Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus discussed the Not In This Lifetime tour and the band’s next album in a new STLToday interview.
Since it began in April 2016, the tour has grossed $230 million and counting.
“It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced,” Fortus says. “Doing multiple nights at a stadium is a mind-(expletive). It’s hard to get your head around that level of craziness. Fans are just so rabid for it.”
He’s also looking forward to recording his first album with Guns N’ Roses.
“Everyone is excited about it. There’s a really magical thing now with the band. It feels like a new band,” Fortus says of the lineup, which since 2016 has included Guns N’ Roses veterans Slash and Duff McKagan. “It feels like the best version since I joined, and it’s the most fun for me. There’s so much excitement around it.”
He also discussed the infamous St. Louis riot at a GNR show 25 years ago, and GNR coming back to play the city again.
“It was a series of unfortunate events that led to what happened,” Fortus says. “I would imagine (Rose) must be apprehensive, though he never expressed that to me, so I don’t know. But I know some people here are apprehensive. People lost jobs because of what happened. Some people are like, ‘(Screw) that guy, I’m not giving him my money.’ I get that.”
He said he thinks Axl could reference the incident on stage.
“Knowing Axl, I would imagine so,” Fortus says. “But I have no idea. If nothing else, he’s gonna make a joke.”
