SKID ROW had shared “Piece Of Me”, the second single and video from “Live In London”, the band’s first official live album and concert film. earMUSIC will release the concert — which took place on October 24, 2022, at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town — as a 2LP set and CD/DVD digipack worldwide on September 20.
“Piece Of Me (Live In London)” is a fiery rendition of a standout track from SKID ROW‘s multi-platinum debut album, captured in front of an electrified, sold-out audience. This blazing performance is just one track from the live album that SKID ROW fans — both old and new — have been waiting over 35 years for, and this show, in this instant, is exactly what they’ve delivered.
SKID ROW drummer Rob Hammersmith states: “Like our heroes before us, SKID ROW has always taken great pride in delivering a high-energy, in-your-face live show. We’re very excited to finally have a live album as a snapshot of that approach to performing, and we couldn’t think of a better place than London! Cheers to all our fans who help create these shows with us!”
“Live In London” captures unforgettable, definitive performances of their timeless classics including “18 And Life”, “Monkey Business” and “I Remember You”, as well as new fan favorites like “Time Bomb” and “Tear It Down” from their latest, Nick Raskulinecz-produced album “The Gang’s All Here”.
A dream for the band and fans — in the heart of the city that so inspired the members of SKID ROW.
SKID ROW says: “As teens, we dreamt of playing places like the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and CBGB in New York City… our dreams became bigger with London, England at the forefront. We fantasized one day to headline a show in the very city where so many of our favorite bands came from.”
SKID ROW crossed the Atlantic to find a fierce crowd awaiting them to experience the power of a band truly committed to rock ‘n’ roll, past present, and future. “Live In London” is a classic live album from a band that continues to innovate, grow and fire up audiences around the globe.
Set opener “Slave To The Grind” was chosen as the first single and video. From the moment the band hits the stage, the energy is undeniable. And it just gets more intense from there. “Live In London” is the live album SKID ROW fans — old and new — have been waiting more than 35 years for… and this show, this instant, is what they’ve delivered.
SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan says: “London has always been a home away from home for us. We are very excited to finally capture a live show on video for the rest of the world to see.”
SKID ROW guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo says: “After the release of ‘The Gang’s All Here’ album, we realized that something special was happening. This record perfectly captures that moment in time. Thank you, London! You always deliver!! Onward and upward.”
“Live In London” track listing:
01. Slave To The Grind
02. The Threat
03. Big Guns
04. 18 And Life
05. Piece Of Me
06. Livin’ On A Chain Gang
07. Psycho Therapy
08. In A Darkened Room
09. Makin’ A Mess
10. The Gang’s All Here
11. Riot Act
12. Tear It Down
13. Monkey Business
14. I Remember You
15. Time Bomb
16. Youth Gone Wild
“Live In London” marks SKID ROW‘s final release with Swedish singer Erik Grönwall, who quit the band five months ago.
In a March 29 video message, Erik, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, offered a lengthy explanation for his decision to leave SKID ROW, saying: “The main reason why I’ve decided to leave the band is because it’s been very hard and it’s proved very challenging to prioritize my health and full recovery being the lead singer of the band. And it’s not like I woke up yesterday and decided to go, ‘Ooh. That’s a horrible idea. What time?’ This is something I’ve been considering for a long time. The first time I brought it up and requested a better balance in the touring was in 2022.
“So most of you guys who follow me, you already know this, but for those of you who don’t, let me give you some background info,” the 36-year-old continued. “In 2021, I was undergoing treatment against leukemia, and as a result of the treatments and the bone marrow transplant that I did, my immune system was impaired. You can think of my immune system as a four-year-old kid bringing home all kinds of shit and viruses from preschool. So I pretty much get everything. It takes a while for the immune system to build up that resistance again, but my immune system is getting stronger every day. So that’s the good news. However, I’m still doing regular checkups, like blood tests, at the hematology department at my hospital in Sweden. But that part has proved very challenging while keeping up with the SKID ROW schedule and demand. And as I’m sure you all understand, I have way too much respect for my medical history and for my health to push myself to the limit.
“But I also wanna say that this illness came with a lot of good things. And one of the best things that I want to mention here is that it gave me a superpower called perspective. I remember sitting at the hospital, and I was in a really fucking dark place. And I was looking out my window and I saw all these people going to work in a hurry, stressing. And I remember asking myself, watching all these people, and I was, like, ‘What are we stressing about? What are we chasing?’ So right there I felt like I had so much perspective on things and actually a gratitude towards — it’s weird to say it, but a gratitude towards my illness. I remember going, ‘Thank you for giving me this perspective this early in life.’ Anyway, so I was sitting there, and I remembered that the samurai had a code of honor that they called Bushido that they lived by. And so with the perspective I had at the time, I wanted to create my own Bushido. My goal was always, okay, ‘I’m gonna get through this and I’m gonna get healthy,’ but I wanted to remember the perspective, that feeling of gratitude and perspective I had at the time, because I know that we’re human beings and we move on and we forget things, but I didn’t wanna forget this; I wanted to remember this for the rest of my life. So what I did was I created my own Bushido at the hospital, and on top of that list, it says ‘health first’. And back to SKID ROW, that’s exactly why I had to make this decision.
“I’ve had to look at that list a lot of times this last year,” Erik added. “Actually, to be honest, since I joined the band. And I’ve been questioning myself if I’m really living according to those values. And at the end of the day, I realized that the answer was no.
“And I just wanna say, before the media starts with all this fucking clickbait shit, let me be perfectly clear. Listen carefully: I am not sick. And it’s not like I don’t wanna tour. I love being on the road. I just need a better balance. And, of course, we have tried to find the right balance together as a band multiple times. But at the end of the day, I realized that it was better for me to just step aside.
“There’s a lot of people that are relying on making a living from SKID ROW. And being on the road is mainly where the money is nowadays. So, I totally understand that people have to keep touring. And I feel like it’s hard to say this without sounding like, um, like a martyr. Is that the word I’m looking for? Yeah, I think so. But I feel like I need to say it to let you guys know the thoughts I’ve had recently.
“It’s actually been a bit of a burden to tour with a new immune system — not only knowing that I’m intentionally pushing myself, but also knowing that if I get sick on the road, which I’m more likely to with a new immune system, there is no one who can fill in for me. We’ve had our amazing guitar tech, and I can’t express how much I love this guy enough, but our guitar tech, Casey, he filled in for both Snake [Dave Sabo, guitar] and Rachel [Bolan, bass] when they got sick. But when I got sick on the road, we had to cancel, reschedule shows, and, honestly, it’s not a fun position to be in. So, wait? All of this is happening because of me? It’s not good for the band, it’s not good for the crew, it’s not good for the fans, it’s not good for the promoters, it’s not good for the SKID ROW team. All of that also made it less fun for me. I didn’t really enjoy myself out there.
“I love singing,” Erik concluded. “I love being an artist. I love touring, but I wasn’t happy. I understand and respect that SKID ROW is a touring band, but like I told the guys, if I can’t prioritize my health, then I’m not the right guy for the job.”
SKID ROW‘s longtime friend Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) handled lead vocals for the band’s four concerts in late May and early June.
The SKID ROW members said in a statement that they are “proud of what they have created and accomplished with Erik over the past two years” and “wish nothing but the best to him and his health.”
Grönwall, who was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. for nearly a decade before exiting the group in October 2020, announced in September 2021 that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant one month earlier.
In late March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, “The Gang’s All Here”. The song was the title track of the band’s latest album, which arrived in October 2022 via earMUSIC.
SKID ROW played its first show with Grönwall on March 26, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS‘ “Sin City Nights” residency.
