SEBASTIAN BACH: I Haven't Given RACHEL BOLAN Any Reason To Dislike Me In Nineteen Years

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was interviewed on the on the latest episode of Metal Injection ‘s podcast, “Metal Injection Livecast”. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether it’s true that the classic SKID ROW lineup was offered half a million dollars to reunite for an appearance at a European festival:

“That is a hundred percent accurate and true. It was the Sonisphere in the U.K., like, two or three years ago, and they even printed up posters prematurely, because who would turn that down for 45 minutes’ work? [Laughs] But, yeah, it never happened. But those posters actually existed. It was on the Internet. It was crazy. It was KISS, SKID ROW and FAITH NO MORE. But when SKID ROW didn’t take the gig, they booked my solo band the next year. I didn’t make a half million bucks, but I kicked total ass. [Laughs]”

On why the SKID ROW guys hate him so much:

“I’ve talked to all of those guys except the bass player [Rachel Bolan], and he is the one that has it in for me. I can’t answer that. I think… I mean, I’m writing my book now, and I touch upon this. I really think it’s a classic case of… You know, some of these musicians like to use this term ‘Lead Singer’s Disease,’ and I think that’s a way of, kind of, dealing with the extra attention that the frontman gets. And it’s not just SKID ROW — it’s AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN and KISS… And all the bands… BLACK SABBATH. I guess Rachel is, like, the Bill Ward of SKID ROW. [Laughs] I think that’s really what it is. Because I haven’t given that guy any reason to dislike me in nineteen years. I haven’t talked to him in nineteen years or been in the same room with him — in nineteen years. Let me repeat that: nineteen years. That’s a long time. That’s a long time. So whatever I did nineteen years ago has nothing to do with 2015, so I don’t understand it either. Maybe it’s because I’ve been successful since they kicked me out; I’ve never stopped working. And maybe he resents the fact that I’m, like, the face of his band, but I never tried to be that; I just kind of showed up… I didn’t have some devious plot. I just was the singer of the band. And every singer of every band gets more attention that the fucking bass player. What are we talking about? [Laughs]”

On whether there was ever any talk of playing the Sonisphere gig without Rachel:

“Well, there’s an issue with the ownership of that name. That’s kind of a boring interview that I don’t wanna go into. But that’s, basically… Like, Axl [Rose] owns the name GUNS N’ ROSES; that’s why Slash isn’t in GUNS N’ ROSES. And Rachel owns the name [SKID ROW] with Snake [guitarist Dave Sabo]. And how that happened is another fucked up, bullshit story, but I don’t wanna talk about it. I didn’t realize those guys owned that name until after I was out of the band. That’s how crazy that shit is.”

On how the advent of the Internet and social media has changed the way he promotes his new music:

“There are so many ways I could answer that. All I can say to you is that I was signed to a label called Frontiers Records; I signed a contract in, like, 2003 or 2004… I can’t remember… Ten years ago or something. And I have put out three full-length solo CDs, a double live CD. A lot of product. And now I’m not with them anymore, and I’ve gotta tell you, it’s the greatest feeling to not be working on a record. [Laughs] Like, when Gene Simmons [KISS] says ‘rock is dead,’ that’s not a literal statement. But as far as making an album and putting it out and there’s nowhere to play it… It’s, like, wow! It’s really challenging. I mean, YouTube is cool. What’s really frustrating to all of us bands… Nikki Sixx [MÖTLEY CRÜE] said it, Ian Astbury [THE CULT] said it, Gene Simmons… We all say it — that these radio stations play our music all day — they play ‘I Remember You’, ’18 And Life’ and on down the line forever. So it’s almost, like, we feel as they kind of owe use. Play the new shit. You built your station on our music, and you still play it every day. So how is it you can’t play the new tune? Logically, it doesn’t make sense. ‘Cause the fans wanna hear it live. I play just as much new stuff as old, and it fits right in. And the videos get millions of plays on YouTube. So it would just make sense. ‘Here’s ‘I Remember You’, and here’s the new one.’ That’s the way it used to be. I don’t see what the big deal is.”