Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s column on bands with pets, discovering who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with the legendary Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal in perfect timing, as his brand new single, “Simon in Space,” is, in fact, named after his cat, Simon! The renowned guitarist will release his instrumental album, Bumblefoot…Returns! on January 24th, and will feature Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, and more.
Bumblefoot commented on the single:
“From an early age, my passions were guitar and astrophysics, cosmology – the song ‘Simon in Space’ merges the two. Simon is my cat haha, that’s him featured in the artwork.”
On the album, Bumblefoot adds:
“It’s been 30 years since releasing the debut ‘Adventures of Bumblefoot’ on Shrapnel Records, and I haven’t done a fully instrumental album since. Working on Whom Gods Destroy’s album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like ‘Simon in Space’. Watching a blues documentary inspired ‘Moonshine Hootenanny.’ Losing loved ones led to writing ‘Funeral March.’ Songs become a soundtrack to our lives.”
Now, back to Simon:
Tell us more about your pet(s) and their names?
My cat, Simon. A wonderful soul. He was abandoned in the Winter of 2021. He found his way to a feral colony where he helped take care of kittens. He willingly went into a TNR cage and was taken to a vet to receive health care, when they realized he already had a microchip. They contacted the owner, and she said he had been ‘replaced.” He went to a shelter, and they named him Simon. My wife is a veterinarian and works with shelters; the owner of this shelter knew we were looking and said Simon would be perfect for us. She was right. We brought him home in March 2022 and immediately bonded; he sleeps every night curled up between my legs, and we play so many games, routines, and mind-reading… he doesn’t meow, but he literally ‘giggles’ when he’s being playful. He’s about four years old now, he has so much personality; changed my life 🙂 Named the first single of my upcoming album after him, ‘Simon in Space,’ and included him in the album art.
Have you ever taken your pet on tour?
I’ve never taken a pet on tour, but have been on tour with people who have, lots of dogs… their presence makes touring much more sane, grounded, humane…
Who looks after your pet while on the road?
When I’m on the road, veterinarian ‘Mrs. Foot’ takes wonderful care of Simon.
What’s your pet’s favorite song or album?
I’ve played him lots of music, but what he likes best is when we sing to him, can be anything 🙂
How did you introduce your pet to metal?
He’s surrounded by guitars throughout the house, and I’ve tried to teach him to play guitar, but he seems to be more interested in sports – playing fetch and chasing toys, zoomies running room to room, bird & squirrel watching…
What animal charity means most to you?
Calling All Cats is the rescue in Toms River, NJ, where we got Simon from (he’s curled up on my lap snoring as I type this…) I’ll forever be grateful.
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal
bumblefoot.com
@bumblefoot
@CallingAllCatsRescues
@SimonInSpace
Watch the clip below and pre-order the album here:
Track List:
01) Simon in Space
02) Planetary Lockdown
03) Moonshine Hootenanny
04) Chopin Waltz Op64 No2
05) Monstruoso (ft. Steve Vai)
06) Monstruoso II – Departure
07) Cintaku
08) Once in Forever (ft. Brian May)
09) Andalusia
10) Anveshana (ft. Guthrie Govan)
11) Funeral March (ft. Ben Karas)
12) Griggstown Crossing
13) The Thread
14) Liftoff
