Metal Sludge — Grabbing some classic Metal Sludge from the old archives and sharing here…

This classic 20 Questions feature was way back when Metal Sludge was only 4 years old, MySpace had just launched and Facebook was in the infant stages for only a few months.

But the mighty Metal Sludge was already scouring the internet to bring you the best of the best and the worst of the worst.

With that said, here is the exact opening and 20 Questions with DJ Ashba we published (complete with typos) back 18 years ago this week, on October 15th 2002.
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Metal Sludge 20 Questions DJ Ashba – Date: October 15th 2002

About a month ago, we put up Random Thoughts On A Stupid Press release. It was something that DJ’s publicist sent out and it was pretty entertaining. A couple days later, we decided to find out if DJ really does answer all his email and we asked him to do 20 Questions. He then lived up to his word and not only responded but agreed to do it. So here they are! Enjoy!

1. What are you up to? This is the only chance to promote your numerous activities.

DJ Ashba: I am shopping a record deal for my new band.

2. In your opinion, what was the biggest reason that Beautiful Creatures didn’t take off? What was the problem?

DJ: Well I can’t say we didn’t get a fair shake from WB. Prior to the release we were the number one priority (we had $X amount put into the band, we toured and played with some of the biggest bands including Kiss, Ozzfest 2001, Manson, ect…) I believe we made a great rock record at the wrong time, WB was going through some executive changes right when our record was released and we got lost in the shuffle along with alot of other really good bands. Our album didn’t hit the stores until 2 days after Ozzfest was over, everything was just poorly timed.

3. How many emails have you answered today?

DJ: 201

4. What hard rock/heavy metal band should give it up and call it a day?

DJ: No matter what you do in life, I think if you give up, your a fuckin’ pussy

5. Rate the following guitarists on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being somebody who sucks and 10 being Guitar God!

Michael Thomas = 5
Steve Stevens = 8
Steve Vai = 10
Keri Kelli = 4
C.C. DeVille = 3
Warren DeMartini = 7
George Lynch = 9
Mick Mars = 6
Ace Frehley = 5
Jason Hook = 4

6. Don’t you think it’s a bit obnoxious to have a press release sent out that calls yourself a “guitar-god?” Shouldn’t that be a title you earn and not call yourself?

DJ: Yes I do, I also believe most press releases are a bit obnoxious, but what some people call “bad press” I call “free advertising.” But I do know that anyone that has met me or knows me, knows that I would never refer to myself as a guitar god.

7. The press release was also referring to you as a ‘kid.” Now there is no doubt that you look younger than your age but shouldn’t that refer to a teenager or maybe someone in their early 20s? You turn 30 in November, so why the “kid” shit?

DJ: Beats the fuck outta me, I guess it’s because I look young.

8. Who’s idea was it to put out a press release like that and what were you hoping to accomplish?

DJ: My publicist, the press release was not meant to be breaking news, it went out to a very targeted list of industry trades to inform them that I have a new band and to start a little buzz, and I guess it worked.

9. Would you rather the world forget that you were once in the BulletBoys?

DJ: I don’t give a fuck, I had a great time, I toured with them in 1998 and that’s were I met Joe Le’Ste.

10. Yes or no, has DJ ever:

Seen Anthony Focx’s fog machine = No
Thought your publicist was in love with you = No
Seen Joe LeSte leave a tip bigger than 20% = Yes
Known anybody who has actually spent “AshbaCash” = No
Lied about your age = Yes
Regretted a tattoo = No
Answered 300 emails a day = No
Dressed up like a member of Kiss = No, Not that I recall
Really believed that one day you’ll receive a platinum album = Yes, Abso-fuckin-lutly
Thought wearing cat contact lenses were cool = No

11. Paul Gargano manages Beautiful Creatures now. Have you ever thought about getting Gerri Miller to manage you?

DJ: No

12. When Beautiful Creatures was dropped, there were reports that Warner Brothers retained you. What was that all about because obviously you don’t have a record deal.

DJ: WB never retained me, we were dropped as a band and then WB offered me a seperate deal. I felt it was in my best interest to wait rather than jumping the gun.

13. Originally, your website was all pay members, then it went to free. Was that out of the kindness of your heart or were you lonely with only the stalkers there?

DJ: My website and membership has always been free, at one time I considered charging a fee for a VIP section which would have included alot of extra features, but felt it was not necessary, so I changed it into a free 24/7 live chat room instead.

14. The last of DJ Ashba:

Last time you “packed” the Viper Room = Aug.12th 2002
Last CD you purchased = Charlie Daniels “Greatest Hits”
Last strip club you were at = Cheetah’s
Last rock star you talked to on the phone = Nikki Sixx
Last band you jammed with = mine
Last movie you saw = Stephen Kings Rose Red
Last time you lied = About 30 minutes ago, I told my manager I wouldn’t do Metal Sludge’s 20 questions
Last thing you regretted = I don’t regret, just learn from my mistakes and move on.
Last time you masturbated = yesterday, but I’m planning on updating that as soon as I’m done here.
Last time you broke a guitar string live = Aug. 24th

15. Is it true that your wife, Sandy Beaches, worked for years at the Valley Ball to support you, bought you all your gear, drove you to your gigs, allowed you to cheat, and then when you became famous you dumped her for a stripper from Crazy Girls?

DJ: It is true that she did work at the Valley Ball, however 90% of all my gear I have recieved through endorsments, she never drove a car in the 7 years we were married, we’ve been through hell and back together. She has helped me more than you know, and for that I will always be grateful to her, and no I did not dump her for a stripper at Crazy Girls, our split was mutual, and we remain best friends to this day. As far as cheating, it’s only cheating if the other person doesn’t know about it or doesn’t allow it, we had a very open fucked up Hollywood relationship, and we were both always honest with each other. She had her girls on the side, and I had mine.

16. You have a portion of the confederate flag on your right arm. What is the significance of that and are you a true rebel from Indiana?

DJ: I’m a big Dukes of Hazzard fan

17. The Beautiful Creatures CD was advertised as coming with the “special metallic cover” for the first 50,000 copies only. What did you do with all the ones you had left?

DJ: I bought 10 copies the day it came out, i was so fuckin excited, I have one with my CD collection in my car, the rest are in the same bag I bought them in.

18. 7 Million Page views since last March? C’mon dude, have you ever worked for Arthur Anderson?

DJ: 7 M page views means there have been 7 M clicks on the site since March, it does not mean I have had 7 M unique viewers.

19. Are your vocals really “always sexy” or once in awhile do you come across as more of a traditional vocalist?

DJ: I realize you can’t please everyone in this business, good or bad. I have always enjoyed singing as much as playing, I’m having a blast just makin music, staying true to myself and not giving a fuck what everyone thinks.

20. Don’t you think the name DJ Ashba sounds more like a guy with baggy pants behind a turn-table than the name of a “guitar-god?”

DJ: Yes

21. Time for Metal Sludge’s Word Association. We mention a name and you give us your thoughts.

Paul Gargano = Metal Edge
Marq Torien = David Lee Roth
Paul Chase = GhostDance
Paul Stanley = Amazing frontman/marketing genius
Anthony Focx = “Party On”
Creed = not my thing
Jani Lane = he has always been cool to me
LeeAnn Tweeden = very close friend
Tommy Lee = cool motherfucker/amazing drummer
Sebastian Bach = great voice
Joe LeSte = great friend

Actually, DJ didn’t do a bad job and at least he didn’t try to lie about his age, unlike a certain other guitar player in Beautiful Creatures.

For the latest on DJ’s attempt to join ‘label-land’ you can visit his world famous website at www.djashba.com.

Copyright & Credit to Metal Sludge – October 15th 2002
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From Wikipedia here is the early history of DJ Ashba up to 2002.

Ashba was born in Monticello, Indiana. He was raised in Fairbury, Illinois. His mother was a classically trained pianist who began teaching him about music as a toddler. Ashba performed in his first piano recital at the age of five, where he played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy“. His next ambition was to learn the drums. He built kits out of garbage cans and pots and pans, until he finally acquired a real set at the age of six. When he was eight, he took a job detassling corn in the fields to earn enough money to buy his first guitar out of the Sears catalog. He would ride to his job in the corn fields on the bus with a guitarist from a local band, who would teach him a new chord each day on a fret that they had carved into the back of a bus seat with a pocket knife. For his 16th birthday, his father took him to his first concert: Mötley Crüe‘s Girls, Girls, Girls Tour. He later said, “The crowd, the music, the lights! It was the night I realized that no matter what it takes, I was gonna be on that stage one day.” At the age of 18, he packed up his possessions and moved to Hollywood to begin his career.

Solo, BulletBoys (1991–2002)

Eventually, he joined the group Barracuda and toured with the band for two years. In 1996, he released his debut instrumental album, Addiction to the Friction.^[1] In 1998, Ashba joined BulletBoys as part of the band’s new lineup.^[2][3] It was during his time with the band that he met Joe Lesté of Bang Tango.^[4] In 1999, he departed the group to start a new band with Lesté.

Beautiful Creatures (1999–2002)

Main article: Beautiful Creatures (band)

In 1999, Ashba began piecing together the band that would become Beautiful Creatures with Bang Tango frontman Joe Lesté. They added former Shake The Faith and No. 9 bassist Kenny Kweens and session drummer Anthony Focx, who performed in the 1992 film Wayne’s World appearing as the drummer in Tia Carrere‘s club band.^[5] Focx became the group’s second guitarist and Glen Sobel, another session drummer, was brought in to take over drums. This was the first lineup under the moniker Beautiful Creatures. Prior to naming, the band opened one show in Houston, Texas, for Kiss during their reunion tour after Ted Nugent pulled out.^[6] The band then signed with Warner Bros. and released their self-titled debut Beautiful Creatures, produced by Marilyn Manson cohort Sean Beavan, on August 14, 2001.^[7] Album track “1 A.M.” was featured in the soundtrack for the 2001 horror film Valentine and TV series Smallville. “Ride” was featured on the soundtrack to the 2002 remake of Rollerball.^[8] Despite appearing at Ozzfest as part of the Rolling Rock Tour, the band was dropped from their label due to poor album sales. On February 13, 2002, the band announced that Ashba had left the group and the band found a replacement and continued on.^[9]