Why was Steven Adler kicked out of Guns N’ Roses?
Every band needs a great drummer to thrive, and Guns N’ Roses certainly had one in Steven Adler.
Adler, a childhood friend of lead guitarist Slash, formed a formidable rhythm section alongside bassist Duff McKagan. He was instrumental in getting the band off the ground, with their frenetic sound cutting through the crowded 1980s West Hollywood hair metal scene. Adler’s technically brilliant drumming served as the powerhouse engine of the band, keeping the freight train running while the other members added their distinctive contributions.
Adler joined Guns N’ Roses in June 1985, which was formed by frontman Axl Rose and his childhood friend and guitarist Izzy Stradlin, alongside LA Guns members Tracii Guns, Ole Beich and Rob Gardner. However, things wouldn’t stay that way; Adler would replace Gardner, and his former Road Crew bandmates Slash and McKagan would also supersede the other LA Guns. Over the next few years, they honed their sound, and after being courted by a handful of major labels, they were snapped up by Geffen in March 1986.
Released in July 1987, the band’s debut album, Appetite for Destruction, had a slow start before it eventually shot to number one in the US and became the best-selling debut of all time in the country, thanks mainly to the strength of singles such as ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’. It thrust the band into the limelight, and now, with untold riches at their disposal, their penchant for hard living reached new levels. While it would take its toll on every member, Adler suffered the worst.
After the release of 1988’s controversial US number two hit album, G N’ R Lies, things became truly fraught for Adler and the band. The drummer’s drug use was now inescapable and seriously impeded proceedings. He was absent from a performance at the American Music Awards in January 1989, which saw Eagles legend Don Henley fill in. The public were initially told Adler had flu, but it eventually emerged he was in drug rehab.
If fans thought things were bad, they would only get worse. That February, the band took a break, but their individual conditions disintegrated during it. Then, when they were offered to support The Rolling Stones in Los Angeles that October, they jumped at the chance, seeking a triumphant return, but it did not pan out. During the first show, Rose threatened to quit if certain members did not stop “dancing with Mr Brownstone”, referencing their song about heroin. Adler promised to get clean in response, but it wouldn’t materialise.
So, why was Steven Adler fired from Guns N’ Roses?
It had been a long time coming, and in early 1990, Adler was briefly fired from the group due to his drug use. However, he was later reinstated after signing a contract in which he promised to stop using them. That wasn’t enough, either. After trying to record ‘Civil War’ around 30 times and creating other issues in the studio, the sessions for the Use Your Illusion albums were aborted for several days. He was formally relieved of his duties on July 11th, 1990.
Stradlin, who would follow Adler out the door in 1991, later commented on him being replaced by Matt Sorum. He said: “[Our songs] were written with Steve playing the drums and his sense of swing was the push and pull that give the songs their feel. When that was gone, it was just… unbelievable, weird. Nothing worked. I would have preferred to continue with Steve, but we’d had two years off, and we couldn’t wait any longer”.
