Live Review: Steven Adler

"Are you ready to go back to the Sunset Strip in 1986!?" Steven Adler shouts to the roar of the crowd before proceedings begin. Congregating at Chardons Corner Hotel on Saturday night, a 200-strong crowd are here to do just that: hear classic songs from their favourite band played by the original backbone of Guns N' Roses himself.

The night begins in an unconventional fashion, however, with a 45 minute long Q&A between Adler, his mother Deanna and the MC. This soon becomes less of a Q&A and more of a chance for fans to shout, "We love you, Steven!", and we can tell the man in question doesn't mind one bit. Nevertheless, after a break, Adler returns with his band Adler's Appetite and the night really begins. Kicking off in style with It's So Easy, it's immediate clear this band have done their homework. The music is note perfect and they seem to be enjoying themselves as Adler smacks away on the drums in the background. Famous numbers like Nightrain and Mr Brownstone send the crowd into fervour, with the latter containing some classic Gunners lyrics: "I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do/ So a little got more and more/ I just keep tryin' to get a little better/ Said a little better than before."

Meanwhile, the phaser effect on the beginning of My Michelle is so thick it nearly teleports the crowd back to high school, where, regardless of age difference, audience members all probably heard Appetite For Destruction for the first time. Watching Adler's drumming, confident and without mistake or hesitation, is a strong reminder of exactly why he's regarded as one of the pre-eminent hard rock drummers of the '80s, alongside Tommy Lee and Alex Van Halen. And Appetite For Destruction is a certainly a record that's noted for the tight and rhythmic drumming that drives the music and complements all other instruments.

Appetite For Destruction is also a record that's noted for its vocals and Constantine Maroulis, the singer of Adler's Appetite, often struggles to hit the high, screechy notes that Axl Rose is known for. He checks every other box, however, as he sings in key and makes cheeky quips to the ladies in the audience between songs; what more could you ask from a frontman? The crowd gets especially fired up when some esteemed guests step up on stage. Michael Starr and Satchel of Steel Panther join the band to play Sweet Child O' Mine ahead of their gig in Brisbane on Sunday. Starr looks fairly rock'n'roll, clad in a bandanna and red shirt, but it's somewhat remarkable to see the usually glammed-up Satchel looking like a dad who's just finished his morning jog. Nevertheless, they still rock the roof off.

Riding newfound momentum, Anything Goes oozes sleazy riffage and Think About You fulfills our desire for cowbell. Guitarist Michael Thomas does a good job in lieu of Slash, with licks, riffs and solos reminiscent of the Riff Lord himself. Adler curiously opts to leave out two tracks from the LP in Out Ta Get Me and You're Crazy - the former ommission especially disconcerting since it's such a great track. Seemingly in their place, the band play Civil War and You Could Be Mine, tracks that appear on the band's 1991 double LP Use Your Illusion II. Adler played on Civil War and was present for the writing process of You Could Be Mine, so for these reasons their inclusion is understandable, but leaving out those tracks from Appetite For Destruction is just irksome.

Pretending to finish after a solid drum solo and You Could Be Mine, the dimmed lights indicated Adler's not done yet, returning to play crowd favourites Welcome To The Jungle and Paradise City. The Steel Panther guys join the band once again for Paradise City, inviting several blonde women up on stage to 'help' them sing it in typical fashion. 

All in all, Adler's Appetite deliver exactly what the fans come to see: a faithful performance of one of rock music's most outstanding albums. The big question one can sense on people's minds is, 'When the heck is Steven gonna get the call to rejoin Guns N' Roses on tour?' Tonight proves he has the chops for it and his tour schedule suggests that Adler is thinking the same thing. Regardless, it is a great show for any Gunners fan, satisfying our own appetites for destruction until the next Guns N' Roses-related project rocks up Down Under.