. It’s always been a huge thing to me. I wanted it live. I wanted it to feel good and sound like it was a bunch of people hacking it out together and getting that rock and roll thing.
This record, I recorded everything completely live over in my own studio. I have one whole room in my house that is just a studio. It’s two rooms, really. One’s a control room; one’s a live room. We put up a couple of microphones and let it all flow.
I’ve always liked the band thing -- the camaraderie, the team vibe. It’s always been a huge thing to me. I wanted it live. I wanted it to feel good and sound like it was a bunch of people hacking it out together and getting that rock and roll thing.
It's a band kind of record; that's why I decided to call it Bash & Pop. We recorded everything as live as I could. I was missing that vibe with my last couple of solo records, so I really tried to hunker down and capture a moment, and I realized I was doing it with a really good band. So rather than call it Tommy Stinson, why not call it Bash & Pop?
I’d been doing these recordings as a band with all these guys that played on it. I’d have them come up for the weekend and I had about three or four songs that I wanted to bash out as a band kind of thing—no pun intended. ‘Cause my last two solo records I did on my own and just piecemealed together and it’s a pain in the ass, it’s not as gratifying as feeling the energy of four dudes crammed in a fucking home studio, you know?
I started recording the stuff like that, and the songs, instead of me putzin’ around on my own trying to make weird out of not-weird songs or trying to make interesting by myself, basically. It made itself more of a traditional rock and roll record—it just started going that way.
By the time I got the whole thing done and started playing the tracks for people, they’re going, “Oh, man, this reminds me of the Bash & Pop record.”
So after talking about that shit for a while, it was like, “Alright then, well it doesn’t sound like a Tommy Stinson solo record like these last ones because it’s got a band vibe to it and it has its own feeling to it that’s a group thing.” I decided to just fuckin’ call it Bash & Pop so when I go out I’ll have to do a few songs off the first record, I suppose, and also play all this new stuff.
I started recording the stuff like that, and the songs, instead of me putzin’ around on my own trying to make weird out of not-weird songs or trying to make interesting by myself, basically. It made itself more of a traditional rock and roll record—it just started going that way.
By the time I got the whole thing done and started playing the tracks for people, they’re going, “Oh, man, this reminds me of the Bash & Pop record.”
So after talking about that shit for a while, it was like, “Alright then, well it doesn’t sound like a Tommy Stinson solo record like these last ones because it’s got a band vibe to it and it has its own feeling to it that’s a group thing.” I decided to just fuckin’ call it Bash & Pop so when I go out I’ll have to do a few songs off the first record, I suppose, and also play all this new stuff.
Taking about why he revived the band:
It’s just simply that I kind of went back to square one in how to make a record. I recorded a bunch of stuff live with a band in the studio at my house the way I wanted to do that Bash and Pop record originally. As it was coming together, and the tunes had more of a rootsy vibe to them, as I was playing it for people, they were saying it reminds them of a Bash and Pop record. It kind of sounds like the stuff (I) used to do. It had similar qualities to it, so I figured what the (hell). I already had a band name, and it seemed like a band record instead of a Tommy Stinson solo record. I’ve made those, and kind of piecemealed them together in a certain way. I really didn’t want to do that again. I was lucky enough to put together a group of people that could record in a real live atmosphere where you’re not wearing out the material.
Anything Could HappenJanuary 20, 2017
And talking about two of the songs off the album, Anytime Soon and Never Wanted to Know:
You won’t see me dangling from these rafters anytime soon. My family has plenty of that in it — suicide, depression, the whole f***ing nine yards. I kind of grew up not knowing too much about, or not enough about it in some ways. But I never felt like I was going to kill myself. [...] It’s like you can push me as far as you want, but you won’t make me kill myself. That’s basically the short and skinny on that one.
I follow world affairs enough to have it permeate my life a bit. I grew up in a melting pot in Minneapolis, with desegregated schools in the ’70s, and I remember going through that and having empathy for every race, color, and creed that I came across. And, also, I knew what it was like to be sort of an outcast. That song is about all the social injustice that happens every f***ing day that’s on the news. I wake up some days and say, ‘Holy s***, this is 2000-f***ing-17 now, and this is still the way some people view black people? We’re going back in time to pre-Civil War racism?’ It troubles me. I’ve got two kids.
In 2018 he wanted to do another Bash & Pop record soon:
You know, with a little luck I'll get it done by the fall. Round up the guys, get them out to the studio, go to Memphis probably in May and work with Steve Selvidge on some stuff. And, you know, hopefully record it this summer.
In December 2019, Tommy was working on an album for Bash & Pop [NYS MUSIC, December 10, 2019]. The lineup included Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady on guitar, Joe Sirois of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on drums and Justin Perkins of Screeching Weasel on bass [NYS MUSIC, December 10, 2019].
We did that record [=Anything Could Happen] and toured behind it. And now we’re working on new material for another one. I went down to Memphis to work on some stuff with Steve…I gotta get Joe Kid up here to work up some of these songs before we get everyone in it. The reason I’m saying this is because I really don’t want to produce this one in my studio on my own again. I’d like us to get a good 10-12 song set together of new songs that we could ultimately learn one way or another–over the phone or whatever the fuck–and ultimately come together and play it live in the studio and record it in a heartbeat.
2016: COWBOYS IN THE CAMPFIRE
At the same time as Tommy was reviving Bash & Pop, he was collaborating with Chip Roberts on what was at first only live shows called Cowboys in the Campfire:
I’m also very excited to be going out on tour with my buddy Chip Roberts from Philly who’s worked on a bunch of my stuff. We’re going out as Cowboys In the Campfire and we’re going to be out there writing stuff, playing shit on the spot and having a good time. Two of us in a van. It’s my paid vacation if you will, and I’m stoked about it. It’ll be a lot of fun.
[Chip Roberts] has been my best friend for the past 10 years, we get together and just start goofing around and magically just start writing songs, a lot of which end up on my records. On the new record, he has a song that he penned and brought to me that’s probably going to be the first single. It’s been great. It’s great having a comrade like that.
You know, there are so many different angles on what I do that I like at different points. I like recording a whole lot, but that gets boring. I like playing with a band, but that gets loud and hard and tiresome. Everything has its pros and cons about it that I do. My kid is out of school. I wanted to go out and have an adventure and that’s what we’re doing. It’ll be called "Cowboys in the Campfire."
It started as a watercolor drawing that Chip (Roberts) did. We joked about going out one day as “Cowboys in the Campfire.” We finally did it this year because we were both going, “What are you going to do this summer?” “I don’t know. What are you going to do?” “I don’t know.” “OK, let’s go out and play some shows.” It was a bit of a dare more than anything. Here we are. It turned out pretty good. People seem to like it, and we’re having a ball. It’s just the two of us goofing around.
Talking about Roberts:
I can play everything from my catalog. It's low overhead, so it's been quite profitable as well as fun. We're working hard, and it's worked out pretty good. I haven't toured in a year due to some personal issues back home, and I need to work. It's my job. It's what I do. It feels good to get back to work.
[Roberts] was a local kind of guitar hero guy in the Philly area. He had a band called One-400’s back in the day. He tells a story about how his band played the same night the Replacements played in Philadelphia, and nobody came to the show because they were all at our show. He always wanted to punch us.
And how he would work with Roberts and Cowboys in the Campfire when nothing was happening with Bash & Pop:
I've been writing and playing with Chip Roberts since I met him, you know, 11 years ago and he and I just had this idea. You know, the painting of the two cowboys and the campfire and we talked about doing this one day, going out and having [?] and take it to the streets, and we finally got around to doing it a couple of years ago and we've been having fun ever since. So we get out and do our thing, in between the Bash & Pop touring and stuff. [...] It, you know, gives me something to do and both, you know, the Bash & Pop guys are in other bands as well. So I kind of got to get them when they're available and not doing their other band stuff. But for the Cowboys and Campfire thing works for me because, you know, the other guys in Bash & Pop have other gigs that they do, you know, the drummer Joe [?] and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. And Steve Selvidge is in The Whole Steady and those guys, you know, tour sporadically. But when they do, you know, I got a need to find other people to play with or, as I've chosen, to do Cowboys in the Campfire duo with uncle Chip. You know, it gives me a chance to keep working rather than waiting around for people, you know.
And about the plans to release an EP with the band:
Chip and I do a duo, I play acoustic and sing, he plays either slide or flat steel. And we do a little more in instrumentation on top of that just to keep it kind of interesting sounding rather than just two dudes. But, you know, we [?] EP in Dallas, or not Dallas, Austin, we were just down there recently and friend of mine was producing it, Christine Smith, who I have known from [?] with playing with Jesse Malin years ago. And so we're going to put that out, you know, as soon as I can get a hold of those masters and mix it. And I think Fat Possum is going to want to put it out, they seem to indicate that.
In December 2019, Tommy was working on an album for Cowboys in the Campfire [NYS MUSIC, December 10, 2019].
OPENING FOR GUNS N' ROSES
It would be funny. And I'll be honest with you, I actually threw that out there too, a while ago, because, what the hell, it doesn't hurt to ask, right? We're all still friends. What the hell? But you know, I never heard back from that, which is fine, I can totally understand that they're doing their own thing and stuff and yeah.
ACTIVITY IN 2019
In early 2019, Tommy would be working on three albums, one for Bash & Pop, one for Cowboys in the Campfire, and a new solo album:
I've got three records I'm making this year and [Bash & Pop]'s one of them. [...] And then my dear friend, Nicole Atkins, who produced a single from Bash & Pop that we did, that she did a great job on, she's probably going to produce the solo record that I'm going to do at the end of the year, which is one of the things I was going to keep under wraps. But she's one of my dear friends and one of my favorite singers right now.
Like, you know, the Cowboys in the Campfire thing is a really good touring situation for me, because just two of us, me and Chip Roberts, and we get in a van and we tour around, and it's profitable, and we have a really good time, and we have sort of more one-on-one experiences with people, and it seems to go a long way. The Bash & Pop thing is my rock and roll band. I gotta have a rock and roll band. I gotta do that. And so we're gonna make a rock and roll record. And then the third one, it's a little bit, I got to kind of keep it under wraps a little bit, but it's going to be more of a... how should I put this without giving away the goat here? It's going to be more of a solo type record thing. [...] I mean, I've basically got half of each of these three records that I'm talking about done, you know, they're started. So it's a matter of finishing up each thing and then getting them out there to the people and all that stuff.
Talking about the upcoming Cowboys in the Campfire album:
Well we're finishing up that record. That's the first record that can be finished up here right now. And that's just Chip Roberts and myself, I got John Doe from X played upright bass on some of it, which was interesting because he hadn't really played upright bass on a record before. We had a ball. And he just showed up ready to go which was fantastic. And being that he's been a dear friend of mine for ages. it helps. Yeah, now we're gonna put that out probably sometime soonish. We get a couple songs to finish up and mix and master and put a whole plan together for it. And hopefully that'll come out, you know, by the time I'm done with this, you know, Lemonhead's record, or Lemonhead's tour, I should say.
In 2019, Tommy would also tour with Lemonheads:
Evan and I have been trying to get together and work on some songs for a while when we've crossed paths, and just hasn't worked out timing-wise. And so he actually made this covers record down by me. I wasn't around when he was making anything. I think I was on the road when he was here making the thing, except to the last day and I still didn't even make it up there because I had my kid. But the whole thing with that really is just that we've been trying to hook up and write songs and do things for awhile now. And we have the same manager. And he was going to go out to Lemonheads and do the tour behind this record. He's doing great in Europe and stuff like that. And the show's here already starting to sell out. And John, our mutual manager, John Gassner, was like, "How about I throw you on the bill and you just go out and play solo? I'll put you on the bus with them. That'll be cheap. You and Evan can bond and do a thing and hopefully you'll produce a record." And that was the idea. The idea really was more that I needed to work this summer. Because daddy's gotta make some money, if you know what I'm saying. So that kind of was the impetus for it. But also there's a bigger hope and a bigger prospect if all goes well. [...] we've been trying to do this for a while, him and I, and it just hasn't worked out timing-wise or whatever yet, and song-wise, et cetera, et cetera. It's very possible that we, you know, at some point I'll be making a record with that kid and, and we'll do something really cool, at some point, you know, more likely than unlikely at this point, I would think, but we have nothing, you know, etched in stone or even anything him and I have discussed past the last time we talked about it.
Tommy would also mention wanting to work with Richard:
Well, there's a few people [I would like to play with], Richard Fortus is one of them. I talked to him recently and I was like, "Dude, I think I might come down to St. Louis and hang out with you, work on some music or something and hang out." Cause I haven't seen him in ages and he's one of my best friends. So, you know, I'm thinking of going on to see St. Louis at some point, having a visit with him and the family and work on some stuff.
Last edited by Soulmonster on Sun Oct 06, 2024 7:59 am; edited 21 times in total
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
JUNE 7, 2014
BUMBLEFOOT LEAVES GUNS N' ROSES[...] I left angry and bitter and frustrated and unresolved, and it didn't end in a nice way between us when I left.
And it was really tough, and I was a headcase — I was. 'Cause I cared so much — I really did — I cared too much about it, and I wanted it to be something that I knew it wasn't ever gonna be.
____________________
EARLY SUGGESTIONS BUMBLEFOOT WOULD LEAVE
As discussed in previous chapters, Bumblefoot was at time very uncomfortable in Guns N' Roses and had been on the verge of leaving previously. In April 2014, Bumblefoot wrote what seemed like a goodbye message to the fans:
[Begin ramblings...]
I'm a communicator. That's what musician's do, they share themselves, it feels 'unnatural' if I don't. Sometimes musically, sometimes verbally, sometimes through a song, sometimes through a tweet...
The GNR S. American tour has one show left. I haven't always been the best version of myself, on & off stage, hinges on certain situations that just crush me and I can't get past, and I know it shows... I'm human, a reasonably empathetic one (sometimes a pathetic one, lol.)
But YOU - the friends, fans, audience at the shows, have always been the absolute *best*. Thank you so much for being you, so passionate, so full of spirit I want the best for you, you deserve it Obrigado & gracias, was so good to see you all Some for the first time, some for the XXth time, at the shows & workshops - hopefully we can share these beautiful experiences again soon
And a huge thanks to the amazing crew for building the planet the band gets to crawl around the surface of, you guys are magic...! Thanks to the bandmates for givin' it all ya got! To the promoters & folks that brought us here and make these shows happen, you're an amazing team and it's been such a pleasure Same for the workshops, happy call you all my friends 'Til next time...
With love & appreciation, and lots of hugs...
Ron
[/End ramblings]
I'm a communicator. That's what musician's do, they share themselves, it feels 'unnatural' if I don't. Sometimes musically, sometimes verbally, sometimes through a song, sometimes through a tweet...
The GNR S. American tour has one show left. I haven't always been the best version of myself, on & off stage, hinges on certain situations that just crush me and I can't get past, and I know it shows... I'm human, a reasonably empathetic one (sometimes a pathetic one, lol.)
But YOU - the friends, fans, audience at the shows, have always been the absolute *best*. Thank you so much for being you, so passionate, so full of spirit I want the best for you, you deserve it Obrigado & gracias, was so good to see you all Some for the first time, some for the XXth time, at the shows & workshops - hopefully we can share these beautiful experiences again soon
And a huge thanks to the amazing crew for building the planet the band gets to crawl around the surface of, you guys are magic...! Thanks to the bandmates for givin' it all ya got! To the promoters & folks that brought us here and make these shows happen, you're an amazing team and it's been such a pleasure Same for the workshops, happy call you all my friends 'Til next time...
With love & appreciation, and lots of hugs...
Ron
[/End ramblings]
Twitter, April 16, 2014
As mentioned in a previous chapter, he had also mentioned in private to his friend Marcela Barbosa, that he would leave the band [Facebook, April 7, 2016]. He would also work to make Barbosa his replacement, and mention this in an email he sent to Barbosa on May 2, 2024 [Facebook, April 7, 2016].
Barbosa would discuss this in 2016:
In 2014, Guns played again in Brazil and Brasilia and I attended the shows in Brasilia (where he spontaneously gave me the honor of wearing a GTR t-shirt) and in Floripa, where, after the show and still in the dressing room, he told me about his decision to leave the band. I was stunned by the news, but he really had made up his mind.
Well... To cut a long story short, a few months later Bumblefoot sent me an email saying he was looking for someone to replace him in Guns and asking if I'd be interested in him recommending me to Axl. If I accepted, he would give me all the support I needed to take on the shows that were scheduled for September in Las Vegas. Obviously I agreed, and sent all the material they asked for (photos, release in English, videos of me playing live and videos of me playing some solos from the band's songs). I knew that at some point I would have to go to the USA to audition and play a bit with the rest of the band. Everything seemed to be going well until I was informed that the rest of the tour had been canceled with no further details and because of the delay in talking about any activity, I began to suspect a reunion with the original line-up. I kept this story a secret because I didn't know what would really happen until the new tour was announced, and I thought it was reasonable to ask Bumblefoot himself if it would be a problem to make it public before doing so (obviously he didn't see any problem...).
Well... To cut a long story short, a few months later Bumblefoot sent me an email saying he was looking for someone to replace him in Guns and asking if I'd be interested in him recommending me to Axl. If I accepted, he would give me all the support I needed to take on the shows that were scheduled for September in Las Vegas. Obviously I agreed, and sent all the material they asked for (photos, release in English, videos of me playing live and videos of me playing some solos from the band's songs). I knew that at some point I would have to go to the USA to audition and play a bit with the rest of the band. Everything seemed to be going well until I was informed that the rest of the tour had been canceled with no further details and because of the delay in talking about any activity, I began to suspect a reunion with the original line-up. I kept this story a secret because I didn't know what would really happen until the new tour was announced, and I thought it was reasonable to ask Bumblefoot himself if it would be a problem to make it public before doing so (obviously he didn't see any problem...).
Although Bumblefoot's attempts at finding a replacement wasn't known to the public at the time, another indication that it was coming towards the end for Bumblefoot in GN'R, was his focus on his solo career, including solo tours that he had previously not done because the regularly conflicted with GN'R's plans and work on a new album [see previous chapter for more information on how Bumblefoot focused on his solo material and how he presented an ultimatum to GN'R to start accommodating his own plans, and below].
And as the second residency in Las Vegas unfolded, Bumblefoot would state that he would again go on a solo tour right after the end of the residency:
I have an upcoming US solo tour in June/July. It’s part of the “Guitars Gods” tour, featuring Yngwie Malmsteen, Gary Hoey, Uli Jon Roth and Bumblefoot. I’ve been touring around the rest of the world for 17 years but this will be my first full US tour. I have info on tour dates as well as special VIP meet-n-greet packages at www.bumblefoot.com
Although the band members might have been informed their calendars were open as the band would go on a break after the residency, it was clear something had changed and that Bumblefoot was now prioritizing his solo career over Guns N' Roses.
In December 2014, Bumblefoot did an interview with Horns Up Rocks! where the interviewer asked him for an update on Guns N' Roses and what "you guys are working on at the moment," to which Bumblefoot replied by clearly putting a distinction between GN'R and himself:
I'm focusing on my stuff. I'm sure it's gonna be an exciting, interesting year for everybody, for Guns, for me, for everybody. A lot of stokes in the fire, for them, for me. Let's see what happens in 2015.
The interviewer then followed up with, "You're going to be focusing on your solo career, is that what you're saying?", to which Bumblefoot confirmed and then explained:
I try to do both and it's been really difficult. You know, there's only so much time. You can't be in two places at once. Teleporters, no. Army of clones, no. It can only be one place, one time, and it kind of gets in the way of things. You have to start making choices.
In February 2015, Bumblefoot, while complaining about not having control over what the media chooses for headlines, would hint that he had been asked to not discuss his current status in Guns N' Roses and say that this had put him in an awkward position:
I cannot erase a decade of history, and I can't stop the media from asking what they want to ask and making up their own titles on their interviews and posts. No matter how much I asked them not to do it. Get a f--king clue. [...] PS - I've been honoring a request to not make any public statements about anything related to it, which continues to put me in a very awkward position that I don't want to be in. Not how I do things, repeatedly taking the bullet on this one. So stop your whining already.
The very next day he obviously felt a need to emphasize that Team Brazil had not forced him to be non-communicative regarding his status in the band, and posted the following message on the GN'R fan forum mygnrforum:
Let folks know I'm not being forced and TB doesn't need to be treated like monsters, and I ask that they not be treated like villains. It's on me, I've been trying to please both sides at the same time that have a different approach to things, and everyone loses a little in the process - that's on *me*, not them. I hate causing TB & the fans grief, there's just no smooth way to act on two opposing philosophies at the same time, and that's always been difficult for me... apologies. Doing my best here.
mygnrforum.com, February 21, 2015
By March 2015, Bumblefoot had stopped answering questions related to Guns N' Roses in interviews.
[Responding to an interviewer]. Did you get the memo about no GNR questions or no?
In April it was stated he was contractually not able to say anything regarding his status in GN'R and:
I think there’s enough clues out there for you to figure out what I’m up to now.
Then in July 2015, a band source would be incredulous as to why Bumblefoot wasn't clear on having quit the band:
Bumblefoot quit last year. I don't understand why he continues to be evasive on his status with the band -- he quit in South America. He told Axl he was done and (Las) Vegas would be his last run with the band.
Tommy would later find amusement in the protracted back-and-forth between Bumblefoot and the press trying to find out if he was still in the band or not:
It was comical actually. (laughs) I was laughing about it.
Being asked if he was fired:
No. It was me. I was really burned out. I felt like I had contributed everything that I possibly could as a performer, but my heart was in more things where I was creating, writing, producing and teaching. All of things that I was doing before the heavy touring of GNR. I really felt that it was definitely time for me to go. I felt like I had taken it as far as I could and I was reaching a point where I was stressed and unhappy. And that’s not good for me and it’s not good for them. So in early March of 2014, we were rehearsing for the next 3 months of touring. The first thing that I told the band when I walked in was that this is going to be my last run. I finished out the shows and I did try to recommend people to take my place. I didn’t want to stop them from moving forward or anything like that.
LOOKING BACK AT HAVING BEEN IN GUNS N' ROSES
Already in 2010 would Bumblefoot talk about what he had learnt from being in the band:
As a composer, it would be about melody - more melody in the guitar and vocals, no limit to it... as a performer, to be passionate and giving, to hold nothing back... overall, it would be the reminder that you make your own rules, you should do your own thing, and aim as high as you can. These are things we already know, but GNR makes me want to push my own limits, and to be better than I was before. I owe that to GNR fans, to my bandmates and to myself.
Discussing his period in the band:
It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of everything, but that's life. It's supposed to be. You know, if you're having a lot of everything, then you're really living it, and that's what it's about. It's all good. I wish them well. I wish 'em all well. I do.
Well, how do you sum up such a big part of your life in one conversation? It was great. There were ups, there were downs, just like anything in life. There were challenges, there was good stuff, there was fun times, there was difficult times, but in the end, the one thing that makes me smile when I think back on it is when I think of all the fans that are now friends and staying in touch with them and that connection that we make and being part of something that affects so many people. That was really good. It was nice.
Look, if you had to sum it up, the thing with Guns N’ Roses was great. Nothing is supposed to be perfect. And I’m not gonna bitch and whine about what wasn’t perfect, or what I hoped it would be or what I wanted it to be, or any little petty shit. It was great. We had eight years where we made a lot of people happy with hundreds of shows and that’s what it’s about. So it was great, but how many years can I keep doing that, when I felt like this is not the reason I became a musician?
When asked when he had decided to leave the band and why:
Anything I say will end up being turned into something bad that's going to hurt people that I don't wanna hurt. You know? And it just happens that way. It's just that's what ends up happening. Even if I don't mean it to. Like I say, "the sky is blue," and somehow it'll get turned into something when it comes to that subject. So I try not to say too much about it. I try not, I usually put both feet in my mouth but I mean all I could say is that you reach a time when you just know it's time to move on and you just know that what you've seen for your life, you see the future of your life, and what that is, it's not what you pictured for yourself. You know, when I started playing music, I was six years old and when I thought about what I wanted and what my goals were and what makes me alive inside making music, and I was looking at what I was doing and it didn't match up. And I just needed go.
I didn’t become a musician to play – I’m not gonna say covers – but I needed to do something that was creative for me. If I wasn’t being creative, I wasn’t fulfilling my calling of why I became a musician. I didn’t do it just to play shows, and to play what I hate calling covers, ‘cause it diminishes what it is. I’d given up so much of what I loved, and the things that made me feel alive. I could be replaced in Guns N’ Roses and ultimately I was. And the guy who replaced me – God bless him – was Slash. [...] I had more to offer and I wasn’t doing it. You add to that a lot of different other components – whether it was business stuff or personal stuff – and it was long past due that I left. Hopefully, some good came out of that for people, but I should have left a lot sooner than I did.
[Not being able to pursue outside projects] was part of why I was feeling that unrest and that itch to move on, because, for me, I need to be super creative. I'm just not the kind of that's utility that you hire and he plays and gets paid and that's it. It means the world to me what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with. And it has to grow, it has to be a relationship that's… We have to be making music, we have to be doing everything that, when you were a little kid and you imagined being in a band, what that band is doing. And that's how it is with all the other bands I'm in. Like with ART OF ANARCHY, we're friends and we talk all the time. Even when we're doing other things, we're always in touch and we're supportive of each other and we laugh. We wrote together all in a room, and we create things together. Same thing with SONS OF APOLLO — it was us in a room just hammering it out. And we talk every day and we're friends. And that's the kind of thing I need to have — that's why I became a musician. I was five years old, I heard the KISS 'Alive' album, and I said, 'That's what I wanna do,' and I started doing it. And after eight years in GUNS, I just looked at it and I said, 'Am I doing what I wanna do?' And I felt like anyone could have been doing what I was doing at that point, and it didn't have to be me. And if I wasn't happy, and if they knew I wasn't happy, then I should get out and do what I'm supposed to do and let them do what they were supposed to do.
I needed the flexibility. I wanted to get back to doing the things that only I could do. The reasons I was put on this earth. I feel that I’m contributing something of value that people enjoy, that people will remember and that will inspire people.
He would also mention his car crash and having to play while injured, although blame himself for doing it:
After the car crash happened in 2011, I didn’t want to play, but I’ll flat out say I was made to feel that I had to and I shouldn’t have. I needed to recuperate and to continue the physical therapy. That was something that I had a lot of bitterness about, because truly if you’re that mad at something, you’re really mad at yourself and the decision you made. And you’re kicking yourself. So, I’m not mad at Guns N’ Roses or anything like that – I’m mad that I continually put others before myself in a situation when it was very detrimental to me, to my health and to my well-being.
And when asked if Axl was both a friend and a bandmate:
I don't know if I could compare him with my relationship to other peoples. Sometimes felt like friends, sometimes felt like enemies. Sometimes... You know, we felt like bandmates.
In 2017 he would be asked if he regretted ever having joined GN'R and admit that at the time of leaving that would have been true, but not now:
You could look at anything and say, 'What if I took a different path?' 'What if I did different things?' 'What if I said no and did this instead?' 'What if I just focused on my solo stuff or producing or whatever else or film and TV music?' Ugh… nah. Your life is your life, and whatever decisions you made, they were based on who you were, who you are and what was supposed to happen and what's meant to be and who you are today and what you learned from it and all of that mumbo-jumbo crap. So, yeah. Do I regret it? No. Absolutely not. If you'd asked me three years ago, I would have [given a] different [answer]. But, no. Absolutely not. I got to be part of making millions of people cheer and enjoy themselves. It's wonderful.
And on whether he had seen any of the reunion shows in 2016:
No, that would be weird, man. Would you go to your ex-girlfriend's wedding? It's kind of like that. It's just kind of weird. I know too much. I've seen too much. I've been on the other side of the stage, and it's not like it ended pretty — for me. I don't have [any hard feelings] now, but at the time, there was a volatility, yeah.
No. It just feels kind of weird. I quit the band and they moved on and I moved on. It's not like we quit pretty. And also, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna stand in the audience and everyone's gonna be, like, 'Hey, you used to be there.' It's too weird, man. I wish 'em well and all, but to actually physically go [and see them], after hundreds of times on the stage with them, it just feels very surreal," he continued. "I always describe it like going to see your ex-girlfriend's wedding. And I don't mean any disrespect by that, and I do wish them well and I'm happy that they're doing so, so good. But for me to go and see it, it would just stir up a lot of stuff. So it's better that I'm just doing my thing, they're doing their thing and everybody just wishes each other well from afar. And I get lots of good reports from friends and everything and I'm still in touch with people in the camp. I'm real happy for them — they're on top of the world right now, so good for them.
It would just be too strange. For so many reasons it would be just awkward. One, because we didn’t end with hugs and handshakes and all of that. Two, what am I gonna do? Stand in the audience and have people around me go, ‘Hey, weren’t you in the band?’ The whole thing is just weird, and too awkward. They’re doing better than ever, and if you look at it, they’re happy, I’m happy, everybody’s doing fine and that’s how it should be.
And whether he would ever consider playing with the band again:
I want to say 'no,' but the truth is you never know what's gonna happen. And let me put it this way, let me say it this way: If somebody was gonna die and their last wish was to see that happen, and everybody put past grievances aside, and all of that, yeah, then it would happen. If it was just, like, 'Hey, Ron, do you wanna tour?' I don't think they would ask me, and if they did, I don't think I would do it, because just the way things ended for me, I was so burned out and so in need of moving on that it was not healthy for me — and for them — for me to be there anymore. I was not happy. I feel like I was doing more harm than good at that point. I was miserable. I needed to get out. I needed to get back to creating and doing the things that made me feel alive my whole life, and I wasn't getting to do that. And it was too much of a challenge to try and schedule between the two. And I didn't want it to be that way, but it was. So I just reached the point that I needed to get out. And I don't wanna go back to that. I don't wanna regress as a human being to the person I left as — very unhappy. So for that reason. Not for musical reasons, not for anything like that — just for that. But also, still, with all that [said], I left angry and bitter and frustrated and unresolved, and it didn't end in a nice way between us when I left. But even with all of that, it's very easy to hold a grudge [against] someone for eternity. But still, in life you can never say never.
And if he had talked to Axl since he left:
No. The relationship is over between me and them. They’re doing fine and I’m doing fine and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t regret leaving. I wish it could have smoother on a personal level. I’m happy to see what they’re doing now and I’m glad I was able to be part of their world that makes people so happy at the shows. It was a gift. I’m grateful and I thank them for it.
DID BUMBLEFOOT LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE UPCOMING REUNION?
Bumblefoot would later admit he knew about the reunion:
Oh, I knew. I did.
And I knew that the reunion was coming. So it was, like, 'All right. Let me just get out of the way.'
Then it is reasonable to think that this could be the reason he decided to leave the band, not wanting to play in yet another incarnation of the group, maybe not wanting to draw direct comparisons between himself and Slash on stage, and maybe he knew he would be surplus if Slash really joined, but based on the fact that he had been really uncomfortable in the band for a long time, and considered quitting earlier, such an explanation is not really needed, although we can't rule out the knowledge of a reunion being in the works could have factored in.
This is also what Bumblefoot himself would say about the reasons for leaving:
[I had] heard things [about a reunion]. [...] No, [that wasn't the reason,] I was [already] done. I was burned out on it. I was. I was doing more harm than good staying at that point.
Also, it is not likely Bumblefoot actually knew that Slash would rejoin the band already back in mid-2014. This was before Slash and Axl had reconciled and Slash would still criticize Axl in interviews [see later chapter]. More likely, Bumblefoot was thinking about Duff rejoining the band and perhaps finding it likely that with Duff and Axl talking about a reunion, Slash would likely join too. Or, Bumblefoot would consider the time he actually left the band as much later in 2014 or perhaps in early 2015 when Slash and Axl had started speaking and a reunion was in the cards.
In 2017, Bumblefoot would be asked if he would have remained to play alongside Slash:
If I was there, it wouldn’t be a reunion. I would be the thing stopping it from being a reunion, and I don’t want to be that. I would be the fly in the soup. Did I think they were gonna call? No. The way things ended with us, nobody was going to be calling anybody, unfortunately.
Last edited by Soulmonster on Thu Apr 11, 2024 8:25 am; edited 24 times in total
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
BUMBLEFOOT AFTER GUNS N' ROSES
PERSONAL LIFE
In September 2016 it was reported that Bumblefoot had had a recurrence of his bladder cancer and that two tumors had been successfully removed on August 12 [Blabbermouth, September 3, 2016].
2014: THE GUITAR GODS TOUR
I finished a Las Vegas residency playing with Guns N’ Roses in June, and three days later jumped in a tour bus and started a Bumblefoot tour of North America as part of the “Guitar Gods” tour with Yngwie Malmsteen and Gary Hoey.
In 2014, right after Guns N' Roses' residency in Las Vegas, Bumblefoot would embark on the Guitar Gods tour with Yngwie Malmsteen, Gary Hoey, and Uli John Roth that would be financed through a Kickstarter campaign [One on One with Mitch Lafon, June 21, 2014].
Bumblefoot would talk about some fans not understanding why they would have to raise money to do the tour:
[...] I was a little concerned at first because I knew how some people would react because they think that because I'm in Guns N' Roses that I'm getting [laughing] money for Sweet Child O' Mine or something. No. You know, I play in Guns N' Roses but, you know, I think that a lot of GN'R fans, the ones that I guess that hate me already and looking for more ammunition, but it's like, "Oh, it's a millionaire out there begging," [...]
And talking about the tour:
And as soon as we finish up the Guns touring I'm starting a US solo tour and it's going to be with Yngwie Malmsteen, Gary Hoey and Uli John Roth called the Guitar Gods Tour.
The Guitar Gods tour. It's going to be starting in mid-June to mid-July going through the US. [?] Guitar Gods. So it's going to be Yngwie, I will be playing with my band doing my music, we got Uli John Roth, got Gary Hoey, it's going to be a great lineup, a lot of great guitar stuff going on, yeah.
That is gonna be fun. You've got my band with Dennis Leeflang who's been my drummer for a dozen years, Frankie Italiano on bass and Rocco Monterosso on rhythm guitar. They've been friends of mine for a good 25 years since we were teenagers playing in all kinds of bands together in New York. On our vehicle together with us in the traveling circus we're gonna be is Gary Hoey who I've jammed with in the past at fundraisers. He's a wonderful guy and a phenomenal player and singer and entertainer and his band. So we're gonna be on our own little bus just acting like a bunch of whacky, silly dudes. It's gonna be a lot of fun and I think our faces are gonna hurt from laughing so much.
2015: LITTLE BROTHER IS WATCHING
Already in 2014, while still being in Guns N' Roses, Bumblefoot started working on his next solo album that would come out in 2015:
I’m working on my next Bumblefoot album. It’s been long-overdue, but creativity happens when it’s meant to. That can be an easy way out, so keep in mind that sometimes you have to force yourself into the zone, and when you do this it’s also because you were meant to at that moment. I’ve always found it difficult to write while touring, I don’t get the down-time needed to re-charge the creative batteries and build momentum. On the most recent South American tour with GNR I forced myself to find a way, I’d be wandering the stairways of hotels for hours staring into space and writing words. Digging deep into yourself and allowing the needed emotional free-flow for songwriting, while being on the road where everybody wants your time and attention… the two conflict each other, volatility and patience, it was torment. But that’s where the good stuff comes from, you need to feel, and that’s not a smooth road.
[The new album is] coming out swimmingly. It's going to be fantastic, really good stuff. Digging deep, it's brutal, it's painful, like being in labor mentally, spiritually. I don't know what it's gonna sound like by the time it's done, I don't know what it's going to be, it's like throwing paint at the canvas you don't know until enough paint is there what it's going to be.
I'm in the about halfway done, writing, recording, the next solo album. It's coming out kind of different this time. [...] it's actually coming up pretty melodic and I feel like achieving something that I always wanted to and never quite really did, which is, going back to Ace Freely, it all goes back to KISS because that's how my love for making music started, which is to me, I always said that Ace Freely made the parts of the KISS songs that you sang. It wasn't even Paul Stanley's vocals, it was Ace's solos that you would sing, and that's something that I just never really felt like I truly nailed in my music. I felt like I had all the noodly noodly down but just... and there were melodies in there but there are certain guitar melodies that are just singable and I feel like on this album they're coming out.
The name of the new album with the track list was revealed in February 2015 [Press Release, February 4, 2015].
Little Brother Is WatchingFebruary 24, 2015
This album, compared to some of the other solo stuff, is a little punkier. Every album, you have the songs and you start laying them down. They eventually come out however they are going to. You have an idea of what you are going to get but you can’t really control it. It is kinda like throwing ink at a canvas. You can choose the color but it isn’t going to end up the way you predict. You have to step back, look at it and say, “OK, this is what it is. Let’s take it from here.” It is the same situation with this new album. I ended up being very melodic with very long songs, where a lot of the earlier stuff was more in your face and aggressive. It is more about the musicality, the melody, the harmonies and the guitar lines dancing around vocal lines and all that good crap! [laughs] It is a lot more melodic and, even with those melodies that are in there, they are all spontaneous. It was stuff that I just laid on the scratch track as Dennis [Leeflang], the drummer, was playing his drum tracks. They were just spontaneous, improvised melodies. Listening back to it, I said, “Yeah, I am not going to overthink this. This is what I felt in the moment, the first time I played with this stuff and it left my head and hand to be recorded. I like it! I am sticking with it!” A lot of those melodies are very organic, natural first impressions of my songs and what I was inspired to do guitar-wise.
Two of the songs had been written with Guns N' Roses in mind:
I had two songs, “Argentina” and “Don’t Know Who To Preach To Anymore” that when I first wrote them I left them unfinished and I was thinking that I could bring them to the table with GNR but I felt ultimately that both songs were better fits on my solo album.
[...] with the intent of bringing them to the table for Guns, but we never got in the room to do it. By the end of 2013 I decided that their home should be on my own album, and I finished them up.
2015: ART OF ANARCHY
In early 2015 it was announced that Bumblefoot would join a supergroup together with Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) on vocals, John Moyer (Disturbed) on bass, and Jon and Vince Votta on guitar and drums, with the intention of releasing an album in the spring [Press Release, January 21, 2015].
Weiland was quick to comment on Facebook:
I just saw some press about a side project called Art of Anarchy that I worked on last year. I wrote and put my vocals down for these guys and had fun doing a couple of videos too; we had a lot of fun. [...] When they find their front man to hit the road and play some dates, check them out. In the meantime, if you want to check out where I’m at RIGHT NOW, check out my band, SCOTT WEILAND AND THE WILDABOUTS.
Bumblefoot was quick to comment:
Art of Anarchy is not competition or a threat or interference to what any of us are doing – it’s a complement, an addition, one I’m proud of creatively. No need to minimize or undermine or devalue a project we all worked on together over the course of two years. I enjoyed working with Scott. And I’m looking forward to the Wildabouts album release, the Bumblefoot album release, and the Art of Anarchy album release. The more music the better, it’s what we do, right? Artists do collaborations and a month later, their own album comes out. This is normal stuff. All good.
The five of us made an album together. Scott is currently the singer of the band. It’s in writing; no confusion. But yes, Scott’s solo album and tour are his priority and we’re all on the same page about getting another vocalist if Art of Anarchy hits the road. But we don’t need to cross that bridge just yet. Taking everything as it comes, one step at a time, letting it evolve organically. Where it goes from here (and with who!) is yet to be seen.
The next day, Weiland emphasized that he had never been part of the band:
I was never in the band. It was something I did when I wasn’t doing anything. I was asked to write some lyrics and sing some melodies on this project, but it’s not a band I’m in.
And:
It was a project I did where I was just supposed to have written the lyrics and melodies for this band that I’d never heard of, and I was paid to do it. And so I did it, and did some production work on it, and the next thing I knew there were press releases that I was in the band. I mean, I did one photo shoot with them, ‘cause it was part of the deal, but I’m not in the band. I wish them all the best once they find a singer, I hope they do well, but this is my band.
Talking about the band and the Weiland "controversy":
There are two brothers, John and Vince Votta, and I have been producing their bands for 18 years. We have always been friends. They finally said, “We want to put our own company together. We want to start a label and do this thing. The first thing we want to do is put out a supergroup type of album where we bring in people from all different backgrounds to come together and create music together for a really cool album of good rock music.” I brought them into the studio and they had 10 songs to start with and we laid them down. I laid down guitar. The amazing John Moyer came in and laid down his killer bass. He is truly amazing! He does what he does and makes it great! As we talked to different singers, Scott [Weiland] agreed to do a song and then he agreed to do the whole album. We did this album together and are hoping to have it out by the beginning of the year. It is all about the music.
I know that right out of the gate there was a little bit of, I wouldn’t say controversy, but maybe some unnecessary confusion about things. However, it is about the music, about the album and putting the album out. Anything beyond that remains to be seen. We don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know if, after the album comes out, people are going to want to see something live. If they do, Scott is very clear that his focus is his solo stuff and mine is too. Scott wants to just do his solo thing and isn’t looking to do any live dates with this. Then we would find a new singer, if we did any live shows. Who knows what would happen with that new singer and if it would become a permanent thing or if it would just be for the live setting. We don’t know! Whatever is going to happen is going to happen organically and is going to come together the way the pieces fall at that moment. For now, let’s just take this music that we made together and share it with the people. I really hope they enjoy it!
I know that right out of the gate there was a little bit of, I wouldn’t say controversy, but maybe some unnecessary confusion about things. However, it is about the music, about the album and putting the album out. Anything beyond that remains to be seen. We don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know if, after the album comes out, people are going to want to see something live. If they do, Scott is very clear that his focus is his solo stuff and mine is too. Scott wants to just do his solo thing and isn’t looking to do any live dates with this. Then we would find a new singer, if we did any live shows. Who knows what would happen with that new singer and if it would become a permanent thing or if it would just be for the live setting. We don’t know! Whatever is going to happen is going to happen organically and is going to come together the way the pieces fall at that moment. For now, let’s just take this music that we made together and share it with the people. I really hope they enjoy it!
In looking for singers, Scott [Weiland] agreed to do a song. Then he agreed to do the album. There seems to be a disagreement on the word “bandmember.”
Being asked if he would take over signing duties:
I don’t think so, no, because Art of Anarchy was created as a supergroup. Meaning, it would have a singer with one background, me in there with another background…etc. I think that’s what made it special and if I take over vocal duties I would compare that to teaching a three legged dog to run. I would love to if Scott was willing to see it through but if he didn’t then I would love to find someone that would be willing to see it through.
In April 2015, Weiland would again talk about Art of Anarchy and refer to the whole thing as a "scam" when asked if he was surprised when the band referred to itself as a supergroup with him as a member:
No. Actually I wish I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't surprised. It was a scam from the beginning.
He would also say he never knew who else were in the band and refer to them as an "unsigned band":
I was paid to do it. But they were an unsigned band and they're still an unsigned band. Hey. They're gonna put it out on the Internet, and as fate will have it, they don't even have a lead singer. I'm not worried about it taking away any thunder from The Wildabouts.
Bumblefoot was left in the difficult position of having to reply to these comments without pushing Weiland further away:
First I gotta say, Scott did an amazing job on the record, we all feel the vocals he laid down are some of the best he’s ever done. We’re thrilled and proud of the collaborative effort that went into the making of this record. The public response has been great. We’re very happy with the whole album. As for Scott’s statement, we need to address if, or why, he made it. It was just a quote from a recent interview and we’re trying to verify that he actually did make that statement. Scott deserves the respect to publicly clarify whether he actually said that. All the members of AOA feel he should have that opportunity.
Bumblefoot would also argue that legally, Weiland was still the singer of the band:
Wouldn’t call it a departure as of yet. Art of Anarchy hasn’t received any official written communication that Weiland is no longer the lead singer of Art of Anarchy. There are certain legal steps you’d need to take in order to officially leave a band. We’ve been offered great touring opportunities with Scott on board even before the record’s been released. Aside from Scott, all the band members are on board for getting on stage with this. As for with who? Stay tuned…
A few weeks later, Bumblefoot would be asked about the specifics of the communication between him and Weiland:
It’s complicated [laughs]. And also it has to do with legal stuff. It would have to do with contracts and all that. So I probably shouldn’t talk too much about it. That could get in the way of whatever. But it was [pauses] – I mean I don’t want to throw anybody under the bus or anything – but contracts were worded clearly. We all knew what we were getting into and thought each other knew what we were getting into. So anything else came as a shock. And even when we announced the existence of the band in January, the night before camps were in touch with each other approving the bio and all those things so that nothing was a surprise. Even things that we didn’t need to be in touch about like, ‘Here’s what I’m gonna say on Twitter, just so you know,’ out of courtesy so that nothing for any reason rubs anyone the wrong way. And we made the announcement and then [laughs] we saw in the middle of… [pauses]. Yeah, so it was disappointing. I would have much preferred if Scott had called me and said, ‘Can we find a different way of doing this or wording this,’ or something that would be less damaging.
As for whether they actually had spoken together:
Oh, we spoke a few times last year but not since. I would email him once in a while, but mostly I would contact, if anything, his manager.
Looking back at the Weiland debacle:
The interesting thing is that with the first album, the band didn’t really start as a band. This thing started in 2011 when Jon and Vince just wanted to make their dream album. In the past they were always being told to comprise and being told that they should be something other than what they really wanted to be, what they wanted to sound like and the kind of music that they wanted to make. They had ten songs written with just the drums and guitar parts. So we laid that down and I started laying some guitar on top and then we were going to get different singers to sing different songs. Scott Weiland was the first one and he did “Til The Dust Has Gone” and after that he ended up doing the whole record. Then John Moyer joined as the bass player and now the thing is growing beyond it’s original intention. Then we got a manager and a record deal and now it became a band. It started off as just an album that they did just for the love of making music. So it evolved into a band. So with that, Scott Weiland was recording at his own place in L.A. He would send me things and I went put them into the songs. Scott and I would talk on the phone once in a while, but not much. You know little things, like he told me about the song Aqualung, his inspiration for it and how he wanted it to be the first single and things like that. We did the videos together and photo shoots, but unfortunately, he wanted to focus on his Blaster album for Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts. It’s a shame that he didn’t want anything to do with Art of Anarchy as well. So, he very clearly distanced himself from it. The night before those comments came out, we were going over which logo to use for the Youtube site and what we’re going to post on Twitter about the release and we thought everything was okay. The album came out in June and in August we met up with Scott Stapp. He flew down and hit a rehearsal room with no plan in mind. And it really worked out. Scott Stapp was the key ingredient that we needed to pull this all together.
Art of AnarchyJune 2, 2015
Art of Anarchy released its second album, The Madness, in March 2017.
Talking about the album:
When it first started we spent a week and half with just all five of us in a room. We started from scratch and wrote from scratch. One of us would start playing something and then another person would add in. And it just started turning from ideas into songs. We kept a recorder going in the corner of the room. And then we went back through them and decided which ones that we would like to move to the next level. We had about two dozen little ideas for songs. It was as organic as it can possibly be. We did half of the record that way. We wrote half of the record in that first week and a half that we were together. After that, I had to split because I had to do this guitar clinic in France which then overlapped with Moyer doing the Disturbed tour, which then overlapped with Scott [Stapp] doing a solo tour. So when I came back in December, we started tracking drums and guitar parts for the songs that we started out with and then re-wrote, redesigned and let it evolve from there. Then we spent seven weeks where Scott was with us and we really just focused on the vocals, the melodies and the lyrics. Then for the rest of 2016 it was just a lot of juggling touring schedules and we got together whenever we could to shoot some videos, take some photos or do more writing and recording and get what we could done.
The MadnessMarch 24, 2017
NOVEMBER 2016: WANTING TO WORK WITH BUCKETHEAD
I'll give a shout to Mr. Buckethead. Hello! We met long ago, before you joined Guns, before I joined Guns. We were going to make some music together in the late '90s. Never happened. But if you ever want to do it, find me. I would love to work with you. While we can - seriously, life is short. Right now, on the other side of the camera, they're going, 'Yes! Yes!' - I would love to. Bucket, you're a phenomenal musician and someday, if you want to make music together, I'd love to find a way to pull that off.
2017- : SONS OF APOLLO
In 2017 Bumblefoot joined the super group Sons of Apollo with drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehan, keyboardist Derek Sherinian, and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. The debut album, Psychotic Symphony, was released on October 20, 2017.
With technology today, it's so easy to just piece things together, and there's a disconnect. When you don't have that disconnect, you know it — you can hear the difference. There's a spirit; there's an energy where everyone is kind of feeding off each other and pushing the limit of each other. Definitely with Sons Of Apollo, we had that. We started just throwing ideas back and forth. Derek [Sherinian, keyboards] would send me a video of him playing keys to some part of a song, some crazy thing, and then I would have a little guitar riff, and I would send him and Mike [Portnoy, drums] just a little MP3 — like, 'Hey, what do you think of this riff?' — just so we had something to [reference]. The plan was, we were going to go into a studio in Burbank, and from March 1 to March 11, we're making an album. That's it — we've got ten days to bang the stuff out. And we did. We had a few ideas, just something to start with, to work off of, and me, Derek and Mike — the other guys were on tour still — we were banging it out. We would just come up with ideas and play as a band, the three of us, recording everything that we were playing. By the end of the day, there were song structures that evolved from that, and the next morning, we would come in and Derek would add a whole bunch of crazy keyboard parts over it, or I would take the guitar part that I did the day before and double it up so that one could be on the left speaker and one on the right, things like that. Billy [Sheehan, bass] finished up touring halfway through all of that and joined us, so then it was the four of us doing that, writing and recording. When those days were up, I went back to my place and I banged out guitar solos, and Jeff [Scott Soto, vocals] got off the road and banged out his vocals, and that was it.
You can hear all of our influences, from Van Halen, to old prog stuff like U.K., and a lot of metal riffs and classic rock stuff in there. It's an interesting coming together of identities, musical personalities. It's what every band is — that's what I always say, that's what we love about a band, is you have these individuals that come together only once in the universe, and it creates something that's one of a kind. Whether it's The Beatles or Cannibal Corpse or whatever it is, they're just one of a kind, and it will never happen again. That's what makes a band so special — they do something more than one human, more than one spirit could ever make.
You can hear all of our influences, from Van Halen, to old prog stuff like U.K., and a lot of metal riffs and classic rock stuff in there. It's an interesting coming together of identities, musical personalities. It's what every band is — that's what I always say, that's what we love about a band, is you have these individuals that come together only once in the universe, and it creates something that's one of a kind. Whether it's The Beatles or Cannibal Corpse or whatever it is, they're just one of a kind, and it will never happen again. That's what makes a band so special — they do something more than one human, more than one spirit could ever make.
Psychotic SymphonyOctober 23, 2017
Talking about the band in 2018:
There's baggage with the term supergroup, because for one thing, people might think it's this sort of corporate, fabricated thing that isn't legit. That's not the case with this. We're old friends; we've all played together. Me, Mike [Portnoy] and Billy [Sheehan] have played so many times together, jamming; I've recorded with Billy; I've toured with Mike; we've done Metal Allegiance. So many jams, so many things. We have a background. We know each other and we've played together and we've toured together and we've recorded together and we've done things together, and just beyond the music part, we know each other. It feels like a real band. It's just that everyone had to get their planets to align for us all to get into the same place at the same time and get that ball rolling... No one had to prove a damn thing to each other. We all know who we are and what we do, and we have a relationship. It's just like, 'Hey, let's just make some music.' We didn't even really think about it — we didn't say, 'Hey, it should be this style or that style; it should sound like this or has to be this.' None of that — we're just going to do what we do together, and when you put it all together, it's going to sound like what it sounds like.
Like everyone else, Sons of Apollo would have to cancel their touring during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bumblefoot would then release a new instrumental single, Planetary Lockdown [Blabbermouth, April 14, 2020].
It was early March 2020, on tour with Sons Of Apollo in Europe, as the Covid-19 coronavirus numbers were quickly escalating. We made it through four shows of our 20-show European tour before we had to pull the plug, leave half our gear in storage and urgently head for home. It was a race to get back as the door was slamming shut behind us. Europe was shut down. And within days, the world. This song was inspired by that feeling of urgency, that race... completed while in self-isolation, the song was fittingly titled 'Planetary Lockdown'.
MAY-JUNE 2020: BAREFOOT 2 AND BAREFOOT 3
On May 8, 2020, Bumblefoot released a new acoustic EP of cover songs, Barefoot 2.
Barefoot 2May 8, 2020
The track list to Barefoot 2:
01. Wasted Years (Iron Maiden acoustic cover)
02. Vienna (Billy Joel acoustic cover)
03. Every Little Thing (The Police acoustic cover)
04. How Can I Be Sure (The Young Rascals acoustic cover)
05. Maybe I'm Amazed (Paul McCartney acoustic cover)
Then in June he released Barefoot 3, another acoustic cover EP [Blabbermouth, June 3, 2020].
Barefoot 3June 3, 2020
Track list of Barefoot 3:
01. Sleepwalking (Bumblefoot acoustic cover)
02. Tiny Dancer (Elton John acoustic cover)
03. The Day I Tried To Live (Soundgarden acoustic cover)
04. Only Time Will Tell (Asia acoustic cover)
05. Come On Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners acoustic cover)
06. Tell Me Something Good (Rufus & Chaka Khan acoustic cover)
Last edited by Soulmonster on Tue Oct 08, 2024 11:25 am; edited 11 times in total
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
SUMMER OF 2014
SLASH AND AXL AGREE TO ALLOW THE RELEASE OF DVDS WITH CO-WRITTEN MATERIALIn the summer of 2014, Axl and Slash would sign off on an agreement that would allow each of them to release DVDs featuring music co-written by both of them [Classic Rock, February February 19, 2016]. The absence of such an agreement had previously allowed each of them to block any such releases. At the time, this agreement was kept secret.
As the result of this agreement, Guns N' Roses (Axl) would release the Appetite For Democracy Concert 3D Film, June 2014, and Slash would release Live At The Roxy, June 2015. See later chapters for information about these releases.
Although this agreement was not publicly disclosed, it did indicate that the relationship between Axl and Slash was thawing.
Looking back at the importance of this agreement:
That was a sign of some kind of truce.
Axl put a live DVD out a couple of years ago that needed Slash's permission because it was the old songs. Before that Slash would never sign off and Axl would never sign off if Slash wanted music. Duff was somehow able to finagle Slash to sign off on that. Soon after that Axl signed off on one for Slash for Live at the Roxy. That was a sign of some kind of truce. So the the old partnership was working together but not talking. Then they started licensing music for movies because, before, they weren't doing that, because that requires all their signatures.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
JUNE-JULY 2014
THE 'APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY 3D' CONCERT FILMFinally, on June 14, 2014, the concert filmed in 3D at the band's November 21, 2012, show in Las Vegas, was debuted at US cinemas as "Appetite for Democracy 3D' [Press Release, June 2, 2014].
With over 100 million albums sold, the world's most dangerous bandreturns for this historic Sin City takeover! Now captured in 3D and 5.1 sound, Guns N' Roses' new concert film, "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas", is coming to U.S. cinemas Saturday, June 14. Rockfuel Media has selected DRK Productions to distribute the digital cinema 3D theatrical premiere of the rock concert film.
This screenings will take place in 100 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas, Columbus, St. Louis, Houston, Tucson and more.
Watch the trailer and get locations, dates and tickets at www.gnr3dmovie.com.
Barry Summers, president of Rock Fuel Media, said: "We are very excited to be presenting 'Appetite For Democracy' 3D concert film at cinemas across America — the first-ever GN'R concert movie release in theaters. 'Appetite For Democracy' will be afirst for GN'R fans to see and hear this iconic band on the big screen in 3D." Doug Kluthe, president of DRK, said, "We're very pleased that Rock Fuel has chosen us to theatrically distribute this epic Guns N' Roses 3D concert film."
Guns N' Roses will release "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" on July 1 via Universal Music Enterprises. The show was filmed on November 21, 2012 during the "Appetite For Democracy" tour in celebration of twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy".
"Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" will be available in North America on Blu-ray, featuring the complete concert film in both 3D and 2D plus an interactive 3D photo gallery, and standard DVD featuring the 2D version of the film. Both releases are mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound and feature bonus interviews with the band. The GN'R Appetite For Democracy Official App (iOS/Android) brings the concert experience to a new level by connecting GN'R directly with their fans, allowing fans to connect with each other via social media, buy exclusive merchandise, check tour/cinema dates for the movie, preview digital tracks of the film; and purchase or stream via VOD the digital long form concert.
Produced by Rock Fuel Media's Barry Summers, "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" is the first official Guns N' Roses live concert film since 1992's "Use Your Illusion" concert video.
This screenings will take place in 100 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas, Columbus, St. Louis, Houston, Tucson and more.
Watch the trailer and get locations, dates and tickets at www.gnr3dmovie.com.
Barry Summers, president of Rock Fuel Media, said: "We are very excited to be presenting 'Appetite For Democracy' 3D concert film at cinemas across America — the first-ever GN'R concert movie release in theaters. 'Appetite For Democracy' will be afirst for GN'R fans to see and hear this iconic band on the big screen in 3D." Doug Kluthe, president of DRK, said, "We're very pleased that Rock Fuel has chosen us to theatrically distribute this epic Guns N' Roses 3D concert film."
Guns N' Roses will release "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" on July 1 via Universal Music Enterprises. The show was filmed on November 21, 2012 during the "Appetite For Democracy" tour in celebration of twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy".
"Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" will be available in North America on Blu-ray, featuring the complete concert film in both 3D and 2D plus an interactive 3D photo gallery, and standard DVD featuring the 2D version of the film. Both releases are mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound and feature bonus interviews with the band. The GN'R Appetite For Democracy Official App (iOS/Android) brings the concert experience to a new level by connecting GN'R directly with their fans, allowing fans to connect with each other via social media, buy exclusive merchandise, check tour/cinema dates for the movie, preview digital tracks of the film; and purchase or stream via VOD the digital long form concert.
Produced by Rock Fuel Media's Barry Summers, "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" is the first official Guns N' Roses live concert film since 1992's "Use Your Illusion" concert video.
As the described above, the movie would be released on Blu-ray and DVD.
I think it's great. I think we captured a great moment in time with the current lineup that we have. There's not a lot of footage out there of this particular lineup of the band -- obviously there's no videos and stuff. So I think it's a cool thing, and great for the fans. It gives them something to share the moment.
Appetite For Democracy 3DJune 14, 2014
JULY 1, 2014: GUNS N' ROSES RELEASES APPETITE FOR DEMOCRACY 3D
From November 21, 2012.
I'm curious. I'm very curious to see it cuz, well, actually I'm not because I know how it's gonna be. I never watch my own live stuff because when I do, I just hear all the mistakes and all the screw-ups like, "Gah! Man, I could have played that so much better!" "Oh god, that sounds terrible!" "Oh, look at me!" You know, so I'm gonna be doing that and just like [?] it apart and feel miserable. But I hope people like it! [laughter]
Tommy reacted with surprise when he heard his solo song Motivation had been included on the DVD:
They included ‘Motivation’ on there? I didn’t know that. I haven’t even seen it yet.
While Bumblefoot would plug that he had a song on it:
We just released Appetite For Democracy 3D, the first official live concert film since 1992’s Use Your Illusion concert video. It’s a 3D concert from a 2012 show in Las Vegas, just released July 1. It includes the GN’R band performing one of my original songs Objectify (from the Bumblefoot Abnormal album).
Guns N’ Roses just released “Appetite For Democracy 3D”, the first official live concert film since 1992’s Use Your Illusion concert video. It’s a 3D concert from the 2012 Las Vegas residency. It includes the GN’R band performing one of my original songs Objectify from the Bumblefoot “Abnormal” album.
“Objectify” is on there right?
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
2014
HAS DUFF PAVED THE WAY FOR A REUNION?With Duff having played with Guns N' Roses again, people were discussing if this meant a reunion between alumni and current GN'R could happen. Craig Duswalt, Axl's assistant during the Use Your Illusion tour, certainly thought so:
Duff is paving the way to open the gates again. Axl and Duff are really getting along well at the concerts, so there's an opening.
Dizzy would not reject the possibility:
You know, I don't really... I can't really say one way or another. I do know that it was, you know, it was just really, really cool to see him and to, you know, have him join us on stage and it sounded great and he seemed to be enjoying himself. But we [haven't] really discussed anything beyond what we [?] to do at that time, so you never know.
Around the same time, media would report that Axl, according to "a knowledgeable insider" considered reuniting with former band members because the Las Vegas residency had been so profitable:
So much so, he’s begun thinking about putting the original group all back together for a global tour. That would be the biggest-selling rock tour of all tours.
Duswalt would also claim Slash and Axl had a rift because of something specific that happened towards the end of the UYI tour:
It was a thing that happened at the end of [Use Your Illusion]. There were also the differences in music, like Slash wanted to do more hard rock stuff and Axl wanted to do more ballads, rock ballads. There was that difference, but there was a specific thing that happened that both of them are at odds over.
But despite Axl and Slash being very much at odds, Duswalt was convinced that within two years they would be back together in Guns N' Roses:
[I know] for a fact they hate each other right now. It's bad. Axl is a loyal guy and you get on his bad side and some people don't come back, but Slash and him were so close. We [in the old-school Guns camp] all have a feeling it will happen. It's gonna happen in the next two years...there's an opening because of Duff playing with Axl.
In August, Slash would explicitly say a reunion wouldn't happen:
It's a subject I just avoid. 'Cause I've tried all different approaches on this particular subject. The thing is it's been dead in the water since 1996. I'm not gonna joke about it. Anything I ever said that led anybody to believe that there might be any kind of a reunion was just me being nice. No one's ever considered it. It's not really in the cards. And the thing with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was that was the closest we got to it, or could have gotten to it, and it didn't happen. And I said, 'You know what?! Let's just close the books. That was a very public event, and hopefully everybody gets it.
People have been speculating about [a reunion] for years, but I really have a hard time picturing it. There hasn’t been any communication along those lines between he and I. I have a hard time picturing it because I’m always focused on the next show. I’m one of those people who lives in the moment. I don’t look too far into the future and I don’t dwell too much on the past.
And also continue to criticize Axl for what had transpired:
We achieved success and then, suddenly, certain figures in the band just wanted to f*** it all up. I mean, I just wanted to work. But I never knew when, or where, or how that was going to be.
But also praise Axl for his qualities:
I mean, aside from the fact that he's obviously one of the greatest singer/frontman guys to come along ever, a brilliant lyricist, he's a super, super-intelligent, very astute individual. So that's one of the things I've always admired about him. And [he's] one of the most honest, straightforward people that I've ever met.
Duff, on the other hand, would suggest being open to it:
I never say never to anything, actually, these days. I've kind of learned. You never know what's around the corner. And all that aside, I'm just glad he and I were able to get together and talk about some stuff and then laugh about a lot of other shit that happened.
And in November, Slash would again close the door on a reunion:
Fans want to re-create a version of what they thought it was. It doesn't exist anymore. It's not there. It's out of reach.
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Re: 34. 2014: END TO THE NUGNR ERA; BUMBLEFOOT CLANDESTINELY LEAVES THE BAND
A BREAK FROM TOURING AFTER THE RESIDENCY
As touched upon in previous chapters, after the Las Vegas residency the band intended to take a break from touring for a while. This was confirmed by Dizzy when he was asked about the band's plans in June:
I think Guns N’ Roses are going to shut down the touring aspect for a little bit. I’m sure that time will be spent hopefully fine tuning what songs will be coming out this year, according to what Wikipedia says, anyway. I’ve got a few things happening so I’ll be out touring around. It’s going to be awesome.
And suggest they wouldn't do any more touring in 2014, but "definitely" in 2015:
Guns are definitely taking some time off, but we'll see. I'm not sure if we're gonna be doing anything else this year. Hopefully we will, but definitely next year. We can't stay away too long.
This would align with the rumour that the band members had been informed their calendars were open to pursue other projects for a while [see previous chapter].
When asked about the plans:
You know, there's nothing real definite. I know that there's a lot of music that's got to be finished up and there's a lot of music that's [?] close to be done that, you know, needs to be put out. And then, you know, we got to get back out there and play some more shows, maybe do another residency. But in the meantime, you know, people can watch the DVD.
We are all on break and everyone is off touring. Richard (Fortus) and Dizzy (Reed) are off touring with The Dead Daisies. DJ Ashba is readying to release his next album. Tommy (Stinson) is playing with The Replacements and I am finishing up my new solo album.
We are planning on doing quite a bit of touring this coming year. The focus is getting in a studio and putting together what we all feel is the best Guns N’ Roses record. Lack of material is not an issue. We have tons of stuff. Axl has two full albums that he has recorded, he has played me a bunch of songs off of that, are incredible! I can’t wait to get in and kind of dive into those as well. I’ve written tons of songs & demoed up a bunch of stuff. I think it is just a matter of getting in & sifting through the piles of material.
With the band on a break the band members worked on different projects, Richard and Dizzy toured with the Dead Daises [see previous chapter], Bumblefoot went on tour with the Guitar Gods [see previous chapter], DJ was busy with the release of SIXX:AM's Modern Vintage [see previous chapter], and Tommy opened for the Old 97's and played new songs for his forthcoming solo album [Delmarva Now, July 16, 2014].
Interestingly, at the end of October, Richard would talk about the Dead Daisies and say how nice it was to be in a band where everybody was working towards a common goal, implying that was not the case in Guns N' Roses:
It’s so nice to really feel like you are in a band where everyone is working together towards the same goal.
In November, DJ would say they were about to tour again with Guns N' Roses, suggesting that plans had been laid for 2015 [Red Carpet Rumba, November 20, 2014]. And in February 2015, he would still say touring were planned:
We are in the middle of doing a lot of things. We were talking about doing another huge tour. Our main focus right now is obviously putting together the next Guns record and we've got tons of material. It's just a matter of sitting down and sifting through the pieces. That's kind of where that's sitting, you know? It looks like we're going to be doing a lot more touring.
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» 35. 2015: AXL AND SLASH MAKE PEACE, DJ LEAVES THE BAND, WILL 2016 BE THE YEAR OF THE REUNION?
» 36. JANUARY-JUNE 2016 - SLASH AND DUFF JOINS GUNS N' ROSES, TOMMY AND CHRIS LEAVES THE BAND, AXL JOINS AC/DC
» 2013.05.13 - Balkanrock - Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Guns N' Roses): "You're Watching The Band Write Music"
» 2014.06.21 - One On One With Mitch Lafon - Interview with Bumblefoot
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» 36. JANUARY-JUNE 2016 - SLASH AND DUFF JOINS GUNS N' ROSES, TOMMY AND CHRIS LEAVES THE BAND, AXL JOINS AC/DC
» 2013.05.13 - Balkanrock - Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Guns N' Roses): "You're Watching The Band Write Music"
» 2014.06.21 - One On One With Mitch Lafon - Interview with Bumblefoot
» 2014.05.25 - Zombie Tapdance - Interview with Bumblefoot
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