Bangin' with Ashley By Ashley Massaro September 22, 2006 What it is, punks?! Dirty Diva here, back again with more inside info on WWE Superstars, music and shows! It’s been completely busy in Ashleyland with all kinds of cool stuff going on. I went to see a bunch of cool shows, got to go to the MTV VMAs, went to the red carpet launch party for the CW network and even hosted SmackDown segments on Entertainment Tonight recently. One thing I’ve noticed especially during extremely busy months is how much of an impact music has on my soul. I can’t describe how much what I’m listening to impacts me. I usually play certain types of music to coordinate with my mood. Sometimes I play certain songs to get me out of a funk or frustrating time. Sometimes I play music where the singer is frustrated, screaming and releasing it all, and hearing it feels good. Perhaps that’s why I have such a passion for music. It influences my daily life so much. Well, let’s get started on these past few crazy weeks… First off, AHHH! I went to see one of my fave bands, Theo and the Skyscrapers opening for Rancid a couple of Fridays ago! Sick, right?! The show was at B.B. King’s in New York City and it was amazing! Both bands brought the house down! It was so great to see Rancid in such a small and intimate venue. It was packed, loud and sweaty... just like every show should be. Theo and her Skyscrapers rocked a bunch of new tracks. (Do yourself a favor and download “Broken Girl”… sick song). Theo happens to be the lead singer of the legendary, all-girl punk rock group, the Lunachicks. It was awesome meeting her. I’m a big fan of both her old and new styles. Their bass player, Dimitry, is an old friend and one of the coolest guys I know. Rancid kicked it old-school by playing songs they hadn’t performed in years and even throwing in an Operation Ivy cover! So rad! I spoke with CM Punk about the show and it turns out he’s pretty good friends with Lars, Rancid’s guitar player. He says Lars is a huge Wrestling fan! Gotta love that! A few days later, I went to the VMAs with Lillian Garcia and Edge. I don’t think I ever saw so many great bands and singers in one room. We got to meet a bunch of people and everybody was so cool. Well... that’s not 100% percent true. Fall Out Boy actually tried to big-time me a lil’… HA!... I guess that’s what happens when you do a Gap ad and sell lots of records! Perhaps they just got nervous around Lillian and I, all decked out. In that case, no disrespect, boys. We did tons of press and had a wicked time. The Killers and Panic! At The Disco performed along with Fergie, in her first live appearance without the Black Eyed Peas. Now I feel like I have to confess something here... I actually (do not laugh) dig that song “London Bridge.” It’s freakin’ catchy, what can I say?! I’m usually not really into these kinds of slick, super-produced, mainstream songs, but in this case, I had to suck it up and bop my head. OK... enough with the guilty pleasures... it’s time to talk about an album I’m completely obsessed with this month. It’s from the band Everytime I Die and it’s called “Gutter Phenomenon.” The first single, “Kill the Music,” is even my MySpace background music. I love it. ”The New Black,” and “Apocalypse Now and Then” are majorly worth downloading on iTunes. Come to think of it...you should buy the whole friggin’ album, cuz it’s amazing. It really pumps me up before getting in the ring and makes me want to kick ass… mostly Michelle McCool’s, but that’s another subject. On a softer note, what I’ve been listening to AFTER performing: a band from Denmark called Mew. After the matches I had this weekend, I’ve been going back to my hotel and popping open my laptop and listening to “Snowflake” while I take a bath or “Wherever,” both off the album “A Triumph of Man.” These songs make me happy and relaxed. P.S.: check ’em out if you like being happy and relaxed... I highly recommend it, both good feelings, I insist ;-) “Comforting Sounds” off the album “Frengers” is an amazing tune, too, probably my favorite by Mew. In the last edition of “Bangin’ with Ashley,” I promised you guys an interview with Chris Jericho. Well, I always keep a promise, so this week I tracked him down and here’s what he had to say: ASHLEY: First off, we miss you! When can we expect to see you, if ever again? CHRIS: Well, I never planned to be away that long, and absolutely I plan on coming back. I’ve just had a lot of projects I’ve been working on, and each time one finishes up, another one starts, but I do hope the time will come soon that I come back and I’ll be better than ever. The Jerichoholics and myself would expect nothing less! ASHLEY: Fozzy seems to be doing very well right now, I’ve heard some buzz about it and have a copy of the album, so I know how good it is. (“Wanderlust” is by far my fave tune on the album, so definitely check it out.) Tell me about the tour, how’s it been going? Last time we spoke, you were in Aussie? Tell us the haps on the Foz! Are you writing and or recording a new album anytime soon? CHRIS: Fozzy is doing great! Thanks for asking! I actually just wrote a ton of lyrics and sent them over to our guitar player who puts together all the music. We’re working on writing some new tunes and hopefully we’ll start recording sometime in late fall. We’re totally focusing on new material and new stuff. I’ll tell you one thing, there will definitely not be any country ballad duets with Leanne Womack on the new Fozzy record! ASHLEY: Ha! Let’s hope not. I want to go to the Delicious Rox festival so bad to check you guys out along with Fear Factory and Drowning Pool, but alas, I have a wedding to attend and will not be able to make it. I’m gutted I have yet to see your band live and need to work on that! CHRIS: No! Damn that sucks. DROX festival’s going to be great! Definitely looking like it’s going to be an amazing show. ASHLEY: Whats next for Chris Jericho and what can the Jerichoholics look forward to in the near future? CHRIS: All the Jerichoholics ask me on a daily basis when am I coming back to wrestling? They’ve been great, supporting me in all my other projects. You can always still catch me on my XM satellite radio show, “The Rock of Jericho,” every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on The Boneyard, Channel 41. I play host. ASHLEY: One last thing, do you care to comment on the Celebrity Duets show? CHRIS: I just want to say that Celebrity Duets was one of the best experiences I’ve had and I’m sooo happy I did it. I’m also very happy with both of my performances. For those of you who didn’t dig “Mendocino County Line,” just remember that it’s a Willie Nelson song and he has a very unique vocal style. I think if you listen to the original, you’ll hear that my version was very faithful to his vibe and style. And Peter Frampton was awesome! Now was I the best singer in the contest? Hell no! Was I the worst singer in the contest? Hell no! Was I one of the most entertaining? Of course! Many people are saying I was robbed, and in some ways maybe I was. But I’d rather leave the party early than overstay my welcome and be the guy that HAS TO GO! But I stand behind my performances and my robot joke RULED! For everyone that thinks that I didn’t have the best time, and whoever didn’t think that being in People magazine, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide and being on Extra, Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, as well as being on a network show in front of 10 million people didn’t help the Jerichoholic cause, then go back to the night shift at Taco Bell and analyze my life some more... Duets rules!! ASHLEY: Thanks, Chris, you are awesome! I owe ya a cookie. So that wraps up the interview with Chris. It was great to hear from him! This week I’ve been constantly listening to the Smashing Pumpkins album, “Siamese Dream.” It truly is, in my opinion, one of the best albums of all time. There is no skipping ahead or fast-forwarding. It’s just an all around solid album. Now, let me relive a moment that will be embedded in my brain forever. I am super level-leaded, I have a lot of friends in bands and I don’t have a favorite actress or actor. People are just people. And I usually don’t mark. But let me tell you, for probably the first time in my life, I was completely speechless meeting Billy Corgan, lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins, backstage at WrestleMania. I freaked. I couldn’t speak normal at first. Ha! Tommy Dreamer introduced us. I asked, “Tommy? Is that who I think it is?” And he said, “Yeah, he’s a wrestling fan, been for a long time, he’s really cool and down to earth. Let me introduce you.” Now, I was dying, and I’m telling you, I don’t get like this… ever. But it’s friggin’ Billy Corgan! Apparently he had come around a bunch of times before, and a lot of the boys had met him and said he was super cool. So he came over and said hi, and I just tried to get the words out of my brain since they were jumbled and I told him how amazing it was to meet him and how I’m a huge fan, blah blah blah. Well, we ended up hanging the whole time. I was injured and not performing, and he was there to see the show, so we chilled, talked about music, his band, the new album he’s working on, and everything for a few hours. The more I talked to him, the more comfortable I felt cuz he was so down to earth. The absolute coolest thing about him though was the fact that he knew so much about WWE and wrestling. He even knew stuff about me and knew who my first match was with and the feud I was in. I was floored that he even knew who I was. Anyway, it was great. Had the best time hanging out with him and can’t wait ’til next time. He reminded me of Jeff Hardy a little, and from what I understood, they had hung out before and got a long really well. Finally, last but not least, I can’t wrap up this blog without turning over the spotlight to the Tag Team Champions, and two of my best friends, Paul London and Brian Kendrick. They are amazing wrestlers and like you are about to find out, have great taste in music as well. I caught up with them while on a break from diligently training in the jungles of a secret location in Thailand. I was told by natives they blindfold themselves and catch fish with their hands, and that Paul strengthens his abs by having Brian drop heavy coconuts on his stomach while he’s perched on top of a tree. I always wondered how he got those abs. Hot. So without further ado, here’s what Paul had to say about the music they’re into… turns out we have very similar tastes :o) “Brian is White Stripes, Tool and ABBA all the way, whether he’s working out, traveling, at home, getting psyched or whatever, and I have a healthy dose of Chimaira, As I Lay Dying, Bury Your Dead and Mike Patton throughout my days on the road and at home. Peeping Tom is Sept. 29 in NYC at Irving Plaza for anyone who is looking for a musical makeover in their life... DIZZLE.” You can bet your @#$ I’ll be there! NYC, yeahhhhh! Dirty Diva, signing off. Next time look forward to an interview with another awesome band (not telling you who yet), another one with one of your favorite Superstars and a report on the show at Irving Plaza. Later. XOXO, Dirty Diva A-Tunes of the Day 1. “Where is my mind” – The Pixies 2. “Forever” – As I Lay Dying 3. “The Nameless” – Slipknot 4. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s 5. “Wish” – Nine Inch Nails