Skid Row – Electric Ballroom 2005

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Returning to the UK for the third time since the release of Thickskin, Skid Row haven’t changed the setlist up much. Out are newer cuts Lamb and Ghost, in is 1991 classic Riot Act and that’s about it. Skid Row are a fantastic live band. They put on a no-nonsense, hard rock show that most bands are incapable of doing. The sheer good-time energy on stage is unparalleled.

Following the excellent brace of support acts in Renegade Playboys and the immense Head-On, Skid Row launched into Thick Is The Skin. The thing that stood out instantly was that the guy on lead guitar was not Skidz founding member Dave “Snake” Sabo. It took me until the third song (and a strategic flick of his hair so I could see his face clearly) for me to recognise ex-Slash’s Snakepit guitarist Keri Kelli. This was confirmed after the song by Solinger, who said Snake is in medical rehab for a busted left hand, so rather than book a whole European tour, they’re just doing the UK with Keri, then going home. We endured lots more clichéd “we love London” lines throughout the evening. With all the talking Johnny did we could have had at least two more songs, but never mind, that wasn’t the most annoying stuff he had to say all evening. Infinitely more irritating were the constant references to Skid Row’s past as if he’d been there all along.

Song wise, definite highlights were the peerless Monkey Business, the true version of I Remember You (not the redone version from Thickskin, which they played earlier) and the perennial set-closer Youth Gone Wild, which I’ve never seen played better by either Skid Row or Bach with his solo band. Otherwise, Keri Kelli was the star of the show. He very clearly loved every minute of being on stage and playing those songs and his solo spot during Beat Yourself Blind was infinitely better than Snake’s one from the last tour, or anything second guitarist Scotti Hill ever turns in.

Lastly, I don’t care how unpopular this makes me, or how many of them are dead, The Ramones were a terrible band. Every single one of their god-awful songs, when covered by anyone at all, simply makes whoever is playing it sound like a complete amateur, and Skid Row are no exception to this. The painful cover of Psycho Therapy, sung by bassist Rachel Bolan is an ever-present in the Skid Row set, and is atrocious every time. However, this is easily overlooked for the brilliant high-energy set they turn in around it. Anyone dithering about seeing the new Skid Row next time they come around, just put your doubts away and get to the show.

“ Keri Kelli was the star ”

Setlist: Thick Is The Skin / Piece of Me / Makin’ A Mess / New Generation / 18 & Life / Monkey Business > Scotti Hill guitar solo > Monkey Business reprise / I Remember You Two / Riot Act / Get The Fuck Out / Psycho Therapy / I Remember You / Slave To The Grind // Keri Kelli guitar solo > Beat Yourself Blind / Youth Gone Wild

Written by Andy Lye
More: Gigs, Hard Rock, Skid Row