Musician who led band with Lynott and Moore issues plea for star to explain how his band’s title was taken
More use for a name: Shiels, left, with Moore and Lynott in Skid Row
The musician who played with Phil Lynott and Gary Moore in Irish 1960s band Skid Row has explained his frustration over the US outfit once fronted by Sebastian Bach taking his name.
And he says long-standing stories about Moore having been paid by Jon Bon Jovi for the are untrue.
Brush Shiels founded his blues-rock act in 1967, and gave Moore his first professional music role. They toured across the US and Canada and released three albums before splitting in 1972.
He’s continued using the Skid Row name and is poised to release a new record under the title. But he’s issued a plea for Jon Bon Jovi or his management to explain what happened when they formed and funded Bach’s band and called it Skid Row in 1986.
Shiels says: “Philo, Gary and myself toured America, playing with Frank Zappa, the Allman Brothers, Iggy and the Stooges. Rod Stewart and the Faces never turned up so we topped the bill. Everybody knew us.
“A couple of years ago, I’m looking at MTV and Sebastian Bach, the ex-singer of the American band Skid Row. He said they paid Gary Moore $35,000 for the use of the name.
“Now, I know for a fact this is a complete lie. I got in touch with Seb, and he said as far as he was concerned it was the truth. But that couldn’t be the truth.
“The late Gary Moore told me Jon Bon Jovi asked him if it was alright to use the name. Gary said it was nothing to do with him and he’d have to ring me. For some reason, Jon Bon Jovi never rang me.
“If anyone knows him, let him get in touch with me and tell me if this is true: did Jon Bon Jovi ring Gary Moore and ask him could he use the name Skid Row, and did the late Gary Moor tell Jon Bon Jovi it had nothing to do with him and he’d have to ring me?
“I don’t think for a minute he’d be as disrespectful as to not to bother contacting me. But he’d know for a fact under no circumstances could anyone use the name Skid Row except for us.”
Shiels insists of the $35,000 story: “That never happened.”
But he continues: “I have a new Skid Row album coming out and I want it sorted out once and for all. I’d expect somebody from Jon Bon Jovi’s office to say, ‘There’s been a misunderstanding, something’s happened.’ I don’t know what it is, but I must be entitled to use the name Skid Row.
“Jon, if you’re out there, from one professional to another, give me a call. I’d appreciate it.”
[...] to Rock News Desk, the musician who played with Phil Lynott and Gary Moore in Irish 1960s band SKID ROW has explained [...]
That American band Skid Row has been releasing records since the late ’80s, and you wait for the passing the Gary Moore to contest this? You’re a LIAR, Mr. Shiels. You cannot say “Gary Moore told me” and expect it to be believed. Where is your evidence? More than 20 years have passed since the American band Skid Row released their first album, and the time to contest this would have been THEN, not now.
Gary Moore is no longer with us to verify your story, which is quite convenient for you, I must note. Neither is Phil Lynott, for that matter….it seems that you’re looking to make a name for yourself now that the folks you once associated with are deceased. I say to you, TOUGH LUCK, Mr. Shiels.
If you are releasing an album by the band Skid Row, the one that you played in with Mr. Moore and Mr. Lynott, I sincerely hope they’re playing on it, as nobody knows who you are. I strongly suspect that your former bandmates are not appearing on your new recording, which obviously means you intend to capitalize on their fame, OR the fame of the American band Skid Row. I hope you have a good attorney, Mr. Shiels, as you’re going to need one.
How dare you!(thanks for listening 6-9am m-f)You Mr. Dickserson.have absolutely no clue about anything of the business.I, on the other hand have been involved in the entertainment industry for over 30 years!! SO let me educate you on the facts of the “business” .The original Skid Row were one of the greatest bands of their era,and to assume one band member doesn’t to regain control of the original name is just moronic,(such as yourself).
Being familiar with how such arrangements work,Jon MUST NOT have paid someone for the rights!
Someone of Mr. Sheils integrity would never say something as libelous as you are inferring.Skid&Bach are mediocre at their absolute best.As I’m sure you you agree.Therefore Jon AND Sabo will do the right thing If only to get a little publicity as you my listener(6-9aM-F@wspd.com)are aware,they don’t sell many records or tickets these days.(…….sigh.)
Don’t be surprised if they appear together.(VH1Classic?anyone?) To be tied to such an important and influential talent such as Mr. Sheils might just be too good of an opportunity for anyone involved (Baz&Sabo together again?!!!) to pass up. So please think about what you want to say and then reply!
OR! better yet let the guy who would be more familiar with such doings speak first and only then will your observations be valid and not appear to sound like some jailhouse lawyer advice(you)
So,Mr.Dickerson,please join me 6-9am@wspd.com and we can continue this wonderful topic together.
Just imagine the wonderful possibilities of this news story
Hope to hear from you(wspd.com)
I am not particularly a fan of the “new” Skid Row, so insulting them does no harm to me. What I do know is that the time for settling this has long since passed. To say Gary Moore wouldn’t have sold the name is quite easy, now that he is dead and unable to speak for himself. I don’t really care whether or not Mr. Shiels’ Skid Row is good, or bad. Being better or worse than another is irrelevant…you bring it up as if there is no other basis for your argument.
If Mr. Shiels wasn’t happy about another band using the name Skid Row, he could have filed a lawsuit in 1987 or 1988, whenever it was that the American band began using the name. If he truly owned the name at that time, it would have been a simple victory for him, and the American band would have had no choice but to choose a different name. This clearly didn’t happen…so crying about it 25 years after the fact seems to be his only recourse. Trying to use guilt on Jon Bon Jovi, who isn’t even in that band, seems to be a strange way of settling what would appear to be a legal matter. Perhaps Bon Jovi was assisting this young band to get going? An internet appeal to “have Bon Jovi call me” is hardly the way “professionals” handle such matters. It comes across as a joke, a hoax, a way to gather attention…in short, a LIE.
What the hell does Bon Jovi have to do with Skid Row? Does he mean Sebastian Bach?
Jon Bon Jovi and his business colleagues were behind the formation and funding of Bach’s Skid Row.
Anything to make Bon Jovi look like an asshole is ok with me.