"I Don't Give A Sh*t What You Think!"

You know I love a good friendly feud. Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme and Richard Fortus the guitarist from Guns N Roses have both posted on social media arguing over none other than Slash's guitar abilities. However, is it just a simple communication breakdown and overreaction? I love both of these people.
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#nunobettencourt #slash #musicnews

[@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain]

The Darkness (the band I am in) are going on tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land. Europe, USA & UK - get your tickets here: www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/

[@stevenblakeakahashburns]

Glasgow sold out....😫

[@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain]

@@stevenblakeakahashburns Try Edinburgh?

[@Rocksarum]

🎶🎶🎶"Maybeeee, take a chance on *Edinburgh* babyyyy (You might think that I'm crazyyyyy)"🎶🎶🎶

[@michaelcameron2292]

How about Paisley Town Hall?

[@michaelcameron2292]

Actually I reckon Darkness would sell out Armadillo in Glasgow Maybe bigger venue next time Justin eh?

[@Jamalama555]

The best part is that Slash has not said a word. 🚬

[@raquelsnt]

😂

[@michaelheasman9749]

because frankly he doesn't give a shit lol

[@russellzauner]

He has the best non-metaphorical hat, that's why. When you're the boss, you just *know* - what can be said, right?

[@raquelsnt]

@@russellzauner completely agree

[@slashthe2nd]

​@@russellzaunerabsolutely 😅

[@thegoonge]

Good on Richard for defending his mate. Good on Nuno for admitting he misspoke. Good on Slash for staying out of it. Good on Justin for covering it. And good on you. 👍

[@theonlyredspecial]

Good on you for commenting on it all and for slash not commenting on your comment❤

[@matt-fn9gr]

Well thanks

[@irishRocker1]

Admitting he mispoke? He basically contradicted what he said cos he got called out on it. His response was a bit erratic. And some parts pretty childish. Saying he never heard him play a note in his life. Guaranteed that is not true. He hasnt heard chinese democracy? He hasn't seen any guns live shows/videos in 20yrs? He didn't watch any of Rihannas performances in preparation to joining her band? He is basically dissing, the guy who already did what he was saying other guitarists besides him couldnt do, and he did it before Nuno.

[@Slush24]

As much as I like Nuno as a guitar player, he came out very rude and narcissistic in this. Especially for hammering Richard. Fortus only said that he thinks Slash could do it. This coming from a guy that plays with Slash and also played with Rihanna. If anyone should make that comment, it should be Richard Fortus. Fortus also said Nuno was great and didn't attack him at all. Nuno is EXTREME-ly childish in this.

[@MickH60]

Good !

[@Richarddraper]

Two middle aged men arguing on social media isn't going to bring rock back anywhere.

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

Rock acts sell out 80,000 seat arenas on a daily basis. AC/DC is back on tour, as is Metallica and many other rock bands. They out perform in ticket sales a lot of the "new" stuff. We tend to look at trends through American eyes, yet they are only 330 million in a world of nearly 8 billion. Rock might not be the top of the charts ATM, but world ticket sales tell us what most people want to hear.

[@bernhardfbuttner5694]

@@titmusspaultpaul5 Yeah, old shit. And that's the problem! Where are the new bands? There are none.

[@Bacon4Rashers]

If Nuno lives to be 102 then he's middle aged.

[@artfuldp1669]

So according to Nuno, Richard Fortus is to somehow to blame for Nuno sticking his own foot in his own mouth to the point where he felt the need to apologize to "whoever was offended." It seems to me that Richard is the rock star for telling Nuno to STFU. While Nuno sounds more like a whiner who wishes he had just kept his mouth shut.

[@clayton5584]

Nuno is talented guitarist but his music isn't that good.

[@cantbehelped]

Nuno totally bugged out on Fortus. Fortus didnt really deserve the dressing down Nuno gave him, because Nuno literally spoke the words Fortus took issue with and then defended himself by saying "well its not what I actually said it what I meant to say" as if Richard Fortus is a mind reader lmao

[@clayton5584]

That's just nuno being himself

[@Slush24]

Nuno should not have name-dropped a famous guitarist to begin with . He should have just said rock guitarist instead of Slash. Fortus was just saying Slash can , because he plays with Slash and has played with Rihanna. (and because Nuno name-dropped ). I love Nuno, but he got bent for no good reason and insulted Fortus by saying he never heard him play a note. Does that mean Fortus has no credibility because Nuno says he never heard him play ? Fortus is more of a session player than Nuno or Slash ( but also has tons of rock pedigree). He can handle (and did) Rihanna with ease. Nuno came off as very arrogant with his magazine covers, being 56, having a new album. What? Nuno also comes off bad saying "Richard, if you knew me at all and where my heart is" ..Well, doesn't that go both ways? I'm pretty sure Richard wasn't attacking him. If he only knew Richard....lol...But damn, he really disrespected Richard in his posts. Uncalled for. "I've never heard you play a note in my 56 years of being alive".... WTH is that? I guess Nuno lives under a rock when it comes to GnR. Richard has been in that band for a bit now. .....and "I give a shit what this guitarist thinks about me" .....ummm, Richard said you were great. That's all he said about you dude. Calm the F down.

[@xaviergough9359]

Fortus should have shut the fuck up. He's a peon in this situation. He has had no chart success and therefore a mere Izzy Stradlin mimer.

[@alejandrojerezrico3007]

Absolutely agree. Nuno talks with arrogance and I'm sure that Fortus deserves more respect as a great guitar player.

[@joaquin8637]

and Fortus played on the tracks that nuno had to learn to play the rihanna gig

[@GuitarAtoZ1]

Couldn't agree more. Surprised at Nuno and the comments about guitar magazines and all the hype he's getting, it seems its all going to his head 35 years later

[@robertdefex3439]

Nuno is Numero uno

[@dennisrazzmatazz1352]

In the words of Kirk Hammett “cmon guys can’t we all just get along”

[@recub13]

I for one love that Justin Hawkins rides again. He just seems like such a nice honest guy that invites you into his house for a cup of tea.

[@crystalclearUK111]

I'd take Ginger Nuts and Hob Nobs around....

[@j17wmk2]

My take away is that Nuno loves Slash - that pleases me. Slash’s solo on Give in to Me by Michael Jackson is one of his best, btw.

[@johnnyjohnsonmusic]

Never mind 2 legendary guitarists fighting, I just instigated a full on fist fight with children playing recorders. I told one of them the other said he wasn't fit to hold a tin whistle and should consider changing his instrument to the triangle, absolute carnage ensued as one of them tried to fashion a point on his recorder and turn it into a shank. Although every time he thrust it through the air it made a high pitched whistling sound alerting the other kid to move out of the way. God I love being a recorder teacher. It's so rewarding.

[@aaronball9640]

I love Nuno but he shouldn't have dropped Slash's name. And there was no reason to throw daggers in his reply to Fortus who is an amazing guitarist in his own right.

[@bayleyaustin2202]

What makes me laugh about Nuno’s response is that he claimed he never said Slash couldn’t do what he does with Rihanna yet he literally said “Slash couldn’t do it” 😂 He’s backpedaling hard! And Fortus was super nice and Nuno acted like he was being personally attacked lol

[@ialeixo84]

He's playing with semantics. "Slash couldn't do it" as in he's not technically capable, or he couldn't do it because he just can't be bothered by it. But yeah, we all know what he meant and he is indeed backpedalling.

[@bobjones2041]

lol lol and GNR rules and Nino sucks and lol haha

[@armandomorenotherevival7827]

@@bobjones2041hahaha your funny . Nuno in reality is beyond slash. I mean fortus is better than slash. Being technically better and being iconic are completely different. Slash is iconic but isn’t better than Nuno or fortus . Fact

[@williamdistasio9358]

​@@armandomorenotherevival7827FACTS JACK!

[@lostfound4330]

All the musicians that played on Steely Dan records : Hold our collective - perfectly timed, well written, jazz rock infused, creative af and immaculate - beer

[@2good2betrue3]

Yeah it's hard to pick a side for both guitarist that we love but Fortus response is just class IMHO and he has a point, Nuno's response is just exagerration and I'm also thinking of all guitarists out there why just mention Slash only? For guitar players like me, this topic is interesting because I don't have any idea why Nuno have the guts to say that most guitarist "could not in their lifetime play with Rihanna (could have stopped from there) - then singlehandedly mentioned SLASH?🤔 which for me is very uncharacteristic of him and he's so defensive in his response when Fortus is not even attacking him but respectfully defending Slash. (PR or not, I thinks it's not appropriate) I love both of their playing, Slash is the first guitarist i idolized especially when I heard the whole "Appetite for Destruction" album. Killer licks that's not too technical but very fitting to the songs. Slash is still the Gold Standard of guitar playing especially Classic Rock.🤘 BUT just to be a Devils advocate and add fuel to the flame.👿😆🔥 Nuno is an excellent player. I think he is slightly above Slash in terms of "technical ability level" but they are practically Even in other aspects. Slash can also play Anything, rock, blues and pop (as Michael Jackson's guitarist) so I think he can play with Rihanna. The only thing that Nuno has over him is the "tapping" ( or maybe Slash just don't incorporate tapping in playing his songs), but in legato, alternate picking and phrasing Slash can hang or even surpass him. A few people under estimate Slash saying he's just a "rock band guitarist", but he can actually shred if the song requires. Just listen to the outro of "Paradise City", there's some amazing shredding going on there. On the other hand watching Nuno play Get the Funk out, Rise and Play with me is really spectacular and those songs makes him one of the best guitarists there is. But then I have this interesting realization after watching "Generation Axe" live 4 years ago. It's like G3 but 5 super talented guitar players (Yngwie, Vai, Zakk, Tosin and Nuno) on one stage. It's a show that showcase each others guitar wizardry, then there's a part of the show were the players were paired as a duo, Zakk Wylde and Nuno where paired on to jam with the song "Sideways" and "Still Got the Blues" and Zakk practically drowned Nuno with a barrage of pentatonic hailstorm in that jam. Nuno is shaking his head the entire set thinking Zakk got the best of him.😆 Then there's the Encore where all 5 goes on stage to trade licks and jam. Then Yngwie Malmsteen simply unleashed the f*cking Fury and just obliterated them all with an awesome jaw dropping display of speed and technical virtousity. There's even a point where Nuno and Steve is bowing in front of him as a gesture "we're not worthy". because Yngwie's clearly faster and his stage presence is so dominanating I did not even noticed Tosin Abasi was right beside him playing the whole jam hahaha. 😂😁... my point is there's no reason in dissing each other as a guitarist, coz no matter what gig you play and how "good" or amazing you think you are at guitar. There's will always be a guitar player who's BETTER and Faster than You.😉 Cheers Justin!🤘

[@RodrigoRockChannel]

Nuno definitely overreacted on this, or as we say in portuguese "Falou demais!". Richard Fortus is a great guitar player and Nuno's reaction was not only exagerated but also arrogant as he down played Fortus for allegebly "not knowing" about his work. Anyways, Nuno is great but like a lot of great musicians, maybe words are not his best asset.

[@adamski101]

More than words.

[@RodrigoRockChannel]

@@adamski101 hahaha... well said ... "touché"

[@kimpeek7586]

Nuno went on Instagram and sincerely apologized to both Slash and Richard. When he went back and listened to his words,, i feel he was deeply ashamed. He even said that what he said was fu*king stupid and arrogant. He invited Richard for a glass of beer, which Richard accepted. I don't know if Slash has accepted his apology or not. He seems like a nice guy. I think that Nuno and Richard just want this to be put behind them and I hope Slash does too. They are all great

[@el0blaino]

I don't speak Portuguese so I am really hoping you pronounce that "follow dumbass" but I am sure I am wrong! OK thanks for letting me make that joke - totally agree with your comment, I couldn't believe Nuno just went into outer space on that response. It was like, WTF? "How dare you blame me for the words that came out of my mouth; Slash and me are peers and you're a replacement who I've never heard of." I was glad to see that apology from Nuno. But he does have that attack instinct, doesn't he! I coulda done without the "if anyone out there was interested in this then f you you're the problem, it's none of your business" type comments. I think, hey, mate, dealing with media may be a hassle and the last thing you want to care about but you're in the public eye at that level, so, you know, don't blame people for reading an interview with you when you've got a new record out, and they are reading your own words! So I think where he said, I'm just going to stick to talking about what I do, that was the way - people can't be offended if you're just talking about your own thing.

[@RodrigoRockChannel]

@@el0blaino hahaha... pronunciatons is a little differente and it just means he "overspoke". Anyway, an unfortunate moment for nuno. Glad slash didnt get involved. Good thing that rock feuds are back on the trends thought... makes me wonder if it was a staged thing

[@independenceltd.]

it's a huge overreation by nuno. he made an outlandish claim to try and justify taking a paycheck from some pop chick, he got politely corrected and then he had an even more outlandish overreaction.

[@mickmarsbar81]

Ha! That’s exactly it! Perfect!

[@Tim_G_T6]

This!! ❤

[@xaviergough9359]

It's not Richard's place to correct anyone--especially a grown man.

[@independenceltd.]

@@xaviergough9359 it's not nino's place to comment on what slash can and can't play

[@Slush24]

@@xaviergough9359 I disagree. Richard played with Rihanna and plays with Slash and was just saying that Slash can. He didn't attack Nuno at all . Why wasn't that ok to say ?

[@allrequiredfields]

How the fuck did Nuno get so triggered? All he should have said was 'oh yeah I guess I could have worded that better because Slash is of course fantastic. Peace' - that should have been it.

[@cantbehelped]

Because his giant ego doesn't allow him to admit he misspoke without discrediting his critic. That's why his post started with talk of being 56 and still on magazine covers and then attacking Fortus as a no-name "replacement" even though Fortus is the third longest serving member of GnR behind Axl and Dizzy. I imagine Fortus thought it was a light hearted correction like "my band mate totally could do it" and then Nuno freaked the fuck out lol. Talented people aren't always good people

[@guitarlair]

I think he got triggered because he didn't attack anyone on his personal page for clout, he was just answering questions during an interview, Fortus on the other hand made it public and posted that shit on his page blowing it out of proportion, he coulv'e just gone up to Slash and said: bro you'd totally nail that gig, fuck Nuno, he's tripping... the end.

[@MrMatthiasSchneider]

@@cantbehelped It also came across as "Slash and I are greats of the instrument (even though I just said Slash couldn't handle the same gig as me) - who are you to challenge me, you insignificant worm?"

[@allrequiredfields]

@@guitarlair I'm talking about AFTER Fortus replied. It doesn't matter if Fortus overreacted (I think he did a bit), I'm talking about Nuno losing after Fortus was just trying to stick up for his friend. Nuno already admitted that he misspoke. All he had do was what I already said in my first post.

[@clayton5584]

Nuno thinks the world revolves around him

[@np466]

Nuno has always had a jealous gripe against GNR. I vividly remember a Circus magazine article from ‘91 where Nuno was whining about GNR being a headliner while Extreme was still an opener. He said Guns shouldn’t headline due to lack of material. “Nuno says No No to GNR” was the headline.

[@IDGAF_PLUS]

Fortus is a SICK guitar player, and doesn't get anywhere near the recognition he deserves. Nuno is riding a wave right now, and I think he might be buying into the whole I'm a rockstar guitar superstar thing at the moment. He put his foot in his mouth for zero reason.

[@Bacon4Rashers]

You dont hear much of Richards work in GNR as he's a lead guitarist playing rythm guitar.

[@IDGAF_PLUS]

@@Bacon4Rashers I saw GnR live and saw him absolutely destroy the fretboard. He's every bit as talented as Slash.

[@BILLY-px3hw]

It's refreshing to see two guitar players of my generation going at it like a couple of school girls, it brings back fond memories of a time when everyone was sh*t talking everyone else and guitarists egos were shattering like cheap wine glasses.

[@brendanogorman3748]

😅😅😅

[@bobjones2041]

...and down in the mosh pit, every last self respecting white boy ogling a white guitar player wanking on their musical appendage on and on and on and up and down and up and down with a patented emo face is stung into action "duh Nino rules lol" "duh no way Slash rules more" "You're gay man Slash sucks lol" "Nuno is gay and all his fans lol" "You suck lol Nuno rules" "you suck more lol Slash rules" "Not as much as Nuno" "Slash sucks lol" "duh back at you" (and without fail) "Eds the GOAT rules them all lol duh Eruption greatest ever and the Frankstrat is the GOAT and brown sound duh most innovative ever and duh Eruption rules duh and everything else duh sucks duh"

[@Alan-gc9rh]

Nuno said Slash couldn't play with Rhianna, Richard said he's played with Rhianna and from playing with Slash knows he could in fact handle that gig. All Nuno needed to say was the comment was misinterpreted/poorly worded and he's got nothing but respect and admiration for Slash and of course he could play her songs. Instead he decided to throw playground insults at Richard.

[@claucatv]

Everybody knows that slash can't play in a band like Rihanna.. you need to play clean , in time with soul , funk and with a lot of groove... that guy's are top top... it's not just a les paul with a Marshall... slash is not Bonamassa hahaha its good for guns but he can't groove with other people... Nuno can... not just play.. he signs too...

[@HunterRouth]

​​@claucatv You've never heard him play with Lenny Kravitz.

[@almostclement4975]

@@claucatv not every player fits every situation but in fairness slash’s list of collaborations is vast

[@marinadiamondz]

​@@claucatvwdym slash has a song with rihanna

[@jas_bataille]

It's not that he couldn't handle playing the gig. Is that Slash wouldn't fit with a Rihanna concert, it's pretty obvious. It's like saying that Floyd Mayweahter couldn't handle UFC : of course he *could* do it, but it wouldn't make *sense* for him to do it. People forget that music at this level is a livelihood and a business. Slash have built his image on being the absolute most iconic rock guitar player to the point of becoming a stereotype; he's not going to put that aside to go play on stage with Rihanna. Slash is bigger than Rihanna in the business anyway. He's a video game character, a brand, a corporation. The man is not only a great rockstar but perhaps the one with the most business sense. Great businessmen don't trash talk.

[@oneangryguy]

OK ok ok, lets see Nuno play a GnR song, then Slash play some Extreme! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

[@fer-nando5641]

Nuno is in a different league as a guitar player, but Slash, while he definitely cannot play "anything", is one of the most incredible players of all time, in his own style. *Some guitar Gods belong to their "world"* , *you simply can't measure and compare the greatness of a Clapton or a Malmsteen using the same ruler.*

[@Za7a7aZ]

how in the hell did you make bold letters..?

[@manhalen7046]

Malmsteen aint that great, sorry.

[@jamesrawlings5781]

Nuno's got mad technical skills, but a lot of it is boring. GTFO solo is great, but most of the other lead stuff i've heard is just ear ache. The point of someone like Slash is just that it all sounds cool. Which is subjective. Also you get the impression he never practiced that much. He's just a monster. Nuno not even close for me.

[@Leo_nbd]

​@@Za7a7aZ*put text between asterisk*

[@Za7a7aZ]

@@Leo_nbd *Thx*

[@witch_haunts_ghost]

The very last line of your video had me in absolute stitches! Hilarious!

[@PhilCollis]

I think it's funny that Nuno is bragging about doing what every guitarist in a wedding/cover band does every night!

[@-DILLIGAF]

LOL😂

[@ThePedroDB]

Exactly this. I love Nuno's playing but he interviews like a 18 year old diva. A man his age should be ble to choose his words better... I'm surpised Justin missed the opportunity to claim the whole 'spat' had escalated to something "More Than Words"

[@mr.truthjustice1477]

lol, exactly!...Nuno thinks he's versatile enough to play the Rihanna gig, yet at the back of his mind other "rock guitarist" including Slash will have a hard time.😂 What a joke Nuno. I watched unknown session players at clubs who you can request any song and play Rihanna songs flawlessly, then switched to playing Bruno Mars, then Bon Jovi then Queen then GunsnRoses. And they do it every night as good as Nuno or even better. Fame is overated. Hell there's even lots of KZbin Guitarists that will run circles on Nuno any day like Mateo Mancuso and Max Ostro.😅 and yeah Slash is a more melodic and intuitive player. 😉

[@-DILLIGAF]

@@mr.truthjustice1477 for me personally, Nuno lacks SOUL in his playing. I'm not saying he doesn't have any... Just that he lacks the type of soul that "I" like to hear (which Slash exhibits in spades) or even better yet Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck... infinatum. Although I do admire his technical playing, I've never been a fan. And now that he's got more of a platform lately, I like him as a person even less. I thought, maybe I've missed something here and went back and started watching his older videos and material and new interviews and although he's technically interesting he's not my cup of tea and comes across as passive aggressively arrogant.

[@mr.truthjustice1477]

@@-DILLIGAF yeah mate, Nuno really lacks SOUL, he's more of a melodic "shredder" type of player. Slash on the other hand is a "rock guitarist" oozing with sensibility and feel in his playing, he's not much technical player who practice to the metronome, he don't tap, no sweep arpeggios, no 32nd note runs. But his technical shortcomings is what makes him stand out and unique. Just like Page, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, SRV. Slash is on par with those legends when it comes to soul and playing for the song. His solos fits only as the song requires. But he can also shred when necessary. (the "outro" of Paradise City is just killer). Although Nuno is a good technical player. Nothing too special about his playing aside from his funky riffing and technical prowess on the guitar. (in fairness the "Get the Funk out" tapped arpeggios is one of the hardest solo's ever) and a few guitars players I know had a man crush on him, they admire him not solely based on his playing but because he is one of the very few " talented but also handsome guitarist in their younger years", (Kotzen and Yngwie are the others) - According to them.🤭 No homo, but it's understandable. But playing wise, I choose Slash any day over "Nuno the tranny."😂

[@NinStardust]

😂 Overreact much, Nuno? 😂 Backpedal any faster and you’ll fall off your bike! 😂 Could say his reaction was a little Extreme… 😏 I’ll see myself out… 😅

[@lornakarimjee]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@xaviergough9359]

Pretty lame. Richard Fortus is diet Izzy Stradlin.

[@kimzwolinski9919]

😂

[@Slush24]

@@xaviergough9359 Have you even heard Fortus play ?

[@xaviergough9359]

@@Slush24 Yes, he's dime-a-dozen cover band-tier mimer. This guy would have gone unnoticed in the 80s. In contrast, Nuno is rated highly by most of his peers. They're not even close.

[@shakyblues2099]

I work with a lot of session musicians in my job. They were laughing at this. Two multi millionaires arguing over a pop gig. The session musos turn their hands to playing everything, night after night, genre after genre to pay their mortgages and put food on their tables. They're only as good as their last show, so never miss a note to ensure they have work. They could probably outplay most rockstars. Yet on a fraction of the money, they quietly stand in the background at massive gigs, in black shirts and dark glasses, nailing every single note without thought of who else might be able to do their job. The artists they work for sometimes don't even know their names. This argument is ridiculous. Like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog they're crawling on 😂

[@Slush24]

The only difference is that most studio guitarists / session guys can't write their own music. They can write music, but not hits, is what I mean. The are technically sound. Also, most don't have marketability.

[@shakyblues2099]

@@Slush24 Absolutely agree. But, Nuno's comments were about ability from what I read. Making out his ability is something superior to be able to cope witha pop show. He's a fantastic player, but session players will do Rihanna shows with their eyes closed to pay the bills. It's laughable for him to say how well he can play all these styles when professional session musos do it weekly. I love Extreme and GnR, but if they didn't have their fame, they'd have to audition with a queue of session players for work. And a lot of the time, they probably wouldn't get picked.

[@Slush24]

@@shakyblues2099 Oh, I totally agree with you. I have been playing guitar since the 80's and I can never do what session guys can. They would embarrass me. I have the upmost respect for these guys. True professionals. I chalk it up as people that learn an instrument and join orchestras. They are bad ass, but we don't know their names. BUT, they are the best of the best.

[@112131415191213]

Richard Fortus has a background as a session musician

[@667neighbourofthebeast]

Session muso handbook, full. Do not engage the talent. Lol.

[@jamesisace93]

Rihanna had a song featuring Slash in 2009 called Rockstar 101.... do neither of these guys know that? Nuno even played that song with her on her world tour 😂

[@spiercephotography]

The best thing about not being directly involved, is that you don't have to chose sides! I didn't see anything in the initial comment that would set off a feud, but I do get Richard wanting to defend his bandmate too. it's amazing what some egos and social media can do now. What they should've done is just talk to each other face to face (or on the phone) to clear up the understanding so there wasn't any posted feuds in the first place 🙄

[@helenespaulding7562]

Quite honestly, it’s the same sentiment you can hear from any guitarist who’s been a successful session player, and has been required to excellently perform in several genres in the course of a single days work …..with no prep time beforehand. Versus a guitarist in a band who plays just in that genre. And it’s a challenge for that band guitarist to move into other genres quickly. It’s a matter of circumstance, not of talent or chops I think that’s what Nuno was trying to get across.

[@BrianGuitars]

I'm a massive Nuno fan (my main guitar right now is a custom shop N4) but he really blew this out of proportion. He shoulda just said Whoops, I just meant it's challenging to switch feels and even someone as good as Slash would've needed to workshop the songs a bit.

[@mike5177]

Nuno is 100 times the guitarist Slash is. He wasn't wrong.

[@BrianGuitars]

@@mike5177 I agree but it's subjective too as afterall music is personal.

[@mike5177]

@@BrianGuitars Absolutely

[@mathewjones8886]

@@mike5177 And yet in 25 years no-one will even remember his name but the young guitar players will still be listening to G N' R and playing the guitar parts written by Slash. Extreme were the pinnacle of Nunos achievements and they were an almost instantly forgettable one hit wonder. Nuno is a better guitarist than Brian May too but Queens music will also live on long after Nuno is a distant memory. On a side note, he was clearly very wrong because they guy who put him in his box has done the very job Nuno said was beyond Slash.

[@mike5177]

@@mathewjones8886 I actually prefer to listen to Slash than Nuno, as Nuno does zero for me. Was just making a point that Slash is far from one of the best. He’s surely original and plays some sweet sounding stuff. I just think he’s given way too much credit. And Izzy doesn’t get enough credit for doing most of the writing for that band.

[@mier37]

Nuno's ego has been noticeable a lot recently. Bragging about him being on guitar covers, saying the album was for them (the band) and not the fans, etc. He needs to Rise above this and stop crying like a Banshee. (Stupid, I know, but I couldn't help myself.) Cheers to everyone, and rock on!!! 🎸

[@guitarwutzel5351]

Steve Lukather is laughing his head off on this 😂 My respect goes out to the numerous guitarists doing this throughout their whole career! Adjusting their skills as a sidekick for all kind of styles. Nuno is great, Richard is great, Slash is great...there is no need for discussions like that at all.

[@strin6lord]

So cool you bring this to an episode. Nuno is by far one of my favorite guitar players ever. I think when it comes to Rock and heavier music, I like him and Dimebag Darrell more than any other for their groove and creativity. That being said, I saw when i saw all this on instagram, I thought it was childish from Nuno to attack 4tus like this. This is the way I see Nuno's statement. When he talks about the genres he can handle and so many other's ''couldn't'', when he talks about being in several magazine covers, he's just showing he's insecurities. For my work i travel the world, I'm a tattooer from South America, i live in Europe right now and i've been working in the US many times. I always work with background music of course. And Extreme is a band i always play. No one ever told me... ''Wow, Extreme'', people don't know them really much, unless they're really into 80's Hard Rock or they are guitar nerds like me. They're known for More than words and maybe for Hole Hearted. I think at some point this affected Nuno back in the days when he recorded so many great songs, with awesome arrangements and solos. And this is what I love from him. He's like Dimebag in Pantera or Marty Friedman in Megadeth. They don't make a good hit and then the album is sh*t with one cool song. They're artisans, they are truly creative and he knows that. Now with the new singles people is starting to talk about them again, and it's Instagram and KZbin era, so Nuno is probably having now what he hadn't really much 20 years ago. I believe his reaction is not good at all for the moment the band is going through, with fresh staff and more media. I will always love Nuno, but if I didn't know him and I see this bullsh*t I would skip the band for sure, he sounded so arrogant. So maybe next time just write the guy in private instead of making all this aggressive non sense circus. Again, my personal opinion and as a big fan of him. I think Nuno and 4tus should now make a guitar duel with Slash and Rhianna being a judge and you the speaker! See you in Rome in november, so cool you're gonna make a gig here Justin!

[@Law-Enduring-Citizen]

Richard Fortus is a criminally under appreciated guitarist

[@SALonghorn]

As he said, Fortis played in Rhiana’s band. So he of ALL people knows what it takes to play it as he has played along with Slash for the past 7 years

[@BrageTS]

"What we've got here is failure to communicate" :)

[@jeromefloris7120]

"Slash is one of the reasons why people my age picked up a guitar and Nuno is one of the reasons why a lot of people my age put it back down because we'll never be good enough". I spat whatever was in my cup at the time, laughing so hard. Slash is the reason why I asked my parents to buy me a guitar in the first place. A low cost copy of his famous LesPaul. I did not wait for Nuno to realize thant I'd better put it back down because I'll never be good enough. Slash alone helped me understood that. But hey, I kept practicing and I finally achieve what was the main goal in all this : have fun. I learnt how to play some songs to entertain my friends and family who were singing along and it gave me what I was looking for : pleasure, happiness, smiles. That is what music is all about, right ? PS : Justin, Thank you for this very entertaining and interesting channel. I already loved your voice as a singer and I have to say that I love it as a narrator too. Very soothing. As we say here in France : Merci beaucoup.

[@EzraWithAnA]

On the guitar theme - can we have an episode on your guitars? What you have, why you love them, recommendations for newbies and regular players etc. Be interested to hear what you started with, what you inherited etc. Love this channel.

[@Amy-Loves-You]

10:55 subtly leaving this here

[@rockhardrocktrue]

Probably, for me, one of the most entertaining pieces you have done Justin. Well done mate, short, snappy and with a hilarious last line. Knob jokes are always funny!

[@getwhatyougive]

[Nuno, get over yourself bro.]

[@Smart-Alex]

Someone give Nuno his bottle. He's crying again.

[@ani3732]

What’s funny is Slash literally played guitar on Rihanna’s song Rockstar 101 and she even dresses like him in the music video 🤣

[@deangullberry5148]

From the perspective of the average musician: Bettencourt was and still is an egomaniac. That will always keep him from breaking into the world of universal fandom. Only guitar players know who he is, or care about his existence. Slash is Slash Fortus: played in "super groups" like the Dead Daisies Has been playing professionally longer than Bettencourt, is the only guitarist that, to my knowledge, Slash has allowed to be more than "just his rhythm guy". We've all seen Fortus and Slash play together, and Fortus keeps up. Note for note, which makes me question Bettencourt's integrity. Fortus is beloved not only for his talent, but his humility. When the rig rundown guys come around, he does his own instead of sending his tech. He's been known to show up at some of those rock band camp things, just to jam with the students. He's an all around awesome dude. Team Fortus!!!!

[@deangullberry5148]

Oh yeah, Fortus is so influential that he got Slash to leave Marshall to go to Magna-tone.

[@paulie6446]

C'mon lads lets get the handbags swingin'! 🤘😆🤘

[@chrisloesch5854]

I have know Richard for years. He’s a great guitarist and a great guy. He has a right to defend his band mate.

[@chrisloesch5854]

Point is I stand with Fortus.

[@chrisloesch5854]

Also, Richard has played with Rihanna.

[@stacie9229]

I appreciate Nuno's classy apology in his recent video. You even got a mention!

[@paulcowley7045]

"Fucking Hawkins"😂😂😂😂

[@stacie9229]

@@paulcowley7045 I know!! I immediately ran over here to see it.

[@melvoid01]

I was more surprised to remember that I already knew Fortus from his work with The Psychedelic Furs, Richard Butler, and their band Love Spit Love (with Ferrer also in GnR now) and has also guested onstage with my favourite Japanese Rock gods X-Japan. But yeah this was a non-event of a fight and just sounded like Nuno flexing about how versatile he is, if he hadn't mentioned Slash there would be no drama.

[@snoo50]

Been a fan of Nuno for over 20 years now. Not the first time he behaves like an arrogant a-hole. I personally know lots of stories like that one from him... a genius, but there's that. A simple "it was a misunderstanding from a click-baity headline, I was just saying the Rihanna gig is very hard and shouldn't have mentioned Slash at all" would do. No need to call Fortus a replacement guitar player and that he hasn't heard a note from him in 46 years (childish), his paycheck in Guns is probably a lot greater than Nuno's sideman post in Rihanna (as SECOND guitar player), which makes Richard more than the regular "decent" hired gun. Say what you want about his playing (and I myself prefer Nuno's work times 1725172), but the dude hasn't even mentioned Nuno's name, just disagreed with the statement. Bettencourt, on the other hand... passive agressiveness, backhanded compliments, irony and later the occasional "I may have been misunderstood for my poor choice of words", which is far different than "I made a mistake". "Sorry if you got offended" is a narcissistic classic... the problem is not that they got offended - it's what you've done/said. Poor choice of words: "Slash is one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time but I guarantee - and he’d be the first to tell you - that if he jumps up and he’s got to play a clean intro to Rude Boy by Rihanna, it ain’t happening”. It looks like a very precise (and guaranteed) choice of words. PS.: that song sucks ass.

[@sah-win]

*looks down, then says* “Turns out me knob was hanging out for the whole thing, sorry” Oops. Haha!

[@Rocksarum]

Brilliant ending! 🤣🤣🤣 I imagine Jenny wondering if she should edit that bit or not👩‍💻...good choice Jenny!!!👍😄

[@itsameyoshio]

Fortus said he respectfully disagrees, and in response Nuno became a huge baby. He is so far up his own ass. I always thought Extreme was just alright and that he should be in a better band... but now I think he's in the band he deserves.

[@Lois_Lame]

I think you're right, a good ol' fashioned beef is a rock tradition! Slash and Nuno are basically unassailable in their position as guitar legends so no harm there. And the least famous of the three Richard Fortus, I hope this makes people go and listen to his work! Before him Guns n Roses basically had a revolving door of rhythm players. When I saw them recently at Hyde Park there were bits of lead I initially thought was Slash and it was actually Richard Fortus! So hopefully this little episode further raises his profile because he deserves recognition as a great player too.

[@SeanYeomans71]

I love your perspective, and you're right, Rock has been lacking the fiery feuds that fueled our furor and fun back in the 80s and 90s. I had myself nearly forgotten the petty backhands and cocky repartee. More of this!

[@mickmarsbar81]

YESSS! Remember when Vince Neil challenged Axl to a boxing match?! I miss those days! 😅

[@CorbCorbin]

We need more of the rich older acts, running their own companies to help new bands make enough of a living, to keep the music alive.

[@dadolin01]

Let's not forget that these guys are senior citizens now and probably should know better at this point than act as if they're still on the cover of Hit Parader.

[@SeanYeomans71]

senior citizens?!

[@MarsGuitarOfficial]

Justin love your channel!!! As a full time guitarist and teacher I teach and perform multi genres on a daily basis!!! We all just rise above and study music to better ourselves!!! No reason to argue kids !!!

[@jimmcdougall9973]

The question is “would Slash want to?” The answer’s no… unless there was a long white line.

[@jasonhudson5357]

Have loved Nuno for 30+ yrs ,certainly in my top 10 . That being said he certainly doesn't have any problems talking himself up and should perhaps humble himself somewhat. But what I think he was actually saying is that it's hard to play the other styles with an artist like Rihanna without sounding like Nuno and playing like Nuno, or Slash playing with Rihanna and not sounding like Slash. Yeah, Slash played with Jackson and Kravitz, but he did so as Slash and sounded like Slash.

[@SW-fn7cl]

That would have been a much better way to say it

[@ROOKTABULA]

I've gotten the vibe from the Beato interview and a few others that ol' Nuno has gotten a very large head.

[@Rocksarum]

🎶🎶🎶"Communication breakdown, it's always the same Havin' a nervous breakdown, a-drive me insane, yeah"🎶🎶🎶🎸🎸🎸 😂😂😂😂

[@mattyk2676]

There are thousands upon thousands of guitarists who could hold down that Rihanna gig. Session players/sidemen have to be skilled in basically every style of popular music.

[@RockStarParking10]

Nuno has responded on his social media, carry on and lets just enjoy the music

[@TheEngarn]

Great insight! This man is the Bob Ross of guitar player feuds!

[@jamesrobert4106]

😂😂😂 But could he rock the Afro like Bob?

[@OnlyUkeThatMatters]

Love the “end” here!

[@andytraverse]

Most people wouldn't even know who Nuno is! I've only heard of him because I play guitar and youtube occasionally throws his stuff at me.

[@MariaFrancesca]

The ill concealed joy over that feuding can finally commence... 😆 Well, Nuno (is very well spoken

[@antonballard2212]

Im sorry but I dont care about Nuno bc of his attitude which kills the great guitar player that he is almost bully like - love you Justin

[@chrisquinn9104]

I thought Nuno was saying Slash’s dedication is to be Slash, not being all things to all people. To take the concept further, it was like if someone said Lou Reed couldn’t play guitar for a pop tour. It just so happens as good of a choice a Slash seemed to make his point, he may have underestimated his true abilities, even if it made sense on the surface. I though Fortus just pointed that out as a side note, more that a major point of contention.

[@Kyush4]

I think the issue is not that Nuno thought Slash couldn't play the songs per se, but all the different songs one after the other. Nuno should had use his words more carefully and definitely not shoot the messenger, Richard did nothing wrong.

[@itsameyoshio]

He starts out by saying Fortus is basically a nobody, then at the end says sorry if he offended anyone. What a tool.

[@joeyjooones]

Ok let's start a fire. Van Halen with Sammy Hagar was actually just as great as with David Lee Roth.

[@Matt-fs1yy]

For the first 2 albums, until bad lyrics, lazy Eddie recycling riffs and fills and needless tone chasing undermined the band

[@stevenbryan7586]

I watched a Tone Talk episode with Richard as a guest, and he seems like a pretty decent cat. I've loved Nuno's playing from pornograffiti on. Other than dropping an f-bomb every five minutes in Beato's interview, I'm sure he's a perfectly delightful guy. What keeps ringing in my head is words from a veteran sessionman, "Act like you've been there before".

[@bigstew2000]

I love Nuno. He's one of my heros and a MAJOR influence on me as a musician. It's no secret that Nuno can be hot-headed and quick to react. He's a passionate guy! I think this his response was a bit of an overreaction, but hey, it's Nuno lol.

[@dmitryowens]

How was Slash an influence on Nuno when they came from the same musical generation and scene and are basically the same age (Slash is one year older)?

[@philipjennings3490]

Great stuff throughout, but the last few seconds of this video are golden

[@ludvig5597]

yep

[@philipjennings3490]

@@ludvig5597 And the final 'AGAIN!!!' makes it even better. Top-notch editing there from Jenny

[@scottjohnson8801]

I’ll always come back. You are brilliant Justin ❤

[@barretohb]

Fortus is such a class act. He doesn't need to be on spotlight. Nuno is a beast but too much ego blinded him. He's comment on Richards statement showed us how much self centered he is and immature even though he's nearly 60. Talking shot about replacement but who's He replacing in Rihanna's band?

[@guitarlair]

there's nothing classy about reposting a headline to the public on your personal social media... classy is making a phone call and saying, yo Slash, the thing that Nuno said he's trippin, you'd nail that gig. end of story.

[@barretohb]

@@guitarlair who are you to define what classy is? Sorry, never heard or read anything about it coming from you.

[@guitarlair]

@@barretohb you’re contradicting yourself, you said he didn’t need to be on the spotlight but that’s exactly what he did by making somebody else’s opinion on an interview public.

[@barretohb]

@guitarlair guitarliar would be a better fit. You're in the wrong place. Nuno's fan page its just one click away.

[@guitarlair]

@@barretohb great argument herpesbarreto

[@livingroomguitarist7]

Nuno's head has swelled up with all the praises

[@braca977]

Slash: "who the f... Is Nuno"? 😂

[@urbanspy2008]

The funny thing is that Fortus did the exact same gig as Nuno but without the diva attitude and even show way more class than him. Now Slash has the skills but he also has the songs to support his carreer, Nuno barely can write one decent song every 30 years LOL.

[@nemesis8626]

Nuno seems like the one who has thrown his toys out the pram here, starting off in his response going on about how many guitar magazines covers he's been on and his age at the time (completely irrelevant to anything. Self indulgence for no reason), then saying he doesnt care when clearly he does or he wouldnt have put so much emotion into his response, then backtracking on his original comment and saying Slash could do it after all , then throwing shots saying hes never even heard him play blah blah blah, all over playing with rihanna 😂😂. Like you say i think he was overstating the difficulty of the gig for once again self indulgence purposes and to make himself seem on some kind of higher level, tyrpical egotistical bs

[@steph_ssdd]

Best JHRA ending yet 🤣

[@christopherforry4192]

I play in a Top-40 cover band that plays everything from GnR to Rhianna... A decent guitar player who understands and appreciates music can play any genre. Bettencourt likely felt a sense of accomplishment for stepping outside of his wheelhouse and playing music that he doesn't connect with on a personal level and felt uniquely qualified for whatever reason, but I play with tons of people on "the circuit" here in Seattle that could play circles around these guys, and others who are just passable that play a wide range of tunes, just depends on what the people want.

[@sdcraig]

Suuuurreeeeeee

[@Communism.is.a.cancer]

Cough cough

[@christopherforry4192]

@@DS-xf8yr I disagree. I watched the Superbowl. Nothing he was doing was so singular and special that somebody else couldn't do it. Maybe Seattle is blessed with a deep pool of awesome talent, but we have people who have maybe aged out or were never really interested in global fame that would totally be able to play that gig. I would say that cats that do the dizzying improvisational fusion jazz stuff is the gig that these guys couldn't walk into.

[@jeremydunn5012]

You sound very jealous

[@Communism.is.a.cancer]

@@christopherforry4192 I just saw your music videos.......🤮

[@thomasjones7323]

And now nuno has commented on you discussing it. Brilliant 😂

[@112131415191213]

I love Nuno, but he's gotten a bit up his own ass lately. In many recent interviews, when talking about the reception of his new album, he's been saying that the album has been well received because nobody else in the world has released a true guitar centric rock album with solos for ages, which is just so far from the truth it hurts. Maybe he has too many yes men around him stroking his ego...

[@NinStardust]

Just sounds like he’s a bit out of touch to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@pjottertje112]

You can call their guitarbattle a riffalry

[@EricCPOP]

I think Nuno was over exaggerating in his analogy. He meant to say a rock guitar player and he owned up to that mistake. He apologised at least and set the record straight but he didn't need to be passive aggressive in his first response to Fortus. Fortus only responded how everyone would have if they had the balls to. Nunos statement wasn't ambiguous. It was quite clear.

[@flypieTV]

Ah the soap opera of rock. Nuno has long been my favourite guitarist. He also has regularly made fairly dumb statements on social media, safe in the knowledge that no one is that interested. All of a sudden a few people are. The weird part of all this is the suggestion that if you’re a world class rock guitarist you are unable to play other styles. The majority of jobbing guitarists further down the food chain from Nuno and Slash make their living playing whatever style they have to. The real question is, would Slash take a pop gig at this point in his career? No - why would he?

[@jasonl1942]

Hey nuno, i replaced the lyric 'kid ego' with 'king nuno' and it surprisingly fit! Kid Ego / Lyrics Main results Come down Hey kid, I'm talkin' to you What am I supposed to do You know that you're something special That's something you already knew Hey kid, got something to say But you won't listen anyway I am only tryin' to help you But you get further every day We think your head is getting Bigger and bigger and bigger Hey kid, some good advice To bring your britches down to size Some modesty would suit you better So why don't you give it a try Hey kid ego With your head above the clouds Hey kid ego Come down Hey kid, you're Mr. IT Inch by inch a little bit Stepping on the little people Like you don't even give a shit Hey kid, you have it all Standing proud on top of the world Don't you know the bigger they come The harder they must all fall We think your head is getting Bigger and bigger and bigger We think you should be taught Some manners, manners, manners Hey kid, some good advice To bring your britches down to size Some modesty would suit you better So why don't you give it a try Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Gary F. Cherone / Nuno Bettencourt Kid Ego lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

[@dononeil8611]

I've said this before many times, "Eric Clapton is the third best guitarist to have played in The Yardbirds." Change my mind.

[@jamesrobert4106]

As they say in the Bible...Repent and God will forgive you 😂

[@stephenfoley1261]

I miss a good rock and roll feud.

[@danfoss1535]

He hired someone else to play the solo on White Room

[@dononeil8611]

@@Ninjametal The God of mediocrity

[@garyross8661]

I concur, Clapton is the most overrated guitarist ever!

[@MarsHottentot]

Nuno has done this type of thing before. Years ago, he and other guitarists were asked what they would say to Jimi Hendrix. Silly question, of course, but Nuno said "tune your guitar, dude" which is just a trash response. Now, on print, it's hard to tell *how* it was said, so who knows, but I know it rubbed me wrong!

[@theritchie2173]

Rihanna hiring Nuno as a guitarist is like me hiring Gordon Ramsay to make my toast in the morning.

[@sueperglue8847]

Gordon would bring you your toast and after that he would scream and curse at you!

[@STETTRACE]

I remember Metallica (who always hated RIFF Rock) started working with Bob Rock and said it it was actually harder than expected to switch their style

[@thejoshbtv]

I do believe all that (well-deserved) praise for the solo in Rise has gone to Nuno's head. He made a statement, that was very poorly worded, and name dropped a dude that had already done, on multiple occasions, what he claims Slash wouldn't have done. Richard than pointed it out and Nuno took it personal and started leveling personal attacks. Pretty ridiculous and just the type of petty that would be expected from massive egos.

[@TheCreditShifu]

I feel like Slash could do it, he played pop stuff with Michael Jackson. But I think he wouldn't care for it these days. (hence Fortus saying "if he wanted to")

[@gep2771]

Beep, beep, beep, that's Nuno backing up the garbage truck, he meant what he said when he said it, probably tipped a few and the ego was on full tilt. Seen Nuno play back in the club days here in New England and while a great musician whose music and playing I love he always came off as an arrogant pissed off prick every time I saw him and I saw him more than a few times..lol...like several times.

[@cansavran63]

Few people can understand what nuno means. In this discussion, there are a lot of people who think that playing with Rihanna is a solo over songs but it is not. The comparison here is not whether slash played with mj or kravitz, but just how he approaches the songs. Those who only know Nuno from afar will not understand his words. nuno always has rhythms, grooves and 'plays for the song'. although slash is a good guitarist, nuno's creative skills, articulation and cleanliness of the sound are far beyond slash. slash will just solo with a bunch of dirty sounds. it's not easy to be in the song playing it so cleanly

[@shaunsmusicreviews]

Tbf to slash he has got much cleaner with his playing since solo touring

[@claucatv]

And of course playing in the Rihanna band is another level.. Nuno is amazing... better than slash and fortus together ... Nuno is in another level.

[@667neighbourofthebeast]

Average Joe understands, thank you very much.😊

[@andrewbroughton65]

​@@claucatvyeah .. another level of arrogance..great player but the ego is obviously outta control lately.

[@gdl295]

Perfectly said! There is definitely is only one Slash Having watched Nuno play all the instruments as well as his vocal abilities has him a cut above not just guitar playing but musicianship

[@joshyepyepzo8356]

Doesnt matter whose right or wrong, Fortus and Slash are in GNR and Nunos not.

[@jayholewinski]

Nuno is beyond words. Rihanna? I would have passed. He must have needed the money.

[@hotrodjones74]

The question is who would want to play guitar for Rihanna? No thanks. It's not rock n' roll mate! Yeah the money, but ugh...

[@rickjason215]

The late great Jeff Beck could play anything.

[@PeterWasted]

Well, he never played with Rihanna...

[@Raouldip]

that ending! "Turns out my nob was hanging out for the whole thing, sorry."