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- AgesOfTheIce
- Rep: 10
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
He doesn't really care anymore. That's been the problem for many years.
The muse is gone.
He's willing to do the nostalgia thing because it's massive money performing in front of huge crowds that requires zero effort in a creative sense.
If something happened and it becomes half empty arena syndrome and people start expecting something (on a large scale), it'll be the mid 2000s all over again.
He'll go home.
One of the problems with such a scenario is his age. He doesn't have the luxury of another silent period in him. If he retreats again, it's the final retreat.
I agree he doesn't care, but when he started playing Absurd back in August it was the most animated and motivated I've seen him on stage since AC/DC in 2016, and the most with GNR since 2010. It seems he really does still get enthusiastic about playing new material. Maybe the problem is he can't really sing most of it well, which is why he didn't debut Hard Skool until the end of the tour. Hard to get enthusiastic about singing The General or attempting the chorus to Perhaps if his focus is on not embarrassing himself.
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
I'm sure he does like it...it explains all the added covers during the reunion.
He spent 20 years off and on playing such monotonous setlists it could put hardcore fans to sleep.
Whatever it is, it never actually motivates studio time. If it did, they wouldn't have needed to strip vocals from Eye On You to shoehorn into Absurd.
The reunion run has lasted as long as the classic run.
The tank is empty.
- FlashFlood
- Rep: 55
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
polluxlm wrote:If we were to rank replacement members in the band surely DJ would come last? Maybe Frank is in the mix but that's not his fault.
I’m no fan of DJ, but how is he anymore out there than Melissa?
Were you upset about Teddy Zig Zag? I actually think Melissa brings valuable backup vocals for Axl. Don’t care what she does on the electronics.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
I'm sure he does like it...it explains all the added covers during the reunion.
He spent 20 years off and on playing such monotonous setlists it could put hardcore fans to sleep.
Whatever it is, it never actually motivates studio time. If it did, they wouldn't have needed to strip vocals from Eye On You to shoehorn into Absurd.
The reunion run has lasted as long as the classic run.
The tank is empty.
My 2c never met the dude and personally achieved nothing in my life analysis is this:
1. The extremely creative days AFD-UYI were fuelled by untreated mental illness.
2. The pressure of the success and fame interacted badly with the existing mental conditions leading to constant meltdown that almost led to suicide and did result in the breakdown of the band as the only way to keep some sanity was to take an unreasonable level of control of actions.
3. The people around him kept him alive by sheltering him from literally anything that might shit him off. This ment almost stopping his career and making him a total recluse.
4. He was still required to create output. But no longer in a good state to do it. This turned creative stuff from an outlet to an obligation and coupled with the public criticism turned his mental illness inward. This starts a feedback look that's hard to break.
5. After such trouble and unhappiness the music and shows and so on become associated with this and start being avoided and anxiety around the whole project increases.
6. Eventually during an up-draft of the mental illness he is able to do a set and feel ok about it publicly and finds it moderately fun like in the old days. This becomes the new normal, and he's able to do a stock set that psychologically is the "safe place" and is somewhat fun. Sticks in this mode for like 10 years.
7. Band begins to run out of puff, and Axl's voice problems increase. Goes on meds. Gets fatter. Old age starts to wear in and fade old angers. Starting to not make as much money too. After few Sorts out a solution to have a reunion. Gets back in shape as much as can on meds.
8. Does a year of it, public accepts reunion, reunion turns out to be similarly safe and kinda fun, nets enough money to relax for life. Feels better does side project with Ac/Dc to relive what rock used to be about before everything was so hard. Kicks ass at it - but destroys what is left of his voice.
9. Current status: feels better for first time in years, but only has ruins of voice left, enjoys shows more for nostalga than anything. Theoretically would like to add to life's work creatively, but its hard when your voice is fucked and you really don't wanna go back into a mental hell where your best songs came from. Solution - keep touring - and release whatever you can find from before your voice died to drip feed the masses. Do this until shows become unfun or you literally can't continue any longer then retire.
People will say you didn't do enough with your talent. And maybe they are right. But realistically most people with your problems would be in jail or dead by now. So overall you won at life.
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
Monkey, that's a good summation of the past 30+ years.
The extremely creative days AFD-UYI were fuelled by untreated mental illness
Hindsight virtually confirms this... and Axl did veer into this subject a bit in one of those early 90s interviews.
A perfect cocktail of mental illness and semi functioning drug addiction allowed the magic to happen.
Hell...it was a mere quirk of fate that even led to the five guys getting together...and staying together long enough to record the album and watch it explode.
If you change anything...it doesn't even happen. Period.
Have the origins take place a year later, Duff probably goes back to Seattle and gets in on the ground floor of grunge.
What if Slash is accepted by Poison?
How about Axl going back to LA Guns?
It was hanging by a thread day one.
The massive and quick success was a hindrance IMO. It wasn't a natural group of guys that are in it for the long haul. Looking back, it's probably a miracle it lasted til 93.
Look how chaotic the first leg of the UYI tour was.
Yeah the Chinese saga nothing but an albatross he couldn't deal with. In hindsight it's crazy his hardcore base didn't abandon him... especially when it became obvious he was no longer taking it seriously.
He's always been an enigma.. . it's hard to look away. He's always been capable of hitting a grand slam when you least expect it.
Or he used to anyways....
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
Pretty sure Doug Goldstein said that at some point in the mid to late 90s he had to go round and talk Axl out of killing himself and found the guy with a gun in his mouth and had to talk him out of it. As you said Monkey, it's a wonder Axl is alive today.
As much as we as a fanbase shit on his adopted family for their handling of the business side, by what few accounts there are, that support structure basically has saved the man's life.
- elevendayempire
- Rep: 96
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
Randall Flagg wrote:polluxlm wrote:If we were to rank replacement members in the band surely DJ would come last? Maybe Frank is in the mix but that's not his fault.
I’m no fan of DJ, but how is he anymore out there than Melissa?
Were you upset about Teddy Zig Zag? I actually think Melissa brings valuable backup vocals for Axl. Don’t care what she does on the electronics.
Yeah, Melissa's vocals add a nice layer of texture to the songs.
- elevendayempire
- Rep: 96
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
James wrote:9. Current status: feels better for first time in years, but only has ruins of voice left
This is demonstrably untrue; you just need to look at the last show from the tour where he's belting out Hard Skool and Paradise City with full rasp.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: DJ Ashba: Buckethead Took the Coolness Out of the Band
This is demonstrably untrue; you just need to look at the last show from the tour where he's belting out Hard Skool and Paradise City with full rasp.
I hope that's the case but I'm not sure.
Like yeah he occasionally busts out a passage or line or two in a form of the rasp, but it's never really full and it doesn't tend to continue.
There's a lot of recent times where he seemed to do that and his voice kinda then cracked or at least didn't show the type of control and power he's normally famous for. Like his screams are always limited to the same type now and they seem to have an uncertain success rate.
I mean I would LOVE to be wrong. I'd love him to come out and start doing stuff like ACDC or Houson 2016 style rasp all the time....and I would admit he has better and worse nights - like there's clearly nights he goes for it more than others - but sadly while I think he keeps some up the sleeve for a special occasion I think the pockets are really only so deep at this stage. Can't blame him he's being doing super human vocals for 30 years.
But I mean they clearly pic the set around what he feels he can do, and it's clear some nights it's just not going to happen, probably the nature of the beast with that type of vocal part at that age.
