Ron Thal..........

[steelers86]

Ok let me start this off by saying I have seen the arguments about 3 guitarists etc. being in the band etc. and I don't want this thread to go off into that area because I think it's nonsense.  If Axl wants 3 guitarists then case closed, he feels it's needed nuff said.

I have been to 3 shows this year and I admit that at the first show I really had no idea who Ron Thal was.  Never heard about him.  I play guitar and I have loved GNR since 87 so I was jacked to go to new shows.  My favorite guitar player in GNR is Richard Fortus, I love his style and charisma on stage.  But, I have to say after the first show in Vegas I was blown away by Ron Thal.  Couldn't stop watching him.  The next show I wanted to see if it was just the magic of seeing them live after such a long hiatus.  Damn, again I was freaking amazed by BBF's playing.

So, I go to the 3rd show in Portland, Or.  I take 4 friends.  2 are GNR fans and 1 isn't a fan at all but is a guitar player and so he comes just to see the guitar player.  I was interested to get his opionion after the show because he went into it not really caring about GNR.  At the show he didn't say much and I didn't talk to him after because I felt he didn't like it.  So I called him the next day and just give me the honest truth and don't spare my feelings.  His response was, "I just got on Itunes and downloaded every GNR album."   I was like What the hell, He is 47 years old.  He told me that he was blown away at the show and especially the guitar playing.  Ron Thal made him a fan of GNR.  Especially when he came out and played his fretless guitar.  To an experienced eye it is easy to see that Ron Thal is the best guitar player in the band.  Is he needed?  Well, if he can make a fan out of my friend then the answer is HELL YES.

By the way, I still love Fortus and Finck just have to give props where it's due.

[zombux]

the truth is, that Ron is improving very quickly and he's starting to contribute his own ideas - typical example is last version of Chinese Democracy, that's very good!

[Nesquick]

Fine.

In Paris, Ron Thal was booed and made people leave the arena...

[Slipdisc]

Ok let me start this off by saying I have seen the arguments about 3 guitarists etc. being in the band etc. and I don't want this thread to go off into that area because I think it's nonsense.  If Axl wants 3 guitarists then case closed, he feels it's needed nuff said.

I have been to 3 shows this year and I admit that at the first show I really had no idea who Ron Thal was.  Never heard about him.  I play guitar and I have loved GNR since 87 so I was jacked to go to new shows.  My favorite guitar player in GNR is Richard Fortus, I love his style and charisma on stage.  But, I have to say after the first show in Vegas I was blown away by Ron Thal.  Couldn't stop watching him.  The next show I wanted to see if it was just the magic of seeing them live after such a long hiatus.  Damn, again I was freaking amazed by BBF's playing.

So, I go to the 3rd show in Portland, Or.  I take 4 friends.  2 are GNR fans and 1 isn't a fan at all but is a guitar player and so he comes just to see the guitar player.  I was interested to get his opionion after the show because he went into it not really caring about GNR.  At the show he didn't say much and I didn't talk to him after because I felt he didn't like it.  So I called him the next day and just give me the honest truth and don't spare my feelings.  His response was, "I just got on Itunes and downloaded every GNR album."   I was like What the hell, He is 47 years old.  He told me that he was blown away at the show and especially the guitar playing.  Ron Thal made him a fan of GNR.  Especially when he came out and played his fretless guitar.  To an experienced eye it is easy to see that Ron Thal is the best guitar player in the band.  Is he needed?  Well, if he can make a fan out of my friend then the answer is HELL YES.

By the way, I still love Fortus and Finck just have to give props where it's due.

Cool story, I (unsurpisingly) agree...

Thanks for sharing!

-PEACE-

[Dark Angel]

Fine.

In Paris, Ron Thal was booed and made people leave the arena...

in France?????? his very well known there...!!!! Have toured there... MANY times. Sure it was cos of him?

and Ron belongs in gnr!    

wasnt well known by many in the beginning.. but that have changed for sure! And still many will get to love him! My sis likes him (or maybe its just cos i ahve been listening to him for mnay years and forced her to listen? )

He is my fave in gnr and outside and ahve been for a looooong time

Still lookin forward for the day where i can  finaly see him  :\

ppl have to exept that his in gnr. Axl said yes. And his there!!!!

By the way.. cool story  

[Nesquick]

Yes. He was booed during his shred solo. Many people left the arena during his solo. but i think he is not 100% responsible. There were many, many many many many many many and many blanks during the show. The band played 2 sonngs, and then stopped. they played again 2 songs, and they stopped etc... so when his solo arrived, people were exhausted because we all wanted to hear songs without "stops" and just get a full show and not a puzzle of show. So people got on nerves and he was booed. I didn't of course. I kept quiet because at least i'm respectfull, i don't boo artists. But I did NOT enjoy his solo.

[Gunner89]

Ron is amazing, im sure that when cd comes out and he will get the true recognition that he deserves as one of the greatest guitarists around.

Ron you Rock!  

At the Hammerstein shows ron was at the side of the stage and just played, but now that he is part of the band, he is all over the place, he is fun, creative and his contributions to Chinese Democracy will be huge listen to Chinese democracy from one of the recent concerts, amazing.

[Dark Angel]

Would never expect that!!!!

Mr. ronald j. blumenthal... booed while doing that....!!!! In France :eek:

Ron is amazing, im sure that when cd comes out and he will get the true recognition that he deserves as one of the greatest guitarists around.

Ron you Rock!  

At the Hammerstein shows ron was at the side of the stage and just played, but now that he is part of the band, he is all over the place, he is fun, creative and his contributions to Chinese Democracy will be huge listen to Chinese democracy from one of the recent concerts, amazing.

ohh yeah:) We should go to a show together... 2 bbf lovers  

Think many are going to buy his next solo  

[Nesquick]

Maybe he was in a bad day, the show was on June 20th, so it was very early after jhe joined the band. Nevermind, Richard Fortus completely stole the show. Absolutely mind blowing, he was the Michael Jordan of the band that night.

[Dark Angel]

Hope they wont do the same next time!

[Nesquick]

It depends on Ron...

Anyway, nevermind, it's not as if he is essential to the band there are other guys. Here is a pic I took during the gig
http://i16.tinypic.com/2cz56km.jpg

[misterbrownstone]

Maybe he was in a bad day, the show was on June 20th, so it was very early after jhe joined the band. Nevermind, Richard Fortus completely stole the show. Absolutely mind blowing, he was the Michael Jordan of the band that night.

remember Michael's career with the Wizards?  not bashing Fortus or anything,  infact i love the guy.  great player, and cool to talk to.  but...Ron runs circles around him playing wise.  maybe not showmanship wise, but in the end, you can run around and do all that stuff, but if you can't play (and i'm not sayin Rich can't, he's 100000 times better than me, but...) it doesn't matter.  i've seen many punk bands playin in my town, and they put on a great show, but the band SUCKS.  anyway, sorry for my rant, but you hopelessly underrate Ron (and in the past Bucket) and vise versa for Fortus.

RON IS AWESOME!!!!

p.s.
he's obviously important if he's in the band.  he proabbly gets paid thousands of dollars, and i dont think Axl would throw money away if he wasn't important.

p.p.s.
can i get a video or SOMETHING that proves he was booed and people left during his solo?  because honestly, i don't remember hearing that in any of the reviews or anyone talking about a crap solo either.

[steelers86]

Guys that is what is great about this new lineup.  There is something for everyone even my friend who didn't like GNR before the show.  The fact that there is even an argument about who is better is great.  It just shows that this new lineup is awesome.  Embrace it people.  I think Ron is the best player in the band but heck while I'm at the show I get a kick out of Richard and Robin just the same.  It's awesome enjoy it.  I hope all 3 of them stay in the band because it will only make GNR that much better.  You can't beat the depth of the music when there are 3 players on stage.  It sounds more like the studio version.  

We shouldn't be arguing about it but should be appreciative of the fact that 3 such amazing performers are in our favorite band.

[Nesquick]

It sounds more like the studio version.

Maybe, but it hurts the chemistry. One of the thing that shocked me was the incredible amount of guitar players onstage to play such simple songs as "I used to love her" or "Patience". 9 guys and 4 guitar players to play I used to love her? come on... It was a little bit ridiculous. I prefer to be honnest. I like to be honnest. Many thing were amazing (the sound, the pyro, Axl, Richard, the new songs especially IRS) but also many things were not (the late, the incredible amount of people onstage, the broken momentum because of all the solos and jams, the shred).
If I want to hear "the studio version" I just listen to my CDs on my hi-Fi or on my computer or on my Ipod. The chemistry is more important Live than anything else.

I was very suprised when the band said the Paris show was "one of the best". Sure musically it's probably one of the best, but the organisation of the show was far from beeing acceptable. 4 first songs were fucking amazing, but when all the solos came on, the relation with the audience started to fall down. I don't know... the french aren't known to be a difficult crowd, I saw Oasis, VR, radiohead and other big bands and the crowd was amazing. Never heard one single boo and never seen people leaving the place... The show was good but they need to rework the organisation next time.