Adler's appetite for reconstruction
By Ray Hogan
Staff Writer
October 7, 2004
Steven Adler was the member of Guns N' Roses whose appetite for destruction was so great, it cost him his job.
In 1990, while the group was riding high, in more volatile ways than one, on the success of its debut album and "Lies," a stopgap follow-up, Adler was asked to leave the band.
Aside from putting together a new, short-lived version of Road Crew, the band he formed with guitarist Slash before Guns N' Roses, he essentially dropped out of the picture for the next 10 years, aside from being in the news for suing his former band.
He's become more visible over the last few years, leading Adler's Appetite, a band that celebrates the songs of Guns N' Roses' "Appetite for Destruction," and being one of the few members of his former band to participate in the VH1 episode of "Behind the Music" on the group.
Things are busy with the former and current members of the seminal Los Angeles rock band. Velvet Revolver, a group that includes Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (Adler's Guns replacement), succeeded beyond expectations, debuting at No. 1 and currently enjoying two songs in the Top 10 on rock radio. Axl Rose, who might be the only one who actually believes his new band is Guns N' Roses and that its long-awaited disc, "Chinese Democracy," will ever be released, has become a running joke.
With Adler actively touring again, it's a great time to catch up with him to reflect on his past and see where his future musical roads might lead him. Unfortunately, scheduling didn't allow for that, per se. But with Adler's Appetite guitarist Alex Grossi, a Connecticut native, acting as liaison (we e-mailed Grossi questions, he presented them to Adler and returned the responses), we got a glimpse into the drummer's past and his excitement about his new band.
Adler's Appetite has a revolving cast of musicians. The edition coming to Stamford tonight features Grossi, singer Joe LeSte (Bang Tango and Beautiful Creatures) and bassist Chuck Wright. (The band recording the debut Adler's Appetite disc, now in pre-production, consists of bassist Robbie Crane [Ratt], singer Jizzy Pearl and guitarists Brent Muscat [Faster Pussycat] and Keri Kelli.)
"I love to play my music with all my friends," Adler says. "Any chance I get to go out and play, I'm going. Alex Grossi and Joe LeSte are doing a great job. There is no set roster. We just play whenever we can."
The group's current shows stick heavily to "Appetite"-era classics such as "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," "My Michelle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine."
In "Behind the Music," Adler was candid about his demons, but says he hasn't seen the episode yet. He is still proud about what the band accomplished with "Appetite for Destruction," which many consider the most important debut album of the last 20 years.
"Slash and I grew up together, we made our childhood dreams come true. That is what I am most proud of," he says. Yet he has regrets. "I would not have done so much heroin," he says when asked about what he would have done differently. He adds that "Welcome to the Jungle" best sums up his life during that period.
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