Interview with Steven in Rukus - June, 2011

Exclusive Interview with
Steven Adler
by Michelle Oberg

Steven Adler shared his dirt and kept it real candid with Rukus to discuss his Good To Be Alive Tour with Adler's Appetite, new book "My Appetite for Destruction," Guns 'N Roses and overcoming his addictions. Here's what he has to say:

RUKUS MAGAZINE: Let's talk Adler's Appetite. Since '03 there's been several member changes and a hiatus. Are you happy with the current line up?
STEVEN ADLER: We're playing all summer—45 shows, and yeah, I'm really pleased with it. Everything has been going great between the rehearsals for this tour and the band. I have to say it's funner than ever. We're doing a couple GnR tunes we haven't done in the past and our new single that's just out on iTunes; we got a whole new show put together.

RM: I saw you guys play in L.A. last January. That venue was so packed you couldn't move. Are you expecting the same type of fan reaction?
SA: No, not at all. I'm expecting bigger and better.

RM: Have your fans been supportive through all these years considering everything that has been going on both personally and publicly?
SA: Oh yeah, they're great! But, for me I think of Steven Tyler, Nikki Sixx and Slash, you know those goofballs. I looked up to those guys; they made mistakes too and made it out okay. I feel that you get stronger after surviving shit like that [drugs]. Right now, I'm the happiest I have been in my whole life but I don't think I'd be happier than I am right now if I hadn't ruined 20 years of my life either [laughs].

RM: For the record are you clean and sober now?
SA: Yes, I am. I actually just finished my last stint with Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest and Shelly on Celebrity Rehab. Since I got off the heroin and the crack and the pills my life has been just a turn-around, but I was still drinking Jagermeister and smoking the pot. My life was going to a place where I have wanted it to go for many years; heading in a positive direction, but I wasn't able to make the full commitment until I met Dr. Drew in 2008. I made 180 degree turn in my life and made the complete change—I got off the rest of the stuff. It's amazing how small of an effort it takes if you just give a little when you want to change. I never in my life would have imagined myself saying, "I enjoy being in rehab." I was here with a bunch of crazies, just a bunch of loony tunes, but they were good people.

RM: What was the turning point for you to finally get sober and join Celebrity Rehab?
SA: I didn't die. I tried killing myself, and you know, you'd think it's easy to do, but let me tell you: it's not easy. I could tell you there are two separate times I tried killing myself and both times I took 100 Valium, drank the big bottle of Jagermeister and shot up ¾ of a gram of heroin. The only thing that happened to me is that I had the best night sleep of my life. So, I just got tired of being sick and tired and feeling down. Unfortunately, you don't realize this until you're getting sober but the reason why you're depressed all the time is it's the drugs that are depressing you. Cocaine and Heroin are depressants; Valium is a depressant; alcohol and cigarettes are a depressant.

RM: Have you recognized the irony in Adler's Appetites acronym being "AA"?
SA: Of course, I had a new bass drum logo made for this tour and I had two giant "AA" letters put on it…and it is fucking ironic!

RM: Tell me about your new book "My Appetite for Destruction."
SA: It's basically all the worst scars and tattoos of my life in rock and roll. I burned the candle with super stars and survived to share the story. I wouldn't have been able to do my book without the help Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest and Shelly. They helped me realize that for 20 years I was angry with Slash, and especially him since we were the closest; we've known each other since we were 11, but with Doug, Izzy and Axel, I was wasting my life being angry with them getting high, destroying myself, but it took me until I got sober to realize that they didn't let me down—I let them down. So in my book, I take 100% responsibility for my life and for everything that happened. I got to sit down with each one of them separately with my sobriety and apologize for blaming them for all the downfalls of my life. When I did it with Slash it was a little more difficult because this was our dream for decades: we'd dreamed of being in a rock band and being successful making music, making records, traveling the world and fucking every girl that we possibly could, and do all the drugs that we possibly could and we did. So I apologized to him for blaming him for everything. I was blessed to be able to work and live and love with my generation of the Freddie Mercury's, Jim Jones's, Jimi Hendrix's and John Paul Jones's. I got to work with my generation of that caliber of people and it was a great time. All of that is in my book.

RM: How did it feel reliving those experiences on paper?
SA: My book came out when I was on tour so I read the book on the bus and after two hours of reading I was even like, "Wow, what the fuck am I going to do next?" I think Larry [Spagnola] and I did a really great job. Then, I came home from tour and I built a big fire in the fireplace and tossed the book in.

RM: Why?
SA: I let my past go. I'm thankful I came out of it and I already lived it but I'm ready to let go so I burned it.

RM: That's deep. Now that your book has been released do you hope to have it adapted into a film like the talks of Motley Crue's "Dirt"? You share a lot of similar stories and run-ins.
SA: Oh, hell yeah I want a movie. I wanted Leif Garrett to play me but he's just looking too hard dude, I don't think he'll be able to pull it off. I know who I want to have to play Slash though, the guy from Entourage, [pauses]…Adrien [Grenier], he's definitely playing Slash. The other guys I don't know, Axel is going to be played by Mickey Rourke not because they're buddies but Axel is a hard motherfucker; they're similar. The next time I see him I want a hug from the asshole real bad. You know how cool it was to have a life with Steven Tyler, Nikki Sixx, Robert Crosby…they were like my big brothers so yeah, there's a lot of similar stories. Nikki's book being turned into a movie is awesome. He's been a part of my life since I was 12 years old, and of course he's gonna talk about me. I saved his fucking life.

RM: Since you're raving about your former GnR bandmates, what's your current standing with them?
SA: We're like 5 brothers, and what do brothers do best…they fight. Shit happens but time heals all wounds. I just played in Europe a month and a half ago and for the last show in London, Duff came up and played "My Michelle" and "Its so Easy." He's so great. Slash was there, too. They're all great; I always say those guys are like my big brothers except Slash, he's my little brother because I'm 6 months older than him. Besides Duff being 6'6," I look up to him. I used to call him Dr. Love McKagen because back in the day he could walk into a room and he could be talking to any one and every girl would be staring and trying to talk to him.

RM: I thought it was drummers who get all the chicks?
SA: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it usually is and there were many blow job contests (of how many received). I did win but it was Dr. Love with that tall body and steel abs that got the girls attention.

RM: Since most of your career has been under the influence has your stage performance and song writing changed since sobriety?
SA: Oh, yeah. But I got it back. I started taking drum lessons about a year and half ago to improve my playing and myself.

RM: GnR will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Will you go with them?
SA: We're not eligible! We're getting in there. It's all about us, it's all about me and my brothers and we are going to be there and I'm not going to hear another fucking word about it.

RM: What is your craziest fan experience?
SA: I have to say, with undeniable doubt, it has to be having sex with 9 girls on the back of a bus with Steven Tyler. All time number one, best and craziest experience in rock and roll. I could die tomorrow knowing I've seen Steven Tyler's rig with 5 girls hands holding it and it was still sticking out. There's nothing greater I've seen in my life than Steven Tyler and his "red angry." Let me tell ya, Steven Tyler is a very, very powerful person. If he asks you to get naked, you don't ask questions, you just get naked.

RM: What was the most public place you've had sex?
SA: I was naked in front of 6,000 people in New Orleans but I wasn't having sex so that doesn't count. How about in the green room of the Howard Stern Show, does that count?

RM: Yep, that counts.
SA: Well, also, I guess underneath the stage while playing for 50,000 people but that happened all the time so that lost its specialness.

RM: If only we could say we've done the same. What is your favorite city or venue to play in?
SA: Every one. I love playing for people who enjoy and love rock and roll just the way I do. My band and me do what a big-league rock and roll band does regardless of the venue size: we bring it like we're playing a fucking arena.

RM: Thank you for catching up with us, this was quite the informational chat, have a great tour.
SA: It was so nice talking with you, thank you. Check out my website adlersapetiteonline.com. You can see all our shows and where we're playing. I love meeting everyone and signing stuff, especially when you bring your GnR records.

Read it here: http://rukusmag.com/2011/0611/live_music_steven_adler_interview.html