Guns n’Roses guitarist Bumblefoot used to find himself reduced to throwing fits of frustration at the band’s poor timekeeping.
Axl Rose and co went through a period of keeping crowds waiting for several hours, sometimes taking to the stage after they’d been due to finish.
The behaviour split fans – some were upset over ruined schedules while others believed it was just another aspect of rock’n’roll.
Bumblefoot can see both perspectives, but says he’s just glad it’s all in the past. He tells Totally Driven: “That hasn’t happened for a long time. but it did for a long time. I absolutely had the hardest time out of anybody in the band with that stuff.
“There’s been times when I walked off stage and just started throwing a fit on the side.
“I’m always in touch with one very simple thing: you make music to make people happy. Anything that takes away from that or undoes that or creates the opposite of that is completely just anti why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
In 2011 mainman Rose said he was trying to work on his timekeeping, noting: “The crew were very supportive of me and they weren’t getting enough sleep. Things start going wrong. People are making mistakes.” But he added: “I lived right behind my school and I couldn’t make it to the classroom. I’m running down the street with wet hair trying to tie my tie with a sandwich in one hand. It’s a lifelong thing.”
His efforts seem to have paid off. Bumblefoot says: “I’m just happy that that’s not happening any more.
“There’s always the fans that are, like, ‘Nah, it’s a rock concert. They should be three hours late.’ Maybe for you, but not for the other 20,000 people… Everyone’s got responsibilities. Rent isn’t what it was in the ’70s. There’s a lot more living hand to mouth, and you can’t fuck with that.
“I’m not trying to bash Axl – I’m just glad that we’ve been doing better with that.”
-Classic Rock
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