Ready to Rock!
Guitar virtuoso Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is set
to rock the Kingdom during a series of
events to promote local and regional
musicians.
Perhaps best known for his role as lead
guitarist in Gun N’ Roses, Bumblefoot has a
musical career spanning decades. During that
time he has grown from strength-to-strength,
achieving word-wide fame and is keen to help
other musicians make the transition.
Speaking exclusively to Bahrain This Month,
he shares his tips for success and discusses
Jam Up, a first-of-its-kind venture that
gives the Kingdom’s budding talents the
chance to shine.
“JamUp put together a fantastic batch of
events that combine art and music, bringing
together local and foreign musicians,
performing - it’s personal, it’s
educational, and it supports local charity.
It’s got it all,” says Bumblefoot.
“I’m excited about meeting the local
musicians, to meet the kids at the RIA
Centre, everyone getting to know each other.
Jam Up has put together great events and I’m
honoured to be part of what they’re doing.
“It’s important to be encouraged, and to
have experiences that teach, inspire and
build who we are. I wish I had something
like this when I was starting out.”
As part of his visit, Bumblefoot will
conduct a special workshop where he will
play some of his songs, explain techniques
and answer questions. However, the format is
far from formal.
He explains: “I go by the questions of those
attending and talk about what interests them
- anything from business, touring,
song-writing, practicing, staying healthy,
psychology, philosophy, funny stories,
anything.”
Playing to sold-out stadiums is every
musician’s dream but, for Bumblefoot, the
smaller shows are just as important.
“I prefer intimate gigs more,” he explains.
“Smaller shows have the things I like about
performing, it’s personal, you can interact
with the audience more. I interact a lot in
my own shows, going into the audience,
inviting audience on stage, very
face-to-face. I’m looking forward to doing
this in Bahrain with everyone!”
Bumblefoot’s advice to aspiring musicians in
Bahrain is simple; don’t let anything get in
the way of your passion for music.
“Life will get complicated, challenging,
difficult - stay focused on why you love
music and don’t let anything get in the way
of it. All the struggles are on the outside
surrounding it, the inside is simple and
beautiful and keeps you strong, it’s part of
your soul and part of who you are,” he says.
Over the years, Guns N’ Roses have had a
selection of guitarists including Slash,
Buckethead and now, Bumblefoot … does Axel
insist you have an unconventional name to
fill the position?
“Ha, ha, ha,” says Bumblefoot. “I’d hope
people in the position got there on their
merits over their name.” |
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