Just over a year after his departure from Guns N’ Roses, drummer Frank Ferrer has shared insights about his former band.

Ferrer joined the GNR lineup in 2006, initially as a temporary replacement for Brian “Brain” Mantia, who was on leave to care for his newborn. When Mantia chose not to return, Ferrer was offered the permanent position. He held this role for nearly 20 years, a period that included the notable return of Duff McKagan and Slash to the Guns N’ Roses lineup.

Ferrer’s remarkable tenure with GNR ended in 2025. “Everything comes to an end,” the drummer reflected in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “Everything just comes to an end. And I’ve said this before, I knew this thing wasn’t gonna be forever. I was just so happy I got to do it when I got to do it.”

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While he did not elaborate extensively on his exit, Ferrer confirmed there was
“nothing dramatic” and “no animosity.” “We didn’t get into a fight or anything like that,” he remarked.

Frank Ferrer Says Axl Rose Is the ‘Complete Opposite’ of What People Think

In the Rolling Stone interview, Ferrer took the chance to discuss Axl Rose, whom he described as “super nice and friendly.”

“I think the world thinks that [Axl is] a scary, mean guy. And he’s the complete opposite,” Ferrer asserted. “He doesn’t suffer fools, so that might annoy some people. But he’s generous and super funny, and worried about us all the time, worried about, ‘Hey, you guys, how you guys doing?’ ‘Hey, is Frank OK? Hey, Frank, are you OK?’ ‘I’m doing fine.’ He’s, ‘Oh, OK, cool.’ It’s that kind of stuff constantly. I wish they could know him the way I know him. That’s the only way I could say it. He’s a great musician, great singer, all that stuff that goes in the pot, but he’s a good man.”

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The drummer also commended Rose’s work ethic and exceptional talents.

“He’s out there busting his ass, trying to make everything sound great and be great every night. He’s under immense pressure, and he delivers,” Ferrer noted. “He would lead the way. We would go up there and even if you’re feeling like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t know if I feel that great tonight,’ and then he comes out and starts singing and turns into the Hulk out there. You’re like, ‘F— this. I better get to where he’s at.’ And everybody would push. He loves being up there. He loves giving a good show. And we had to rise to the occasion.”

Frank Ferrer Is Confident He’ll ‘Get Together’ With Axl Rose Again

When asked if he had a heart-to-heart with Rose before leaving the band, Ferrer stated that it wasn’t necessary. “I’m sure that him and I will get together again. I’m sure we’ll get together. I think it was just that things change. Nothing stays the same, that’s all.”

Content with his role in the band’s history, Ferrer expressed gratitude for GNR’s passionate fans.

“I’m grateful for the love that the fan base has given me, how they accepted me and made me feel like I was part of the legacy,” he confessed. “A big thank you to those who supported the band and viewed me as a band member. I think that’s kinda cool.”