We recently welcomed former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal into our studio for an exclusive interview. During his visit, Bumblefoot, who is currently performing in the all-star group Metal Allegiance, discussed his exit from GN’R, revealing he knew about the reunion with classic members when he left. He also briefly commented his relationship with Axl Rose.

Though Bumblefoot’s departure was revealed in summer 2015, the shredder actually left back in 2014. Fellow guitarist DJ Ashba left the band in 2015, as well. “You reach a time when you just know it’s time to move on and that what you’ve seen for your life, what you see [for] the future of your life; it’s not what you pictured for yourself,” Bumblefoot tells us in the video interview above.

Though Bumblefoot speaks of this revelation, he also reveals he knew of Slash and Duff McKagan’s return to Guns N’ Roses as the guitarist was making his leave. As for the band’s 2016 run of reunion shows, Bumblefoot admits he hasn’t attended any of the gigs, though he isn’t surprised by how solid the performances have been. “People who play together for years, when you get back together, it’s like the next day,” Bumblefoot says.

In the rest of our exclusive interview, Bumblefoot recalls his favorite memories from his eight years with Guns N’ Roses, which all revolve around his interactions with fans. One in particular is when Bumblefoot invited a 9-year-old School of Rock student named Chloe to sing “Catcher in the Rye” with GN’R during a sound check, helping reinvigorate her passion for music.

As for his relationship with Axl Rose, Bumblefoot was hesitant to delve to far into the subject, but he did say, “[We] sometimes felt like friends, sometimes felt like enemies. We felt like bandmates.”

Watch Bumblefoot discuss his time in Guns N’ Roses in the video above. And catch him as part of Metal Allegiance at their Aug. 11 show at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets are available here.

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