'It's high energy, always': Skid Row plans to show up, show out at Sand Mountain concert

One of classic rock's longest-tenured and most successful bands is ready to make some noise in Albertville.

More: Sand Mountain Amphitheater to host classic rock bands at 'Live To Rock Concert' on May 21

More: New Sand Mountain Park & Amphitheater impacts local economy to tune of $14.2 million

More: Skid Row brings high energy to RiverFest

Skid Row will be a part of the "Live To Rock" show Saturday at the Sand Mountain Amphitheater. Joining the band on the bill will be Quiet Riot and Winger, making for a three-headed monster of old-school rock for fans.

This will not be the first trip to the area for Skid Row, as the band performed at the 2012 RiverFest show in Gadsden.

Also, bassist and primary songwriter Rachel Bolan said he's spent time in the state for other reasons.

"I have friends from Alabama, the Brother Cane boys (from Birmingham)," Bolan said. "And (I was) making trips, even when I was living in New Jersey, driving down to Talladega to watch the race.

"We've been playing Alabama since the beginning of our career (in 1986)," Bolan continued. "I remember that day (RiverFest) in particular. We had a lot of fun. The fans were over the top and we had a good time. I'm looking forward to this show coming up."

Playing alongside Quiet Riot and Winger (and the band Warrant, which sometimes plays the "Live To Rock" shows), Bolan said, is like a gathering of old friends.

"It's like a class reunion, or a no-class reunion I should say," he laughed. "When we get together, seeing each other, it's like time didn't pass. All these bands have known each other for 35 years. It's really cool to get together and do a show with your friends."

Skid Row will release a new album Oct. 14, the band's first full-length release in 16 years. Longtime fans of the band will be happy to hear that it's a throwback to the band's sound from its earlier days, Bolan said.

Anyone who has heard the album's first single, "The Gang's All Here" from the new album of the same name, already can tell it's the sound of a group rediscovering where it came from.

"It was a direction toward our roots," Bolan explained. "We had Nick Raskulinecz, our producer, to thank mainly for that. He wanted to make a bona fide Skid Row album. He grew up a fan and he's a huge producer, so it helped us.

"He really got us to focus on being Skid Row again," Bolan said. "I know it sounds strange, but it's really hard, when you've had a career of 30 years, sometimes you just kind of stray away. He (Raskulinecz) brought us back to the way we should be thinking."

At the "Live To Rock" show, Bolan said the band will mix in some stuff from the new album, especially the new single, along with plenty of the band's biggest hits such as "18 And Life," "I Remember You" and "Monkey Business," to name a few.

For the uninitiated, Bolan laid out what a person can expect when they attend a Skid Row concert.

"It's high energy, always," he said. "We love our fans and like to have fun with our fans. If you don't want to have fun, don't buy tickets. If you want to have fun, buy a bunch of tickets and bring all your friends because we have fun and we like it when the people watching us have fun."

The band's upcoming album will be its first with new singer Erik Grönwall. The native of Sweden won the "Swedish Idol" reality television show in 2009 and has released two solo albums and four as a member of the band H.E.A.T.

Bolan was ebullient in describing what made Grönwall the right fit for Skid Row.

"We met Erik in Europe when his old band toured with Skid Row," Bolan said. "What he brings to Skid Row is a new fire. He's younger than us (the other members of the band) and he grew up listening to us. He brings an energy to the band that hasn't been there in a while.

"His vocal ability is incredible, his attitude on being in Skid Row is incredible and his attitude on life in general is inspiring," Bolan continued. "To say this band (has) done a complete 180 since he joined would be an understatement."

For more information on Skid Row, visit the band's website at https://www.skidrow.com/home/ or the band's social media pages on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skidrow, Twitter at https://twitter.com/officialskidrow and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/officialskidrow/. For more information on the show or to buy tickets, visit https://sandmountainamphitheater.com/events/live-to-rock-fesr-and-quiet-riot/.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Skid Row ready to rock at "Live To Rock" concert in Albertville