During a recent conversation with We Go To 11, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal confessed to facing continued backlash for his Guns N’ Roses mishap at 2011’s Rock in Rio performance.
The guitarist talked about his biggest ‘Spinal Tap’ moment due to a Stormtrooper helmet that made it hard to play the intro of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ saying:
“And there was a fan in the front row that had a Star Wars Stormtrooper white helmet. So, I got it from her, and I figured I’d put it on and play with it. And, as soon as it touched my skin, it just like it was glued to it. And now, this thing is stuck on my face.”
Recalling the rest of that moment, he continued:
“I remember I just said, ‘Oh sh*t.’ And, as soon as I said that it — fogged up. And now I can’t see anything; I’m going to have to put in some effort with two hands and stop playing to get the thing off my head —and I’m about to play an iconic guitar solo of one of the opening songs on this headlining set in front of 100,000 people, with a million watching online. And like, there’s no way I’ll be able to do this.”
Bumblefoot went on to disclose the reactions he received from the fans at the concert:
“I did what I could, but then I just had to stop and just take this helmet off and continue. It really wasn’t the worst sounding thing in the world; I mean, there’s worse. But, my god, the next day — and to this day — the angry emails and messages we get from people saying how I destroyed their lives. To me, it was just a funny moment. Things happen at a live show. That’s what makes it a live show. It’s not a sterile, controlled environment, right… That’s something to laugh about. Don’t be a d*ck, laugh, and enjoy yourself.”
In a 2015 interview with Louder Noise, Thal defined that show in Rock in Rio as his most challenging moment on stage with GNR. Bumblefoot joined the band in 2006, following a suggestion from Joe Satriani, and he had his first live performance with them on May 12, 2006, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Then, he left in 2014 as he wanted to pursue outside projects.
You can watch the musician’s stage setback below.
