Classless Act
Eighties rock star and former lead singer of Skid Row, Sebastian Bach, recently wrapped up his “What Do I Got To Lose?” solo tour at the House of Blues in San Diego, California. Located in the Gaslamp district, the venue comes to life through fascinating imagery along the walls, and a dance floor at the center. Just outside, countless fans, including parents and their children, lined 5th Avenue, beside Bach’s tour bus. Cheers were abundant every time Bach walked to, and from, the bus. He embodied a friendly disposition, waving to folks as they waited for the doors to open. Bach was not the only talent to perform that night.
Classless Act
Classless Act, renowned rock band from Los Angeles, consists of five multifaceted musicians, each of which are unspeakably talented. Frontman and leading singer, Derek Day, also plays guitar and keyboard. Griffin Tucker is the lead guitarist, but also plays drums and piano. Dane Pieper plays rhythm guitar, and alongside everyone else, shines as a vocalist. Franco Gravante is a jack-of-all-trades, playing bass, guitar, keyboard, and piano. Last, but certainly not least, Chuck McKissock plays both the drums and bass.
They kicked off the night with “Haunting” and “iDecay.” Day, dressed in sparkling blue, was animated. His fellow band members tossed their hair while playing, as if it were an extension of their mannerisms. In addition, they played a cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” Flashes of blue and red lit up the stage, and not one band member weighed down the rest. Every one of them made that space their own. “San Diego! There you are, here we are! We’re Classless Act from Los Angeles!” Day shouted. His words perfectly transitioned into “All That We Are.” Their show felt like a party that people were scrambling to attend.
High energy was maintained throughout, especially during “Storm.” The notes Day held out during this song demonstrated such skill. As the title promised, the music rivaled experiencing a lightning storm at sea. While playing “This Is For You,” Day got both sides of the room singing along with him. Anyone could see how important it was to him, and to everyone on stage, that the audience was having fun.
Day mentioned there were over twenty shows on this tour. He also asked the crowd if they liked their cover of “Toxic,” explaining how to record something like that, a lot of money is needed. The band could have paid for someone to produce it, but then it’s likely that they would have been paying it off for three years. Instead, they recorded the song in their garage. “We got a six pack of Heineken, and we gave it to Franco to produce it! Give it up for Franco!” Day cheered wildly, before adding, “it was a five pack.”
A spotlight shined down on Tucker, as he led into the next song, “Circles.” The passionate song sounded like something out of a dream. “Most of these songs are on our very first record, and they’re on our last record. We only have one record. It’s convenient,” Day smirked. The album, and the song they performed next, was titled “Welcome To The Show.” The inclusion of energetic harmonica solos added to the music.
Day asked who out there was ready for Sebastian Bach. “We’ve been touring nonstop for the past two or three years, so we would like to switch it up a little bit. Keep you on your toes, and keep us on our toes.” Pieper, now shirtless, sang “Hey Ya,” to an ecstatic audience, before wrapping up their opening segment.
Before Bach appeared, people were buzzing with excitement. But at the sound of him shouting out for the San Diego crowd, attired in glittering red pants, the venue shook like an earthquake. The energy pumping through his body was truly undeniable, and he would hold the microphone cable like a whip. Bach even twirled it around like a lasso, with the microphone still attached. He basked in the crowd’s reactions, all while singing “Slave To The Grind.” The song felt like rolling with the punches even as the world fell.
Bach said that tonight’s performance wasn’t just their forty-second show in a row, but the last one of the tour. He admitted to not knowing what to say. Everyone’s voices were in great shape, and their muscles were rocking, but their brains had turned to mush. That night was also the thirty-fifth anniversary of the first Skid Row album. He promised to pay tribute to it, joking that you only get so many anniversaries.
After “Here I Am,” Bach made mention of the children in the crowd, labeling it “fire-trucking excellent.” At fifty-six years of age, he’s often questioned on how he will sing songs that he recorded when he was twenty years old. He claimed to have no problem with that, but rather, with seeing what the next song is on the setlist. “Cause I can’t see,” he jested, “I don’t want to come on stage with reading glasses.” Bach joked that they wouldn’t pair well with his glittering red pants, and he has to wear them, even if he does not know why. He said he would love to do a show wearing flip-flops, shorts, a t-shirt, and his reading glasses. “But I never saw David Lee Roth do that shit,” he laughed, right before singing “Rock N’ Roll.”
People could be seen dancing on the story above, close to the railing. Bach had the tenacity to hold out notes, and even the action of him tossing a water bottle into the crowd was enough to elicit excitement. Bach introduced their lead guitarist, Bruiser Brody DeRozie, who is from Las Vegas, Nevada. Not only was DeRozie’s mother and aunts in the audience, but it was his first time ever playing San Diego. Their bassist, Clay Eubank, is from Nashville Tennessee, and he had the coolest hair anyone will ever see in their lifetime. As if the stars had aligned, it was also Eubank’s first time playing a show in San Diego.
Bach told everyone to prepare themselves, because they were old enough to remember when MTV used to play music on television. He asked why they don’t play rock videos anymore, labeling it as ridiculous. “It’s fire-trucking ridiculous! Why don’t they play this rock video? This is for you guys! ‘18 And Life’!”
Bach thanked everyone for thirty-five years of rock and roll, or rather, the first thirty-five years. He also reminded folks that they were attending a real rock show, while it still exists. He doesn’t know any other way to do it. Bach asked who in the audience misses the eighties, with everyone unanimously yelling out in agreement. Where he once considered it an insult, he’s since been on an eighties cruise, one where he met various individuals. Bach soon realized the eighties was the decade that people had the most fun in.
Back then, Bach’s biggest concern was buying a case of beer and putting it in his black camaro with the t-tops. He would grab his Frisbee, and his Twisted Sister cassette, and go to the beach to meet his friends. Their plans were playing Frisbee, and drinking beer all day. They would bury the case of beer in the sand of the beach, so consequently, the beers would roast. “They were not refreshing,” Bach emphasized. The next song of the show was written in 1988, a blast from the past, known as “Can’t Stand the Heartache.”
Paris Bierk, Bach’s son, was revealed to be playing the drums. Bach sarcastically claimed that he did not know if Bierk could handle playing forty-two shows, “because you know, it’s your kid.” Bach was happy to report that Bierk was fully capable of handling it, but “he kicks firetrucking ass.” He joked that if Bierk messes up the next song, he’ll go to the tour bus with no dinner. If he did well, his allowance would raise up to $6.75 a week. He joked that if anyone wanted to meet Bierk after the show, they’d have to give him an hour to mow the lawn. Bierk played a percussive sting. “These are the jokes folks,” Bach cackled.
After performing “What Do I Got To Lose?” from the 2024 album, Bach checked in with the audience, asking if they were having fun so far. He said that he can only do the next song if he’s in a good, happy mood. He just so happened to be, because his wife Suzanne Le was watching the performance. She’s the woman predominantly seen in his music videos. “We’ve done a lot of heavy metal tonight. Last song was for the dudes. This one is for the chicks,” Bach said. The song was from 1989, titled “Rattlesnake Shake.”
When Bach comes out on the stage, looks over the crowd, and he gets into the music, his brain says that he’s forever nineteen years old. It’s all because of the fans who support him. Humorously, though, when he gets off the stage, he says his body claims otherwise. “Firetruck you! You’re not nineteen years old!” Not long after, Bach thanked both his crew for enduring forty-two shows, and Classless Act for opening.
“During the pandemic we lost so many people,” Bach said, “I want to give a shout out to those that are no longer with us.” He mentioned Neil Peart, Eddie Van Halen, Taylor Hawkins, The Allman Brothers, The Ramones, C.J. Snare, Vinnie Paul, Chris Cornell, and Ronnie James Dio. “We have lost so many people, it’s very sad. I think we are extremely lucky to be here tonight. I love every one of you for your support. I love rocking and rolling with my friends and family. Let’s make some music, have a couple of drinks, let’s have some fun tonight.” This was followed by a beautiful performance of “I Remember You.” To listen to Bach’s newest album, “Child Within The Man,” visit https://www.sebastianbach.com/. As for Classless Act, and their upcoming projects, visit https://classlessact.com/.
