Richard Fortus reveals Axl Rose has a “joke button” on his microphone

The longtime Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, who is a member of the band since 2002, revealed in an interview with KSHE 95 (Transcribed by Ultimate Classic Rock) that there is a button on Axl Rose‘s micophone that allows the sound to go only to the band members that is usually done to tell jokes during the concert. But he also said that it’s used to ask the band members what song they would like to play next.

The band is currently formed by Axl Rose (Vocals, piano), Slash (Guitar), Duff McKagan (Bass), Richard Fortus (Guitar), Frank Ferrer (Drums), Dizzy Reed (Keyboards, piano) and Melissa Reese (Synthesizers, keyboards).

Richard Fortus reveals Axl Rose has a “joke button” on his microphone

“Our singer, Axl, he’s got a button he can push that cuts off the mic. Which usually is used to tell jokes! But he’ll just say, ‘What do you guys wanna do?’ And somebody else will say something, or he’ll say, ‘Let’s do this.’ There’s blocks of songs that we’ll do together. And sometimes it’s a real surprise. … And we’re well rehearsed. We sound check for at least an hour every day.”

Guns N’ Roses 2023 tour dates

June

• 1 – Etihad Arena – Abu Dhabi, AE
• 5 – Hayarkon Park – Tel Aviv, IL
• 9 – Civitas Metropolitan Stadium – Madrid, ES
• 12 – Estadio Abanca Balaídos – Vigo, ES
• 15 – Graspop Metal Meeting – Dessel, BE
• 17 – Copenhell – Copenhagen, DK
• 21 – Tons of Rock – Oslo, NO
• 24 -Glastonbury Festival – Pilton, GB
• 27 – Bellahouston Park – Glasgow, GB
• 30 – Hyde Park – London, GB

July

• 3 – Deutsche Bank Park – Frankfurt, DE
• 5 – BERNEXPO – Bern, CH
• 8 – Circo Massimo – Rome, IT
• 11 – Megaland – Landgraaf, NL
• 13 – LaDefense – Paris, FR
• 16 – National Arena – Bucharest, RO
• 19 – Puskás Arena – Budapest, HU
• 22 – Olympic Stadium – Athens, GR

August

• 5 – Croix-Bieue Medavie Stadium – Moncton, CA
• 8 – Parc Jean Drapeau – Montreal, CA
• 11 – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA
• 15 – Metlife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
• 21 – Fenway Park – Boston, MA
• 24 – Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
• 26 – GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN
• 29 – Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC

September

• 1 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
• 3 – Rogers Centre – Toronto, CA
• 6 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
• 9 – Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
• 12 – Thompson-Boling Arena – Knoxville, TN
• 15 – Hard Rock Live – Hollywood, FL
• 20 – Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, MS
• 23 – Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO
• 26 – Alamodome – San Antonio, TX
• 28 – Minute Maid Park – Houston, TX

October

• 1 – Snapdragon Stadium – San Diego, CA
• 6 – Power Trip 2023 (10/6-8) – Indio, CA
• 8 – Aftershock Festival – Sacramento, CA
• 11 – Chase Field – Phoenix, AZ
• 16 – BC Place Stadium