By Paul Autry

PAUL AUTRY Before we get into the new album, I have a few quick questions about your backround history. Now, your first band was Kid Wicked and that was on Attic Records. Was that an actual label and what did you actually release with that band?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Attic Records is a label in Canada with bands like Teen Age Head, tons of bands. We appeared on a compilation record called Maple Metal in 1985 when I was 16 years old. It's pretty old music. We released a demo tape.

PAUL AUTRY From there, you moved on to Madam X. I have "Reserve The Right" and I hear a lot of talk, some people say that you're on the album, some people say it isn't you. Could you set the record straight?

SEBASTIAN BACH: No, that's not me. I joined after the album was out, I toured all over with them.

PAUL AUTRY So, you never released anything with Madam X?

SEBASTIAN BACH: No, but, there are bootleg live videos, if you count that. But, nothing official, no.

PAUL AUTRY And from there, you moved on to the band that made you famous, Skid Row. If I'm not mistaken, you weren't the original singer. Who was and how did you eventually hook up with the band who made you a household name?

SEBASTIAN BACH: That's right. The original singer was a guy named Matt Falen. He, I guess, I don't really know what happened to him. I never even met the guy, actually. But, the guys in Skid Row saw me in magazines with Madam X, they contacted this photographer who took pictures of me and he got in touch with me. So, I sent them a tape and they flew me down to New Jersey from Toronto in like, 1987, and the rest is Skids-tory!

PAUL AUTRY It would seem that there's no way you could avoid Skid Row questions due to the fact that there's quite a few Skid Row songs on "Bring 'Em Bach Alive." Was that something you thought about when you were recording this album?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Uh, no, because I was kicked out of Skid Row, I didn't quit. So, I didn't really get my fill of it. It's like going to see Ozzy, he still does Black Sabbath tunes or David Lee Roth who still does Van Halen tunes. I mean, if someone is gonna pay money to come see me sing, they wanna hear "18 & Life," "I Remember You," or "Monkey Business." I love those songs, so, I'm only happy to do them.

PAUL AUTRY Do you think that the Skid Row songs will take anything away from the original music that you and your new band are creating?

SEBASTIAN BACH: I don't think so. I think they go together pretty good.

PAUL AUTRY Before you gave me a call here, I was looking around on your web page and I noticed a mention of some unreleased Skid Row tunes that you're planning on doing....

SEBASTIAN BACH: Well, no, actually, what I meant by that was songs that Skid Row never did live like "Livin' On A Chain Gang" and some other ones that we didn't do live. I'll be doing them on the upcoming December tour.

PAUL AUTRY I thought you might have been talking about "Walk With A Stranger" or "Telephone."

SEBASTIAN BACH: Oh, God. (laughs) You really know your stuff dude, that's for sure. No, not those.

PAUL AUTRY Since I mentioned original music, most of it sounds like classic Sebastian. But, on "Superjerk, Superstar, Supertears," well, that sounds like Spiders And Snakes, they're like a glitter band. Anyway, that tune doesn't sound like something people would expect from you. Is this something you wanted to do?

SEBASTIAN BACH: I hope everything is unexpected. But still, it has energy and melody and stuff like that. Everything I do, I try to make people go, "Wow, I wouldn't expect that comin' out of him" and that song is definitely a new sound. That's gonna be the second single off the record.

PAUL AUTRY It's a really good song.

SEBASTIAN BACH: Thanks man, I appreciate that. I really like listening to it because it has the cleaner sound of my voice. The clear kind of singing...cause I like to do a lot of screaming, songs like "Done Bleeding." But, I also like to sing clean sometimes and that song has that kind of sound.

PAUL AUTRY You also have a new look. Is there a reason behind the image?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Just trying to create something new. Everytime I come out, it's gonna be something different than the last tour.

PAUL AUTRY There seems to be a little bit of history in your band, with the members and all. Can you elaborate a bit?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Well, the thing about a solo project is that I can collaborate with many different musicians, like, my live band isn't all the musicians on the CD. My live band is "BamBam," who is the Drunk Monkey, Larry is The Indian, Jimmy Flemion is The Angel and Richie Scarlett is The Emperor Of Rock. Those are their personalities and you can see a light hearted look at their personalities in the comic book of "Bring 'Em Bach Alive." Also on the record is Anton Fig on the drums (on the studio tracks) who's the drummer for The David Letterman Show and Ace Frehley. Also, on the first single, "I'll Never Turn My Back On Rock 'N' Roll," it's a guy by the name of Wolf Hoffmann from the band Accept. They're a really good band and he's a great guy. So, I'm collaborating with a ton of great people. Whatever it takes to make a kick ass CD!

PAUL AUTRY And you also had Michael Bruce on that song.

SEBASTIAN BACH: Yeah! Jesus, I thought I named everybody and there you pull one right out. Yep, Michael Bruce was in town from the Alice Cooper band, he was hanging out with Richie Scarlett, they're really good friends. Michael Bruce is awesome and he was kind enough to come in with his friends and some other people and they sang the "HEY HEY!" That's them and me together.

PAUL AUTRY Since I mentioned the image, I guess I can sneak this question in. Being as you're a visual band, are their any plans for a video release?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Yes. I'm gonna be doing a video, "Bach On Video," from the live shows that I've filmed when we toured with Pantera last year and the headline tour as well. Sometime, when I get a free second, I've been so busy with the tour and everything, the CD, I haven't had a lot of time to put it together. But, it will be along the lines of "Oh, Say Can You Scream" and "Roadkill" because, I mean, I filmed a lot of those videos.

PAUL AUTRY The album packaging is really cool. Who came up with the idea to include a comic book?

SEBASTIAN BACH: That's all my idea, dude. Everything that you're looking at is out of my twisted brain.

PAUL AUTRY And your father provided some interesting artwork to this album as well. He also did the "Slave To The Grind" cover (for those who didn't know). Now, did you ask him to do it, did he ask you. How did he get involved with your new album?

SEBASTIAN BACH: I asked him to do it. I basically picked two pictures that related to some of the lyrics and the theme of the CD. I think they look really good, incorporated with the comic.

PAUL AUTRY Can his work been seen anywhere else other than your album and "Slave To The Grind?"

SEBASTIAN BACH: Oh yeah. He's got shows in New York. You can actually go, put the name David Bierk into a search engine on the internet and there's tons of art sites that feature his work. It's cool.

PAUL AUTRY How did you get involved with Spitfire Records?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Basically, it took me awhile to get out of my contracts with Atlantic from Skid Row & I had to get a whole new deal for my solo project, separate from the one I had with Skid Row. So, it took me awhile to find a really kick ass company that would put me to work & Spitfire was great. I was flipping through Metal Edge and all those magazines & all their bands had full page ads and everything. I just e-mailed them and it's working out great. I just signed a four album solo contract with them. I pretty excited about that.

PAUL AUTRY So, that means we're gonna see another four albums from Sebastian & Friends!

SEBASTIAN BACH: You'd better believe it!

PAUL AUTRY Cool. Now, are you happy with what Spitfire has done for you so far?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Yeah! As far as doing 13 interviews a day, I haven't been doing that many since '89. So, they're putting the push out and they're getting the song "Rock & Roll" out to radio, which is great.

PAUL AUTRY What were your studio experiences with this album like?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Aw man, it was really cool because I co-produced the record with Michael Wagener, who produced "Skid Row" and "Slave to The Grind" as well. He's done Metallica, Janet Jackson, Extrme, Ozzy "Live & Loud." He's worked with really heavy people and he's a really great guy. When I'm working with him it's like reliving my childhood. The first Skid Row album I did, I was like 19, so, we have such a standard to uphold with that CD and "Slave To The Grind" that everything works out really good when we work together.

PAUL AUTRY Where do you hope to see yourself ten years from now?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Onstage or in the studio behind a mic. I mean, I started singing when I was eight years old in my church choir and, in my head, that's still what I'm doing. I have a feeling that's what I'll always be doing.

PAUL AUTRY What do you say to the people who say rock and roll is dead?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Buy my new album. Come see my show and I'll prove you wrong!

PAUL AUTRY What can the fans expect to see when they come to a show?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Well, we're gonna be doing all the new songs and all the Skid Row hits that you've been listening to for the past ten years, live, right in your face. Full energy rock and roll.

PAUL AUTRY Can you tell us a little about the songs you wrote with Ace Frehley?

SEBASTIAN BACH: I wrote one song with him called "You Make It Hard For Me." He called me and told me it was gonna be on "Psycho Circus." He had talked to Bruce Fairbairn and Bruce told him it was gonna go on. But, something happened and it wasn't on there. I talked to Gene Simmons and I asked him what happened and he said he didn't want any songs about sex on the new record because he had done so many songs like that. I thought Gene would have loved that, but, I was wrong. Maybe that'll come out on Ace's solo record if he does one.

PAUL AUTRY You seem to have a good working relationship with Ace Frehley. Is that an ongoing thing?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Yeah, we're friends. I go up to his house to jam. That's where I hooked up with Anton Fig and Richie Scarlett. He's been my hero since I was like eight.

PAUL AUTRY Well, I think I about covered everything. Before we end this interview, would there be anything else you'd like to add?

SEBASTIAN BACH: Everybody check out the new CD, "Bring 'Em Bach Alive." For the latest information go to http://www.sebastianbach.com on the internet. Thanks!

Well, that might be the end of the interview, but, it's not the end of Sebastian Bach. In a few days, I will be attending one of his shows and doing a second interview, this time, face to face. I'll be doing a review on the show and, as far as the interview, well, let's just say that this history lesson will continue. I have a few suprises for you (and I'm sure Sebastian and his band members will be suprised as well). It will be very informative to say the least.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Copyright 1999, BallBuster, The Official Int'l Underground Hard Music Report