When Lonny Paul first heard Guns N’ Roses’ breakthrough album “Appetite for Destruction” during the summer of 1987, the hard rock guitarist was blown away.
“I was knocked out by that album, just like everyone else,” Paul said while calling from his Los Angeles home. “That album really changed the shape of rock. Most people were like, ‘This is amazing.'”
“Appetite For Destruction” has sold a staggering 28 million copies and such anthemic tunes as “Sweet Child of Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City” remain classic rock standards that continue to receive airplay.
“Appetite for Destruction,” could be the title of a Steven Adler autobiography. That was the only full-length GNR album that featured the former Guns N’ Roses drummer. Adler, who joined Guns N’ Roses in 1985, was fired by the band in 1990 due to his self-destructive tendencies.
Guns N’ Roses’ popularity continued to soar post-Adler but the band never sounded the same. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who quit GNR in 1991, vented after Adler’s departure. “His sense of swing was the push and pull that gives the songs their feel,” Stradlin revealed to Rolling Stone. “When that was gone, it was just weird. Nothing worked.”
It took years for Adler to get his act together. In 2003, he formed Adler’s Appetite, which enjoyed middling success. Adler was part of season two of “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” in 2008.
However, the enigmatic percussionist didn’t start pulling it together until he formed Adler with Paul, vocalist-guitarist Jacob Bunton and bassist Johnny Martin in 2011.
“The big difference is that Steven is sober now,” Paul said. “When we started the band, he was getting there but he was not where he is now. To put it in perspective, he wouldn’t really hang out after shows but now I’ll text him and tell him we’re going out afterward and he gets right back and he joins us. There’s also a difference in his play now that he’s clean. He’s just a tremendous drummer.”
Whenever Adler was fully functioning, he performed like an elite drummer. Comic Bill Burr, who plays drums when he’s not cracking wise, is a huge Adler aficionado. “The sound he makes with that little drum kit is mind-blowing,” Burr said. “Steven Adler is amazing. He’s worth the price of admission to any show. Few drummers swing like him.”
Adler, which will perform Friday, Aug. 28, at the Mohegan Sun, is working on a follow-up to the band’s 2012 hard rock debut “Back From the Dead.”
“We’re hoping to finish the new album by the end of the year,” Paul said. “Just wait till you hear the new songs. The first thing that you’ll think is, ‘Man, they sure are hungry.'”
Adler will preview some new songs, play some tunes from the first album and deliver some Guns N’ Roses classics, such as “Rocket Queen,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Mr. Brownstone.” The latter is apt since the song is about heroin addiction, which hits close to home for Adler.
“But the good thing is that Steven is clean now,” Paul said. “The past is the past. But when it comes to the musical history, out of respect for Steven, we’ll play some Guns N’ Roses songs. He was an integral part of some of the greatest songs that band ever recorded but Adler is not just about that. We’re not living in the past. This band is all about our future. We have a lot of life in us. I’m excited about where we are now. Steven is a blast to be with now. His play is really snappy and it’s so much fun when we get a groove going. It all starts with Steven. He’s playing like I’ve never seen him play. When we recently played Peru, Steven slipped in this unplanned drum solo that just surprised everyone.”
After Adler plays its next set of dates, the band will reconvene with Foreigner’s Jeff Pilson, who is producing Adler’s next album. “We’ll knock it out with Pilson, who will finally be off the road with Foreigner,” Paul said. “We’ll finish this album off and you’ll see we’re at another level.”
Paul still looks back at Adler during concerts and can’t believe he’s playing with one of his idols.
“I think back to how obsessed I was with a show that Guns N Roses played at the Ritz in New York [in 1988],” Paul said. “When MTV broadcast it, I taped it and I wore out that tape. It’s amazing that I’m in a band with the drummer from that band. We’re all thrilled about it and our goal is to make a sound that Steven deserves. We want it for his legacy. We want it to be that it’s not just about Guns N’ Roses when you think of Steven Adler.”
ADLER appears Friday , Aug. 28, at the Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. There is no cover for the show, which starts at 8 p.m. For more info: 888-226-7711, mohegansun.com.
