Ex-Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach issued an open letter responding to recent interviews with his former bandmates as well as himself. In the letter Bach talks about everything Skid Row but the magic really happens when he slams the website Legendary Rock Interviews (about halfway down the page). Personally, I have read a couple of the interviews on that website and noticed that the musician always said the interviewer's name, sometimes multiple times. I would think to myself 'I bet they never even said his name once, he's just adding his name as he transcribes it'.....and it appears to be true. Great stuff!
"One of my favorite bands in history is KISS. One of the coolest things I've always loved about Gene Simmons is that he truly lets the fans be the boss. Whatever the fans think is cool, Gene tries to give us what we want. Always. For almost 40 years now, KISS has let the fans be the boss, and the fans love them for it. They really know how to succeed in this business.
"My old band? Is the complete opposite of that.
"Individually, I'm sure we all appreciate the fans for putting us where we are today and giving us a great life. I know I do! But collectively, as a band, we don't care at all about what it is that the fans want.
"Nowhere in the world can you buy a DVD of our original band. Nowhere in the world can you buy a SKID ROW box set with unreleased goodies like every other band in the world. No 'Deluxe Editions' for our fans. Nowhere can you go buy a copy of the '18 & Life' video or 'Roadkill' or 'Oh Say Can You Scream', all platinum releases that do not exist anymore. That's because we, collectively, as a band, put the fans very last on what is important to us. Individually, I'm sure we all love our fans who put us where we are today. But collectively, SKID ROW has treated SKID ROW fans worse than any other band I can think of in history. The name is completely destroyed. For many reasons.
"There is another reason while you may never see the original band reunite. Not just because the band itself could care less about what the fans want. There is a journalist named Jonathan Parks who has gone out of his way to undermine our fragile relationships and pit us against each other online with lies and bullshit. This piece-of-shit 'journalist' makes up whatever he wants to say on his website [Legendary Rock Interviews] and I can guarantee you I never said what ended up in my online 'interview.'
"Every time there is a question in the interview from Jonathan Parks I answer (on his site), 'Well, you know, John,' I can guarantee you I did not know this person's name doing the interview and I never put his name in my answers because I did not know his name! I can guarantee Snake, and everyone else in the band he has interviewed, did not know his name either. I challenge Mr. Jonathan Parks to put up the the audio of what I actually said, so you can hear for yourself what bullshit lies ended up in his online 'interview.' I can guarantee you I never said his name once in my interview, because I did not know his name!
"This guy Jonathan Parks pulls our pants down, sucks our dicks in the interview, rips apart the other members to each one of us behind our backs, and then turns around and does the exact same thing with the other band members. This is why it's futile for me to respond to my replacement's [Johnny Solinger] ridiculous claims. Because I'll bet you Jonathan Parks used more than a little creative license in his interview, as he did in mine.
"But I will address some points. Number one: I can guarantee you it's not 'crap' when I say that four out of five band members would reunite SKID ROW. I can guarantee you it's not 'crap' that we were offered to play two shows at Sonisphere in Europe this year as the original band. I can guarantee you it's not 'crap' they even printed up posters for the show which had us on the bill.
"I talked with Snake [SKID ROW guitarist] years ago with Doc McGhee [former SKID ROW manager] and we even planned a box set with unreleased stuff, going on tour, and all that great stuff. He was the first one to say that he would reunite... for the fans. I have talked to Rob [Affuso, former SKID ROW drummer] many times and he would do it. I talked to Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and he seemed very into putting the band back together for a world tour. I called the bass player [Rachel Bolan] but never heard back. Of course they could change their mind in public, but in private that is the truth, and the one thing the fans know about me is that I am not afraid to say what the truth is. Never have been.
"Another thing I would like to say is that I did not say anything about a SKID ROW reunion to 'get attention for myself.' My little fingernail has forgotten about more attention it has recieved than my replacement will ever receive for his whole life's work. I answered a tweet from someone on my Twitter account with the response 'four out of five of us would reunite.' That was all. My one tweet made news the world over. I cannot help it if news outlets look at my Twitter feed and take one individual tweet and make it into news stories around the world. Believe me, when I send out a tweet I do not expect it to turn into world news. The fact that my replacement thinks I answered a tweet 'to get attention for myself' is as hilarious as his attempt to sing 'I Remember You' accurately. If there is one thing I do not need, and am certainly not looking for, is 'attention.'
"Another comedic factor that I must address is when someone says I have 'wanted back in that band since day one.' Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not want to be in their band even now. All I ever said was that, for the fans, I could get on stage with them and sing 'I Remember You' and 'Youth Gone Wild', even in the right key.
"I am completely happy with my new record 'Kicking & Screaming'. I am the only musician from the original SKID ROW to place anything at all on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, with 'Kicking' reaching #68 and 'Angel Down' reaching #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. My record deal for Frontiers is demanding that I do another solo album right now. I am completely happy playing the main stage at festivals such as M3 while my old band plays second stage. I am completely happy with my band members in my solo band. But for the fans, I do understand their frustration at the fact that all five members of SKID ROW are still alive, but because of ego, and journalists such as Jonathan Parks, we cannot get in the same room together. It's not fair to the fans.
"I do not want anything more in this life than to make great music and play great shows. I do not need my old band to do that. But, for the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today. I do not personally want it myself. But it's not always about 'what I want.' If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself.
"So to my old band members, if you want to try and get out of the Internet bullshit and come together for the sake of the fans, you can give me a call.
"One last gigantic 'fuck you' to Jonathan Parks for being a slimy scumbag and going around starting fights with each one of the members of the band. You are the worst kind of 'music journalist,' one who would put band members against each other, and further jeapordize our already fragile relationships, just for the sake of your own personal 'gain'. One thing is for sure, if we ever do get back together, you will be banned from every single show that we do. Jonathan Parks, the fans have you to thank for completely fucking up this years chances for a reunion, and making it even more of a remote possibility than it already is. Way to go, stupid! Fuck you, and your piece-of-shit website of lies."
