Concert Recap: Sebastian Bach's "What Do I Got To Lose?" Tour in Jacksonville, NC (May 14, 2024)

It’s not very often you get to watch a legend perform in your hometown, but I was lucky enough to experience it earlier this spring as I watched the one and only Sebastian Bach at Hooligans Live here in Jacksonville, NC earlier this spring on his “What Do I Got To Lose?” headlining American tour. Fresh off the heels of performing at the epic Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida, Bach and his band brought the big festival energy to the intimate setting of the Hooligans stage.

Local support came in the form of the trios Thorn and Victim of the Cause, the former stemming from the coastal town of Beaufort, NC. Composed of the three youngest people I’ve ever seen hailing from Beaufort (I’m guessing most likely mid-twenties), Thorn’s set consisted of popular 70s and 80s rock covers that even the most casual of listeners would be able to recognize, from Van Halen’s “Panama” to Ratt’s “Round and Round” to Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” This familiarity with the songs easily prompted several singalongs between the musicians and the audience, and their brief yet upbeat set was a great way to get the crowd amped up for the rest of the show by interacting with the music. The Pink Hill-based Victim of the Cause was a bit more musically relaxed than Thorn, with the bandleader, guitarist and vocalist Adam Hill, taking charge of the stage. Much like when I saw him in his solo project, The Adam Hill Band, the music from Victim of the Cause was very guitar-driven, and whenever Hill wasn’t singing, he was shredding. Their set was brief, but the band made the most of their time and kept the audience engaged as they got ready for the headliner.

Direct support came from The Bites, a quartet from Los Angeles that personified the look and sound of the Sunset Strip. Their sound and stage presence was really similar to their Californian counterparts in Steel Panther, meaning that they embraced the fun side of 80s hard rock music. Musically, they were very high-energy, with songs like “Knockin’ on the Door” and “Dirty City” instantly taking the crowd back to the sleazy rock and roll scene of the mid-80s. For a new band, I can’t think of a better group to hit the road with a rock legend like Sebastian Bach as a support act. As someone who actively enjoys discovering new artists, getting the opportunity to find a new favorite band as an opener is always a fun experience — having never heard of The Bites before, they quickly hit my radar that night and I’m excited to see what they do next.

As the lights lowered and Sebastian Bach hit the stage, the crowd was instantly in the palm of his hand — starting off with the new hit-single “What Do I Got To Lose?” and shifting into Skid Row material, Bach gave the crowd everything they could’ve possibly asked for in terms of both the setlist and the performance. While the crowd here at Hooligans couldn’t match the size of the outdoor festival that he performed at prior to this show, Bach and his band still performed as if it was the same size as a sold-out amphitheater.

Bach’s backing band also deserves a ton of credit — he’s always surrounded himself with quality musicians, but based on what I’ve seen over the years online and now in person, I think this is the most solid touring lineup he’s had, featuring Clay Eubank on bass, “Bruiser” Brody DeRozie on guitar, and Bach’s own son, Paris Bach, on drums. They were super tight musically, and Eubank and DeRozie’s backing vocals were on point as well, perfectly blending with Bach’s voice.

As far as the stage setup, Paris Bach’s drumset was seated behind a plexiglass drum shield, something that some audiences aren’t particularly used to seeing — out of all the concerts I’ve been to, this only marks the third time I’ve seen a drummer use one, with the other two being with Charlie Daniels and Everclear. However, it did it’s job with balancing the sound out and not having the cymbals override the rest of the sound. Sebastian Bach’s also always had a sense of humor, going as far as to name one of his live albums ABachalypse Now, so it was hard not to chuckle when seeing the words “Bach It!” on the head of the bass drum. Having the artwork for the Slave to the Grind album as the backdrop to the stage was a nice touch as well.

For this tour, Sebastian Bach was in an interesting position as far as coming up with a setlist goes — not only did he recently release the strongest album of his solo career, but this year also marks the 35th anniversary of the first Skid Row album, one of the greatest debut records in rock history. Playing 9 out of the 11 track’s from Skid Row’s self-titled masterpiece, along with the first two singles of his latest album Child Within the Man and even more songs in between, including a cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” the setlist couldn’t have been better. With Jacksonville being home to Camp Lejeune, the biggest Marine Corps base on the east coast, Bach also dedicated the song “American Metalhead” to the military members in the audience. Of course, hardcore fans like me can always name songs we wish we could hear live, but given the fact that this tour was in a middle-ground between promoting an album and celebrating an anniversary, I thought the set was perfect. As a fan, getting to hear two of my favorite Skid Row songs, “18 & Life” and “Can’t Stand the Heartache,” back to back was probably my favorite part of the whole show. Personally, I think Bach’s latest solo album is one of the best he’s ever made too, so I loved hearing a couple new songs as well, along with the title track to Skid Row’s second album, 1991’s Slave to the Grind (which rounds out my top 3 favorite Skid Row songs).

Sebastian Bach Setlist:

1. What Do I Got To Lose?
2. Here I Am (Skid Row song)
3. Big Guns (Skid Row song)
4. Sweet Little Sister (Skid Row song)
5. 18 & Life (Skid Row song)
6. Can’t Stand the Heartache (Skid Row song)
7. Piece of Me (Skid Row song)
8. Everybody Bleeds
9. Slave to the Grind (Skid Row song)
10. Rattlesnake Shake (Skid Row song)
11. American Metalhead (PainmuseuM cover)
12. The Threat (Skid Row song)
13. Monkey Business (Skid Row song)
14. Tom Sawyer (Rush cover)
15. I Remember You (Skid Row song)
16. Youth Gone Wild (Skid Row song)

All in all, finally seeing Sebastian Bach live for the first time was everything I’d hope it would be. As far as 80s hard rock vocalists go, Bach’s always been my personal favorite, and to hear his voice still at a high level today was incredible. As a lifelong fan of his work, both solo and with Skid Row, it was awesome to hear so many songs from throughout his career, as well as being able to see him in between the promotion of his latest album and the celebration of Skid Row’s debut album. Having missed Bach’s first show in Jacksonville at another venue back in 2018, I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see him in my hometown ever again, but I’m so glad I did thanks to the team at Cutthroat Concerts & Events being able to bring him back to the area.

Support the bands by checking out the links below:

- Thorn: https://drewguthrie55.wixsite.com/official-thorn

- Victim of the Cause: https://www.facebook.com/victimofthecause/

- The Bites: https://linktr.ee/thebitesofficial

- Sebastian Bach: https://www.sebastianbach.com/

Thanks for reading! If you liked this article and want to keep up with more from me, feel free to subscribe