BUMBLEFOOT Says 95 Percent Of 'Making Music Happen' Is 'Other Stuff': Only 'Five Percent Of It Is Actually Making Sound'

In a new interview with Lucas Prates of Mantena, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal was asked to give one piece of advice for musicians just starting out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "One piece of advice for musicians just starting out. I can't give just one piece of advice. There's too much."

He continued: "We all start off wanting to be rock stars, being famous, being successful, all of that stuff, just seeing what our idols are doing and we're inspired by it. And we wanna do what they're doing on the level that they're doing it. But you start to realize that success is actually when you can live how you want to live by the terms you want to live by, the boundaries that you set for your life, maintaining those; that ends up being success. Not everybody will enjoy the rock star life and you might hate it and you might kill yourself. So you shouldn't do it, because it's not worth it. At the end of your life, if you were a slave to this stuff and it made you miserable, that was a wasted life. Yeah, it made people happy. But still, what about you? You need to be part of that equation. So, you need to live in a way that works for who you are. And you may realize that being a rock star is not it. And if you become a rock star, you've actually failed, because you're not living true to who you are. That's something to think about."

Thal added: "What else? When it comes to making music, we also think that it's just being that person on stage playing your instrument or singing or whatever it is you aspire to do. But there is so much more to it. And you should look into all of it. There's so much more to making music happen. 95 percent of it is other stuff. Five percent of it is actually making sound. So look into all of that other stuff, whether it's managing or producing or designing concert posters — whatever it is, there's so much more to do. So be diverse and teach whatever you learn. That too. Always be early, be prepared and stay calm. Definitely.

"And a big one: no matter how good it looks from the outside, don't stay in a shitty situation that wears you down and makes you become less of a person," he concluded. "If it makes you an angry person, a stressed person, someone that just doesn't treat the world the way you'd want to treat it if you were a happy person, get the fuck out. It's not worth it. Definitely. And lastly, use a metronome."

Thal's new instrumental album, "Bumblefoot ...Returns!", is set for release on January 24, 2025. "Bumblefoot ...Returns!" will arrive 30 years after Thal's debut solo instrumental album. On the new LP, Bumblefoot revisits his roots with a 14-track masterpiece that spans genres from metal to orchestral to blues.

The album's opening track, "Simon In Space", serves as its first single, delivering an electrifying ride through chaos and intensity. In addition to the single, an animated music video created by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski is also available, as well as a retro-inspired video game, which is coming soon.

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" features collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill and others, showcasing Bumblefoot's innovative guitar techniques, such as his signature fretless guitar and "thimble technique."

About the album, Bumblefoot previously said: "It's been 30 years since releasing the debut 'Adventures Of Bumblefoot' on Shrapnel Records, and I haven't done a fully instrumental album since. Writing during the pandemic, these songs became a soundtrack to my life — from heavy fretless growls to bluesy tributes to legends like Lonnie Johnson. It's a reflection of the moments that shaped me."

He added: "Working on WHOM GODS DESTROY's album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like 'Simon In Space'. Watching a blues documentary inspired 'Moonshine Hootenanny'. Losing loved ones led to writing 'Funeral March'. Songs become a soundtrack to our lives."

The album is available for pre-order now on vinyl, CD, and cassette, with exclusive merch bundles at bumblefoot.com.

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Thal spent a few years recording and touring with SONS OF APOLLO, which also featured drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20),in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Thal is also a member of ART OF ANARCHY, which released its third studio album, "Let There Be Anarchy", in February 2024 via Pavement Music.

Joining founding ART OF ANARCHY members Jon Votta (guitar),Vince Votta (drums) and Thal in the band's new lineup are vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY, SONS OF APOLLO) and bassist Tony Dickinson (SOTO, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).