By Mitch Lafon

ENUFF Z’NUFF have been rockin’ since the early ‘80s, but might be best known for being guests on the Howard Stern Show. The band had the talent and the catchy pop tunes such as 'New Thing' and 'Fly High Michelle', but they never got the fame. With the band on yet another hiatus bassist Chip Z'Nuff has chosen to hit the road and recording studio with friend (and original GUNS N’ ROSES drummer), Steven Adler. Bravewords.com caught up with the bassist on the current ADLER’S APPETITE’s US tour.

Bravewords.com: Is the Adler tour coming to Canada?

Z'Nuff: "We’re coming up there in August. We’re doing twelve shows with WARRANT all through Canada – Vancouver, Quebec, Toronto, Montreal… We’re real excited about that.”

Bravewords.com: You’ve been with Adler’s Appetite for about five years now. What’s the status of the band and making new music?

Z'Nuff: "We’re on tour for two months in the United States. We started off in Europe and did twenty-four shows in twenty-six days. It was jammed pack every single night. It was great. When we got back home the singer got cold feet, so he quit. We’ve got a new singer and we booked these two months of dates in the US to start everything off. We’ll be documenting the whole tour… everything will be on film.”

Bravewords.com: What’s the purpose of recording everything? Is it for a DVD or more reality TV?

Z'Nuff: "It’s for both the television show and a DVD. It’s to document the band’s life and what goes on during this tour. We’ll be hitting every single city. Some places are big and others are smaller, but what’s more important is that a lot of people are coming out to hear the songs that they love. We have an incendiary show and you’ll be surprised.”

Bravewords.com: Is the show only Guns N’ Roses songs or is there an Enuff Z’Nuff portion?

Z'Nuff: "Except for the BOB DYLAN classic 'Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door' – it’s all of the Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction album plus music from Adler’s Appetite. We have a three song EP out right now. The show doesn’t skip a beat when we play 'Welcome To The Jungle' into 'Alive'.”

Bravewords.com: How does it feel for you to be playing those GN'R songs?

Z'Nuff: "It’s quite a challenge every single night. I was lucky enough to play on the 20th anniversary with Guns N’ Roses. Izzy, Slash and Duff all came up to play with us at the Key Club (in Los Angeles). We had a couple of rehearsals before that and I knew the songs as well as they did, but watching Duff play with us gave me confidence. Remember those guys wrote those songs when they were twenty years old and here we are in our forties bashing them out every night. It’s very exciting for me, but also very different because I come from a different school.”

Bravewords.com: Enuff Z’ Nuff played rock, but you certainly weren’t as heavy as GNR. Is it a tough adjustment as a bass player?

Z'Nuff: "I’d like to think that I can play any style of music.”

Bravewords.com: Are you working on new material and, if so, will it come out this year?

Z'Nuff: "Yes, we’re working on new songs and that’s the exciting thing about being in Adler’s Appetite. We’re trying to write a record that’ll be timeless. The one common denominator in the music business is that managers, record companies, everybody… listens to one thing and that’s great songs. I think we have the capability to come up with those killer songs. We have a new deal, which is huge… I can’t mention the label right now, but expect a press release by the end of May. For now, we’re just going to hit the road and get everybody excited about this new music that will be out later this year.”

Bravewords.com: Over the last few years, you’ve recorded with different vocalists. Will the new albums be re-records with the new vocalist or all-new material?

Z'Nuff: "We’re going to start everything from scratch though a couple of the songs we’ve already recorded we’ll re-record with a different approach, so everything will be fresh and brand new.”

Bravewords.com: What’s up with Enuff Z’ Nuff?

Z'Nuff: "Right now Donnie is in the studio doing a solo record, which will be great. I’ve heard a couple of songs and they’re terrific. His voice sounds beautiful. We toured all through last year. We played Donington and other shows in Europe. This year if things start taking off with Adler, I don’t know if I’ll have the time and effort to put on Z Nuff. Right now, I’m in Adler’s Appetite and I’m working hard and maybe in the future we’ll do another record. We have eighteen albums out and I’m pretty happy with our accomplishments. However, I have to give Adler my undivided attention at this point especially since we’ve been given the chance to make a brand new record. The success of this will help us (Enuff Z'Nuff).”

Bravewords.com: What kind of sound will the new album have? Will it be modern or more classic rock?

Z'Nuff: "I think it’ll be a potpourri. Steven and I grew up listening to band’s like QUEEN, THE WHO, ZEPPELIN… so there will definitely be elements of classic rock in there, but with a modern approach to it and I’m sure there will be influences of our past bands.”

Bravewords.com: Will there be a live Adler’s Appetite CD or DVD?

Z'Nuff: "From what the record company is telling me…it’s yeah! There will be a live DVD, but right now we’re concentrating on doing this tour. We’re playing six nights a week. We’re supporting the three song EP, the new VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and Steven’s new book, My Appetite For Destruction: Sex, Drugs, And Guns N’ Roses.”

Bravewords.com: Is this a special Steven Celebrity Rehab.

Z'Nuff: "It’s the same concept with five other patients, but a lot of the focus in on Steven and his past with Guns N’ Roses.”

Bravewords.com: Recently, AEROSMITH’s Steven Tyler mentioned that Celebrity Rehab staged Steven’s treatment… that it’s all an act.

Z'Nuff: "I’m thrilled that Steven is talking about Steven because there’s both a love and an admiration that those musicians have for each other. Adler loves Tyler so much that if I was going to shoot Tyler – Adler would step in front of the bullet. He just absolutely adores him and he looks up to him as a big brother. So, if Steven Tyler said it has been faked it’s because he knows that Steven Adler has been on the straight and narrow for the last couple of years. He’s blipped a few times, but nothing that has been of excess or worth talking about. He just wanted to do a tune up and that’s the reason he went back in there… to make sure he’s ok.”

Bravewords.com: Here’s the headline I read at Starpulse.com: Steven Tyler slams Celebrity Rehab. Tyler says in his new book, Does The Noise In My Head Bother You, "Steven Adler was asked to fake his drug stupor." The story goes on to say that he was asked to “act out his own messed up state. He snorted everything (cocaine), crashed his car and ended up in detox. It was ghoulish, unreal and didn’t seem ethical. Adler was given $30,000 for the episode."

Z'Nuff: "First of all the numbers are wrong. Not only do I hail Steven Tyler, but I look up to him. He’s a honest musician, but that being said – times that thirty grand by five and second of all Adler has been clean and he didn’t snort ‘everything’ because I’m in the band – Chip Z'Nuff. I never do cocaine or heroin. I’ve played in bands throughout my career that have had problems with substance abuse, but I never fell into it, which is why we’ve lasted twenty-five years. I love to hear Tyler’s name locked-in with Adler’s Appetite, but the fact of the matter is that our guy is straight and we wouldn’t have a huge deal right now, be going into the studio or be doing a tour if he was fucked up.”

Bravewords.com: Where can fans find out more about the band?

Z'Nuff: "Adlersappetiteonline.com. It’s taken a couple of years to pull everything together and come up with a great solid record, but we’ve put together a beautiful team. In the old days with Enuff Z’ Nuff, we used to do the David Letterman and Howard Stern shows and when the machine is turning things happen. Luck in this business is when preparation meets opportunity and we have a real great open window for us to get out there and leave an indelible mark. Steven is the only original member of Guns N’ Roses that hasn’t put out a solo record and there’s a lot of fans out there that are really excited. I’m a fan and proponent of Bravewords.com – it’s one of the strongest publications for rock that anybody can find. You guys always print the truth and I admire you for that. Last words – this band is a strong rock band that deserves to be heard and if you don’t believe me come out and see the shows. You’ll see a great concert like they used to be.”