Richard Fortus brief interview

[GypsySoul]

$3,000 is a lot of cash. For me, I wouldn't spend that much on seeing GNR nor Vegas. For that amount of money, you can do a week trip to Europe and see three cities IF you choose to do that. At  this point in my life, I just have other things to take care of. 

To each their own!

How someone spends there money is only that persons issue to justify.

I think we're all basically saying the same thing.  One person's trip to see three GNR shows in Vegas is another person's trip to Europe and see three cities is another person's new furniture or whatever.   

[draguns]

Very true!

[EmilyGNR]

In regard to filling a void in their lives, Jarmo, why else would someone drop the hundreds of dollars required to fly to Vegas and catch a gig, if not to fill some void?

I will spend $1200 for my flight and $400 for a room to go to Vegas next month.  I'm not "filling a void".  I am seeing my favourite band in an awesome venue.  I went and saw two shows in Vegas in 2012.  The venue is kick ass.  You might bump into the band outside the shows (frank was in line for coffee with me one morning) and they were doing almost 3 hour shows, with dancers and flying pianos etc.  That's why I choose Vegas.

Can't you think of a better way to spend $1600?
Of course you're filling a void, why not just go fishing instead? It's a lot less expensive.

The "void" a concert or concert trip usually fills is that it entertains you. It gives you something to think back at all those other days of the year when you're bored.

This is the same "void" that your favorite band fills. It make you feel good, or feel something, one way or another. Maybe a certain song makes you happy. Maybe one song makes you think. Or whatever.


That's all good.
But when that so called void needs to be filled, it turns into something else. Just like when people go from wanting to hear a new album, to needing to hear a new album. Slight difference.

I often encounter fans who need things. And it's not always a positive experience.




/jarmo

I agree many are unable or unwilling to differentiate or separate wants from needs.
When you cross the line and confuse your wants with your needs, you guarantee yourself a good dose of anxiety or depression that will hijack your happiness and make you miserable-and a real joy to be around.
Nobody has ever died from not getting what they merely want over what they truly need.

People want a new album,some have convinced themselves that they need it.By confusing these two things in their head,they have mixed up needs with wants,desires,wishes,substitutes and deficits.
It isn't a healthy mindset.

[GNR2014]

?There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.?
― Oscar Wilde

[Ja5oN]

oh i'll take the later...."I want GnR to perform at my 40th b-day party".....can someone hook that up?

[westcoast_junkie]

About "voids": Album or concert. Check out the word "aisthesis". That fills out an undefined void we understand needs to be filled the moment it is filled. When we understand that we want it, we priority it as much as material things. That's why some of us think it's worth to spend 100, 1000 or more $ to get it.

[JAEBALL]

Maybe some of us just like Axl rose and want him to release an album once a fucking decade?

Geez......

I like going to gnr shows buying his records and buying a couch when I need one so what does that make me?

[JAEBALL]

This subject is really ridiculous....

there are posters across various GNR sites who do COMPLAIN every day about trivial things....his weight, his voice no Slash etc....its really pathetic

but some of us just want GNR to grow and release new music

NOBODY here at this site complains about it every day or NEEDS it to fill some VOID in their life... in fact NOBODY was complaining about it at all we were just discussing Richard's quote until Jarmo scolded us for doubting what Richard said... and why would we everrrr doubt it......

that is just pure horseshit that some spew to deflect the fact that GNR never does release anything... and thats ok with them... great

and then the BS about then we will just ask another new record if they ever release something ... come on...


Jarmo... i asked what we are supposed to discuss here if not for the prospects of a new record...or HELL ONE new song.. and you didnt answer me...

its the definition of an ON TOPIC discussion...especially after one of the guitar players gave the same song and dance about everybodys recording

[jarmo]

I never said it's not ok to talk about the prospects of a new album. Come on.

I just remind people that there's a fine line between those who want to hear a new album and those who get frustrated/upset/angry about it.
As long as you keep yourself on the right side of that fence, it's all good.




/jarmo

[JAEBALL]

I never said it's not ok to talk about the prospects of a new album. Come on.

I just remind people that there's a fine line between those who want to hear a new album and those who get frustrated/upset/angry about it.
As long as you keep yourself on the right side of that fence, it's all good.




/jarmo

and that is more than fair... and for the most part I think all of us are on the right side of the fence

[russkwtx]

Anyway, back to the original topic about new music: I frequently hear that bands of GNR's generation who have matured and grown tired of the excessive drugs and drinking now fill their time writing music while on tour. I wonder why GNR does not do the same. I realize their schedule is tight but musicians are always talking about sitting around in their rooms strumming a few lines that eventually turn into riffs and from there the basis for a new song. I don't have the answer, I am just curious why that creative process doesn't seem to bearing any fruit, so to speak, for GNR. Or maybe it is, and we will find out, but we don't have any evidence to date that it is.

[westcoast_junkie]

Well, first of all Gn'R is not like the other bands of their generation. That was some of the reason they exploded back then.

Second, it looks like they (at least some of band members) still like to go out and have fun.

Third, Gn'R probably use much more energy on their 3hours plus shows, than same generation bands use on their shows. They need rest, right?

It also seems like Axl spend most of the time off seperated from the rest of the band.

But yes, it's more likely than not, that a man like Bumblefoot like to sit with his guitar and work out new stuff whenever it's possible. It's a creative gang, so they probably have tons of stuff going.

[D-GenerationX]

I never said it's not ok to talk about the prospects of a new album. Come on.

Well, sure...provided you stick to the script.

- It gets here when it gets here.  You just got one 6 years ago.  My god are you greedy.
- Any frustration with the lack of progress is full blown whining.  Are you ever happy?
- Comparisons to other band's situations are irrelevant.  Unless it supports inactivity.
- The stronger your opinion on any of the above is relative to how unhappy you are with your life.

[JAEBALL]

Anyway, back to the original topic about new music: I frequently hear that bands of GNR's generation who have matured and grown tired of the excessive drugs and drinking now fill their time writing music while on tour. I wonder why GNR does not do the same. I realize their schedule is tight but musicians are always talking about sitting around in their rooms strumming a few lines that eventually turn into riffs and from there the basis for a new song. I don't have the answer, I am just curious why that creative process doesn't seem to bearing any fruit, so to speak, for GNR. Or maybe it is, and we will find out, but we don't have any evidence to date that it is.

I don't understand this....
what does bands of GNR 's generation mean... this is a completely different band than the one who took part in excessive drugs and drinking....they didnt mature in to the band today... they are gone!

if this version chooses not to record...thats on them.. has nothing to do with what GNR did in the past

all of us here think recording or re recording half way finished stuff while in vegas makes a lot of sense... lets just see what happens and see if Axl says ok to anything

we all know by now the band has no say whatsoever in anything getting done, so if Axl says ok lets do this...then it will...if he doesnt...it wont... that simple

comparing how gnr goes about it today to 25 years ago makes no sense in any way

[JAEBALL]

Well, first of all Gn'R is not like the other bands of their generation. That was some of the reason they exploded back then.

Second, it looks like they (at least some of band members) still like to go out and have fun.

Third, Gn'R probably use much more energy on their 3hours plus shows, than same generation bands use on their shows. They need rest, right?

It also seems like Axl spend most of the time off seperated from the rest of the band.

But yes, it's more likely than not, that a man like Bumblefoot like to sit with his guitar and work out new stuff whenever it's possible. It's a creative gang, so they probably have tons of stuff going.

yeah I think all the guys are certainly capable, but they seem to use their free time being creative for the other gigs... which makes sense... because they know they have no way to push anything GNR related

and lets face it... Axl is a rock star... he lives it... the guys in the band at least to me come off way more down to earth... they are not driving around in ferrarris and sipping expensive champagne!

they dont all hang out in the same circles, that was an advantage to the creative process of the old band, they grew up together

[westcoast_junkie]

Anyway, back to the original topic about new music: I frequently hear that bands of GNR's generation who have matured and grown tired of the excessive drugs and drinking now fill their time writing music while on tour. I wonder why GNR does not do the same. I realize their schedule is tight but musicians are always talking about sitting around in their rooms strumming a few lines that eventually turn into riffs and from there the basis for a new song. I don't have the answer, I am just curious why that creative process doesn't seem to bearing any fruit, so to speak, for GNR. Or maybe it is, and we will find out, but we don't have any evidence to date that it is.

I don't understand this....
what does bands of GNR 's generation mean... this is a completely different band than the one who took part in excessive drugs and drinking....they didnt mature in to the band today... they are gone!

if this version chooses not to record...thats on them.. has nothing to do with what GNR did in the past

all of us here think recording or re recording half way finished stuff while in vegas makes a lot of sense... lets just see what happens and see if Axl says ok to anything

we all know by now the band has no say whatsoever in anything getting done, so if Axl says ok lets do this...then it will...if he doesnt...it wont... that simple

comparing how gnr goes about it today to 25 years ago makes no sense in any way

I don't know, but maybe it's not optimal to record anything while doing shows? 3 shows a week must be hard on Axl's voice. The rest of the band can lay down som tracks though. And Axl can still be involved, even if he must save his throat for the live shows.

[jarmo]

People are different. What works for somebody might not work for somebody else.

Same with musicians. Some are happy to write songs on tour while others are not in "song writing mode".




/jarmo

[JAEBALL]

Anyway, back to the original topic about new music: I frequently hear that bands of GNR's generation who have matured and grown tired of the excessive drugs and drinking now fill their time writing music while on tour. I wonder why GNR does not do the same. I realize their schedule is tight but musicians are always talking about sitting around in their rooms strumming a few lines that eventually turn into riffs and from there the basis for a new song. I don't have the answer, I am just curious why that creative process doesn't seem to bearing any fruit, so to speak, for GNR. Or maybe it is, and we will find out, but we don't have any evidence to date that it is.

I don't understand this....
what does bands of GNR 's generation mean... this is a completely different band than the one who took part in excessive drugs and drinking....they didnt mature in to the band today... they are gone!

if this version chooses not to record...thats on them.. has nothing to do with what GNR did in the past

all of us here think recording or re recording half way finished stuff while in vegas makes a lot of sense... lets just see what happens and see if Axl says ok to anything

we all know by now the band has no say whatsoever in anything getting done, so if Axl says ok lets do this...then it will...if he doesnt...it wont... that simple

comparing how gnr goes about it today to 25 years ago makes no sense in any way

I don't know, but maybe it's not optimal to record anything while doing shows? 3 shows a week must be hard on Axl's voice. The rest of the band can lay down som tracks though. And Axl can still be involved, even if he must save his throat for the live shows.

You might be right about that.... it could be too much for this voice

[D-GenerationX]

I don't know, but maybe it's not optimal to record anything while doing shows? 3 shows a week must be hard on Axl's voice. The rest of the band can lay down som tracks though. And Axl can still be involved, even if he must save his throat for the live shows.

Yeah, I've always said its unreasonable to expect them to record while on tour. 

But...let's keep some perspective here.

They wrapped up touring last year in June.  They started this year in March.  That's several months of downtime.  What stops them then?  All the more so when you consider we are not talking about starting from scratch.  The overwhelming lion's share of the work is already done on these songs.

[sofine11]

Both Ron and DJ made comments before the last Vegas residency about how it will afford an extended period of time where they'll all be in the same place to hopefully get things done.  Nothing happened....nor, at least to our knowledge, has anything happened on the new album front since.   

It gets to a point where it feels like we're living in Groundhog Day when they make comments like these.  Sure, it's nice to hear, but good intentions a new album does not make.  I'll believe it when there's tangible proof that a new album is, in fact, in the works. Any GNR fan who has been around for 5 minutes should know that's probably wise.