Steven Adler on Exclusion of Himself + Izzy Stradlin From Guns N’ Roses Reunion: ‘It’s Just Not Cool’
Steven Adler has made a guest appearance during Guns N' Roses' "Not in This Lifetime" tour, but the drummer obviously would have preferred a bit more. While he has been complimentary of the group and thankful for having the ability to return to the stage with his onetime Guns N' Roses bandmates, the drummer has revealed that it was hurtful to both he and Izzy Stradlin that they were not invited to take part for the full run as both Duff McKagan and Slash were.
Speaking with Australia's Hysteria magazine, Adler stated, “My goal was to finish what I started, and Izzy’s too. Iz is just as heartbroken as I am that the three of them decided to leave us out and bring three strangers in -- who are those people? It’s just not cool."
He went on to add, “I love those songs, I love those records. I practice them here at home every day because I love them and I’m so proud of them and I’m proud of what the five of us did. We accomplished our dream exactly the way we wanted to. It didn’t end the way we wanted, or I wanted, but we did it our way. Like Frank Sinatra said, ‘I did it my way.’”
While not currently a part of the Guns N' Roses run, Adler plans to honor the 30th anniversary of Appetite for Destruction in his own way. He's already announced a tour of Australia kicking off in May which centers on the Appetite era, as well as other Guns N' Roses favorites.
“You’ll hear everything the way it was supposed to go,” he says. As for Guns N' Roses, Adler says he's always ready to step in. “You know, if they want me, they know my number. I’m ready to rock.”
Adler and his self-titled band will play Darwin, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney between May 16-26. Ticketing details can be found here.
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