Ex-SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach says that he has by no means listened to any of the recordings his former band made with vocalists who got here after him.
The 57-year-old rocker, who hasn’t performed with SKID ROW for almost three a long time, was requested for his opinion of a few of the different singers who recorded and or/toured with the band whereas talking to ex-ANTHRAX singer and part-time The Metallic Voice interviewer/reporter Neil Turbin at this previous Sunday’s (Might 18) “Rock For Ronnie” occasion in Los Angeles. Bach stated: “I would wish to listen to them sing, and I’ve by no means listened to any of them ever. Why would I hearken to that?”
Bach fronted SKID ROW till 1996, when he was fired. As a substitute of chucking up the sponge, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band referred to as OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a little bit of shuffling through the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave “Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the telephone in April 2015, a couple of hours earlier than asserting ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his alternative. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was changed by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who beforehand fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was changed by Erik Grönwall, who was beforehand a member of the Swedish onerous rock band H.E.A.T.
This previous March, Sabo addressed fixed requires a SKID ROW reunion with Bach, who sang on the band’s most commercially profitable releases, telling Scott Michael Nathan of “The Unhealthy Selections Podcast”: “I am not gonna go on the market and do it and pretend it for the clean verify. I’ve by no means been about that. Rachel‘s by no means been about that, and Scotti‘s by no means been about that. So we’re not gonna do it. And there is been lots of people saying, ‘Oh, simply do it for the cash.’ It is, like, man. No. I am simply not constructed like that, man. And I am good sufficient — all of us are good sufficient to guarantee that we have accomplished okay with what we have made. And look, I do not reside lavishly by any stretch of the creativeness, however I may care for my household. I do not fear in regards to the future from a financial standpoint. And so I am actually lucky like that. And it is as a result of that is been my viewpoint all alongside. It is by no means been about, ‘We have gotta make a buck.’ It is all the time been about, if we do issues and we’re real and we keep true to our character, to our spirit — and that is gonna sound bizarre — and we’re egocentric songwriters. And what I imply by that’s that we’re writing for ourselves. We’re not writing for anyone else. And then you definitely hope that the way in which that you just translate how you’re feeling by means of music and lyrics and melodies and efficiency could have a constructive impact on folks and thus they will wanna come see and listen to this music. And that is what we have all the time accomplished.”
Sabo beforehand dominated out a reunion with Bach in Might 2024, telling The Hook Rocks podcast: “It is not gonna occur. And I say the identical factor each time. I am grateful that individuals have such an curiosity in desirous to see that occur, however I additionally should reiterate that that is about being joyful within the scenario that you just’re in. So I am going to converse for myself personally.
“To start with, I do have to say one thing too, is that the explanation that this is not occurring is as a result of there’s three of us — myself, Scotti and Rachel — who’ve had conversations about this, and we have all been on the identical web page that we do not wanna go down that highway once more. We simply — we do not.
“Rachel has taken a beating over this by means of the years,” Sabo continued. “He is the one who’s been blamed for this. ‘Oh, it is Rachel‘s ego.’ ‘It is this and that.’ No, that is a load of bullshit. That’s not true. And I really feel dangerous as a result of he is actually, actually needed to shoulder that blame and has by no means stated something derogatory or something like that. However what? The reality of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have frequently felt the identical approach, that we get pleasure from being joyful on this band and we’re actually joyful.
“It has been such an important expertise for the final nevertheless, 35 years, all the things, all of the ups, all of the downs, all the things, however we simply do not wanna revisit that exact facet of our historical past,” he defined. “I really like the songs, [I] love lots of the reminiscences, [I am] not keen on a few of the reminiscences, however simply as people and as a collective, that is simply how we really feel. So this isn’t on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anybody’s ego or something like that. In order that’s simply gotta be clear. Once more, for anybody to take a seat there and make assumptions that that is Rachel Bolan saying ‘nope,’ it is not. It is the three of us, and we have all collectively sat there and simply stated that we do not wanna do it. We simply do not wanna do it. And we want everyone all the most effective.”
Snake added: “We have been simply ripped aside by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped aside. Some actually shitty stuff [has been] stated about all of us. And we simply select to not [respond]. It is not who I’m. It is not who we’re. We can’t go down that highway. We simply wanna play music and be joyful. This has actually by no means been a couple of financial facet of issues as a result of it is recognized that we have been supplied an excellent sum of money to do reveals collectively and to reunite [with Sebastian] and no matter, but it surely’s simply by no means been in regards to the cash, man. I select my happiness, my willingness to proceed to be a very good buddy to my finest buddies and a very good husband and a very good dad and bandmate and particular person. And I do not wanna endanger that in any approach. So the folks that we select to play with, these decisions are made in an effort to hold these explicit issues in line for all of us.”
5 years in the past, Bolan additionally confirmed that he and his bandmates “had been entertaining the concept” of reuniting with Bach following Harnell‘s departure. However Rachel shot down the potential for a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: “Properly… Here is the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I would not say we had been buddies [when we were in a band together]. We had been bandmates. You already know what I imply? We’re two very completely different folks.” Bolan added that he hadn’t seen Bach “in years.”
Six years in the past, Bach was requested by Rolling Stone what it might take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: “It will take these guys to understand that I’ve a lifetime supervisor. His title is Rick Gross sales. I have been with him since 2006. They do not need to cope with a man like that. They need to give some singer who would not have a supervisor $700 to $800 bucks every week. I’ve acquired a group that is labored with me and do not permit me to get fucked round. I did not have that group once I was 19 years outdated.”
In response to Bach‘s statements in regards to the earnings of SKID ROW‘s singer, Sabo instructed Rolling Stone in an e-mail: “I assume fact-checking is not in his talent set… The 5 of us go on that stage as a band and all of us receives a commission equally. We’re on this collectively. There isn’t any egos.”
Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was “near reuniting, however then it did not occur. The truth that it did not occur clearly makes me considerably bitter, as a result of life is just getting shorter, because the track says,” he added.
“I would not say ‘got here shut,'” Bolan instructed Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach‘s account of the reunion talks. “We entertained the concept. Snake and I went so far as speaking with brokers and promoters about cash. However we rapidly realized after a couple of textual content conversations, why we fired him within the first place. Nothing is value your happiness and peace of thoughts.”
