Bumblefoot Issues GnR Ultimatum
Guns n’Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal has run out of patience with the way the band’s plans affect his solo career.
Axl Rose’s outfit tend towards last-minute decisions about touring, while most other acts prepare many months ahead of time. That leaves Bumblefoot faced with either cancelling solo engagements or not making them at all – and he says that’s got to stop.
He tells Radio Future (via Blabbermouth): “It seems like the running gag was, ‘If you want Guns n’Roses to hit the road, all you have to do is book your own tour. They’ll book one at the same time and you’ll have to cancel yours.’
“I could be planning something for next April, then Guns will book something on March 31 for April. Suddenly you’re in this situation where you have to choose.”
Bumblefoot – who joined GnR in 2006 and appears on their last album, Chinese Democracy – cites the example of a solo tour he’d planned for a previous January and February. GnR made their own plans forcing him to change his – but then things changed again and everything was scrapped.
“The changes came at a very big loss,” he says. “It also came at a detriment to my name. You book something with agents and promoters, and their biggest concern is you’re going to cancel because Guns is going to book something. When you do that, they’re going to be very reluctant to book again. I can’t let that happen any more.”
He’s also unhappy that his own musical work has fallen into the background after having released nine albums and a live DVD. “I was doing the solo stuff and everything was growing,” he says. “As soon as I joined Guns it’s like everyone hit ‘delete’ on everything I did. Even after 20 years of putting out music people say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you sang. I didn’t know you did other things.’ That’s not right; that’s not good – I’ve put out more music than Guns.”
Bumblefoot underlines that he doesn’t have any problems with mainman Rose, and he’s still hoping GnR will be back in action next year.
But he adds: “I’m trying to work something out with management so I don’t have to choose. Because if I do have to choose, I’m choosing my own life. I have to.
“If I’m going to be painted into a corner where I have to choose between Guns and the rest of my life, and if they’re not willing to help me keep the two functioning together, then I’m out.”