Watch Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist DJ ASHBA's Immersive 360-Degree Experience At Las Vegas's AREA15

February 25, 2023

On Friday, February 17, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba staged a one-of-a-kind live show and fully immersive experience at famed Las Vegas event space AREA15 — "a multiverse of attractions and events designed to entice and enthrall." The producer and songwriter brought his blend of genres, along with "Earth-shattering walls of guitar" to the 360-degree projection-mapped "Portal" within AREA15.

Video and photos of the concert can be found below.

Ashba is well known as the co-founder of SIXX:A.M., and as the lead guitarist for GUNS N' ROSES (2009-2015). He has written and produced numerous hits for legendary artists, including Neil Diamond, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Debbie Gibson.

In December, Ashba released the official lyric video for his latest single, "Cryptonite", featuring British singer and writer Sarah de Warren. Sarah has written for and is featured on dozens of records for A-list DJs, as well as attaining more than two million monthly Spotify listeners on her own artist project and a total 100 million streams across her songs.

Last summer, Ashba collaborated with his then-wife, an Italo-Colombian influencer Nathalia Ashba who goes by the name Natyash, on his "Malosa" single, a dance/rock hybrid he calls GDM (Guitar Dance Music).

"Malosa" was Ashba's first single since the release of "Bella Ciao", a modern-day EDM-driven makeover of the Italian folk classic. "Bella Ciao" marked Ashba's first release of 2021 and followed a series of tracks that were released in late 2020 through Edgeout Records/UMG/UMe, including "Hypnotic", "Let's Dance" and "A Christmas Storm".

In December 2020, Ashba told "The Mark And HooGie Show" that he isn't concerned about getting any pushback from his rock fans over the musical direction of his new venture: "Honestly, I'm at a point in my career where I could give two fucks," he said. "I could care less. If people don't like it, kiss my ass. Go listen to SIXX:A.M. If what I'm doing right now isn't rock enough, I've got a rock band. They can go listen to that then.

"My fanbase, thank God, has been, throughout my whole career, just very, very accepting," he continued. "They know me — they know I'm always trying to really push myself as an artist outside the box.

"If I had to live within this box, I'd rather honestly not play music. Playing music is a form of art, and if I can't truly be an artist and be true to what it is inside — whatever that is that keeps me going… I have to stay inspired. You can only write so many three-chord rock songs. So, to me, this is something that I'm kind of more doing for myself, and I feel like I kind of have earned that at this point in my career. And I'm just having fun.

"Surprisingly… It was weird. I was totally expecting for all my fanbase just to hate it — not get it," Ashba added. "'Cause I really, really go deep down in EDM — I stayed very, very true to the EDM sound — and I really thought they were gonna hate it, and I was okay with that. 'Cause in my mind, I'm writing this for the EDM, the young kids that go to those festivals. This is full-on festival music. And surprisingly, I got no pushback. My rock fans really, really were freaking out on it, which kind of freaked me out. I was expecting them to really not get it or maybe push it aside. But they've been nothing but supportive. I'm very thankful that they gave it a chance."

ASHBA's "Let's Dance" single featured a guest appearance by James Michael, co-founder and lead singer of SIXX:A.M., which he and DJ formed with Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE).

Ashba told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the musical approach of his new effort: "I would go to a lot of EDM concerts, and their shows are so over the top and, you know, all these young kids just losing their minds, right? And the one thing that I've noticed is … it lacks guitar, you know, and I saw an opportunity, like five years ago, going, 'If I could take what I do and somehow inject it into this world.' A lot of kids are not being exposed to a lot of guitar in that world."

Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.

This was very awesome to be able to see... lots of photos taken <3
ASHBA AREA15

Posted by Billie-Jo Miller on Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Posted by Heather Work on Saturday, February 18, 2023

ASHBA AREA15

Posted by Billie-Jo Miller on Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Posted by Heather Work on Saturday, February 18, 2023

About my Friday night…I had the pleasure to be a part of the ASHBA #GDM event at AREA15. Ashba, directors, crew and my...

Posted by Miah Green on Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Ashba in Vegas... I got to of shoot this show at AREA15 in Las Vegas. Such an amazing show!!

Posted by BJ'S Supernatural Music Buzz on Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Still trying to recoup from last night seeing ASHBA perform his #gdm Area 15 . DJ, Thank you for inviting us! It was...

Posted by Heather Work on Saturday, February 18, 2023

Last nights show at AREA15 with D.j. Ashba was epic!! Congratulations my friend you rocked!! 🤘❤️

Posted by Christina Balonek on Saturday, February 18, 2023

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