In a recently conducted interview on the We Go to 11 podcast, Skid Row guitar player Dave “Snake” Sabo discussed a potential reunion with the band’s classic singer Sebastian Bach. And, as expected, Sabo responded negatively to the question, saying that the whole thing is in the past and not really up for debate. He replied (transcript via Blabbermouth):
“It’s not even a part of any sort of thought process. This is Skid Row. And that conversation is 23 years old [since Skid Row reformed without Bach]. And I have no desire to… I’m not interested; none of us are.”
As Sabo further explained, it’s not what would ultimately make them happy, presuming that there’s hardly any chance that they’d have a good working relationship with Bach. He continued:
“It comes down to happiness, and we’re really, really, really happy where we’re at and how the band sounds and feels. I love playing our music, and I love playing it with the guys that we’re playing it now with.”
“And so I don’t wanna change that. I’m in a great place personally, and I think we’re all in a great place as a collective.”
In 2022, Skid Row hired a new singer, young Erik Grönwall who’s become famous after participating in the Swedish edition of the Idol show. He replaced ZP Theart who’s known for his previous work in power metal band DragonForce.
After hiring Grönwall, Skid Row recorded and released an album titled “The Gang’s All Here.” This marked the band’s first full-length release, the follow-up to the 2006’s “Revolutions per Minute” record. You can check out the title track in the embedded player below.
In an interview published in 2022, Dave Sabo discussed how Erik Grönwall revitalized the band, saying:
“Man, Erik has been huge. His sound, his look, and his vibe are exactly what we needed and very much in keeping with Skid Row. And he’s got an incredible story of his own; through that, he’s grown into an absolute beast of a singer.”
“With his positivity, electricity, humility, and gratitude, I cannot say enough good things about Erik and what he’s meant to this band since he joined. He is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, and he fits in like he’s been with us for decades.”
“But Erik’s talent and work ethic are fierce, man, so much so that he finished eight of the 10 tracks while he was still in Sweden before we even got in a room with him.
“We were in a tough spot because when ZP [Theart, the previous Skid Row singer] was still in the band, we were all dividing apart, but we kept hoping we could come back together, but it wasn’t happening. We had different philosophies, wants, and needs, and there was no animosity or blowout arguments; it was just time to part ways.”
“So, Erik coming on and being to do what he has, in many ways, saved this whole thing for us. I don’t know what we’d have done without him, with the residency we had with the Scorpions, or with this record.”
Regarding the comparisons that fans make between all of the band’s singers with Sebastian Bach, Sabo replied:
“People will compare, and we hear people calling for reunions all the time, but there’s no need. Even before Erik, we never felt a need to go there. Things happened the way they did, and things had gotten very toxic by the end of a certain period in our history.”
“There’s a reason we didn’t look back despite getting far away from who we are. Even if we were far away from that place, we knew going back to something that didn’t work was not something that would make Skid Row better.”
“I do think Skid Row is stronger now than ever before. Erik can hit all the notes from those early albums and does it effortlessly. He’s got a ton of energy, and for us to sit here and watch him perform, man, it’s a pleasure. I couldn’t ask for anything better than what Erik has given us, and I wouldn’t trade it for anyone from the past.”
Photos: P. Schwichtenberg (Dave Sabo – Wacken Open Air 2014 02), dr_zoidberg (Sebastian Bach (48288889407))
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