Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan recently opened up about how he handles online criticism and the common misconceptions strangers have about his personality.
Speaking with the “80s_Metal_Headz” podcast, the rocker addressed the recurring internet narrative that he is driven by an inflated ego.
“A lot of people, and I say a lot of people, a few people, and it’s mainly the haters, think I’m this guy that is all ego,” Bolan explained. “Listen, we’re in a business of egos. It’s without a doubt. That’s what drives us, wanting to be the best, and sometimes we think we’re the best, some guys more than others, some people more than others. But some people, like I’ll see comments online, it’s, like, ‘Oh, it’s his ego.’ I hear about my ego all the time, and I’m, like, ‘That’s really interesting.’ People that I am a complete stranger to are saying my ego is getting in my way. And I’m, like, ‘Okay.'”
When asked how he processes the constant stream of negativity found on social media and message boards, Bolan revealed that he and his peers often view it as entertainment rather than taking it personally.
“Yeah, it’s easy to do that, the anonymity of just firing off on a message board. That’s really easy… I kind of envision haters miserable in their own lives, because that’s why they have to spew hatred. Because people that are happy in their life don’t do that. They’re supportive, they’re empathetic. Haters aren’t like that. But the funniest thing is I think about haters, and I’ve talked to other friends in bands that go through the same thing, it’s almost like we read the comments for sport, because it’s funny to us. We laugh at a lot of the stuff,” he said.
He continued, painting a bleak picture of the daily routine of dedicated internet trolls while contrasting it with his own reality.
“And I always think of these people just miserable when they get up, so the first thing they do is go on message boards and spew all their s**t,” he added. “And on their lunch break they’re on their phone spewing their s**t to their co-workers or their friends. They’re spewing their s**t. They get home, they spew their s**t. They go to bed miserable and they wake up miserable the next day. Me, I go to bed in Skid Row and I wake up and I’m in motherf**king Skid Row. So I could give a s**t about the haters, or couldn’t give a s**t about the haters. It’s kind of funny, and in a weird way it’s kind of healthy. Because you see other people start ganging up on ’em, and I’m, like, ‘Oh man, dude, I would’ve held that thought in if I were you.’ Because Skid Row fans sometimes, they get hardcore, and then I’m, like, ‘Ooh, he shouldn’t have said that.'”
He concluded the thought with a simple piece of advice for those spending their time attacking others online: “It’s really easy to be nice. It really is really f**king easy to be nice.”
Outside of dealing with internet commentary, Bolan is preparing to release his debut solo record, Gargoyle Of The Garden State, on June 12 via earMUSIC. Released under the moniker Bolan, the project was helmed by producer Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked on the 2022 Skid Row studio album The Gang’s All Here.
The upcoming solo effort boasts a massive lineup of guest musicians. Joining him on the record are his Skid Row bandmates Dave “Snake” Sabo, Scotti Hill, and Rob Hammersmith. The album also features appearances by Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, rock frontman Danko Jones, Steve Conte of the New York Dolls, and Damon Johnson of Brother Cane and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Meanwhile, Skid Row remains on the hunt for a permanent frontman following the exit of vocalist Erik Grönwall in March 2024.
