How much of the antipathy towards DJ is because of his style?

[wfuckinga]

DJ is generic cock-rock at its finest.

Indeed.

He's a Slash clone.

I love how they all say Dj is a Slash clone and then go and say Dj sucks and is a poser and everything else

[Rustycage]

News flash: Most rock fans don't like clones.

[niceguy]

The antipathy towards DJ is strictly here at the hardcore GNR forums; everywhere else (and that's 99.9999999999% of the world), the attitude towards DJ is total apathy. No one knows or cares who he is, because he had done nothing. Yeah fine Sixxxxx AM and all that shit, but no one cares, in the grand scheme of things.

He's a terrible, horribly untalented person. He's not exceptional; he's no better than some random asshole you'll find in any random garage playing random Zeppelin and Nirvana licks (terribly) on a Squier into a First Act solid-state amp.

He's not the best songwriter on earth, he's not popular, he's not huge, he's nothing. And that's why most of GNR's hardcore fanbase doesn't like him.

[wfuckinga]

I like him. And Sixx: A.M. is more popular than you think.

[cooker]

Has anyone noticed that Ashba's fans mostly comprise of teenage girls? His instagram is hilariously sad. He is nothing but a Twilight version of a rock star.

I was dating a girl when GN'R came to Canada in 2010. I decided to bring her and when she told me that Ashba was "Hot" and the best band member ever, I promptly ended the relationship. True story.

Edited November 29, 2013 by cooker

[Kush]

What was DJ's claim to fame outside of Six AM and obviously GNR? Wasn't he once a replacement for one of the Bullet Boys?

I wonder how many other artists actually turned Axl down prior to giving him the position. You know there were at least several.

[Facekicker]

Hearing DJ play guitar made me go back to the 2006 shows and realize Robin wasn't that bad. Robin was a guitar player fucking up on purpose because he thought it sounded cool. DJ just fucks up on guitar. I also hate his tone, and I don't think any warm blooded guitar player could forgive him for what he does to the finish of his Les Pauls.

As far as fashion sense, I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with it. He just doesn't look like a guitar player in guns n roses should look like in my mind, which is basically anything *but* hot topic raiding post-emo kid. At 40.

OH man, you reminded me of something I completely dislike about DJ. The burning his guitars with cigarettes on purpose thing! Guys like EVH had cigarette marks on their head stocks from leaving smokes in there that burned down. They didn't sit around backstage doing it to their guitars on purpose to try to make them look cool.

Oh and I greatly dislike his bedazzled LP.

This x1000. The guy is a fraud and an embarrassment to guitarists everywhere. Sometimes I can't believe he is onstage with Axl but then I remember Axl has become an even bigger joke. Bloody shame.

[Rauschen]

Hearing DJ play guitar made me go back to the 2006 shows and realize Robin wasn't that bad. Robin was a guitar player fucking up on purpose because he thought it sounded cool. DJ just fucks up on guitar. I also hate his tone, and I don't think any warm blooded guitar player could forgive him for what he does to the finish of his Les Pauls.

As far as fashion sense, I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with it. He just doesn't look like a guitar player in guns n roses should look like in my mind, which is basically anything *but* hot topic raiding post-emo kid. At 40.

OH man, you reminded me of something I completely dislike about DJ. The burning his guitars with cigarettes on purpose thing! Guys like EVH had cigarette marks on their head stocks from leaving smokes in there that burned down. They didn't sit around backstage doing it to their guitars on purpose to try to make them look cool.

Oh and I greatly dislike his bedazzled LP.

This x1000. The guy is a fraud and an embarrassment to guitarists everywhere. Sometimes I can't believe he is onstage with Axl but then I remember Axl has become an even bigger joke. Bloody shame.

This

[Rustycage]

I was dating a girl when GN'R came to Canada in 2010. I decided to bring her and when she told me that Ashba was "Hot" and the best band member ever, I promptly ended the relationship. True story.

Nice. There's always something weird about girls that like guys that try to look and act like girls, too.

[pe_teko]

The problem is his lack of style.

[Rustycage]

The problem is his lack of style.

Don't say that. He is a collage of every fad built into one very mediocre guitar player. He just may read your post and try to find that one fad he hasn't merged into yet.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Rustycage

[axldoyle]

I was going through youtube videos comparing Finck and Ashba and trying to judge who is the best slash replacement and although finck had no style whatsoever (he looked like a hobo) he was considerably better than Ashba . Is Ashba capable of playing the songs correctly and he is just adding his over style (because lets face it playing someone else music day in day out must be boring) or does he just lack the technical ability? My biggest gripe is the fact that he leaves the second part of the SCOM solo for Bumble to play, this goes against everything that Ashba stands for, he is usually an attention whore so playing the whole of SCOM doesn't get any bigger in terms of memorable moments (its the biggest commercial song from the GNR catalogue, bar WTTJ). If he isn't technically gifted then why the fudge would Axl hire him alongside bumble and fortus?!?

[Scumcat Esq.]

Check out this video and decide for yourself.

[Guest Len B'stard]

And the style ain't up to much either.

[Tom2112]

Check out this video and decide for yourself.

if that was richard or ron... pretty much any of the current or past members they would have knocked that song out of the park, DJ seems to be self taught and has become lazy and not interested in furthering his playing. all that's understandable as he's obviously way more interested in his clothing line than playing well... it's all about the money.

Bad bends, mediocre phrasing, poor knowledge of his fretboard, all of which are young guitarist failings... not guys who are in the biggest bands in the world.

[robin2002]

Check out this video and decide for yourself.

if that was richard or ron... pretty much any of the current or past members they would have knocked that song out of the park, DJ seems to be self taught and has become lazy and not interested in furthering his playing. all that's understandable as he's obviously way more interested in his clothing line than playing well... it's all about the money.

Bad bends, mediocre phrasing, poor knowledge of his fretboard, all of which are young guitarist failings... not guys who are in the biggest bands in the world.

100% agree, I honestly think I'm a better guitarist than DJ so it infuriates me seeing/hearing him ruin some of my favourite songs. I'm not a huge Bumble fan but at least he does the old material justice, and anyone who says DJs solos on TIL, Better or Street of Dreams are better than Robins is massively deluded and I don't want to be your friend.

[wfuckinga]

Bejeweled GIbson LPs... Give me a fucking break.

They're a Dj Ashba sig LP. So enough people like them.

Um.. Your defense is because they are made people must like them? Yes, thank god DJ was able to design a Les Paul that meets the high demand for bejeweled guitars in the musician community. I don't think it is right to ruin a masterpiece, I am allowed to have that opinion and DJ doesn't need you to defend his poor" demented TM" decisions.

There is clearly a big enough demand for them if they are being made. I am allowed to state that fact.

[Tom2112]

Let's not over-look how bad a singer Dizzy is... yikes! and what self respecting musician of 30+ years can't figure out the key of Tush? Dizzy is home clear when he can mess around with a pentatonic or blues scale but I don't think he's world class by any stretch of the imagination, love some of his parts obviously but I don't know what he's done since 1991, I heard him say that Axl wrote most of the piano parts for UYI and I assume he did the same for CD but wanted a more accomplished player to record them.

[BangoSkank]

I wouldn’t mind DJ if it wasn’t pretty damn apparent that this is a paycheck (and strictly that) for him.

Why is he even necessary? Ron has more than enough skill to cover those parts. It’s the same issue when it was Bucket + Finck. Finck’s a good player and DJ does alright, but when there’s someone noticeably better on the stage, I just don’t get why Axl wouldn’t delegate all, or most, of the lead guitar to them.

[Russel Nash]

The REAL issue with DJ begun when he got to play This I Love solo on his first tour.

Before that it was a relief that he was in Robin shoes, after all he was the next Slash.

Now, not everyone here have enough balls to say that the solo on This I Love is probably one of the best in GNR history.

[GeetarMikey]

The REAL issue with DJ begun when he got to play This I Love solo on his first tour.

Before that it was a relief that he was in Robin shoes, after all he was the next Slash.

Now, not everyone here have enough balls to say that the solo on This I Love is probably one of the best in GNR history.

I'm not sure it's up there with all the classics that Slash played and the main problem is that it's in a "not that great" song, but I really do like that solo all the same.

I never know what to think of DJ, if you judge him by the youtube vids, comments and his overall demenour then you'd think he was awful (Like I did), but when I saw them in Manchester, England a couple years ago he really surprised me with how he nailed so much of the stuff. Granted, I didn't stay til the end, but I left with a bit more respect for him than I used to have.

[tippin]

I don't have a huge problem with the guy, although he goes overboard with the hamming it up live..He was in a lose lose situation from the time he joined the band..although he definitely squeezes all he can out of what he's got.

It kind of reminds me of when Robin was in the band..He got so much hate from people on the forum, now it seems like 95% of the people on here want him back..Funny how this place works..

[Estranged Reality]

I think people take issue with his very...theatrical sleaze rock image, which seems more suited towards bands inspired by Motley Crue, imo. Whether or not people should judge him based on that is another question, but yes, I do think his image is part of what so many fans seem to take issue with.

I have to say though, he's been looking a lot trendier lately. I feel pathetic for even writing this but I feel like it must be the influence of his new girlfriend - he hasn't been wearing all the makeup, eyeliner and ugly hats and has been getting a pretty clean fade cut, and it all seemed to coincide with her hooking up with him. Either way, he looks more mature. But as long as he keeps peddling the Ashba clothing line I'm not sure he'll ever quite fit in with the image that some people may expect or embrace from GN'R. I guess a guy with a giant bucket on his head wasn't a great fit either, but Bucket's look wasn't quite as divisive I think because it was just so intentionally silly.

[Mysteron]

How much of the antipathy towards DJ is because of his style? If DJ changed his style and look, would some of the more critical fans be more accepting of him?

Who really thinks about it? Forum people represent a small portion of people that buy records and go and see GN'R live. You are then looking a small portion of a small portion who actually ponder about this subject.

I get it is a discussion about a subject that some people care about, but I think for DJ himself, he should just roll with what he is happy with

[MrPoe]

How does he play in Sixx AM? Does he act the same way in that band; showboating, the Hulk Hogan thing, etc.

He looks like he'd fit perfectly in Adler's new band.