Buckethead's Hand Puppet Says Goodbye To Guns N' Roses

MTV News ^ | 3.17.2004 | Jon Wiederhorn

[NYC GOP Chick]

After fours years as a member of Guns N' Roses, during which time the band canceled more shows than it played and released no original material, guitarist Buckethead has had enough.

The eccentric musician, who wears a fried-chicken bucket on his noggin and talks only through a hand puppet, has walked out before but has always returned to the fold. This time, however, it looks permanent. At the end of last year, Buckethead became fed up with Guns' inability to complete an album or tour and stopped working with them, his manager said.

Buckethead appeared on the green carpet at the Grammy Awards last month and was introduced by Parliament/Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins as a member of Guns N' Roses, but by that time Buckethead had already told Guns frontman Axl Rose he no longer wanted to be in the band, the manager said.

Guns N' Roses are scheduled to headline the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 30. It is unclear whether the band will have a new guitarist by then. Guns N' Roses' label would not comment on Buckethead's departure.

The guitarist will now focus on numerous projects, including two solo albums — Population Overdrive and Cuckoo Clocks of Hell — which are due this summer. In addition, a group called Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, which features Buckethead, Primus bassist Les Claypool, Guns N' Roses drummer Brain (ex-Primus) and legendary funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, will release a debut studio album this summer (see "Buckethead's Brains On Hold During GN'R Tour, Claypool Says").

The record was mostly recorded last year in Northern California at Claypool's home studio, Rancho Relaxo, and includes the songs "Buckethead," "Tyranny of the Hunt," "The Big Eyeball in the Sky" and "Hip Shot From the Stab."

"There are slices of all of our worlds," Claypool said. "We're talking about four pretty strong personalities, so you can hear Primus with Buckethead flailing over the top and Bernie Worrell's monster tidbits over the top of what we're doing. It's unbelievable."

Half of the Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains album will be instrumental. The band has played various live improvisational shows, but this will be the first time audiences will hear the band performing structured material.

"It's not as chaotic as you would think," Claypool said. "You'd think, 'OK, here come these four guys and they're just gonna start flailing,' but Brain is a very structured player, so everything tends to be very groove-oriented."

Also on Buckethead's plate are shows and recordings with his recently reunited high school band, Deli Creeps, which features a singer named Maximum Bob, drummer Pinchface and bassist Tony.

And Buckethead will likely join bassist Bill Laswell, Brain and others for a show as Material at this year's Bonnaroo festival, which is scheduled for June 11-13 in Manchester, Tennessee, according to the guitarist's manager. The festival may also feature a reunion of Praxis — a band featuring Laswell, Buckethead, Collins, Worrell, Brain and DJ Flip — who haven't played together in five years.

Buckethead will start a solo tour Wednesday (March 17), opening for Particle in Austin, Texas. Dates run through April 15 in Atlanta.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Buckethead (file) Photo: MTV News

[Constitution Day]

Is that the Original Buckethead, or the Extra Crispy?

[NYC GOP Chick]

Looks pretty fried to me! ;)

So, how are you doing these days? Long time, no see!

[Zathras]

I thought they had a new name for James Carvell.

[Billthedrill]

G'n'R has gotten steadily more erratic since they began "Dancing With Mister Brownstone."

[Pikamax]

This is not Guns-n-roses, this is Axl rose and a bunch of guys. Buckethead is funny though.

[Constitution Day]

Doing okay. Working too much, and been taking care of my sick daughter this week.
How about you?

On a positive note, I'm looking forward to Freeping the ANSWER idiots tomorrow, though!

Counter-rally planned to show respect and support for our troops (Fayetteville, NC)

Should be a blast!

[So Cal Rocket]

James "Buckethead" Carville:

[NYC GOP Chick]

I thought they had a new name for James Carvell.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Hanging in there...Keeping busy and *trying* to stay out of trouble, but you know how difficult that can be for me! ;)

I hope your daughter gets better soon, and that you have a great time sticking it to the cANSWER goons!

[JustPlainJoe]

1. Calls himself "Buckethead.

2. Wears a USED KFC bucket on his head while performing.

3. ONLY talks through a sock puppet.


This guy should run for the Democratic Presidential Ticket. He's just crazy enough to succeed!

[NYC GOP Chick]

This guy should run for the Democratic Presidential Ticket. He's just crazy enough to succeed!

Nah. He's quite sane in comparison and would make the 'rat rank and file feel even more inadequate than they already are.

[ccmay]

What is this gibberish? Who are these freakish, damaged people? Why should I give a $#!t what any of them do or say?

-ccm

[TheSpottedOwl]

Guns n' Roses was a great band. I've never heard what the new incarnation sounded like. I guess Axl's ego strikes again.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I guess Axl's ego strikes again.

Either that, or too much anesthesia from his extreme face lift!

[isthisnickcool]

Was it Guns and Roses that was out at NASA before the Super Bowl? The story was that they got caught doing cocaine in a restroom on the site. Nobody did anything about it. Some NASA employees were not happy about that.

[Xenalyte]

That was Aerosmith.

[TheSpottedOwl]

He had a face lift? I guess it has been a long time. A face lift???? Good Lord...

[Redcoat LI]

Have you ever noticed that you never see Buckethead and John Kerry in the same place at the same time?

[bc2]

ROCK & ROLL PING!

Buckethead rocks, let me know if you want on/off the ping list!

[NYC GOP Chick]

He had a face lift? I guess it has been a long time. A face lift???? Good Lord...

He used to be kind of attractive -- in a sleazy, bad boy way...but now with the plastic surgery and hair extensions, he just looks plain WEIRD!

[NYC GOP Chick]

No need to insult Buckethead like that!

[humblegunner]

Guns n' Roses was a great band.

That they were, but they pretty much lost me after "Use Your Illusion"..

[Sam's Army]

I've gotta be getting old.....I've never heard of this guy.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Oh just damn! Hahahaa, the general consensus at my house is WTF!!!!

He shaved his eyebrows, too? My now 21 yr old daughter used to worship him when she was in jr high. I'm saving this pic. She will NOT believe this. My 16 yr old still thinks it isn't him!

[isthisnickcool]

That was Aerosmith.

Thanks for the correction Xena. All those bands look alike to me.

[moodyskeptic]

A great band? Sorry, I can't agree. I saw the Stones at the LA Coliseum and GnR opened for them. They were horrible, adolescents who sniped at each other over some internal tif on microphones in front of 75,000 paying cutomers.

I would have fired them for acting this way at a backyard keg party.

[Redcoat LI]

Please forward to Buckethead my sincerest apologies.

It was a cheap shot,but the American People need to know.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I kind of drifted away after "The Spaghetti Incident". I've got a couple of Slash's Snakepit CD's, which are excellent, imo.

[Redcoat LI]

Therezaaaaaaa Heinz looks good with braids.

[Moose4]

Oh. My. GOD. He looks like he's had his face lifted all right...by a CH-47!

"Appetite for Destruction" is still, IMO, one of the best metal albums of all time. I loved the fact that GnR was sort of the anti-hair band...no glam, no costumes (well, other than one do-rag and Slash's hat), just flat-out noisy loud headbanging rock.

I'm kind of surprised all five of the original members are still alive. Didn't their original drummer end up in rehab right after "Use Your Illusion" came out?

}:-)4

[JerseyHighlander]

I'm Willy Rose, bi**ch I'm Rick James, bi**ch....

The guitarist will now focus on numerous projects, including two solo albums — Population Overdrive and Cuckoo Clocks of Hell — which are due this summer. In addition, a group called Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, which features Buckethead, Primus bassist Les Claypool, Guns N' Roses drummer Brain (ex-Primus) and legendary funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, will release a debut studio album this summer (see "Buckethead's Brains On Hold During GN'R Tour, Claypool Says").

That is going to be one rocking album, or so says a big Worrell fan...

[BigWaveBetty]

Here he is with braids undone.

.

[Redcoat LI]

What the heck is that?

[BigWaveBetty]

Jocelyn Wildenstein

[Dan from Michigan]

I never even heard of him.

What happened to the old days with songs like Paradise City?

[Darkshadow]

He was never the same after he got therapy. Therapy always marks the end of great bands.

[Redcoat LI]

I wish I never asked.

[RepoGirl]

Old fogey PING

The headline alone caused me incredible confusion. Proof that I am just too damn old. And to think, there was a time when G N'R were considered cutting edge...

Going to go listen to my KISS albums now, and pine for my lost youth.

[sauropod]

Well, he has more personality than Slash.

[NYC GOP Chick]

True. Scary, but true!

[NYC GOP Chick]

I never even heard of him.

For real? Even *I* know who he is!

[NYC GOP Chick]

Well, that's setting the bar rather low...

[Dan from Michigan]

Shows how much I follow pop culture. LOL. I'm stuck in the 70's and 80's.

[NYC GOP Chick]

The sideburns were the first clue! ;D

[Dan from Michigan]

LOL. The sideburns have become a trademark for me much like my dad is known for his stache. (If any hockey fans remember Harold Snepts in the 80's, he looked a lot like my dad.)

Every once in while, someone asks me about the sideburns. "Your hair's brown, but the sideburns are red???"

[NYC GOP Chick]

They certainly work for you!

[Senator Pardek]

In all candor, Buckethead is a damned good metal guitarist.

Don't ask me how I know.