Sebastian Bach, the former frontman of Skid Row, recently offered a colorful look back at his band’s 1992 tour with Pantera as the opening act. Speaking with Tom Wilson of Australia’s Sense Music Media, Bach recalled the raw, uninhibited energy that defined that era of rock.
The tour was marked by wild moments, according to Bach. He shared a striking memory from Philadelphia. “Oh, it was wild,” Bach told during interview (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I remember being on the bus pulling into Philadelphia, and we got a call and they go, ‘We’ve been kicked out of the hotel.’ I go, ‘What do you mean? I’m not even f**king there yet. How can I get kicked out if I’m not there?’ And they go, ‘Well, Dimebag [Pantera guitarist Darrell Abbott] and Snake [Skid Row guitarist Dave Sabo] did a*id’ — I mean, this is going way back; hey, kids don’t get any ideas; it was a different time — but they go, ‘Yeah, Dimebag and Snake did a*id and Dimebag got a knife out and stabbed the couch in the lobby of the hotel.’ And I go, ‘Holy f**k, man.’ So there’s a couple stories that are pretty crazy like that. But he didn’t stab any people — just the couch.”
Pantera‘s intense approach to touring was also highlighted by Bach in a 2015 interview with Australia’s “The Morning Show,” where he famously called them the “craziest” band to tour with. He contrasted their pre-show ritual with Skid Row‘s vocal warm-ups, noting, “I warm up my voice doing scales — all this boring vocal stuff — and they would warm up by doing 14 shots of Crown Royal [whisky]. ‘We’re ready! Let’s go!'” Following Dimebag‘s tragic death in 2004, Bach had previously reflected on the privilege of witnessing Pantera‘s ascent. “It was an absolute dream to stand on the side of the stage every night witnessing Pantera‘s rise to fame, night after night, city after city,” he stated, adding, “To have those crazy f**kers as my friends was something I will never forget.”
In 1992, Pantera toured North America as the support act for Skid Row on their “Slave to the Grind” tour. This was a significant period for both bands, with Skid Row promoting their successful and heavier Slave to the Grind album, and Pantera showcasing material from their newly released and soon-to-be-iconic album, Vulgar Display of Power.
Beyond reminiscing about past tour antics, Bach also offered his perspective on what constitutes a modern rock star. He pointed to a surprising figure he finds genuinely embodies the spirit. Asked if modern rock stars exist, Bach responded: “Well, you might not be anticipating this, but I think Liam Gallagher from Oasis is completely hilarious. When I watch his interviews [laughs] — he is, to me, a rock star. When he said, ‘Look,’ he goes, ‘Look, all I wanted out of life was a large-screen HDTV and a fit bird,’ which is a hot chick. That’s all I f**king want — that’s all I want. Hey, Liam, you’re speaking for me too. And I got a bunch of HDTVs, and my chick is fit as a fiddle. [Laughs]”
