FEATURE
Richard Fortus, rhythm guitarist in Guns N’ Roses, reveals how he acts as a foil for Slash – and how an education in funk makes him a better player
When we think of the great guitar players associated with Guns N’ Roses, it’s only natural to envisage Slash and Izzy Stradlin first - given how their incendiary dynamic made Appetite For Destruction and the Use Your Illusion I and II albums such an unimpeachable goldmine for six-string enthusiasts around the world. But all these years later, it’s Richard Fortus who actually stands as the storied group’s longest serving axeman, having joined in 2002 and remained for every tour since, including the Not In This Lifetime reunion that stole headlines thanks to Slash’s return to the ranks.
By his own admission, Fortus is there to support his co-guitarist as best he can and ultimately serve the song. Not that he knows which song will be coming next on any given night, mind, due to the way that singer Axl Rose runs the show…
“Set list, you say!” he laughs, talking to TG from Saratoga Springs, New York, during the band’s ongoing We’re F’N’ Back! Tour. “It varies night to night and there’s no list. Basically, Axl will just call out the songs. Quite often there are groups of songs that we all know go together, but it’s all up in the air.
Axl will call it as he feels it!”
Today, Richard talks about his journey in Guns N’ Roses, from his involvement on 2008’s criminally underrated Chinese Democracyto those recent tracks on which he features alongside Slash – Hard Skool, Absurdand recent release Perhaps. As an avid collector of gear, he reveals his favourite tools of the trade. And he explains the key to his working relationship with Slash – understanding the different roles required both musically and tonally in order to create a wider sonic picture…
It’s interesting how you and Slash vary from playing the same exact riff in the same positions to other chordal ideas on different areas of the neck…
I try to look at my job in Guns N’ Roses as supporting what Slash does. I’ll listen to what he’s doing and figure out the best way to fit into that. If that means playing a unison riff to push the idea further to the front, then I’ll do that. Or I might play around what he’s doing. It all comes down to listening and doing my very best to support the song. That always comes first!
It’s a very similar dynamic to the Izzy Stradlin and Slash years, in that regard. You and Izzy ended up becoming friends when he was occasionally guesting before the reunion tour.
Yeah! At various points, Izzy would come out and do shows with us. Me and him would end up hanging out and going to museums or jamming backstage. We have a very similar musical background
