2012.05.04 - GNRBRAZIL.com - Interview with Bumblefoot

1 - You already have several albums and singles in your solo career, already has plans for more material or projects? If you make a tour to promote it, Brazil will be on your list?

Not sure what the rest of the year's touring schedule will be, but hopefully can continue writing, producing & releasing music this year... and if I can tour with my solo band I would absolutely want to come to Brazil!

2 - Who are your idols and influences?

It started as a child with KISS, for their energy, and the Beatles for the love of music. Guitar-wise, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, so many...

3 - Do you have a favorite song of your solo work?

Hard for me to choose from my own songs... I'd have to go with albums - Normal, Barefoot, Abnormal, Uncool... and the song-a-month releases last year

4 - We noticed that you quite enjoy the Pink Panther, has some history / connection with it?

I love the old Pink Panther movies, Peter Sellers was fantastic! The song has a great vibe to it, it's been a fun song to play I released the song last year at the end of the 2011 tour (www.bumblefoot.com/pinkpanther.htm), it has my GNR bandmates playing on it (I guess that makes it the only music released with current members of GNR... so far)

5 - Have you considered using songs from your solo career (Normal, Rockstar For A Day, Dash, etc.) As a solo spot at the Guns N' Roses shows?

Yes, I've considered it....

6 - You want to return to Brazil? If yes, has any place in particular you wish to know?

Of course I want to return I've made so many friends there, my wife too... I'd love to visit the North of the country, I haven't been there yet.

7 - How was the Up Close And Personal Tour? It was different playing on smaller venues?

It was a pleasure to play these smaller venues and be able to connect so much with the audience, to be able to touch hands from the stage, I enjoyed it a lot. When I play shows on a big stage far from the audience, I start to feel the distance between us - it was good to get back to something so touchable.

8 - How is the coexistence between the band members?

We co-exist quite well, haha. We do more than co-exist, it's much better than that I'm happy to say.

9 - What do you expect from the European tour? Fans can expect surprises?

Surprises aren't planned, they just happen. What do I expect from the European tour? Blood and guts and severed body parts flying through the air. And nice weather.

10 - We'll have more on livestreams on European tour?

I don't know if there will be any official streaming of shows, maybe I'll do some of my own livestreams, but nothing planned....

11 - In several forums and concerts, there are always a lot of fans requesting to play songs like There Was A Time, Catcher In The Rye, Oh My God, etc. Why these songs are not played?

I'll play any song. But it's easy for me, my fingers will keep working if I'm sick, if I'm sleepy, but it's different when you have to sing for months. As the lead singer in my solo band, when touring you choose songs based on what will keep your throat most healthy and able to make it through the tour. Those decision are up to the singer, they must be.

12 - If at the Guns N' Roses concerts, you could make your own setlist, how would it be? Would play some music that are not currently included?

With a 25 year history, there's a lot of music to choose from, I don't know what I would change. Maybe more songs from Chinese Democracy...

13 - The Brazilian fans are going to wait long for the band return to Brazil?

It's up to managers & booking agents & promoters & venues & itinerary coordinators - I never know if a show will happen somewhere, why a show didn't happen somewhere, or anything about the way tickets are being sold. (You'll know before I will - when promoters in a country announce a show, fans in that country find out everything before I do...) I just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best....

14 - There are plans for Guns N' Roses to release something soon? In a recent interview Richard Fortus said that the band is working in the studio. Can you confirm this information?

In the last 12 months I finished four albums of music - Scarface 'Work Ethic', Alexa Vetere 'Breathe Again' ( www.alexavetere.com ), Poc 'Rise Above' ( www.pocnation.com ) and my own music ( www.bumblefoot.com/discography.php ) When it comes to releasing GNR music, that's between Axl and the label and management - hopefully they'll release more music, but that's not up to me.

15 - The next Guns N' Roses album will consist of leftover Chinese Democracy songs, and new compositions by the current lineup? In your opinion, you prefer throw all the stuff that's left before launching a composition with the current lineup?

I'd love to see all the Chinese-era music released and followed up with brand new music written by the current band, but that's just my opinion. I do what I want with my own music, it's not for me to say what should be done with music that was around before I was.

16 - Which is your favorite Guns N' Roses album?

Each has something special... Appetite was amazing of course... Illusions had amazing melodic composed epic songs, and Chinese took it to the extreme, packing so much into each song.... each one is special. As a guitarist I love Chinese, it has everything from melodic to technical and even fretless.