LOS ANGELES — He is such a nice guy who has been through so much that it’s hard to say anything bad about Steven Adler, the famous — and infamous — original drummer for legendary Guns N’ Roses.
It’s been 25 years since Adler left the band, and in the interim he has endured a series of stutter steps in trying to get his own thing going. On Friday, July 10 he stopped in at the Whisky on the Sunset Strip with his latest outfit, Adler, who earned a nice response from the near-capacity crowd despite a late start that did not see the band take the stage until around midnight.
The problem is, it’s all but impossible for Adler to shake his affiliation with Guns N’ Roses, so by playing mostly original material while limiting himself to just three Guns N’ Roses songs, Adler probably would have proved more entertaining by giving the crowd more of the old stuff that they really wanted.
Every artist wants to reach for something new, and that’s understandable, but the best moments on Friday where the familiar selections like “Brownstone,” which came four songs in and found the group grasping the momentum.
“Welcome to the Jungle” came last, but from our vantage point, perhaps it should have been first.
As things were, the performance was an overall success, but instead of worrying about the stigma of being a nostalgia act, Adler and company should just give us what we want.
The group put out a CD two years ago entitled “Back From The Dead,” and a lot of those songs were offered. Like we said, too many.
Adler does have a good band, and that helps. Jacob Bunton, a lanky dark-haired frontman, did the singing, and while he is no Axl Rose — who is? — he come across with a lot of personality, though frankly he talked too much between songs, causing a bit of a pacing issue.
Lonny Paul is the guitarist, and he still looks just as cool as he did way back in the day with Heartthrob Mob, a popular local act on the strip that never quite made a big enough name for themselves. And then there is Johnny Martin on bass, who did a fine job plucking the strings and contributing background vocals.
One thing for sure was Adler was in a good mood. The guy just loves rock and roll, and that much is obvious. Among the well-wishers backstage were guitarist John 5 and original Guns N’ Roses manager Vicky Hamilton.
In all a good night but not a great one. In his previous band, Adler’s Appetite, the drummer had the right idea but was plagued by personal problems. These days, he says he has been sober for 18 months, and there is definitely a light in his eye. But please, Mr. Adler, don’t be afraid to pull out a few more old chestnuts!
Gerry Gittelson can be reached at gspot@metalsludge.tv / Live Photos By Margott Hinostroza
