SKID ROW’s ROB HAMMERSMITH: ‘We Are Nonetheless In An Energetic Search For Our Subsequent Lead Singer’

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In a latest interview with The Metallic Summit, SKID ROW drummer Rob Hammersmith spoke in regards to the band’s ongoing seek for a substitute for singer Erik Grönwall. Erik, who was SKID ROW‘s fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach‘s departure, was identified with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. In consequence, he’s immunocompromised, which made touring tough. Concerning the place SKID ROW stands in the intervening time with regard to discovering a brand new vocalist, Rob stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, so to sort of return just a few months, most of your viewers might know we have been lucky sufficient to have the ability to do some reveals with our good pal Lzzy Hale [of HALESTORM] publish Erik Grönwall‘s departure. Sadly, earlier [in 2024] when Erik left the band, we have been sort of in a scenario the place we had to determine comparatively shortly what the remainder of the 12 months was going to appear like. So we have been capable of do some reveals late spring, early summer season with our good pal Lzzy Hale. So no tour dates since these reveals. We’re nonetheless in an energetic seek for the subsequent lead singer of SKID ROW. We have had some actually good, some actually robust candidates. At this level, no information, no official bulletins. As I stated, we’re nonetheless within the midst of a correct search, if you’ll, however we’re making progress. We’re getting there. So, sadly, no concrete bulletins. All of that stated, we wish to hold it on the market within the rock and steel world. Any concepts are welcome at this level. So singers on the market, should you suppose you are proper, you already know the place to seek out us for certain.”

He continued: “So we’ll break for the vacations after which we’ll reconvene in January and transfer ahead with that course of. However as anyone is aware of, it is a an extended course of and it all the time takes longer than you desire to for it to take. So we’ll see. Hopefully early [in 2025[ we’ll have some big announcements for everybody.”

Asked how SKID ROW goes about looking for a new singer, Rob said: “There’s so many different factors. I say anybody that’s ever been in a band, but it’s not exclusive to being in the music industry. This is really true with really any situation in life, whether it’s a marriage or relationship or any other industry, there’s so many different factors involved. So for us, we certainly look back on some of our past experiences, myself included — I’ve been with the band for 15 years now; longest job I’ve ever held. I don’t know how I pulled this off, but here I am talking to you guys, 15 years later. So we really did want to take a minute to say to ourselves and then to each other, how do we we really wanna go about doing something like this in a way that maybe we can do it differently than we’ve done in the past? So for us, that’s been an ongoing process. How do you try to account for all of these different criteria and these things that you have to look for? And knowing the whole time that you’re doing something like this with a potential candidate for a situation like ours, they’re evaluating us as well. So everybody comes to the table with their own different set of criteria.

“It’s been a really, a really interesting process,” he continued. “You really have to sit down and examine, as a band, what are your goals? What is important to you? What do you envision the future of your band looking like? And in a lot of ways, that’s been good for us to really sit down and define exactly where we see the band in five years or in 10 years or in 15 years, God willing. It’s been a really interesting experience.

“For us, the beginning of that process was to really sit down as an organization, as a unit and decide, okay, where do we want to go from here?” Rob added. “And then from there you can start to come up with plans. And any other business or like any other business, you sort of have to have a plan, a business plan, but for us the biggest thing was really sitting down and saying, ‘Okay, what do we want to do over the next five years or the next 10 years?’ That was the biggest part of the process for us. And then from there, putting that out into the public, into culture, however that works these days, whether it’s social media, the Internet, things like that. So that was kind of the next step after we really decided, ‘Okay, this is what we, as a band, envision our future looking like.’ We just jumped right in and started looking. And sometimes, like anything in life, you’re just figuring it out as you as you go. So you kind of make some adjustments along the way. I think that was the biggest part of the process for us, is really coming together as a unit.”

Lasy July, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan said during a question-and-answer session at the Days Of The Dead horror and pop culture-themed convention in Indianapolis that he and his bandmates were “taking our time” finding a new singer “because we have time. And we’ve got a couple guys on the radar that we’re gonna audition,” he revealed. “And there’s also a couple of our friends that wanna do what Lzzy Hale did and sit in [on lead vocals] for just a few [SKID ROW] reveals. And that is enjoyable too. That was a lot enjoyable doing these [four] reveals [with Lzzy].”

In Might 2024, Rachel confirmed to Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station that he and his bandmates had been speaking to singers about probably stepping in to exchange Grönwall. He defined: “Nobody, actually, with a reputation. However, yeah, we have been speaking to some guys that piqued our curiosity, for certain.”

In Might 2024, SKID ROW guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo dominated out a reunion with SKID ROW‘s former singer Sebastian Bach telling The Hook Rocks podcast: “It isn’t gonna occur. And I say the identical factor each time. I am grateful that folks have such an curiosity in eager to see that occur, however I additionally need to reiterate that that is about being completely satisfied within the scenario that you simply’re in. So I am going to communicate for myself personally.

“To start with, I do have to say one thing too, is that the rationale that this is not occurring is as a result of there’s three of us — myself, Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and Rachel — who’ve had conversations about this, and we have all been on the identical web page that we do not wanna go down that street once more. We simply — we do not.

Rachel has taken a beating over this via the years,” Sabo continued. “He is the one who’s been blamed for this. ‘Oh, it is Rachel‘s ego.’ ‘It is this and that.’ No, that is a load of bullshit. That’s not true. And I really feel dangerous as a result of he is actually, actually needed to shoulder that blame and has by no means stated something derogatory or something like that. However you already know what? The reality of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have regularly felt the identical approach, that we take pleasure in being completely satisfied on this band and we’re actually completely satisfied.

“It has been such an excellent expertise for the final nevertheless, 35 years, every little thing, all of the ups, all of the downs, every little thing, however we simply do not wanna revisit that individual side of our historical past,” he defined. “I really like the songs, [I] love a number of the reminiscences, [I am] not keen on a few of the reminiscences, however simply as people and as a collective, that is simply how we really feel. So this isn’t on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anybody’s ego or something like that. In order that’s simply gotta be clear. Once more, for anybody to take a seat there and make assumptions that that is Rachel Bolan saying ‘nope,’ it is not. It is the three of us, and we have all collectively sat there and simply stated that we do not wanna do it. We simply do not wanna do it. And we want everyone all the very best.”

Snake added: “We have been simply ripped aside by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped aside. Some actually shitty stuff [has been] stated about all of us. And we simply select to not [respond]. It isn’t who I’m. It isn’t who we’re. We can’t go down that street. We simply wanna play music and be completely satisfied. This has actually by no means been a few financial side of issues as a result of it is recognized that we have been provided an excellent amount of cash to do reveals collectively and to reunite [with Sebastian] and no matter, but it surely’s simply by no means been in regards to the cash, man. I select my happiness, my willingness to proceed to be a very good pal to my finest associates and a very good husband and a very good dad and bandmate and particular person. And I do not wanna endanger that in any approach. So the those that we select to play with, these decisions are made with a purpose to hold these explicit issues in line for all of us.”

Bach fronted SKID ROW till 1996, when he was fired. As a substitute of falling by the wayside, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band known as OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a little bit of shuffling through the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave “Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the cellphone in April 2015, just a few hours earlier than saying ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his substitute. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was changed by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who beforehand fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was changed by Grönwall, who was beforehand a member of the Swedish onerous rock band H.E.A.T.

5 years in the past, Bolan additionally confirmed that he and his bandmates “have been entertaining the thought” of reuniting with Bach following Harnell‘s departure. However Rachel shot down the opportunity of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: “Effectively… Here is the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I would not say we have been associates [when we were in a band together]. We have been bandmates. You understand what I imply? We’re two very totally different folks.” Bolan added that he hadn’t seen Bach “in years.”

Six years in the past, Bach was requested by Rolling Stone what it could take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: “It might take these guys to understand that I’ve a lifetime supervisor. His identify is Rick Gross sales. I have been with him since 2006. They do not need to take care of a man like that. They need to give some singer who would not have a supervisor $700 to $800 bucks per week. I’ve received a crew that is labored with me and do not permit me to get fucked round. I did not have that crew once I was 19 years outdated.”

In response to Bach‘s statements in regards to the earnings of SKID ROW‘s singer, Sabo advised Rolling Stone in an e-mail: “I assume fact-checking is not in his ability set… The 5 of us go on that stage as a band and all of us receives a commission equally. We’re on this collectively. There isn’t any egos.”

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was “near reuniting, however then it did not occur. The truth that it did not occur clearly makes me considerably bitter, as a result of life is just getting shorter, because the music says,” he added.

“I would not say ‘got here shut,'” Bolan advised Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach‘s account of the reunion talks. “We entertained the thought. Snake and I went so far as speaking with brokers and promoters about cash. However we shortly discovered after just a few textual content conversations, why we fired him within the first place. Nothing is value your happiness and peace of thoughts.”



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