'Guns N Roses Only Late To Stage Because Of Huge Rig', Says DJ Ashba
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Written by Elliott Batte
DJ Ashba, guitarist of the new look Guns N Roses as of 2009, has attempted to justify the band’s ability to be incredibly late incredibly often - claiming that their ‘huge rig’ is mostly to blame.
Rock bands turning up late to a gig is almost a tradition nowadays, with larger-than-life bands often arriving on stage late before raising the roof with their set. Axl Rose and co, on the other hand, are more of a liability than tradition-followers, and have come under fire in the past - even from their own fans - for turning up hours late to their own gigs. You can check out one recent example here.
Now, attempting to justify their lack of punctuality, Ashba has spoken to Yahoo! Australia - claiming that the band are misunderstood.
“We have a huge rig and pyrotechnics so often it's the case of fitting all that into the venue. Our number one priority is to make the shows safe. [The criticism from fans on social media] kills us as a band because we're not doing any of this on purpose. Our main goal is to go and give the fans a show they will never forget and we understand how expensive tickets are. We take that into account and when we do hit the stage, it's almost impossible to get us off.”
Ashba then went on to defend Axl Rose, whose own behaviour has seen him berated by fans and press alike in the past.
“I think a lot of people and the press try to blow it up and say he's an asshole but everyone can be an asshole if you get them on the wrong day," Ashba told the site. “One thing people don't seem to get is that he's genuinely funny and he's always joking around and telling stories to make people laugh. I always say that if he wasn't a musician he'd be a great comedian. I wish the world could see that side of him because it's the opposite of what people have branded in their brains.”
What do you think of Ashba’s comments? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.
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