STEVEN ADLER Says Not Being Invited To Rejoin GUNS N' ROSES Tested His Sobriety: 'That Would Have Been The Perfect Excuse To Start Drinking And Drugging'

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler was recently interviewed by "The Johnny Dare Morning Show" on Kansas City radio station 98.9 The Rock!. The complete conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On performing with GN'R again at a handful of shows during the "Not In This Lifetime" tour:

Steven: "It was very exciting. Of course, I wish the guys would have wanted to have done the real reunion with me and Izzy [Stradlin], but just being able to play with them was very exciting. It was just so great. You get love from 100 people, it's a wonderful feeling. You get love from 85,000 people, it's a high. There's no drug better. It was so great to be able to look down and see Slash and Duff [McKagan] and Axl [Rose]. I'm a fan, and all the fans wanted to see the original five of us, but it didn't work out that way. I'm sorry, fans — I did my best. I swear on God I did. I have no say. Everybody, get on the web site and put some prayers into God. Let's make this happen this new year."

On his upcoming performances with ADLER'S APPETITE, where he will commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Appetite For Destruction" by performing the album in full:

Steven: "I've got some shows in Australia, some shows in Europe. I'm going to go down in South America. Of course, hit the beautiful America. I'm going to do 'Appetite', plus I've got my ADLER record, 'Back From The Dead'. I'm going to be doing songs from that."

On "Sweet Child Of Mine", the recently published book by his mother, Deanna Adler:

Steven: "You know what's so cool about my mom's book? All you ever get out there is the actor or the musician, and you're hearing their story of the drugs and the partying and the girls and the behind-the-scenes thing. With my mom's book, you see all of the actions that I was taking — the partying, the drugs and all that — how it was affecting the people who love me. When I was partying, I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, how can I hurt my family today?' You don't realize it because you're not in the right state of mind. There's so many parents out there whose kids are addicts, and reading my mom's book will totally make you understand you're not the only one, and give you a chance to be able to help your own family."

On Slash:

Steven: "I thought me and Slash were going to be like Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They've known each other since they were in junior high school; they grew up together playing music; they got successful; and they stayed together for, like, 50 years. I thought that's how Slash and I were going to be, but it didn't work out that way. Friends come and friends go, even ones that you think and really feel in your heart you're going to have forever. I have no resentments. That's the only reason that I'm able to stay sober and not drinking. This whole GN'R thing, trust me — in 2016 and 2017, them not using me and Izzy, that would have been the perfect excuse for me to go off and start drinking and drugging. I did that the last time — last time they threw me under the bus, I did do that, because my heart was broken. Now I'm stronger; I practice the four agreements; and I was able to get through this. And now, I'm going to start playing again."

In a February 2017 interview with the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast, Adler said that he wasn't interested in making any more albums with his namesake band (ADLER),which released an acclaimed debut, "Back From The Dead", in 2012.

Adler published an autobiography in 2010, titled "My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, And Drugs, And Guns N' Roses", in which he delved into his depression, suicide attempts, drug-related heart attacks, and the debilitating stroke that left him with muscular paralysis and permanently slurred speech.

Although not part of the reunion that launched in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the band's "Not In This Lifetime" tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".