Trending:
Guns N’ Roses drummer Frank Ferrer has left the band after nearly 20 years, bringing an end to his journey as the group’s longest-tenured drummer.
The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers announced Ferrer’s “amicable” departure in a statement shared to Instagram on Wednesday, March 19.
“Guns N’ Roses announce the amicable exit of Frank Ferrer,” the statement read. “The band thanks Frank for his friendship, creativity and sturdy presence over the past 19 years, and wish him success in the next chapter of his musical journey.”
The statement continued: “Frank first joined GNR during a show in June 2006 helping anchor the rhythm section during subsequent tours, including their recent outings featuring the reunited trio of Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan. His last show with the band took place November 5, 2023 in Mexico.”
The band — whose current lineup includes founding members Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Slash, plus Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus and Melissa Reese — captioned the post, “Thank you, Frank. For the friendship, creativity and sturdy presence over the last 19 years.”
Ferrer, 58, first joined the group as a replacement for Bryan “Brain” Mantia, and was behind the kit on tours like the reunion Not in This Lifetime… Tour, which spanned from 2016 to 2019, and most recently the band’s 2023 tour, which ran from June to November of that year.
In a January interview with My Global Mind, he spoke about Guns N’ Roses’ upcoming tour gigs in Europe, which are set to begin in May, saying he planned to start rehearsals sometime in April. He explained that the night before gigs, he tries to be in bed by 9 p.m., and abstains from alcohol on the road.
“It takes me a minute to get up and running to ramp up for a three-hour show. But once we’re ramped up, I’m good,” he said.
He also reflected on getting the call in 2006 to replace Mantia.
“I’m trying to keep it all inside, but in my mind, it’s like, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, and exploding, of course,” he said. “It was initially only going to be a temporary thing. It was only going to be for two weeks. But in my heart, I felt like, if I could really do well on this, even if it’s just for two weeks, then it could open up a lot of doors. So, I didn’t have any fear. A matter of fact, it was the complete opposite. I felt like, okay, I’m ready for this.”
Other drummers in the band’s history include Steven Adler, Josh Freese and Matt Sorum.
Read the full article here
