5 minutes alone: Richard Fortus

[Spirit]

5 minutes alone: Richard Fortus

By Total Guitar, 3 hours ago

The Guns N' Roses and Dead Daisies man talks smashed Les Pauls, advice from Lemmy and what the hell's going on with Jeff Beck?

At the start of a very big year for Guns N' Roses, and as his other band Dead Daisies continues to prosper, we caught up with Richard Fortus to talk early Electras, Axl Rose's laid-back approach to timekeeping, dream mentors and more.

Got my first real six string...

"My first guitar was an Electra. It was $300. My father was one of the owners of the company so I worked all summer in his warehouse to be able to buy this guitar. It was a one-of-a-kind prototype. My cousin has that guitar now, so I know where it is. My second guitar was an Electra as well but that one was stolen from me, someone took it from my apartment in New York."

Dream on...

"I've always wanted a '58 Burst, but I haven't managed to get one yet. I'm a big collector. I always keep my collection at around 100 guitars. I have a ton of amps too, all vintage. I have a studio at my house and I do most of my sessions there so I get to use my amps. I have my favourites that see steady action and then there's the speciality items. I wish I used more than I do but I get lazy and they are expensive to maintain."

White riot, I wanna riot...

"When Guns played at Download [in 2006] and people were throwing bottles at the stage, I remember Axl told me something Lemmy said to him when Guns was starting out. He said that you have a responsibility to every band that will walk on the stage after you, if somebody throws something, stop the show and issue a warning. Otherwise they will keep doing it. Axl does that, he says, 'I wanna have a good time, you might miss me and hit one of these fine gentlemen.' He always issues a warning, if someone throws something else we leave the stage. That can cause a lot of trouble, like in Dublin when we left the stage and there was a riot. Luckily we don't go on late any more."

Just a castaway, an island lost at sea...

"If I were stranded on a desert island I would take a guitar that has been with me for the last 25 years, it's a Les Paul Signature, which they made for two years, mine is a '73, a Goldtop. It looks like a combination of a 335 and a Les Paul. I've got two, but one of those would be my pick. When I was doing a lot of session work that was the guitar I'd bring. Tonally, it covers so much ground. Amp-wise, this changes, but I have a Kelly amp. Kelly was the chief designer at Selmer, who designed the Zodiac, and he left to start his own company. That amp is so musical. It's between that and a '73 Jose-modded Marshall that I bought from Mick Mars."

Live and dangerous...

"That Download gig with GN'R was one of my worst. That was a rough night and it wasn't Axl ? it was our bass player Tommy. We were playing with Robin Finck at that time. That band lives on the edge of chaos and it was mayhem, it was insane. Tommy was angry because people were throwing stuff on stage. I'm sure we were probably really late on, but when everyone else is freaking out Axl just lays back. I remember Robin trying to pull over his guitar trunk and he broke five Les Pauls that night. It was one of those nights where things could get really bad. On stage it was like, 'Oh my god, are we going to get through this?'"

I want you to show me the way...

"I'd love to take a lesson with Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton or Jimi Hendrix. Those guys are just phenomenal players. I still listen to them and think, 'What the hell were they thinking? How did they approach it like that?' Jeff Beck is another one. I saw him two weeks ago, every time I see him he gets better and better. He's still breaking new ground. If I'm a guitar player I don't know what the hell he is. He's one of my all-time favourite musicians."

The Dead Daisies' album, Revoluci?n, is available now.



http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/5-minutes-alone-richard-fortus-634420

[jarmo]

"That Download gig with GN'R was one of my worst. That was a rough night and it wasn't Axl – it was our bass player Tommy. We were playing with Robin Finck at that time. That band lives on the edge of chaos and it was mayhem, it was insane. Tommy was angry because people were throwing stuff on stage. I'm sure we were probably really late on,

As far as I can remember from that hot sunny day, they were actually early!

Imagine how it would've been if they had started after their set time....


Thanks for posting.


/jarmo

[HBK]

Thanks Spirit

[Spirit]

"That Download gig with GN'R was one of my worst. That was a rough night and it wasn't Axl ? it was our bass player Tommy. We were playing with Robin Finck at that time. That band lives on the edge of chaos and it was mayhem, it was insane. Tommy was angry because people were throwing stuff on stage. I'm sure we were probably really late on,

As far as I can remember from that hot sunny day, they were actually early!

Imagine how it would've been if they had started after their set time....

I wasn't there, but I remember from the videos, it was still daylight in the first half of the concert right? So, they definitely weren't late.

[zombux]

yes, it was definitely still light when the show at Dublin as well as at Download started.

[SOLGER]

White riot, I wanna riot...

"When Guns played at Download [in 2006] and people were throwing bottles at the stage, I remember Axl told me something Lemmy said to him when Guns was starting out. He said that you have a responsibility to every band that will walk on the stage after you, if somebody throws something, stop the show and issue a warning. Otherwise they will keep doing it. Axl does that, he says, 'I wanna have a good time, you might miss me and hit one of these fine gentlemen.' He always issues a warning, if someone throws something else we leave the stage. That can cause a lot of trouble, like in Dublin when we left the stage and there was a riot. Luckily we don't go on late any more."

Ther was NOT a riot in Dublin, I was there...the band was late, I didn't mind, some of the hottest girls were at that show, but a lot of drunk dumbasses where throwing shit on stage . So after a few warnings Axl and the band left and the lights came on I thought it was over. Some people left fearing a riot but I stayed back next to the door just in case. They finally where convinced to come back on stage not sure went on back stage.

[stvyrayvhn]

Great read.  Thanks!

[HBK]

"That Download gig with GN'R was one of my worst. That was a rough night and it wasn't Axl ? it was our bass player Tommy. We were playing with Robin Finck at that time. That band lives on the edge of chaos and it was mayhem, it was insane. Tommy was angry because people were throwing stuff on stage. I'm sure we were probably really late on,

As far as I can remember from that hot sunny day, they were actually early!

Imagine how it would've been if they had started after their set time....


Thanks for posting.


/jarmo

All Caos !!!

 

[D-GenerationX]

The clip of 'Better' from Download is an alltimer.

Axl looks pissed at the fucking world.  It really looks like he's singing the song and trying to decide in his mind if he just wants to bail on the whole thing.

But the most amazing thing about the vocal, is that its awesome.  One of the best vocal versions of that song I've heard.  All done with a scowl on his face.

[jarmo]

I wasn't there, but I remember from the videos, it was still daylight in the first half of the concert right? So, they definitely weren't late.

I missed the opening of the show because they started before set time. 


/jarmo

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

How ironic we have an actual band member perpetuating the myth that they are always late 

[Spirit]

How ironic we have an actual band member perpetuating the myth that they are always late 

To be fair he also says they don't go on late any more. 

[DeN]

that lineup was so rock n'roll

best Nightrain ever at that show (for what I know)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50pTphe0AZY

[CheapJon]

Thanks for posting. Spirit you're doing an awesome job finding and posting this stuff. 

that lineup was so rock n'roll

best Nightrain ever at that show (for what I know)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50pTphe0AZY

Except that you can't hear Bumblefoot. Look at him soloing like hell around 4.05 and onwards. Everything else is great though, yeah.

Is it just the video mix or was it like that on the actual show?

[zombux]

yep it was, just the sound mix is fucked up in this video. you can hear the solo clearly in the audience bootleg.

[Thorned Rose]

that lineup was so rock n'roll

best Nightrain ever at that show (for what I know)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50pTphe0AZY

It is a good version but there's much better versions out there.

I really liked Axl's look in 2006-2007

[The Wight Gunner]

They started this "Isle of Wrong show" 15 minutes early This Iconic photo of this era show ISE in daylight...

[Scabbie]

I wasn't there, but I remember from the videos, it was still daylight in the first half of the concert right? So, they definitely weren't late.

I missed the opening of the show because they started before set time. 


/jarmo

I was still in the queue for beer!

[Thorned Rose]

Nice comments guys. Would of loved to see them during this era.

I always liked Richard. He's probably my favorite post 1997 Gn'R member. Him and Stinson.

[russkwtx]

that lineup was so rock n'roll

best Nightrain ever at that show (for what I know)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50pTphe0AZY

That's for sure a great performance. I always thought that the 2006 tour was one of the best. Al's mood is 180 degrees different than in 2002.