Gus G. (Firewind, ex Ozzy Osbourne)

Gus G is a Greek heavy metal guitarist currently playing with his band Firewind.  He was previously Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist from 2009-2017.  His band Firewind has a new record out called “Stand United” out March 1st. We discuss the new record, his time with Ozzy, playing with Slash & Zakk Wylde, offers to audition for Megadeth & Machine Head, hanging with comedian Jim Breuer and more!

00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Livin  in Greece & Music Scene
03:40 - Growing Up with Music
05:45 - Managing the Band & Songwriting
09:15 - Doing the Ozzy Record
11:20 - Joining Ozzy's Band
14:18 -  Megadeth & Machine Head Audition Offers
15:50 - Hired Gun Vs. Your Own Band
16:55 - Firewind Band Recording & Live
17:55 - Behind the Scenes Concerts
20:10 - Firewind Tour Plans
22:17 - Merch
24:15 - Tour with Marty Friedman
25:22 - Joe Satriani & G3
26:37 - Playing with Slash & Zakk Wylde
30:17 - Ozzy in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
32:10 - Visting Jason Becker
34:07 - Hanging with Jim Breuer
35:20 - New Firewind Album Date
36:18 - Outro

Firewind website:
https://firewind.gr/

Chuck Shute Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/chuck_shute

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:13

Is that? Are you in Greece now is that's I'm assuming that's still where you live. I still live here. Yeah. Is it in Greece? Is housing of the prices expensive there? Because the housing prices are out of control?

Gus G.: 0:28

Yeah, same here. It's, it's insane. Like,

Chuck Shute: 0:32

that's like lucky that you got in when you did. And now are you just gonna is this like the house that you're gonna die in? Basically, like, you're gonna stay in that forever?

Gus G.: 0:39

For me? No, I am. I'm a little bit weird when it comes to houses. I like to move around a lot. I own properties. So it's, you know, I have rentals. So, but I live in, you know, it allows me to kind of like, move around and switch houses. Every couple years.

Chuck Shute: 0:58

Okay. Within the same area in Greece. Yeah, yeah.

Gus G.: 1:03

So you know what I've been kind of weird about it's kind of weird topic. things always happen where I'm at, and I just have to move around a lot. And in the same city, you know, so yeah,

Chuck Shute: 1:17

how far are you from like, I don't know. Never been to Greece, but it looks beautiful. Like my friend went to like, as it Santorini as I said, Santorini

Gus G.: 1:25

Yeah. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 1:25

they'll look how far are you from there?

Gus G.: 1:28

I'm far yeah, that's that's an island. I live in the mainland. Okay, so So I mean, like in the mainland, it is like the islands. So yeah, I'm like, up north of the, of the mainland in the second city, basically, like if, you know, Athens is the capital and I'm in the second city. It's called facilite. Nikki, and you? Yeah, that's pretty much it. You know, it's it used to be quiet here. And now it's just too much traffic too many people. It's, it's gotten too much.

Chuck Shute: 2:00

So what is the music scene? Has it changed at all? Or evolved? Or is I mean, I'm assuming there's not a lot of rock bands there? Or is there?

Gus G.: 2:10

Um, there are Yeah, there are some rock bands, some metal bands. There is a scene actually. Really? Yeah. It's just you know, it's a Greece is not famous for for its metal scene, obviously. You know, we're not like Scandinavian countries but, but a lot of events tour here. Like when they come to Europe, they they come to Greece and we do have festivals in the summer, you know, we a lot of club gigs. throughout the whole year, a lot, a lot of bands come here. And there's, you know, a local scene as well, with metal bands with, like a big kind of alternative scene, Stoner type of scene. That seems to have been a thing, like the traditional metal thing. Not not so much like we are kind of, in our own little corner there. Fire wind, I mean, and there's just like a few bands, but it's really much smaller. But people love metal here. But the overall culture like when we go when we talk mainstream and stuff, it's mainly like Greek music, you know, stuff that has Greek Greek lyrics, the language you know, because that's what people can. People can watch. That's what can they can relate to. Like even the hip hop and rap and trap scene and stuff. It's, it's mainly like the Greek

Chuck Shute: 3:34

artists. Okay, yeah, cuz you got you got into the music from your father. But it was interesting. So I was listening to the new fire when stuff and I was driving around in my in my car, and I was like, Oh, just kind of took me back to like listening to metal when I was a teenager driving around by jeep. Do you have those kinds of memories as a kid or as a teenager just like credit like, where did you drive around listen to music or was it often in your bedroom? Or where do you usually listen to music?

Gus G.: 3:59

Yeah, yeah, I mean, in my in my room, spent a lot of hours in my bedroom, just practicing guitar and listening to cassettes, you know, I would record my favorite albums on cassette, and then I would just practice do it and just listen to a lot of stuff and read magazines. And, and of course, you know, every time I would, I would get my dad's car and stuff I would just put on stuff. So yeah,

Chuck Shute: 4:26

how many hours when you say like hours like, because I hear stories of kids like they basically dropped out of school and just played like Deen Castronovo. I just had him on. He was a journey. I think he played with Ozzy, I don't think when you were there, but I mean, he's talking about how he dropped out of school and just played the drums all day. He's like, I know, I'm going to do this that was it a similar thing for you already. Were able to like get through school?

Gus G.: 4:49

No, I mean, you know, I think the story is pretty much the same or similar with every musician. You'll talk to like anybody who has really put in the work. They just locked themselves in their bedroom and just practice. And now it was a similar thing for me I like for me going to school was just like the thing I just had to do. I had to show up, I hated school. And I just couldn't, couldn't wait until I got a Golf School. And then go home, eat and then just play guitar until I fell asleep basically at night, and then get up the next day and do the same thing. And I did that for years. So like, and in the weekends, I was really always very, I was looking forward to the weekends, because there was no school. So I would just do these practice marathons, I would get up in the morning and then play like from Sunday from Saturday morning until Sunday night. Wow. So it's

Chuck Shute: 5:45

crazy. Do you still practice that much? Or have you toned it down? Now? No,

Gus G.: 5:50

no, I wish I don't have that much time to practice anymore. Because you know, I also manage the band. And I deal with a lot of the day to day business. And it is a business. And I don't get to play it as much as I would like to. That's the truth. I mean, I still practice enough to keep my chops up and things like that. And every now and then, you know, try to find something cool to learn on the internet and things like that, but, but like not in the sense where like, I'll get up in the morning and just run my scales and then do like my warm ups and stuff. Like I don't I don't have much time for that anymore. So

Chuck Shute: 6:28

then how do you write the music? Like with this new album? How did you guys did you guys get together and write it? Or was it? Was it mostly you writing it by yourself? Or how does it work? I

Gus G.: 6:37

write most of the music myself, you know, like I, I have this studio here that I'm sitting you know, this is where I write I record. And yeah, lucky to have this place. Because whenever I have some downtime, it's a quiet place. And I just sit here and play guitar and I put down ideas on my computer throughout the whole year basically, like whenever I have some downtime, and I'll play guitar and then I stumble across something. I'll just record it, you know?

Chuck Shute: 7:07

So is it more like your you write it down when it comes to you like randomly? Or is it like, Okay, I'm gonna sit down from two to four today and write music?

Gus G.: 7:17

No, it's totally random. Like, I cannot like sit down and say, I'm gonna make a song today. I don't work. I can't work like that. I can't function like that. I've tried to do it, and it didn't work out. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 7:28

that is very rare. I feel like only a few a handful of people I've found that can do that. Like if they're trying to make a song for commercial or something. Then they have like a deadline. And they make themselves do it. But it seems

Gus G.: 7:40

like yeah, worst. Yeah. Like, like the people that are like professional songwriters. And they go into sessions, because I've been into a couple of those sessions where like, I remember like, when I was doing my first solo record 10 years ago, like my record label at the time, they put me into a couple of sessions with producers and writers and like these people show up and you know, they just talk a little bit and you know, we get a direction and then Okay, let's get to work. And then they put down a drumbeat. And they just start building it up. And I'm like, I don't know how you do that, like, I I need to have the ideas first, like, lay them and then and then know where I'm going. Like, I can just start with a blank canvas like that. I mean, I could and it could, I could make a song like out of necessity like that. But like I said, it would be something forced. That doesn't mean that it's going to be something bad in the end, sometimes great, great songs come out of these things. But yeah, like, like all the professional songwriters. And you know, those guys that are going into writing sessions that's that's how they make up stuff.

Chuck Shute: 8:45

Who are the some of the professional songwriters that you worked with? I'm trying to remember if I know that.

Gus G.: 8:51

I mean, I worked with Kevin churko. Right back. Yeah. And, you know, it's it was an incredible just to see how he was doing things. And I worked with him on the Ozzy record, but that was mainly for recording guitars. But we wrote a song together for my solo record later on and

Chuck Shute: 9:08

write any of the songs with the Ozzy record, was that because the songs were already written, or did you did you write some songs and they just didn't make the record? No,

Gus G.: 9:18

no, when I joined everything was written it was done they were missing guitars that they had like the riffs that Kevin put down and stuff but wanted to they were they wanted they were looking for a guy who could you know, kind of take that and sorry, make it sound like they get like a guitar player would do it you know, like just make it more natural. Yeah, and not so kind of like chopped up and like edited. So that was my that was my job on the record and and of course the one when I came in the none of the songs had solo sections. So we added solo sections and you know, and the only thing I wrote was like this acoustic intro and a song called dig me down like Kevin needed like this. He wasn't he wanted to do this kind of Diary of a madman type of thing where it was a long acoustic thing. And he asked me to come up with something. Yeah, I came up with like a like a one minute intro thing.

Chuck Shute: 10:12

That's cool. Did you did you have any riffs that you had collected at that point that that you wanted to show Ozzy? Like, if you guys did get the chance to make a follow up to that, would you have had like riffs that you were ready to show him? Because you were kind of ballsy how you got that job? So I'm surprised you didn't say, Hey, check this stuff out like, or did you do data?

Gus G.: 10:31

They did ask me like, you know, to submit some ideas after the album, scream album was done. And I did, I did. Show him a few ideas. And we even kind of, we didn't make demos like vocal demos. But we did record demos with a bounce sound checks during the tour. And there were a couple of tracks that we were working on. But that whole thing that follow up kind of fell through because I don't know if you remember, but right in the middle of that. It the basically, Ozzy decided to go back to Sabbath or they had this big lawsuit or something, this settlement and part of the deal was that they had to do an album and a tour. And so basically, the solo the solo thing got shelved for a while. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 11:17

that makes sense. But it's cool. Like it's so for my audience, if they don't know the story, like how you got the job I was hearing you talk about it's so cool. Like, you were in this band archenemy and you toured with us first, you heard he was going to need a guitar. So you just went down to the production office? Is that what's called and you dropped off your CD. And then like four years later, they called you?

Gus G.: 11:36

Yeah, okay. Well, this is not exactly the story. I mean, this is this is one one story that because I was with archenemy on AWS fast, and that was in 2005. Right. And I really don't don't know, or I'm not sure if that had anything to do with them calling me like four years later.

Chuck Shute: 11:59

So that might have just cause incidents.

Gus G.: 12:01

I know that at some point, he was looking for guitar players and Samba and somebody from the office put like a shortlist or a list of guitar players to show him. So you can check out and I was on that list. Without you know, without my knowledge. Of course, I didn't know they were looking for somebody. And I I don't know if my name was on that list, because they had checked me out or somebody might have checked me out like four years prior to that. But at that time, I was kind of like an up and coming name on the scene in Europe, especially and yeah, so maybe it was like one of the young guys that. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 12:39

that's pretty ballsy to walk down there with your CD. Did you do that other times too? Did you

Gus G.: 12:45

know like, I was not really I'm, I'm a very shy guy. I have to tell you like, I'm not really the guy that goes and like, like I I was thinking about that for like, days and days and everybody would just like, Dude, you should do it. You're here like, given me your CD and like the guys from archenemy would tell me like you should do it man. Like, and I was like, no, no, no, no, they're gonna think I'm some kind of idiot like that's that really? I've I've not done things like that many times in my life. I think that probably must have been the only time but I was like, Well, I'm here. I have nothing to lose. You know. I'm gonna spend a summer playing with archenemy. They put up an ad that they're looking for a guitar player. I'm here now. I'll just knock on the door. Who knows? Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 13:31

I think that might have had something to do with that. I feel like if they were smart, and they were good production, you know like the people in charge like they would listen to everything that especially someone that comes in in person not just sends it the mail or something.

Gus G.: 13:44

Yeah, I mean, at that point, I didn't meet anybody there was just somebody the opposite. Okay. Yeah, thank you leave it here. And we'll let you know if something happens and like I never that those things didn't go anywhere like that. There weren't there was never any discussion or any anything. That's why I'm saying I'm not sure if that had anything to do with four years later. Maybe it did. Maybe it did. Maybe they had me in the back of their minds for for, like, what

Chuck Shute: 14:09

do they call like, if you believe in that, like you manifested it from the universe? Like I don't know. There's things like

Gus G.: 14:14

that was it? Maybe, maybe I manifested it? Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 14:18

Do you have did you have other offers since then, that other bands because I mean, that's such a big resume. thing on your resume that to be an Ozzy, like, did Judas Priest ever reach out to your iron maiden or any of these other metal bands? offer you an audition or a spot? Um,

Gus G.: 14:37

I mean, I did you know, I had offers to actually I've never told that anybody in the press, at least I've not I've had offers to audition for other bands and stuff not to join but to audition, but I didn't do it like I think shortly during my time with Ozzy, actually Megadeth reached out and Uh, while I was still with Ozzy I was playing and they were they were looking for somebody and and I said, Well, you know, I can't really leave Ozzy even though I'm a huge negative fan. It's cool.

Chuck Shute: 15:13

Yeah, cuz yeah, their guitars just laughter He had some issue or something like Yeah, I mean,

Gus G.: 15:17

right back then it was like, they were scouting guitar players. And then, like, two weeks later, like Kiko was in the band and and Kiko was a buddy of mine. We've known each other for like, while like he's old van Angra and fire when I've toured together. So so I knew him and I thought it was he was a great fit. And, and in 2019, who else machine had asked me to audition once. But yeah, you know, like, I've I'm not sure if I'm, like, really good. Really made for being like a hired gun kind of guy. You know, I'm enjoying calling my own shots. I guess.

Chuck Shute: 15:59

That's totally different. Yeah, I get it. That makes sense. Because now it's

Gus G.: 16:03

two it's two different worlds. Doing those things, you know, like it's different. Not I mean, doing your own thing, of course, involves a lot of risks. Financial, of course, because you don't know if things will work out, you know, you have to put tours together and you have to Yeah, front, your own capital to do things to get things going. And you don't know if it's gonna work out and people are gonna like it. So it's just, it's very competitive, of course out there. Now, especially nowadays. And then, of course, you know, doing you know, being a hired gun for a band. You don't have to worry about any of that. But of course, you're also disposable.

Chuck Shute: 16:47

Yeah, that's true. Yeah. So you like doing the fire when you like being in charge you like that risk? Talk about the musicians that you have in this band. HERBIE, I don't want to is it Langhans the singer Herbie Landon's? Yeah, yeah, he is amazing. And and I think the rhythm section too, is really good. I don't want to butcher their names. Petros and Johan.

Gus G.: 17:10

Johan Nunez. Yeah. Yeah. The drums Great.

Chuck Shute: 17:13

Zane on this. Like, I love it. I think the whole band sounds good to you. And you're doing all the guitars? I'm assuming. Are you doing rhythm and leads?

Gus G.: 17:22

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And we used to have a keyboard player. And he left like at the end of 19. So now I'm doing the keyboards not live. But at least on the on the records. You know, my program keyboards, too. Okay.

Chuck Shute: 17:34

So how does that work? Do you have a is it with a band live? Is it just the four of you then? Or do you have to use backing tracks or use a rhythm? Yeah.

Gus G.: 17:42

Yeah, no, now we were for peace nowadays. And we have keyboards on a track. And so but, you know, for some reason, that has become such a thing now. You're it's like, you're you're fake if you're using backing tracks, and I've been doing that for like, people have been doing that for decades. That's

Chuck Shute: 18:04

right. Yeah, I find it so interesting. Just with the with the advent of like podcasts and social media and the internet. There's so much information. And I feel like the curtain has been pulled back on not just music, but so many things. And you're seeing how the sausage is made you think that hurts? The in terms of music, though, do you think it hurts music people seen how some of these things were made others backing tracks and people wearing wigs? And so I mean, there's a lot of stuff that goes on that people don't know about that. Now they're finding out do you think it ruins some of the magic?

Gus G.: 18:35

For fans? Yeah, or for for fans know, for fast? I don't know. I don't think so. Man. I really don't know. Because what it creates is like, it just creates like, polarized opinions, basically. And there's people that don't don't care as much. And then there's people that think it's the worst thing ever, and oh my god, and I don't know, I don't know. I don't know if it hurts anybody's business or if it hurts anybody, if anybody's killing less tickets or albums because of that, but I mean, come on. It has been going on especially in the pop world since forever.

Chuck Shute: 19:09

Right? But like if I go to see a firework show, you're doing a lead, that's you playing the lead and yeah,

Gus G.: 19:14

I mean, in our case, even if in our case, even if the playback machine stops, I mean, we can still get you know, finished through the sets and everything like we just have just a tiny bit of backing tracks, backing vocals on some courses. I do also live backing, backing vocals. And just like wherever there's like a some keyboard like chords and stuff in the background, that's all we have. And all the rest is live. You know, we're pretty big, like a basic kind of like old school four piece, but the blueprint off of a hard rock band, you know, bass, drums, vocals and guitars, you know, so that's that's what it is. Isn't? Yeah, we shout and we sound a lot more raw live.

Chuck Shute: 20:06

Okay, yeah, I was gonna ask you about that because I've never seen you live, but it's cool. I saw that you, you guys will be touring the US and you have like a show the whiskey. I'm in Arizona, so I don't think you're hitting Phoenix or we're not gonna be adding or you.

Gus G.: 20:18

We're not because I mean, we are. I wanted to add an Arizona date, but there was no time. It was like a long drive. So we're just passing through him and going straight to California. Hopefully we'll hit Arizona next time. But yeah, yeah, we are we are coming back for like, this is gonna be our first headlining tour in 13 years or 12 years or something. In America. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 20:41

Is that you talked about the business side of it. Like, is that stressful? Trying to make all the numbers add up, because I know, like even anthrax, which is like one of the top four biggest thrash bands of all time, they had to cancel a tour because they were like, it's not going to work out financially. Yeah,

Gus G.: 20:57

yeah. Yeah. Logistically, it's, it's, I mean, especially for a European band coming over to America. It's It's insane. Like visa costs and flights now going up and and of course, then you have like your daily expenses, like, tour buses are way more expensive than they used to be. Like, everything is more expensive. So like doing a small club tour, like, like we are? Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's just tough.

Chuck Shute: 21:23

Would it be better to get on as a with like, a package deal? Like, like with your buddy? Well, I guess he's not in Megadeth anymore. But like, if you got on with Megadeth, or like three or four different bands, then you can kind of play bigger venues and kind of have a bigger audience. Oh, yeah.

Gus G.: 21:39

Yeah, we looked for that mean, two years ago, we were there. Dragon Force. And that was like a bigger thing. And so of course, it's, we want to get on bigger packages. But sometimes, like this time, I think, for this for this specific timing that we want it to come out when the album comes out. It didn't work out. We didn't get the package that we were hoping it would on a package that we wanted to get. And we decided to just do a few headline shows. Yeah. And but yeah, I mean, of course, we wish that we definitely want to come back and be part of other package tours as well. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 22:17

that's cool. So will you be selling because I know the new album comes out I saw like it's really cool the packages you like the different things you know, obviously people can get a digital but there's like vinyl and stuff to with the splash. And I think this is like this is like a patch like a catalog cat. Patch. firewind

Gus G.: 22:35

Yeah, it's a cat patch. Yeah, it's my cat one I have four cats. And that's one of them. My ginger cut Leon and my product manager at the label thought it would be a great idea to make some kind of comic figure and make a patch out of him. And I said, Yeah, why not?

Chuck Shute: 22:53

Yeah, I feel like you got to do that kind of stuff with now comes up all the What's that? Now go ahead. No, go ahead. Go to say like you almost say you have to do the up to sell some kind of merch. Or almost have like kind of some sort of gimmick or like cool things like you know, Pat or something. Because people don't want to just buy like the CD because they can listen to it on Spotify. But if you have some sort of cool vinyl with a patch and like, then you have stuff that I think you know, the diehard fans will be really interested in.

Gus G.: 23:24

Well, yeah, I mean, you know, like the physical product now is like a collection. It's not like it used to be where you are how many actual records you could sell. It's that's gone now. Right? It's all about pre orders now and getting selling the the Yeah, the cool the cool bundles that are limited. Where your diehard fans, and then of course people that come to the shows, actually a lot of people buy because now CDs and vinyl are part of the merch. So is there like another merch item? Just like as much as a t shirt or something?

Chuck Shute: 24:01

And then you guys do the meet and greets too.

Gus G.: 24:04

Whenever we can. Yeah, like we will be doing them on this upcoming tour in the States. Yeah. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 24:10

You know, you did a tour in Europe with Marty Friedman. That's that's kind of a cool. Would you ever tour with him again. And what also was I think was a Uli Jon Roth too, right?

Gus G.: 24:24

Yes, I've told them when I when I went, because I also had my solo band. They also do solo tours. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, I've known Marty for a long time. I've known him since actually I've known for 20 years. I met him in 2004 when fire when played Japan, and he had just moved out there because he lives in Japan. And I, I sent out an invitation to him from my record label and they asked him and he came down to the show and we met and we've been buddies ever since. And yeah, when I did my first solo record, you know, we did a tour together in Europe and I mean, I would love to do Something with Marty again. Funny you should mention actually through that tour, our drummer Joe he he also got to play with Marty because we're the same backing band or sharing the backbone and, and our drummer Joe also plays for Marty. He's not like the main drummer, but like he he will do the occasional occasional show with him.

Chuck Shute: 25:18

Okay, that's cool. Yeah, I saw. Also I think I saw you talking to Joe Satriani. And I mean, you guys had an awesome talk about guitars and stuff. People were really technical. They'll, they should check that interview out. But he was saying, how's it again, the next time we do a G three, I'll have to have you on. And I saw there's G three coming up in 2020. What the hell, you call? Are you going to at least play like in a city or two or something come up as a special guest.

Gus G.: 25:49

I think you know, like, I mean, I didn't reach out first of all, because I'm in Greece, and I'm not in America, and they're touring America. So you know, I mean, had I been in the States I definitely would have hit him up to go and see and say hello. I don't know about if he would have been invited me for a jam, but I would have definitely gone to his show and G three something I always wanted to see. I never got to see it.

Chuck Shute: 26:10

Either. It sounds amazing, though. Yeah, yeah,

Gus G.: 26:13

I've seen Joe like a couple of times, but never liked with the G three. And. And this was like the original formation like with VI and Eric Johnson. Anyways, but yeah, I mean, who knows, man, but yeah, he had a lot of cool guests on there. I was just actually read before we got on a call. I was I was, uh, I was reading some of the other news about that, like, how many guitar players they invite and stuff. And that was really nice.

Chuck Shute: 26:37

And what is it like to play because you're such an amazing guitar player, obviously. But then you play with Zakk Wylde and slash and you guys play all three of you on stage. How does that work? Yes, three amazing, you just take turns like, do you try to one up each other a little bit? Or is it just like, an awe of everyone?

Gus G.: 26:55

I mean, come on, like a guy like me could not want up dies wild or slash? That will be it will be like stupid on all levels. But not the thing is that tour that was called Ozzy and friends, and it was back in 2012. And I'll go I'm gonna go wait a little bit back when we started saying about the tours and the solo tour got cut short, and then he went back to Sabbath for the final reunion. But then it was when it was when Tony Iommi had cancer. So the first Sabbath tour the first leg of the saboteur got postponed because Tony Iommi had cancer, and Ozzy replaced it with his solo tour. And it was called Ozzy and friends. And the guests like the friends were Zakk Wylde slash Geezer Butler. And, and he had his regular backing band, which was us, you know, me and Glasgow and Tommy and Adam. And I mean, come on. That was incredible. You know, we got to tour for two months. And yeah, like, for me being a guitar player being on stage with those guys every night was insane. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 28:08

I feel like but like slash they're all you guys all have your different, you know, things that you're really good. I feel like slash is so good at feel. I Zakk Wylde just has such a cool sound. I feel like you would would be the fastest though I feel like you could like go faster than they could play. Am I right? I

Gus G.: 28:27

don't know. I mean, they can both play pretty fast. And, and and they're just such identifiable guitar players, you know, they're so unique. So it's intimidating man just standing on stage with those guys, but, but they're also the nicest guys and they just made me feel so like, you know, they relaxed and about the whole thing.

Chuck Shute: 28:48

Yeah, didn't really like high work ethics too, which is surprising. Because you think at that level, they would kind of, like be able to be like, Okay, I can kind of relax a little, but they're, like, still just like working really super hard. Yes,

Gus G.: 29:01

exactly. And that was so inspiring to see, you know, just, like slash was like everywhere, he was doing his solo tour. And then he would fly somewhere to do like press and some of the country and then he would just fly the next morning and meet us in the hotel and then that night, he would be on stage with us and then leave right after. And I'm like, oh my god, like this guy's doing he doesn't stop like it's He's unstoppable. And same for Zach, you know, that roll from one tour to the to the next one. You know, he does so many projects now with Panthera are His Sabbath tribute thing. And, and yeah, so I mean, looking, I'm always looking up to guys like that, because, you know, they're I grew up with them, you know, they're my heroes and of course like to seem to get an insight of how these guys actually do it, you know, being a part of being on a tour with them and see how they do think it's, it's inspiring. Absolutely.

Chuck Shute: 29:55

And I'm not even a musician and I find it inspiring just to see people You know, who are at the top of their game and how they do it like how their mind works and their work ethic all that stuff is so interesting to me.

Gus G.: 30:08

Yeah, man is that mean just being a fly on the wall in these situations is just, you know, it's it's priceless.

Chuck Shute: 30:15

Yeah, what? So what do you think about now? How does this work because Ozzy is potentially going to be in the rock and roll or he is inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Does that mean you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Because you were his guitar? Eight years?

Gus G.: 30:30

I don't know. I think I think it's about him as a solo artist, not the band members. So but that's that's a that's a nice way to look at it. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 30:44

no, I think so. I think that would I mean, I would assume some of that solo band, you think like Zakk Wylde would get I don't know if that how that works. But maybe it's literally just him like,

Gus G.: 30:53

I don't even know. But you know, what, all kidding aside, I think is long overdue. Like, I mean, I know he's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Sabbath. I don't know why it took them so long to to have him in there as a as a solo artist. So she had that, like years and years ago. But yeah. It's great that he's nominated now, but I think it's like a fan vote thing, right? So Oh,

Chuck Shute: 31:16

yeah. I mean, it's like Motley Crue, isn't it? I'm like, How is like there got to be one of the most famous I mean, if it's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, aren't they one of the most famous bands like ever, and

Gus G.: 31:28

most influential and and I wasn't looking at the list this year. Who else was on there? And it was Peter Frampton. And Peter Frampton is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, either.

Chuck Shute: 31:36

I'm like, the guy that influenced you to pick up a guitar? Yes,

Gus G.: 31:40

exactly. The TalkBox. Yeah, yeah. I picked up the guitar for the Peter Frampton. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 31:47

that's yeah, so that was really shocking. He, I feel like he influenced a lot of guitar player. So yeah, that stuff is very interesting. I don't know how they picked out. I mean, I feel like it's never enough rock bands. But yeah,

Gus G.: 32:00

well, better late than never hope. He gets it, you know? Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 32:03

absolutely. Well, another cool guitar player that you I thought this was really cool that you went and visited Jason Becker in 20. In 2002, like there's a video of it's like, got like 14,000 views. He gave you a jacket like that? Is that something that you reached out to him? Or did he reach out to you? I've

Gus G.: 32:20

known Jason and his family for a few years. I played on one of the benefit shows back in 2013. Wasn't a ventricle slips in San Francisco. I heard that venue is not there anymore, though. But yeah, that's where I got to meet him. And I've always been a big fan of both of him and both of Hayes and Marty Friedman, you know, when they were in cacophony and their solo records, of course. And and then you know, we'd get in touch all the all these years a little bit. And whenever I'm like in the San Francisco area, I've tried to reach out and stuff. And that was like two years ago, we were like I said, Before, we were on tour with Dragon Force. And the last show was in Berkeley. And one of Jason's buddies picked me up from the venue, and we went up to his house. And I was I was a little bit scared, to be honest, because it was still like, the pandemic was winding down. So we were wearing all masks and stuff. And, of course, none of us was sick. But you never know. You don't want to bring any you know, any. You want to bring the flu there, you know.

Chuck Shute: 33:29

For sure. Yeah. So

Gus G.: 33:31

anyways, but but he was so cool. I got to see. I went to his house once before about six, seven years ago, but that was my second time. And yeah, he he, he let me borrow his jacket that he wore on the photoshoot of cacophony album cover. And I wore it that night on stage.

Chuck Shute: 33:51

I saw that oh, so yeah, he didn't give it to you though. He just borrowed you didn't No, no, no,

Gus G.: 33:55

you borrow. Of course I gave it back to him. That's Come on. And that's like, that's like a proper rock and roll memorabilia would never.

Chuck Shute: 34:01

That's cool. Yeah, tell me about hanging out with Comedian Jim Breuer. Because I think he's so brilliant. He's so funny. And he does such amazing impressions. Especially is his Brian Johnson. Like he can sing like Brian Johnson from AC DC. It's amazing. Yeah, yeah.

Gus G.: 34:21

He's a good singer, you know, and I, man, I really don't even remember what year it was. I got to hang out six times. 2016 It was I think so. And at the time, sorry. Sorry. Yeah. At the time. I don't know what it was. But we had the same publicist. And I think Jim was looking to put a band together or somebody to make a metal record or something. And I think we met up did he have a podcast? I don't even remember what it was. But we got to hang out. And yeah, I

Chuck Shute: 34:59

think you did. This episode of his podcast and I was hard to listen to because I couldn't see. And I was just listening. And there was like multiple people talking, but I was like, oh, that must have been fun for you. That'd be there.

Gus G.: 35:09

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's like he's the biggest metal fan.

Chuck Shute: 35:12

That's yeah, that's super cool. I'd love to get him on the show. Well, very cool. Well, I know you got another one coming up here. So let you get to the next one. But people can check out the new album stand united. It's out the full album was out March 1. But they can download some of the or they can listen stream some of the songs on Spotify now, right?

Gus G.: 35:31

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we've released four or five singles already, like half the album is out. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 35:36

yeah. And then of course, people can I'll put the website in the show notes. And people could check that out for tour dates, because you're touring Europe, you're doing in Japan and the United States even so lots of great shows coming up. It's a proper World Tour. Yeah, yeah. Very cool. Well, I wish you the best of luck. Anything else we need to promote? Is that No,

Gus G.: 35:56

thank you. Thank you, man. Thanks for the opportunity. Good to talk to you and hopefully, see everybody out there when we're over in the states in April and May.

Chuck Shute: 36:04

Sounds good. Yeah. If I can try to make one of those shows drive to California or something. I'll see what I can do.

Gus G.: 36:10

Just let me know, man. Yeah. Well, you're you'll be our guest and I would love to see you. Okay,

Chuck Shute: 36:14

sounds good. Thanks, guys. Have a good one. Bye. Thank you for taking the time to listen to the full podcast episode. Please help support our guests by following them on social media and purchasing their products whether it be a book, album, film, or other thing. And if you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating it to the favorite charity. If you want to support the show, you can like share and comment on this episode on social media and YouTube. And if you want to go the extra mile you can give us a rating and review on Spotify, Apple podcasts or Google podcasts. Finally, make sure you're subscribed to the Show on YouTube for the video versions and other exclusive content. We appreciate your support. Have a great rest of your day. Shoot for the moon