DJ Says He Left GN'R - 'There's A Huge Difference Playing Somebody Else's Songs'

[FunkyMonkey]

He says why he left, I've transcribed some of the interview below:


DJ Ashba Interview WMMR

January 22, 2016

You played with Guns N' Roses until recently.

Dj Ashba: I did, I did. Another one of my favorite bands growing up. Six years I think it was, something like that.

Have you heard all the talk about Coachella with Guns N' Roses?

DJ: As a fan myself I couldn't be more stoked for the fan base. They've waited a long time for this to happen. It's so good that it's happening. I couldn't be happier for the fans.

It was one of those thing they were told would never happen.

DJ: Laughs, yeah yeah.

I suppose had to be pretty draining doing Sixx: A.M., Guns N' Roses, having a family. Doing all those things at once is probably overwhelming.

DJ: It was, it was a lot of work. But I've got to be honest ya know. I had the time of my life, I am beyond grateful to share the stage and had so many memories and met so many great fans out there. It was just a great time in my life.

However, we did this latest Sixx: A.M. run and it really just kind of made me go, wait a second, there's a huge difference playing somebody else's songs and playing my own. You know what I mean, I just felt every note I hit. Wow this is where I need to be. It was that tour that made me realize I had to go back to what I'm really about. I'm really really stoked.

Audio here at 3:20: http://wmmr.com/episodes/dj-ashba-of-sixxa-m-jaxon-interview/






Edit by jarmo: I changed the subject to be less misleading and putting words in Dj's mouth. Original topic:  DJ Says He Left GN'R - He Didn't Want To Play Somebody Else's Songs -> Dj Says He Left GN'R - He prefers to play his own songs

Edited to add the direct quote.

[GnR-NOW]

I'm happy for DJ.

[JAEBALL]

If he and Ron bowing out played a big role in Axl finally saying OK to this then I truly can't thank each of them enough.

[GnR-NOW]

No offense to Ron, or DJ, but I'm more excited about Guns' future as opposed to their reasons behind leaving lol

[COMAMOTIVE]

No one can fault a musician for this type of decision. 6 years is a long time. He hinted often about hearing some of Axl's ideas on piano and wanting to "put his stamp" on some of it and record with these guys. Bumble was the same way - saying "this band needs to make an album now" ... DJ was a cool part of the band...

[FunkyMonkey]

DJ ASHBA 'Couldn't Be Happier' About Partial Reunion Of GUNS N' ROSES' Classic Lineup

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dj-ashba-couldnt-be-happier-about-partial-reunion-of-guns-n-roses-classic-lineup/

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Axl clearly wasn't interested in creating new music, in any immediate timeframe, with Ron and DJ.  He may have been planning to release CD 2 soon, but if DJ and Ron weren't willing to tour behind it without adding new songs they they helped write, Axl probably felt it was better to move forward in a new direction.  

Wonder if Axl can be inspired to write with Slash and Duff again, in a way he hasn't been in a long time?  I guess we can at least say we have renewed hope that he will catch his muse again.  But I also just hope Axl doesn't shelve CD 2 material indefinitely.  

Thanks Funky for posting here  

[GnR-NOW]

I'm guess but I'd bet the label would be very behind an Axl/Slash/Duff GNR record

[Voodoochild]

Wonder if Axl can be inspired to write with Slash and Duff again, in a way he hasn't been in a long time?  I guess we can at least say we have renewed hope that he will catch his muse again.

I think he might. He was cleraly inspired by 1999 with Paul and Robin and soon after, when Buckethead joined. With Slash and Duff back, he may get this again.

[Continental_Drift]

Huge Dj Ashba fan. Loved his tenure in Guns. Thought he brought a lot of energy/enthusiasm to the gig- and it was cool (IMHO) to have someone attached to the band that had also had some contemporary/modern rock success with Sixx: A.M. That said- I think Dj made the best choice for himself (hard to argue with his logic assuming Nikki really does make Sixx: A.M. his top priority)- and also for rock fans globally- by stepping aside and creating the opening for Slash (whether directly or indirectly)...

[OscarAxl22]

DJ wasn't my cup of tea for guns guns. IMO he did a reasonable job and was always a team player. Leaving guns to do his own thing was fine by me, i have no bad word to say for him, but if he did do this in part to allow a smoother transition for Slash to come back in, then my hat goes off to him. Classy play.

In the end, no matter how we got to this point, I'm just grateful it has. Wish him all the best for future endeavors.

[Princess Leia]

So the guy didn?t want to play somebody else?s music. Yet he spent like 5 years in the band doing it?

 

[D]

DJ was fantastic and loved him wayyyyy better than Robin, who I couldn't stand.

[zombux]

totally can't blame DJ for anything. he was always cool and no wonder he pulls out, because he had no chance to record and play his stuff, just like BBF. glad to see he's fine with it, similarly to Tommy. I don't think we ever see DJ make a guest appearance at GNR show, after all he was never featured at any recording, but oh well, we still can enjoy Sixx:A.M. 

[kaasupoltin]

Understandable, of course. He always seemed like a person who wants to create something all the time, so maybe GN'R wasn't the right band for him this time.

[ice cream sand pig]

Normally when someone would leave, in a selfish kind of way I would resent them because Id see it as a roadblock. But in this case his replacement is already here and things seem to be going smoothly. Glad he is doing what he loves and that he has good things to say about his time with guns. He seemed to be the least approved of member in guns in terms of the online fanbase, and he got replaced with the most popular gnr guitarist of all time. Interesting how that worked out.

Very curious if any of his stuff will be on the next album, either stuff he wrote or stuff he recorded. or will he disappear without a trace? 

[The Wight Gunner]

Normally when someone would leave, in a selfish kind of way I would resent them because Id see it as a roadblock. But in this case his replacement is already here and things seem to be going smoothly. Glad he is doing what he loves and that he has good things to say about his time with guns. He seemed to be the least approved of member in guns in terms of the online fanbase, and he got replaced with the most popular gnr guitarist of all time. Interesting how that worked out.

Very curious if any of his stuff will be on the next album, either stuff he wrote or stuff he recorded. or will he disappear without a trace? 

A class act, who is still a fan, and not too many of them get paid to tour with them from the inside rather than as a paying follower.

[raindog]

Good for DJ.

Imagine for a second what a massive disappointment it must be to join Guns N' Roses and then in 6 years in the band Axl doesn't write and release a single song with you. Doesn't even perform anything you had a hand in writing over the hundreds of shows you do with him. It's actually insulting.

[jarmo]

Thanks for posting.

I don't see him saying he didn't want to play somebody else's songs though.
I just see a quote saying he felt more connected to songs he wrote himself.

Like, just because you prefer hamburger over pizza doesn't mean you don't want to eat pizza..... 



/jarmo

[DeN]

he's doing what he likes, that's cool.

I didn't enjoy him that much in GNR context, because well, I thought he was too close to Slash.
without being Slash...I thought to myself well, why not the real one, at this point...

and I was afraid about the kind of music he could bring to the band, not a fan of Motley or Sixx A.M.

so I'm happy with Slash & Duff rejoining, and I'm happy DJ is happy