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Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
Had he left months before the NIN thing actually happened, one'd think it carried less weight in his decision.
Also possible that The Slip was being worked on earlier than previously thought. Was probably put together quickly but that 6-7 month window between his departure and The Slip is feasible for a NIN record.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
Robin struck me as a guy who was in it for the pay day.
U think he actually was a GNR fan? please
I always got the impression he was a fan of Axl's new intended direction - like the industrial stuff - he seemed to come alive doing the Chinese Tracks.
He's clearly a creative dude and so is Axl...so if Axl approaches him to do something wildly new with GNR i'm sure he was up for it.
But I grant I don't think he ever was a fan of slash's style or the old guitar parts or probably the old band overall.
I think it was probably about the art to him, and when that didn't eventuate and it looked like an endless covers gig he bailed.
Which is where DJ differs...he's a kid like me who grew up with GNR and it shows in his playing...so while he's keen as fuck to write new stuff, he's happy to honour the classics and plays them in a way that the fan base respects.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
True, and this is slightly OT, but I find the actual timing of Robin's resignation relevant based on the fact that he was accused of jumping ship to NIN again. Had he left months before the NIN thing actually happened, one'd think it carried less weight in his decision.
were you glad/disappointed robin left? & what do you feel about it now?
i ask only because you're a mine of info & analysis but i don't remember much ever seeing you say you like or dislike whatever aspect you're discussing..
personally i was kinda relieved, thought it was a good move at the time & gave GnR an chance to evolve again. i didn't really care for his contribution & thought he was frightful on the old material.
having said that i was much more disappointed with his eventual replacement.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
I'm no way trying to replace anybody. I'm just trying to do the gig justice. I have tons of respect for Slash's guitar playing and what he's done, so I just wanted to stay as true to his vision as I possibly could. As a fan, if I were to go see Guns play live, I would want to hear the songs I grew up on. You want to hear them sound as close to that as possible, so that's kind of how I present myself. I want to stay as true to that as I possibly can.
And this sums up why I like DJ. If nothing else, he gets this part of it, which is way more important than people give it credit for.
I completely and totally agree.
DJ gets it
Ron does too. Some asshat awhile back was on Twitter saying how "fuck Slash" on some solo Ron did, and Ron jumped right on his ass basically saying how "none of us would be here without Slash, so show some respect man"
You can say what you want, but DJ & Ron are total fuckin' class. Tommy too. He puts over Duff every chance he can get, and when Izzy & Duff have been brought out at GN'R shows, Tommy looks like a little school girl he gets so excited they're there.
I think all of these guys really get along with the old band.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
apex-twin wrote:True, and this is slightly OT, but I find the actual timing of Robin's resignation relevant
were you glad/disappointed robin left? & what do you feel about it now?
Well,
With Robin, I was a fan. I liked his style, both musical & visual. I could see why a lot of people were put off by his antics, similar to the opinions Buckethead not fitting in well into a band which some people, apparently, still related to Sunset Strip. To me, GNR had grown beyond that and the general idea to modernize the sound appeared exciting.
During OMG and that era, GNR really felt to have become something different. They lost me slightly during 2001, when the live sound was morphing from industrial rock to a more synth-laden classic rock again. In 2006, I felt Robin had once again amalgamated his sound to the contemporary band, and enjoyed his performance greatly.
What I liked about Robin was partially me being a NIN fan, and I felt it was absolutely hilarious for Axl to go so completely against the grain on the lead guitarist issue and to replace Slash with a musician with completely different sensibilities. Axl didn't have the person to qualify as a Slash substitute, and it took guts to enlist those guitar players, as they were sure to instigate a strong reaction in the fanbase. I always lauded that courage in Ax.
Musically, Robin's technique soared in between the 02 and 06 tours. He went the distance to adapt his playing to the old songs. He tried catching the fans up half-way, but frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Robin had found Slash's style to be boring for him. With boring, I mean blues-based, traditional hard rock, which went well to the masses, but with Robin (and Bucket) you have the antithesis of a guitar hero; an avant-garde guitarist, who'll take pride in doing things their own way.
With Ashba, I respect the fact that he's an energetic performer and a capable musician, but, again, his character/sensibilities are the complete opposite to Bucket and Robin. He's the cover band guitarist, if I've ever seen one - emulating Slash to a t to have it sink in the proper way to the punters at the shows. And that's alright - nothing wrong there, just artistically, I feel the band has backpedaled a bit by catering the AFD crowds all the more.
There's my gripe. Some people who wonder why Axl is so firmly rooted in the past might benefit from taking a look in the mirror and ask themselves, would they rather see him evolve to more daring musical directions with players very dissimilar to AFD, or should he just reunite the AFD people all over again.
To wit, I like this new touring lineup. They get the job done and have chemistry. I'd like to hear them on the record to form an opinion of their capabilities in the studio, but I'll have a raincheck on that one.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
great interview. bottom line is hes been nothing but respectful when discussing his role and what came before him. i like him. i believe hes good for axl. ive always believed axl has tons of material. whether they are full songs or not, i believe hes got tons of material. just my opinion and heres hoping that they can unload a new album. axl could have chosen anyone to accompany him for the taping of that metal show.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
johndivney wrote:apex-twin wrote:True, and this is slightly OT, but I find the actual timing of Robin's resignation relevant
were you glad/disappointed robin left? & what do you feel about it now?
Well,
With Robin, I was a fan. I liked his style, both musical & visual. I could see why a lot of people were put off by his antics, similar to the opinions Buckethead not fitting in well into a band which some people, apparently, still related to Sunset Strip. To me, GNR had grown beyond that and the general idea to modernize the sound appeared exciting.
During OMG and that era, GNR really felt to have become something different. They lost me slightly during 2001, when the live sound was morphing from industrial rock to a more synth-laden classic rock again. In 2006, I felt Robin had once again amalgamated his sound to the contemporary band, and enjoyed his performance greatly.
What I liked about Robin was partially me being a NIN fan, and I felt it was absolutely hilarious for Axl to go so completely against the grain on the lead guitarist issue and to replace Slash with a musician with completely different sensibilities. Axl didn't have the person to qualify as a Slash substitute, and it took guts to enlist those guitar players, as they were sure to instigate a strong reaction in the fanbase. I always lauded that courage in Ax.
Musically, Robin's technique soared in between the 02 and 06 tours. He went the distance to adapt his playing to the old songs. He tried catching the fans up half-way, but frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Robin had found Slash's style to be boring for him. With boring, I mean blues-based, traditional hard rock, which went well to the masses, but with Robin (and Bucket) you have the antithesis of a guitar hero; an avant-garde guitarist, who'll take pride in doing things their own way.
With Ashba, I respect the fact that he's an energetic performer and a capable musician, but, again, his character/sensibilities are the complete opposite to Bucket and Robin. He's the cover band guitarist, if I've ever seen one - emulating Slash to a t to have it sink in the proper way to the punters at the shows. And that's alright - nothing wrong there, just artistically, I feel the band has backpedaled a bit by catering the AFD crowds all the more.
There's my gripe. Some people who wonder why Axl is so firmly rooted in the past might benefit from taking a look in the mirror and ask themselves, would they rather see him evolve to more daring musical directions with players very dissimilar to AFD, or should he just reunite the AFD people all over again.
To wit, I like this new touring lineup. They get the job done and have chemistry. I'd like to hear them on the record to form an opinion of their capabilities in the studio, but I'll have a raincheck on that one.
Wow, exactly how I feel. You don't need a carbon copy of someone else, do your own thing.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
GREAT post A-T
so much i wanna highlight & agree w/it ain't worth my time. agree p much everything!
