Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Live Chat with Ashba at Ashbaland (http://www.ashbaland.com)

awesomeeeeeee!

Awesome indeed.

But I really hope that *some people* won't use the opportunity to bash him to death for being part of the band...

Will be there  : ok:

Maybe we'll get SOME answers and hopefully dispel some rumors.

First thing I thought of. I'm not sure if I'll be able to make this, but if nothing else I'm hoping to God that a bunch of forum members don't get on and make a collective ass out of the GNR fan base per usual.

why would people go online just to bash him? that's stupid!

but regarding Gn'r, i don't think he'll be able to speak much about future plans. but he might shed some light on how it is to work with them, and that's always cooL!

Well...That happenned during the Axl chats ( even though most people were glad to be able to talk with him ) so I wouldn't expect it not to happen during the Dj chats.
Especially since lead guitarist is maybe the most controversial title in GnR since a certain somebody left the band...

Cool stuff, but I don't think people should expect groundbreaking GNR news there (its not his job to do that!). Still cool to see him open up a little..

Not a groundbreaking news but I guess he maybe will be tell us something...

good stuff, hopefully a chance for a small update

on this topic, any news as to those video replies we were meant to be getting fromthe other GN'R guys?

We need to help him out with this.  Those things turn into a mess real quick.  I'm suggesting a few people from each board only, be allowed in and the rest of us can watch.  I'm also suggesting a big bottle of asprin, lots of alcohol and illegal street drugs.

I second that one Cineater!!

You know how we are.   ;D 

Put the new guy out there on the firingline.  Is that a sick joke?  At least give him a bandana. 

I agree, GNR fans can be pretty hostile.

Hope this goes over well

I would expect cryptic answers regarding Guns N' Roses. It wouldn't surprise me if he were to say he's already left.

I would expect that he knows how these things go, that he has requested this chat and has a purpose in mind.  Of course there has been people who've had things arranged for them, twice, and they didn't know anything about it.   ;D

I would be surprised if he says he's out of the band.  As many members have said before, it's not their job to announce plans, news, etc.  That's the job of management.  Heck, Robin STILL hasn't commented on his status.

what is funny is that SIXXAM is promoting this Chat and no Guns n Roses

That kind of seems odd ? no mention of GnR.

No , its not odd. Think about it...

There is nothing odd about it. He is promoting them not gnr.

I've never heard DJ Ashba play. Do all of you think this guy is good enough to be in G&R?

I'd be very surprised if he played even one show with the band....

i think dj would welcome anyone who's interested and civil. he invited his 900+ followers @ twitter to the party.

me either. care to elaborate?


 

I was eluding to the 2 tours in 2001.

I saw him play at Cruefest, and he seemed like the next big thing, for this generation.   He is a solid lead guitar player, and there are not too many these days in new music.   Even on the Cruefest DVD,I was watching a different show,  and he really takes his playing up a notch, instead of just playing the basic stuff.  I think he is the best guy Axl could have chosen after Buckethead and Fink.  I was mad about Fink leaving but I would almost prefer Ashba. 

Why do people think GN'R picks people that can't play?

Almost as if they drive a van up to a street corner and kidnap people to be in the band.



They had auditions!

I'm sure they figured out he'd fit in during those.




/jarmo

because of Paul Tobias. he couldn't play, he could write. there's a difference

Oh man, still have nightmares about seeing him playing live.  :nervous:

You're not giving this guy much of a chance considering you haven't heard him play with GNR yet or given him a chance to speak.

Especially since as far as technique is concerned, he is better than Robin Finck...
He also has an obvious Slash vibe going on in his solos.

DJ is the best !!!  :love:

you?ll see ....   : ok:

yes you'll see

remember some of us never care for nin or Cirque du Soleil and yet loved robin's play in gnr.
likely as not you'll like dj's performance like they liked robins.

Better not to bring Robin to another Ashba thread... But still, I hope he can be himself rather than replicate Slash or even Robin.

I didn't have any complains about his playing live. I really don't think he was that bad, specially when we just have two gigs recorded with him.

he wasn't that good either.

Why not? He didn't fuck up any bad. IMO, Robin had a worse performance on RIR3 but then proved how good he is. I don't think it's fair to judge Paul by almost one single show - specially when he was just a rhythm guitar player.

Don't worry about it gunners and roses. If Dj doesn't work out I've already sent an e-mail to Axls management company offering my services on guitar duties. I can play all the lead-guitar parts weather it's the old - middle - new guitarists. And if Axl does call me (I gave them my phone number) I'm not only going to do the tour, Axl and I are going to write new songs that will rock like Appetite for destruction---------that's if he calls. I doubt it because I am an unknown lead-guitarist and the chances are well against me. But if he does.............look out!!!!!
The new cd will be bare bones crushing-blues guitar screaming vocals without all of the production. I think we are going to call the band the Devils Screw!!! The name of the album: The Zenith of Lunacities!!!!   : ok:



:smoking:

Wonder if he/they were forewarned about how rabid GNR fans get? :hihi:

Even if he was given a heads-up, I seriously doubt they're gonna be prepared for "us"!!!  :rofl:

This is a pretty cool youtube of DJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaxfkX_3lkg

How did we get in with this group?  I've been sucked in sooooo many times.   :hihi:  We've got them covered!

Naw there are some really great fans.  It's been my pleasure to become close friends with a few of them.  Thanks GNR!

Darren Rulez....  Thankz By Info

HBK *

I hope those of you that are able to 'be there' have some intelligent questions prepared for DJ...it would be a shame to see a nice gesture, and opportunity, like this be wasted on "what type of food does your cat like" questions.

I hope to hear some discussion of his work with GnR so far, whether he plans to write with Axl, et al, what he brings to the band - and what he will put his spin on (vs. Studio Tracks)...and will he put his skills to work on some new GnR t-shirts/website rebuild?  I hope someone is able to get permission, and post a transcript here.

Hi!! this is me in the The Haunted Mansion !!! :love:

(http://i25.tinypic.com/23hwoqt.jpg)

(http://i26.tinypic.com/34yelqg.jpg)

That is a fucking cool fireplace!

well the problems with the question you want be answered is that he ain't gonna answer them
i would love him to see answering him those questions to but ... ya got more change of a real answer if ya ask what type of cat does you cat like .....

Would it be too terribly unintelligent if I asked him a question about his monkey?

yea me too was thinking of asking him "what type of music does your monkey like" .  :-[

i doubt he will answer anything GnR related and all questions related to GnR will be met with something like "I am not at liberty to discuss that"............just a hunch but that seems to be the standard answer by current GnR band members unless they are asked specific questions about their contribution to CD

Non

Disclosure

Agreement

You are better off asking him questions about his monkey or his bad taste in home decor.

Unfortunately, you are probably correct.  Expect more of the same answers like:

"We hope to tour soon."
"Don't really know what songs we'll play, but we rehearsed everything." (that should start a new "wishlist" thread after he says this)
"We've been messing around in the studio a bit."
"Axl's a really cool guy, he's just misuderstood.  We've hung out a few times."

And then a bunch of other people will pretend that they care about his pets, grooming habits, what kind of car he drives etc.   

Until he's out of the band, and then those same people will debate if they ever cared. (in a different thread, of course.)

I just have a question for you guys :

7pm Pacific Time is 4am GMT+1 ?  ;D

I don't wanna miss that chat thingie...

what time would this be in sweden?

Sweden is 9 hours ahead of Pacific time, so it'd be 4am I guess.

awesome i can't wait to talk to this guy, i'll be in the chat 4 sure

I don't mind if he's not at liberty to say anything, but it would be nice if the entity that is GN'R could be arsed to give some kind of idea as to what they've got in store for us. To an outsider it seems like the band is dying a slow death.

Hasn't it seemed that way before though?  They didn't die in 2002, 2004, 2008, etc.  So why should we believe THIS is the end?

Can someone post what time will be around Europe? I guess if Sweden is 4 AM here (Bulgaria) will be 5 AM, right?

checki

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?day=15&month=7&year=2009&hour=19&min=0&sec=0&p1=137&sort=1

thanks man! would this be the night til tomorrow or the day after?

see the link i posted. it says Sweden - Stockholm Thu 04:00

thanks dear ;D

Its been eight months since Chinese Democracy and no one, band, record company, assistant seems to give a monkey (note I stress again this is an outsider's perception). Perhaps now the record is out there there's nothing left to aim for? And not seeing Axl in public for two years makes you wander if he's ok

Will someone post the transript..I can't get onto DJ's web page.

Due to the time difference and work committments i wont be able to make the chat.  But i suggest someone asks some of the tough questions we're waiting to have answered like:

What happened to the better video.
Are you in the better video.
Are there plans to tour
How is Axl
Why isnt the album being promoted
Does the Best Buy exclusive ever end
Any new material

These are the kinds of things NOT to ask him.... Save your breath, no reason he would know these things...

Yeah, no reason a band-member should know about a music video for the band, or the album they just released.
But I'm sure he won't answer these kinds of questions which is a shame.

Why are you going to ask the one member who just joined the band such GN'R related questions. These sound like questions for Axl not some guy who just joined. He's not going to know shit, he's just rehearsing so they can go on the road at this point. I would ask him more about what his responsibilities are in the band relating to guitar and that's it. The rest of the conversation shouldn't be about GN'R.

AC

Well, Im sorry but these are questions that a lot of people would like answered.  Maybe they should be for Axl but he aint around to answer them, hasnt been in a long time now.  So why not chance our arms and ask him some hard hitting questions? 

He might have more insight than people think so its worth at least asking.  Most people are saying that GNR is a BAND and not just Axl so if thats the case he should know about his own band.



I think he would know if he is in the better video or not lol! 

What time is the chat starting in Ireland.

Well lets see it was completed before he joined and its all live footage...

There ya go 1 stupid question down


Why would he know the specifics of the best buy deal? He's not the bands manager  ::)

I really hope that people don't press this poor guy for a bunch of info he can't give out then come here and complain about him.

Um, no offense - but if this guy wasn't in Gn'R, no one would care about him in this forum. 

So let's all stop pretending that we want non-Gn'R answers, like "What's your favorite guitar color?"  "What's your pet's name?' etc.

Right. I understand that. But I guess you guys all don't seem to understand that there's just no way some sort of announcement or inside info is going to come from an online chat w/ DJ Ashba. Has no one learned anything from BBF? He's about as open as he can be and he still always says it's not his place to dispense GNR information.

Do you really believe that DJ is going to be able to pass out information about tours/videos/future releases?

Is he officially the weirdest pop star now that  Wacko Jacko is inoperative?

how about someone asking him what song is he really looking foreword to playing live? were any of the songs difficult to learn? & what song does he think will be the biggest challenge for him? i think those are fair questions.

No. What's weird about not wanting to live in the public eye? Some people like to live normal lives rather than be owned by the public.

If you don't want to be owned by the public, then just sing in your shower into a tape recorder, and don't release records.  Then no one will bother you.

It comes with the territory.  Giving fans an update isn't "being owned."  I don't care about legal battles, or the breakup, why he likes certain cars, whatever.  Just tell me what's going on currently with the music of Guns n' Roses.  That's the reason most of us are here.

when Axl does talk, people don't want to hear what he has to say..  I dont' blame him for his silence.  He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, and in his situation, I wouldn't either.

At the end of the day, no artist works for their fans.  They work for themselves, and if anyone else their record companies.  Not the fans.  Not now, not ever.  It's a truth that if it more widely embraced by various fan-bases, there would less disappointment over what an artist does or does not do.

Would I like to know what's going on with GN'R?  Yes, of course.  Am I owed information because I've bought their records or seen their live shows?  No.

Ali

Did anybody make it in?  I WAS in, but left for awhile and tried to get back in and it was full.

Also, when does he think he will get to play those songs live?

I dont even see the chat? how do u get to it?

You can't get in anyway. Its in the first link on his home page.

Oh, I can get in

Yeah it's all full.  It took me awhile to figure out how to get in there.  Should've never left.  Hopefully someone got in so they can report back.  It looked quite chaotic while I was in there.

Hope someone asks what his favorite color is, important stuff we need to know  :hihi:

so there being no chat link means its full?

no, you need to download the program and type in an address to get into the room, but it's full

i highly doubt he will say anything significant regarding gnr

oh well

hope someone reports back

Id just like to know if he is still in the band.

Bumblefoot is in one of the rooms.  Though I highly doubt it's THE Bumblefoot.  Someone is funny out there

DJ was there for a few minutes and now he is gone.

Dj Ashba: Axl is one of the coolest motherfuckers Ive met in this business, and Im proud to call him my friend

when asked if he's done any work on new guns material:

Dj Ashba: All I can say is I never stop writing wink.gif

Dj Ashba: I love being apart of GN'R!! Its been an amazing experience!!! Axl put a group of the most talented people together!

so he only answered a few questions  & its over?

Where'd you get that?  Did you get in?

If those are for REAL, I'd say he is indeed still in the band, for those who doubted he was.

Got it from MyGnr

Dj Ashba: Thank you!!!! I am very blessed to work with such amazing icons in this business as Nikki and Axl

At least he seems in good spirits.  That was a quick chat

Dj Ashba:         GNR has been the most amazing experience

Dj Ashba:         Im really looking forward to getting on stage and playing with GNR

Dj Ashba:         Buckethead is an amazing musician
Dj Ashba:         I have nothing but respect for him

  paulish:          and what do you think about duff and the others gnr ex integrants?
Dj Ashba:         I have meet them all a few times, and they have always been nothing but nice to me, so I have not a bad thing to say about anyone

Talking about tour gear:
 Dj Ashba:         All im playing are about 15 different Les Pauls and Marshalls

Hardest chat ever to try to figure out

Thanks Bigjoe and D for the updates

Some of the comments from the people over on mygnr are ridiculous.  I guess they expected DJ to shed light on all the unanswered questions surrounding GNR.  

I'd say we got as much, if not more, than I expected out of him.  He's in the band, he's happy.  That's a good start.

thank you D, Bigjoe etc for the info.

would you guys know if there any way of getting the full chat later?

I finally got back in the room, now that it's over.  That room is quite crazy to say the least.  I don't think I would've been able to follow the chat even if I was in there for it.

what do you mean? too many people asking questions at once?

He's actually still in there, but there's like 30 different rooms and there's a 30 person max to each room.  He was in his bedroom and moved to the main room, which I WAS in but left and now I can't get back in.  So he's chatting but you have to be lucky enough to pick the right room

yeah worst chat ever logistically

just really annoying trying to get in and go through all the shit to find where u need to be.

Yes, BUT very good results from what we have so far!

Buckethead is an amazing musician is an interesting comment. Obviously hes refering to the work he did on CD right ? It would be cool if bucket made some appearances when they tour.

I asked him if he had a favorite song on Chinese Democracy and he said he loved "This I Love".  And I'm pretty sure he said he'd be ripping up that solo on the song too.  The chat is pretty hard to follow.  But I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

He can't wait to play South America?

WOOHOO!   ;D

If you read between the lines and the smilies, it's good GNR news.

thats great to read. :)

Dj Ashba: I know, I realize everyones excited and anxious, but it is not my place to speak on the bands behalf, I have nothing but respect for the fans and GN'R


lol--he's a better man than I am!  Of course the chat isn't over yet.  I'd hold that respect for all the GNR fans.

From what I've gathered from him when I was around :

-As regards new material with GnR : "He is recording everyday and that's all he can say for now"

-As regards touring : he is looking forward to it

-As regards Axl : he is the coolest motherfucker around and a great friend

-As regards the people in the band : Axl has gathered some of the best musicians ever and they are all pretty cool people

-As regards our questions : he cannot answer them but they will be all answered, he promises...We just have to stick around and losing hope would "be a mistake"

-As regards his favourite song on ChiDem : This I Love and he will play the solo

That's it.

I was a bit disappointed because he dodged most questions but I can't say I didn't expect it. It was just a bit hard to swallow at 4 am... :hihi:
However, if he is really recording for GnR right now, that could be a very, very good thing  : ok:

Have u written any material with AXL and if not do you plan to?
DJ ASHBA:  All i can say is i right and record every day

DJ Ashba:  Out of respect to GNR, all your questions will be answered, i promise, im not the man to give those

DJ:  Love playing SCOM, November rain, chinese, better

Does Axl still have braids in his hair?
DJ Ashba:  I will not speak on Axl's behalf

DJ:  I have met everyone a few times and they have all been nice


Looks like he couldnt give much away bout Guns.  Especially the question about Axls hair!
Someone also apparently said "DJ NotSlashBa" which is kinda disrespectful.

PS: I do hope he has met the band more than " a few" times

lol at retards wondering about axl's hair, what's up with that? thanks for the updates

Haha!  i know!!!

Thanks! I tried to get in that chat, even downloaded that stuff, but it was really late here and I need to get up early. :)

NOBODY should be 'disappointed' with this interview.... DJ should not be expected to give out BB details or Axls hair updates (wtf really?!?!)


I'm actually very happy as this is much more than I had expected from him!!

Looks like we have another class act @ lead guitar, who knows how to handle us GNR fans, thanks DJ!!


And thanks for all the updates guys!!

I really think if some of the people hadn't been so ready to pick a fight, there might have been more.  But seriously would any of us want to talk if you have a bunch of people trying to crucify you?  Opportunities get ruined by those folks.

Anyway, I like the message of don't lose hope.

Anyone notice that little remark he made?  ill put it in below in bold.  Think this means that perhaps Axl was there?  i know its a long shot but is possible!

FAN:  Can you tell Axl he rocks
DJ:  You just have.

The comment about meeting everyone a few times was in reference to "former" members of GNR, not the current members.

That comment had nothing to do with Axl.  He was talking to someone else at the time.  The chat was chaotic and anyone and everyone would speak anytime they wanted.  Everyone was talking at once and someone asked DJ if he could say hi to Katie for him, who apparently is another fan, and apparenlty she was IN the chat, so DJ replied "you just did" or whatever.

Also, there WAS someone in the chat named Axl Rose, but I highly doubt it was him.  There was also a Bumblefoot in there at one point.

why am I not surprised he dodged all GnR questions and said to keep waiting for answers :o
but thanks to those who actually were present to confirm what was suspected-I guess you can't fault the guy

He didn't dodge ALL GNR ?'s.  And he actually dodged a lot of non-GNR questions too.  It was almost impossible to follow that crazy chat.  Trust me, it wasn't your normal run of the mill chat where people ask questions in a timely manner and await a response.  You had to be there to see how chaotic it was.  It was more of a chance for DJ to "hang out" and show appreciation for HIS fans than to go into details about GNR.

Of course it wasn't him!  He asked if Axl is fat!

That's stupid asking a GN'R guitarrist about Axl's hair.

Then, the guy doesn't reply and some assholes "he's just a hired guy"

Even in the old band.. i remember Duff using a "I don't know where Axl is" T-shirt, cause he was tired of saying that everytime.

I still don't really know DJ Ashba's musical work, but I'm sure the guy is very talented (otherwise Axl wouldn't bring him into the band  ;) )
he seems to be a very good all-round artist (music, graphical design&motion,...)

What I read of the guy's chat, he seems a to be a cool person! Hope to hear him soon on a Guns track!  :peace:

Maybe CD is not the (commecial) succes most of us fans wanted, but I strongly begin to to feel that Guns is moving into a new direction (read: moving forward) which is a pretty good thing. CD already introduces some newer sound, but also the GN'R face, the 'old guns' personality, is fading and changing into this newer style (Buckethead, Finck, Bumble, DJ Ashba,..) which is a pretty good thing.
This open new doors for (new) success. This is the power of CD, it's a damn new kick off!!

Welcome DJ!

 :peace:

thanks for the trascriptions.  : ok:



who did? the axl or the bumble? and what dj said?    :hihi:

"Axl Rose" asked if Axl was fat.  DJ replied "No he's not fat!"



On another note, I'm admittedly one of the more cynical in regards to this band having any future plans, but after hearing DJ's non-answers I now think it's really possible that they're working on CD2 right now, and will tour both albums together when it's done.  He was asked several times if he's worked on any new Guns material, and each time he said something to the effect of "All I can say is that I'm always writing and always recording ;)" and each time that little wink was there at the end of his reply . . .  I really hope there's some super-secret plan at work here . . .

LOL, he could've asked this guitar god anything, and all he could come up with was a question about Axl's braids? I've lost my faith in mankind.  :confused:

i wouldnt get your hopes up :-[

I normally cringe at speculation, but you may be on to something...I just hope nobody calls him a liar, and starts any negative threads, when we don't see action on that possible scenario a couple months down the road.

What I would take away from this, is that GnR is very alive (contrary to some peoples opinions), and DJ is an active member.  We still have wonderful things to look forward to. : ok:

Yeah I'm not banking on it or anything, but I think maybe Axl envisioned CD's release to be something really special, and (regardless of who's to blame for what) his vision ended up getting fucked up.  So maybe this is "plan B."  I just can't imagine that all the nothing that's going on is for no reason at all.

it would make more sense to finish up and release another album and then tour on both ....but that wont happen...

I think I have been DJ's biggest supporter on here and if they are recording, i will be ecstatic

Finally GNR have a true proven amazing songwriter in this band and this dude is the real deal and will put GNR back into the mainstream

GNR, *not us* have some of the dumbest fans in the world. some of those questions...... Why the fuck would u ask some of that dumb shit?

Hi!!!  ... this is me on DJ?s right !!!!

(http://i31.tinypic.com/291hjpv.jpg)

Dj Ashba:         Out of respect for GN'R all your questions will be answered, I promise, Im not the man to give those answers :) I hope you understand
Dj Ashba:         Axl is doing great and so is the rest of GN'R
Dj Ashba:         I have the most respect for all of the other guitarist that have contributed to GNR

Dj Ashba:         thank you, I can assure you I am very serious about doing the songs justice!!

Dj Ashba:         I will not discuss any tour dates at this time. sorry you will just have to be patient :)

Dj Ashba:         Yes tell GNR Inter. Thank you for all the love and support that they have givin me!! I promise they will get nothing but 200% from me at all times!

Dj Ashba:         I love playing Sweet child, Nov. Rain, chinese, better! You name it what song isnt fun to play by GN'R

Dj Ashba:         I will not speak on Axl's behalf ;)

Dj Ashba:         Tell them Thank you for all the love and support that they continue to give me. It's an honor to be apart of GN'R and I can promise that I will always give 200% no matter what! See ya soon!
 
Dj Ashba:         My heart inspires me, if ya listen to your heart and translate with your fingers you'll never go wrong

Dj Ashba:         Leatherface Les Paul is a work of passion

Dj Ashba:         I've wanted to work with Axl for many years, I have the most respect for him, he's the real deal, no bullshit! Mad talent and an all around amazing friend

Dj Ashba:         Trust me all your questions regaurding Guns will be answered in due time :)

Dj Ashba:         I plan to give all the fans my heart, weather its on record or on tour
Dj Ashba:         I have tons of respect for Robin

Dj Ashba:         This I Love is one of my fav
 
Dj Ashba:         Yes I cut my teeth on GN'R growing up
Dj Ashba:         yes My dad took me to see Motley when I was young

Dj Ashba:         Its impossable to pick a favorite GN'R song, theres to many

Dj Ashba:         I can relate to alot of them, I think thats whats great about the Lyrics Axl writes

Dj Ashba:         I am very backed up on mail, but I do not and will not let anyone else read the letters yall send, eventually I will get to them

Thanks angeles, that seemed more accurate. :)

Guitar God? jeez. that's not even remotely true...

do u call a guitar god to anyone who puts out records and plays guitar?

p.s. i love Ashba just as much as the next guy, but his best record is beautiful creatures and that's not even close to a guitar god standard.

his solo album is pretty sick as well, but then again u don't get to be a guitar god based on two proper records, you need the majority of the world agreeing that you did something new to the scene. i.e. Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Malmsteen, Jimmy Page, Slash, Joe Perry. regardless of personal taste those will go down in history as guitar gods hands down. Ashba isn't even near their league yet... being in guns could help that if he happens to do anything that catches people's attention. still, hard shoes to fill no matter who you think he's replacing, from slash to bucket or robin

i think if you read between the lines, what he said was very positive. guns are still a band, he is writing music. hes gonna take bunch of les pauls on tour. so there will be a tour is what i get out of it. he cant what to play the solo on this i love. to me it means that song will be played live. he said all the songs on cd are very challenging to play. for me that says he is lerning all the songs, so the set list will be very different from past tours. & losing hope would be a mistake. i think he sad alot more than people realise. maybe its just my positive approach on life, but when you look at it alot was said. for me atleast.

Oh please, Ashba has already accomplished way more than Robin

he had the rock hit of last Summer in "Life Is Beautiful" and Saints of Los Angeles by Motley Crue is better than anything Robin has ever done

It's good to hear that he respects Robin and likes TIL. I hope he kills that solo live!

thank you!   : ok:

that's not even the point, and this isn't a Ashba Vs Robin thread. all i'm saying is ashba is no guitar god. How many one hit wonders have smash rock hits and you never hear from them again? that doesn't really matter to my point. and i didn't say robin was a guitar god either, i just stated Ashba had to play Robin's parts, that he wrote and recorded, therefore, he played a bigger part in Gn'r's history. if Ashba gets that far we'd be all so lucky because it would mean gn'r actually puts out another record.

Ashba is not a Guitar God period. most people don't even know him. and the majority who does know him, never really cared. he's got chops but his not an A lister when it comes to guitars.

U can even spot a guitar hero by how many people he influenced. how many were influenced by dj's signature licks ( that sound just the same as Ac Dc, Slash, and a sloppy EVH) never heard of any.

Bumblefoot on another hand has influenced a lotta people and he was already on the cover of guitar magazines before Gn'r. Sure it's a different target, but i'd have a lot less trouble with someone calling him a guitar hero, cuz at least he as a unique talent.

No spin please

u said filling Robin's shoes would be hard

I don't think so

Robin is a good live guitarist but DJ destroys him creatively and songwriting wise. DJ is also a damn good live dude also

DJ has made quite the name for himself lately..With the sucess of SixxAM and the latest Motley Crue album he has some impressive song writing credits..He did so and remained ion the edge..Perhaps that's what made him so appealing to GN'R..

Dude, what's there to spin,

Street of dreams solo, TIL solo, Better and every other song on Chinese. Robin did that. Will Dj ever be able to put out a record with gnr? Robin was there for more than 10 years. he built a name for himself among gn'r fans, even if some still hate him.

Ashba has a lot of work to do in order to fill in Robin's Shoes. and there's no spin to be made.

p.s. he's still not a guitar god. And remember DJ didn't get in Gn'r because he's amazing and gn'r just had to get him, he got in because Robin chose to stop working with gn'r for whatever reasons those may be. Ashba wasn't a first choice. so no need to try to make him more than he is. he may very well be a great replacement and someday even surpass Robin. but people don't seem to last that long in this band. Tommy and dizzy are the last of the survivors.


and yes dj's carrear is moving forward. he's done great for himself. but that still doesn't make him a well known guitar player.

i'm not even bashing Dj. i actually like him. i just find it amazing how someone most of you didn't know up until a couple of months ago can go from complete stranger to guitar god just because he got in Gnr and didn't do anything with them yet. that's just fanboy material right there!

you put everything on songwriting.. but others may simply enjoy someones live performance.

It was awesome of DJ to do this chat, and its nice to see he's seroius about doing the songs justice and respects Robin. 

that is very true. i look forward to see Ashba playing Robin's part. and i'm really curious to see him play a les paul. should be fun. i hope they tour soon

Nevermind D, he just hates Robin that much.

Yeah, me too. Goosebumps and chills all over the place in this solo!

If there is no songwriting, there is nowhere to put a guitar solo

if there are no songs, u have no band.

what's so hard to understand about that?

Jim Bob always talks about the new band doing this

well if Slash,Duff,Izzy didn't write the music to those songs, there would be nothing for the new band to play cept for CD stuff.


It's a headscratcher how people try to downplay the importance of songwriting.

without songwriting u have NOTHING

Robin DID had songwriting in his solo spots in songs and also as convencional songwriting like Better.

Please, PLEASE, don't turn this thread in another Robin bash fest as you always do.

Just saying DJ is going to be the best thing to happen to GNR since Bucket

wait and see.


ok, I shall stop with the Robin hate now.

Oh jesus me too. I LOVE that solo. And I hope DJ nails it live. I'm also hoping he can touch Robin's stage presence.

We just passed over the good news

seems they will play TIL live!

can't wait

no one is downplaying it.  you make it out to be all that matters.    when i saw the band in 2006, who wrote what part was not what was going thru my head, I was just enjoying the show.   Robin was a huge part of that. 

and there is no new band.  most of these guys are hardly new anymore except for DJ.

although he didnt say much, what he did say is all positive. good signs for the future. 

Thanks angeles, I saw you in some of the rooms in the mansion last night. 

The whole thing was kind of confusing while it was going on and at times seemed kinda pointless, but looking back on it I thought it was really cool of DJ to do and I think he's taking an unnecessary beating at "other" places.  He said about what I expected/hoped he would say, plus more.  So I don't see any need to complain.  Good stuff overall.

I don't get the complainers at all.

Anyone who has been following this band for a while should know how things work by now.   To continue to get pissed off about it is pointless, find something else to worry about.

I aint complaining, i know how it works.  The band members generally:

A) Don't know what is happening or
B) Just wont say cos its Axl's job.

But they all think Axl is a swell dude, hope to record, hope to tour and hope the video comes out.

On more point on this, using Paul Huge/Richard Fortus as an example.  Paul is a very solid songwriter, but he's not very comfortable in a live setting.   If i was recording an album and needed a songwriter, I'd use Paul.  If I was about to tour, I'd probably use Richard Fortus as he has amazing energy on stage and is an great guitarist, whether or not he's a songwriter remains to be seen.   Both guys have been extremely valuable to GnR over the last decade.

A lot of it is about finding the right balance though.  Id hate to think that there was two bands.  One for the studio/writing and one for touring.  I just hate the thoughts of that.  I agree with you in a lot of ways, when im at a show, i dont care who wrote what i just wanna have a good time.  But i agree with D that it is important to have players that can write so a balance is needed.

In the old band (sorry for bringing it up), each member had their own role.  So the new band need more continuity and let them shine in their roles! :)

I take it you've never heard of Tommy Stinson.  Been in the band since 1998?  Been playing in a band full time since he was 11 years old?

Richard is also an accomplished proven songwriter.  If some people bothered to check out these guys back-catalogues, you'd see...

Perfect, Bash n Pop, Village Gorilla head and the replacements are always on my ipod playlist :)

Tommy is a great songwriter, but i prefer him solo or in the replacements, sounds more genuine that way. in gnr he's just the bass player. in the replacements he's the bass player as well, but i think it feels more of his kinda music.

i never heard him in soul asylum though

On more point on this, using Paul Huge/Richard Fortus as an example.  Paul is a very solid songwriter, but he's not very comfortable in a live setting.   If i was recording an album and needed a songwriter, I'd use Paul.  If I was about to tour, I'd probably use Richard Fortus as he has amazing energy on stage and is an great guitarist.

I wouldn't say he's a very strong song writer..He's collaberated w/ a handful of people on Back off Bitch and a couple of CD songs....

It seems there were almost only chicks in the chat or is this an incorrect screenshot? That's a cool part to be a Guns fan, always some good looking (rock) bitches around  :hihi:

Oh absolutely I agree. I am just saying at times u value the live performance over the songwriting and I feel that songwriting doesn't always get the credit it deserves

Some of u guys make it seem like just anybody could write this amazing stuff in the GNR catalog and I simply don't agree.

Me saying DJ is better at songwriting than Robin just means that DJ has his pulse on the music industry right now in a way that I feel will allow GNR to make an album that will not only still be epic but will be a little more in tune to the mainstream of today.

if he can write top rock hits for Sixx A.M. and Motley, imagine what he can do working with Axl

I apologize, I was speaking of the guitarist

How many songs did Richard write on CD?


Thanks

Oh that's quite a correct statement.  I'd say it was at least 80% chicks in the chat, many of which who weren't fans of GNR, just DJ.  DJ has quite the female following.  That's why I don't get a lot of people complaining that he didn't talk enough about GNR.  They don't realize 80% of the people in the chat could care less about GNR, they were there to talk to DJ.  Maybe if he ever decides to do this in the future he should add a ALL GNR room to the mansion (as he has an All Girls Suite and even an All Girls Shower), then again he might decide to avoid that room altogether due to some some fans asking ridiculous questions over and over again.  I thought he handled himself well.  It was a nice gesture and MOST of the people who were in there seemed to really enjoy it, so mission accomplished.

One less than Robin!  ;D

Whatever man. He's an awesome guitar player. Sometimes I wish all the "old" guitar gods would disappear and make room for new ones. I'm really tired of hearing about Malmsteen and Steve Vai. They're great, but it sucks that people keep comparing new guitarists to them. There's always someone who plays faster, who's made more records, who's style is cooler etc... Sometimes you just need to stop and enjoy the music, you know? And yes, I consider a lot of people guitar gods.

dj's harem?

the complainers just don't know where the fuck they are.

GNR forum fans, don't say you weren't warned.

None.  Doesn't mean he can't write though... just that by the time he came aboard the record had already been written.

It's like asking how many songs did dj wrote on cd or on any gnr albums ? none

richard's written for his projects and others and so has dj. richard kickass at gnr shows and so will dj.

DARREN Is COOL...

thankz ashba by you time

HBK *

Did u even read what I said?

DJ wrote Life Is Beautiful, the entire Saints of Los Angeles CD by Motley Crue

Give me some examples of what Richard wrote that is on the level of this

This isn't about live guitar playing. This is about songwriting.

DJ has proven he can deliver the hits which is why he is a HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE addition to GNR.

Sorry but I don't want GnR to sound like either Motley or Sixx AM.  The Hanson boys have delivered as many hits as DJ, but I don't think we want GnR to sound like Mmm Bop either.  Let's all wait and see what happens here before anointing DJ as the second coming of Slash, etc.  Again, I would rather see Robin or Bucket back, but look forward to what's next as long as it is more Jungle or Better than Girls, Girls, Girls or Saints of Los Angeles.

Well there is the Love Spit Love albums and the Honkey Toast stuff. Those records are far and beyond better then the Motley record and anything else DJ has done IMHO.

whatever you call "hits he wrote" and if anyone agrees or not doesnt mean shit in the end as its just absolutley only guessing what he brings to the Axl table and how the collaboration works out. this yet has to be proven for fans' ears. we could fairly judge when being able to hear new music he did write and record with Axl.......and taking a look in the GN'R release book this might take a few years. add that Axl said they'd like to work/tour with CD ~2 years. and we dont even have tourdates yet. regarding this we can hope that plans dramastically change again but i wouldnt bet on it.

It doesn't look like the right screen shot to me - in the rooms I went to all the girl avatars were nude . . .  and all fighting to get their avatar closest to Dj  ::)

How many hits or copies did they sell?

I am talking DJ as a mainstream HIT guy.

GNR have great guitar players to write great songs

I am talking about hit songs

there is a difference

Axl wouldn't let it sound like Motley.

Yea you seem still not to stop downplaying GNR members and cd. dj wouldn't like that.

I simply stated 3 facts and an inference.

What am I downplaying?

Jesus, Richard didn't write any songs on Chinese Democracy.. how is that being a hater or being mean its the fucking truth.

and dj didn't either this is also a fucking truth. what's your point?

you like his previous works so you think you'll like it if he write songs with GNR. that's fine.
the same thing can be said about richard, ron etc.

I am talking mainstream songwriting

DJ has written hits the last year or two

Richard and Bumble haven't written any hits.

D is only concerned with whats mainstream.  

i could give a shit how 'hip' GnR is currently.   Don't get me wrong, I want Axl and the boys to have success, but I dont' ever care too see GnR become 'mainstream' again.

I'm not only concerned with that. I want a great album but something that has a few hits in there as well. DJ is a craftsman and with Axl coaching him up, its untelling the amazing stuff they can come up with.

like already mentioned hanson is even more mainstream.

I think it mainly depends on the promotion.

Yea, there are at last 3 or 4 potential hits on CD.

i'm asking from a selling stand point, because i dont know, but didnt saints of los angeles flop? im not taking  a shot at dj, just curious. i will say i gave up on motley crue years ago. i did listen to saints & for me nothing stood out. but i'm waiting to hear him in guns before i make a decision which i think is fair. i read some other fan boards & they are killing this guy & thats not fair to him. i just dont get it? i always try & keep a positive look on things, i just dont get y he keeps getting shit on?

I wasn't impressed with SOLA either.   Not sure how it did commerically, but I dont really concern myself with such things.

The Sixx AM album, on the other hand, has some pretty solid stuff.

i only heard one song off the sixx am album. i didnt care for the song. i see it used for 2.99 all the time. i'll pick it up next time i go cd shopping. so is sixx am still a band?

SOLA was a number 1 rock single

hey d, i meant the album, i was curious how many units it sold.

somewhere around 600k but Motley run their own record label so it didn't have the greatest promotion either.

Plus, GNR are better by far than Motley. So my point that is being missed is, If DJ can write a number 1 hit with Sixx AM and Motley, imagine what he can do with someone like Axl steering the ship.

i get what your saying d. hopefully we will get the chance to hear that. we just may have to be patient until then.

Really? last time i saw soundscan numbers it was around 200k.

Axl can work with anyone, and I mean just about anyone, and the songs will still sound like Guns N' Roses.

welcome, nice first post.  :)

well, I can't wait to hear him with GN'R. I don't know the man, I heard what he wrote/played with other bands but nothing with Guns, so I wait a tour for a judgement.

welcome to the board.
don't give a damn about the bitches they bitch at everyone in the band and everything about the band.

is he still in beautiful creatures? i dont like or dislike the jonas bro's, so i cant say anything bad about them. i saw beautiful creatures is playing with the greatest metal band of all time monday night.  STEEL PANTHER!!!

FFS There's only one person who really knows what direction Guns n' Roses are going and he hasn't disappointed yet. For all the shit that went down about CD never being released , the guy delivered and thats good enough for me.

Guess what, Brian May didn't appear on CD yet did the album suffer as a result? Regardless of who wants who in the band, Axl decides and thats that, he doesn't give a fuck what people think, only whats best for the band. Welcome aboard DJ, no doubt you'll be adding something that others can't, as a fan, I can't wait to find out what it is...

No DJ left Beautiful Creatures

Wait a minute. Are we developing "DJ Insiders" now??  :rofl:

I wouldn't take the DJ bashing personally.  Really in essence it wasn't DJ bashing, more bashing the band as a whole on how business is conducted.  The "I can't speak on Axl's behalf, or break any "news", that's the job of band management" attitude.  Some people can't seem to get past that even though it should come as no surprise as that's the way things have been for as long as I can remember.  So people get unnecessarily upset over anything, everything, and nothing at all.  DJ just happened to be part of the equation this time.  Peoples ongoing frustrations with the band were just hurled at DJ.

I personally thought it was great of him to do the chat.  He answered what he could and said about what I expected/hoped.

It never fails to amaze me when people don't catch on to how things work with that band.   Actually, most bands are like that.  You aren't going to find out everything little thing just because you ask.  People suck sometimes. 

He used to do webcam chats all the time  :)  He's generally really great with his fans.  Just a sweet, down to earth awesome dude (though people normally tend to be pretty nice to me anyway, lol).  I hope people give him a chance and let him shine.

Everyone wants him to do well with Guns, I think that's a fair assessment.

You guys are crazy!

All D was saying is that DJ might be able to help write a hit!  But you all bash him and say "GNR is not the Jonas brothers or Hanson".  Well spotted and how long did it take you to figure that out!  :hihi: 

There isnt anything wrong with having a hit song.   : ok:

I for one am certainly hopeful/excited to see what Axl could come up with DJ, Ron, and the rest of the guys.  I just hope we get to hear that stuff someday.

honestly, anyone whose been following guns for any amount of time should have expected the same.   some gnr fans are absolute retards.

Yeah that's what I struggle to understand.  When the chat was announced people were complaining how we wouldn't get anything out of the chat, it was a waste of time, he wouldn't talk about GNR, wouldn't answer our questions.  Some went so far to say that DJ wasn't even in the band anymore.  So DJ goes on and sounds excited about the future of GNR, presumably still being a strong part of the band.  And people were still complaining about what he didn't say.  I don't get it.

The fact that the band members are not allowed to comment on anything Guns related shows that these guys are not considered peers by Axl.  Back in the day, no one had any restrictions on what info they could give and the guys actually had a clue as to what is happening with the band.

For sure.  Mainstream doesn't have to be bad, obviously.  But D's assessment was because other members of the band haven't written a hit single in the past, it means that they're incapable of it.  But the only reason they haven't written a mainstream hit before is because none of them were considered mainstream artists until they joined Guns N' Roses.  So the bottom line really is that DJ is not the only person in the band capable of writing a hit, as was suggested.  And when you have such fantastic writers as Tommy, Richard, Chris and Ron in the band, just because they didn't write much (or anything at all) on Chinese Democracy, it doesn't mean that Axl is going to let their obvious talents go to waste.  In fact, he'd be pretty stupid not to take advantage of their songcraft... maybe DJ completes the package - though the hit singles that D was referencing weren't good songs, so we'll have to wait and see.

Agreed!  Its not that we "Don't understand how this band works" bullshit, its just that some of us think that is stupid.  Why shouldnt a band member be able to speak his bands plans?

Well said.  Sometimes i feel like just cos GNR is no longer mainstream, that all of a sudden mainstream is a bad thing on these boards.  Mainstream doesnt have to be Hanson

It's not only GN'R fans.  Fans of pretty much any artist in any genre tend to think of the negative connotations that come along with words like "mainstream" and "commercial", without stopping to think about all of the good music that can be described with those words.
Oh, and GN'R are still a lot more mainstream than most.

Maybe not bad....but certainly funny.

likewise non mainstream doesn't have to be bad.
it's most exciting to see your fav underdog invade the mainstream by being themselves.

i had a chance to meet dj tonight. he was really cool & sincere.  he took a pic with me. anyway i wish him nothing but the best in the band.

post the pic!!!  : ok:

are you talking to dj? :hihi:

He always has been good at that, lol. 

Shhhhh...  I think DJ has a girlfriend, don't blow up his spot. At least that's what I heard from some girls at the chat last week.

he almost had as much game as me & garry. but the real show was at denny's that night. anyway i got no skills, i cant post the pic. the pic is blurry, but maybe garry will post it.

oh i thought dj took the pic with his camera.

Sounds like someone is taking the acceptance of his request for an "add" on a certain lead singer's myspace waaay too seriously!!!  :hihi:

j/k  :P




Not if someone really is. ;)   Unfortunately for you, we've already passed our quota of wanna-be insiders/Ashba-stalkers, so unless you provide proof that you really are a DJ Insider, don't be surprised if nobody around here is buying into your italics.

yea!!  :yes:  :hihi:

Oh yes around here it is.. In fact its mandatory in the GNR world  :rofl:

In the end I guess it doesn't matter. We've had dozens of "insiders" with just about every member and it just gets tiresome is all. It always ends up the same way. Either it's months or years of "I can't really share any information" or eventually they tell us something that proves to be false and we never hear from them again. With the current GNR situation, it would appear that we're in a "I can't really share anything" area from any supposed DJ insider.

wait. are you sure you're trying to act as an insider? by an insider i mean an insider. someone is/talks/works with dj in person on a dairy basis. ???

Ashba works on a dairy? 

Does that mean if someone is lactose intolerant they can't work for GNR?? ???

i know lactose intolerant people can work at diaries  8) so don't worry about that.

I knew this would end up at least humorous.