Four upcoming Skid Row shows now have an exclamation point on them.
Lzzy Hale, the dynamic frontwoman of the band Halestorm, will fill in on the mic for Skid Row, after the Skids officially parted ways Wednesday with Erik Grönwall, the most recent of many replacement singers since the band parted ways with the larger-than-life Sebastian Bach, who sang on all the band’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s hits, like “Youth Gone Wild,” “I Remember You” and “Monkey Business.”
“I’m stepping in for a few dates as the lead singer in Skid Row!” Hale wrote on her Instagram. “What an honour [sic] to call them my friends and a privilege to be sharing the stage with them! Erik, I wish you all the magic on your next adventure. Now… which leather pants to wear?!!”
The Skid Row shows featuring Lzzy Hale on vocals are: May 17 in Carterville, Illinois, May 18 in Riverside, Indiana, May 31 in Reno, Nevada and June 1 in Sacramento, California. More info at skidrow.com. Next, Hale will hit the road for a summer amphitheater tour with Halestorm. Hale has prior experience doing Skid Row music. Halestorm covered the Skids’ ‘91 hit “Slave to the Grind” on a 2011 covers EP.
According to a joint statement, Skid Row’s split with Grönwall, diagnosed with leukemia in 2021, was amicable.
In that statement, the Swedish singer said, “I got the opportunity to join this incredible band six months after my treatment against leukemia. And one month after that I was on a world tour with Skid f**** Row. Wow! It was a dream come true. However, it proved challenging touring the world with an impaired immune system, which is a result of my bone marrow transplant.
“I respect and understand that Skid Row is a touring band but since I can’t prioritise [sic] my health being in the band, I have decided that it’s better for me to step aside. I have nothing but respect for the guys in the band but I love and respect my health more. That’s why I have reached the tough decision to move on. I want to thank the guys for this incredible opportunity. And I want to thank all the Skid Row fans who accepted me as the lead singer of this iconic band.”
Grönwall, who previously won the Swedish version of TV singing competition “American Idol,” joined Skid Row in 2022. With him, the band — still anchored by founding bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave “Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill plus latter-day drummer Rob Hammersmith — recorded and released “The Gang’s All Here,” Skid Row’s well-received sixth studio album.
In a 2023 AL.com interview, Sabo told me, “Just the way the fans have responded to Erik in the band and the songs … I mean, [the album] charted top 20 in like 10 or 11 countries, and to be quite honest that hasn’t happened in 27 years. It’s surreal but it’s also amazing after all this time to still be able to do this where it’s really appreciated. It’s incredibly humbling.”
As for Sebastian Bach? He’s releasing his fifth solo album, “Child Within the Man,” preceded by the strong single “What Do I Got To Lose,” on May 10. The cover art for Bach’s LP features a painting by his father David Bierk, whose work also adorned Skid Row’s chart-topping 1991 album “Slave to the Grind.”
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