Skid Row–Johnny Solinger (vocals), Scotti Hill (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Snake Sabo (guitar) and Rob Hammersmith (drums)—will be a long way from home throughout the summer. First, the band is teaming up with Black Star Riders for a brief tour of the west coast, which starts May 8th in Tucson, AZ at the Rialto Theatre. Once that concludes on May 16th, the band will play headlining shows across the U.S., including a stop at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, May 17th and an appearance at this year’s Rocklahoma festival on May 23rd in Pryor, OK. They’ll then head to Europe in June for various festivals, including the Download Festival in Donington, England on June 14th. Once the U.S. jaunt concludes in July, Skid Row will head to Kostrzyn, Poland, where they’ve been invited to headline one of the biggest festivals in Europe, the Woodstock Festival Poland on July 31st.
All of this touring is getting their loyal fans ready for the highly anticipated new seven-song EP, United World Rebellion-Part 2, set for release August 5th via Megaforce Records.
After a hiatus that started in 1996, Skid Row returned to the big stage—literally–opening for KISS in 2000. Exhilarated to tour with the heroes who rallied them in the first place, the band was reinvigorated by being underdogs who needed to come out fighting to prove themselves.
“When we put the band back together, we needed to reintroduce Skid Row as relevant without relying too much on past success,” explains bassist Rachel Bolan. “We wrote songs and hit the road. We sunk our heart and soul into it, letting people know we weren’t doing it for lack of something better to do.”
2003’s Thickskin and 2006’s Revolutions Per Minute were battle plans for hundreds of live shows with new singer Johnny Solinger out front, every night being a hard fought battle to win new fans and convince the old ones. United World Rebellion-Part 2 is Skid Row coming out swinging. Rachel and guitarist Snake Sabo tapped again into the potent songwriting collaboration that built the band. Sabo says they were eagerly up to the challenge. “We seem to be at our best when we’re faced with adversity. It’s us against the world again–and by us I mean the band and the fans who stick with us and carry the Skid Row torch without fail.”
New plans came together in an Atlanta recording studio. But it’s a different time, a different industry, so they decided to record a series of EPs. “The idea really appealed to me,” says Bolan, “especially with the constantly changing musical climate. I like the idea of a steady flow of new music, as opposed to releasing a full-length album then riding it for the next two years.”
That guerrilla burst of recording a concise EP fostered a focused intensity that was liberating, says Snake. “The pressure seemed to be lifted. That immediately set me at ease and it became really exciting.”
Exciting and potent, prompting Solinger to exert the full range of his ability. “The third time in the studio as the voice of SKID ROW was the proverbial charm, and the proof is in the tracks. United World Rebellion-Part 2 is the most meaningful work I’ve done with the band. It’s definitely the most I’ve been challenged, vocally.”
That sound is rambunctious exuberance. They got older, but Skid Row never really grew up. United World Rebellion-Part 2 is still the youth gone wild, their musical spark still burning gasoline.
Skid Row tour dates:
With Black Star Riders:
5/8 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
5/9 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
5/10 Corona, CA M15
5/12 Sacramento, CA Harlows
5/13 San Francisco, CA DNA
5/15 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club
5/16 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House
Headlining:
5/17 Los Angeles, CA The Whisky
5/18 Hermosa Beach, CA Saint Rocke
5/20 Houston, TX Scout Bar
5/21 Abilene, TX Lucky Mule
5/23 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
5/24 Dallas, TX Trees
5/25 Lubbock, TX Big Purple Festival
7/9 Rochester, NY Montage Music Hall
7/10 Cleveland, OH Agora
7/11 Newport, KY Thompson House
7/12 Arlington Heights, IL Home Bar
7/13 Watseka, IL Watseka Theater
7/17 Peoria. IL Illinois State Fair
7/18 Turtle Lake, WI St. Croix Casino
7/19 Oshkosh, WI Rock USA
7/20 Battle Creek, MI Planet Rock
7/25 Duncannon, PA Tubby’s
For Skid Row on the web, please visit skidrow.com, facebook.com/OfficialSkidRow, twitter.com/officialskidrow and youtube.com/user/SkidsTV.
17 Responses
Damn, Dana, nothing on AC/DC YET?
Imagine seeing a brick bar and on the 1966 beat up sign “Skid Row Tonight”.
this is not Skid Row…………….Sebastian IS Skid Row……………….
Blake – Please don’t tell me that you think Axl Rose IS Guns N Roses too.
Playing The Lucky Mule in Abilene is booking agent agreement Blake.
The Coach House, geezus, I’ve been there, it is like a folk den. These guys are hurtin’ dogs and Bas is like the anti-christ to work with who wants 50%. Yeah 157 people for the Skids, 800 with Bas at a casino….in Battle Creek SR can get some Frosted Flakes.