Guns N’ Roses Guitarist Says He’s ‘Out’ If He Can’t Pursue Solo Career
For all the benefits of being in Guns N' Roses, for Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal it has one particular drawback. In a new interview, the guitarist says that it's been very difficult to keep his solo career afloat, and that he would leave the band if he had to choose.
While on tour in Santiago, Chile as a solo act, Bumblefoot unleashed his frustrations at the fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants approach that has become Guns N' Roses' trademark. "We could be planning something [for my solo project] for next April," he told Radio Futura. "And then Guns will book something March 31 for April, and all your plans are just - suddenly you're in this situation where you have to choose...Because if I do have to choose — and I'm saying it here first — I'm choosing my own life...and if [the band's management] are not willing to help me keep the two functioning well together, then I'm out."
Bumblefoot's outburst comes as a result of a schedule change he was forced to make for December and January, which were subsequently canceled. "And all the changes were for nothing, and the changes came at a very big loss," he continued. "And it also came at a detriment to my name. It's like, you book something with booking agents and promoters, and their biggest concern is that you're gonna cancel because Guns is gonna book something, and then you do that, they're gonna be very reluctant to wanna book again, 'cause they're worried about the same thing happening. So I can't let that happen anymore."
However, Bumblefoot goes out of his way to not blame his frontman, calling Axl Rose "fun and welcoming and a wonderful host when you're hanging out with him and just loves to see everybody enjoy themselves and makes everybody feels comfortable."