If BH quit, why did he do it? Doesn't really make sense to me.

[dave_guns]

Ok, I will assume that BH is out, even though management says he's under contract.  Now that being said, why did he do it?  Until he joined GNR I had never heard of BH but since then I've become a big fan, bought a few of his solo albums, etc.  I know there are a lot of people who knew him before hand, but I would have to think that since joining GNR his popularity has grown.  Hell, the guy was on the VMAs a few years ago. Would he ever be there for his solo work?  

But why would he quit?  It doesn't make any sense to me at all.  These guys are all under contract and as least at this point are getting paid to wait for Axl to call them.  It's not like they aren't free to do other things.  Tommy went on tour and recorded an album.  Dizzy has been on tour.  BH himself has kept on recording and touring.  If CD is nearly finished, or finished, as at least Mysterion and others belief, then one would have to think that these guys are standing at the starting line of a huge money maker.  If they tour again, and the album gets released, then they're all in the spotlight again, all making money and all playing the music they want to play (supposing that CD is released).  

I know that Josh Freese left because he contract was up and he's in like 6 bands.  Finck left when his contract was up because he was sick on playing on incompleted tracks.  But that was like 4 years ago now, when CD was still in the early stages.  We have to think (hope) that CD is finished or close too, Dizzy has said so, Tommy has said so, Fortus has said so.  From interviews it seemed like Axl and BH were closse friends and really understood each other.  I just don't see the logic.  It's like being a member of the band is holding anyone back from doing anything they want.

So what do you guys think?  If he did quit, I just don't understand why...

[Dr. Blutarsky]

I ask myself that same question Dave.

The word is he quit due to his frustration of not touring and the fact Chinese Democracy is not released. Buckethead is free to tour and / or record his own or others albums. How would being in GNR be a negative thing? Its not like the guy can`t get out and play on his own. I think this was not a smart move on his part, he`s an awesome guitarist who just limited the size of his audience by quitting.  He`s never going to get the exposure he would have with GNR.

[SOH]

Two reasons that make sense, given all we know:

#1: He is so in love with his work on Chinese Democracy that he wants it displayed to the world as soon as possible, and can't put up with Axl keeping it under wraps any longer.

#2: Mystique. As stated, his fanbase isn't that big. It could be somewhat of a boost to be billed as "The Guy Who Wouldn't Take Axl Rose's Shit In His Final Days", that is if his leaving caused Axl to give up the business.

[Izzy]

I guess he was just unhappy with his arrangement with the band.

Maybe it was the lack of any touring

maybe it was Axl

maybe he hates Nysnc Fortus

Who knows, i don't think its really an issue.

[Insomnis]

I only see 2 possible options

1. He did not quit he was fired.

2. CD is finished, his work is done, and he didn't want to be part of all the shit that's about to happen. (Music videos, touring etc..)

[dave-gnfnr2k]

This is why i think BH left.
He said its because Axl was taking too long to release CD.

Well the way i look at it, BH has to knowhis plans with gnr this summer (ie are they gonna tour) if axl was not still sure when Cd is coming out and if gnr are touring this summer its not fair to BH that he has to wait and see.
BH needs to make plans to tour onhis own if gnr was not gonna tour.
and BH needs to book venues months in advance so he can tour.
If bh was to stay in gnr and  try and tour on his own this summer what would happen if axl said ok we are touring, bh would have to drop his solo shows and that wouldnt be fair.
IT would also not be fair if bh waited around to see if gnr was gonna tour, and what if they didnt, he would be doing nothing all summer.

If axl told BH the album will be out so and so date and gnr are touring starting so and so date, i think bh would nothave left.

[blues_rock_axeman]

I thought that Herbie's response summed it up:

"If Buckethead's out of GN'R, he can always go buy some more"  

[littlewing]

One option is that these guys don't have the same deep rooted emotional commitment that axl has in seeing this album through. Yes I'm sure there is a commitment b/c axl is their friend, they want to get this album out, and don't want their hard work (or axl's) to end up on the cutting room floor. But the fact of the matter is that most of these guys can go back to doing what they did before at the end of the day, and won't be worse off for their time spent on CD. This isn't a dig on the guys in the band or their ability/level of commitment, but there is a difference between who would be "hurt" more by the material never coming out. The other guys have options while axl's pretty much letting it ride. I'm sure on some level the guys recognize this.

If that's the case then maybe frustrations would build up over time and make them re-evaluate how badly they want to be there.

[dave_guns]

I just don't buy that it's because he's sick of waiting for Cd to be released.  He joined the band around mid '99 right?  Well now it's almost mid '04, that's 5 years!  He could wait 5 years but he couldn't wait anymore than that?  He couldn't go ahead and do whatever he wants with his solo career, while getting money for "being" in gnr and "waiting" for CD?  I don't buy it at all.

[GNROSAS]

Probably one of the following

1. GNR is becoming a joke day after day and buckethead didn't want to be part of it as he was always a respected musician with cult status.

2. Buckethead didn't want to be part of touring, videoclips, promotion, GNR exposure, and be almost in every room of a 14-15 year old and worhip him as a god cause CD will be trendy and also His persona will be trendy. So maybe from the beginning he wanted just to be a studio musician for GNR bifore the release of the CD and stay in the cult status rather than be in the commercial side of the CD

3. The project in the name of Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.
This will be great project that will involve Les Claypool (Primus) and Brain. This
project needs touring and cds and as Les Claypool said before, Buckethead on GNR wasn'st allowing for this project to happen for 2 years now.

[HoldenCaulfield]

From what I understand, ever since Bucket signed on the dotted line, he's been pretty free to do anything he wants, concerning solo work and side projects, as long as it didn't interfere with GNR. I still don't believe he has left. Possibly it's a move of intimidation.

[Captain P?l]

From what I understand, ever since Bucket signed on the dotted line, he's been pretty free to do anything he wants, concerning solo work and side projects, as long as it didn't interfere with GNR. I still don't believe he has left. Possibly it's a move of intimidation.

just how do you know it said he had the freedom to do all that in the contracts? maybe it was a blindspot and axl didnt want him to release all those albums... and maybe he didnt come too well along with axl..

basicly, we dont know SHIT of whats going on....

i dont want him gone, as you intended in the other thread. but everything points into that direction.....

[axlsalinger]

I just don't buy that it's because he's sick of waiting for Cd to be released.  He joined the band around mid '99 right?  Well now it's almost mid '04, that's 5 years!  He could wait 5 years but he couldn't wait anymore than that?  He couldn't go ahead and do whatever he wants with his solo career, while getting money for "being" in gnr and "waiting" for CD?  I don't buy it at all.

How can you possibly make this argument? Nobody in their right mind could have possibly predicted in 1999 that this fucking nonsense would drag on till 2004.

It's a little like this website. Little by little people will stop coming here for news if this album is never released. Your argument is that if someone begins coming here for news right now in March 2004, you would not be able to understand why they finally give up in 2009 and say to hell with it, it's never gonna happen.

[kockstar99]

I cant see any good reason for him to quit either.... there is no good reason.... thats why i dont belive that he has quit.... i think its just the media making up shit again...

[HoldenCaulfield]

just how do you know it said he had the freedom to do all that in the contracts? maybe it was a blindspot and axl didnt want him to release all those albums... and maybe he didnt come too well along with axl..

basicly, we dont know SHIT of whats going on....

i dont want him gone, as you intended in the other thread. but everything points into that direction.....

While it's true we don't know, it's obvious that he's had the freedom to tour and perform with other projects.

[Captain P?l]

just how do you know it said he had the freedom to do all that in the contracts? maybe it was a blindspot and axl didnt want him to release all those albums... and maybe he didnt come too well along with axl..

basicly, we dont know SHIT of whats going on....

i dont want him gone, as you intended in the other thread. but everything points into that direction.....

While it's true we don't know, it's obvious that he's had the freedom to tour and perform with other projects.

just to argue a little, a shot in the dark. what if axl did everything he could from making BH not making albums while in GNR? but it just couldnt be stopped, so now BH had enough of axl's whining, or axl had enough of BH's constant outlet of albums  


or he might just lost the touch/spark with the guys. its not like he is doing music too much for the money. if he would he could hae been a real superstar.

maybe that is another thing. the way BH is constructed the media would crush him! they would do everything to post pic's of his face and take the mask off! maybe BH relized this and called it the quits?

[Dizzy]

First off, I highly doubt Buckethead was being paid during the hiatus.  If you're not rehearsing, recording, or playing, for what would you be paid?

Secondly, what the hell don't you people understand about this?

The only "why" to me is not why Buckethead quit, but why didn't he quit sooner?  What serious musician wants to rest on his laurels waiting for a frontman, especially one as disaster prone as Axl Rose, to get his act together?

[Captain P?l]

First off, I highly doubt Buckethead was being paid during the hiatus.  If you're not rehearsing, recording, or playing, for what would you be paid?

that was my point....  if BH really was in music for money he would be a millioanere!

The only "why" to me is not why Buckethead quit, but why didn't he quit sooner?  What serious musician wants to rest on his laurels waiting for a frontman, especially one as disaster prone as Axl Rose, to get his act together?

who knows how long he has been out? some say noe year. but i think, after listening to his albums, that he makes WAY different music than GNR's... so maybe he wasnt pleased with the way his playing turned out in the end..

[estranged.1098]

First off, I highly doubt Buckethead was being paid during the hiatus.  If you're not rehearsing, recording, or playing, for what would you be paid?

You would get paid to be available for all those things and commited to them?

[estranged.1098]

One possibility is that he quit (if he actually did) because he already made a lot of money from Guns N' Roses and is now much more recognized because of it. So he's used Guns N' Roses and is now done with it.

As for the suggestions that he's afraid of being big or doesn't think the music suits him, let's not forget he auditioned for the RHCP.