Skid Row (Irish band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | August 1967 |
| Headquarters | Dublin , Ireland |
Key people | Brendan "Brush" Shiels (bassist, vocalist), Phil Lynott (vocalist), Gary Moore (guitarist) |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Skid Row was a Dublin-based Irish blues rock group active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, fronted by bassist Brendan "Brush" Shiels. It marked the first professional engagement for both Phil Lynott and Gary Moore, who later rose to prominence with Thin Lizzy.
Formation
The band was established in August 1967, featuring Brendan "Brush" Shiels on bass, Noel "Nollaig" Bridgeman handling drums, Bernard "Ben" Cheevers on guitar, and Phil Lynott as vocalist. Prior to forming Skid Row, Shiels and Cheevers had worked together in several Dublin-based ensembles. Their inaugural gig took place in September 1967 at a basement venue located on Lower Abbey Street, Dublin.
In September 1968, Cheevers departed to explore opportunities outside the music industry. Around this time, Gary Moore joined the group as guitarist, briefly overlapping with Cheevers. Robbie Brennan filled in on drums for Bridgeman until June 1969. The band produced the single "New Places, Old Faces" / "Misdemeanour Dream Felicity" under Irish Song Records; this release is the sole recording featuring Lynott with Skid Row.
Later that year, Shiels removed Lynott from the lineup and assumed lead vocal duties himself, transforming Skid Row into a power trio. He also introduced Lynott to bass guitar by teaching him to play an instrument previously acquired from Robert Ballagh. After a period with 'Orphanage,' Lynott went on to international acclaim as founder, bassist, and frontman of Thin Lizzy. Skid Row followed up with a second single, "Saturday Morning Man" / "Mervyn Aldridge," released through Song Records. These singles, along with three BBC session recordings, were later compiled by Hux Records in 2006 under the title Live and on Song. That same year saw the rediscovery of early Lynott demo tapes from 1968, which had been considered lost for many years.
Skid and 34 Hours
Following Bridgeman’s return to the drums, Skid Row opened for prominent 1960s rock bands such as Fleetwood Mac in January 1970. Moore, inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s guitarist Peter Green, secured a connection with Columbia/CBS, resulting in the April 1970 release of the single "Sandie's Gone (Part 1)" / "Sandie's Gone (Part 2)". The band recorded sessions for the BBC and launched their debut album Skid in October 1970. Their follow-up album, 34 Hours, so named due to its swift recording process, was issued in early 1971 and preceded by the single "Night Of The Warm Witch" / "Mr. De-Luxe". Skid Row appeared on the German television program Beat Club on 18 March 1971 and toured extensively across Europe (including October 1970 alongside Canned Heat) as well as the United States (late 1970 and mid-1971). A well-known bootleg recording from Los Angeles featuring John Bonham is believed to date back to August 1971. After completing a third album during autumn 1971, Moore exited the band in December prior to a planned US tour. His brief replacement was Eric Bell (formerly of Thin Lizzy) before Paul Chapman was appointed full-time guitarist. Chapman overdubbed Moore’s guitar parts on the unreleased third album; neither version was made public until nearly twenty years later. As the group’s fortunes waned, Chapman left in July 1972 to join UFO. Subsequently, Shiels formed 'Brush' with drummer John Wilson and guitarist Adrian Fisher.
Lineup changes
In 1973, Skid Row regrouped in Ireland featuring Shiels, Wilson, vocalist Eamonn Gibney, and guitarist Ed Deane, with keyboardist Kevin McAlea joining soon after. This ensemble issued the single "Dublin City Angels" / "Slow Down". Wilson was succeeded by Paddy Freeney prior to the band's dissolution in early 1974. Following this, Shiels collaborated with Eric Bell and Timmy Creedon in the 'Bell-Brush Band', occasionally accompanied by Gibney. By the end of that year, Shiels, Moore, and Bridgeman briefly reunited for several performances. In 1975, a formation comprising Shiels, Bridgeman, Jimi Slevin (lead guitar/vocals), Timmy Creedon (second drummer/vocals), and Johann Brady (bass) recorded the single "The Spanish Lady" / "Elvira". The following year, Jody Pollard replaced Pat O'Farrell on guitar within a lineup including Shiels, Bridgeman, John Brady (bass), and Dave Gaynor (drums), releasing the Phil Lynott-produced double A-side single "Coming Home Again" / "Fight Your Heart Out" alongside an unreleased track titled "Skid Row Flashback". The live double album Alive And Kickin, featuring this group plus Ian Anderson, concentrated on rock and roll classics. Pollard returned in 1978 to replace Eric Bell alongside Shiels, Bridgeman, Brady, and Joe Staunton (guitar).
Enduring influence
While Skid Row experienced modest commercial impact beyond Ireland and the UK, their album Skid reached number 30 on the UK Albums Chart. Additional recordings were released between 1990 and 2006.
Phil Lynott passed away from septicaemia in January 1986; John Brady died in a car crash in 1993; and Gary Moore succumbed to a heart attack in 2011. Noel Bridgeman performed with groups such as Clannad, The Waterboys, and Altan, also joining Mary Black's band during the late 1980s and early 1990s; he died in March 2021.
Brush Shiels continues to perform under the name 'Brush Shiels' Skid Row', with appearances as recent as February 2005. In June 2009, he issued Mad Dog Woman (initially titled Skid Row Revisited), which included new compositions alongside re-recorded Skid Row tracks, available through his website. Shiels has recognized the original band's role in upholding the legacy of the name. In January 2012, he publicly invited Jon Bon Jovi to contact him regarding the use of 'Skid Row', coinciding with Shiels regaining rights to his original compositions.
Reports from 1987 indicate Jon Bon Jovi requested Gary Moore to transfer the 'Skid Row' name to an American heavy metal group for $35,000; Bon Jovi holds partial publishing rights for that band. Lead vocalist Sebastian Bach recalled compensating Moore for the name, describing it as "a great name for a band." However, Shiels maintains that Moore merely forwarded the inquiry to him and no transaction took place.
During the 1970s, management of Skid Row was handled by Oliver Byrne.
Band members
- Brendan "Brush" Shiels – bass, vocals (1967–1972, 1973–1976, 2012)
- Noel "Nollaig" Bridgeman – drums (1967, 1969–1972, 1975–1976)
- Bernard "Bernie" Cheevers – guitars (1967)
- Phil Lynott – vocals (1967–1968)
- Gary Moore – guitars, vocals (1968–1971)
- Robbie Brennan – drums (1968)
- Eric Bell – guitars (1971)
- Paul Chapman – guitars (1971–1972)
- Eamonn Gibney – vocals (1973–1974)
- Ed Deane – guitars (1973–1974)
- John Wilson – drums (1973)
- Kevin McAlea – keyboards (1973–1974)
- Johann Braddy – bass (1975–1976)
- Paddy Freeney – drums (1974–1975)
- Timmy Creedon – drums (1975)
- Dave Gaynor – drums (1976)
- Jimi Slevin – guitars (1975)
- Pat O'Farrell – guitars (1976)
- Jody Polland – guitars (1976)
Albums
- Skid Row (CBS, May 1970) – Initial sessions produced by Mike Smith; later withdrawn for additional recording and material enhancement prior to final release
- Skid (CBS, November 1970) – Peaked at No.30 on the UK Album Chart
- 34 Hours (CBS, 1971)
- Alive and Kicking (Release Records, June 1976)
- Skid Row (Essential Records, 1990) – Gary Moore’s interpretation of the unreleased third album recorded in late 1971
- Live and on Song (Hux, 2006) – A compilation featuring early singles alongside a 1971 BBC 'In Concert' performance
- Bon Jovi Never Rang Me (Bruised Records, 2012)
Singles
- "New Places, Old Faces" / "Misdemeanour Dream Felicity" (Song, 1969)
- "Saturday Morning Man" / "Mervyn Aldridge" (Song, 1969)
- "Sandy's Gone (Part 1)" / "Sandy's Gone (Part 2)" (CBS, April 1970)
- "Night of the Warm Witch" / "Mr. De-Luxe" (CBS, April 1971)
- "Living One Day at a Time" / "Girl from Dublin City" (CBS, February 1972)
- "Dublin City Girls" / "Slow Down" (Hawk, 1973)
- "The Spanish Lady" / "Elvira" (Dude Records, 1975)
- "Coming Home Again" / "Fight Your Heart Out" (1976)
- "House of the Rising Sun" / "Buckfast Tonic" / "Let It Roll" (1981)
- "Mr. Diablo" / "Bring Them Back Alive" (Bruised Records, 1987)
- "Comin' Home Again" / "Flight of Earls" (Bruised Records, 1990)