Hello,
Just thought I'd post a recent interview with Richard Fortus, originally posted online on May 5, 2008.
Mostly focused on X Japan, with a very very small mention of GNR at the end. I figured I'd post this here because he's a member of the band after all, even though the interview isn't focused on GNR, otherwise go ahead and move this topic somewhere else.
http://theothereast.com/?p=379TOE: Hello, thank you for taking the time to talk to us here at the The Other East. Could you take a moment to introduce yourself to our overseas readers who might not be completely familiar with you?
Richard: My name is Richard Fortus. I currently am a member of Guns n? Roses. I?ve been with the band since 2001. I also play with a band called the Psychedelic Furs. I?ve been working with them since around ?92. I have played on all sorts of records during my career. I?ve been very fortunate to have played with many different types of bands and played many styles of music. I still do a lot of sessions for records and film scores as well as composing for film, ads, tv and video games.
TOE: MUCC opened for Guns N? Roses over the summer in Japan then came over to the states for the Taste of Chaos tour. They appear to be a band set on breaking into the US market, did you have a chance to see any of their sets while they were touring with GN?R? What did you think?
Richard: Yes, I did see their set a few times. Seem like a very solid band. Very diverse.
TOE: How did you come to work with Yoshiki and X Japan?
Richard: I?ve known X Japan?s music since the early 90?s. I worked with Yoshiki on a record that he was producing for an artist on his label called Laura Dawn. I also went to Japan to play with her for the launch of Xtacy International. Then I didn?t see Yoshiki for quite a while. I ran in to him again while I was working on the ?Repo! The Genetic Opera? score.
TOE: The movie ?Repo! The Genetic Opera? due out this summer features music produced by Yoshiki as well as your contributions. Can you tell us a little about your involvement on the soundtrack?
Richard: Yoshiki was producing the vocals for the movie. I was doing guitars on the music tracks that Joe Bishara was producing. I went to say ?hi? to Yoshiki. I?d just finished a tour of Japan with Gn?R and I had played the chorus of ?Endless Rain? during my solo. Yoshiki had heard about it and told me that he?d received a lot of emails and seen a lot of press about it. That was pretty much it, I didn?t work directly with Yoshiki on the score. I played guitar on about 12 or 13 of the cues for the movie and as far as I know, Yoshiki was producing the vocals.
TOE: Fans speculated for months about how hide?s shoes should be filled. I don?t think anyone expected you and Wes Borland to take part. Your performances ended up being well received by the X Japan community, how does it feel to win the approval of X Japan?s notoriously die hard fans?
Richard: Wes and I really couldn?t tell if we?d won anybody over, but we did have the time of our lives! It was such an honor and a thrill for us to be asked to share the stage with X Japan. I don?t think anybody could even begin to attempt to fill Hide?s shoes. Hide was one of the most charismatic guitarists I?ve ever seen. I would never be so foolish as to think I could ever fill the void he left. It was simply an honor to be asked to play those songs with the band.
TOE The X Japan reunion concerts were full of suprises, I was particularly surprised that Art of Life was performed and the hide hologram certainly added to the surprise. What moments stuck out as particularly memorable to you?
Richard: Watching the fans! The energy was so magical, especially on the last night. The whole spectacle was more than anything I have ever seen before. To be honest, the thing that impressed me the most was Toshi?s voice! His singing was impeccable. Wes and I were both awestruck by his performances.
TOE: Are there any songs that you would have liked to have had the chance to play that were not played?
Richard: They were played, but I didn?t get to play them! Rusty Nail, Week End, Sadistic Desire, all would have been a lot of fun to play! I love those riffs!
TOE: Currently X Japan has three dates planned: May 4th in Japan(Ed note, interview was set to Richard a week before that show), July 5th in France, and September 13th in New York. Will you be performing with them at any of those dates?
Richard: I haven?t been asked to perform at any of those shows. I certainly hope that they will invite me, but they might want to invite other guests. I honestly don?t know. I?d love to do it again! We had so much fun!
TOE: X Japan?s debut on the world stage has been long awaited by their fans. Their first international single IV performed very well on iTunes. Do you think that they achieve mainstream success outside of Japan?
Richard: I honestly believe that IV could break the band in the states finally. It?s a fantastic track and it?s a mystery to me why they haven?t become as big here as they are in Asia.
TOE: Finally, The Other East would like to thank you and Guns N? Roses for our upcoming free Dr Pepper.
Richard: Well, we?re doing our best to make that happen!
TOE: -Thanks for speaking with us, we appreciate it.
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