SEBASTIAN BACH: ‘When DAVID LEE ROTH gave me his phone number, I thought we were going to be best friends’

In a new interview with “Paltrocast” host Darren Paltrowitz, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach thought back to the time, more than ten years ago, when he spent a twelve-hour flight next to legendary VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “What an amazing memory, man. God, that’s incredible. Oh man. Okay. So I sometimes play in a corporate band called KINGS OF CHAOSwhich is run by (former GUNS AND ROSES drummer) Matt Sorum. So that was one KINGS OF CHAOS performance (at Stone music festival in April 2013) in Sydney, Australia. And in KINGS OF CHAOS that day I was, Steve Stevens(GUNS AND ROSES bassist) Duff McKagan on bass, Matt Sorum on drums. And we have opened up AEROSMITH And VAN HALEN – during one show. The original VAN HALEN… Well no, with Wolfgang (Van Halen instead of Michael Anthony). VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH And KINGS OF CHAOS. And then it was before us Jimmy Barnes, one of the greatest Australian singers. So it was a really weird gig, man. Very strange performance.”

He continued: “On the way home from the gig, I get on my plane flight. From Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles is an extremely long flight, and I look behind me and it’s two rows behind me Diamond David Lee Roth all alone on a chair. And I started watching movies. I was so nervous and panicked because I’m such a fan of it Daaf. And I remember watching the story of (the legendary doom metal pioneers) PENTAGRAMthe band PENTAGRAM. There is a documentary. And I watched that on the plane. And when that was over, I said to myself, ‘Fuck it, man.’ I say, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t pretend that David Lee Roth don’t sit behind me.’ So I got up and I go, I go, ‘Hey, DaafPlease, dude. Can we get to…?’ He says, ‘Hey, Baz. How are you man? Sit down, dude. Sit here for a moment, Sebastian.’ And I’ve partied with him before, but I was completely sober on this flight. I didn’t drink or anything. Daaf was reading a book Tom Clancy – a spy novel. I’m trying to paint a picture for you. He was sitting there with a paperback Tom ClancyBecause I was taking it all in. And that would keep him company for the entire plane flight. So when I sat down, we ordered coffee. I ordered coffee and we spent the entire flight talking and laughing. We got a little too loud. Daaf‘s laughter is loud. And then I started getting loud, and I and David Lee Roth It got so loud that the flight attendant came over and said, “Can you turn it down a little?” And that happened. I mean, imagine me and Daaf together. There’s a photo on mine Instagram somewhere from that plane flight of mine and Daaf.”

Bach added, “There’s a part to it David Lee Roth‘s book, if you ever read it, where he tells a story about being bullied at school and he tells the story about going home and being so hurt that he stands on his porch and says, “I’ll never be a real friend.” more.’ That’s what it says in his book, that he made that choice when he was 13 or 12. And I wanted to be that. Daaf‘s boyfriend, because he treated me like that. He was my friend. He was always so nice and funny to me and cool. And he gave me his cell phone number. And as soon as I got home from that plane, I texted him, “Let’s hang out, man. I’ll be your buddy.’ And I never really heard from him. So I think… I don’t know, but… When he gave me his phone number, I thought we were going to be best friends. (Laughs)

“So, DaafIf you read this interview, hit me up, man. Let chill. Let’s smoke a joint, listen to some vinyl records. I know you would like that.”

During a performance in October 2020 at SiriusXM‘S “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk”, Bach confirmed there had been “a bit of talk” about his joining VAN HALEN shortly after Sammy Hagar left in 1996.

“(SKID ROW manager) Doc McGhee had me in the office, and Ray Daniels managed (VAN HALEN) at the time, and Ray And Doc were talking. But they didn’t want that (VAN HALEN guitarist) Eddie (Van Halen) to smoke weed. And I say, ‘That’s funny,’ because I smoked weed Ray Daniels. I say, ‘So you can (smoke weed) but I can’t. What the fuck? The singer of VAN HALEN can’t you smoke weed? What?’ But that was a discussion.

‘I was called up Doc‘s office, and it was talked about,” he repeated. ‘At that time they were looking for a singer. But I wasn’t allowed to audition. I do not think so Doc I was happy to leave SKID ROW or; there was something about that.”

In 1999, when the news came VAN HALEN had said goodbye Gary Cherone and was again looking for a new lead singer, again there were many rumors, and Bach‘s name was thrown into the mix. At the time, Bach shot down the chatter, telling MTV News, “The thing is, man, there’s only one singer for it VAN HALENand that is David Lee Roth, and if they cannot use him, what use can they be to me? If they don’t like him, they certainly won’t like me.”

He continued: “I mean, when they look for singers and they choose them Gary Cherone, they think in ways that we don’t think. I mean, I love Gary. He’s a really nice guy, but you can’t really be a nice guy and be the lead singer of it VAN HALEN. It just doesn’t go together. You gotta kick some ass, man, and he’s kicking his too Gary Cherone way. But David Lee Roth did kicks from the drum riser and flew 40 feet in the air. It’s a tough act to follow. I can’t do that, but I can sing Sammy Hagar stuff and the David Lee Roth stuff. I’m not bragging, I’m stating a fact.”

Sebastianthe new solo album, “Child in the man”arrives May 10th via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Michael ‘Elvis’ Basketball; designed by Jef Molassistant designed by Jos Saldate and controlled by Robert Louis by Gateway mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all 11 songs on the album and sang all lead and backing vocals.

“Child in the man” features guest appearances by John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — with whom they all co-wrote their respective songs Bach – and two co-written songs ALTER BRIDGE‘S Myles Kennedy (“What have I got to lose?” And “To Live Again”). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album. The album will be available on CD, cassette and double LP in a variety of colours.