The Toronto Sun reports that a close friend of Sebastian Bach has come to the defence of the former Skid Row frontman, disputing much of what’s been said about Sunday night’s events in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Bach, 42, was charged early Monday with assault, mischief and possession of marijuana after a glass at Riley’s Olde Towne Pub was broken and the owner, Jim Kakouros, was bitten on the hand.
Judd Smoke was with Bach Sunday night and said many of the allegations against Bach - including statements that Bach demanded star treatment and heckled and cursed at staff - aren’t true.
“That didn’t happen,” Smoke said.
Bach had been in town for a few days, wrapping up a few details related to his late father’s estate, Smoke said. Bach, whose real last name is Bierk, grew up in Peterborough.
Bach, he said, had recently come off a world tour with Guns N' Roses, wanted to keep things low-key and just wanted to go out for dinner. “He’s not looking to be a rock star.”
There were seven people in their group that night, he said. They ordered a few drinks and Smoke said there seemed to be something a bit odd with the server; he said he found out later that staff was warned that Bach would be trouble, as soon as Bach walked into the restaurant.
The group ordered food, drinks and one of the girls asked the pub’s singer, Josh Gontier, if she could sing, he said. Bach, Smoke said, never once offered to sing or expressed a desire to sing. It was the last thing he wanted to do, Smoke said.
The girl asked to sing again, Smoke said, and was told she couldn’t. Smoke said it’s possible Bach took offence to that, or something that was said to the girl. “He did throw ice cubes at him,” he said, referring to Gontier.
But Bach never said, “don’t you know who I am,” or said the bar would be honoured to hear him sing, Smoke said. “I don’t know where that comes from,” he said.
They were asked to leave and the group agreed to go. But they wanted to finish their drinks first, he said. Bach picked up his wine glass and was going to finish the drink as he walked to the door, Smoke said. “He had no intention of taking it with him.”
As Bach walked to the door, Kakouros began yelling, Smoke said, and Bach threw the glass on the ground.
What followed can be seen on the heavily-edited security footage obtained by the celebrity news website TMZ here.
Smoke said he heard that Kakouros received $6,000 for the footage; this has not been confirmed and TMZ wouldn’t reveal how it got the video.
Check out what happened next here
See also:
Sebastian Bach arrested in Canadian hometown
Sebastian Bach facing more charges in Toronto
VIDEO: Sebastian Bach arrest caught on tape
Sebastian Bach ordeal ends
Skid Row Skid Row – I Remember You (1990)
