18 and Life on Skid Row
Page 33
I completely understand why people want us to get together again. They are classic albums.
Do I want a reunion myself? None of us are getting any younger. I look at The Eagles and how they reunited. Only now to have Glenn Frey leave us, too soon. Dio. Lemmy. Philthy Animal Taylor. Scott Weiland. Keith Emerson. David Bowie. Prince. These are all very big inspirations for Skid Row to get back together. I look at the fact that we are all still healthy, and collectively have a lot of good years left. I would love to feel the excitement of being in a band together again. Being in a solo band is a lot of pressure and responsibility. It would be a good experience for us to share responsibility again, instead of making all of the decisions, good and bad, on my own.
As I get older, I don’t have to have everything my way all of the time. I realize that collaborating with other people results in more than the sum of its parts. When I see my favorite bands reunite, I understand what people are saying to us. That a team of players is different than watching one solo player. The songs that we made in Skid Row were made by five people. Yes, I would like to hear those songs, one more time, played by those exact five people who played them on the records, in my lifetime.
Will it happen? Who knows?
They say that being in a band is like a marriage. I can attest to that. I was married for twenty years, broke up, only to find love again. When I did not know true love even existed. Yes, it is possible to find love again.
My love for singing rock ’n’ roll, and my love for singing Skid Row songs, will never, ever end. As this book ends, I can see new beginnings. On the horizon.
What I can see is based on what I can feel. What I sing is based on what is in my heart. I believe that positive energy comes back to you.
I believe that rock ’n’ roll is forever. I believe.
SELECTED BACHOGRAPHY
(with release dates)
Attic Records:
Maple Metal (1985)
Atlantic Records:
Skid Row (January 24, 1989)
Slave to the Grind (June, 1991)
BSide Ourselves (1992)
sUBHUMAN rACE (March 7, 1995)
40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row (1998)
Bring ’Em Bach Alive! (November 2, 1999)
Atlantic / AVISION Entertainment:
Oh Say, Can You Scream? VHS/LASERDISC (1990)
Roadkill 3D VHS (1993)
No Frills Video (1993)
Spitfire / Eagle Rock:
The Last Hard Men (2001)
Forever Wild DVD (June 15, 2004)
ProgRock:
Frameshift 2: An Absence of Empathy (April 12, 2005)
MRV / Caroline / Get Off My Bach:
Angel Down (November 20, 2007)
Angel Down Limited Edition Featuring RoadRage, a Film by Sebastian Bach (July 21, 2008)
Astralwerks:
Battle with the Bottle (2008)
Frontiers Records:
Kicking & Screaming (September 21, 2011)
Kicking & Screaming Deluxe Edition Featuring “As Long As I Got the Music” DVD (September 27, 2011)
ABachalypse Now DVD/CD (March 26, 2013)
Give ’Em Hell (April 22, 2014)
PM:AM Recordings:
Dada Life Featuring Sebastian Bach: “Born to Rage” (2015)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not be possible without the guidance, attention to detail, and extreme patience of Carrie Thornton and Ernie Gonzalez. Carrie, thank you so much for your belief in my writing. It means more to me than you could ever know. Ernie, I need to thank you so very much for your professionalism. The way you work with me soothes the savage beast inside. I just can’t do it without you man.
To my manager Rick Sales, thank you for being the one guy that I know who truly read this whole thing all the way through from page 1 to page 448. Your input and opinions mean everything to me. Thanks for literally being on the same page as me!
I would also like to acknowledge the following people:
Kenny Fox, Brian Cruikshank, Bill Sax, Dave Aplin, Andy Rytch, Bobby Jarzombek, Brent Woods, Rob DeLuca, “Metal” Mike Chlauschek, Johnny Chromatic, Steve DiGiorgio, Brent Woods, Devin Bronson, Beta, Fernando, Bascha and family, Mark and Sabrina, Del James, Tommy Mayhue, Sherid, Shayla, Dylan McGhee, Larry “Ratso” Sloman for thinking I could do this before anyone else, David Hyslop, Joe Godwin, Kevin Phillips, Jim Byk and Jason Howland for turning me into a Broadway Star, Jimmy VanZino, Mr. and Mrs. Mulvehill, Masai, Marshall, Bobby Buckelew, Dave Feld, Scott Trusler, Todd Goldstein, Ian Osborne, Toby Anderson RIP and family, Joe Stable, Alan Tubi, Amy Bailey, Monique Frehley, Rick Krim, Dana Marshall, Wayne Isham, Curt Mavis, Jean Pellerin, Barb Sparkman, Nancy Moore.
God Bless the Roadies. We make it Rock. But you guys make it Roll:
Chris “Mohr’shead” Mohr, Double Live “Ronzo,” Terry Sasser, Todd Mackler, Steve Pritchengast, “Big” Jim King RIP, Bob “Burly” Elkins, James “Midge” Villasvic, Dave Hart, Bryan Laffin, Chris Miller, Richard Diaz De Leon, Randy, Toby Francis, Jimmy Duncan, Said, Bobby Buckaloo, “Jersey” Jay Jeffreys RIP, Larry “Love” Walsh and family, Michael Walsh RIP.
To my Family: Tiana, Presley, Trace, London, Reece, Loc and Lo (rhymes with rock ’n’ roll!), Heather, Warren, Marley, Bless, Izzy, Zac, Liz, Kevin, Stacey, Jackson, Alyson, Steve, David and Sara, Hunter and Emma, Michelle and Dave, Max and Nicole, Charlie, Nikki, Alex, and Jeff, Mike and Caity Bierk, Davy Bierk.
To the Perry County Missouri Historical Society.
To Dave Draiman: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to the love of my life, Suzanne. I truly never knew life could be so great. I will always love you for that. I wish you all the best and I can never thank you enough. Abby and Brett, Jen and JB, BL Dave, Jeff Fioretti, Jeff Adams, Melissa Correales, Stacey, Mary Hooton, Charrie Foglio, Sergio Perafino, Drew Masters, Lenny Stoute, Mike “Moon” Taveroff, Kevin McCallion and family, Joe Stable, Mr. Embury, Alan Fullerton, Meredith Usher, Greg Alfred, Scott Carter, Steve Hunter, Judd Smoke, David Wild, Ian O’Malley, “Fingers” from BAB, Gary “The Byrd” Kempf, Mr. Affuso RIP, Mrs. Affuso.
To the crew at Dey Street Books—Lynn Grady, Michael Barrs, Heidi Richter, Julie Paulauski, David Palmer, Suet Chong, and Sean Newcott. For my awesome cover, thanks to the dudes at Meat and Potatoes, and Mark Seliger.
To Mr. and Mrs. Southworth: I will never forget the night (or early morning) you drove me to Newark so I could be there for the birth of my first son. Thank you for opening your house and garage to your son’s band and allowing the band Skid Row to happen. Could never have happened without you guys.
To Mama Snake, from “Legs”: thank you for opening your home to the craziness of the band Skid Row. No one loved Skid Row more than you did. And we all loved you just as much back! We were your biggest fans. Thank you Mama Snake for allowing the band Skid Row to happen. In your living room, no less!
Note to your Self: If I forgot your name, I am truly sorry. I feel like I just played three countries in three days. Oh wait, I did! OK so you got to excuse me, I have to go warm up now tonight for the show TONIGHT in San Juan Capistrano!!
I believe, mother truckers!!
See you at the show!
They’re coming to take me away, haha . . .
PHOTO SECTION
[No caption required.] New Jersey, circa 1990. Photo courtesy of Eddie Malluk.
Bahamas and California, 1968–1972. I don’t often go back to Freeport, but when I do, I go in through the returning resident line. All photos by David Bierk.
Toronto. Maple Leaf Gardens. Parking Lot. 1979. Before people stared down at their cell phones, we checked out each other’s Gene Simmons impersonations. Photo by David Bierk.
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, circa 1984. Metallion magazine. Thanks to Ron Boudreau and Lenny Stoute for making this into the first ever button of my face. Photo courtesy of Ron Boudreau.
Tour of Hell, 1989. Shorts from Hell. Bon Jovi Tour. This was our ho
me, and the leader of the house was a man by the name of Kenny Barnes. Photo courtesy of the author.
Live, circa 1987–1988. Perhaps at the Cat Club in New York City, where we got signed by the dude who signed Led Zeppelin. Photo by David Bierk.
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. 1987–2015. We had the end of recording the first album party right here. I got locked out of my room and onto the roof, after a corporate gig, right behind where we are standing, almost thirty years later. Photo courtesy of the author.
Playing football with Jon Bon Jovi. New Jersey, 1987. Some people say Skid Row made it too fast. But it took at least two weeks. Photo courtesy of Mark Weiss.
To Hell & Bach. Bach on Broadway, 2000. © Eduardo Patino, NYC.
To my love Suzanne. Thank you for being by my side. Forever & Ever. Amen! Rock ’n’ Roll? It’s been very, very good to me! S.W.A.K. T.L.F. I love you. Photo courtesy of the author.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SEBASTIAN BACH has sold in excess of twenty million records worldwide as lead singer of his former band, Skid Row, and as a solo artist. Far from just being a multi-platinum recording artist, he has expanded his career over the past decade to include a five-season recurring role on the hit series Gilmore Girls, ABC’s Sing Your Face Off, the comedy series Trailer Park Boys, voice-over work on SpongeBob SquarePants and Robot Chicken, starring roles on Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde, The Rocky Horror Show, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and has appeared regularly on MTV and VH1.
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PHOTO CREDITS
All photographs are courtesy of the author’s personal collection, except as indicated:
Courtesy of Ron Boudreau.
Courtesy of Mark Weiss.
Many of the photos in this book were taken by the author’s father, artist David Bierk.
CREDITS
Cover design by Meat and Potatoes
Cover photograph © Mark Seliger
COPYRIGHT
18 AND LIFE ON SKID ROW. Copyright © 2016 by Sebastian Bach. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-226539-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-06-246751-5 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-0-06-265133-4 (Barnes & Noble signed edition)
EPub Edition December 2016 ISBN 9780062265418
16 17 18 19 20 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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