Who the hell knew this guy was so good even at writing?! 😐
Reading 18 and Life on Skid Row can be an emotional roller coaster, if you are an old fan of Skid Row and Sebastian Bach. I'm not the average fan who likes to dig into the personal life of the artist. I kinda always separated these things, makes it easier if you don't put people up on pedestals. Makes it easier to go over disappointments. Give me great music and I'm happy. I'll only judge you based on the music you deliver. I don't care what you do beyond that. But of course, sometimes the inevitable happens.
In my case, I needed to study the lives of some of the most iconic rock figures in history, for a college project. And what can I say, it was very intriguing. So I kept on reading, because I got caught. The Beatles, Queen, Bon Jovi, Nirvana are just a few examples. It's extremely fascinating to catch a glimpse of what is beyond the music, the blood and the sweat and mostly beyond the stage masks shown to us in concerts/videos. But again, don't judge the music because of the artist. Enough with the intro. I'm terribly bad at explaining stuff. I was gifted this book and it blew me away.
Here's a little preview of the book, just to make you curious:
18 And Life on Skid Row tells the story of a boy who spent his childhood moving from Freeport, Bahamas to California and finally to Canada and who at the age of eight discovered the gift that would change his life. Throughout his career, Sebastian Bach has sold over twenty million records both as the lead singer of Skid Row and as a solo artist. He is particularly known for the hit singles I Remember You, Youth Gone Wild, & 18 & Life, and the albums Skid Row and Slave To The Grind, which became the first ever hard rock album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and landed him on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Bach then went on to become the first rock star to grace the Broadway stage, with starring roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He also appeared for seven seasons on the hit television show The Gilmore Girls.
In his memoir, Bach recounts lurid tales of excess and debauchery as he toured the world with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Soundgarden, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails and Guns N’ Roses. Filled with backstage photos from his own personal collection, 18 And Life on Skid Row is the story of hitting it big at a young age, and of a band that broke up in its prime. It is the story of a man who achieved his wildest dreams, only to lose his family, and then his home. It is a story of perseverance, of wine, women and song and a man who has made his life on the road and always will. 18 And Life On Skid Row is not your ordinary rock memoir, because Sebastian Bach is not your ordinary rock star.
You wanna know what I did today? I downloaded the whole series of Gilmore Girls, damn it.
OK, so, the book. I loved the fact that you can truly sense that Sebastian is the one beyond the words. I even think I read most of the book hearing his voice in my head, narrating. It is written in his straight up, in your face type of vocabulary that you get from his interviews. Nothing can hold this dude down. If he has an opinion about something, well s*it, get ready for it. It will hit you hard. I'm certain he is not one of the most likeable type of people because of his attitude and volcanic personality. The book will make this extremely clear. I like this about him and I also don't like it. I pretty much prefer people who are straightforward about things, but sometimes you need to keep things balanced and learn to shut your mouth. For your own good, mostly. Sebastian learned this the hard way (or at least I think he learned, I won't bet on it).
I also loved the stories from his childhood and the incredible love and trust that he always had for rock 'n' roll. No matter what happened, this dude believed in his dream and made it come true. I think a valuable lesson to be kept in mind is that you should take the chances that come your way and always remember the ones who gave you a helping hand. Nowadays, people usually take everything for granted.
It was pretty cool to have a different view on how some of the most iconic Skid Row songs came to life. It was shocking to acknowledge the fact that these guys, together with other great names from bands such as Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Pantera etc, are still around after the HUGE amounts of blow and alcohol consumed throughout their lives. I mean, yeah, we all know this is how things were back in the 80's, but really now, it's mind-blowing when you read about the mountains of coke that were snorted by these guys, night after night of crazy touring. I'm not even going to mention the alcohol part. You can figure that out. And still, all of them provided incredible music that lasted the tests of time. So I've got nothing to complain about. Some of them are clean now, some of them are not, you stick with the choices you make.
One thing I did not expect to read in this book: Sebastian Bach talking about real love. I was prepared for the childhood drama, the high and lows of the music industry, the crazy lifestyle, the rock 'n' roll intrigues, but I was not quite prepared to hear one of my favourite singers and one of the greatest voices ever, talk about love in such a beautiful and sincere way. And I don't even know why exactly. I think I painted him in my mind as this great rock star cliche, who parties every night and rocks so hard, then ends up with a different chick every time. I'm trying not to spoil the whole read, but I must admit the ending transformed me into an emotional pansy.
I totally recommend it, if you are a fan. You'll learn a lot of awesome things, not only about him and his career, but also about other musicians and their amazing trajectories in this incredible world. You'll find yourself saying along the way "Ahaaa! It makes sense now!". And I guarantee it will open your appetite for listening to some of the greatest pieces of music that were ever created. Trust me.
YouTube links:
Skid Row - 18 And Life (Official Music Video)
Skid Row - Moscow Music Peace Festival 1989
"What I can see is based on what I can feel. What I sing is based on what is in my heart. I believe that positive energy comes back to you. I believe that rock 'n' roll is forever. I believe." Bach, Sebastian. 18 and Life on Skid Row. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2016.
Till next time,
Cris
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