Live Review: Sebastian Bach, Legs Electric

The grand old Astor Theatre had been converted into concert mode for a Sunday night rock show, but was it ready for the Sebastian Bach experience?

Support band Legs Electric kicked things off with what they refer to as "maximum rock'n'roll". The local all-girl four piece could have stepped straight out of the '80s, sound-wise, and the small but enthusiastic crowd gave plenty of encouragement during their short, sharp set.

Sebastian Bach likes to play by his own rules, so the advertised 8pm time slot was pushed back to 8.15 — "fashionably late" as a nearby punter noted. When Bach finally hit the stage it was full steam ahead, kicking his set off with the title track from Skid Row's album Slave To The Grind.

Decked out in all black and sporting a Bon Scott-era AC/DC t-shirt, the tall and only slightly less slender former Skid Rower looked every bit the rock star — and sounded like one. Bach's voice is as good as it ever has been in his 27-year career.

A couple of tracks from Skid Row's second album continued the genuinely energetic crowd interaction, before Bach pulled out Big Guns (from the band's first) — except some punters were still firmly rooted to their comfy Astor Theatre chairs. Seriously people, who the hell sits down at a rock show?

Bach is a true rock frontman and worked the modest stage like an arena, sprinting back and forth, leaning out over the small but adoring set of hardcore fans and swinging great lengths of his mic lead over his head — a la Roger Daltrey — somehow avoiding bass player Rob De Luca and guitarist Brent Woods. Longest serving member of the band, drummer Bobby Jarzombek, stayed safe behind his kit at the back of the stage. Bach genuinely seemed to be enjoying the experience, and given the smallish (but very enthusiastic) crowd that turned out, his love for his craft was on display to the Perth locals who spent their Sunday night at an ear-bleedingly loud heavy metal show.

If I Remember You took the roof off then Youth Gone Wild tore the house down. Bach ended the set with an encore performance of the AC/DC classic TNT. Having combined a wedding and honeymoon in Australia in between tour dates, he warmly thanked the crowd for Australia's friendliness and positive response to the shows. It further cemented that the voice of Skid Row still has the voice and the passion to continue for many tours yet.