STEVEN ADLER Says AXL ROSE's Decision To Skip GN'R ROCK HALL Induction Is 'Disrespectful'

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler has slammed vocalist Axl Rose for "disrespecting" the group's fans and his former GN'R bandmates by sitting out the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. "It's a shame. It's very sad," Adler told the Artisan News Service (see video below) on the "black carpet" of the fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards on Wednesday (April 11),just a few short hours after Axl released a statement explaining his decision to skip the ceremony. "God bless you, Axl," Adler added, "It's disrespectful to not just the band, the four original guys, but to our fans, which is everybody in the world."

In a lengthy open letter posted at GUNS N' ROSES' Facebook page, Rose wrote, "I respectfully decline my induction as a member of GUNS N' ROSES to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of 'GUNS N' ROSES.'"

Less than a week after calling the members of the band's current lineup "hacks" and then apologizing for it, Adler more or less insulted them again, telling Artisan News, "I apologized to them. I said the wrong word. I meant to say 'scabs.' But, you see, 'scabs' are something that . . . Big factories, when the main workers would go on strike, the factory would get people off the street and they would call them scabs. I wouldn't say they can't play. I would just say more the main people are on strike, (and) this is what Axl's [Rose, lead vocals] got going. Of course they're great players, or they wouldn't be playing with Axl."

Axl Rose is the only remaining original member of GUNS. Adler, the group's founding drummer, was kicked out in 1990 because of his drug use.

Ex-GUNS guitarist Slash, who remains close with Adler and has helped him overcome drugs, told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that Adler was the least worldly member of the original band. "Steven is the epitome of, like, the rock 'n' roll teenager," he said. "He's like, you know, the most naive and most innocent of the bunch of us because he was just like, 'I just want to play drums and fuck girls,' and that's all he really, really wanted to do. The more complicated it got, the more he couldn't handle it."

Adler, Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, along with later member Matt Sorum, are confirmed to attend the induction ceremony. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin will apparently skip the event. GUNS will be inducted by the members of GREEN DAY.

The ceremony will be taped for broadcast by HBO, which plans to air it in early May.