Budding musicians from Oxford were given the chance to play alongside some
real rock stars earlier this week when members of US rock group Guns N’ Roses came for a visit.
Lead guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal and drummer Frank Ferrer joined a number of pupils from a local school to perform several of the group’s classic songs.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Witchwood School of Rock event organiser Mike Dove said he got them to appear after contacting Thal to get a t-shirt signed for publicity. The bandmates responded to Mr Dove’s appeal by contacting him directly and offering to come along and jam with the children next time Guns N’Roses were in England.
Thal told the news provider that the opportunity to interact with budding
musicians was a welcome break from touring. “We get to do something besides waking up in a hotel room, driving on the bus and playing on the stage, we get to be human and interact and share in a more personal way,” he said. “When you’re on stage there’s a bit of a connection there, but not like this. You can’t stop a Guns N’Roses show and say: ‘Hey, does anybody have questions?’ The thing is, when we started we were kids, we were them and we wish we had something like this back then.”
Meanwhile, Ferrer also told the newspaper that taking time out to talk to the pupils was “great”. “This is a big deal for them, but it’s a big deal for us too. We never get to come to a town and meet real people,” he added.
real rock stars earlier this week when members of US rock group Guns N’ Roses came for a visit.Lead guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal and drummer Frank Ferrer joined a number of pupils from a local school to perform several of the group’s classic songs.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Witchwood School of Rock event organiser Mike Dove said he got them to appear after contacting Thal to get a t-shirt signed for publicity. The bandmates responded to Mr Dove’s appeal by contacting him directly and offering to come along and jam with the children next time Guns N’Roses were in England.
Thal told the news provider that the opportunity to interact with budding
musicians was a welcome break from touring. “We get to do something besides waking up in a hotel room, driving on the bus and playing on the stage, we get to be human and interact and share in a more personal way,” he said. “When you’re on stage there’s a bit of a connection there, but not like this. You can’t stop a Guns N’Roses show and say: ‘Hey, does anybody have questions?’ The thing is, when we started we were kids, we were them and we wish we had something like this back then.”Meanwhile, Ferrer also told the newspaper that taking time out to talk to the pupils was “great”. “This is a big deal for them, but it’s a big deal for us too. We never get to come to a town and meet real people,” he added.