"This is not a contest or a gimmick. It's a genuine search for the right voice, presence and authenticity to carry Skid Row forward": Could YOU be the next Skid Row frontman?

Hey aspiring singers! Are you partial to a bit of Skid Row? Have you ever done 18 And Life at karaoke? If the answers to those questions are yes then there’s a vacant position you just might be interested in...

Yes, the US hard rock veterans are looking for a new frontman and have thrown the opportunity open to all, including amateurs. "This is not a contest or a gimmick," the band said in a statement. "It's a genuine search for the right voice, presence and authenticity to carry Skid Row forward."

It’s not the first time an established band has gone public in its search for a new member. You may recall Smashing Pumpkins tried the same tactic when they were looking for a new guitarist in 2024. Meanwhile Chaka Khan used social media to find her new guitarist last year.

In the case of the Skid Row vacancy, applications have to go through Sweetwater, the music retailer and partner in this search. In addition to a short biography and some explanation of why should be Skid Row’s new singer, applicants have to upload videos of themselves singing 18 And Life and Monkey Business, two of the band’s biggest hits, to show their “range and presence”.

The band have been a going concern for 40 years and have got through five vocalists in that time. Sebastian Bach is undoubtedly the best known – he sang on their first three albums and all their hits up until their 1996 split.

When they reformed a few years later, the new frontman was one Johnny Solinger. When he quit (or was sacked depending on who you believe) in 2015 his replacement was Tony Harnell. It soon became clear that Harnell didn’t fit so he was replaced by ex-Dragonforce singer ZP Theart. Theart stayed until 2022 when he was replaced by Swedish vocalist Erik Grönwall, who has recently stepped down due to ill-health.

So if you do fancy yourself stepping into that long lineage head over to the Sweetwater website here. The band will reach out to promising candidates at the email they provide.

But be quick – it sounds as if the band already have their eyes on potential candidates. In a recent interview with the Rockstrap podcast, bassist Rachel Bolan said "We have a couple guys on our radar that we're pretty excited about. So hopefully before the end of the year, we'll be out back out on the road."