In 2002, Richard Fortus had the high-stress job of joining Guns N’ Roses, whose massive global fan base longed for the original lineup. But it wasn’t the first time he had to prove himself in an established band with specific audience expectations. In a new audio interview with Premier Guitar, hear how Fortus navigated those situations, honoring musical legacies while being true to himself. An excerpt has been transcribed as follows:

Richard Fortus: "It's a tricky thing, 'cause you obviously wanna bring your own character to the role, to those songs, but you have to really have some reverence for the song and the original parts. So it's a fine line, it's a delicate balance that you walk between your own personality and honoring the originality of the song to begin with. And especially with Guns, because fans are so attached to the Appetite album — there's not a lot of room for bringing your own thing. But especially since Slash's come back, there's a lot more openness and room for me to inject myself in."

"It's been very interesting, because, as different players come and go, my parts morph and change to cover different parts. So it's constantly evolving. Obviously, when Slash came in, the parts of his that I was playing I wasn't gonna be playing anymore. But he's been incredibly gracious with me as a player."

"When Slash first was coming back, mutual friends of ours were, like, 'Man, good luck getting to be on the fifth fret," laughs Fortus. "But I have not experienced that at all. He's been incredibly gracious and really an inspiration to play with. It's very competitive in a very, very friendly, same-team type of way — always pushing each other — which I am flattered to be in that role, and for him to welcome it."

"Hey Gunners, our 2020 North American tour dates are being rescheduled to Summer 2021," reads a statement from Guns N' Roses.

"The trek begins July 10th, 2021 in Milwaukee, WI at Summerfest and will make stops throughout The US and Canada all Summer, before wrapping in Los Angeles, CA on August 19, 2021. Among these stops, many of our existing 2020 shows will move to a new date at the same venue, while unfortunately a select few will need to be canceled due to routing and venue availability issues that developed during the postponement process. We thank everyone for their patience during this difficult time and look forward to performing for you all next year."

Guns N' Roses 2021 North American Tour Dates:

July
10 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
13 - Washington DC - Nationals Park
16 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Field
18 - Indianapolis, IN - Lucas Oil Stadium
21 - Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field
24 - Detroit, MI - Comerica Park
26 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre

August 
3 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park
5 - East Rutherford, NJ - Metlife Stadium
11 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
13 - Missoula, MT - Washinigton Grizzly Stadium
16 - Denver, CO - Dick's Sporting Goods Park
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Banc Of California