Words by: Scott Delarue
Photos by: Kylie Smith
As I’m making my way to the box office of the iconic Enmore Theatre, I’m walking past the long line of punters filing in, eager to see one of their musical heroes, Sebastian Bach! Sun in the sky, an electricity in the air… I’m eavesdropping on their own personal accounts of when and where they first heard or seen Skid Row and that triggered what I like to call my own ‘Wonder Years‘ moment; I’m here in the present but transported back to my youth where I had first heard Skid Row. A 12 year old kid witnessing 18 & Life on Video Hits for the first time and I was hooked, begging my parents for the cassette of their debut album – which they happily obliged. My world had changed.
Back to walking into the venue now, front row to cover one of my music idols. I’d be lying to say this wasn’t a ‘pinch yourself moment.’ Looking around watching all and sundry bustle for position like cattle in the herd, you can feel the intensity building as we are ready for the support band, Willie J’s 6V6’s.
Out they (Willie J’s 6V6’s) strut with a quiet confidence as the first chord struck by singer/ guitarist Willie J Maxwell instantly captures the crowds attention. Belting into their opening track Take the Wheel, a refreshing high energy and gritty banger giving early era AC/DC vibes. Willie’s Bon Scottesque powerful vocals accompanied by his left handed Flying V is giving it heaps. This guy knows his way around a guitar!
Drummer Cal Leavey’s massive double kick driven beats and Bassist Seb Robertson’s punchy lines fuel the coal train that is Willie J’s 6V6’s and to think the sound these guys deliver being only a three piece is truly jaw dropping.
By the end of the first song the crowd is ready to rock and the vibe has changed from moderate – to fire’s imminent. Followed by the catchy Safe Delivery and Led Zeppelin like ballad That’s All She Wrote,
everyone’s bought what’s being sold and Willie’s got the crowd joining in as he lets us all know they’ve only been together for a year and a half! Whaaaat?!
Ending their set with the Rose Tattoo classic Bad Boy For Love with Large Mirage’s Kolya Chan joining them on stage for a guitar solo riff off to finish a blistering set, these 3 lads from Melbourne now have the crowd lubed and ready for (Sebastian) Bach to enter and drive it home!!
Willie J’s 6V6’s are a band I’ll go to see again. Great work boys 🤘
Now in waiting for what we’ve all come to see it is suddenly evident the volume just went up a notch with the sound checking for Baz letting us know what we are in for!!
The Enmore is now packed to the rafters, the sold out crowd now visibly amped, presumably fuelled by a few cold tins under their belts and good to go!
The first bend note of Brodie ‘Bruiser’ DeRozie’s distorted guitar sets the scene and the entrance of Sebastian Bach pumping his fists in the air as he screams ‘SYDNEY LET’S FUCKING ROCK‘ and sends the crowd into a frenzy. The obligatory wolf whistles at the mere presence of this Rock God are ringing through the theatre and what a presence he has.
I’m in awe at him standing right in front of us as I feel the chicken skin build upon my arms.
Then like a shotgun blast the band rip into What Do I Got To Lose from his latest release Child Within The Man, the cowbell driving through the speakers. C’mon, who doesn’t love a good cowbell? By the end of the opening track it’s plain for everyone to see Sebastian Bach has still got it and he’s here to bring the Big Guns. Pun intended.
No fucking around – straight into Slave to The Grind the faithful lose their shit myself included and fuuuuck me I could literally feel The Enmore shake. This is what we’re here for. As the song comes to a close over the deafening applause, Bach lets us all know ‘It sure feels fucking great to be back in Sydney’.
And trust us Baz, we all feel the same way.
Accompanied by guitarist Brodie ‘Bruiser’ De Rozie, bassist Fede Delfino and his very own son Paris Bach on drums, this group are fire and bringing the thunder! As they roll into Here I Am off Skid Row’s debut album, Bach lets us all know he feels as if he knows everyone of us. They’ll be playing every single song off the said album, and that’s just what they did.
In between tracks, the interaction Baz had with the crowd was genuine, comical and you could tell he was truly appreciative of the loyalty and love the fans were giving – and he returned serve with a performance of the ages. With hits 18 & Life bringing the lighters and camera phone lights out, illuminating the Enmore; what a sight to see, to The epic I Remember You which had the crowd singing in unison, the theatre echoing to the famous ballad that we all hold close to our hearts. There was also tipping of the hat moments of fallen idols Starman Ace Frehley where he covered the Kiss track Shock Me to the interlude in the middle of Monkey Business with the Ozzy Osbourne track I don’t know. This concert had it all.
Finishing the set was the epic Youth Gone Wild, and all of us with a few more greys in our hair still gave it our all like we were in our teens again. The band leave the stage with the entire Enmore faithfully chanting ‘We Want More!!’. And more they gave, with Baz and the boys returning with the news that there was Aussie Rock Royalty in the crowd, ‘The one and only Angry Anderson!‘ as they proceeded into the Rose Tattoo banger We Can’t Be Beaten all and sundry joining in the chorus throwing horns in the air!
It doesn’t get any better than this, or so I thought, being a bit selfish here Bach finishes the night with my all time favourite Skid Row track Get The Fuck Out and I was uncontrollably laughing at what the fuck I am witnessing. I am in Rock Heaven? I don’t ever want this to end.
WILLIE J’S 6v6’s – GALLERY
SEBASTIAN BACH – GALLERY
