Sebastian Bach is best known for his solo work and as the frontman of the hard rock outfit Skid Row through the mid-90s. However, did you also know that he was once part of a heavy metal supergroup? No? You’re not alone, there. This short-lived outfit was created specifically for a VH1 reality show.
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The heavy metal supergroup in question was called Damnocracy. The group formed in 2006 and only lasted about four years before disbanding in 2010. And the lineup was fascinating, to say the least.
Sebastian Bach took on the vocal responsibilities. Ted Nugent of The Amboy Dukes and Damn Yankees was on lead guitar. Scott Ian, best known for his work in thrash metal outfit Anthrax, took on rhythm guitar. Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard played bass. Last but not least, Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and member of bands like UFO and Foreigner, played the drums for Damnocracy.
So, where does reality TV come into play? Like many strange stories about hard rock musicians, it can be traced back to VH1 in the early 2000s.
VH1’s ‘Supergroup’ Led to the Creation of Damnocracy in 2006
The VH1 reality show that birthed the heavy metal outfit Damnocracy was called Supergroup. Like many series on that particular channel at the time, the show was short-lived, lasting only one season. Though, I can’t imagine how they could have possibly stretched it further.
Supergroup followed Bach, Nugent, Ian, Seinfeld, and Bonham over the course of 12 days, where they all lived together in a Las Vegas mansion owned. The band’s manager was Don McGhee, known for his work with KISS, Mötley Crüe, and also Bach while he was in Skid Row. Their task was to plan, create, and perform a concert together by the end of the show.
The whole of this seven-episode series is… something. In the first episode, the band members torment their mansion chef. In the second episode, Bonham has to dip out for a Foreigner concert, so they hire a human beatboxer to fill in for them, who Bach also torments. By the third episode, the group gets makeovers (I’m not making this up) and everyone except for Bach is unhappy about it. By episode four, the band has managed to wrap up one song that their manager hates. For the rest of the show, the band warms up for their performance and enjoys a barbecue, and eventually pulls off the grand finale performance. The series ends with a simple message assuring fans that Damnocracy continued after filming for Supergroup wrapped.
Ultimately, this heavy metal supergroup never released any albums. After their disbandment in 2010, everyone went back to what they were doing before or opted for new projects.
Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
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