Skid Row is a Rock-n-Roll band that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Determined to make it, Co-founding Guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo told Cryptic Rock Magazine in a 2023 interview –
“That meticulousness made us better as songwriters and performers. Good is not good enough. Good is not going to get you out of the clubs in New Jersey. Good is not going to get you on world tours. Good is not going to sell you records. That was instilled in our heads from the very beginning by people whom we still respect immensely and who we are still friends with.“
A tenacious which led to big things later on, originally started by Bassist Rachel Bolan and Guitarist Dave “ Snake” Sabo, minus a short period where they worked under the title Ozone Monday between 1998 and 1999, the two have kept Skid Row going for nearly forty years. Joined by Guitarist Scotti Hill in 1987, the three friends have seen Skid Row reach the top of the Rock world with major hits like 1989’s “18 and Life,” “I Remember You,” and “Youth Gone Wild,” sustained the band through five vocalists, but all while still keeping their fire burning even in the darkest moments.
A story of passion, fortitude, talent, and hard work, everyone knows that Skid Row initially had the powerful pipes of Sebastian Bach on vocals. From here, the band recruited Johnny Solinger to sing for them from 1999 through 2015, brought on TNT’s Tony Harnell for a short stint, and brought on former Dragonforce Vocalist ZP Theart between 2016 and 2022 before Sweden’s Erik Grönwall joined up. The last, a move the band was extremely amped up about, Grönwall was a perfect fit, and as a result, the band worked with him to record 2022’s The Gang’s All Here. In fact, Snake Sabo even said in the same 2023 interview –
“Working with Erik has breathed new life into our band. Erik has such an infectious personality; he is so ongoing, and he is so hard not to like.“
At the time, Skid Row’s first studio album in sixteen long years, The Gang’s All Here, showcased fantastic songs with exceptional energy. Because of the positive experience, they already had worked on another studio album! Naturally, the band knew something was special with this lineup and went out touring in support of The Gang’s All Here through 2022 into 2023. However, issues arose when Grönwall began to experience health issues.
Aware that Grönwall had been diagnosed with leukemia prior to joining the band, sadly, the wear and tear of time on the road on top of the battle with the disease resulted in his official departure in March of 2024. A huge hit to Skid Row, considering how well they meshed with Grönwall, it is yet to be determined where they go from here, but in the interim, they made the bold move of bringing on Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale to finish out the year’s touring. Something honestly no one saw coming; while the future of Skid Row remains uncertain, at least fans could see the limited run with Hale on vocals and get to relive the Grönwall era with the release of the Live in London album.
Released as a digital stream, CD/DVD Digipak, or 2LP Gatefold set on September 20, 2024, through earMusic, it marks the first time ever Skid Row has put out a live album. Astounding to think, considering they are an exceptional live band, the recording was captured on October 24, 2022, when the band took the stage at 02 Forum Kentish Town in London, England. Right at the peak of The Gang’s All Here touring, spirits were high as Erik Grönwall showed promise for longevity.
Capturing a positive emotion shared by all parties involved – Sabo, Bolan, Hill, Drummer Rob Hammersmith, and Grönwall – the Live in London album is Skid Row at their finest. Some may say – it is Skid Row thirty-plus years after the 1989 self-titled and 1991’s Slave to the Grind, and the absence of Sebastian Bach. All true; if you are open-minded, you will immediately hear how exceptional the band sounds on this live album.
Full of power, they sound tight, and honestly, Grönwall is absolutely sensational on classic Skid Row tunes like “18 And Life,” “Piece Of Me,” “Monkey Business,” “Youth Gone Wild,” and “I Remember You,” but also the new songs that fit in perfectly, such as “The Gang’s All Here” and “Time Bomb.” The newer and older songs are almost indistinguishable, and the excitement of the entire band, galvanized by Grönwall, just pours through the recording.
So, while we do not know what Skid Row’s next move will be now that 2024 has come to a close and Lzzy Hale has turned her full attention back to Halestorm, it is highly recommended to check out Live in London. What could be one of the best live Rock albums of 2024… Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
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