'G N' R Is Not Playing The Songs The Way That They're Supposed To Be Played'

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler is in an affable, talkative mood upon conversing with The Music. Query him about his upcoming Australian tour - during which his Adler's Appetite band will perform the classic Guns N' Roses 1987 debut Appetite For Destruction in its entirety - and the sticksman reels off a laundry list of updates about assorted projects and his health. The former include his art collection and an upcoming book. 

These shows will also include a Q&A with Adler and his mother, Deanna, author of Sweet Child Of Mine: How I Lost My Son To Guns N' Roses. "I'm bringing my mum out there for her book Sweet Child Of Mine... which I am; I am a sweet child and I always was. She was just a bad mother," he jokes. "No, she was wonderful. So I'm excited to be bringing her with me. It's so great, because her book and my book - and my book is the typical, rockstar, young man doing drugs, partying, making out with girls, blah, blah, blah, travelling around the world. But you never hear about... The people that that person who was doing the drugs and all this damage to themselves, how it's affecting the people that they love and that love them.

"So in my mum's book, you totally get the other side of the story. I'm really proud of her. She's a lovely woman and the question-and-answer stuff we're going to do, trust me, there's nothing that anybody could ask us that we will not be completely, 100% honest with. Because we're not ashamed of anything. I'm proud of my mother and I'm proud of me for surviving, kicking butt and having the greatest time."

Adler was fired from the mega-star hard rockers in 1990 over his drug use. Adler's autobiography, My Appetite for Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns N' Roses delves into his depression, suicide attempts, drug-related heart attacks and debilitating stroke that left him with muscular paralysis and permanently slurred speech.

"Ever since I stopped drinking... I stopped doing drugs in 2008, but four years, three months and three days ago, I quit drinking," the 53-year-old explains. "And everything - within nine months, my whole life did a 180. I've got a beautiful house, a beautiful view, a beautiful wife, beautiful dogs. I'm kickin' arse on the drums - never played or felt better. I'm going to get my driver's license back this year. It's been 17 years, goshdarnit."

In recent years, Adler was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses. He has largely been sidelined for the reunion of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, with Frank Ferrer occupying the drum stool. Adler has made several guest spots with the current incarnation during their highly lucrative, stadium-sized victory lap.

Of potentially making additional appearances with the band, he admits, "I would love to. I hope so, but it's up to them. I love those guys very much. They know my phone number and they know I'm the only one who can play those songs the way they go, which everybody in Australia will see. It's going to be a great night. People are going to hear songs... I'm sorry to say this, you guys, you know I love you all, but G N' R is not playing the songs the way that they're supposed to be played. I'm going to Australia and I'm going to play them for those people. I'm going to show 'em how much those songs swing."

So why does Adler believe the Appetite For Destruction songs still resonate so strongly with rock audiences after 30 years? "Because they're fucking great songs," he laughs. "I'm so proud of what me and those guys accomplished - our dreams came true to a T. Everything was going perfect until 1990. All our dreams were coming true - musically, personally, in every way. And then for some reason the '90s came and all the stars got misaligned, and everything went loopty-loop.

"But it was magic. When we were in the studio recording Appetite, everything you hear is first, second or maybe third takes. Maybe one song we did four times. I could point out mistakes and you can't play a click track to it. That's one reason why I think it's such a great record, is because it's real."