MPJ Spotlight feature : Article and Photographs by: Nadine Swiger

To date, this month’s MPJ Spotlight Artist, Skid Row has released five full-length albums, an EP, a compilation album and a live album to boot and more than half of those albums are multi-platinum.

Based out of Toms River, NJ, Skid Row formed in the mid 80’s by bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo. By 1987, they had their line-up complete and were playing shows up and down the east coast.  Meanwhile, fellow New Jersey native, Jon Bon Jovi had set up a publishing company, the Underground Music Company and was seeking out new and upcoming talent. As the story has been told, Dave and Jon were good friends and made a pack to help the other out if one of their bands ever make it big. True to their word, that is exactly what happened (not to mention that timing was on their side). Bon Jovi’s manager Doc McGhee became interested in Skid Row; Doc sought them out, signed them and helped them secured their first record deal with Atlantic Records (1988).

Meanwhile, Bon Jovi’s career was taking off, with the success of  their “Slippery Than Wet” album and was just launching their next album, “New Jersey.” Only a few months after the release of “New Jersey”, Skid Row would release their self-titled debut album. Skid Row found themselves on an arena tour of the world, opening up for Bon Jovi. What a way for a band to debut their album, to a sold-out arenas night after night.

While Bon Jovi may have opened that door, it was Skid Row’s talent, hard work and attitude that gained them respect. It didn’t take them long to gain a massive amount of fans in a short period of time. Their debut album ended up going 5x certified platinum and the album sold over five million copies in just the United States alone. It contained hit songs, “Youth Gone Wild,” “I Remember You” and “18 and Life.”  It was only the beginning of what this band had to offer.

In August of 1989, Skid Row would be part of music history in a different light as they performed at The Moscow Music Peace Festival. The festival would mark an era of change in Russia. Communism was collapsing as the Soviet Union had been officially dissolved. The Moscow Music Peace Festival not only exposed the people of the Soviet Union to western cultures but also provided a way for the largest rock bands to promote world peace and recognize the international cooperation in the fight against the drug war within Russia. The Festival was a two day event, held in Moscow’s largest stadium, Luzhniki Stadium.  It was the first time that the stadium held a rock show, seating roughly 100,000 people, and including people who were on the field the numbers were well over it’s capacity.  You can watch Skid Row performing  at the Moscow Music Peace Festival, with a cover of the Sex Pistols’ “Holiday In The Sun.”

Skid Row would follow up in 1991, with another multi-planium albums, “Slave to the Grind”. The album includes their hits: “Monkey Business” “Slave to the Grind” “Quicksand Jesus” “Wasted Time” and “Psycho Love.”  Slave to the Grind” would debut at the number one spot on the American charts and Skid Row went back out on a world tour, in support of Guns N Roses.

n 1992 they would release an EP “B-Side Ourselves.” It was a fun album of cover songs, that feature bands that had influenced the members of Skid Row over the years. It included “Psycho Therapy” (Ramones cover featuring Taime Downe), “C’mon and Love Me” (Kiss cover), “Delivering the Goods” (Judas Priest cover featuring Rob Halford), “What You’re Doing” (Rush cover) and “Little Wing” (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover).

In 1995, Skid Row would bring forth their third studio album, “Subhuman Race.” They would take it to the road, opening for none other than Van Halen! The grudge movement was moving in, and the band would find themselves in a hard time. In 1996, the band decided to part ways with their vocalist, Sebastian Bach. Sebastian went on to do a solo career and the remain 4 members would go on with a new vocalist, Shawn Mars (Mars Needs Women) under a new name, Ozone Monday.

In 1999, Skid Row would re-formed with a new lead vocalist, Johnny Solinger (formerly of Solinger) and new drummer Charlie Mills (who left soon after the band formed). Skid Row found themselves once again out on the arena circuit as the open guest on the KISS farewell tour. They would continue to tour every summer, with other 1980s metal bands such as Poison, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, as well as many others from their music genre.

In 2003, Skid Row would released their fourth full-length studio album, Thickskin. It was the first studio album in 8 years and would finally showcase their new vocalist, Johnny Solinger. It wasn’t until 2004 that Skid Row would higher a full-time member for drums (others would be intern); Dave Gara.

In October of 2006, the fifth Skid Row album, Revolutions per Minute, was released through SPV Records. Michael Wagener reunited with Skid Row and became their producer for this album. The touring would continue in support of this album, including the 4-day cruise in the Caribbean (Motley Cruise) with Vince Neil, Ratt, Slaughter, Endeverafter, Lynam and the week long cruise entitled “ShipRocked” (2009) with Queensryche, Tesla, RATT, Broken Teeth, Endeverafter and Lynam.

The band also recorded several single songs on compilations. In 2007, the band recorded Jingle Bells for a Monster Ballads Christmas album and in 2011, they recorded “Light the Fires, Let’s Go” for the The Official Music of the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association).

At the start of the summer, MPJ caught up with the original founding members, Rachel Bolan and Dave Snake Sabo before their show in Utica NY. We talked about the set up for their summer tour, the new song, other music projects they are involved with and the resurgence of young fans to the band. We see bands like Halestorm and Asking Alexandria recently covering Skid Row tunes as well as, the punk band, The Ataris and even the Finnish melodic death metal band Norther did a cover of “Youth Gone Wild.” Here what they had to say about a songs they wrote so long ago and the new life it keeps growing into.

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PART 2 :

SKID ROW SUMMER TOUR DATES:

8/04/11 Newkirk, OK – First Council Casino
8/06/11 Winter Park, CO – Hideaway Park
8/10/11 Idaho Falls, ID – Rock the Falls 2011
8/11/11 West Allis,WI – Wisconsin State Fair
8/12/11 Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena
8/13/11 Fort Yates, ND – Prairie Knighs Casino
8/17/11 Escanaba, MI – U.P. State Fair
8/19/11 Geneva on the Lake, OH – The Cove
8/20/11 Lexington, KY – Buster’s
8/26/11 Uncasville, CT – Wolf Den @ Mohegan Sun
8/27/11 New Hope, PA – Havana New Hope
9/16/11 Duluth, GA – Wild Bill’s
9/17/11 Grapevine, TX – Glass Cactus
11/04/11 Temecula, CA – Pechanga Casino

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PHOTO GALLERIES:

* SKID ROW :: PHOTO GALLERY :: Utica NY

* SKID ROW :: PHOTO GALLERY 1 :: Elmira NY

* SKID ROW :: PHOTO GALLERY 2 :: Elmira NY

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For more information on:

SKID ROW : skidrow.com

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