Steven Adler Tells Drug Stories + Says Playing Stadiums With Guns N’ Roses Is Better Than Heroin
Guns N’ Roses legend Steven Adler made his presence known with a wild appearance onstage at the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards, but he kept it going backstage. During our interview with Adler at the PRS Backstage Artist Lounge, the drummer told drug stories, described how fans can contribute to his next book and how playing stadiums with Guns N’ Roses is better than heroin.
During Guns N’ Roses’ historic "Not in This Lifetime" tour, Adler surprised fans in Cincinnati, Nashville and Los Angeles last year by jamming “Out Ta Get Me” and “My Michelle” with his former bandmates. “It was a dream come true to be able to play for so many people and get that kind of love,” Adler says. “You get love in a club, but in a stadium when you’ve got 100,000 screaming your name, that’s a high you can just never come off of … It’s worse than heroin. It’s better and worse at the same time. [laughs]”
Adler is seeking stories for a new memoir, The S—t My Friends Remember I Did. One newly uncovered tale stars Adler, John 5 and Lars Ulrich as the three were driving to Arizona for a Metallica show. Adler recalls doing cocaine with Ulrich the entire ride and John 5 accidentally knocking over Metallica’s gigantic “Doris” statue at the gig.
Steven also told us an old Guns N’ Roses story. After being drugged with “brown powder” by a stripper, Adler awoke in the hospital with “charcoal coming out of every hole in my body.” He looked over to see Axl Rose holding his hand, with the vocalist crying because he thought Adler was dying.
There’s always plenty of stories when you talk to Steven Adler! So check out our exclusive interview with the drummer above!
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