STRYPER‘s Michael Sweet has come to Chris Jericho‘s defense after Sebastian Bach accused FOZZY‘s lead singer of using pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances.
Last Thursday (July 16), Jericho challenged Bach to a “singoff” with “no effects, no tuning, no bullshit” in response to Sebastian‘s allegation that Chris “mimes to a tape” during FOZZY‘s live shows. “Bas is a great singer…but I’m better,” Chris wrote on Twitter.” The wrestler-turned-singer added: “I’ve never mimed anything ever! I will fucking sing in your face anytime, anyplace dude. I’ve been a fan & a defender of u since day one…but don’t u ever question my rock abilities!” Bach fired back: ” You’re full of s*** bro. Every clip on the Internet is you miming to a tape. I will sing in your f****** face anytime. Wrestling is not rock and roll. I will show you f****** rock and roll. Check your texts set up The Sing-Off I am ready when you are”.
Earlier today, Sweet took to his social media to write: “You know it’s funny, @chrisjerichofozzy doesn’t have anything to prove as a singer, a wrestler or a person. He’s achieved success and made quite the name for himself. He’s about as active as anyone I know and is also a great guy with a big heart. He’s also my friend. @stryper had him up on stage to perform with us at @hobanaheim and I was honored to have him sing on one of my solo songs a few years back as well.
“My point? Chris is a very talented individual and a grounded human being. He doesn’t need validation from anyone. He’s made his mark and will continue to do so. He was at my wedding in 2010 and we had our own ‘sing off’ on the dance floor to the @bonjovi classic, ‘Living On A Prayer’ – Remember this Chris? Good times.
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that Chris is the man, and a good one at that. Love ya buddy”.
Sweet himself was involved in a war of words with Bach nearly four years ago. The feud beween the former SKID ROW singer and the STRYPER frontman began in November 2016 when Sweet shared a video on Facebook of then-16-year-old emerging artist Moriah Formica perfoming the SKID ROW track “I Remember You”, along with the caption: “Moriah Formica kills this and in my humble opinion, smokes the original singer.” He also proceeded to call Bach a “tool” in the comments section after being questioned about the caption by a fan.
After being alerted to Sweet‘s post by a fan, Sebastian fired back, writing in a tweet: “Michael Sweet has a big fucking mouth. Behind a keyboard that is. Can’t wait to see this pussy in person again someday.”
While speaking to “The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show” at the “Bowl For Ronnie” event in Studio City, California, Bach was asked whether he likes Sweet on a personal level. “I don’t, actually,” he said. “I think STRYPER sucks. I’ve always thought that — since I was a little kid. I think their songs suck, I think their fucking clothes suck. Should I go on? What are they gonna [do] — whip a Bible at me? [Laughs]”
After clarifying that his opinion of STRYPER doesn’t have anything to do with the Christian messages in the band’s lyrics, Bach said: “I think they just make bad records. And I don’t think they ever did make good records.”
In November 2016, Sweet released a statement in response to Bach‘s “pussy” comment, saying that “anyone who knows me knows that I express my opinion and I’m more than willing to back it up. I do my best to be honest yet not to be mean-spirited or destructive. I’m also no pussy. Obviously, Sebastian doesn’t know me, because if he did, he’d know that as fact.”
He added: “Unfortunately, I think because I’m a Christian, some people think that I’m supposed to ‘turn the other cheek’ and let people say and do whatever they want. I guess the ‘pussy’ in me won’t let me do that.”
Sebastian and Michael previously traded barbs nearly six years ago when the STRYPER leader claimed he was asked to produce a Bach solo album, only for those plans to be squashed because Sebastian couldn’t make up his mind. Sweet said: “I was approached to do a Sebastian album… to produce it and to co-write with him and basically try to kind of go back to those powerful songs from the past. Not make a dated record, but just that style, the anthemy SKID ROW stuff that everybody loves. And that was the plan.”
Michael also offered a theory as to why so few of Bach‘s eight hundred thousand Facebook followers purchased the former SKID ROW singer’s latest solo album, “Give ‘Em Hell”, when it was first released. Sweet said: “This isn’t a bash against Sebastian at all; it’s just my opinion. I think people wanna hear Sebastian of old. They wanna hear the SKID ROW Sebastian. They wanna hear the hits. And he’s giving them modern rock. It’s [‘Give ‘Em Hell’] a good album, it’s a good-sounding album, but it’s not the glory days.”
After a fan wrote on Twitter that “the points M. Sweet made about fans wanting ‘old school’ Bach sounds – are ACCURATE. Not rude or mean. Just true,” Bach responded: “ACCURATE? FACT: No member of STRYPER was EVER asked to produce ANY album by Sebastian Bach! EVER. Who do U think asks that?? Omg!”
Sweet later took to his own Twitter to clarify his proposed role in the making of Bach‘s solo album. Michael wrote: “I was asked by the LABEL to produce Sebastian Bach. I never said by Sebastian.”
