Image Courtsey of Sebastian Bach

Sebastian Bach was one of the last true stars of the pre grunge rock era. His looks, showmanship, charisma and pipes were perfect match for the time. But with the onset of grunge and alternative rock, overnight, Bach found himself suddenly obsolete, and without a band.

Never discouraged, Sebastian tackled a mulitiude of roles including theatre, TV shows, and music. The Last Hard Men, Bring Em Bach Alive, and Frameshift are perfect examples. In 2007 he returned with the bone crushing Angel Down, produced by Roy Z. Now Bach is Back , ready to demolish Australian stages for the 3rd time in as many years. On Friday May 2nd 2008, Sebastian graciously spared us some time to chat about a few things. So we bring you The hardest working man in Rock, Sebastian Bach.

BTA: Hi Sebastian, hows it going?
SB: Aaaaaaaaaannnndddrreewwww, you are my last one today, I have done 8 interviews today, and so you will have to forgive me, if I am a little spacey, as I’m a little tired of talking about myself.

BTA: That’s all right; I’ll try and make it quick
SB: That’s Ok dude, go for it.

BTA: We will start by talking about Angel Down, as that is the reason you are coming down
SB: Yes
BTA: I have read that you basically financed most of the album, so how did you remain objective, with all of the decisions you had to make?
SB: Well I didn’t finance the whole album, I had another record label, that I started recording with, and then about half way through recording they went out of business, so I was left with a record that was unfinished, and then I paid for it, to be finished, the best I could finish up the record, about 90%, not mastered. And then I got a record deal with that CD, from EMI, MRV Merovingian Music, in America, EMI in Australia, an um once I got signed to EMI, they gave me money to finish it totally, with modern drum sounds and good mastering. So that’s basically what happened, but when the first label went out of business, it was really scary, because I owed the studio money, I owed the producer money, I owed my band, forget about making money, that’s a fuckin’ joke (laughs), so that’s it (laughs). But I did pay for most of it out of my own pocket, yes.

image courtesy of Sebastian Bach

BTA: So were there any songs left of the album?
SB: Yeah, Yeah, actually for the first time in my career we’ve got a lot of songs left over, we didn’t put on the album. I had a bunch of different musicians, in my solo band since 2000, and before that, so I have songs, that I wrote with Paul Crook, and I played with some dudes from Memphis, that I actually wrote six or seven songs with, that never made the record. There’s one of those songs which is on my DVD, Forever Wild, it’s the last song playing over the credits at the end, but other than that, none of those songs have come out, but there is some good stuff in there, but Angel Down, is definitely the best of what I have been working on, in the last few years.

BTA: Do you have any plans to make any of those songs available as a digital download or an EP?
SB: I don’t know, I don’t know it will probably come out one day in the BACH-SET, that’s (Spells) B A C H apostrophe S E T (laughs)
BTA: Great (laughs)
SB: Yeah (laughs)

image courtesy of Sebastian Bach

BTA: You had Roy Z produce the album, and he has done Halford and things like that, what did he bring to the table compared to past producers you have worked with?
SB: Well, I think one of the coolest things about working with Roy Z, is that we are exactly the same age. He is only three weeks older than me, or maybe I’m older than him, but we were born within a couple of weeks of each other. That is the first time I have ever had a producer that is as young and crazy as me, and we really have the same kinds of tastes, and goals, and we just wanted to make a high energy, kick ass, rock album, leaning towards metal, and he even said when I first met him, that one of his favourite records, and every body else too is Appetite For Destruction. And he said, “What if we had an album that was as cool as that”, and I said, “That’s great”. And then we actually have Axl Rose, singing on three songs on the record, he sings on “Back In The Saddle”, “Love Is A Bitch Slap”, and “Stuck Inside”, so we were really flipped out when we talked about Appetite For Destruction when we first met, and then (laughing) Axl is singing on the record, and it was (still laughing) Fuckin WOW! That was incredible, amazing occurrence.

Image courtesy of Sebastian Bach

BTA: With the album, I’ve had it since its release, and I personally don’t think there is much weakness on the album at all
SB: COOL

BTA: Songs like “Negative Light”, and “By Your Side”, are really showing your voice, but how did you choose what subject matters to talk about?
SB: I always make the words, the subject matter, I try to make the sound of my voice match up with the words, and as far as subject matter goes, I started writing lyrics for this album in the year 2000, and the first song we wrote was “Falling Into You”, which is kind of like a love song, and then 9/11 happened, and after 9/11 happened, I started writing lyrics about the war like “Take You Down With Me”, which is totally about a soldier, you know if he is going to die, he is going to kill the guy who is killing him. And then “You Don’t Understand”, is a song written from the perspective of being a soldier who spends his days driving a tank around, killing people, and wondering if he is going to live to see another day. So I think anybody writing lyrics, from the year 2000 to 2007, could not help but be influenced by situations in the world, you know. And also me having a nineteen year old son, brought it home even more intensely, because we were getting draft registry notices in the mail, which I would put in the shredder, and I would get a draft registry for my son, and I would spend the day writing lyrics, how could I not write about that (laughs), you know I was like, “You’re not fucking gonna get my fucking son” (laughs), so that’s why a lot of the subject matter has to do with that.

BTA: As you already mentioned you did “Back In The Saddle”, was that the only cover considered for the album, and how did you come up with the choice?
SB: Yeah that was Roy Z’s idea, he said “Dude you gotta do Back In The Saddle” and I was like “Why”, and he said “Cos your Sebastian Bach, and your back, and you come out onstage and go (screams) I’m Baaaaaaack!, and you’re back, and your Bach, and we were laughing about it. And then I heard how well my band played it, musically, and that’s what really made me want to do it, was when I heard how they made it there own. So that’s what cemented it for me, as its so energetic with an incredible vibe, and you really feel the Rock ‘n’ Roll Magic on that song, and on the whole album, but that’s a great one, definitely.

BTA: The cover of Angel Down is a painting by your late father, which you had tattooed on by Kat Von D, can you tell me about the painting, and how you tied it all together?

SB: Yeah, my dad David Beirk, did the album cover, he also did “Slave To The Grind” the cover of the Skid Row record in 91, and all the artwork for “Subhuman Race”, not the cover, but the inside. Also he did “Bring ‘Em Bach Alive”. It’s a haunting image, because my dad died in 2002, and so it’s a very cool thing for me to give his art, a life, beyond his own life, on my CD covers, and I really can’t imagine using another artists work, because you can hold it in your hand and see my dad’s art, and listen to his own son, me, sing and I think that’s a really cool thing, and I think that’s really kind of rare in entertainment

David Watching, by David Bierk

BTA: And what about the photos in your album?
SB: Oh! Wow, you are pretty much the first person to ask me about that. I took pretty much all of the photos, in the inside, not the poster. You have different packaging over there to America, so I don’t really know exactly what the Australian packaging is. But I took most of the shots on the inside, and one weird thing, is that my dad just had his last art show here in New York, a posthumous show, that he scheduled before his death, and I was reading about his art, and they said about my dad’s art, that all of his landscapes that he painted, had a bright sun in them, like the sun, and that was like the focal point of most of his landscapes. And I realized that I like to take pictures, for some reason, of the sun. It’s a spiritual thing, a heavenly thing, and it’s just strange that he always painted the sun, and I’m gravitated towards taking pictures of it. When I put it all together, it just fits, and it goes along with the side “By Your Side”, which is kind of an ode to him, and anyone who has lost a love one. So it was weird that we look at that image of the sun, in the same way, kind of.

BTA: So you are about to hit Australia in a few weeks, how would you describe your show to someone who is going to see it for the first time?
SB: Well I’m from Canada, so I definitely feel a lot of similarities, from Canada to Australia, in kind of the way that people act, and the vibe and the lifestyle, and the press, its just a fun place. Canada is a fun place. And I would describe it the same way, as I would describe Canada. It’s like England with a little bit of America thrown in (laughs). And that’s how I would describe Canada. So I look forward to bringing my show to Australia, as it is a fun energetic crowd, and we can have a fun energetic show.

image courtesy of Sebastian Bach

BTA: Are you bringing down the same musicians you brought down on the last tour?
SB: No I’m not, I’m bringing down the same band except for this time, I'm bringing down the drummer Bobby Jarzombek, who plays on the record Angel Down, and who is definitely one of the best drummers in the world. He would have come last time, but he broke his wrist, right before the tour, so I was lucky enough to find Jason West, Johnny Chromatic hooked us up, and he did a great job. I always like to keep the band together. Bobby is the drummer on Angel Down so, it’s really cool musically now to bring him to Australia, and so you can hear the actual drummer who made the record live. He really is one of the best in the world, he is an incredible drummer, so I'm very happy to bring him.

BTA: Once you leave here, you have some festival appearances, and then you are going out on the Poison Tour. Do you feel that your band has a little extra to prove, to show fans that you’re not a band that rests on the past, and you have more to offer with new music?
SB: Well in a word YES (laughs). I know for a fact that a lot of people will be coming to see me with Poison, expecting to here a little bit of old songs, and that’s not what they’re gonna hear. So one thing I like about Rock ‘n’ Roll, is it is all about self expression, nobody can tell me what to say, nobody can tell me what to sing, and I’m gonna give Angel Down, the record, everything I’ve got. That means, playing it all summer long, for as long as I can. I’m not out there to ‘Remember yesterday, Walkin’ hand in hand’, even though that’s my song, my intention is to focus on the new record, definitely.

image courtsey of Sebastian Bach

BTA: And although Angel Down is less than a year old, have you worked on any new songs or demos?
SB: Yes, I’m actually working right now, I have 4 songs, that I am writing lyrics to, that I am collaborating with, with Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed. They are one of my favourite new metal bands, they write incredible metal anthems, and I’m working with Jamey, which is very exciting for me.

BTA: Sebastian, you have appeared on TV, Broadway, Concert Stages, is there one memory that sticks out in your mind from all of that?
SB: I really gotta say that Jeckyl and Hyde, the musical, was one of my greatest memories, because it was just very unexpected, and surprising, that I could pull that off convincingly, coming from the Rock ‘n’ Roll world to the Broadway world is very different worlds. From Skid Row to Saddle Row (laughs). So that was a great memory. I have so many great memories. I remember playing Eastern Creek, and Calder Park in 1993, with Guns N Roses and Rose Tattoo. I’ve got a whole lifetime full of great memories, and some not so great, and I’m going to be writing a book, that is going to be coming out someday, so I’m going to be telling those stories in the book.

image courtesy of Sebastian Bach

BTA: Your son plays in a band now, so what advice would you give him about the industry he is looking at?
SB: Well I would tell my son, and any new musician to definitely use the Internet to their advantage. It’s a great way to get your music out so people can find about you, and it doesn’t cost anything. It’s amazing because I know the new singer of Journey, they got him because of a You Tube video he made (laughs) singing Journey songs, and now he is the singer in Journey, so Fuck (laughs), it’s pretty amazing. And I know that Anthrax, picked their new lead singer from Myspace, so I would tell any young musicians, to use it, because that’s something that we definitely didn’t have when I was starting out.

BTA: Well I just wanted to thank you for your time today Sebastian, do you have any final words for your fans in Australia?
SB: Yes, please come to my Myspace page, www.myspace.com/sebastianbach. I have a tonne of Australian fans on there, and I get emails from Australia every single day on my Myspace page, so definitely come and be my friend, check out the new CD, and I will see you live Angel Downunder 2008, in a couple of weeks.

BTA: I’ll see you there
SB: All right buddy, thank you very much
BTA: See ya Sebastian
SB: Bye

Behind The Amps would like to thank Sebastian for his time . And we urge everyone to check out one of the greatest rock front men of all time, when he hits our shores. Sebastian and his mega-metal all star line up do not dissapoint. Get your tickets now before they are all gone.

SEBASTIAN BACH ANGEL DOWNUNDER 2008 TOUR DATES

MAY 20TH: ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY

MAY 22ND: PALACE THEATRE, MELBOURNE

MAY 23RD: SEAGULLS, GOLD COAST

MAY 24TH: THE ARENA, BRISBANE

MAY 27TH: BURSWOOD THEATRE, PERTH

MAY 29TH: THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE

MAY 30TH: ANU, CANBERRA

MAY 31ST: PANTHERS, NEWCASTLE