Biography of Skid Row

Formed: 1986 in New Jersey
Years Active: 80 's, 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

Skid Row were one of the very last hair metal bands to hit the mainstream before grunge took over in the early '90s. While the band's self-titled debut employed standard pop-metal riffs and generic lyrics (albeit to great commercial success), 1991's Slave to the Grind and 1995's Subhuman Race broke away from the pop-metal mold with uncharacteristically hard, thrashy guitars and unique songwriting techniques. Though personal differences and changing trends would eventually tear the core lineup apart by 1996, Skid Row showed tremendous promise during their short time in the spotlight.
Early years (1986-1988)

Skid Row was formed in Toms River, New Jersey, in 1987 by bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo. The pair added guitarist Steve Brotherton who was replaced with Kurtis Jackson and later by Scotti Hill, drummer Rob Affuso, and lead vocalist Sebastian Bach, who replaced original lead vocalist Matt Fallon, to the line-up by early 1987. The band began playing shows in clubs throughout the eastern United States.

Bon Jovi had been put in a position to seek out new and upcoming talent. Jon had setup a publishing company called the Underground Music Company. Jon and Dave Sabo had been friends for a very long time. They agreed that if one of them made it in the music business, they would help the other out. Bon Jovi manager Doc McGhee sought out Skid Row, and signed them. Skid Row would eventually signed a publishing deal with Jon and Richie Sambora, which proved to be a mistake. Skid Row signed over a lot of ownership of the band, including the publishing rights to Bon Jovi, which became a big issue as the band became more successful.

Thanks to the assistance of friend Jon Bon Jovi, who secured a record deal for Skid Row with Atlantic Records in 1988, they entered the studio with Michael Wagener (of Ozzy Osbourne, White Lion and Extreme fame) to record their first album. The album was recorded in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at the Royal Records studio. Skid Row would later open for Bon Jovi, who were touring behind their New Jersey album.

Skid Row would also take part in the Moscow Peace Festival Concert, which was setup to keep manager Doc McGhee out of jail. Doc was facing drug trafficking charges, and therefore setup a anti-drug/peace concert in Russia, featuring a few of the artists that he and his brother managed. Bon Jovi and Motley Crue later dropped Doc as their manager.

As soon as the publishing deal went sour, frontman Sebastian Bach let the press know about the bad deal that was made. Under pressure, Sambora agreed to give the band back a percentage of their publishing.