Bach by popular demand!

By Stan Ashbee
Westwind Weekly News
Bach by popular demand! Sebastian Bach celebrates 31 years (1989-2020) by performing the first record “Skid Row” in its entirety Apr. 3 in Calgary at the Palace Theatre, as part of a North American tour. Bach is easily recognized globally as a vocalist, television star, actor and beyond.
Bach hit the spotlight in the late 1980s as the iconic frontman for mainstream heavy metal/hard rock act Skid Row. Since his departure from Skid Row in the mid-1990s, Bach still remains one of the most relevant rock figures in pop culture today – with over 20 million records sold, solo records and guest appearances on “Gilmore Girls” and “Trailer Park Boys.”
Bach also is author of the critically-acclaimed memoir “18 and Life on Skid Row” and had several acting stints on and off Broadway in productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Jekyll and Hyde.”
“I’m very excited to play the Palace Theatre on my birthday. You can come to the Palace Theatre and witness Sebastian Bach turn 52,” Bach joked. The tour kicks off Feb. 26 on a cruise ship called “Legends of Rock” with Roger Daltrey from The Who and it’s Bach’s second time hitting the high seas with the legendary performer. “I must be doing something right,” he joked.
Fans really seem to enjoy the “Skid Row” album being performed live front to back, Bach noted. “We started doing that last year in honour of the 30th anniversary of the release of that album and we did 45 cities just in America. People really came out and dug the novelty, I guess, of seeing the record being played just the way you hear it in your car or on your turntable.”
Bach confessed if it sounds like he’s in a good mood these days, it’s because he’s actually in a great mood. All of a sudden, after years of working hard as a solo act, he’s a headliner playing in theatres. “Touring at 52, I’m proud to be performing in theatres instead of clubs.”
When Bach was a kid, he explained, FM radio was what he listened to and if a band could get in radio rotation like Led Zeppelin, The Eagles or The Rolling Stones you were set. “Because kids keep discovering you.”
Nowadays, Bach continued, there’s SiriusXM radio. “On Channel 39, I’m like the Michael McDonald of the alt-rock radio every three songs,” he joked. “All these little kids are getting into ‘Youth Gone Wild,’ ’18 and Life’ and ‘I Remember You.’ It’s transcending generations. I know when I get in the car nine times out of 10 I can hear a Skid Row tune or even maybe one of my solo tunes. That’s pretty good for people getting exposed to the music.”
Fans in Canada are definitely supportive, but there’s been a weird thing going on with the CRTC’s Canadian content rules and regulations. “Where I am a Canadian citizen and have Canadian citizenship, but I’m not considered eligible for Canadian music,” he has often contemplated over the years.
As for today’s “classic rock” genre, when stadium tours like the triple-bill featuring Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison are selling out multiple dates, that’s good for Skid Row, Bach noted. “It’s the same audience. That right there is proof there’s a huge demand for this music.”
Moving forward, Bach said he’s just signed a new record deal. “I’m about to do another brand new album, which still happens in the world.” Bach added he’s been listening to a lot of Canadian super group Rush these days – especially since the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart, earlier this year.
“Since he died, I’ve been on a complete mission to organize my huge Rush collection,” Bach said. “I’m going to own anything there ever was.”
No matter what, Bach continued, Rush always put out new stuff all the time and it didn’t matter what else was going on in the world. “You could depend on Rush to give you new music.”
For Bach’s next project, he said he’s got a great team to help him put out a great album. “Listening to Rush, certainly puts the bar high. That’s all I’ve been listening to.”
As for other projects on the horizon, Bach added he’s always talking to the “Trailer Park Boys.”
“They’ve always got something crazy going on. If my schedule permits, I’m always up to working with those goofs,” he said.
Right now, Bach is happy to bring his tour to Calgary, the rest of Canada and then internationally to the U.K., Australia and Europe. “I’m and old man, so it’s going to take a lot of energy,” he joked.
Bach wants fans to know his upcoming gig is an old school rock and roll show. “With no tapes rolling, no background stuff and no Wizard of Oz,” he said. “Just four guys playing music.”