#fortus

[rocknrollflames]

Izzy Stradlin.

If you're a man and you don't like Izzy - you're just not cool.

Or he banged your chick.

Or both.

Probably both.

And if you're a woman who doesn't like Izzy - thank you.

There are too many of us.

He doesn't need you.

[ziggyplayedguitar96]

I am absolutely obsessed with looking at photos of Axl Rose with bangs

[jezcat-18]

GnR Duff Duos 😘

[somethingbadontheway]

[lc-mrbrownstone]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! SLASH FANART

[I love him]

[nofatclips]

No-One by The Psychedelic Furs from the album Made of Rain

[mycollectionmylife]

Gn'F'n'R 4ever 🎤🎩🎸🔫🌹🤘

[myvinylplaylist]

Guns N' Roses: Greatest Hits (2023)

Walmart Exclusive on Rose Red Vinyl

Geffen Records

[iaketpauet]

A guide to Robin Finck in Guns n' Roses for people who can't stand Axl Rose

I've spent months reading, watching and listening to all things regarding Robin's time in Guns so you don't have to.

*extremely long post*

L to R: Chris Pitman, Bryan "Brain" Mantia, Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. At Download Festival, June 11, 2006.

From Cirque to Guns

In the beginning of 1997 Cirque du Soleil was touring Los Angeles and Axl Rose went to see the show. Matt Sorum (GnR's drummer until then) pointed out to Axl that 'Robin from Nine Inch Nails' was playing the guitar.

"I told Axl to see him and he said, 'That's our guitar player,' I said, 'Bring in Robin to play alongside Slash', but Axl said, 'I want him to play lead.'" - Matt Sorum, 1999.

Robin got a call from Axl and then he started to jam with the band (already without Slash) every Monday, his day off (circus' dark day). In April, Chris Vrenna also joined for a few sessions before he split to focus on his Tweaker project, and Robin brought Billy Howerdel (former guitar technician for NIN) to help him program his sounds, but wound up staying for two and a half years with them.

In June, Robin quit the circus and joined the band.

2 years contract (August 1997 to August 1999)

Over the year of 1998, the band took shape, consisting of Robin and Paul Huge Tobias on the guitar, Tommy Stinson on bass guitar, Dizzy Reed on keys and percussion, Josh Freese on drums and Chris Pitman helping them with writing and engineering. Although Axl was contributing with ideas, he wasn't laying many vocal tracks at that time, as he was allegedly suffering with writer's block.

They wrote at least half of the Chinese Democracy album along with other still unreleased songs and many instrumentals in this period, including parts/ideas Robin had previously come up with during his circus days. Some sources had said they were working on 35 tracks.

Robin and Josh Freese in 1998 (from Josh's Instagram)

They also re-recorded Appetite for Destruction, which was never released but a segment of Sweet Child o'Mine was included in the closing credits of 1999's Big Daddy movie. Axl's intention was to use the entire song, but Slash and Duff didn't allow it, so they made a hybrid of the old version with their new one. You can listen to their segment starting at 2'58, with the second part of the main solo and the last one played by Robin:

It was rumored that Robin recorded an uncredited overdub of backing vocals for the track Mr. Brownstone in the Live Era '87-'93 compilation album. You can listen to it below, around 1'25 min.

Just in time for NIN's Fragility tour v1.0, his contract came to an end in August and soon he went to Bahamas with Nine Inch Nails to begin with their tour rehearsals.

Atlas Shrugged

"I have respect for Axl Rose, I wish him all the success that he deserves and if his album sounds a little industrial, I will take it like a compliment... On the other hand, when we played MTV awards, he made pass a press release announcing that it would cut of his disc all the parts of guitars played by Robin Finck and I find that a little ridiculous, it is a whim of star." - Trent Reznor, 1999.

"And they just said, 'Come over and do some stuff.' It's a long story to be honest and I won't bore you with all the details, but Axl was feeling that he was in a difficult place because the guitarist that he'd been working with on this new album had sort of replaced Slash, because they fell out, sadly. [...] The guitarist that had done most of the tracks had departed and Axl had a real emotional attachment to what he'd done, and yet he didn't want him on the album - and I hope I'm not saying too much here - he didn't really want him to stay on the album because he'd disappeared, you know - so he's feeling a kind of divided loyalty and he said: 'Brian, can you come and do stuff which I WILL LIKE, (laughing) and I won't feel too bad about ditching this other stuff?'" - Brian May, 2000.

While Axl was trying to cut Robin's work out of Chinese Democracy, hiring high-profile guitarists such as Dave Navarro and Brian May to lay guitar tracks, he started recording vocals for some of the songs, like HardSchool (now Hard Skool), Catcher in The Rye and The Blues (now Street of Dreams). Among them, the still unreleased Atlas Shrugged has lyrics which are allegedly about Robin.

An excerpt from Atlas Shrugged lyrics.

Whether it's about him or not, the lyrics go along with feelings of "following his heart" Robin expressed through interviews from that time.

"It was a difficult decision to make because I was so wrapped up in what I was doing at the time and I was proud of the work I'd done. But when it came down to it, I couldn't imagine NIN going out without me or with somebody else. I'm in a good place right now." - Robin Finck, 1999.

Prior to quitting the band to form A Perfect Circle with Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese helped Axl getting in touch with Buckethead. In early 2000 Buckethead was convinced to join in.

3 guitars lineup

"Originally it was gonna be a two-guitar player group. I split forever so I thought and went back to Nine Inch Nails. In my absence they were looking to replace me and Josh Freese, the drummer at the time, had brought Buckethead in to essentially fill the slot I had left. They really liked him but he's kind of a stunt guitar player. He does a very specific thing and he has a real genius sensibility about him. But he rarely plays the same thing twice ever and when you're trying to cruise through 'Nightrain' that just makes it a little (laughs) too different. So they needed someone to anchor the songs. They kept Buckethead to do what Buckethead does and they needed someone else to play alongside." - Robin Finck, 2014.

In late 2000 Robin returned to Guns for the upcoming gig as headliner act of Rock in Rio III Festival. As a sort of warm-up show, the band was booked for a New Year's Eve gig at The House of Blues in Las Vegas. It was the first time Robin performed live with Guns n' Roses.

Robin and Buckethead playing Paradise City at The House of Blues, January 1st, 2001.

With two lead guitarists, rumors that Robin and Buckethead weren't getting along very well began to emerge. And it seems that Axl encouraged competition between them.

"So it's taken a long time to pull these guys together and then have them develop a chemistry with themselves. When we first did our first show in Vegas, Robin and Buckethead didn't know each other at all, and you've got two lead guitar players trying to kill each other. You know, with their abilities. It's like when I tried to bring Zakk and Slash together. That didn’t go too well. (...) It was fun to watch." - Axl Rose, 2002.

Although neither Robin or Buckethead talked about it, years later Tommy Stinson showed his disdain for Buckethead on interviews and soon-to-be a member Richard Fortus has talked extensively about how difficult it was to make a lineup with three guitarists work. I'll return to this topic later.

Skullet

For these shows, Robin appeared with an extreme form of the mullet hairstyle, the skullet. Differing from his previous tours with Nine Inch Nails, this time he maintained the same haircut for the whole touring cycle: from the few performances in 2001 until their last gig in 2002. The only difference is that he straightened his hair in 2002.

At The Joint, Las Vegas, December 31st, 2001. Photo by Robert John.

From their US leg of the tour, 2002. Photo by George Chin.

Better

Between his comeback and early 2001, Robin came up with a song working titled 3 Dollar Pyramid, which turned out to be Better, the only song released with credits attributed exclusively to him and Axl Rose.

"[Better] was brought in after Josh [Freese] and was written by the band. It was Robin Finck’s song. We jammed it for a couple weeks and then went into the studio and recorded it." - Bryan "Brain" Mantia (GnR's drummer from May 2000 until June 2006), 2009.

Better without vocals

Richard Fortus

In 1999 Richard auditioned for Robin's place. He wasn't the chosen one but became good friends with Tommy. When Paul Tobias stepped out of his role as rhythm guitarist, Tommy called Richard to replace him for the 2002 tour.

Soon Richard and Robin formed a strong bond, which could be seen on as much as offstage throughout Robin's tenure, with Richard stating several times how much he loved working with him afterwards.

Richard and Robin during Nightrain at Allstate Arena, Chicago, November 18th, 2002.

Refusing to leave

After the 2002 tour being cancelled halfway through and "Guns' inability to complete an album", Buckethead quit in late 2003. In spite of the uncertainty of their situation as a band, Robin preferred not to leave them this time to tour with Nine Inch Nails. According to Reznor, his choice was driven by greed.

"Robin Finck [was] getting paid loads of money to hang out with Axl Rose and his house was getting paid for. You know what, f*ck you." - Trent Reznor, 2005.

Robin has never touched on this subject, but there are two things that need to be stressed: The album was very close to be finished and Guns was planning to perform in late 2005 - which only became reality in 2006 - so his decision might have been because of it.

2 guitars lineup?

"As far as I know, he [Buckethead] hasn't been replaced, but we already have enough guitarists". - Tommy Stinson, 2004.

"At the moment, Robin Finck and I are the only guitarists in the band. We switch off between lead and rhythm." - Richard Fortus, 2005.

They kept rehearsing as a duo until a few weeks before their warm-up gigs for the European tour at the Hammerstein Ballroom in May 2006.

"It was just Robin and myself, and we were doing rehearsals and Brain, and it was phenomenal, I mean, absolutely amazing. And literally, I think it was two days before we were supposed to do our first show, the energy was palpable. [...] Axl came down, he was like, 'This is the band I've always wanted.' The next day Bumblefoot comes in, and I guess, they found this guy and he came in, and the whole dynamic just completely shifted." - Richard Fortus, 2020.

Bullying Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

Tommy had stated that they weren't doing auditions for a new guitarist, but Axl's team contacted Ron in 2004. Although nothing happened from it, in April 2006, Axl called him to "jam" with the band while they were rehearsing for their tour. Ron became Buckethead's replacement and stayed with them until 2015. In the beginning, he wasn't treated well by "some" members.

"Well, when I first joined the band, they did not want me in the band. And it’s not me - they just didn’t want a third guitar player. 'Cause at the time they had worked it out for two guitar players. Then suddenly the old manager at the time hits them up one day, and the tour was, like, two weeks away. He said, 'your new guitar player is coming down'. And they’re like, 'what the hell - who the fuck is this?', and I showed up, and they wouldn’t even look at me. For that first tour, you know, I was treated like shit. Like absolute shit. They wouldn’t really talk to me. If I spoke, they’d roll their eyes and walk out of the room. I was made to feel as unwelcome as possible. Until, finally, I had to get a little violent. And then they started realizing that I’m not gonna leave. They’re gonna get hurt. Physically. Then they realized that they couldn’t bully me, and that I was gonna fight at a level they weren’t prepared for. [...] ‘Cause I didn’t know why they were so cold to me, and I realized that they would have treated anybody that way. It was a set of circumstances, a lack of communication from the management that was there at the time, that set it up so it was almost like a stranger thrown into a crowded cage." - Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, 2013.

Note: By "physically", he meant he "tried to stab three people on stage at a show in 2006", as he told WickedInfo in 2010.

Extreme makeover

Robin playing the main solo of Sweet Child o'Mine in Chicago, 2002 (left) and in Los Angeles, 2006 (right).

"A third guitarist stood apart from the others both visually and sonically, effortlessly tearing through every riff and solo like a man possessed; think Jimmy Page on ecstasy. Even after Rose introduced the bearded, sunglass-wearing phenomenon by name, dressed like a cross between Jim Morrison and Chris Robinson, I still couldn’t believe I was looking at Robin Finck. [...] Exuding a confidence no amount of posturing can imitate, he brought a searing intensity to each Guns song with impassioned intricacy and soul. [...] Finck was great before his apparent bohemian awakening, but this was something else entirely. He was essentially running through a gallery of world-renowned portraits and landscapes, the best of their time and sacred to many, casting his own colors and impressions onto each canvas. Somehow, blasphemy be damned, he made improvements." - Antiquiet review of Guns N' Roses' performance at Gibson Amphitheater, December 16th, 2006.

Robin's definitive departure

On April 4th 2008 NIN.com broke the news that Robin was back to the fold with a picture of him at the studio. Without knowing for sure Robin's position, Axl showed being open for a return.

"Last I was aware, he had some interest in touring, though I can't say what that means until then. In our opinion, he's made things a bit awkward publicly, but that's just his way." - Axl Rose, 2009.

Unfortunately, even with the Chinese Democracy's release in the end of that year, Robin didn't come back afterwards.

One night reappearance

The guitarist had a surprise appearance on March 12 2012 at House of Blues venue in Los Angeles to perform his song, Better, and that was the last time he got up on stage with Guns.

That's it, most of the info and rumors here I've gotten from GnR forums: MyGnRforum.com, a-4-d.com and GnRevolution.com, so a big thank you to everyone.

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Get Electrocuted, Idiots

Whumptober Day 7 ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES | Unconventional Weapon | Magic with a Cost | "It's us or them."

Whumptober Prompts List | Masterpost

Fandom: Original Work

Words: 800

Tag List: @fourwingedsnake @whumperofworlds @pigeonwhumps @mr-orion @scaewolf

@the-ellia-west

CW: cornered, threats, swearing, fantasy whump, struck by lightning, death, hyperventilation

A/N: the Mages in my WIP Trials of the Six are prime victims for the Magic With A Cost trope. The human body isn't equipped for the amount of magic that travels through it when a Mage uses their abilities and so has an adverse reaction. The exact reaction varies depending on which element the Mage controls. Examples are given in the character picrews linked in the WIP masterpost.

Enough about the magic system. On with the whump! >:3

----------

"Look, we don't want any trouble."

The words came casually enough to Korfel's lips. But Jarsali didn't miss how the fingers of his right hand twitched, desperate to grab the hilt of his scimitar. She didn't blame him. She was as on edge as he was, and she would feel much safer with her staff in her hands rather than strapped to her back.

Unfortunately, she had no time to draw it. The squadron had come out of nowhere, fanning out in a semicircle, pressing her and Korfel up against the cliff face. They hadn't meant to stray so near the Claystone Cliffs, but the road they had taken from a small mining town wound along the layered mountains, making for a treacherous journey.

Today, however, falling was but one of many of Jarsali's concerns, not the priority. She wasn't sure how the squadron they'd encountered over a week ago had tracked them down, but here they were, curved swords drawn.

"I don't care what you want," the squad leader---evident from the coat of arms painted upon the breastplate of his armor---snapped. "Korfel Domin and Jarsali Fortus, you under arrest on the charges of conspiracy and treason against the Conclave. You will surrender and be brought to Alynthi for a trial."

Korfel scoffed. "Pile of bullshit. You just want the bounty on our combined heads."

The other squadron members chuckled, but the leader's jaw tightened. "You can go to Alynthi alive, or dead. We have you outnumbered and cornered."

"I hadn't noticed," Jarsali quipped. She eyed the group critically before continuing. "Look, as lovely as I've heard Alynthi is at this time of year, we have no interest in attending a rigged trial ending in public execution."

"As I said," the squad leader said, growing even more annoyed, "I don't care what you want. There is no outcome where you make it out of here alive or free. So I highly suggest you throw down your weapons now."

Jarsali tapped her Mage energy, allowing its cracking power to fill her. A gust of wind blew over them, almost forcing the soldiers back a step. She cocked her head as her hair whipped wildly around her face. "Do you know exactly how we got those bounties?" She asked, smiling at the look on the squad leader's face.

"'Sali...." Korfel hissed warningly.

"It's us or them, Kor," she replied. "This constitutes as an emergency, doesn't it? Look," she said quietly, glancing upward, "a storm's coming."

Korfel swore vehemently and dove to the ground.

"Mage!" The squad leader shouted, reaching for his sword. But before he could do anything that mattered, the sky opened and rained lightning over the Tyan squadron. The metal armor they wore was the perfect conductor.

The scent of ozone and burning flesh filled the air, and only Jarsali and Korfel were left untouched. The body of the nearest soldier twitched in his death throes, and while some could have survived, it was unlikely they would be in any fit state to attack them. Jarsali stopped tapping her Mage energy.

And the air immediately left her lungs.

She staggered and fell to her knees, hands immediately going to her throat as she struggled to draw breath. The world spun around her, and her heart raced, beating heavily in her ears and drowning out almost all sounds.

But one noise broke through the relentless tha-thump-tha-thump-tha-thump.

"You're okay. You're doing great. You're not dying today."

Korfel.

Slowly, painstakingly, Jarsali gained control over her breathing, using the exercises she'd learned all those years ago, using her abdominal muscles and diaphragm to take deep, controlled breaths. With that under control, everything else calmed. Her heartbeat slowed, the world steadied, and she noticed the tingling in her arms and face.

She exhaled shakily and looked at Korfel, who was seated beside her, watching her carefully and not without concern. "How do you feel?" He asked gently.

She nodded. "Better. Ugh, I think I used too much Mage energy. Drew too close to my limits."

"No shit," Korfel remarked, glancing at the bodies on the other side of the road. He looked up and down the road. "We need to get moving. By the time the bodies are discovered, I want to be long gone. Are you up for walking?"

"Are you jealous that I didn't let you have any of the fun?"

Korfel rose and offered her a hand. "Next squad that catches us off-guard is getting buried in a sinkhole. Or a landslide. I'll decide on the way."

Jarsali grinned and allowed him to haul her upright. "Personally I'd love to see you do those massive spikes again." She glanced at the fallen soldiers, and her smile faded. "D'you think any of them were there, that day?"

"Doubtful. Most of them are too young. And it's not like the entire standing Tyan army was on those cliffs that day." He eyed her for a long moment. "Were you expecting some sort of catharsis?"

"I don't know."

"Come on. We'll sort through your feelings on the road."

"All right."

[just-barrow]

Richard Fortus and Axl Rose in Glasgow (27 June 2023)

[jeffcbliss]

Richard Fortus (left) and Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses - - BMO Stadium (then-Banc of California Stadium); Los Angeles, CA (8-19-21). @gunsnroses @axlrose @richardfortus

Photo: Jeff Bliss

[ziggyplayedguitar96]

LMFAO WHAT!!????!!!!!!???!!!?!

[jezcat-18]

Official Guns n Roses tour photos from 2016 onwards 🌹

[rocknrollflames]

April 2016 - GNR with Sebastian Bach - My Michelle - One of the Best Performances of the Song I've Seen Since the Original Lineup.

Slash, Duff, Axl, and Sebastian are so into this. Axl loves how Sebastian, as old as he is, still gets up there and head bangs - hard! Slash too. Anyway, the looks on all the guy's faces are priceless. And Sebastian is so stoked to be there. I've been posting too much but saw this and had to share. I'm sure most have already seen it, but if not, here you go. To have seen them in 2016 would have been amazing. The energy and excitement GNR and the fans had at that time was unmatched. Great job, Sebastian. ; ) This is his first time on stage with Axl, Duff, and Slash since 1991. So, 25 years. If I didn't do the math right ... lol. (And you can also see that Richard is ecstatic to be playing with Slash.)

[hungercityhellhound]

I don't care that these pictures are blurry because they are so damned cute