Goodbye Ron (???)

[Ali]

So then when is it ok to address the issue?  After something is officially announced?  I thought the whole point here is speculating on what's going on with Ron because we don't have any official word. 

Yeah, I just don't get this mindest.

This is not a court of law and we are not under oath.  We are goofballs talking about a rock band on the internet.  We speculate.  Maybe we are right and maybe we are wrong.  Who the hell knows?

But I will never understand how we are somehow in the wrong looking at a situation and giving our take on it.  Where's the harm?

No harm. Speculate all you want. But, when there's no new information, I think the discussion devolves into a circular, ultimately pointless discussion. Frankly, I personally don't see what to discuss at this point without any new information.

Ali

[D-GenerationX]

No harm. Speculate all you want. But, when there's no new information, I think the discussion devolves into a circular, ultimately pointless discussion. Frankly, I personally don't see what to discuss at this point without any new information.

Yeah, some of that.  Absolutely.

But these conversation also lead to other threads and other issues.  I think you can make a far stronger argument that he's out than you can he's in, based on both what we know and how things look.  And that can lead to who might replace him, how it all went to hell, what it means for the new album.

However, I'm not a fan of "we don't even know if he's out, so let's just sit and wait".  With this band?  You can time their response time with a sundial.  If we waited for them, we'd never talk about anything.

[poorlakers]

WTF ?

[slashsbaconpit]

Maybe he's just on sabbatical.

[poorlakers]

That's what I wanted to say!

[poorlakers]

Restless Life!

[GypsySoul]

What did it used to say??? If it said "2006-Present" then yeah, maybe I'm a tiny bit worried. If it didn't say anything, then maybe he just added the dates and 2014 will become 2015.

It didn't say anything before.

Ali

my facebook/twitter/instagram profiles don't say anything either so they keep posting notices, send e-mails, etc. for me to complete it.  Maybe Bumblefoot just got tired of all the notices and one day just filled them in with the basics without really putting that much thought behind it.

He didn't give any straight answers to the questions about his status in GNR after that countdown thing so I'm not surprised he didn't clear up this either.

Since he's apparently not going to address this 2014 thing, my question to him would be more along the lines as to what has he actually done as far as writing stuff for GNR consideration.  I admit that I know ZERO about the song writing process but I can't imagine at this stage of their game it being these eight guys all sitting around in a room with a totally blank slate (or empty pizza box).  Since joining GNR, has he ever talked about tossing around riffs, lyrics, etc., with anyone else in the band?  When he's writing music, does he do it from a "GNR mind" or is it writing to write?  How does that work as far as what to consider for GNR and what to release on his own?

[D-GenerationX]

Since he's apparently not going to address this 2014 thing, my question to him would be more along the lines as to what has he actually done as far as writing stuff for GNR consideration.  I admit that I know ZERO about the song writing process but I can't imagine at this stage of their game it being these eight guys all sitting around in a room with a totally blank slate (or empty pizza box).  Since joining GNR, has he ever talked about tossing around riffs, lyrics, etc., with anyone else in the band?

I don't think there is really time.  Because I don't believe they make any time.

Do you get the feeling they all hang out?  Are buddies?  I get more of a co-worker vibe.

[GypsySoul]

I don't think there is really time.  Because I don't believe they make any time.

Do you get the feeling they all hang out?  Are buddies?  I get more of a co-worker vibe.

Didn't Bumblefoot and Frank used to hang together to some extent?  I think Frank and Richard do.  And Richard and Dizzy.  Like I said, I don't think all eight guys need to be locked into a room together to write GNR stuff.  Bumblefoot seems to be able to find more than enough time to write for his solo albums so why not write something specifically to play for one or two of the other guys for their input?

What about the stuff that Dizzy, Richard and Dj play during GNR shows that (I'm guessing) they wrote themselves that aren't on any solo albums?  Isn't that sorta the perfect way to showcase to your bandmates what you can bring to the GNR table?

[D-GenerationX]

I'm right with you.

I think that is basic stuff any group of musicians would do.  That is pretty much standard band behavior.

Presumably, these guys are creative individuals, given their choice of profession.  I would think they'd go out of their minds going all this time doing nothing constructive.

[GypsySoul]

Presumably, these guys are creative individuals, given their choice of profession.  I would think they'd go out of their minds going all this time doing nothing constructive.

But my point is whose fault is it if they're doing nothing constructive?  Bumblefoot seems to be waiting for Axl to bake a cake and invite everyone over to write GNR songs.  My question is what has Bumblefoot (and everyone else) done pro-active to write stuff to present to any of the others to consider for GNR?

[Ali]

Presumably, these guys are creative individuals, given their choice of profession.  I would think they'd go out of their minds going all this time doing nothing constructive.

But my point is whose fault is it if they're doing nothing constructive?  Bumblefoot seems to be waiting for Axl to bake a cake and invite everyone over to write GNR songs.  My question is what has Bumblefoot (and everyone else) done pro-active to write stuff to present to any of the others to consider for GNR?

BBF confirmed in his Reddit AMA that they have worked on each other's song ideas.  His preference seems to be for everyone to be together in one room working on songs. 

Ali

[GypsySoul]

BBF confirmed in his Reddit AMA that they have worked on each other's song ideas.  His preference seems to be for everyone to be together in one room working on songs. 

Ali

Thanks. 
I have no idea what Reddit AMA is. 
Cool to know they are working on each others ideas.  Did he give any other insights to that process?
I would think that the "together in one room" part wouldn't happen until there's actually really solid stuff to come together for?

Wonder if they've already played some of those ideas on tour during the jams!  In the DVD, they do an awesome job of playing together on each others "solos"

[Ginger King]

BBF confirmed in his Reddit AMA that they have worked on each other's song ideas.  His preference seems to be for everyone to be together in one room working on songs. 

Ali

Thanks. 
I have no idea what Reddit AMA is. 
Cool to know they are working on each others ideas.  Did he give any other insights to that process?
I would think that the "together in one room" part wouldn't happen until there's actually really solid stuff to come together for?

Wonder if they've already played some of those ideas on tour during the jams!  In the DVD, they do an awesome job of playing together on each others "solos"

Stop this.  You know it all flows through Axl.  If he says, "let's make a new song/album" it happens.  Don't lay blame at Bumble, a guy that's been on the outside looking in since he joined the band.

Axl is the unquestionable leader.  What he says goes.  I think the frustration we're seeing from Bumble is that his attempts to get this group to act like a band are met with resistance/ambivalence.  IMO, he's reached his limit of tolerance.

[D-GenerationX]

Stop this.  You know it all flows through Axl.  If he says, "let's make a new song/album" it happens.  Don't lay blame at Bumble, a guy that's been on the outside looking in since he joined the band.

Axl is the unquestionable leader.  What he says goes.  I think the frustration we're seeing from Bumble is that his attempts to get this group to act like a band are met with resistance/ambivalence.  IMO, he's reached his limit of tolerance.

Yep.

And what ideas of each others have they worked on?  We have been told time and again, as recently as the very interview we are talking about here, that they didn't do one song in 8 years .

And no one is talking about taking attendance where all 8 guys need to be in the same room.  I am told pretty frequently how things can be sent to others and it can be done piecemeal.   

Super.  Has it?  No.  Not one song in 8 years.  Not all in one room, not over e-mail, not through smoke signals. 

They have done nothing.  Stop trying to church it up, folks.  They have written the same amount of songs in the past 8 years as the last 8 people to respond to this thread have.

[GypsySoul]

Stop this.  You know it all flows through Axl.  If he says, "let's make a new song/album" it happens.  Don't lay blame at Bumble, a guy that's been on the outside looking in since he joined the band.

Axl is the unquestionable leader.  What he says goes.  I think the frustration we're seeing from Bumble is that his attempts to get this group to act like a band are met with resistance/ambivalence.  IMO, he's reached his limit of tolerance.

Outside looking in or self-isolation??

Bumblefoot could stop this very easily, just as he could have that countdown thing, by telling the fans exactly what he means by those posts.  He's been asked over and over BY THE FANS what's going on and he chooses NOT to respond and/or explain himself.

I was unaware that Bumblefoot stated he and the others were working together on new GNR material.  I thought he had stated the complete opposite ... that the guys have not worked on a single note of new GNR material.

If as you say he's reached his limit of tolerance, why doesn't he just come out and say so?
 

[D-GenerationX]

I was unaware that Bumblefoot stated he and the others were working together on new GNR material.  I thought he had stated the complete opposite ... that the guys have not worked on a single note of new GNR material.

This is correct.

At best, DJ, Ron, and/or Frank did a cut & paste job over top of a song recorded by other dudes during George W. Bush's first term. 

And even that we are supposed to take on faith, because we have about as much proof of that as we do the Loch Ness Monster.

[Siamese Democracy]

This is really hard on me.  My son Jim looks up to Ron and not knowing his status is causing us a lot of concern. Please someone confirm he is still in the band.  It's not fair my son has to endure these rumors if it isn't true. 

[rebelhipi]

This is really hard on me.  My son Jim looks up to Ron and not knowing his status is causing us a lot of concern. Please someone confirm he is still in the band.  It's not fair my son has to endure these rumors if it isn't true. 

Nice try

[D-GenerationX]

I think its unfortunate that Axl has never really given us a chance to appreciate what these guys can do.

A guitarist leaving your band should be a big deal.  But look around at the GNR forums.  Lot of shoulder shrugging going on.  That's odd, on its face.

But, when you look deeper into it, can't the lack of reaction be attributed to the fact that in 8 years we never got a sampling of what Ron might have brought to the band?  By most accounts, he was good with the fans and seemed to be a good egg.  But what do we know about what he might have contributed?