Skid Row Responds To Bach's Claims
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Current Skid Row members tell "The truth" about their former singer's claims.
Topic: Hair Metal
Though we usually ignore our former singers rants and accusations, we felt we had to respond to his recent boldfaced lies. We do NOT use his image to promote our shows. In fact there is a clause in our show agreement that states "Venue to use ONLY current, band approved photo for advertising and promotion." No bait, no switch. But to be sure an old photo hadn't fallen through the cracks, we had our booking agent double-check. Here is the correspondence between the buyers of the shows and our agent.

From the buyer of the two Indiana dates.
Hi Mark, I have spoken directly with Vic at Club Fever and Mike at Jamz, neither has done that. Vic laughed and said, "I'm in the clear! I know better than that, I know he isn't in the band any more!" And Mike hasn't used any photos at all in the paper, and has a black & white photo from the media page that I sent to him. Mike did, however bring up something interesting; Sebastian just appeared at the horse track in Anderson, IN...did they use a "Skid Row" photo in the paper to promote him... Let me know.
Thanks, Kim

From the buyer of the NJ show.
Hi Tony: Although I know better, I have been asked to confirm with you that, in the course of advertising the Skid Row show, you have not used any artwork that includes Sebastian Bach. Please confirm, by return email, that this is the case.
Thanks, Mark

Obviously, we haven't used any artwork that includes Baz....the band does need a new pic so we can put one on our website....what's up...???

As most of you know he was let go almost a decade ago so we obviously have nothing to gain by connecting the SKID ROW name to his. No bait, no switch.

Secondly. Now if the claim that Snake is not in the band is true, then someone has perfected human cloning being that it was Snake playing guitar in Burnsville, MN on 5/5/06, Menomonee, WI on 5/6/06 and Las Vegas, NV 5/13/06. And it was Snake with us in Atlanta, GA taping a segment for CNN (to be aired in Sept). And it was in fact he who was there while we were doing our most recent photo shoot for our new CD (coming in Oct). Snake has Carpal Tunnel in his left arm. This has put him temporarily in the position of performing limited shows. He is trying to rehab his arm with physical therapy instead of surgery. It was his decision for us to continue doing shows with a temporary replacement player. Snake WILL be playing June 22, 23, 24 which includes the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. And if his arm is okay he will continue to perform more shows. All that being said, he is in the band.

Finally. The claim that WE would charge a fan to meet us is preposterous!

Hopefully this clears everything up. See you at the shows.

Sincerely,
Snake, Johnny, Scotti, Dave, Rachel - SKID ROW

Sebastian & GN'R Team Up Again
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Sebastian Bach & Friends join GN'R on European tour.
Topic: Hair Metal
Sebastian Bach posted the following on his website:

"Sometimes, in life, you make true friends. A true friend is someone whom you can see & then not see, but when you see them again, it is like no time has passed at all. A true friend is someone whom you can laugh with, talk with, hang out with, rock with, & confide in.Then there is the friend who gives you so much, you can't express in words how much they mean to you. When I look back on my life, I have to say that one of my true friends is Mr. W. Axl Rose. As everyone now knows, when Guns 'N Roses made their triumphant return to New York City a few weeks ago, Axl was cool enough to invite me onstage all 4 nights to sing with him the Guns 'N Roses song of my choice, which happens to be 'My Michelle'. During the NYC shows Axl asked me if I wanted to fly with him to Europe to duet with him in England at Donington & Hammersmith. Of course I said YES & then I mentioned to him the recording of the new CD 'Angel Down' & how much it would mean for our band to open some Guns'N Roses shows.

Axl's response was to offer the band the whole European tour.

To say that my mind is blown, or that I am thankful for this opportunity, is so superfluous. I really cannot express how much this means to me. Axl Rose is the most honest, genuine, straight-up, & talented person I have ever met in this business, & for him to give my band the chance to rock in front of all his fans is something I will never forget. He is now singing better than ever! My personal favorite new Guns N' Roses song is I.R.S.. Last night I jammed with him at ROCK AM RING in Germany in front of 70,000 people after a 2 day plane journey which put me in 4 countries in 1 day ! It is gonna be a truly killer summer playing on tour with GUNS 'N ROSES & recording the new CD as well !!! See ya soon Europe & Japan!"

JUNE 2 EIFEL GERMANY ROCK AM RING FESTIVAL (DUET WITH AXL)
JUNE 4 MILAN ITALY GODS OF METAL FESTIVAL (DUET WITH AXL)
JUNE 7 LONDON UK HAMMERSMITH APOLLO (DUET WITH AXL)
JUNE 9 DUBLIN IRELAND RDS ARENA (DUET WITH AXL)
JUNE 11 DONINGTON UK DONINGTON PARK DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL (DUET WITH AXL)

~SOLO BAND BEGINS GUNS N' ROSES TOUR ! ~
JUNE 13 PRAUGUE CZECH REPUBLIC SAZKA ARENA
JUNE 15 WARSZAWA POLAND STADION LEGII
JUNE 17 BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA NOVAROCK PANNONIA FIELDS II

~BAND FLIES TO LOS ANGELES TO RECORD NEW CD~
JULY 15 KAVARNA BULGARIA Co-Headline show with W.A.S.P.

~BAND RESUMES GUNS 'N ROSES TOUR~
JULY 18 SHEFFIELD UK HALLAM FM ARENA
JULY 19 NEWCASTLE UK METRO RADIO ARENA
JULY 22 OSAKA JAPAN UDO ROCK FESTIVAL
JULY 23 MT. FUJI JAPAN UDO ROCK FESTIVAL (Same bill in Osaka & MT. Fuji)
JULY 25 BIRMINGHAM UK NEC
JULY 27 NOTTINGHAM UK NOTTINGHAM ARENA
JULY 29 LONDON UK WEMBLEY ARENA
JULY 30 LONDON UK WEMBLEY ARENA

Courtesy of www.sebastianbach.com

Dario Lorina: The New Big Guitarist
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Dario Lorina, age 16, just finished a tour with Warrant's Jani Lane.
Topic: Misc.
As I was going through all the 80's Glam sites today, I found an article on the 16 year-old Las Vegas guitarist Dario Lorina. Being very up-to-date on all guitarists passing through the industry, I had heard of him earlier this year when he had an audition to perform with Jani Lane, the ex-Warrant frontman. I later heard that he had set off on tour with Jani. Until now though, I did not know much about this 'prodigy'. When I saw an interview of him on glam-metal.com (see link below), I decided to research him and find out what this big fuss was all about. I had read comments earlier about him from major names like Nikki Sixx, Dana Strum, and the Nuge, but I just couldn't believe that a 16 year-old guitarist could claim all of his roots were in 80's metal (even though most of the best guitarists are from 80's metal bands).
I went on his site and first went to the video/audio list. I watched a solo of him, and was to say the least, amazed and awed. His styles are like that of Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot & Ozzy), Yngwie Malmsteen, and Buckethead (Buckethead & GN'R). He had an almost neo-classical feel that can only be described as great, and by all means can be regarded as a 'shredder'. Now I had no doubt that he could've opened for bands like Dokken and have played with gods like Jani Lane.
Where can you find everything I've discussed? The interview with Dario can be found at glam-metal.com. His official website with audio/video clips can be found at cyruszain.com.

The image is from Dario Lorina's site. Dario with Jani. Only-Rock fans can expect a Band Page for Dario soon.

Update On GN'R
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Hard Rock
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Guns N' Roses will hit the stage in a European tour this week in singer Axl Rose's latest bid to return to rock paradise, but fans are still waiting for the band's long-promised new album.

The success of GNR's comeback concerts rests on the reclusive and controversial Rose, whose absence at a show in Canada in the American band's last tour in 2002 led to riots. The disastrous tour ended prematurely.

In a warmup to the 30-date European tour that starts in Spain Thursday, the band, which soared to superstar status in 1987 with hits such as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City", recently played four nights in small New York venues.

"As long as there is no concert at which Axl Rose doesn't show up, then I will have to say that everything is going well," said Eric Romano, who has run the fan website www.mygnr.com for 11 years.

Guitar virtuoso Slash and bassist Duff McKagan quit the band a decade ago, leaving Rose as the band's only original member.

Despite losing the creative axemen, Rose has retained a legion of fans who long for the release of "Chinese Democracy", an album in the works for nearly 10 years.

"For the majority of fans, as long as Axl Rose is there, it is still Guns N' Roses, even though other members of the group are no longer playing," Romano, a Canadian, told AFP.

But not all Guns N' Roses fans accept the absence of Slash, McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, a founding member who quit the group in 1991.

"They're a good band and everything, but I don't think they have the chemistry the original GNR did," said photographer Robert John, who took pictures of the band from 1985-2002.

"I think some of the songs I heard them play are heavier and some don't have the same feel, because Slash isn't on the guitar," John said.

The revamped Guns N' Roses have yet to release their new album.

In a recent impromptu radio interview, Rose announced that the long-awaited "Chinese Democracy" would come out later this year. Constantly delayed, it has been derided by the New York Times as "the most expensive album never made."

It would be the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?", released in 1993, which was a compilation of mostly punk covers.

That last album came on the heels of the hugely successful "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" albums, which included mega-hits such as "Don't Cry," "November Rain" and "You Could be Mine."

Guns N' Roses became one of the most popular hard rock bands after the 1987 release of its first album, "Appetite for Destruction," which introduced the world to Rose's hard-edged voice and Slash's ripping guitar solos.

But after selling more than 90 million records, Slash left the band in 1996 and was followed by McKagan and Sorum. GNR has since struggled to regain its hard rock crown with Rose alone at the helm.

Slash, McKagan and Sorum, meanwhile, revived their careers with the successful band Velvet Revolver, which includes another controversial singer, former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland.

Courtesy of www.vqpr.com

Sebastian Bach Makes Announcement About Skid Row
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Hair Metal
Sebastian Bach recently posted the following message on his official website.

"I am getting tired of making this announcement but everytime 2/5ths of my old band does some shows they use my picture & voice to promote their bait & switch 'gigs', so i will say it again:

I AM NOT IN THE BAND SKID ROW.
I HAVE BEEN SOLO SINCE 1996 .
I AM NOT PLAYING ANY CONCERTS WITH SKID ROW.
I AM NOT PLAYING THE STARLAND BALLROOM WITH SKID ROW.
I AM NOT PLAYING THAT CLUB IN INDIANA WITH SKID ROW THAT HAS AN AD IN THE NEWSPAPER NEXT TO MY PICTURE THAT SAYS "PAY $50 FOR A VIP TICKET TO MEET THE BAND"!!!

not only that but ........
SNAKE SABO IS NOT IN SKID ROW.
ROB AFFUSO IS NOT IN SKID ROW.
IF YOU GO TO SEE 'SKID ROW' IN 2006 YOU ARE IN FACT GOING TO SEE ONLY 2 OUT OF THE ORIGINAL 5 MEMBERS OF THE BAND."

Courtesy of www.sebastianbach.com

Meat Loaf's New Album
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Meat Loaf is laying down his tracks for Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.
Topic: Classic Rock
Bat Out of Hell III is Meat Loaf’s long-awaited next installement to the most successful rock music series of all time, with the two previous albums selling a total of 45 million around the world! Bat Out of Hell, released in 1977 and produced by Todd Rundgren, is the third best-selling album of all time, with 30 million copies sold worldwide, featuring such Meat Loaf/Jim Steinman standards as “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” and the show-stopping “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.”

The Steinman-produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which came out in 1993, sold more than 15 million, with the classic “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” earning Meat Loaf a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance.

Bat Out of Hell III continues the epic saga in grand fashion, with contributions once again from Steinman and Rundgren, and produced by hitmaker Desmond Child. Bat Out of Hell III promises to mark the triumphant return of the Bat Out of Hell franchise, completing this legendary trilogy!"

Julie Bell is the artist that created the cover and imagry to Bat III and helped make Meat's vision a reality! Click out her website at www.imaginistix.com
From Meatloaf.net.

From Blabbermouth.net:
Launch Radio Networks reports: QUEEN guitarist Brian May was in a recording studio last week to lay down tracks for the new MEAT LOAF album. May flew to Los Angeles following the "VH1 Rock Honors" show, and he played guitar on a song called "Bad for Good". On his official BrianMay.com web site, the guitarist wrote that the is almost seven-and-a-half minutes long, that it could have nearly 50 tracks of his playing on it, and that it's "truly epic and... unashamedly massive! And everything that might be expected from 'Bat 3'!" The album is officially called "Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose", and it's due October 31. The title song "The Monster Is Loose" has already been released online at the official Meatloaf.net and www.myspace.com/meatloaf web sites.

"Bad for Good" was the title song from MEAT LOAF songwriter Jim Steinman's 1993 solo album.

Diamond Dave Talks of VH Reunion
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Ex-Van Halen Frontman David Lee Roth Talks About Possible VH Reunion.
Topic: Hair Metal
DETROIT (Billboard) - Now that he's lost his radio job, David Lee Roth is seeking gainful employment in another capacity -- as lead singer of Van Halen. Again.

"I see it absolutely as an inevitability," says Roth, who was deposed by CBS Radio in late April as one of Howard Stern's replacements. "There's contact between the two camps, and they have legitimate management; Irv Azoff is part of their loop now.

"To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago' -- 'So what? It's showbiz!' So I definitely see it happening."

Despite that claim, Roth -- who was Van Halen's singer from 1974-1985 -- acknowledges that he hasn't seen Edward Van Halen "in a couple of years." The last time Roth recorded with Van Halen was for the group's "Best Of Van Halen Volume 1" album in 1996, though there have been periodic rumors ever since.

Roth isn't sitting around while he waits for the call, however. He joins the John Jorgensen bluegrass band for two songs -- "Jump" and "Jamie's Cryin' " -- on "Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen," a bluegrass-styled tribute to Van Halen. Roth calls it "a detour" as well as "an interesting return ... Before there was rock 'n' roll, there was me and a single guitar, flat pickin' Doc Watson (songs)." Roth plans to make a number of TV appearances on behalf of the album, which comes out June 6.

Roth is also planning to tour later this summer to play Van Halen hits -- "I'm so proud of that music," he says -- favorites from his solo album and covers. He'll leave the banjos and fiddles at home, though.

"I like to bring out the brass section now and the keyboard players and the singers and so forth," Roth explains. "It's probably a little closer to the Rolling Stones' revue than to the early three-piece power trio. But the demand is amazing; I guess I'm lucky enough to be one of those guys now who can point at the map and say 'Let's go here' -- or, rather, my favorite expression, which is 'Let's follow the sun.'"

Courtesy of www.billboard.com

Bassist Blasko Rejoins Ozzy
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Blasko Rejoins Ozzy 1 Month Before Ozzfest
Topic: Hair Metal
HOLLYWOOD (May 27, 2006) - Blasko has rejoined with Ozzy Osbourne after originally joining the band in 2003 as the replacement for Jason Newsted (ex-METALLICA). After Blasko joined Ozzy, the following two Ozzfest's touted Black Sabbath as the headliner - Blasko thought it was over. He performed with Ozzy on a few special shows during that time such as the NFL kick-off for the Patriot's. "I got the call for this show - the NFL Kick- off," explains Blasko. "I would never have guessed we would be playing in a giant helmet, but it was totally worth it." After that show, Blasko resumed playing with Rob Zombie on his new CD Educated Horses. Performing on a sell-out tour with Zombie, Blasko came home to Ozzy calling him for Ozzfest duties. "I thought it was done and over but then I get the call and it all spiraled back to where we are now and I am back playing with Ozzy."

Performing solo for the first time in three years, OZZY will play a total of 10 dates on this year's Ozzfest route, including the San Bernardino show.

OZZfest 2006 tour dates:

+ indicates Ozzy headlining main stage.
++ indicates Ozzy headlining second stage.

+Thu 6/29 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
+Sat 7/01 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sun 7/02 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Tue 7/04 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
Fri 7/07 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Pavilion
++Sat 7/08 Los Angeles, CA Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
Sun 7/09 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheater
Tue 7/11 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri 7/14 Somerset, WI Float-Rite Park
Sat 7/15 St. Louis, MO UMB Bank Pavilion
+Sun 7/16 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amph.
Tue 7/18 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
Wed 7/19 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Fri 7/21 Columbus, OH Germain Amphitheatre
+Sat 7/22 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Sun 7/23 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
Tue 7/25 Toronto, CAN Molson Amphitheatre
Wed 7/26 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion @ Montage Mountain
Thu 7/27 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Six Flags PAC
+Sat 7/29 New York, NY Randall's Island
Sun 7/30 Hartford, CT New England Dodge Music Center
+Tue 8/01 Boston, MA Tweeter Center
+Fri 8/04 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center @ the Waterfront
Sat 8/05 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amph.
+Sun 8/06 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion
Wed 8/09 Raleigh, NC Alltell Pavilion @ Walnut Creek
Sun 8/13 W. Palm Beach, FL Sound Advice Amphitheatre

Rob "Blasko" Nicholson is perhaps best known for his performances on Rob Zombie's solo albums. He became Zombie's bass demon in 1998 after he left his tour of duty with Danzig. Blasko has so far played on all of Rob Zombie's solo albums (Hellbilly Deluxe, The Sinister Urge, & Educated Horses).

Great White members now on trial.
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Hair Metal
Two members of Great White have been subpoenaed as witnesses in the trial of a Rhode Island nightclub owner charged with 200 counts of manslaughter.

Great White guitarist Ty Longley was among 100 people killed when pyrotechnics ignited flammable soundproofing foam during a February 2003 concert at The Station nightclub in East Warwick, R.I.

Great White bassist David Filice and drummer Eric Powers were named as material witnesses Monday for the trial of Michael Derderian, who owned the club along with his brother Jeffery, the Providence (R.I.) Journal reported. Michael Derderian's trial starts July 31 while a date has not been set for his brother's trial.

Great White's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of manslaughter for setting off the fireworks without a permit and is currently serving a four-year prison term.

In other news, here's a few pictures from the Gn'R show in NY.

The tracii Guns Band Works On New Album
Now Playing: The founding members of the Sunset Strip band L.A. Guns work on new album.
The Tracii Guns Group Which Feature the original founding members of L.A. Guns is nearing the end of our first ever US tour. Its been an amazing experience and I want thank all my friends old and new for coming down to join us in this rock and roll experience and suportting The Original L.A. Guns "Black List" Release. Weve got two shows left and then its back to L.A. to start work on a new record and a DVD.

Best to all my friends

Love-
Paul Black
Music For Animals