Guitarist “Metal” Mike Chlasciak (HALFORD, TESTAMENT) joined former SKID ROW guitarist Sebastian Bach on stage this past Friday night (May 20) for the first time in eight years at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey to perform the song “American Metalhead”. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.
“American Metalhead” was written by Chlasciak and originally appeared on his PAINMUSEUM album “Metal For Life” (2005). It was later re-recorded for Bach’s 2007 album “Angel Down”.
Chlasciak exited Bach’s solo backing band in 2009. He explained at the time that he “no longer [felt] comfortable [playing with Sebastian] on several professional levels.
Mike’s stint with Bach included touring with GUNS N’ ROSES and playing sheds and arenas with DOKKEN and POISON on the “Live, Raw & Uncut” trek.
Shortly before Chlasciak announced his departure from Bach’s band, Sebastian said that he was “looking for musicians who love to play and create new music. Who need to play music. Who live to play music. I cannot make a good album when I have to pay all the band members to rehearse. I simply cannot afford to pay a musician to sit down and write a song with me. I myself have never once been paid to rehearse, or write a song. I do it because I love it.
“I do not understand the mentality of some of the musicians I have worked with, who demand payment to rehearse, to get better, to sharpen their craft in order to destroy the whole world on big stages and in the studio. In my mind, a good musician, a true musician, LOVES to rehearse, plays all the time, because they want to get better. Not individually. As a BAND.”
He continued, “I am not saying I don’t want to ever play with the ‘Angel Down’ guys again. On the contrary, they all know I would love to get crackin’ on some new sounds with them right now. But they are all busy, or worse, I can’t get ahold of them. The official word from the guitar and bass player in my current band, through management, is, ‘Call us when there’s some gigs.’ What they don’t get is, my heart is not just into playing the old music right now, my heart is always in creating new music and putting out another CD. Then there will be tons of gigs.”
Source: Blabbermouth
