I've spent a fair bit of today going through my old writing portfolio from both high school and University and thought I'd share some pieces with you.
The article below was one of my first features and one of my first celebrity interviews. It was an interesting experience for me for so many different reasons. Firstly because it was around this time I realised I really loved writing for music and secondly, because I went into it somewhat naively - I was barely 20, had only been in L.A for a short time and figured I had the world at my feet. I had a lot to learn but I was eager to.
I hope you enjoy the feature, as much as I did writing it. Especially since it was was my first.
- Nina
To look at Sebastian Bach, you wouldn't believe it was eleven years ago he rose to fame with the band Skid Row. At 31 he hasn't change much since he was 19, and at the beginning of his musical career. He still has the same blonde good looks that gained him recognition, and he still has the same voice that can change from deep velvety roars to sharp, clean falsettos within seconds. A voice, which has become his defininf characteristic, in the dog-eat-dog world of rock n roll.
Born Sebastian Bierk in Freeport, The Bahamas on April 3rd 1969 he moved with his family to Toronto, Canada at the age of 15 and changed his name to Sebastian Bach, after seeing "Sebastian Bach's 300th birthday" in the Toronto Star.
"Everywhere I looked it said Sebastian Bach: 300 Birthday. I just thought it sounded so cool. I didn't know the exact year but I think it was 1983." He recalls with a laugh.
A veteran of short-lived bands such as Madame X, VO5 and Kidd Wikkod, he was living in Canada when he received a demo tape from an unknown New Jersey band in search of a leader singer. The group was Skid Row and the year was 1987.
Sebastian instinctively knew this was the band for him. They seemed to share the samee vision he had. They had the same ideas, the same dreams and they hungfered for fame as much as he did.
In 1989 Skid Row released their debut self-titled album, which became a huge success. They were considered one of the hottest new hard rock bands of that time and had a monster hit with "18 and life".
Youths around the world made "Youth Gone Wild" their national anthem that year, and Sebastian's bad boy atitude, smoldering good looks and rebelliousness instantly made him one of the rock's hottest bad boy pin-ups.
As the fame grew the rebellion also grew and it became something both the music industry and fans automatically accepted from him. It was also something that continuously got him into trouble. One incident in particular back in 1989 caused a furore. In 1989 he was hit in the head with a bottle by the fan. Without thinking twice, he proceeded to hurl the bottle back into the crowd, where it hit a bystander. He then physical assaulted another audience member. He was sentenced to three years probation, and everyone thought this would curb Bach's wild attitude. That was until he appeared on MTV wearing an offensive T-Shirt emblazoned, "AIDS kill Fags dead", prompting cries of outrage from the gay community.
Despite all the bad publicity, Skid Row delivered album after album with grea success.
Unfortunately behind the scenes, rifts had already begun to grow amongst band members. By the end of 1996, Bach saw himself kicked out of Skid Row - the band citing creative differences. It was amove that shocked all Skid Row fans as well as Bach himself.
Bach, shortly after, received an offer to record a track for the Scream Soundtrack. He suggested it to his former band mates who refused, so he put together the band The Last Hard Men with Breeders guitarist Kelley Deal, Frogs' Jimmy Flemion and ex-smashing Pumpkins' drummer Jimmy Chamberin, recording a cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out." The experience wheted his appetite for rock n roll to a rapturous throng.
After ending The Last Hard Men he formed Sebastian Bach and Friends, which consisted of Richie Scarlet, drummer Mark "Bam Bam" McConnell and Larry. Bach decided to do a club tour and what was supposed to originally only be a two-week tour turned into 100 gigs all over the world, including Japan, Korea and Canada, as well as two-weeks touring the U.S with Pantera. With this came the release of the live album, "Bring em Bach alive", which did relatively well all over the world. Skid Row fans were delighted, as it meant Baz was back.
Skid Row and the record company decided to cash in on Bach's success by bringing out a Best of album titled "40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row". It was released without Bach's consent. Even while cashing in on his success, they turned their backs on him- reducing his existence in the band by only putting his tattoo Youth Gone Wild on the cover of the album. This showed fans the bad blood between the former band mates was still strong, and any dealings between Bach and his former band members was strictly through lawyers.
These days Bach is doing a lot better than his former band members. When asked if a reunion was an option, he shakes his head in denial and states, "Not that I can see. I do this for the music and they haven't made any music that's impressed me for years. I let my actions speak louder and for themselves. My main focus is to make brand new music."
Bach is moving on and further away from his days as the frontman of Skid Row. He has acted in several movies, and a telemovie called "Point Doom." If that's not enough to whet his appetite, he is also following in the footsteps of another rock legend, Paul Stanley, and taking on the world of theatre.
He will make his Theatre dbut on July 13th in 'Jerkyll & Hyde', in which he will tackle the lead roe, playing Dr Jekyll and his evil alter ego Mr Hyde. It's something Bach is obviously very passionate and excited about.
"I'm Jekyll and Hyde. It's something different but I think it will be fun, maybe even a learning factor for myself. It's happening more and more musically. I'll be taking over from Jack Wagner, but originally it was going to be Paul Stanley playing Jekyll and Hyde. Kiss' 'Farewell Tour' interfered with that though. It's kind of fucking cool to be doing something like this. But the music, the actors, the costumes are all so incredible, sort of like a dream....or a nightmare depending on the scene." He says, laughing.
Bach has yet to make his debut but has already been critictized by patrons of the theatres. Many believe he should stick to what he's good at, and that hard rock musicians working in theatre will stop patrons going because it's not what they want to see. Some are also worried by Bach's bad boy image, and how it might mar Theatre's reputation.
Bach disagrees, arguing it will spice theatre up and hard rock musicians will draw more people to see theatre. He points out it's blatant snobery from critics, who have yet to see him perform. His fans agree, eager to see a change in theatre and to see their favorite rebel on stage.
Sebastian Bach seems to finally be ready to shed his 'Youth Gone Wild' image and attitude. Then again, maybe not. When asked if he has any advice for future musicians, he pauses and gives his wideass trademark smile and states, "Quit school, quit your job, and move to the big city. Meet other musicians, practise your instrument, and you'll make it."
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