Steven Adler

by **Soulmonster** Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:02 pm

STEVEN ADLER

Pseudonyms/former names:
Steven "Popcorn" Adler.

Date of birth:
January 22, 1965.

Band position:
Drums.

Time with Guns N' Roses:
1985-July 11, 1990.

Shows with the band:
Steven played at least {STEVENSHOWS} shows with Guns N' Roses.

Biography:
Steven Adler (born Michael Coletti; January 22, 1965) is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer and co-songwriter of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s. Adler was fired from Guns N' Roses over his heroin addiction in 1990, following which he reformed his old band Road Crew and briefly joined BulletBoys, which both proved unsuccessful. During the 2000s, Adler was the drummer of the band Adler's Appetite, and since 2012, he has held the same position in the band Adler. He appeared on the second and fifth seasons of the reality TV show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, as well as on the first season of its spin-off Sober House. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Guns N' Roses. [Wikipedia, August 2016]

Quotes:

First meeting: We met one night at the Laurel Elementary playground when we were thirteen. As I remember it, he was skateboarding miserably. After a particularly hard fall, I rode over on my bike and helped him up and we were instantly inseparable [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York]

Steven Adler was actually the guy that started me playing guitar in the first place. So when I started playing guitar, he started playing drums ad we had an ongoing relationship that went on for years [Reckless Road, 2010]

Recounting the early days and first members of Guns N' Roses: Steven Adler was the next in the band - he had great hair [The Days of Wine and Roses, Classic Rock, April 2005]

First meeting of Slash and Steven: I walked in [at Canter's], looked at the first booth on the left, and saw all this fucking hair. Somehow I had expected these guys to look like Social Distortion. Instead, even though they appeared about my age, the dudes in Rodker [="Road Crew"] had long hair an rocker chick girlfriends [...]. Steven Adler was really nice, and expressed himself with an infectious, almost childlike enthusiasm [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p 29-30]

In the studio our drummer is completely hyper [Guitar For The Practising Musician, 1988]

Steven has such an open, carefree soul that his enthusiasm is tremendously contagious [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York]

On the time before Guns N' Roses was founded: It was so aggravating to watch him expend his energy on partying when we had so much to do [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York]

We really had to make a drummer out of him. We took all his drums away – he had a double-bass drum and all these fuckin’ toms – and he ended up with a kick, a snare, a floor ton, crash and ride cymbals and his hi-hats: a Ramones-style kit. The band would rehearse, then Steve and I would get together – just bass and drums – every day and work on grooves [Bulletproof - Duff interview, Guitar World’s Bass Guitar June/July 2004 Issue]

Izzy shared my horror at big, overwrought "heavy metal" drum kits. He and I made sure there was never a second kick drum anywhere in sight, regardless of where we rehearsed. Together we began plotting to hide parts of Steven's own drum kit, too. Every time poor Steven would show up at band practice, the kit got progressively smaller, until he was left with the vase essentials - the setup that would allow him to hone his signature sound and influence modern rock drummers a few short years later. Without a second bass drum, his frenetic speed-metal beat was cut in half and instead he and I could lock in and create a groove [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 70]

The timing for me and Steven to meld as a rhythm section was perfect. Steven had tons of drive, and we kept at it hour upon hour, day after day - just mercilessly [...]. As Steven and I crafted our sound as a rhythm section, I got to know him a lot better as a person, too, and quickly realized I couldn't have asked for a better musical partner or a better friend. I also realized that, as with all the members of the band, what you saw with Steven was not necessarily what you got. Despite his metal-dude hair and the fact that he'd go off and see Leatherwolf shows, he liked nothing more than to listen to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

One night when we were out together, Steven said to me, "You know, all I want in life is to make enough money one day so I can have a bag of good weed and a big ball of crack around - all the time". [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 84-85]

Steven was a San Fernando Valley metal guy with a soft spot for the soaring harmonies of 1960s vocal music [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 96]

It was during this period of writing and rehearsing [for Appetite for Destruction] (...) that I started to notice something different about Steven. He would show up to rehearsal a little too elastic; he seemed like he was drunk but he wasn't drinking anything [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York]

Talking about the rape charges against Axl and Slash that were dropped: It turned out that our drummer had fucked one of their mothers, so it was a complicated story [SPIN, May 1988]

Steven could get very emotional at the drop of a hat, and his way of showing it was complete and utter defiance [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, pp 220]

One change I didn't see coming [after getting signed to Geffen]: heroin use in the band started to expand. [...] Though he'd dabbled a bit in the past, after we signed our deal and were all relatively flush with dough, Slash got himself strung out. And then so did Steven Adler. He was smoking crack, too. I think Stevie was willing to try anything that might dull the memories of his nightmarish childhood. Poor fucker [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 116]

As 1986 wore on, Slash, Steven and Izzy were in a constant cycle of cleaning up and going back out on the dope. It was hard to watch sometimes, but we were young ad they held it together for the most part for the sake of the band - nothing was more important to us [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 116]

To Steven's credit, and unbeknownst to most, the feel and energy of Appetite was largely due to him. He had an inimitable style of drumming that couldn't really be replaced, an almost adolescent levity that gave the band its spark [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, pp 306]

After Steven had broken his arm punching a street lamp: We were all resenting Steve at the time; we had no sympathy for the fact that he'd woken up the morning after the street-lamp incident with a cast on his arm, knowing he'd gotten too drunk and done something stupid. he'd fucked up - he had to deal with the consequences [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, pp 221]

I was more worried about Steven (...) by then: he was a huge problem; he was doing tons of blow and his performance had become irregular. I didn't catch on at first; he kept his coke hidden (...) No matter how in control I felt I was or though everyone else was, I realized that Steven was growing irretrievable. As soon as the band ended its stay in Chicago, Steven and I had less and less interaction; he was completely isolated once we got back to L.A. We were tight as a band gangwise, but during our two years on tour, Steve and I developed a distance between us as individuals that grew nothing but worse [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, pp 263-264]

Slash and Duff, talking about Steven contributing to the records: Slash: He plays drums. Steven´s not the most vocal person in the world. (...) Maybe vocal isn`t the right word, more like illiterate would be the word. [laughter] Duff: Put it this way, the Navy wouldn`t take him! [Circus Magazine, 1989]

And it turned out Steven hadn't been joking about wanting nothing more in life than a bag of good weed and a big ball of crack - except now, with more than enough money to realize his dream, he added heroin to the mix [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 148]

As I feared, [Steven] had become the odd man out. At rehearsals, Duff and I had the tedious job of dealing with him. While Axl was aware of the situation, he wasn't obligated to watch over Steven 24/7 like we were. (...) Steven was becoming a heavier burden every day [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 300]

Y'now Motley Crue? Sick fuckin' guys, man! Real sick fucks, those guys! In '87 we were supposed to come... here... to Europe, man... with fuckin' Motley Crue, and they burnt out on us and had to go into detox. You wouldn't have believed these guys. Like they're doin' an ounce of cocaine each a fuckin' day. These guys are walkin' into fuckin' walls, man. And they're doing this shit... Y'know, havin' this chick tied to the bed and stuff. And they tried to get us into that shit too, just to fuck us up, right. Which is what happened. I mean, can you believe... These guys gave fuckin' Stevie fuckin' Ajax to snort all fuckin' night. Fucked him up. You don't pull that kinda shit on another musician! Then after Motley Crue burnt out on us, we got a call sayin' Alice Cooper ha d like two weeks of support dates in the Midwest. [...] Alice was cool. He's still... Y'know... "Alice". Anyway, after like a week Alice's old man died or somethin', a gig was canceled and we got, like, really slaughtered in a Holiday Inn like somewhere in West Michigan. And it's snowing, right, fuckin' Stevie's fucked up, he goes and punches out a fuckin' electric light bulb in the fuckin' street, man. His hand's fuckin' swellin' up like an egg and he's on the bus cryin' and shit. We're goin', 'Shut the fuck up!' This shit tends to use up an awful fuckin' lot of our time [The Face, 1990]

[...] this was also the point [during rehearsals and writing in Chicago] at which Steven really started to go overboard with his cocaine and heroin intake. [...] In Chicago, Steven started to become frightening even to us [Duff and Slash], a couple of guys not accustomed to getting spooked when it came to intoxicants [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 151]

Ever since the band had started, there had been some vague animosity between Axl and Steven. This happens in all bands. All bands. I could never quite figure out what these two guys had against each other [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 151-152]

Steven was fully strung out and babbling incoherently much of the time [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 151]

When we started rehearsing the material [for Use Your Illusion] that's when Steven's house of cards came crashing down. He was utterly useless when put to the test: most of the time he'd fade away from the proper time signature somewhere in the middle of the song or just forget where he was altogether. He was just incapable of locking in with Duff or me like he used to do. It was pretty dire; something had to be done (...). That's not to say we weren't really patient with Steven. We tried everything we could think of, though we probably should've taken further action...though I'm not sure what that could have been. We'd gone so far as to bring in people like Bob Timmons, the rehab specialist who had helped clean up Mötley Crue, and others who were experienced in dealing with extreme cases. Their efforts were futile [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 301]

We were saying to him, 'Steven, you're fucked up.' We said: 'Me and Slash, we're fucked up, but you're really fucked up'. I remember saying to him: 'If me and Slash think you're fucked up, think about who's saying that...[Classic Rock Duff McKagan Interview, Classic Rock October 2002]

I hardly ever had to do bass fixes because Steven and I were so solid as a rhythm section. But when we had tried to lay down the basic tracks for 'Civil War,' producer Mike Clink and I had to patch together the drum track from dozens of inadequate takes - by hand, as this was before digital editing made that sort of thing easier [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 163]

: Our man Steve had built himself up a pretty pesky drug habit and was in full denial. Steve never grew out of those junior high rock-and-roll fantasies, even when in threat of losing them was staring him in the face (...). Duff and I split our time between jamming at Mates and monitoring Steven who (...) was as sneaky as could be about his consumption. When we were in Chicago, everyone had started to see signs that he was becoming a little bit neurotic and frail, but back in L.A. in my strung-out haze, I hadn't registered how bad off he was. At this point I could now see that his mental and physical health had become a bit questionable. Under the circumstances it was forgiveable, but I think somewhere along the line we'd forgotten that Steven was the type who needed somebody to look out for him all the time. He was like a curious kid you couldn't leave alone in the house (...). Steve didn't have the wherewithal to see it as clearly or take steps to change it. He was in such denial, but it was tough for any of us to come down on him, even for Duff, who still did coke. Steven just didn't have all his faculties and couldn't maintain a line between his excesses and his productivity. We did what we had to do to get him back on track, but you couldn't tell Steven anything. He would argue and then throw it back in your face. (In fact, to this day he is still arguing about why he got kicked out of the band.) Sometimes I'd think that I'd gotten him to a place where he could understand...then he'd pull a stunt like not showing up for a rehearsal. It was impossible to reason with him - with anyone, I guess, in that state of mind. And, really, emotionally Steven wasn't much older than a third grader, a sixth grader tops. (...) Like Izzy and myself, Steven had slipped and lost his footing in a pile of cocaine and heroine, but unlike us, he couldn't regain his balance. (...) It must be some kind of record: in total, during this period, Steven escaped rehab twenty-two times [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York, p.298-299]

Steven was careening off the deep end, too [like Slash]. He had bought a house just three blocks from mine and as a result I was able to check on him more often; what that amounted to in practical terms was watching helplessly as his crack and heroin use escalated. It got so bad, and he seemed so incapable of reining it in, that at one point I found out where his drug dealer lived and took a shotgun to teh guy's home. Fuelled by booze, obviously. I waited for him, intending to threaten the fuck out of this dude to get him to stop supplying Stevie with the things that were going to kill him. It's lucky this guy never showed up - lucky for him, of course, but also for me [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 155-156]

Despite the work we needed to do to prepare for the [Rolling] Stones shows [in October 1989], Slash and Steven showed no sign of pulling out of their drug habits, and Izzy slipped back into heroin use, too. Sometimes those guys put their drug use in front of band practise. One or the other often showed up late or left early from rehearsal - if they showed up at all [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 156]

We put together a few songs for [Farm Aid in 1990]; we worked up a cover of the U.K. Subs' classic 'Down on the Farm' and we fine-tuned 'Civil War'. (...) The second we walked out onstage, Steven took a run up to the drum riser, which is a pretty big platform that's hard to miss, and took flight. I assume he was planning on landing next to his kit, but his depth perception and reflexes were clearly impaired, so he ended up landing about four feet short. I watched it as if it were happening in slow motion...It was more than embarrassing. Steven hobbled through the show, and our performance was dodgy at best, though well received (...). We all knew why we weren't happy: the timing was all over the place. There's a certain groove and rhythm that Guns and Steven had, and when that went missing the band lost its confidence because we had to use guesswork. (...) There couldn't have been a better way for Steven to reveal to us that he'd been lying about being clean - even a full confession wouldn't have come off as honestly as his playing at that show. It was obvious we had a real problem. He was using, and had probably been using in his room up until the minute before leaving for the venue [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 302]

At this point the truth was that if his playing had been fine, I don't think anyone would have cared what he was doing to himself (...). We weren't really concerned for Steven's health as much as we were pissed off that his addiction was handicapping his performance (...) [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 302]

Farm Aid was the last show we ever played with him. When we got back to L.A., Steven got even worse - I don't know, maybe because he knew the end was near, or maybe because heroine is that shrewd of a devil. There were a few more rehab stints, but they were short-lived, maybe twenty-four to forty-eight hours at a time. The last straw came when we were asked to donate a track to a charity album called 'Nobody's Child,' (...). By then we were completely alienated from Steven. In that session, there was us and there was him. After it was finished, before Mike Clink could mix it, he found that he had to cut and paste the whole drum track together [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 303]

The writing was on the wall, and things quickly came to a head. Axl's patience as far as Steve went was long gone, so we had the inevitable get-together to discuss the situation; with Alan [Niven]'s support, Axl insisted that we give Steven a written ultimatum. It was a contract that Steve was forced to sign, that at best we hoped would scare him sober and at worst would orchestrate his departure from the band. The paperwork was clear; it said that if Steven showed up high to recording sessions, he'd be fined. If he did it three times, he'd be fired, or something along those lines. Steven signed it, he agreed to all of the terms, and like anyone caught in the throes of smack, he ignored all the promises he made and continued the way he had been [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 303]

When producer Mike Clink and I had pieced together the drum track for 'Civil War' earlier that year, it was clear Steven was not going to be able to perform with us if he didn't turn things around. When we had played a couple songs to a huge crowd at Farm Aid in April, he was a mess onstage. After that we thought we could scare him straight. We told him we were auditioning drummers and figured he's snap out of it as soon as he heard that. When that didn't work, we hired a professional sober coach, Bob Timmons, who had helped Aerosmith get clean, to talk to him. [...] Slash and I served as the voice of the band during Steven's last days wit GN'R. But no matter what we said to him, nothing changed. We told him we were getting ready to enter the studio. Still no change. Finally, we suggested he get a lawyer. It was meant to scare him, but it proved convenient for Slash, Axl, Izzy and me. In the end we had our lawyer tell his lawyer that he was permanently out [Duff's autobiography, "It's So Easy", 2011, p. 171-172]

[Steven] is back in the band. He was definitely out of the band. He wasn’t necessarily fired, we worked with Adam Maples, we worked with Martin Chambers, and Steven did the Guns N’ Roses thing and got his shit together. And it worked, and he did it, and he plays the songs better than any of ‘em, just bad-assed, and he’s GNR. And so if he doesn’t blow it, we’re going to try the album with him, and the tour and, you know, we’ve worked out a contract with him....(...) It’s only been since Thursday last week, and he’s doing great. We’re all just hoping it continues [Stick To Your Guns by Mick Wall; Kerrang, 21st and 28th of April 1990]

Steven didn't leave. Steven was fired. We gave him every ultimatum, we tried working with other drummers, we had Steven sign a contract saying that if he went back to drugs he was out. He couldn't leave his drugs...and other things had happened involved with Steven that Steven is basically someone I used to know. It makes me feel bad, but there's other things beside the band that he was involved in with his drugs that's been very dangerous and scary and I want nothing to do with him [Famous Last Words, MTV, 1990]

In my eyes, it seemed to me that Axl didn't like Steven. Steven had an unbridled enthusiasm for drums and rock and roll and life in general. He was hyper and totally fun to be around. But he was also blatantly honest and outspoken about his opinions to Axl or anyone else in the band. Often-times his opinion was in Axl's face, which wasn't the way Axl operated. Steven was unfiltered, saying exactly what he felt and didn't pussyfoot around. Duff and I were used to it and took Steven's comments with a grain of salt, so we could tune him out. But Axl was more sensitive than we were, which Duff and I also understood. With Axl, I didn't want to slow things down at rehearsal or a studio by confronting him with his lateness or whatever. But Steven would make a comment or get in his face and that never worked. But Steven could never be calculated; whatever he blurted out was always true; it was an innocent side effect of his personality. Unfortunately, up against Axl's hyperemotional sensitivity level, I'm sure Steven offended Axl more often than not without even knowing it [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 303-304]

He was lying to us on a daily basis. I was trying to talk some sense into him but it never happened. He wouldn't listen to anybody-none of us will! And Axl and Duff had had it. As amazing as it seems in this "drug-free"exercise and health age, there's a bunch of us who are stilll clinging fast to the late '60s and '70s. But Steve never grew up to l11e fact that it's not all just sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. To him it was a big fantasy and we took care of him. And now he's on his own. [...] I did keep in touch. I'd pop into his house every now and then to see how he was doing. l stuck with him, as you'd do for a loved one. And then he started getting on my case, saying, 'I've heard you guys are all on heroin and what's the difference, blah blah blah ... .' And finally I couldn't talk to him anymore. I'd take him out to dinner and id would turn into this huge fight, to the point where I couldn't take it. So now l don't see him anymore. I call his doctor and l think about him a lot. And I worry. 'Cause it's a scary thing. And he was my best friend for a long time [Musician, December 1990]

In the past, Steve used to watch my feet for meter, and I always rush things in certain places-not on purpose. So a lot of our tempos would be all over the place. We just got used to that. A couple of times we had a drummer fill in for Steve on the road, and in the middle of 'Welcome to the Jungle' I'd realize I'm four beats ahead of the drummer. So, now I'm learning to play with an actual musician [Matt] [Musician, December 1990]

Steven turned me onto the guitar. He'd crank up a KISS record and I'd just bang on the chords, and it felt great. We decided to start a band right then. . . . It was the hardest thing in the world having to (drop him) from the band. But we couldn't wait any longer. We had to make the new record." [Los Angeles Times, July 1991]

Steven is about as rock & roll personality as you can get. All he lived for was sex, drugs and rock & roll - in that order. Maybe drugs, sex and rock & roll. Then it was drugs and rock & roll. Then it was just drugs [Rolling Stone, January 1991]

I felt really bad for Steven. He's saying stuff like "How could they do this to me?" But it wasn't a matter of how we could do this to him. It was how he could do this to us. He was taken care of by the band. Anybody who thinks we just kicked him out is just somebody who doesn't know what the fuck they're talking about and doesn't know what went on. We waited for him for a fucking year. How long is a band supposed to wait around? We all wanted to get out and play, and he wanted to play, too. He was just too loaded to do it. Really we did all kinds of things for this kid to get him back to normal, and he refused. Every time he went into rehab, he took off. [...] Steven had no control whatsoever. He didn't want to be in rehab and still wanted to be doing what he's doing. He thought it was very rock & roll. What do you tell a guy like that? So I just said, "Fuck it, that's it. I can't deal with it anymore, we have to get a new drummer" [Rolling Stone, January 1991]

We tried our best to get Steven back together. Steven - he's always been the child of the band, the one that was always just the happy-go-lucky, sex, drugs and rock'n'roll and that's it. He couldn't understand why the drugs were so separated from rock'n'roll all of a sudden; why he couldn't be a junkie and be in a rock'n'roll band, because the twain are supposed to meet on the same ground. But after a while it's really not like that. You have to take care of yourself. People will not go around wiping your ass for you. So a year went by (three visits to rehab) and I finally said, Steven, you've got to go. (...) It still fucks with me. And I still check up on him. I won't go so far as to say he's clean and I won't go so far as to say he's still fucked up. I know he's unhappy. I hadn't seen him since the day it that it was over. Then I was at the Rainbow one night, of all the places to run into him, and I was with Duff and with Matt, who he'd never met...It was really awkward. I haven't really seen him since. It's too deep a thing to get into [Tears Before Bedtime?; Q July 1991]

I'm not sure of the exact timetable, but it didn't take long for Steven to violate the terms of the sobriety contract we handed him, and once he did, he was done for. (...) I couldn't deny the fact that kicking Steven out of Guns N' Roses for drug abuse was kind of ridiculous and excessively harsh. It was also hypocritical (...). All I remember is that the next time I saw Steve was in court, because he sued us, which seemed asinine. He was in such bad shape that I knew what he was doing when he headed to the bathroom in the middle of the proceedings. He sued us for a couple of million buck for a glitch in the execution of his sobriety contract. He needed to have an attorney present when he signed it, and he hadn't had one. Of course, thanks to our attorneys, we didn't know this. I was shocked when I found out that Steven won his lawsuit and we had to pay him two million bucks [Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. p. 304-305]

We had recorded like 18 tracks for the Use Your Illusion I record with Steven and it just wasn’t happening. We put him through rehab like three times. I even went to his drug dealer’s house and threatened him with a gun and said, ‘Dude, if you ever...’ [Circus Magazine, 1991]

The misconception is that we kicked him out for the hell of it, and that l was the dictator behind it. The truth is, l probably fought a little harder to keep him in the band, because l wasn't working with him on a daily basis like the other guys were. They grew tired of not being able to get their work done because Steven wasn't capable of it. I've read interviews where he's saying that he's straight. Most of the time he isn't. (...) At one point, in order to keep this band together, it was necessary for me to give him a portion of my publishing rights. That was one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my life, but he threw such a fit, saying he wasn't going to stay in the band. We were worried about not being able to record our first album, so I did what l felt l had to do. In the long run l paid very extensively for keeping Steven in Guns N' Roses. I paid $1.5 million by giving him 15 percent of my publishing off of Appetite for Destruction. He didn't write one goddamn note, but he calls me a selfish dick!(...) I feel bad for him in ways, because he's a real damaged person, but he's making choices to keep himself in that damage. There's nothing we can do at this point. We took him to rehabs, we threatened his drug dealers, we helped him when he slashed his wrists. I even forgave him after he nearly killed my wife. I had to spend a night with her in an intensive-care unit because her heart had stopped thanks to Steven. She was hysterical, and he shot her up with a speedball. She had never done jack shit as far as drugs go, and he shoots her up with a mixture of heroin and cocaine? I kept myself from doing anything to him. I kept the man from being killed by members of her family. I saved him from having to go to court, because her mother wanted him held responsible for his actions. And the sonofabitch turns on me? I mean, yeah, I'm a difficult person to deal with, and I'm a pain in the ass to understand, and I've had my share of problems, but Steven benefited greatly from his involvement with me - more than I did from knowing him. Steven had a lot of fans, but he was a real pain in the ass. I need to keep him in my life for you? F?!k you! ["I, Axl" Del James, RIP Magazine - 1992]

We did 'Civil War' with Steven Adler [...]. And before I could put my guitars on, we had to edit the drums because he was so out of time. He couldn't keep his meter going [Guitar For The Practising Musician, April 1992]

It was real hard to see Steven go, because he was my friend. He was a big part of what made us happen, and he had great energy in the beginning. But when the rest of us straightened up and bounced back, he didn't [Guitar World, January 2000]

(...) Sadly, we had to replace our founding drummer because of acute drug problems. We had to replace him so that we could finally get on with making our new record and touring Reverb, December 2009]

We turned him onto drugs? My f?!king ass! That's so pathetic. Steven is scared to death of me. If he sees me in public, he just turns into a grovelling heap of defeatism. He just doesn't know what to say. He mumbles. I ask him a straightforward question, 'What's your motivation behind this?"' and he doesn't know what to say. Until now I haven't said a word about Steven to the press. I haven't attacked him; I haven't insulted him. I felt sorry for him. I didn't want to hurt him. We gave him a year to get his shit together. He couldn't play any of the new shit anyway. It got to a point where the material was way beyond him. I can't believe this little f?!ker. I read the shit he said about us in Circus (...) He said in that article he's sober now, but every time I've seen him, he's been wasted. I don't know what he's wasted on; I don't even care. I lost all concern and feeling for the guy. And I know a drug lie when I see one. We couldn't get any work done at Rumbo [the original studio where the band started work on Use Your Illusion three years ago]. He cost us a fortune. We had to edit the drum track to 'Civil War' just so we could play to it. At Rumbo, Steven would nod out to the point where he would be on a stool, but his head would be touching the floor. He'd say, 'I'm tired. I'm sleepy,' and he couldn't play. That was basically it. We gave him so many chances to turn around. We took him to Indiana, to play Farm Aid, and he jumps on the drum riser and almost breaks his f?!king neck. Look, Steven was a part of what made Guns N' Roses happen. He had a great energy. He wasn't an insanely great drummer, but he had tons of attitude. When the sex and drugs and the whole bit started to get out of hand, he went right along with it. But there's a certain time when you really have to control your life. I'm not preaching - I'm in no position to preach - but you must be aware of your own existence and take care of your own business. You just can't be loaded all the time and expect everything to be okay. Trust me, I know. As far as the rest of us, we bounced back, we straightened up. Steven never did. We always told each other when it was getting real bad. Everybody was there for the individual who needed help. That's how we're survived as a band. But Steven would never cop to anything, as far as telling us how bad it was. And now he's suing us. Thank you very much [Guns N' Roses From The Inside An exclusive report by Lonn M. Friend; RIP March 1992]

I took it pretty hard when Stevie was out of the band. It was pretty upsetting, cos I was watching Stevie trying to get himself together after pulling myself together, and it was kinda hard seeing somebody trying when they're not really ready for it. [...] He was a good-natured guy; I hope he can get it together. He was never malicious, he never tried to fuck people around, he was just happy playing his drums. In some ways he's a little naive, I guess. [...] He was a good drummer. He wasn't a virtuoso, a Neil Peart from Rush or something, but he's a fucking damn good rock drummer, he's a good guy, and he was funnier than shit on the road. I was always laughing when I was hanging out with Stevie. Some of the shit he'd pull, you'd just go, 'No fucking way!' One time we were in New York: I was rooming with Stevie and due to overbooking, we got a huge $500-a-night-suite. We had this big room so we had a big party...and two days later we're still up! Stevie's a hairy guy, he's naked, his fucking eyes are red and swollen like goggles, and he's walking around when the maid comes in. The look on this lady's face man - it just freaked the shit out of her, this fucking red-eyes ape guy! He was funny. I hope he gets it together. I told him to get a real job, clean himself up and start doing studio work or something. He was saying that he just really missed playing[Kerrang!, September 1992]

At this time I had nearly managed to get clean up, from everything. When I was looking at the band, I would see Stevie, who was a good guy, who's been struggling with us during all these years, but couldn't handle it anymore. He was a real millstone, he needed to clean up! Fuck... We all tried to help him, to support him. But no, finally, we'd been on the road with this guy for years and we lived this dilemma: "OK. We leave him six months doing nothing without any guarantee it gets better, or we forget about the double album and we burry the band?" Actually, the industry's machine woke up and the answer was: "We take someone else to cut these records." It's wasn't an easy decision. Look, yesterday, I talked to him over the phone for the first time in a year. I told him: "God Stevie, get your act man, record..." And he answered: "Fuck, man, my reputation is fucked up." I couldn't help laughing! And I told him: "Open your eyes, your reputation has always been fucked up (laughs)! Get a band! Play!" [Rock & Folk, September 1992]

About getting Steven to play on his projects: I'd use him in a second, but he's another one of those guys that you know the phone call is gonna come… I mean, I hate to say that, because I love the guy, but I think he's back in jail now. Drugs… I saw him about two years ago - Izzy, Wes and I went to his house. We tried to talk to him - "Hey man, you're gonna die," we said. It didn't work. He was a mess. If I let him drum in my band, he'd fool himself into thinking he was OK because I was using him. I'd be what's called an "enabler." And I wont do that [A Serious Case of that Beautiful Disease, Metal Edge, June 1999]

Steven damaged himself a lot. The only thing you can do for the guy is cry for him. It's hard to talk to him sometimes. He's still the same guy, but there's a lot of things that have changed him forever [Popular 1, July 2000]

Steven just kept on lying. He kept saying he'd given up. I'd already been around to his dealer's house and threatened to kill him if he sold Steven any more drugs. And one night I went round to Steven's house and pressed the redial button on his phone. And guess where it went? And that was that [Classic Rock, May 2006]

I even had lunch with Steven last week. He is clean, today, but he is affected physically and mentally[Hard Rock Interview, June 2001]

Paraphrased: Wow... what to say about this guy... I just recently played with Steven with the Starfuckers... actually it was both him and C.C. Deville of Poison. It was like this really hyped up concert because here's two big names playing with us... and let me tell you... at the concert... you could hear a pin drop. C.C. DeVille was terrible.. the guy can't play for the life of him... and Steven... he can't even hold a beat anymore let alone play drums. We'd look bad and the guy was literally smoking crack while on stage during the songs. It was possibly the worst concert of my life... I mean... there's only so many times that a guy can die from an overdose and come back alive...[Madagascar88, January 2006]

I do wish Steven the best and in my heart hope that he finds some peace and security. As far as direct contact no. It unfortunately gets too messy too quick. In Steven's mind I'm the one who holds the keys and power over his happiness so I'm the bad guy pretty quickly [mygnrforum.com, December 12, 2008]

Talking about working with former members: Steven brings assorted ambulance-chasing attorneys and the nightmare of his mother. One gig, or even a couple songs, could mean years of behind-the-scenes legal aftermath [Axl interview by Del James, spinner.com, 2009]

With 'Appetite,' for me the parts, playing, etc., timing flaws, whatever, are perfect, and as a moment in time for me, the whole record is. That said, the sound of the drums, which at the time in our niche of the woods was a bit of a bold statement and a somewhat successful effort to change things from the current flow at the time, and so may have been necessary but for me sound the most dated of anything there sound-wise (...) The public has no idea what went into Steven's parts and the notion of getting through songs in rehearsal if ever, with no exaggeration, was unfortunately a nightmare that neither I or Izzy could take, and eventually the others as well, though they lasted longer for other reasons [Axl interview by Del James, spinner.com, 2009]

I wish Steven the best; unfortunately Steven's given us the spoiler for that [Del James interview with Axl, February 2009]

After playing again with Steven and Slash in 2009: When Steven came to rehearsal last Friday for that benefit show, the scars of his hard-lived life faded instantly, replaced by his kid-like grin. The drugs over the years had done every diabolical trick they could, but they did not steal his talent and backbeat. It was a pleasure and an honor to play with my brother again after a 20-year absence. He absolutely killed it last Sunday night at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood. I pulled for him. Slash pulled for him. The whole audience pulled for him. In that short instant, three teenage runaways from the past paid it forward to a wide-eyed audience of kids who could see what can be achieved when the strains of life are eased and replaced by dreams and hope [Reverb, November 2009]

I just got back from seeing The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale--a true story about boxer Micky Ward and his once-promising older brother who got addicted to crack in the mid-'80s. Christian Bale just fucking nailed the tics and physical traits of a crack guy, and I swear he must have studied an old drummer of mine, Steven Adler, for this part. I love Steven, so watching this portrayal reminded me of the heartbreak that I felt back then [Reverb, December 2010]

I think Izzy, because he doesn’t speak in public, he doesn’t do interviews, kind of gets forgotten about sometimes. And he was such an important figure in the writing of all of that stuff. Without any one of those guys in that band, doesn’t matter who—Steven Adler, without his groove, we wouldn’t have come up with a lot of those riffs. Steven was there and worked just as hard on those songs, even though he couldn’t play guitar. But Izzy was such a key guy in those songs and their development [The Onion A.V. Club, May 2011]

Matt: I got this random text message form Steven Adler this morning, we are now friends which is... cool, if you can imagine when I joined the band for Steven I was like the guy who shagged his girlfriend. He wanted to just kill the dude. But really, it's the girlfriend's fault. She's the one who shagged the dude, it's not his fault, he just happened to be there and she's a chick, and what do guys do when chick's want to shag? Get busy, right? But now it's cool, after all these years he's sort of like calmed down quite a bit [Triple M, November (?), 2011]

Steven was at our show at the Hard Rock, later in '06 in Las Vegas, where I invited him to our after-party and was rewarded with his subsequent interviews filled with reunion lies. Lesson learned [HOF Press Release, April 2011]

Talking about how he doesn't have any problems with anyone, including previous members: [Smiling] But I do have a couple problems with Mr. Adler! Because he tends to say some nasty things abut the current band and then I say some things back and then he apologizes and then we make nice and then he says it again! Steven, stop it!! But even him, if I saw him I'd give him a big hug. I'd tell him what a pain in the ass he is and give him a hug. [Vorterix.com, November ,2013]

I really try to keep the spirit of the way the song was played. When we play the Appetite… stuff I try to have the push and pulls. Steven’s punk rock bits are great. [...] Adler’s playing was one of the greatest rock drumming performances in the history of music. You can put it in the top ten. His playing on Appetite… is perfect[Music Radar, June 2016].

by **Soulmonster** Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:01 pm

Slash: Steven is about as rock & roll personality as you can get. All he lived for was sex, drugs and rock & roll - in that order. Maybe drugs, sex and rock & roll. Then it was drugs and rock & roll. Then it was just drugs [Rolling Stone, January 1991].

What a brilliant quote Why Thank You

by **Soulmonster** Thu May 02, 2013 9:07 pm

According to Blabbermouth, Steven is back in rehab

ADLER, the new band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, has postponed its previously announced summer tour due to Steven checking into an undisclosed rehabilitation center to continue working on his sobriety.

"We are truly sorry to all of the fans and promoters who were looking forward to seeing us on the road, but right now Steven's health is the most important thing," states ADLER frontman Jacob Bunton. "We hope to make it up to everyone when Steven recovers."

U.S. dates are currently being rescheduled to early fall.

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=189467

by puddledumpling Fri May 03, 2013 12:49 am

Drat.

I've been impressed with Jacob Bunton and anticipated this band having a good chance of making a go of it. I hope Steven comes out intact and improved and that the rest of the band members can use this time to their own advantage.

Too bad this notice had to follow the Slash quote previous in the thread.

by **Soulmonster** Tue May 07, 2013 1:10 pm

On May 2, former Guns N’ Roses and current Adler drummer Steven Adler admitted himself back into rehab for undisclosed substance abuse. The band Adler was forced to postpone its summer tour dates due to the drummer’s return to rehab, and Adler himself has just written an official statement detailing exactly why he needed to go back again.

Steven Adler has been battling substance abuse issues for over two decades. The drummer’s demons have haunted him in many ways, most notably leading to his eviction from Guns N’ Roses in 1990. His substance abuse has led him to seek treatment multiple times, even making appearances on VH1 programs ‘Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew’ and ‘Sober House.’

Steven Adler revealed the following statement on his official blog:

I picked up a bottle and drank. This occurred a few times and that is a few times too many. I knew that this had to permanently stop. That is the moment I picked up the phone, before it got out of hand, to get help. I had kicked hard drugs several years ago and now it is time to get rid of the urges of drinking alcohol. I am at a great facility and will stay here until I am comfortable to be home to work the program on my own. I love you all for understanding, being patient and supporting my decision. Like my peers, I will beat this too, so I can return to music and beat my drums!

Stay tuned for more updates on Steven Adler’s condition and the rescheduled dates for Adler’s cancelled tour. Good luck, Steven. We’re all rooting for you.

Source: http://loudwire.com/former-guns-n-roses-steven-adler-return-to-rehab-i-picked-up-bottle-drank/

by **Uli** Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:20 am

Can't help but admire the never-ending enthusiasm Steven has for the Appetite line-up!
http://tinyurl.com/lgjlysc

In the unlikely event that the most famous lineup of Guns N’ Roses should reunite, Steven Adler says they’d likely produce the best album of their career. Yes, even better than Guns N’ Roses’ celebrated 1987 debut.

“I think it would blow Appetite for Destruction away,” Adler told Mitch Lafon. “All of us are such better players. And when we did Appetite, we were only adults for maybe three or four years. And that’s from our experiences in life, that’s what we came up with. Now we’ve been adults for 30 years, and I’ve been through ups and downs, like an emotional roller coaster. I have a lot to write about, and I know the other guys, if we got together, being adults now and knowing what we know, and [having] been through what we’ve been through, I think we could make an even bigger kickass record.”

by **Soulmonster** Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:21 am

Haha, you beat me to it Very Happy

I seem to remember Steve saying he would never talk about reunion again after HOF Smile

by **Uli** Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:06 pm

Soulmonster wrote:
I seem to remember Steve saying he would never talk about reunion again after HOF

Yeah, but you knew it wouldn't be true!

by **Soulmonster** Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:23 am

TMZ report that Steven has been hospitalized after stabbing himself in the stomach: https://www.tmz.com/2019/06/27/guns-n-roses-steven-adler-drummer-stab-himself-hospital/

Apparently his family wants everybody to know he is doing okay.

by **Uli** Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:51 am

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2019/06/28/guns-n-roses-steven-adler-hospitalized-injuries/1593421001/

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler was hospitalized Thursday with non-life-threatening injuries, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY.

“Upon arrival, LAPD officers determined that there was no crime, and the incident was being treated as a medical emergency only,” Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department told USA TODAY, speaking about an incident that occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. at Adler's Los Angeles home. “The subject was transported to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.”

by **Soulmonster** Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:52 am

According to a representative of Steven, it was an accident.

by **Soulmonster** Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:13 am

Of all the sad quotes I have read from Steven, this from 2000 is definitely one of them:

I'm 35 now, he reflects, and I'd love to have kids, I loved my wife, and I miss her more than anything, I've got a new girlfriend now and I love her very much too. And just about 4 or 5 months ago I found out that I have a little girl, she's 12 years old, I knew her mother in LA and she was a very beautiful girl, she was only 18 and she put the girl up for adoption, but I've never met my daughter, and I'd never try to let her know who I am, I could never go up to her and tell her I'm her father, I'm glad she's just happy.

It makes me sad though. Kids are the greatest thing apart from playing music, Hey, I'm the smiling drummer, though, I'm a rocker man...and a roller too...

Classic Rock, July 2000

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