Bumblefoot Responds To Recent Media Reports

[WAR41]

"Doesn't GNR have songs called Anything Goes, You Ain't the First and have a song where Axl has sex with a bandmember's girlfriend?!?  And THIS is what made you find them distasteful?!?!"

The song i assume you're referring to is Rocket Queen- it was HIS girlfriend. Anyway, besides the point.

I've summed up my views- they are what they are, and I've since noticed a few people on the mygnr forum saying similar things and doing the same, so I'm not the only one.

I've had friends of mind saying stuff along the line of "have you seen what those old perverts are up to" and I find it very hard to come up with a valid response really.

I'm not really comfortable with the whole thing. It would spoil my enjoyment, I find it creepy, I'm choosing to stay at home. I'm sure plenty of people will go and have a great time, but it's not for me.

Yes, I was referring to Rocket Queen and it was actually Adler's girlfriend, not Axl's. 

You can feel however you want, but to find this 'distasteful' is honestly kinda funny.  Looking at this band's history, and THIS is what you find distasteful about them.  How did you even become a fan of them?

[LunsJail]

Had a good think about this, and sadly, I'm out for this one. I've supported this band for a very long time, seen them loads of times, but when the band starts shoving paying fans behind a load of girls that aren't fussed about being there, or even like the band, it makes me feel second-class as a fan, and also I consider it quite insulting, especially to those who have paid even more out to purchase the 'VIP' tickets.

As well as this, it makes me feel differently about a band I love on a personal level. Aside from Ron, not one member of the band has spoken out about this, or even mentioned it. It's coming across either as a band who don't care about paying fans or a bunch of men who want to perve on girls who are less than half their age, night after night.  Either way, I find it distasteful.

Whilst it may well not be the bands idea- they're certainly not saying no to it, and if this is something they'd like to do (hand out free VIP tickets to kids who don't care for the band, for reasons nobody seems to know) then that's fine, but they can do it with one less genuine fan in the crowd when they play the Manchester Arena.

I know I'll probably get slagged off for this, but there we go.  It's how I feel.

So you dealt with the years long delay in CD coming out, the tour cancellations, the late start times, lineup changes etc. But you're checking out because a few girls got to stand in front where you weren't going to be anyway. Not to mention the promoter set all this up, not the band. 

[John Galt]

Surely the true response to this situation is to try and pull one of said "models" at the next gig.. Will try this out on the 31st after a few warm up beers...

#keeping it real

[Fingers]

Had a good think about this, and sadly, I'm out for this one. I've supported this band for a very long time, seen them loads of times, but when the band starts shoving paying fans behind a load of girls that aren't fussed about being there, or even like the band, it makes me feel second-class as a fan, and also I consider it quite insulting, especially to those who have paid even more out to purchase the 'VIP' tickets.

As well as this, it makes me feel differently about a band I love on a personal level. Aside from Ron, not one member of the band has spoken out about this, or even mentioned it. It's coming across either as a band who don't care about paying fans or a bunch of men who want to perve on girls who are less than half their age, night after night.  Either way, I find it distasteful.

Whilst it may well not be the bands idea- they're certainly not saying no to it, and if this is something they'd like to do (hand out free VIP tickets to kids who don't care for the band, for reasons nobody seems to know) then that's fine, but they can do it with one less genuine fan in the crowd when they play the Manchester Arena.

I know I'll probably get slagged off for this, but there we go.  It's how I feel.

So you dealt with the years long delay in CD coming out, the tour cancellations, the late start times, lineup changes etc. But you're checking out because a few girls got to stand in front where you weren't going to be anyway. Not to mention the promoter set all this up, not the band. 

For some people, enough is enough-I still support the band and look forward to new releases, but I've been a fan 20+ years-have seen the New lineup 6 times, have driven 8+ hours by myself to see them, and some things just take the piss out of you-I know it's "no big deal", and "axl does not work for you", so it is what it is.

[allwaystired]

Cheers Fingers. Appreciate you sticking up for me.

In regards to the other stuff- waiting around for CD, late shows etc never seems like taking the piss to me- we got CD in the end and it was worth it, I expect the late shows and plan for them (and kind of enjoy the anticipation if I'm honest!), but when it comes to daft stuff like this- nah, i'll leave it thanks.

I understand it might seem a bit weird to some folks- but to me, it takes the piss. "Oh you lot can pay to meet some of us, you lot, because you're allegedly 'attractive' can be bribed into going, we'll give you the best tickets, free drinks etc, even though you're not bothered about going." it's very different to press/hospitality tickets etc- those tickets always serve a purpose of some description. This serves nothing.

Pointless debating it any more though. I remain a big fan of Guns N Roses, but I can't justify to myself going to see them this time round.

[jarmo]

Just a FYI: There were no models in the front yesterday in Newcastle.




/jarmo

[The Prez]

Just a FYI: There were no models in the front yesterday in Newcastle.




/jarmo

Too bad!
I was already hoping it was for all shows. Damn it!
Everybody likes pretty girls 

[Boromir]

Just a FYI: There were no models in the front yesterday in Newcastle.




/jarmo

Just one, Kat 

[One.In.A.Million]

Just a FYI: There were no models in the front yesterday in Newcastle.




/jarmo

Just one, Kat 

I'm not sure, some of the female venue staff were not too bad either....

[Ali]

Cheers Fingers. Appreciate you sticking up for me.

In regards to the other stuff- waiting around for CD, late shows etc never seems like taking the piss to me- we got CD in the end and it was worth it, I expect the late shows and plan for them (and kind of enjoy the anticipation if I'm honest!), but when it comes to daft stuff like this- nah, i'll leave it thanks.

I understand it might seem a bit weird to some folks- but to me, it takes the piss. "Oh you lot can pay to meet some of us, you lot, because you're allegedly 'attractive' can be bribed into going, we'll give you the best tickets, free drinks etc, even though you're not bothered about going." it's very different to press/hospitality tickets etc- those tickets always serve a purpose of some description. This serves nothing.

Pointless debating it any more though. I remain a big fan of Guns N Roses, but I can't justify to myself going to see them this time round.

No offense, but the only thing I still fail to understand is in your next to last paragraph.  It seems in you saying "you lot can pay to meet some of us" that you've come to the conclusion that this was certainly something GN'R did as opposed to perhaps the promoters.  That's hardly clear.  In fact, BBF denied the band had anything to do with it.

It seems it's a moot point anyway from Jarmo's comments.

Ali

[Ali]

Just a FYI: There were no models in the front yesterday in Newcastle.




/jarmo

I'm sure that will be spun as "Axl realized the error of his ways and corrected them" as opposed to "perhaps the promoters realized the error of their ways and corrected them".

Ali

[meanmachine78]

From reading the "model's" reply on Bumbles' board, it appears that the agency was offered a bunch of tickets and they asked their employees who wanted to attend. It's not like the girls were being forced to do or like a Kardashian or Hilton who get paid to go to parties. It's almost no different then the promoer giving tickets to a radio station for contents and stuff. I'm sure every band, at one point or another, or sports team, wrestling event, or any live show has given away free tickets to companies. This one just happened to have beautiful girls working for them.

For those in Chicago, it's almost like being pissed because the Loop Girl went to the show for free.
(And when I say every band, I'm not saying it was Axl or a member of Guns. I do believe it was the promoter or someone else. Hey, where was Fernando during all this?!?!  LOL!)

[allwaystired]

No offence taken at all Ali- I see your point totally. I still struggle to see why the promoters would seek out something like this- there seems to be no benefit really- other than (I think, slightly seedy) idea of 'lets get some (very) young girls in for the band to look at, which is very odd. And also, surely slightly insulting to the band? I know I'd be bloody insulted if I thought I needed a promoter to provide me with women to look at rather than actually attracting them myself. Hell- it's like going to a thai marriage agency or something! 

I guess we'll never know the real reasons for the whole debacle anyway, so it's probably, as you say, a moot point discussing it all. All I would say that if it is the promoters- they need to perhaps concentrate on 'promoting' in other ways, to people who are actually going to buy tickets!

I do like this forum a lot though- seems full of people that do actually care about music in a genuine way.