Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Guys from www.gnrfrance.net are there...for working !  : ok:

Damn he don't sound happy

Kat just tweeted that she's on the plane. When do GNR plan on starting? Tommy's bass tech tweeted Brian Adams was on the stage almost 2 hours ago and the crew isn't even there yet. It's almost 1:30 AM.

Ron doesnt sound happy at all.

I am hoping that GN'R will play MY next wedding!

Ill give u one guess

There was a photoshopped pic in the post from mygnr that CIAT quoted.

Yeah Gypsy sent me a message from Jarmo to restart the thread without the photoshopped pic (I didn't even realise it was photoshopped) but I didn't see it until right now. My bad.

Jennifer Thal ‏@MrsBumblefoot
Welcome to St. Tropez @ Port de Saint Tropez http://instagr.am/p/NXPmgVs3y5/
(https://instagr.am/p/NXPmgVs3y5/media/?size=l)

Holy shit! Izzy!

Jarmo, what is the setlist so far???

It's Izzy!!!

Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Dead Flowers with Izzy (St Tropez) http://instagr.am/p/NXRREOqMnl/
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418645_10150919544080059_2038397573_n.jpg)

Youre crazy w izzy. Jungle w izzy, easy w izzy, brownstone w izzy, used to love her w izzy, this I love, 
14 years w izzy, dead flowers w izzy, jam/rocket queen, estranged, live and let die, street of dreams, sweet child o mine, don't cry, Nightrain with izzy, Patience w izzy, Heavens door w izzy, paradise city with izzy

/jarmo

Thanks for the updates Jarmo!

Amazing!

Del James
Private show in St. Tropiz. Special guest Izzy Stradlin.
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s480x480/599730_10151057843311907_1783871177_n.jpg)

wow sweet

Here Today... Gone To Hell!
St Tropez http://instagr.am/p/NXWCKOqMrW/
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s480x480/391422_10150919593690059_744212241_n.jpg)

Show over!


/jarmo

Awesome! Thanks for the updates Jarmo!

Bumblefoot ‏@bumblefoot
That was actually fun as fuck & everybody was so sweet :)


Jennifer Thal ‏@MrsBumblefoot
I'm a wedding crasher! @ Port de Saint Tropez http://instagr.am/p/NXZc48s36X/
(https://instagr.am/p/NXZc48s36X/media/?size=l)

THANKS JARMO FOR THE UPDATES N' PICS!!! :headbanger:

Wow amazing setlist. Hope some videos show up on youtube soon! :peace:

GNR is on fire ! I wish bbf was feeling better, I'm sure touring gets tiring but its still more of a kick ass job then most of us have

I could not imagine how stressful it is for Bfoot touring, with all that pain.  Cool that they played a private show, can't wait to see what's next for the band.

Damn the band is now playing wedding?!!! lmfao!

trust me i you were someone who could have the band  at your house or event and could manage the cost to do so you wouldn't be lmao.lol, I sure as hell wouldn't.!!

Sounds more like Bummed out Foot. Hope all is well n' he's not contomplating playing jumping ship.

Seems like it was just a comment made in the heat of the moment.  He was/is looking forward to the end of the touring cycle so he can get some much needed rest.  Then this gig pops up seemingly out of nowhere.  Initially he was none too pleased, but he admittedly had a great time.  So it would seem all is well and back to normal now.  IF he did choose to jump ship, which I don't think he will.  But if he did, I'd guess it'd be more for his health than the fact that they sprung a surprise gig on him at the last moment, or things of that nature.

I realize they are under contract, but do the other members of the band have any say in something like this? I'm glad it worked out, but the guy is obviously hurting- could they have maybe skipped the extra payday?

Are those comments counter productive to the way Axl wants to do things?

Why do you think it was some unknown rich person and they were paid big bucks?  Could it have been someone they knew and since they were around at the last minute they were asked if they want to come?

I wonder why Izzy was there?? Seems strange.

I wonder that too which lead me down the speculation path  :D that maybe it was a friend thing but maybe he's just around for the last show.  Whatever, wishing the happy couple a love that does not fade away.

Love? You mean money?:d
I don't give a fuck about GNR playing on weddings, but it's such a shame how they treat Ron and rest of the band...

25 years since Appetite?

Strange that Izzy was there?

No, not at all.

It was a little fun relaxed surprise show in somebody's garden.

A contrast to the arena and stadium shows.


It was amazing to see the band play in that kind of setting.

Wired and stripped down in a small place.




What a day! But everybody pulled it off!  : ok:






/jarmo

Who got married? Anyone famous in the audience?

That reminds of the headline from back in 1974 when Sly (of Sly and the Family Stone) got married.  The headline went something like ..... Sly Stone has a 'Garden' wedding ..... The 'garden' was Madison Square Garden!!!  :hihi:

---

Guns N' Roses
About last night: Guns N' Cowboys in St. Tropez ? at Port de Saint Tropez.
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/600890_10151049863178069_1567155864_n.jpg)

How is that exactly? I'm unsure what you are referring to. Can you please explain how the band is treated?

Ali

IZZY STRADLIN Performs With GUNS N' ROSES In Saint-Tropez - July 22, 2012

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his former band on stage last night (Saturday, July 21) to perform almost a dozen songs during a last-minute concert at a private wedding in Saint-Tropez, France. Izzy and the current lineup of GN'R reportedly played the following tracks: "You're Crazy", "Welcome To The Jungle", "It's So Easy", "Mr. Brownstone", "Used To Love Her", "14 Years", "Dead Flowers", "Nightrain", "Patience", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Paradise City". Also performed last night ? without Stradlin ? were the songs "This I Love", "Rocket Queen", "Estranged", "Live And Let Die", "Street Of Dreams", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Don't Cry",

After the show, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba tweeted, "Just finished playing a private concert in St. Tropez, France. It was great having Izzy back on stage with us."

Fellow GN'R axeman Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal appeared less enthused about the prospect of playing a surprise concert, tweeting before the show, "Wow. Diverted without info (or gear or clothes or sleep) to play a wedding in France. Yep. Guess it's not *one show left*." He added, "Crew working dangerously nonstop due to added show. Not ok with that..."

Afterwards, Thal tweeted, "That was actually fun as fuck & everybody was so sweet :)"

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=177096

I think this is awesome and I'm glad Ron ended up having a great time! How cool for the bride and groom to have GNR at their wedding singine THIS I LOVE!!!! :love:

Well I admit it would have been stranger if Elvis had turned up...but you know what I mean! Who's wedding was it? No need for names but a friend of Axl's?

Bumblefoot tweeted before the concert he was not happy about doing it, and tha tthe crew were overworked and tired, or something like that-afterward he said it was fun, but he is obviously in extreme pain-I think if he had a choice he would not have done it.

I am aware of that tweet. But, Ron was referring to the crew, not the band. El_loko referred to how they "treat Ron and the rest of band". So, I'm not clear what he was referring to and I was asking for clarification.

Ali

Ron was taking a shot at the management of the band, it souds like-said they were diverted without info, sleep, clothes, or gear.

"Drained of passion & desire, way too many nails in the coffin on this tour. Need to get home & recharge my batteries. Love you all :)"
"Wow. Diverted without info (or gear or clothes or sleep) to play a wedding in France. Yep. Guess it's not *one show left*... "
"?@Lucas_McKagan: what's the next step with Guns N' Roses?" Playing Bar Mitzvahs I guess... "
"?@Robjames09: Want me to take your place? Thought not.? Any time kid. You can have the busted neck and needles in your fucking spine. "
"Success without a feeling of integrity, or happiness, is not success. To me. We all have to re-evaluate our compromises once in a while... "

It's not only about crew, GNR start touring so Ron couldn't do all recovery. Now whehe he's tired as hell, and in big pain, nobody give a fuck about him and rest of band, booking show in the last moment. I understand, bands play for money and this his job. But IMO this situation wasn't fair. And this is only my opinion from what I saw in Rybnik and what I hear now.

WHO told you life was fair ...... THEY LIED  :P


If I could afford it I would definately book them, especially if I could choose the setlist  ;D

If they didn't have gear, then how the hell did they play the show?

Regardless, I don't see any specific reference to the treatment of "the band" by Ron. The crew, yes, the band? Not that I can see.

Ali

I think BBF should keep tweets like that too himself. If something is bothering him he should keep it in house or within the bands circle. No job is a stress free job, and thinking you only have one more show left then get told you have to do one more must be mentally taxing. But I'm not a fan of openly complaining, some things should stay in house.

Did izzy replace Ron onstage? Some odd selections for a wedding.

Complaining about not being a fan of complaining...

Ron never said anything about the band-he mentioned the crew and himself-as far as gear, I would imagine they found guitars, drums, ect. in France.

The bolded/italicized portion is exactly my point.

Ali

Neither did I-thanks for clearing that up.

I'm sure all of the guys are dead tired ... They've been a touring machine, plus doing 3 hour shows is amazing. I just think there's a way to vent if you're frustrated. I'm just one of those guys that when there's a problem or something you're not happy about you keep those things in house.

Was this show a kind of a 'friends favor' thing or were they asked (paid) by some (rich) dude as a surprise gift to the wedding couple? Does anybody know?
In fact, does anyone knows who got married? (as one previously mentioned, I am laso not so interested in the name, but rather in the 'type' of persons)
Doesn't seem to be your average wedding party when fucking Guns N' Roses is performing!   :hihi:

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552721_415755281804186_1984665314_n.jpg)

I really like Ron but I do think tweeting that stuff shows a lack of professionalism

Haha I remember years ago when people were so unhappy that they never heard any news or communication from GNR. 

Not saying I agree or disagree with his tweets individually, but I appreciate that SOME ONE is talking with the fans. 

I don't see the problem here really. Ron was just extremely frustrated and maybe he didn't quite think it through before hitting enter but that's all to it.

Anyone here ever bitch about their job.....

I thought so. Let it go

Mandatory over time sucks, especially when you have other things to do/planned.

I just find it odd that the lead guitarist of the band did not know about a gig until less than they day before it happened, and I guess had no say in whether or not they should do it.

in the end it sounds like he had a blast....I guess GN'R will be taking the summer off.....At least from the public view, who knows what goes on behind the scenes...

I think that is exactly the problem, despite how understandable it is.

Ali

I guess they would have shown up by now if they existed but man would I love to see some videos of this set.

I see a lot of comments about something that people don't know a while lot about.


The truth is, everyone found out about the surprise show later than regular gigs, hence the term surprise gig.  :)

We all flew from Valencia to Nice, and from Nice to Palma, in awesome private jets. Thanks to management, there were no commercial flights for Axl, management, the band or the crew getting to/from this gig.

Yes, it was three shows in three nights. Nobody's debating that. But on some tours that's the norm. How come nobody mentions how hard that must be for Axl who has to sing three nights in a row?


I didn't see anybody being forced to go to Saint-Tropez. If it was impossible to do the gig, we wouldn't have done it. Simple as that.




Crew gets treated bad? How do you know?

One surprise gig that we didn't know about months in advance and some not so awesome hotels because that's all they have available in those places, but that's out of management's hands.




Considering the limitations, regarding time, limited amount of gear and so on, it's amazing this gig happened and it's proof that GN'R can pull this off. Band, management and crew. And the gig was amazing. Are you kidding me? GN'R on a small stage playing plugged in outdoors. What fan wouldn't enjoy that?

I sure did!  :beer:



/jarmo

Just posted on gunsnroses.com - I need to make time to post and read htgth/gunsnroses.com for what's what in the gnr world.   Sorry about that - My message responded to someone saying that "people" are reading too much into bumble's crew comment. 

-

I too believe that a lot is being made of a simple heat of the moment venting session.  We were all tired, but we too were also happy to embark on a private show to St. Tropez.  To suggest that we (GNR) would think less of the crew, and/or put them in harm's way, or exhaustion; is mistaken.  And anyone in the crew can vouch for what I am saying.

We chartered 6 planes back and forth, in which allowed band and crew to travel with ease and not what might be lead to believe by some, after reading Bumble's tweet.  The show in St. Tropez, was by far the easiest gig to date, for our band and crew.   Even Izzy was there! 

Just really bums me out that Bumble wrote something to suggest we didn't care about our crew.  We are a family away from our homes which have been together for some more than 10 years and respect one another.

Can you say who got married?  Young couple? I'm kind of surprised the couple didn't make some sort of announcement about it. Any famous faces in the crowd? Was Bryan Adams hanging out to watch GNR?

If GNR weren't on the road and had been on break, would they still have taken the gig, or was it just convenient because it wasn't too out of the way for them?

Did you get to enjoy St Tropez, or just no time?

Also, why was the setlist so heavy on Appetite, was that the bridge or groom's decision or Axl's?

As far as what Bumblefoot Tweeted, you saw him every day and knew what he was going through, I guess his wife, more so. I read there was a physical therapist on the road, was that for the band, just for Axl, or for Bumble?

Without knowing all the details, I doubt the band would've flown from the USA to Europe for that show alone.

But now it happened to be an hour's flight away.

Not different to the surprise shows in New York City, London, Moscow or Paris.




The show happened early Sunday and there was a show late Sunday evening in Mallorca. So no time.




I believe it was a band decision.

It was a stripped down show.






Many people were injured during the tour.

Not just band members. It happens.....





/jarmo

And than he had like what? 21 hours of to do some sleeping, relaxing and walking around?

What are you talking about?





/jarmo

The band pulled off an amazing tour. Hopefully they all get some much deserved rest !

Let's asume that GNR do 3 hour shows. Since 1 day contains 24 hours than Axl had 21 hours of (24 hours a day - 3 hour show) to relax himself and give his throat some rest. There are people who have to work much harder than that.

No matter how the crew (and band members for that matter) traveled, they were working a lot, carrying a lot of weight I suppose and working non stop and not letting your body rest properly is dangerous and this is not an opinion. Ron also said that the show was fun as fuck but the way they got to know that they would play a private gig was not good. Ron needs to rest more than others so if GnR is a family he should be a part of it - all family members should agree on doing what they want to do, not on what only the father wants to do. If one family members is hurt and must do a show that he wasnt aware of, well, that is disrespectful. I would feel disrespected, I dont know about him. I would be pissed if I saw several people working nonstop when they were meant to be resting.

^Great post Bruno^  : ok:

Lots of IFs in your post.



Everybody found out the same way. But people reacted differently.

Not everybody was tweeting about it.....

Also, what do you know about how we found out?



Excuse me?

Explain yourself.





NOBODY was aware of the surprise shows when the tour was booked!

You're simplifying things.

Ron wasn't the only one who had issues regarding his health on this tour. Remember?





/jarmo

People reacted differently, yes. So what? Some have the balls to post and complain about it.

I know how Ron, a band member found out about the show. He mentioned that. He needs to rest more because he's hurt, and his injury is serious. You know that, I know you do. Being in constant pain sucks and finding out that you must do a gig without proper sleep, gear and preparation sucks even more. And when you have a spinal injury...that sucks eeeeven more. And whe  you find out about a surprise show when you are resting to d the next show...that sucks so fkn much. I'm just saying how I would feel, I certainly aint speaking for him - that is my own opinion, cool?

Bruno, why do you care more about this situation than Ron? Guess what, Jarmo WAS apart of the crew Ron was talking about, and if things are all cool with him, fernando who were actually there and actually know Ron then I don't see the point in arguing?

You are basing your opinions on a situation that you weren't in against someone who was in that situation. Ron has tweeted since and it all seems like water under the bridge, and they played 2 shows since, so where's the problem?

Seriously? It's not about balls.

Tweeting takes balls?




So you read his tweet and that's how you know.

Everybody found out the same way.

Not a big deal to most, a big deal for one.




Yes. But I'm saying, other people were injured as well.

So without a medical background, your post is just based on your personal sympathies, nothing more.





Yes it sucks to be in pain.

Without proper sleep?

We checked out of the hotel in the afternoon. If he couldn't get sleep between the Benicassim gig and checking out, that had nothing to do with the Saint-Tropez show. Sorry, but that's a fact.

Without gear? He was playing his own gear. We just didn't bring all the cases with us, for obvious reasons.





An injury is an injury. No matter what it is. It sucks. Everybody should be healthy in a perfect world.


Regardless, people were injured on the tour and only one guy made his feelings on doing this show public by using Twitter.


I totally get Bumblefoot fans defending him. But that's only his point of view. I don't even know if he felt the same way after the show. He tweeted that he had fun.... So....


Besides, the "outrage" by some is pretty silly if you ask me. Come on. Like nobody's ever been asked to come in to work on a Saturday when they were leaving work on Friday? Or asked to work late one evening. That never happens does it? Oh no. That kind of things never happen in the real world....




/jarmo

Ron was pissed and vented over a social media network.  Ron's situation sucks because he's in a lot of pain, but so is the rest of the band.  None of them are in their 20's anymore and they have toured their ass off.  He shouldn't of tweeted what he did. It does show a lack of proffesionalism, sure he can tweet what he wants but I believe he didnt have to go as far as he did and even management seems a little bummed in his actions. I do believe GnR treats their road crew very well or as standard as the next big rock band out there. Those crew guys are most likely union guys and the union dont fuck much around.  It's like any job and they love what they do, but they are burnt out and are ready for a break.

Also, I don't remember Ron specifically talking about his pain in his tweets, just his frustration on doing another show??

<< Without gear? He was playing his own gear. We just didn't bring all the cases with us, for obvious reasons. >>

C'mon man, don't make me out to be a liar.  :(  I had no fretless guitars, didn't have my amps, pedals & FX, I played on 1 guitar & a rental amp with no knowledge of what any of it would actually be.  The show went fine of course (I can modify what I do on the fly to fit whatever gear limits there are) but the only thing of my gear I had that I use at GNR shows was my guitar.

Bumblefoot
Oh geez... seems some people are blaming Axl for the difficult logistics the crew had at the end of the tour with the extra gig thrown in. Allllways blamin' the singer.... my fault, I went on a twitter rant :P (www.twitter.com/bumblefoot/status/226815415882493952) He doesn't plot out the travel itineraries between shows, not how it works. The planners did the best they could to make everything happen, was just no way to make it easy on the crew. On a positive, once upon a time tours had canceled shows, now they have added shows... so there. :) Thank you all again for being such great audiences everywhere we went :) Made a lot of new friends that I hope I'll be seeing soon....... :)

(I'm mad at Jarmo because he was my 'man date' for half the tour and then I got dumped for Del....)   :hihi:

ahaha right on : ok:  keep rocking dude!

Hey Bumble!!

How's it going?

"Uh, Ron, Weren't you with your wife for half the tour?"  

NO!  I mean, YES but...   eh, forget it.    :)

And guitar picks? ;)

Thanks for the clarification, sorry for the confusion. I remember seeing a bunch of guitars, I thought you had more than one.



I thought the show was amazing, considering all the limitations. Made it really special!



I can't compete with Jen!

 ;)



/jarmo

How come no mention of the couple that got married? Is it anyone we've heard of? 

Hey Bumble, thanks so fuckin' much again for this tour! :D

<< I can't compete with Jen! >>

Well,  :love: Jen  :love: doesn't like Indian food....   and she can't whistle her S's like Herbert the Pervert (Family Guy)   

Ron, could you shed some light on the plans ahead? Richard mentioned some studio time now after the tour..

It was their wedding, I'm sure if they wanted to talk about it, they would.





Sssspicccy Ssspanisssh sssaussagess on Sssaturdayssss...  ;)




/jarmo

No, I had to borrow this sushi tray and use that as a giant pick....

(http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/VIpft5SONHZGDPRD0qoa3g/l.jpg)

No, not really. I was speaking my mind, being a Ron fan or not. He had a great time, no doubt, and I'm not going any further with this, but things got pretty fucked up at that point.



And to the guy claiming to be Bumblefoot... who the fuck needs fretless guitars? They suck anyway. I mean, they don't even have frets, how are you even supposed to play in tune with that shit? :confused:

EDIT:  :rofl: at the guitar pick

<< could you shed some light on the plans ahead? Richard mentioned some studio time now after the tour.. >>

More doctors, more treatments, more side-effects, more depression, more lawyers.....  and peachy sunny tweets.   ;D

Nice to see your humour hasn't faded!

I hope your treatments give good results so you may avoid the depressions.  :)

OK folks, gonna play with my rolls of belly fat (side-effects, yaaaaay...)    Enjoy the weekend  :)   Ron

Have a nice week-end and recover the way you deserve!!!

Band members read the forums.  :nervous:

Why be nervous?   

Bollocks. Ron needs his back to stand straight and carry his guitar for about 2,5 hours/show. Did you ever had a serious back injury Jarmo? If so you would know what Ron has gone trough during the concerts.

Was there no footage from the private show?

Wow. It's been HOT in here. Amazing how Bumblefoot comes in and cool the place down. That should settle the court right?

If you missed your picks Bumble, I can comfort you with that I miss your pick too....My fiancee got one, but we forgot it at our room in Milano  :'(

Rons always good for some banter... ;D ;D ;D

Seriously though Ron, I hope you sort out all of the health issues that are impeding you at the moment.  :)

Seriously. You're rating injuries in order of importance now?

So injuring a hand isn't as bad, or injuring a leg?





/jarmo

broken leg, twitched ankle, stuff that heals in no time are way different from chronic pain issues. pain itself can be worse, but it gets better with right treatment and time. When you have serious spine issues for example, its rest or your life, sometimes bad sometimes little easier, but always there(I would assume). me having a permanent inner ear damage for 20 fucking years, its not painful really, but I`m dizzy as hell 24/7. ruined my life totally.

I DON'T DOUBT RON IS STILL SUFFERING FROM HIS CAR ACCIDENT so maybe he should think twice before doing moves like this every show so eragon n' dippadai123 don't look like asses in their posts.

June 24, 2012 - Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7453647042_ffd77ecb9a_z.jpg)

P.S.  IMO Beta n' co. did an AWESOME job in their first OFFICIAL management gig!!!  :beer:

P.P.S.  for more AWESOME tour pics 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/ 

do you know that this move hurts Ron's back? can you speak for him, are you his doctor?

maybe you should think twice before posting assumptions so that you don't look like an ass.

for all we know, this move could stretch his back out and feel good for his back.... : ok:

Sure.

But how does it affect you being able to do your job?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but both would make it more difficult.


The point I was trying to make, which was ignored, is that people were hurt during the tour. These injuries made it more of a challenge to pull of the three hour shows.

I made no remarks about whether or not these injuries will affect the persons' lives for the next month, year or forever.

I have no idea about that.





Hello...





/jarmo

yeah, I agree. pain is pain, acute or chronic or whatever, especially when you have a show to do. I just feel sympathy for Ron from what I`ve heard/read about the condition. must be hard to be in one of the biggest band in a world, living a dream maybe, and then having the fucking pain that kinda ruins it all. Just guessing...

With bands, the adrenaline can mask the pain, and there's things they can take to help heal up that athletes wouldn't be able to. I'm sure some of them say "I'm too old for this shit" when they're dragging ass out of bed. Have to keep in mind how long Tommy and Axl in particular were banging around on stage, that's 30 years of banging around, in Axl's case, slamming into the stage on his knees singing, I'm surprised he didn't get knee replacement surgery by now.

I'm sure the road crew get pretty banged up from the crawling, loading, unloading, setting up, breaking down, getting scorched by pyros, etc.

Since this thread is still going, I would like to say that I saw them in Toulon and thought the show was actually too long. Too many jams, solos, intros... I'd much rather they stick to the songs, the way they apparently did in Saint-Trop'.

Spinal pain is a difficult one to explain.  I had both a posterial and anterial fusion (two rods and 6 45mm screws from the outside and 6 25mm screws from inside my body where my intestines had to pulled out first) and live day to day on Tramodil.  Some days I am wreaked, I can barely move and other days I can be fighting fit and hold my own against people half my age and at their peak in fitness terms.

The pain is always there.  It's how you deal with it that is the problem.  You plan your moves, times for meds and mentally prepare yourself for each day, a sudden change (such as an extra show) will throw you a curve ball, it will mess with you both physically and mentally.  My business failed in 2009 and having lost my life savings I needed to get what work I could.  A metal work yard was downsizing and I was given 5 weeks work (along with another guy) in shifting their stock to smaller premises, whilst the employees continued with a contract that they had fabricating a harbour gangway system.  It was a case of needs must, and took the risk to get the money I needed to pay the bills.  Guess what, with meditation each morning and being sensible in how I did the job I was able to get in the right mind-set to complete the job and was subsequently offered more work.  The point I'm making is Ron has clearly worked out what does and doesn't work for him.  He has clearly worked out how to manage his issues and on hearing of another show, I'm guessing this disrupted his coping mechanisms and when they get thrown as this gig did, it can often take days to get back to a state of mind where you are in more control of your pain.

BBF is a top guy and an asset to a top band, he is also a human that goes a long way to appreciating what ordinary fans go through to see him and the others play, doesn't put himself first much to his detriment I'd say.  When the fans ask for those autographs, photos and hugs, he isn't thinking about himself and probably isn't helping his own healing.  In truth, he possibly has extended the suffering he endures by making sure the fans get their trophy, the guy needs a break and an opportunity to build his own physical fitness to get the core strength back.  A carbon fibre twin-neck might help also....

that was my point Jarmo!  :yes:

You have a point?  :P

Unbelievable.







Yes. That's a possibility.

But my point is that the same applied to others. Everybody got the news at the same time. 

It was an extra show, and with that comes all the preparations that are needed for all people involved. No matter if it's physical or getting equipment ready to be used and so on.



Yes I know it's a serious injury and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone.




/jarmo

Thank you for posting this.  I can count on one hand the people that really get it, you start to feel like you're the only one of your species...   it's just words to most people, you get it.  How it bends your mind on 'bad days'.  How you walk on eggshells 24/7 monitoring every physical movement, how pain becomes your crying newborn and you live day-to-day planning your life around it.  How it's always there.  Very few get it at all...

(All the bending back *helps* - leaning back, letting gravity help pull my shoulders back, gives relief.  The normal body-positioning needed for playing guitar - rounding the back and shoulders, looking down, causes more pain....)

Unfortunately in this age of social media and the ability to instantly provide updates, things can be taken out of context and blown out of proportion.  I'm sure Ron was just blowing off some steam initially, but obviously when the show was over he admittedly had a blast.  The problem is, people will complain about never getting updates and never knowing what the hell is going on.  Then when an update is given, if it isn't what some people wanted to hear, it's "he shouldn't have said that.  Should've just kept his mouth shut".  I personally much prefer the openness and honesty.  Even if certain comments need further clarification down the line.

Here's to hoping that Ron, and the rest of the band and crew get some much needed rest after 3 years of touring.  And hopefully they will emerge somewhere down the line with some treats (aka new music). 

harsh...

No problem fella. There's a saying about not judging a person until you walk a mile in their shoes, I'm not in your shoes Ron but I'm walking along side you.  The bending, stretching and all the weird movements just to get comfortable look pretty stupid to those not experiencing what you are going through.  Meditation wasn't something I believed in until I went onto a pain management course and promptly fell asleep in the class. :hihi: The pain had disappeared for the first time in 6 years I came to realise that in taking charge of the pain meant that I was finally able to experience "normal" functions once again. You understand the limitations you can work to and pace yourself, that's the important part, pacing yourself means the flare-ups are reduced, or at least not a surprise and you set yourself to be both prepared for them and more so,  to plan them to fit in with your needs. You take the hit, but its on your terms.

Regretfully I couldn't do any of the dates when you visited the UK, my budget and work commitments wouldn't allow it, but when the dates were announced and there was a glimmer of hope of being able to attend, I was gonna look out for you and hope to tell you of what I have been talking about here and hopefully help you into dealing with your days in regards to your injury.  Next time you are in the UK I'm coming to a show or two, I have the money set aside already, and hopefully you will have managed to find the inner peace to deal with the pain, on your terms.

You have a smile that warms my heart.  :D

Got nothing but respect for all these guys. Especially Ron, for dealing with the pain everyday. Thank you guys for an amazing tour, and the amazing show at london which we travelled 2050 miles for! :)

Been checking out this thread and figured I'd mention back problems I had when I was 13.  I had very bad back spasms which led to a chiropractor causing a hairline fracture in my back by accident.  I did not know that my lower back was broken, but as time went on I was literally crippled.  I have played basketball year round since I was 9 years old and still do to this day (I am 31 now).  At the peak of this injury I could not jog down the court and make a layup.  It was so horrible that finally one game during warmups I had to lay down underneath the basket because I could not even bend down to pick up a basketball on the floor.  People did not understand why I was in so much pain. 

Back pain can be crippling, and I can honestly say that having experienced plenty of sports injuries over the years (broken fingers and hands, torn rotator cuff, broken toes, sprained ankles, knees and wrists, broken jaw, ruptured tendons, shin splints, high arches) there is nothing worse than the back problems I had when I was 13.  Good luck to you Bumblefoot, if your pain is anything like the pain I experienced 18 years ago I really hope you can find treatment. 

You mean like this?  ;)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7426845746_60b5614066.jpg)

Okay.  I stand corrected.   :P

j/k   ;D

Seriously.  Appreciate all you give to/for us fans during your time in GNR.  Wishing you well - mentally n' physically - in all your endeavors.   :peace:

P.S.  Hugs N' Kisses @MrsBumblefoot
Really appreciate all the pics n' tweets she posted during the tour.  :)

Amazing posts sir. I enjoyed reading and understanding them, thank you for your useful post :)

Great moment here seeing a real connection between one of our own, Wight Gunner, and Ron, and the best part is that the truth came out and leaves us all humble.  Get well Ron!

I met Ron several times these past few years when GN'R came to Europe and I can say he is one of the best people I have ever met. He is a great person and soul. Hope you'll feel better soon Ron!

About the footage from this gig, it was a private gig so it's not surprising there is no footage on YouTube or whatever.

Nice to see you're still a class act.