SKID ROW's DAVE 'SNAKE' SABO Reflects On Breakup Of Classic Lineup: 'Things Had Gotten Very Toxic By The End'

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo was asked how he feels about fans comparing the band's new singer Erik Grönwall to Sebastian Bach. He responded: "People will compare, and we hear people calling for reunions all the time, but there's no need. Even before Erik, we never felt a need to go there. Things happened the way they did, and things had gotten very toxic by the end of a certain period in our history.

"There's a reason we didn't look back despite getting far away from who we are. Even if we were far away from that place, we knew going back to something that didn't work was not something that would make SKID ROW better."

He added: "I do think SKID ROW is stronger now than ever before. Erik can hit all the notes from those early albums and does it effortlessly. He's got a ton of energy, and for us to sit here and watch him perform, man, it's a pleasure. I couldn't ask for anything better than what Erik has given us, and I wouldn't trade it for anyone from the past."

During the same chat, Snake admitted that he was unsure SKID ROW would ever return after the disintegration of the band's classic lineup more than 25 years ago.

"Right after the 'Subhuman Race' tour, we said goodbye to a few band members," he said. "And after that, Rachel [Bolan, bass], Scotti [Hill, guitar] and I all went our separate ways because we needed some time to repair our friendships. We had to do that because there was a lot of what I'll call poisonous rhetoric flying around the confines of our tour bus.

"We got to a point where we hated taking the stage together, but we did it because, at the end of the day, we loved the music and wanted to play those songs. And so, when everything fell apart between '96 and '98, we had to take a break from each other. But over time, Rachel, Scotti and I slowly realized that we're brothers and loved each other, and although we might not have wanted to play in the band with certain people, we did want to continue to play the songs that we wrote. So, we said, 'You know what? Let's go out, get a couple of new guys, and see what happens.' We knew it would be different and take some time, but that didn't matter to us. We said, 'Fine. We'll start at the bottom. It's okay.' We were okay with that because of the love we have for our songs and the love Rachel, Scotti, and I share, which we knew was the core of SKID ROW. We set out to find the guys who could be a part of it and who could keep the legacy moving forward, for better or worse. We always said, 'When it's not fun, that's when we need to either make changes or walk away.'

"So, there was a time when we needed to walk away, but the love of the music brought us back together. But not everyone would be a part of that, and we've never felt like we needed to look back. Having said that, we have this lineup with Erik and [drummer] Rob Hammersmith that's made this all possible, and we're so excited to be back where we belong."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan, Sabo and Hill, alongside Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

In the summer of 2021, Bach told Florida's 98.7 The Gater radio station that "there's no reason" for the classic SKID ROW not to reunite. "When those guys [in SKID ROW] try to say [about me], 'He's difficult to work with,' let me just say this one more time. We have not been in the same room together since the year 1996," he said. "Shut the eff up about you thinking you know what I'm like. You don't know anything about what I'm like. And the 'Gilmore Girls' think I'm okay to work with; Broadway thinks I'm okay to work with; the 'Trailer Park Boys' think I'm okay; GUNS N' ROSES think I'm pretty cool. We're not getting any younger."

Sebastian went on to say that a SKID ROW reunion "should" happen "for the fans. And we are absolutely running out of bands — bands that can play in sheds," he said. "The fact that we are all still alive and we are all in our 50s — some closer to 60 than others — but that, to me, is selfish that we're not together.

"I can play with anyone. I do play with everyone [laughs] — except for them."

Two years ago, Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Three years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Sabo added: "It was already a miserable experience, and we didn't even get on the phone."

Last year, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".