Sebastian Bach Interview
Mick Burgess of Norway's
Metal Express Radio recently conducted an interview with former
SKID ROW vocalist
Sebastian Bach. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Metal Express Radio: Do you think it's important in this day and age to be able to offer something extra to the fans to encourage fans to buy the product rather than downloading it?
Bach: I've sold 22 million
SKID ROW records and if the fans don't get [
Bach's new solo album]
"Angel Down", then it's their loss. It is just as good, if not better than those records, and I should know — I've heard those records a million times and I've heard
"Angel Down" a million times and it's right up there with them. If you've spent 15 years listening to
"Slave To The Grind" then it's your loss not getting
"Angel Down". It's really, really good. All the fans keep telling me it is and the reviews do too.
Metal Express Radio:
"Angel Down" [was] released in the UK on
DR2 Records which is linked to
Demolition Records. How did you get involved with
Demolition?
Bach:
Demolition offered me a record deal at the time when
Spitfire was giving me a deal. Both are labels from the UK.
Demolition picked up because the people that work at
EMI in the UK must be brain dead or something.
EMI has the right to put out my record everywhere in the world and they put it out everywhere except the UK. I can't understand why they didn't put it out especially after we'd sold out two nights at Wembley and me and
Axl [
Rose] did a record together so I'm sure most of them would be interested in getting this so I don't know how many nights you have to sell out before they'll put your record out.
Metal Express Radio: Do you think being a priority act on a specialist hard rock label is more beneficial to you than being one of many artists on a major label who in many cases don't know how to market rock bands?
Bach: What label would not want to release the new
Axl Rose material?? Forget about me — there's three songs on there with
Axl Rose that people will want to hear. That's nuts.
EMI's loss is
DR2's gain.
Metal Express Radio: You've always seemed to be a music fan who found himself in a successful rock band and you never seem to have lost your enthusiasm for other bands. Your love of
KISS and
RUSH, amongst others, is well known. Do you still feel that sense of excitement when you hear some great music that makes you sit up and take notice?
Bach: I listen to music constantly. My iPod is always on. If I'm in the dressing room before the gig I'll be cranking out heavy metal from
HATEBREED,
OZZY to
MALICE,
EZO to
ANVIL and
MANOWAR's
"Battle Hymns"; it's just so heavy, we all love it. In my iPod, I've got
HATEBREED next to
HELLYEAH next to
HANOI ROCKS, so with a little flick of my thumb I can listen to something that was recorded today or something that was recorded 25 years ago. I don't analyze what I listen to, I just listen to what I want. I just love music.
Read the entire interview from
Metal Express Radio.
ACDC North American Tour Dates and Rock Band Live Track Pack
AC/DC has extended its trek across North America by adding sixteen more shows to its
Black Ice World Tour. Newly added dates begin on December 20, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and wrap up on January 31, 2009 in Nashville, TN. The tour kicks off on October 28, 2008 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Tickets for the Houston, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, and Cleveland concerts go on sale October 4 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets for the Toronto concert go on sale October 10 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets for the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Omaha, Fargo, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Tulsa, and Nashville concerts go on sale October 11 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets for the Little Rock and Memphis concerts go on sale October 18 at 10:00 a.m.
18
Black Ice World Tour concerts sold out in record time when tickets went on sale for the initial round of on-sales, with shows being added in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Oakland due to unprecedented fan demand.
Here are
AC/DC's new tour dates:
Dec. 20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
Dec. 21 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
Jan. 05 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Jan. 07 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Jan. 09 - Toronto, ONT - Rogers Centre
Jan. 11 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
Jan. 13 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Jan. 15 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
Jan. 17 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
Jan. 19 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Energy Center
Jan. 21 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
Jan. 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Jan. 26 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
Jan. 28 - Little Rock, AR - Alltel Arena
Jan. 30 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
Jan. 31 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
AC/DC comes exclusively to Rock Band beginning this November for the worldwide release of AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack by Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks. This exclusive deal with Columbia Records and AC/DC marks the first time ever the band has included an entire album for video game play, with 18 live tracks from their prolific live performances becoming available in one electrifying, standalone game. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack allows players to experience this amazing set list with Rock Band, Rock Band 2 or other compatible music game peripherals. Full of the band's classic songs, the game will be available this November in the U.S. and throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand beginning in early December.
"When MTV first launched in 1981, we promised that people would 'never look at music the same way again' and, with Rock Band, we continue to fulfill this commitment," stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV's Senior Vice President of Electronic Games & Music. "We're excited to be part of AC/DC's and Columbia's global plan for the release of their new album, DVD and now, videogame. Being the first to present these revered songs in interactive form, exclusively on the Rock Band platform is a true honor. For those about to rock with the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack, we salute you!"
"AC/DC fans can now experience performing live, on stage with the band," said Columbia Records co-Chairman Steve Barnett. "An unforgettable concert is now an ultimate at-home entertainment experience with the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack."
AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will feature the master recordings from the best of the band's live performances. The live recording was specially remixed for Rock Band by Mike Fraser. The game features 18 tracks, with more than 99 minutes of game play for each instrument:
* "Thunderstruck"
* "Shoot to Thrill"
* "Back in Black"
* "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"
* "Heatseeker"
* "Fire Your Guns"
* "Jailbreak"
* "The Jack"
* "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
* "Moneytalks"
* "Hells Bells"
* "High Voltage"
* "Whole Lotta Rosie"
* "You Shook Me All Night Long"
* "T.N.T."
* "Let There Be Rock"
* "Highway To Hell"
* "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)"
All tracks from the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 by entering a special export authentication code for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system versions. As previously announced, AC/DC's anthem "Let There Be Rock" is featured in Rock Band 2 — the first time the group has been included in a music-based video game.
The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be available in the U.S. on November 2 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and on November 16 for Wii. Pricing for AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii is MSRP $39.88 and MSRP $29.88 for the PlayStation 2. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available at most major retailers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in early December on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii.
