Skid Row (heavy metal band)

Skid Row is an American heavy metal band which became the hard rock prototypes of the late 1980s metal scene and were reasonably successful until they were eclipsed by the Seattle grunge bands in 1991. The band was named after Gary Moore's first band Skid Row.

Related Topics:
Heavy metal - 1980s - Seattle - Grunge - 1991 - Gary Moore - Skid Row

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Skid Row was formed in New Jersey in 1986 by bassist Rachel Bolan and former Bon Jovi guitarist Dave "the Snake" Sabo. The pair added guitarist Scotti Hill, drummer Rob Affuso, and vocalist Sebastian Bach to the lineup by early 1987. The band began playing shows in clubs throughout eastern United States.

Related Topics:
New Jersey - 1986 - Rachel Bolan - Bon Jovi - Dave "the Snake" Sabo - Scotti Hill - Rob Affuso - Sebastian Bach - 1987

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With the assistance of friend Jon Bon Jovi, Sabo secured a record deal for Skid Row with Mercury. In 1989, the band released their first album, Skid Row, which was an instant success. The record went multi-platinum and produced the hit singles "18 and Life", "I Remember You", and "Youth Gone Wild."

Related Topics:
Jon Bon Jovi - Mercury - 1989 - Skid Row

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Ironically, Bach's flamboyance and wild behavior, which played a critical role in helping to give the band its profile, also led to its ultimate downfall. However, the band is best known for the antics of their lead vocalist, Sebastian Bach (motto: "If you think, you stink"). Bach tended to have "incidents" brought on by his loud, in-your-face attitude.

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In what is referred to as "The Bottle Incident" by fans of the band, Bach was arrested and tried on charges of assault and battery for jumping into the crowd at a concert in Springfield, Massachusetts where Skid Row was opening for Aerosmith on December 27, 1989. Bach claimed he had been hit with the bottle, thrown onstage from the crowd, which is why he pursued the person he saw throw it. After the fight, Bach returned to the stage to finish the show, antagonizing the crowd all the while. http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1452918/03152002/bach_sebastian.jhtml The incident was captured on video and can be seen on a tour video released by Skid Row called Oh Say Can You Scream? in 1990.

Related Topics:
Springfield, Massachusetts - Aerosmith - December 27 - 1989 - 1990

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Shorty thereafter, Bach wore a t-shirt proclaiming the anti-gay slogan "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" in a magazine photo shoot. He first joked about it on MTV, then later apologized.

Related Topics:
Anti-gay slogan - MTV

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Skid Row's sophomore effort, Slave to the Grind (1991), was the first metal album to debut at Number 1 in the American charts, despite the bad publicity generated by Bach. The album quickly disappeared from the charts, however, and the band's following album Subhuman Race (1995), performed poorly.

Related Topics:
Slave to the Grind - 1991 - Subhuman Race - 1995

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Eventually, Bach's brashness grew to be too much for his bandmates, and the remaining members went on to play briefly in a band called Ozone Monday.

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Skid Row reformed in the late 1990s with new vocalist Johnny Solinger, formerly of Solinger, and new drummer Phil Varone, formerly of Saigon Kick. Original drummer Rob Affuso had other commitments that prevented him from staying in the band at the time, but he remains friends with Bolan, Sabo and Hill. After reforming, they opened for KISS on their farewell tour, and have also played with other 1980s metal bands such as Poison.

Related Topics:
Saigon Kick - KISS

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Skid Row has currently been touring every summer and released a new album in 2003.

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