"My first band, Kid Wicked, we did half covers and half originals"
About this Quote
It is the least glamorous origin story in rock, and that is exactly why it lands. Sebastian Bach name-checking his first band, Kid Wicked, then casually admitting it was "half covers and half originals" punctures the myth that artists arrive fully formed, spring-loaded with genius. He is describing the apprenticeship phase: the grind of learning other people's songs to get booked, keep a crowd, and figure out how a band even functions, while sneaking your own identity into the setlist wherever the room will tolerate it.
The split is doing a lot of quiet work. Covers are currency: they signal competence, they give audiences a way in, they teach a young singer how to inhabit different moods and dynamics. Originals are risk: they are where ego, ambition, and a band's future get tested in real time. Bach frames the balance as practical, not precious, which fits his broader persona - a frontman who came up in the late-'80s hard rock ecosystem where authenticity was measured as much by stamina and showmanship as by songwriting purity.
Subtextually, the line is a defense against gatekeeping. Plenty of fans and critics treat covers as a lesser art, or as evidence a band isn't "real" yet. Bach is saying: that's how you become real. You borrow a language before you can write in it. The detail also hints at community - local scenes trading riffs and standards - and at a performer learning what makes people react. Before the arena spectacle, there was a kid gauging a barroom crowd, toggling between tribute and self-definition, building the muscle memory that later looks like inevitability.
The split is doing a lot of quiet work. Covers are currency: they signal competence, they give audiences a way in, they teach a young singer how to inhabit different moods and dynamics. Originals are risk: they are where ego, ambition, and a band's future get tested in real time. Bach frames the balance as practical, not precious, which fits his broader persona - a frontman who came up in the late-'80s hard rock ecosystem where authenticity was measured as much by stamina and showmanship as by songwriting purity.
Subtextually, the line is a defense against gatekeeping. Plenty of fans and critics treat covers as a lesser art, or as evidence a band isn't "real" yet. Bach is saying: that's how you become real. You borrow a language before you can write in it. The detail also hints at community - local scenes trading riffs and standards - and at a performer learning what makes people react. Before the arena spectacle, there was a kid gauging a barroom crowd, toggling between tribute and self-definition, building the muscle memory that later looks like inevitability.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Bach, Sebastian. (n.d.). My first band, Kid Wicked, we did half covers and half originals. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-band-kid-wicked-we-did-half-covers-and-134682/
Chicago Style
Bach, Sebastian. "My first band, Kid Wicked, we did half covers and half originals." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-band-kid-wicked-we-did-half-covers-and-134682/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My first band, Kid Wicked, we did half covers and half originals." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-band-kid-wicked-we-did-half-covers-and-134682/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
More Quotes by Sebastian
Add to List
