G N' R Guitarist To Play Charity Gig in Donegal

Ex Guns n' Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is more used to strutting his stuff in jam-packed stadiums, but he's dramatically scaling it right back to play in a small Irish venue later this month, all in the name of a worthy cause.

Bumblefoot will play a charity gig to help raise funds for the family of murder victim Danielle McLaughlin. The Donegal woman was tragically raped and murdered while on a dream holiday in India last year. She had gone over there to learn yoga with the intention of then travelling on to Canada to teach it. Her body was found on a beach in Goa on 14 March 2017. A 24-year-old local man is currently on trial for the brutal killing.

In an effort to raise funds for her family, Bumblefoot will be appearing with Donegal band The Midnight Preachers at a charity gig in the Plaza in Buncrana on Saturday, 25 August. The entire proceeds of the event will go to the legal costs of the family of Danielle.

Bumblefoot says that he didn’t hesitate to volunteer for the charity gig after hearing about the tragic woman’s death from his friend Eoghan Johnston, a member of The Midnight Preachers band.

“Eoghan (Johnston) told me about the loss of Danielle McLaughlin and the family's non-profit charity, TruthForDanielle.com," Bumblefoot told Hot Press. "We wanted to put our efforts to bring people together in Danielle's honor and give support to her family."

He added: "We'll pick some good classics & jammable songs, we'll play together, groups taking turns playing on different songs."

While in Ireland, Bumblefoot, along with members of The Midnight Preachers, will also host a guitar camp on Inch Island between 22-26 August. The camp will also include historical trips around Inishowen and up to Emerald Guitars in St. Johnston.

Explaining how the summer guitar camp idea came about, Bumblefoot said: “Eoghan also plays Vigier guitars. We became friends years ago and through him I got the pleasure to get to know Ireland better – particularly County Donegal where he's from,” said Bumblefoot.

Bumblefoot, who quit G N' R after eight years touring and playing a staggering 325 live dates, has a real grá for Ireland.

“I’ve been visiting the country for years – first with Guns N' Roses, then lots of solo 'Bumblefoot' guitar clinics, concerts and acoustic shows, and most recently with (my band) Sons Of Apollo.”

He added, “What keeps me coming back? The clown in me wants to say the butter. I always talk about how Ireland has the best butter in the world. We always have a brick of Kerrygold in our fridge at home in the US. The people make a place what it is. I come back to be with the wonderful people here.”

Bumblefoot says some of his fondest memories of Ireland is mingling with the fans outside venues after gigs and sharing a “curry” with them.

He actually struck up a friendship with a Finglas fan named Stephen Browne after one gig, who is now his Facebook buddy. And back in 2012 he invited Stephen out to party with them after the gig – they hit the Gypsy Rose venue and then nipped into Lillies before going back to party at their hotel.

“I had the band singing John Spillane version of ‘Óró, Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile’ on the tour bus to town after the gig,” recalls Stephen Browne. “They where giddy after the show and asked for a traditional Irish song to sing along with.”

Tickets for the fundraiser gig are €10 on the door, and readers can make donations at www.truthfordanielle.com. For further information about the summer camp go to www.facebook.com/bumblefoot