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Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
You can say what you want, but DJ & Ron are total fuckin' class.
again i'm left bemused by your post we're allowed to disagree then you issue an ultimatum?!
1 - Ron doesn't have the 'feel'/emotion
2 - DJ is a clown
they're not "total class", they're talented but severely limited compared to their predecessors
re: buzz "as a fan" again i disagree. this particular fan wants what is new, not (so) cheap nostalgia. if i wanna hear the songs i grew up on i've plenty of records. i want something new & exciting that hits as hard as the old music i love, & i think anyone settling for less than that is feeble.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
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.
Great post.
For me though - it comes down to what Axl's actually doing.
If Axl wants to persue music, even in wild different directions I wouldn't at all question the bringing in of players with strange or very different styles - but when he's playing established hits - it has potential to challange my expectations just a little much.
Take Robin - I wouldn't for a second critise his playing on SOD or TIL or any of his contributions to Chinese Democracy. Because those songs suit his style. I'm also one of those people who likes "Oh My God" and "My World" - so I'm happy for axl to venutre outside the box.
My problem comes when you take that and apply it to existing songs that are not in that style. AFD is one of the greatest rock albums ever. It's a modern classic - and to me those guitar melodies are just as important as the melodies and lyrics to th songs. So to my ears, especially at around 2001 or so as he got better by 2006, Robin's version of solos from AFD were just plain *wrong* - it's not how the song goes - just as much as if Axl got up and sang us a new verse in a new tune all of a sudden at the start of paradice city. Could be cool in it's own way - but it's not really those songs anymore.
So with Robin it depends what you're going to use him for to me. If you want to play industrial rock bring the dude up front and centre...but if you're going to play blues based hard rock songs made famous with a totally different style...it's questionable.
To me DJ is the perfect guy for the future because he has both. When playing the old stuff he's true to the existing melodies - sure it's a cover style approach - and I can see why people see him as a fake slash but he does those songs justice in terms of playing them true to the melodies we grew up with - but the great thing about DJ to me is that he will also bring his own style to the table when they record. If you listen to Sixx Am and his solo shit - his personal style on his own songs is a little different - there's some blues - but he's not really playing like slash - different use of sweeps and effects and stuff...and I think if we get a DJ GNR record he'll be seen as less of a cover artist than he currently is.
So to answer your question, I think a lot of people want one or the other. They want AFD with the old band, or they want a new GNR with new music of their own. But what we have is sort of a hybrid - no chance of a reunion but also the new music comes slowly. So in that situation DJ is best - as he can cover AFD without offense, but he's also primed to move the band into new areas.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
http://www.omaha.com/article/20111103/GO/711039943/0
GNR guitarist brings his own style
By Kevin Coffey
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Guns N' Roses came to us bridging the musical gap between glam and grunge, the musical missing link between Motley Crue and Nirvana.
Somewhat metal and somewhat punk, the band actually toured with the Crue and GNR bassist Duff McKagan cut his teeth in Seattle before joining the band.
These days, McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler aren't in the band, leaving Axl Rose as the only original member of the group that produced "Welcome To The Jungle," "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "November Rain."
Assisting Axl these days are a cadre of musicians including Dizzy Reed on keyboards, Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements) on bass, Chris Pitman on keyboards, Richard Fortus (of Love Spit Love) on guitar, Bumblefoot on guitar, Frank Ferrer on drums and DJ Ashba (collaborator of Nikki Sixx and Motley Crue) on guitar.
Only some of them appeared on the band's 2008 album, "Chinese Democracy," which became famous for taking the band nearly a decade to produce.
Now the band is back on tour, hitting the United States for the first time in years.
We called Ashba at his Orlando hotel to talk about his time in Guns N' Roses, the new tour and if the band's making new music.
Q. Have you started your U.S. tour yet?
A. We just actually got here. We've only been here a couple days. Tonight's the first night in the U.S.
Q. How was the South American tour?
A. It was amazing. Rock in Rio was absolutely a blast to play. Everywhere we went was massive and sold-out and tons of fun.
Q. Are you excited? It's the first time Guns N' Roses has played the U.S. in a long time.
A. Yeah, the first time, like, in five years, so it's exciting. It's fun because for one, just being in the U.S. is awesome because so many things: you get to have friends and family coming out to see you play and hang out with people.
Q. I heard you're doing all the hits.
A. Yeah, we're doing about a two-and-a-half-to-three-and-a-half-hour show usually. We're playing all the way from "Appetite" to "Chinese." It's a lot of fun out there. It keeps me in shape, I guess, so that's good.
Q. How long have you been in Guns N' Roses and how did you join the band?
A. I've been in the band for going on almost four years now. I got a call. I had just gotten home off tour with Sixx A.M. I got a call from management. We had the same manager for a time. "On the down low, would you be interested in auditioning?" At the time, Guns had been auditioning guitarists for a year on the down low.
Axl caught wind that I was coming down and apparently he said, "If DJ shows up, he has the gig." It was pretty much that simple.
I had no idea from Axl that I was even on his radar. He had been following me for 10 years, I guess. I met him 10 years ago and he kept his eye on me.
Q. Were you nervous to jump into this band? You have some big shoes to fill.
A. I didn't think much about it. The thing with me is I don't get involved in anything unless I feel like I can bring something to the table. Co-producing and co-writing with Motley was fun for me. I grew up on Motley and on Guns.
I looked at it like, "I'm not here to replace anybody. What I can do is to stay true to the vision of where it left off." I just try to do the gig justice and stay as true to what I'd want somebody to play if I was there to see Guns.
Q. On the other side of that, how do you kind of make it your own?
A. You just do. Over the many, many years I've been playing, if people look me up, they'll realize, "This guy's been nominated for Grammys and had platinum records.
And, over the years, you create your own style. You're putting your feel to it and your heart to it. Even though you're playing the same notes, you're not playing them the same way.
I'm looking forward to the future of Guns.
Q. Have you been writing new songs?
A. Yep. I've been writing around the clock and Axl has loads of stuff that he's already recorded. We're going through tons of material. And we're asking ourselves, what songs would make the best Guns N' Roses record?
Q. So, we won't have to wait another 10 years for a new album?
A. (Laughs) No. Everybody asks that. If we wait, we'll all be too old to tour.
Q. What is it like to work with Axl? He's described as eccentric, to put it lightly, but other people say he's a genius.
A. I can only speak from personal experiences, but he's been nothing but amazing. I hear all the opinions and blah blah blah, but the guy treats me like gold. He's been nothing but an amazing friend and loyal and honest. I couldn't ask for anything more when it comes down to that.
I have really great respect when it comes to the music side of things, too. Sitting down and listening to him play piano, he has stuff up his sleeve. My jaw hits the ground. He's playing stuff I'm praying the world gets to hear. He has some really great stuff laying around.
Q. Are you doing anything else with your other projects?
A. Sixx A.M., we just put out another record. We have two songs in the top 20. "Lies of the Beautiful People" No. 1. We have tons of fan support out there. Everybody's calling the stations. We released the album, and Nikki has this photography book, so we put them together. It's a really cool, really fun project to be a part of.
I have my clothing line, Ashba Swag, we're putting out stage clothes. You can check it out at ashbaswag.com.
Q. Even though you're a rocker, you're a Midwest guy. You're from Indiana, right?
A. I was born there and grew up in Fairbury, Ill. Then my dad's side of the family lives in Indiana still and my mom's lives in Illinois. But yeah, I was born in Indiana.
I'm big-time country art. I grew up on the farm. It's always funny to me with Axl saying (in the song "One In A Million) "Just a small town white boy trying to make ends meet." He grew up 30 minutes away from where I did, so I can relate to that.
Q. What do you say to people who say you're not the real Guns N' Roses or call this lineup a "Guns N' Roses cover band?"
A. It is what it is. If people come to the concert with an open mind and accept that this isn't the original lineup, but this lineup is unbelievably kick ass and come out with that, you're going to love it.
If you come expecting to see Slash, well...
Times change people change and bands change. People have a hard time with change, but I love change. It's what keeps the world interesting.
You can't really worry about it. You'll wear yourself out if you try.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1557, kevin.coffey@owh.com
twitter.com/owhmusicguy
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
Great interview. Thanks for posting. I dusted off Sixx:AM's "This Is Gonna Hurt" the other day after seeing GN'R, and I just got goosebumps hoping for what this band can do with Axl, DJ, & Tommy all bringing their ass kicking to the table.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
Well I will say "give it an open mind". It is very much, radio ready, post-grunge music. But if you like Shinedown, there's no reason you won't like Sixx:AM. The songs that showcase DJ's guitar work, are more the 'off songs', deep cuts, versus the more generic guitar work that relies more on riffs and melodies on the single-type tracks.
I just played the album the other day for a friend, who LOVES country music, yet starts slamming Sixx:AM for sounding "too repetitive". The fuck?
I can get the repetitive argument, but it's either a GOOD song, or it's not? And there's ALOT of good songs on This Is Gonna Hurt. I've still yet to listen to Heroin Diaries. I need to get on that.
Plus keep in mind, DJ is not gonna be the driving force behind EVERY new GN'R track on a new album.
But if we got a new GN'R album next year that had a few "Are You With Me" and "Help Is On The Way" tracks, mixed with a few "One Man Mutiny" type tracks, a couple holdover Buckethead tracks with Ron re-arranging it, and a few traditional Axl UYI ballads...
That'd be a fucking AWESOME album! 
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
SIXX:AM is one of my favorite bands, have been for the last few years. its great to see some of you guys start appreciating Ashba finally. Never cared to voice my opinion because i knew i'd be accused many things.
Re: DJ Ashba Slashes His Way Into Guns N' Roses Guitarist Spot
And it's a shame that you felt that way Dadud, but I can totally understand why you did.
It's fucking bullshit the attitude that was carried around 'round here that anybody who dared to say they liked DJ or Ron, would have their throats ripped out. How dare you like a guy in a band this entire fucking board is dedicated to! lolz
I get people having preferences of certain things in the history of GN'R, and that's fine, but the continual slamming of DJ for being a "Slash copycat", which he obviously IS NOT, was beyond embarassing.
DJ & Ron have been pure class in their time with Guns, giving great interviews, trying to stay positive, although in DJ's case a couple times he did stretch the truth and/or flat out lie (in my personal opinion) about upcoming studio work from GN'R and him recording with Axl, and I full bore gave him hell for it.
But it doesn't mean I don't like the guy and don't like what he brings to the table.
But DJ, like Ron, no matter how many times they are totally class putting over Slash & Buckethead and respecting what came before, are never gonna start fully gaining fans until they record something original with GN'R and people hear what they bring to the table.
And that's all on Axl. I know these guys have wanted to lay some Guns trx down for awhile. Hopefully we'll hear some soon.
