SKID ROW Founder Doesn't Understand How American Group Ended Up Using His Band's Name

Brendan "Brush" Shiels, founding member of the late 1960s/early 1970s Irish blues-rock act SKID ROW — which is best known as legendary guitarist Gary Moore's first professional band — has posted a YouTube video in which he accuses the American rock group SKID ROW of using the band name without his permission. He also discusses how he believes the story that Moore received a $35,000 payoff by the American band for the use of the name is nonsense and reveals that he has unsuccessfully tried to contact Jon Bon Jovi (with whom the Sebastian Bach-fronted SKID ROW reportedly signed a publishing deal prior to releasing its first album) and Doc McGhee, early manager of the the American SKID ROW, to resolve the SKID ROW name issue once and for all. Shiels also talks about his ex-SKID ROW bandmates, the late Phil Lynott and Gary Moore.

Shiels says: "[Phil Lynott], Gary and myself toured America, playing with Frank Zappa, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, Iggy and THE STOOGES. Rod Stewart and THE FACES never turned up, so we topped the bill. Everybody knew us.

"A couple of years ago, I'm looking at MTV and Sebastian Bach, the ex-singer of the American band SKID ROW. He said they paid Gary Moore $35,000 for the use of the name.

"Now, I know for a fact this is a complete lie. I got in touch with Seb, and he said as far as he was concerned it was the truth. But that couldn't be the truth.

"The late Gary Moore told me Jon Bon Jovi asked him if it was alright to use the name. Gary said it was nothing to do with him and he'd have to ring me. For some reason, Jon Bon Jovi never rang me.

"If anyone knows him, let him get in touch with me and tell me if this is true: did Jon Bon Jovi ring Gary Moore and ask him could he use the name SKID ROW, and did the late Gary Moory tell Jon Bon Jovi it had nothing to do with him and he'd have to ring me?

"I don't think for a minute he'd be as disrespectful as to not to bother contacting me. But he'd know for a fact under no circumstances could anyone use the name SKID ROW except for us."

"I have a new SKID ROW album coming out and I want it sorted out once and for all. I'd expect somebody from Jon Bon Jovi's office to say, 'There’s been a misunderstanding, something's happened.' I don't know what it is, but I must be entitled to use the name SKID ROW.

"Jon, if you're out there, from one professional to another, give me a call. I'd appreciate it."

Shiels' video message can be seen below. Also available is a separate YouTube clip containing a track from Brush's new SKID ROW album.