Guns N’ Roses are well into their much-anticipated reunion tour, bringing Axl Rose back together with Slash and Duff McKagan, and fans are extremely happy to see most of the original line-up back on stage. While the Guns N’ Roses reunion is more than fans could have hoped for just a few months ago, there are still some missing elements. One of those elements, Steven Adler, surprised fans in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he joined the band on stage for a portion of their concert.
Guns N’ Roses Welcomes Steven Adler Back Into The Fold
It was a muggy night in Cincinnati, but fans didn’t care. They were witnessing the Guns N’ Roses reunion they had been promised (and nervously feared might fall apart before long), and it was as magical as one might expect, reports Radio.com . While the band was missing two of the original members, three out of five wasn’t bad. The missing members were all but forgotten as the reunited Guns N’ Roses members jumped into the familiar classics “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Double Talkin’ Jive,” and “Live and Let Die.”
Adding to the lively show, which was so energetic that Axl Rose had to change shirts more than a couple of times, was Slash playing some wild solos.
Following the solo performances by Slash, Axl made a shocking announcement.
“On the drums, you might know this guy. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Adler!”
Giving added meaning to the “Not in This Lifetime” reunion tour, Adler stepped out on stage, joining his former Guns N’ Roses bandmates for a reunion that had just gotten even better. Izzy Stradlin was still missing, of course, but even Steven’s return was something for which Guns N’ Roses fans dared not dream. Adler’s trademark Devil-may-care grin crossed his face as he joined the rest of the band for “Out Ta Get Me,” the first of several songs on which Adler would sit in.
Guns N’ Roses Never Sounded So Good
Fans went wild, begging for more from the almost completely reunited band, urging Steven to remain out on stage with the rest of the band, reports Billboard . As the heat of the moment swept them away to another time and place, it seemed as though old feuds had been forgotten and all was it should always have been with Axl, Slash, Duff, and Steven exchanging knowing smiles.
“I guess we should do another one,” suggested Axl Rose.
Next up was “My Michelle,” a hard-rocking classic from Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction album, and everything seemed to fall into place, as though they had all been playing together through the years. As the song ended, Slash jumped up on the riser to smother drummer Steven Adler in a sweaty hug, showing with his embrace the feeling of brotherhood that Guns N’ Roses had so seamlessly reignited.
The reunion was not to last, however. As the song ended and Adler bowed out, the more recent Guns N’ Roses drummer, Richard Fortus, rejoined the band on stage. Fortus played along as Guns N’ Roses then went into a new set, featuring Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” the Derek and the Dominos classic “Layla,” and closing out with “November Rain.”
From there, the sets moved along without interruption, while Guns N’ Roses played this concert as they had played so many other tour dates on their reunion tour, but the presence of Steven Adler could still be felt. When the show was over, the entire Guns N’ Roses line-up, including Steven Adler, stepped back out on stage to take one final bow.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella]