Skid Row is proof that rock and roll is not dead.  In fact it is very much alive and well.  Skid Row is not yesterday's news either.  The band, which originally formed in New Jersey continues to tour the world, playing festivals and venues of all shapes and sizes, as well as record new music.  To date, the band has released five studio albums, the first of which has gone fives times platinum.  The band's second record, entitled Slave to the Grind, is now a double platinum record, which

debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts giving Skid Row the title of of the first heavy metal / hard rock band to ever capture the number 1 spot.

 

In 1999 the members of Skid Row went their separate ways, but founding members Snake Sabo, Rachel Bolan and Scotti Hill decided that Skid Row was a lifestyle and began to piece everything back together.  Enter new frontman, Johnny Solinger, a Texas native who seemed to fit right in with the band within the first couple minutes of his audition.  To round things out, Skid Row enlisted drummer Dave Gara to complete the package and since then, the band hasn't looked back.  They continue to tour and we were told their working on an upcoming record.

 

We caught up with the band at Austin's Fuel Room in Libertyville, Illinois, where Skid Row played to a completely packed house.

 

Popular Underground Magazine (PUM): How’s the tour been going so far?

 

Johnny Solinger: It’s a new year and [Austin’s] is a new venue.  We’ve never played this venue before and we were in Chicago late last fall.  It’s cool to be back in this part of the country.

 

PUM: How long has this tour been going on for?

 

Solinger: We’re doing fly dates, where you fly in and out so we don’t really get on a bus.  We’ll go all year.

 

PUM: What’s that like for you guys?  Is it tough always flying in and flying out?

 

Solinger: We try to make it not difficult, but we drink ourselves to death.

 

Rachel Bolan: It’s a lot more stress than you think and not really bad stress.  It’s just airport stress.

 

PUM: How has the response been when you are out on the road?

 

Bolan: It’s great man.  That’s why we are still out on the road.

 

PUM: Obviously, the band has been around for a long time so is it difficult to adjust to the music business as it is today, compare with how it was in the past?

 

Bolin: We just do what we do and not worry about following any kind of trends or anything.

 

PUM: With the digital revolution, bands seem to be coming out of obscurity on the Internet and become huge.

 

Solinger: There’s also been a big reemergence of the rock and roll that we play.  Festivals are becoming more and more numerous and in America you don’t have to go overseas to go to a big rock festival.  We do a lot of festival work and I even like going to see some of those bands.  Seeing people still way into rock and roll is way cool.  Just like tonight, it’s packed to the gills, it’s going to be a great show, we can’t wait.

 

PUM: You guys had a line up change in early 2000.

 

Solinger: Yeah, it’s been 10 years!

Bolin: That’s when [Johnny} joined.

 

PUM: How was that, getting adjusted?

 

Solinger: At first it was weird, but now it just seems like it’s family.  I mean 10 years is a long time.  I had no idea what I was getting involved with.  I just wanted to leave Texas and go on the road with the circus and that’s basically what it is.

 

PUM: How do the fans react to it?

 

Solinger: They’ve been really great.  The purists; they can still see the other guy if they want to so it’s not a matter of giving up on the band.  We’ve done two records and a DVD and another record in the works.  They’re singing the new music right along with “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone Wild.” 

 

PUM: How was it for the rest of you guys?

 

Bolan: From day one it became a really fun atmosphere to work in, if you can call it work. 

 

PUM: What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t doing this?

 

Entire Band: Trying to do this!

 

PUM: If someone walks up to you and gives you $50 and walks away, what do you do with the money?  And you can’t give it back to the person.

 

Solinger: Tequila.  And then I’d wonder if I should get one good bottle or five shitty bottles.  Usually, five shitty!

 

PUM: For tequila, I’d go with one good bottle.

 

Solinger: Quantity over quality.

 

PUM: In these times, I guess I have to agree with that.

 

Solinger: It’s a down time.  I’m glad 2008 is over and this is our first show of 2009.

 

By: Adam Zak III - Senior Editor / Founder