SEBASTIAN BACH Talks New Album, Performing SKID ROW Songs And Internet

Tim Needles of Short And Sweet NYC recently conducted an interview with former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Short And Sweet NYC: I know from reading about SKID ROW that essentially KISS was sort of part of why you guys fell apart, because the rest of the band thought SKID ROW was too big to open for KISS and it was ironic that SKID ROW went on later opening up for KISS anyhow after you were out of the band. Did you guys resolve that? Do you talk to those guys at all?

Bach: No, I don't talk to them at all. I have a new record, "Kicking & Screaming", that comes out on September 27th and I've been making new music. My album before that was "Angel Down" and I'm just making new music, that's what I'm doing. I'm really proud of the new CD; I think it sounds fucking killer. . . I think "Angel Down" is probably a harder record, but, you know, I've always surprised journalists with how heavy [the sound is]. I remember when we put out [SKID ROW's] "Slave To The Grind", every interview was like, "This album is so heavy, this album is so heavy." That was back in '91. I think "Slave To The Grind" might even be heavier than "Kicking & Screaming". I don't know, but it's got really heavy production from Bob Marlette.

Short And Sweet NYC: You've seen the industry change so much going from this analog stuff to the digital stuff and when you started out it was still real "sex, drugs and rock and roll," you know, metal was huge and sort of dipped down a bit and changed and came back. When you look back at the changes, what stands out to you?

Bach: The Internet is the biggest change. When it first happened I thought it was going to be all bad for music, but it turns out at the end of the day, I don't think it's all bad because when we go on tour in South America or whatever, everybody knows the brand new songs just as good as the old ones and that's gotta be because of the Internet, you know. I don't think the radio stations are playing "Angel Down" in Ecuador as much. Maybe they are, I don't know, but I gotta see that it's from being exposed to the music on the Internet and so I think that it gets your music to the fans very quick and that's really awesome so that's the biggest difference to me. Also, touring is completely different now. Most of the promoters are just really into this reunion-tour kind of thing and it's very safe and about selling beer, and I don't know, it seems weird to me, but that's a big difference, too. But those are to two big differences, I'd say.

Short And Sweet NYC: Another thing that I've heard from rock stars is that you have "the songs" that you have a relationship with and you have to play them night after night; you have "18 And Life" and "I Remember You".. Do you get sick of those songs?

Bach: Yeah, I do, I do, because I've been playing them since [I was] 18, 19 years old, but I still love the songs. It's just more exciting for me as an artist to do something new than something really old. I think that's basic human nature, but I still love the songs. I consider myself lucky that people want to come hear me sing a concert and I'll do the songs they want to hear. I don't want to go see a band and not hear the songs I want to hear, so I understand, so it's not a big deal. A song like "Piece Of Me", I've done it so many times, I can't tell you how many times, (sings) "Sleazin' in the city I'm looking for a fight," I've been doing that my whole fucking life, dude, so when I do a new song like "Kicking & Screaming", it's more exciting. It's like when you go to an amusement park and they got a new roller coaster, you're obviously going to have more fun on the brand new one than the old crickety, crackety one in the back that you've been on a million times. You still have affection and memories for the old, wooden Coney Island coaster, you know "Oh, I remember this. [It] fuckin' hurts going around the corners. Oh, I love this spot" that's kind of like what it is. But I'll take the loop de loop Green Lantern 3D fucking ride any time.

Read the entire interview at Short And Sweet NYC.