Interview

Sebastian Bach, Way Beyond Skid Row - He sat backstage in his dressing room about an hour before show time and Sebastian Bach was calm and cool as usual getting ready to do his pre-show warm-up which includes doing some complex Italian Opera scales. The former 80's rock sensation who fronted the band Skid Row and spawned the hits I Remember You, & 18 and Life has grown up from his hard-edged rocker lifestyle into the more sophisticated one that allows him to flaunt his vocal talents under the bright lights of Broadway. Playing the lead in Jeckle & Hyde in 1999 and now starring as Riff-Raff in the cult favorite Rocky Horror Show Bach has become a full-blown thespian earning critical praise and winning over a whole new legion of fans. I love playing Riff-Raff eight times a week. Bach says with pride gleaming off every word,I love New York City, man. This city created Sebastian Bach more than any other city in the world and I owe it all to this city. Don't worry, Bach hasn't completely abandoned his rock and roll roots for Rogers & Hammerstein. Not only is he the host of his very own rock and roll show on VH1 called "Forever Wild" he also just put out another rock album as well. Bach and a few of his pals; Kelly Deal of the Breeders (vocals/bass), Jimmy Chamberlin of Smashing Pumpkins (drums), and Jimmy Flemion of the Frogs (guitar); have all joined forces for a rock music side project called The Last Hard Men. This all began as an experiment to see if rock and roll and heavy metal could mix with alternative and we find out that the answer is no, they cannot. (laughs) Bach says in a joking tone,It really is a great album. It was really cool playing with all these different people, they're all really talented. With tunes ranging from straight-ahead rock to alt punk to show tunes, The Last Hard Men have certainly tore down all barriers and cannot be pigeon holed into any specific genre. Their album unfolds more like a subconscious musical conversation than a conceptual project by going into different extremes and braving unfamiliar territory in a completely natural way. I really think that people underestimate the intelligence of the rock fan, I mean they treat them dumb Says Bach, I think that rock and roll fans are smart people and they're ready for something different and challenging. Aside from singing and playing the guitar on this album, Bach also was behind the controls as producer as well. I really love my label (Spitfire Records) because they allow me to be a real artist in the sense that I can create just for the sake of creating and not be worried about selling 3 million copies. It was that creative freedom that enabled him and The Last Hard Men to record an in-your-face metal jam like Sleep one day and then lay down a piano laced show tune the next. What may sound like an odd balance works very well and that perhaps is the beauty of their music. For now, Bach can be seen on Broadway as Riff-Raff in The Rocky Horror Show playing at the Circle In The Square. My fans come to hear me sing eight times a week and on Broadway and I just love singing. To get a copy of the Last Hard Men and to learn more about Sebastian Bach you can log to: www.sebastianbach.com